Fiction 59: junior high winners

First Place

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I wait in line at the bookstore. The rain comes down, washing months down the drain. The cars brush raindrops as small children brush way tears after slipping. A man in front of the line catches my eye. He is short, light in coloring of hair and light in density of hair. He smiles amid the sobbing of sky.

Dylan Henson, 14
Chico

For last year’s Fiction 59, Dylan Henson placed third for a similarly rain-themed story. Though he’s been told math is his best subject, the eighth-grader says that he enjoys writing more than anything else. He even does some acting and has scored parts in two upcoming productions: the Blue Room’s The Alien Invasion and Playhouse Youth Theatre’s The Little Mermaid Jr. at Laxson Auditorium.

Second Place

The Metal Beast

Run the metal beast comes ripping the lush trees from the bottom up. The baby koala’s mother grabbed its baby. It starts to climb up the highest tree. The mother knows only one can survive. She throws herself off the tree. The baby with anger burning in his soul jumps to the metal beast scratching. It stops. Mission complete.

Alex Ruiz, 11
Chico

Sixth-grader Alex Ruiz is the latest in a long line of students at Sherwood Montessori to win recognition for the works they create as part of literacy instructor Danielle Mennucci’s efforts to submit her works by her students in the CN&R’s Fiction 59 and Poetry 99 contests. This is Ruiz’s third time entering and first time placing.

Third Place

Falling

She is sinking. Drowning. Slowly suffocating under the freezing blankets of her own despair. For a while she stayed hidden. Unnoticed, unknown, her own blood falling from her fingertips. No one would have wondered, no one would have missed her. Even while people came and went, the blood continued dripping and her mask kept on sliding, showing the truth.

Isabel Rodriguez, 12
Chico

Also a student at Sherwood Montessori, Isabel Rodriguez entered Fiction 59 not just for the assignment, but also because, as she said, “I love writing.” The seventh-grader enjoys writing fantasy fiction and is also entering the Butte Literacy Council’s upcoming short-story contest, submitting a story from the point of view of an insane girl. Sounds intriguing!

Honorable Mentions

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The sparkling night sky, filled with radiant blue, and crimson red cats dancing and twirling about, feeling careless and joyful more than ever.

You see, they have been invited to the night-time ball by the Ursa Major. All the cats in the world, satisfied in one night. In the morning, however, they will go home back to Earth.

Caleb Daney, 13

I Won’t Die Today

I am an ant who lives in a hill and my mom always told me I won’t die today. So I went into the giant house knowing that I wouldn’t die today. When I went into the giant house to get some food, I got squashed by a giant hand and that’s when I knew my mom had lied.

Ian Anthoine, 11

Who he Wanted to Be

Aaron wasn’t who he wanted to be. Fame, fortune and fitness are what he wanted to see. He had nobody to love him. Alone … But, soon enough, he became lean. But sadly, fast as he lost weight, he lost Aaron. He realized this was not who he wanted to be. He wanted to be, the one and only, Himself.

Brandon Burke
Chico