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Write about someone fighting to keep their city neighborhood the same.

Posted in Teens on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 34 stories

Twin For Now

Corbin Sage

Submitted to Contest #85

Mention of death, killing, etc Linn had two hours before she had to kill herself again, but she couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t the inconsistent, wavering glow in her room, since she had gotten used to the flickering light of the fire that was burning outside her window. It wasn’t the feeling of anticipation and fear in her stomach, since she had slept with that multiple times before, and couldn’t remember a time when she didn’t feel that uneasy flight-or-fight ball of nerves. It wasn’t the fact that she wasn’t tired. The bags under her ...

45 likes

Wasp Season

Nina Chyll

Submitted to Contest #85

Mark had lived the perfect cul-de-sac life for almost three years until that one summer, when godly providence clearly abandoned the dead end for some greener pastures. Until then, birds would chirp at dawn without fail and sometimes, if the night was really silent, they’d stir up an anxious song even in the dark. They’d weave feeble nests between the branches of the old maple tree growing fifteen feet from his kitchen window, and he’d sometimes stop to watch them, his mind calming down at witnessing the effortless precision with which they ...

39 likes

Cucumbers and Mochaccinos

David G.

Submitted to Contest #85

“The thing that almost nobody knows about the cucumber is that it's a fruit."That's what Midge Johnston liked to tell her neighbors when she dropped off a basket of the dark green and still-spiny foot-long beauties. Her garden produced far too many for her and Henry to eat on their own, no matter how many salads they made or jars they pickled. She would watch her neighbors’ expressions as they processed the new information. “No,” they would say in disbelief, followed by, “I always knew that about tomatoes, because everyone thinks they’re veg...

36 likes

Superhero Part two

Vicky S

Submitted to Contest #85

The thin wail of the sirens echoed off of the buildings as the police maneuvered their way through the streets. Outside, the crowd was becoming larger, the people at the back standing on their toes and craning their necks to get a glimpse, regardless of any danger. The traffic was at a standstill, and cars horns were beeping, their drivers yelling profanities. Trying hard not to smirk as he ignored the noise, Ben held one gloved hand out. “It’s over,” he said, his voice calm and steady. “Why don’t you just hand it over, and no one needs to g...

31 likes

This Place Is Dead

Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #85

The pale blue moonlight bathed Greywood Courtyard in ethereal brushstrokes.Darell Porter eased the back door to 13B shut, a dull click as the latch caught. In his hands, he held his DIY weapon. A broom with a six-inch butcher’s knife secured to the end of the handle. A bundle of string and duct tape bound the blade to the tip. He’d used too much, but he’d rather it be too secure than not secure enough.From the opposite side of the yard came the rattle of metal. Snarls and grunts. The clink of a chain. Something scraped and slapped against th...

27 likes

Hacker

Tanay Jain

Submitted to Contest #85

“They can’t do that!” I told John. The robots were basically taking over the city. They elected a robot mayor too. One week ago they decided to fire a bunch of people and hire robots instead. All the companies fired all the people who did a simple job, like throwing away the trash or fixing cars. I was a software engineer and my friend, John was a car mechanic. Ever since he got fired, he has been living in my apartment. There were protests against this new change but nothing had been done to change it since the mayor is a robot. John ...

26 likes

Return to Limecaster

Submitted to Contest #85

You can never go back. That’s one of the most common clichés THEY, that amorphous, admonishing THEY like to trot out. Or its slightly more wordy variant, You shouldn’t try to go back, which tells you that not only is it impossible (that word try!) it is also morally, or at least psychologically questionable (that word should!). Well, I don’t care. I don’t care in the slightest, and when I was told that the publishing firm I was working for wanted someone to be relocated to their new office in Limecaster, I almost literally jumped at the chan...

23 likes

Raiders From the East

Jakin Files

Submitted to Contest #85

His head smashed into the low wooden doorpost of the Flagon Inn as he was leaving. All eyes were on him as he rubbed his head, trying to suppress the throbbing pain. He noticed the awkward glances he was receiving and smiled.“Ouch!” he said, amusingly.Several men laughed as they returned their attention to their gambling. A serving girl smiled and resumed her duties. The innkeeper nodded sympathetically.“Watch yer head ther’ mister,” he said, “it’s a bit low.”Alan smiled as he closed the door behind him and started down the dirt street, his ...

22 likes

‘A Question of Now’ - This week we look at Street Art

Sean Hodgson

Submitted to Contest #85

The cacophonic assault of traffic, thumping music oozing from shops and half heard one-sided phone conversations of passers-by, that provided the aural backdrop of urban white noise to Brenda O’Lox’s podcast, ‘A Question of Now’, was so dense you could almost chew it. “This week I’m taking you on an audio tour of our city streets, to the places where sharp eyed urban dwellers like yourselves may still see glimpses of the efforts of a local artistic icon.” The echoes from concrete stairwells, the footsteps on unkept gritty pav...

21 likes

San Pedro

Submitted to Contest #85

INTRODUCTIONI have to write a paper for my Communications 201 class. The first part of the paper is supposed to be about someone who is fighting to change their city neighborhood for the better. The second part is about a person who is trying to keep the neighborhood from changing.Nothing in the professor's instructions indicates whether the paper should study two separate neighborhoods or whether it could be the same one, and residents are clashing over the proposals. "Just write what you know," his instructions tell me, but that'...

19 likes

One Day in Ancient Rome...

Submitted to Contest #85

Upon hearing the roar of the beast, Maximus unsheathed his mighty blade. Around him, Rome — mighty Metropolis, Light of the World! — hummed with life. Yet Maximus was, as usual, consumed with thoughts of death.He turned to his men, a dozen trained warriors skilled in the lethal arts, and gave the slightest of nods. Their leader, Thaddaeus, returned the signal, his eyes flinty and cold. Thaddaeus raised his right arm, thick as a chestnut branch, and visibly clenched his fist. The rest of the men halted, eyes front, awaiting orders. Even on su...

18 likes

"A big rescue." by Ye Wint Aung

Ye Wint Aung

Submitted to Contest #85

In a peaceful neighborhood, people walk in the park, go to cafe and chat with their friends. In the neighborhood, there is a river side path which brings the people together. The river side is a peaceful place where animals such as birds, ducks and other lives and they are all fed by people who goes there. When you visit the river side path at night, you can see the beautiful night skies with stars and the moon. It’s also clean and it’s very trending now. Seeing the green trees with birds chirping with waves of wate...

15 likes

Gauntlet Maiden Tatsumi

Submitted to Contest #85

"Goodmorning! Wonderful people of Gale!" A lady in a lab coat yells out as she stands at the center of the city. No one pays attention to her and just go on with their day. Some see her and takes a quick photo or video and proceeds with their day. "Huh, guess it's true what they say, people won't notice you unless you do something big." The lady stated as she moves her glasses. "Well, if you want to be noticed Eves, then you got to do something big." The lady, who's name is Eves, muttered to herself as she grabs a metallic suitcase. "Then le...

15 likes

Waddling Home

Brianna Stilwell

Submitted to Contest #85

SQUAWK. “Kinguyakkii?” Kingu turns slowly around. Behind him stands Kussuyok, a rather sheepish look in his beady eyes. “Yes?” “Do you think… maybe, just maybe… could I…” “If you’re about to ask to borrow one of my rocks, the answer is no.” Kussuyok goes wide-eyed, flapping his wings anxiously. “No! Not at all! I mean…” “You were, weren’t you?” Kussuyok hangs his head. “Yes.” “There are plenty of rocks. These rocks are mine.” “How am I ever going to get Immuyak to fall for me if I don’t get enough nice rocks, though?” whine...

14 likes

GERALD 2.0

John Del Rio

Submitted to Contest #85

Gerald looked confident; it was a look that did not often cross his coarse features. Teague told him; “I don’t see how you can be so sure about that?” “Vittorio has got to be on the run now; because as much as Mr. Penrose did not want to start anything permanent with the Italians;” Gerald explained to Teague. “You have to know that the Italians’ feel the same.” It made sense; what Gerald was saying, Teague had to admit. This was unusual because more often than not, it was Teague’s job to explain things to his coworker, and fellow troub...

14 likes

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