Junior high winners

First place

A Longing for the Past

I don’t remember what life was like when there was an environment, but I have heard stories. They say the Earth was vibrant. I am sometimes filled with a sense of longing. I want to smell the damp earth after it rains, and see the beautiful hues of bright green on the trees. Do other people feel this way?

Lilah Washburn

Quincy

13

Lilah Washburn’s favorite subject at Plumas Charter School is English, especially writing argumentative essays and fiction. She also enjoys playing music, just about any stringed instrument—ukulele, guitar and especially mandolin. Bluegrass is her favorite style, and she performed at the Plumas Homegrown Americana Festival this summer with her band, the Quincy Pickers.

Second place

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Clang! Sizzle! Hawkers shout about their wares. I stroll through the narrow alley, mouth watering at the hundreds of delectable treats and fried, steaming meats in stalls lining the entire night market. The bustle of people enjoying themselves brings the alley to life. I spy a particularly tasty looking stand. The sweet taste of barbecued meat burns my tongue.

Oscar Schlichting

Chico

13

Oscar Schlicting has a lot of interests, guided as he is by a curious nature that’s led him to playing ukulele, learning Mandarin, playing Minecraft with his friends and building cardboard airplanes (when he grows up, he’s considering becoming a commercial pilot).

Third place

Hide and Seek

“Ready or not here I come!” she yelled. She turned and went to find the others. Lilly found Stella under the bed. They couldn’t find Isabella. They heard a small tap in the basement. Lilly went down.

An hour later, “Hey.” Stella turned around. Isabella right there. She was confused. She looked at the basement. The lights flickered off.

Cynthia Lor

Chico

12

Cynthia Lor says she submitted to Fiction 59 in order to get extra credit from her teacher. But it wasn’t a stretch for the Bidwell Junior High student who already enjoys writing her own horror and fantasy fiction and reading the Percy Jackson series. Other than writing, Cynthia says she likes to draw and hang out with her friends.