The Creative Righters Journal
Writing Contest Winners
Summer 2024
Winners: The Super Short Story (200 Words)
GRAND PRIZE WINNER:
Finalist (Scary Story):
Finalist (Creativity):
Finalist (Opinion Essay):
Finalist (Deep Meaning):
Summer 2024 Grand Prize Winner:
The Super Short Story (200 Words)
Mr. Fuzzypants
By: Luke C., Age 12
It was a cold, rainy night.
Amelia held her teddy bear, Mr. Furrypants, as tight as she could. A smash from the attic made her scream. Grandma, reading downstairs, yelled, "Just the wind, dear!"
Amelia wasn't so sure. Every full moon, strange things happened in the attic. This full moon, something in the floorboards seemed to giggle and sing a creepy tune:
“Want to come and play tonight?
Want to have a scary fright?
Let me come and play tonight.”
Amelia scooted closer to her door. The giggle came again, closer this time. A tiny shadow danced on her wall. It looked like... a teddy bear? But Mr. Fuzzypants was right here next to her. Who could that shadow be?
Slowly, Amelia peeked over her covers. A single, glowing eye stared back from the doorway. It belonged to a teddy bear, just like hers, but its fur was torn.
This attic teddy tilted its head, then spoke in a raspy voice: "Want to play tonight?"
Amelia yelled but no sound came out as she clutched Mr. Fuzzypants.
Grandma was wrong about tonight.
Summer 2024 Finalist:
(Creativity Award)
The Three Little Wolves
By: Beth T., Age 13
The Howells, three wolf pups, shivered in their tiny straw hut. A monstrous pink shadow loomed outside.
It was Perry the Pig, a pig the size of a house. Perry had an evil look in his tiny eyes.
"Little wolves, little wolves, let me in!" Perry roared. His voice shook the straw walls.
Helen Howell, shook her head. "Not by the fur on our furry chin chins!
Perry oinked and he oinked, then he blew the straw house apart with the most powerful pig squeal known to mankind. The wolf pups fled, running for their lives. But, Henry Howell, the wolf pup inventor, had built a rickety cart of sticks. They piled in. Perry stomped after them, but the cart bounced over bumps he couldn't clear.
Finally, they reached the Whisperwood, a tangle of ancient trees. Perry, clumsy and frustrated, got stuck between two trunks. The Howells howled in victory.
"Looks like the big bad Pig underestimated the little wolves," Helen said.
Perry oinked in defeat.
The Howells were cheered as heroes. They learned to use their minds to beat bullies. And maybe they also learned not to bully others when they grew up to be big bad wolves themselves.
Summer 2024 Finalist:
(Deep Meaning)
Pink Mask
By: Ella T., Age 12
Mr. Wright continued his lecture on finding the area of a right triangle, but all I could focus on was the soft pink mask on my face. Everyone else stopped wearing their masks years ago, when Covid ended.
But not me. Was I germaphobe? That’s what my classmates thought, and I didn’t mind them believing that.
The truth is that I felt safer with my mask on. But it wasn't about germs anymore, not really.
Life as easier with my Pink Mask. My braces? Pink Mask. My crooked smile? Pink Mask. Zit on my nose. Same. Do I need to pretend to laugh at the sad jokes my classmates made? Pink Mask. Do I even need to make small talk anymore? Why bother when no one could really hear what I had to say.
The mask muffled everything that made me nervous. It gave me a chance to people-watch, to imagine conversations with people instead of living through them. Maybe someday, I’ll feel comfortable enough to take my Pink Mask off. But for now, the mask stays on. It was a small shield and behind it you could never tell if I was laughing or crying, smiling or frowning.
Summer 2024 Finalist:
(Opinion Essay)
A Cup of Coffee
By: Emma Y., Age 12
Every morning, as the sun rises over the horizon, I find joy in the simple brewing of my coffee. The aroma of coffee grains, freshly grinded, a scent as comforting as a warm blanket, fills the kitchen. I pour the milk, and watch as it swirls and dances with the coffee in the pot. The sound of the gentle bubbling is a symphony in my quiet kitchen. It's a moment of peace before the day's chaos. Finally, I pour the dark, steaming liquid into my favorite mug, feeling the warmth touch my hands.
I take a moment to appreciate the rich, bold color before taking that first sip. The taste, slightly bitter yet perfectly sweet, is a reminder of life's simple pleasures. This daily ritual, my morning coffee, is more than just a caffeine drink, but a moment of mindfulness, a time to pause and savor the joy in the ordinary.
And as I step into the day, I carry this joy with me, a reminder that happiness can be found in the simplest of things.
Summer 2024 Finalist:
(Scary Story)
Kidnapping
By: Claire Y.T., Age 12
She’s at a crowded market with her toddler, looking at vegetables.
“Is that your kid? He’s so cute!” Says the woman next to her. She agrees, and smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. She’s tired, it’s hard taking care of a kid as a single mother. She makes small talk with the woman, and she finds herself starting to relax, just a little bit.
“Can I hold your kid?” The question takes her by surprise. But, she reasons, this is a friendly woman, and besides, she’s right beside her, so there's no need to fret. She turns to examine some carrots, putting five in her basket. As she picks up a bok choy, she starts to turn.
“So, do you-”
She freezes in horror. The woman isn’t there anymore. She frantically looks around, scanning the bustling market. Her eyes land on the woman’s figure, her back turned, with her baby peeking over one shoulder. The woman already had a head start, and try as she might, she couldn't catch up. The woman turns a corner, and she’s gone.
The last time she sees her child, he’s crying. The last time she smiled, was that fateful day.
Summer 2024 Finalist:
(Fantasy Story)
The Ballad of the Archer and The Fox
By: Kaia A., Age 12
Faraway in the North, there lived an archer. He was the greatest archer to ever live. In fact, he could shoot an apple from thousands of feet away, even if someone had just tossed it into the air. One fateful morning, royal guards approached the archer with a special task - to hunt a fox.
The archer ventured to the forest where the fox lived. His days hunting passed slowly, mostly with no sign of the fox. His favorite days were when he saw the beautiful peasant girl who lived in the forest. The archer found himself slowing down his hunt for the fox, just to catch glimpses of the girl's face. One night, as the archer was about to drift asleep, he saw the girl creep out of her cottage, then shift into the very fox he had been hunting.
The archer rushed back to the palace to inform the guards about the fox, but when he did, they already knew. When the archer refused to keep hunting the fox, the royals cursed him, making it his only desire to kill this fox. The archer returned to the forest, diligently trying to hunt down the fox, yet, the archer thought there had to be another..ee..rrr w…” The story ended.
