Fiction 59: Kids

First Place

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My toes are freezing in the gurgling water, but I dare not move. There is a fox on the other bank. He steps down to drink, but stops. He sees me. There is a curious twinkle in his eyes. We gaze at each other, and I relax. He will not hurt me. I know this, and cherish the thought.

By Lucy Greenfield
Age 12, Chico

Lucy Greenfield loves to write. She goes to Chico Country Day School, where her teacher encouraged the class to submit stories.

The Leaf
Somebody caught a leaf. He brought it in the house. He went in his room. He hid it. Then the next day, he thought he should crumble it. He vacuumed it up. He got a fresh green leaf and he pretended it was his pet. Then it started looking like the other leaf he had. He crumbled it again.

By Kaiden Hassay
Age 6, Red Bluff

Kaiden Hassay lives in Red Bluff and is in kindergarten at Woodson Elementary School in Corning.

Into the Blue
The blue water lightly splashes over me. Soft and gentle, it covers me up to my chin. Foam tickles my nose. I plunge under the surface, I wonder what awaits me. Sunken treasure or sequined mermaids could be around the next corner. “Hurry up!” I hear. I pull the drain plug and look forward to tomorrow night’s underwater adventure.

By Ashlyn Donnahoe
Age 11, Gridley

Ashlyn Donnahoe is a fifth-grader at Manzanita Elementary. This is her second time appearing in this paper—she took third place in 2007’s Poetry 99.

Honorable mention

A Basketball’s Life
Ouch! Hey! What’s the big idea? Tap. Tap. Whoosh. Eeerrrr! Tap. Tap. Tap. Finally, it’s halftime! I can’t stand another taste of that disgusting sweat! Eventually they’ll all come back. Aaarggg! I can’t take it anymore! I wish they could use another basketball. Wait! No! I can take it! I’m the only basketball in the gym. Bring it on!

By Harmony Cole
Age 10, Oroville

She Knows Me Well
She knows me well. She is the prettiest girl in school. She knows me well. She knows what I like, what brand of shoes I wear and even my favorite stuffed animal. She knows me well. I love her, and she loves me. Today she gave me a piece of chicken. Now we are breaking up.

I’m a vegetarian.

By Leo Daverson
Age 12, Chico

Puppy Thief
Nickey was a poodle who loved to rob banks. At night, she snuck out of the house to make a heist. She would sneak through security and cut through the vault door with her razor-sharp claws. She would take the money and return home. She used the money to buy a private island and peed on every tree.

By Cooper McEvoy
Age 12, Chico

Vacation
Sniff! I smell the freshly cut grass and the burgers sizzling on the grill. I see kids doing cannonballs in the pool. I taste a cold Popsicle on my tongue. I hear laughter and the splish-splash of water and the flip-flop of people walking. I feel the warm sensation in my soul that occurs every summer evening.

By Camille Mavis
Age 11, Chico

Silent
She lies there in the hospital bed. Glistening tears make their way to my cheeks. She turns toward me. Her lips start to move. I think she knows something I don’t. Lips start to mouth, “Goodbye.” A breeze hits me; everything goes silent. Lights start to dim as I slowly walk away. The moon comes up, and everything’s cold.

By Lily Evans
Age 10, Oroville

Fresh Prints
The expedition starts off slow. He knows that they will find no wolves, for they have not inhabited this barren landscape for many years. A sharp cry sends the group into a hushed huddle. He knows it’s only a goshawk. As they grudgingly turn to leave, the distant howl of a wolf brings smiles to all, bringing happiness again.

By Liam Huber
Age 11, Forest Ranch

Feelings
Good, bad, and inevitable. I try to hold them back, but they overwhelm me. I am alone with the pain and the tears. No one knows the anguish, frustration. I put on a show—happy little girl. Inside, I am damaged, torn. I can’t be myself; myself isn’t good enough for them. I don’t know how to please them.

By Bailey Fairbanks
Age 11, Oroville

My Stuffed Animals
At night, my stuffed animals come alive. They bounce high on my bed and scream with delight. Their soft, cuddly faces are full of mischief as they sneak around the house. They feast on my Halloween candy, gummy bears, and chocolate. They have shrill little voices only they can hear. Then they roll onto my bed and are still.

By Ella Shapiro
Age 9, Chico

Flowers
Emily loves to toss beautiful colorful flowers up in the air. Roses, violets, daisies and tulips. She watches the flowers twirl around in the breeze, and the petals drift to the loving grass below. Flowers are in her hair, her garden and in her house. Emily sings songs and dances to her flowers. Her favorite place is her garden.

By Elise Cobery
Age 6, Chico

The Octopus
The big-headed octopus swims underwater. His fish friends live in the deep ocean with him. The enemy is the aggressive shark. One day, the hungry shark came over and cast a spell on the octopus. The octopus froze. After that, the fish got sad and mad. They circled crazily, melting the icy octopus. The shark leaves, still hungry.

By Vance Hayes
Age 7, Chico

Yoyo Man
A yoyo man is twirling his Pistolero. He holds the silky string on his knuckle. The loopy string tightens and lifts the trickster into the clouds. With the “Around the World” move, he flies into space and explores the blue and green earth. But with a “gyroscope flip,” he returns to his bedroom. What an adventure with his yoyo.

By Josh Andersen
Age 7, Chico

The Cleansing Fable
Deep down within the darkness, mold, mildew and rotten Jujubes thrive. Febreeze runs in utter fright from this terrifying sight. But alas! A challenger has arrived: Comet! (Holy opera.) He has with him his hammer of righteousness and his helm of justice, but will he fail to smite the everlasting stench that reeks within the catacombs of my lunchbox?!?

By Trevor Trombley
Age 11, Chico

In My Pocket
I reach all the way down to the bottom of my Levi pocket. I am hoping to find gold. My fingers grab onto a pet hamster escaped from his cage, a rusty nail, and a plastic volcano that shoots tartar sauce. But where is the golden treasure? Maybe in my other pocket? Oh no! A cereal bowl from breakfast!

By Braeden Chapla
Age 6, Chico

The Sock Monkey
There once was a young girl and she had a lot of stuffed animals. But her favorite stuffed animal was a sock monkey named Joe. She liked him because she had him for a long time. One day she accidentally ripped Joe’s ear off. Grandma rushed over from Sacramento to fix her sock monkey with a needle and thread.

By Hannah Braun
Age 11, Chico

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The cat stared. Her whole body was taut. Her breath came in quiet, slow spasms, so as not to disturb her prey. She sprang; her body suddenly became long, elegant and floaty. The mouse squeaked in surprise as the long teeth sank into the neck. Hah, thought the cat, and, after a quick feast, stalked back to her bed.

By Lucy Greenfield