Jin Schofield (9) – STAFF REPORTER
Has it already been a century? Since November 11, 1918, when the Great War finally came to an end? So much has changed since then.
Red
Category: Creative Writing
Don’t Call My Name
Jin Schofield (9) – STAFF REPORTER
It’s a mild, overcast Monday, and it’s apparent this year that October is not coming to its typical victorious end. The trees that line the cracked-cement road I stroll along are not mid-eruption in a mane of fiery colours as they used to be this time of year. Rather, they are bare, their brittle branches at the mercy of the howling wind. Even the streets seem more empty than they should be – what should be bustling rush-hour traffic is a single car, its noisy engine groaning as it pushes along the vehicle’s crumbling chassis. I finally reach my bus stop – a lonely glass shelter, casting translucent shadows on the yellowing grass. Funny, I don’t remember any shadows being particularly noticeable on Friday.
In the Walls
Madura Muraleetharan (11) – STAFF REPORTER
Nobody knows about the bodies in my walls. There are so many of them. Their rotting stench ghosts into and infests my very mind. Some of them are raw, fresh. I can feel their warmth through the layers of insulation, drywall, and paint. Their downtempo heartbeats pulse throughout the whole room. A whimper. A sniff. A final beat. You can practically hear their eyelids latch closed, their eyelashes brushing their cheekbones.
The Big Bad Couch
Maggie Aghababyan (9) – STAFF REPORTER
The eerie night almost felt sickening. The only source of light to be seen as coming from the dim street light that flickered from across the road. I knew I shouldn’t have been so scared, I had walked down this street hundreds of times, but why did this feel so… odd?
The Clown Statue
Jessica Ng (11) – STAFF REPORTER
There once was a teenage girl babysitting for an affluent family. It was a stormy and dark evening as the rain and strong winds bashed against the windows. In this large and spacious house, there were many ancient artifacts, paintings, sculptures, and statues. As the parents were going out the night, the father instructed that the babysitter put his two children to bed and that she could watch TV in the basement. The teenager was not allowed to wander the house.
Meeting Lady Frankenstein
Mahraeel Tadros (12) – STAFF REPORTER
“Hey, look over there!” the fake-fanged boy in the vampire cape pointed behind his companion’s shoulder. It was Halloween, the sky was beginning to darken – it was going to be a moonless night. The other boy, Miguel, has fake stitches on his arms and face, Frankenstein-style. Turning to look, Reemo, dressed as a vampire, knocked the breath out of an unsuspecting Miguel. A few of the other trick-or-treaters stopped and gave the boys scornful looks at Miguel’s startled cry.
What to Be Thankful For
Jessica Ng (11) – STAFF REPORTER
It’s very easy to overlook the many positive aspects of our daily routine. Though it’s maddening to be constantly reminded about demonstrating gratitude, people can take advantage of what’s readily available to them. Life’s gifts to be thankful for include the ability to make choices, the capability to learn, and the company of others.
Counting My Blessings
Mahraeel Tadros (12) – STAFF REPORTER
If I were to choose one thing for which to express undying gratitude, it would be life. Blessings are present in every nook and cranny, in all shapes and sizes: knowledge, wisdom, support, expression, modernity, universal truth – all part of the package.
What I’m Thankful For
Maggie Aghababyan (9) – STAFF REPORTER
The time is here! Turkeys, pumpkins, you name it. Thanksgiving has arrived.
Being Grateful
Jin Schofield (9) – STAFF REPORTER
It’s sunrise. The sound of screeching birds and the heat of the blazing sun have woken me up. Uganda’s hot, parched climate has stolen one of my younger sisters from my family before, and I will never allow it to again. My mother and brothers are still asleep. By the time they awake, hopefully, I will have returned with some cold water from the village well. I set out from the few wood blocks that make up my humble home and walk barefoot for two miles before reaching the well. This trek isn’t easy, but knowing that with a mere walk, I can keep my family alive for one more day is more than I could ever ask for.