AN ANTHOLOGY FEATURING THE WINNERS OF OUR WRITING CONTESTS
American Language Center Rabat
American Language Center Rabat - Anthology Copyright by the ALC and respective contributors.
Editor: Rihane Zoubairi
For more information email:
alcwritingchallenge@gmail.com
American Language Center Rabat 4, Rue Tanger Rabat, Morocco, 10000 www.alcrabat.com Facebook/alcrabat IG: alcrabatofficial
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The completion of this undertaking could not have been possible without the assistance of many people whose names may not all be enumerated. Every contribution is sincerely appreciated. However, we would like to acknowledge and give our warmest
thanks
to
Michael
McMillan
(Director,
ALC
Rabat), and Hannah Graves (Social Media & Activities Coordinator)
who
made
this
work
possible
thanks
to
their constant support of this project, and every ALC Writing Contest. To all our contest judges: Ayesha Louise Barber, Leonard A.
Wallstein,
Stephen
Kosner,
Haytham
Chhilif,
Anes
Ahmed, and Mohammadreza Fassadi Chimeh for their time and invaluable contribution.
This collection contains short stories and poems written by
the
winners
organized
by
of
the
different
Writers’
writing
Club
of
competitions the
American
Language Center of Rabat.
The Writers’ Club is one of many clubs that the American Language Center of Rabat offers to its students, and now to the public. Our newly formed partnership with the
Olive
Writers
will
help
us
achieve
our
goal
of
creating a stable group of people interested in writing and providing them with an environment where they are supported
to
learn
and
discuss
different
writing
techniques and work on their pieces. The curriculum of the club is tailored to assist the members in the process of workshopping and revising their creative pieces by taking advantage of each member and involving them in the process of helping each other through feedback, insight, and constructive criticism which aims to improve editing and analytical skills.
Join
us
at
the
Writers’
Club,
and
participate
in
our
writing contests to be part of this catalogue.
All stories have been reformatted and edited slightly for grammatical mistakes.
EPISTOLARY POETRY CONTEST
Fall 2020 LETTER POETRY
Letter to an old friend, by Wissal Zoubairi
1st Place Letter to an old friend, by Wissal Zoubairi So I’ve heard you’ve done well on your own, That your limbs are not limp anymore And it’s easier to get out of bed now. I’ve heard you’re no longer bitter and alone, Chasing memories half-lived, Living through a pink-colored lens, Collecting roses and dreams To scatter in the morning light. I’ve heard you were no longer waiting, agonizing, For a certain blade of grass to emerge From the pavement that is your couch, That a day gone by is by gone, That you found something divine In piles of nothing. I’ve heard you were on the path to a life that is greater, One worth the weight of the thrashing gale winds Blowing in your direction, Knocking you around; Like doors getting slammed shut in your face. You grow and prosper, From seeds I dropped On barren lands.
You are a branchless tree, You are without fruit And your roots are dull. So I’ve heard that the sun is finally rising Over the frost-covered meadow, That spring is afoot. You strive forward now, Shedding your skin, Letting go of a miserable identity That has made you exceptionally exceptional. A slave to the fickle child that is time, Without plight or passion, You march on ahead As he favors those that favor haste. I have heard that your fridge is no longer full Of rotting fish and vegetables, That you got rid of the black mold by your desk, Ripped off the wallpaper that reeked Of shame, of sorrow, Changed carpets And doors And locks. I write you this and I wish you would do so back. Like a festering wound, Or a scab you simply cannot stop picking at, I can’t stop thinking about Your ticks, flaws, rights and wrongs And the way you thought yourself peak of everything. Hoping this finds you well.
Senses, by Rayan Lahnaoui
2nd Place Senses, by Rayan Lahnaoui Dear friend, Do you remember when I told you I had some troubles? Well, they deteriorated and now I need you more than before, So please don’t ignore my messages anymore. You see, I was blind since I was born, But this has never caused me any botheration, Because everyone around me gave me their attention; Thus, I was the most spoiled girl in my orphanage, And maybe in my entire conurbation. And I lived happily until this beautiful day came, The day McPast’s family decided to adopt me. I still remember my siblings’ joy when I arrived home... Everyone was elated by my presence, and we quickly got used to each other... Reluctantly, we consented to meet for dinner. Then every single day after, I blissfully listened to their exquisite chatter About their lives and about their passion. But I couldn’t talk nor see them, Because despite being blind, I was dumb too. Yet I loved to hear their voices in our daily meetings,
And in the Good and Evil, I devoted my time, all my time to hearken them. Several heavenly years quickly passed before this somber day came. The day the McPasts decided to give me to the McPresents... All my love and affection turned then in the spur of the moment into disgrace and frustration. Am I a toy to be used and then offered? Am I just a useless and pitiful thing? I moved to my new family’s house, And I couldn’t hear any sound, any vibration. Joy, there was none. Delight there was none... I have been all my life blind and dumb, and now I’m deaf too. Waiting for your response, A depressed Dinner Table.
To Society, by Nabil Chahid
2nd Place To Society, by Nabil Chahid As far as I can see, You dumped my rights in the sea. And now as you’re free, You could fill your veins with glee. Keep you doped with coke. Keep me locked with hope. As a bird, fly out and tweet, And just let me drown in your plastic greet.
Obstination for ivory And obligation for ebony. Yesterday, I heard you say: “Tomorrow is a better day”, Don’t worry mama, The blame is on papa. Never trust a stranger, Someday he’ll put you on a hanger.
Carry on my friend, There is no more time to waste, If you take my hand Then we will be.
Open up your heart to the sky And let the pain go away, Aversion, my friend, Never leads anywhere.
So the next time you come to the New Orleans, Don’t show disgust and don’t lean on your way, Don’t forget to always show some love In a world full of different human races.
Here I stand today, For peace between us all.
SHORT STORY CONTEST
Winter 2020 FICTION
El llorón (The weeper), by Amalou Ouassou
1st Place El llorón (The weeper), by Amalou Ouassou He felt the taste of the first tears on the tip of his tongue
and
could
see
the
marks
they
left
on
his
quivering cheeks as he looked at the rearview mirror. With a quick jerk of the hand, he wiped his face dry, still maneuvering his car at full speed to replace the bitter taste with the envisioned sweet flavor of revenge. This whole thing is sick, it’s dirty, a mess, he thought. The most sickening part was the thrill that resulted from it; he had never enjoyed a job more! As he tracked down the black, uppity, rental Mercedes that was slithering through driver
the
he
workday,
buoyant
chased his
streets
could
eyesight
of
never
was
upper-class be
seen
repeatedly
Paris
around broken
the
on
off
a by
bright white flashes, obscuring his vision of the road and bringing back memories. Clear and sharp, the visions brought with them their own flood of tears. They too felt like memories as they made their way down his face, there was nothing faded about them. Not the anger, not the guilt, not the shame. It had started with notifications, multiple ones during the day, a lot more than acceptable from friends in the nighttime.
He can still recall the first thoughts of doubt that timidly made their way through his mind. “Well, that’s a weird way to rush towards a phone!” These
were
the
exact
words
that
his
gullible
mind
formulated as his wife kept on texting feverishly. A few months
after
the
notifications
came
the
abrupt
changes: a new password, his wife’s bare finger, the outline of where a ring once sat a couple of shades paler than the rest of her skin. Reality snapped back in front of his clouded eyes, The Mercedes made a right turn. “Ain’t no way in hell I’m letting
you
go,”
he
whispered
through
gritted
teeth,
making the same move. Still tears. Always more. A new flash, throwing him behind. After a while, the soft and discreet voice of suspicion grew into a scream, inhuman. The scream strained his voice and it broke. It broke like the many framed pictures in their apartment, broke like the glass coffee table they had bought two months
into
marriage,
a
moving
in
covenant
together. breaching,
It
broke
crack
like
after
their crack,
towers crumbling down and ruin carried away by the flow of tears. The Mercedes came to a halt and so did he. Ashley Madison was the name of his nightmare and as he saw his
client’s
wondered;
husband what
was
step her
out
of
nightmare
the
vehicle
called?
Was
he it
Gleeden, Hush affairs, Illicit encounters, some other dark website he has yet to hear about?
The bastard made his way to a young woman, and as he leaned down to press his lips on her cheek our detective took out his phone from his pocket and snapped the picture. Hands on waist, bare finger, lips on cheek, hard evidence. Not giving the two culprits time to react, he fled
away.
He
had
now
earned
both
money
and
revenge. Sitting in her living room, a mom had just put her child to sleep when her phone buzzed. She knew what was waiting for her. As soon as the picture downloaded, she dropped
to
her
knees
and
wept
not
knowing
that
somewhere, still racing through the city, her detective was crying too, sharing her grief.
In the blink of an eye, by Nermine Sabir
2nd Place In the blink of an eye, by Nermine Sabir A new high school, a new life, is what most teenagers who change their school convince themselves of. One of them is Amanda. She left her old friends, memories, and school behind and moved on, in order to enroll in a new one. On the first day, as quiet as a painting, Amanda doesn’t know anyone. The minutes feel like days and the hours like decades. She is unable to have any contact with anyone.
She
prefers
to
stay
alone
and
reserved
to
herself for a while. Amanda tries to choose her friends very carefully since it’s a whole new place for her. She is not
willing
to
take
any
risks
which
would
ruin
her
reputation. Long brown curly hair, almost golden with the sun she received during the summer. Or the tan she got
with
the
creaks
showing
the
way
she
wore
her
bathing suit. Eyes range from three different colors: a green contour to a light brown to a dark one right in the center. A truly killer look making everyone trip over her. But she remains peaceful in her zone reading. During lunch, she is in the canteen impatiently waiting for the bell to ring, with her headphones almost never off.
All of a sudden, her eyes catch the beautiful sight of a boy across the room, all the way in the other corner. She has never seen such beautiful, attractive eyes, or the wide smile he’s always wearing. She’s thinking it suits him well, and the song seems to slowly fade away. Her book is slowly slipping away from her fingers and onto the floor. She keeps wondering about him for a while when her daydreams are abruptly interrupted by a loud
ringing,
leaving
her
unaware
she
wasted
five
minutes staring at a stranger she believes will be more than a stranger in the future. As she was returning to class, she starts asking herself if he will ever talk to her, if he will even acknowledge her existence around him. A mysterious guy has left her with mixed feelings and disappeared into thin air, or more like the unbearable noise and movement of the crowd. He stays a question she can’t answer, rather can she solve. Maybe he is as enigmatic as she is, puzzling and hard to understand, or maybe even more. His dark short hair, sometimes curly, sometimes just frizzy, sculpts his face and gives his chin an upside-down triangle shape and a sharp-looking jaw. Eyes black and wild, still with that smirk on his face and he seems to have understood everything about life. Colors don’t seem to be his strong point, with his leather jacket, dark blue, flattering his physique. She’s
finally
home,
after
an
exhausting
first
day
at
school. She just realized she hasn’t been able to focus on the teacher’s voice or his notes. It felt like she was out of her body the whole time.
She was so drowned into her thoughts about him she did not even pay attention to what anyone was saying. His face would not leave her mind, and her mind is usually never filled with boys, nor is it filled with anything love related. It is a destiny she cannot escape, a fatality tearing
her
apart
minute
by
minute.
Amanda
quickly
picks up her phone and tries to find him through social media.
She
discovering
is
an
facts
actual about
stalker other
when people.
it
comes She
to
keeps
searching and searching without even knowing his name and it is fulfilling her with so much satisfaction. Spent all night on something that seems so stupid, yet she is still not relieved. On the second day, she comes back, in the hope of seeing him again, so she goes back to the same spot waiting for him to notice her. She stays there during breaks and lunchtime but without results. So she spends the
day
bored
in
class,
with
the
desire
to
see
him,
maybe just through the window if he ever passes by, when they are going home or if they ever take the same school bus. Third through the fifth day and he hasn’t come back yet. Her heart is skipping beats, she is stressed and anxious, biting her nails constantly, a habit she is convinced to never acquire. Amanda realizes she missed the chance of talking to him on the very first day. She is flooded with regrets, an emotion that ruins oneself, leaving her afflicted with pain and confusion. She strongly believes it was love at first sight, though she has never felt it before.
Monday comes on and Mr. Wild eyes still hasn’t showed up. Amanda is worried. She feels terrible things had happened to him. She is not as alert and awake as she was a week ago. Her feelings had taken control over her and she doesn’t like it. As days kept going by, she suddenly found his phone number and tried tracking it on a map. It was her only chance at finding him. It appeared that he lived about 3 blocks from her house, which was really close. She kept showing up at his front door
every
day,
without
knocking,
but
perhaps,
just
perhaps he would show up and enlighten her day. As usual, she was coming home from school when an ambulance
siren
was
heard
from
a
distance.
She
ignored it and continued walking when she remembered the rumors about Mr. Wild eyes being sick. She rushed back, down the street, and saw the crowd. As she was pushing people away, trying to free her way, she fell down on the floor and passed out. It was eventually him, and Amanda was shocked when she saw him. People tried waking her up but it was of no use. The nurses then hurried and transported both of them to the nearest emergency room. At the hospital, they were both put in the same room to get their treatments. It was undoubtedly no coincidence that
the
universe
has
brought
them
together
in
a
situation of sickness. Amanda finally woke up and when she saw him, she was unsure how to feel exactly. She tried to get up but she had an excruciating headache after she fell down on the ground. She tried to look for his name around the room but she did not find anything.
A
few
minutes
later,
he
awakened;
however,
he
appeared to be very weak. A doctor came in and talked to
him
for
some
opportunity
to
time,
hear
without
the
reason
leaving for
his
Amanda visit
the
to
the
hospital. Mr. Wild eyes had turned around and told her he had diabetes, but unfortunately, the doctors will soon cut
his
leg.
The
two
kept
chatting
for
a
while
and
seemed to enjoy each other’s company. Amanda then proceeded to tell him she too had diabetes and she was diagnosed at the age of 11. It was all relatable for them for their sugar level to play tricks on them when they needed their health the most. For some reason, none of them was scared of death, believing everyone gets to live what they deserve to. Sadly, they were both exposed to the possibility of having an attack due to their diagnosis. In the end, and after many hours, they both decide that if he gets out after the surgery all right, he would take her on a date wherever she pleases to. The chemistry between the two was incredible, and it feels like they have known each other for the longest time
ever.
undergo
At
leg
around
surgery.
10
pm,
They
Mr.
both
Wild
hugged
eyes
had
each
to
other,
reassuring themselves they would still attend that date. Finally,
the
time
has
come
and
the
doctors
had
transported him to the operation room, leaving poor Amanda on his bed, smelling his perfume and lying on his pillow, sobbing quietly, she slept in his bed.
All
of
a
sudden,
she
heard
screams
in
the
hospital.
Standing from her place and looking quietly through the glass door of her room, she saw doctors and nurses running through the hallways. Apparently, a 17-year-old male
had
woken
up
midway
through
his
surgery.
Amanda unlocked the door and bolted in the corridors. She was knocking and banging on the door as hard as she could. Her tubes were hanging from her arms to the floor and the nurses were stopping her from getting to the operation room but due to her lack of strength, she fainted for the second time. Amanda finally woke up to the sound of a bell. It was so deafening and the first words she heard were: “Hello! Hello,” said a boy. “Oh hey, I did not see you there. Is there something I can help you with?” she said in a low voice. “If you didn’t see me, then why were you staring at me for the past 5 minutes Mrs. … ?” “Am-, Amanda” she answered shakily. As she was lifting her eyesight to his level, she realized it was Mr. Wild eyes. Amanda was still in school during the break, so lost in her imagination she did not see the time passing by. “Hi, I’m Jacob, nice to meet you” along with a smirk. “It’s nice to meet you too Jacob.” “Would you care to join me and my friends over there?” “Thank
you,
but
I
need
maybe?”She replied. “Sure, later!”
to
go
now.
See
you
later
All in Time, by Wissal Zoubairi
3rd Place All in Time, by Wissal Zoubairi I
have
never
been
thankful
for
the
gentle
morning
breeze. It's one of these things that's always been there. I've always been unfazed by it when it caressed my skin as I headed to school. I heard somewhere that a soul is immortal and once it leaves a vessel, it flies around looking for another. So I must have been here since the very beginning. I
heard
somewhere
else
that
people
like
us
do
not
matter. We bring no benefit to the world nor do we cause harm. We cannot participate in joy nor can we prevent disasters. It has always been like this. I have never been thankful for the morning breeze; an element as ancient as I am. It'll all be over in a second. I
just
wish
I
could
have
done
a
little
more,
maybe
cherished it all a little more. As I lay by the foot of the weeping willow, an odd feeling wrapped me in utter strength. It's almost as if the breeze was mocking my strange farewell. "I remain." It said, "With or without your acknowledgment I remain."
Maybe I could reach out for my backpack, and write down a note. No, it's too late. I have been paralyzed. I should have been drunk out of my mind, sunken in endless
follies.
ethereal
I
plane.
should
It's
have
quite
all
been
right,
I
high got
out
of
this
used
to
not
fitting in anyway. This whole situation reminds me of when my brother first started smoking. He got beat up mercilessly, but he still smoked nonetheless. Slowly, my parents came to accept it in waves. That was a change in his life they had to come
to
terms
with
in
order
to
achieve
peaceful
coexistence. Change remains as well. The same mid-winter breeze that harshly mocked my untimely death will become soft when the cherry trees blossom as Spring arrives. The branches of the tree have been dyed pure red, tainted a few moments before the knife reached my kidney. To me, that's the true crime and to me, it shall never be forgiven. I thought I would surely make it till thirty. By then I would have lived long enough to have made a bunch of caring people
who
would
carry
my
memory
but
not
long
enough to watch my body rot slowly. I guess that was a lot to ask, and it's certainly not how it works. I have always known that, so I must have been here since the beginning. The weakened afternoon sunlight was dying out. The enormous tree atop the cliff watched the crime unfold and in its branches and roots, it'll bear the secret till the end. It'll bear a fragment of my eternal being.
He got up; terror encaged in mere human form and without
the
shadow
of
a
doubt,
pushed
me
off
the
edge. Limbs scattered and skulls shattered. It'll all be known and shed light on in time, that's what I liked to believe. For
it
was
factual
that
Autumn
births
Winter,
yet
it
doesn't mean that Summer is not lingering way over the horizon. A butterfly had to wait for the cocoon to be torn apart. Change doesn't always arrive beautifully. Some days, heavy rain drenches us fully, makes us shiver, and fret. Still, it waters those seeds which we would have starved without. Perhaps
my
death
is
the
dawn
of
a
new
era
that
awaited patiently to be born. Somewhere else, I emerged anew. A child breathing its first. A child growing up fond of helping others. When in the past, under the earth, worms fed on it. Way beneath the rotting corpses emerge flowers, roses, and bouquets of all colors of the spectrum. Universe; exquisitely and beautifully violent for the right reasons.
It all comes in time.
I will save you, by Kawtar Chehouani
1st Place I will save you, by Kawtar Chehouani My name is Sky; I am sixteen years old. I have a unique superpower
but
it’s
actually
a
curse.
Every
time
someone touches my hand I can know when they will die,
how,
and
when.
I
told
my
friend
when
it
first
happened; she brushed it off and ignored me. Days later, she died in a car accident, on her birthday exactly as I told her. The same thing happened with everyone who holds my hand and when I try to warn them they laugh and think I am being crazy but after some time they die in the same place, at the same time, and in the same way exactly like what I see in my vision. That is why I quit, I decided to wear oversized clothes to hide and protect my hands from people’s touch. I stopped speaking and socializing with others in my high school, I sat alone in the cafeteria and in every class. Well, I didn’t want to have friends. But one day everything in my life changed because of him;
Elijah.
I
was
running
in
the
hallway
in
my
high
school not looking ahead when I violently hit a hard chest. I saw my bag and every book in it fly above my head
in
slow
motion.
As
I
was
about
to
fall
to
the
ground I suddenly felt two strong arms holding me tight.
When I looked up I was mesmerized by the beauty of the guy before me. I’ve never seen him in my school before he must be new. He was tall and fit. His eyes were blue like the ocean, with very long eyelashes, I felt lost in them. He was light-skinned and his lips were plump and pink. His silky black hair moved a little bit as he steadied himself with me still in his arms. Our closeness took my breath away; he was hugging me tightly. I couldn’t stop looking at him and he didn’t break our eye contact. I felt like the time stopped and there were only the two of us in this big world looking at each other being lost in our own thoughts. Until he slowly dropped his hand and reached for mine. Unfortunately, my sleeves were rolled up which gave him the chance to touch my bare hands. When he did, I had a vision. I saw him dying. He will die next month. He was in a car race driving really fast but when he came to a stop and tried to slow down the brake didn’t work and he lost control. The car hit a tree and he hits his head with the steering wheel, blood flowing down his forehead. He will die next month. The scene in my vision was scary and terrifying. But I can’t save him no matter what I do, I learned the hard way. ‘’I am sorry,’’ he apologizes smiling and looking at my soul. I look at him a little longer before removing my hands from his feeling sick to my stomach. However, I can’t tell him anything, knowing his fate won’t change it. He starts grabbing my books from the floor and I feel my eyes water like every time when I have a vision. As soon as he gives me my things back I smile since I don’t know how to use my tongue anymore. I think of something to say or do but the only choice I have is to turn and leave.
‘‘wait’’ I hear him call after me. I take a deep breath trying to erase every memory from my vision, and then I look at him standing before me with smiley eyes. ‘‘I am Elijah’’ he says extending his hand. I don’t dare shake it I only nod smiling as I reply ‘‘I am Sky’’. Days
after
our
little
moment,
I
find
myself
watching
every move, gesture, smile, a word he says on a daily basis. I think I have a crush on him or maybe it’s more. But it’s killing me every time I remember my vision. He will die Sky you have to save him I tell myself looking at him laughing with his friends. Two weeks left for him, now. I have to do something. I refuse to watch him die without even trying to save him. But I can’t figure out what to do. All I know is that I will save Elijah no matter what. I am walking down the hall when someone taps me on the shoulder. I am surprised to find it’s him; Elijah. ‘‘Hey Sky’’ he says smiling. His smile is truly contagious. I smile back answering ‘‘Hey Elijah,
long
time
no
see.’’
Oh
my
god.
I
am
really
desperate to save this guy, I don’t remember the last time I said more than three words to someone. ‘‘so, umm can I ask you something’’ he asks in a nervous voice. My heart starts pounding fast in my chest after hearing his question. ‘‘yeah sure’’ I reply feeling anxious. ‘‘So we attend the same calculus class… Ummm and since I am really bad at it; can you be my tutor.’’ He demands shyly looking at his feet. I don’t need to think twice I answer happily ‘‘yes of course’’ The first week goes by as I meet him every day in the library to teach him.
I noticed that he looks at me intensely each time I am with him which made me shyer around him. Today is Monday and I feel his death approaching. I have to find a way to stop him from going to the car race Friday. But what, I have no clue. I am lost in my own thoughts as I feel my phone ring in my back pocket. It’s a message from Elijah ‘‘meet me behind the school, NOW’’. I feel my breathing rising and my heart beating fast. I hope everything is okay but his message doesn’t say much. I wait for the bell to ring to join him. ‘‘Is
everything
okay’’
I
ask
him
breathing
heavily
as
I
reach him. ‘‘I have to tell you something’’ he says in a deep shaking voice. ‘‘what’’ I ask worriedly. ‘‘Sky, I love you. I’ve always loved you since the first day I met you. I am actually good in calculus it was just an excuse to spend more time with you because you make me feel something I’ve never felt before.’’ He confesses leaving me breathless. Then he adds before I can say anything ‘‘can you be my girlfriend?’’ I feel butterflies exploding just by hearing his question. ‘‘Yes, I’ve loved you since the day I met you and I never stopped. Yeah I would love to be your girlfriend’’ Today is Friday and I am feeling sick and anxious. I told Elijah to stay with me and not go to the car racing but he said he had a commitment. Terrified, I try to make a case, convince him to stay, and blurt out words at him, some
make
sense
others
don’t.
And
then,
there
was
complete darkness. Hours later, I open my eyes and I am in the hospital. I assume
I
had
a
fainting
spell
due
to
the
emotional
stress. I look around for Elijah but I don’t find him.
The anxiety and panic kick in again, I start screaming his name. Suddenly the door opens and I see him enter in one
piece.
I
have
never
felt
happier.
He
smiles
and
grabs my hand. I do the same and then I realize that I don’t have any vision when he touches my hand. I frown and ask for a doctor. When he comes I hold his hand and the same thing happens again with no vision which means I saved myself by saving Elijah. I don’t have the curse anymore.
Morgan, by Ines Bellahcene
2nd Place Morgan, by Ines Bellahcene Could you imagine a life without a particular person? It may be your parents or maybe your partner or a best friend that you know from your childhood. Your world revolves around this particular person. Most of us wish that our loved ones will always be here with
us
and
temporary.
we
often
However,
forget
it
is
that
the
this
life
ignorance
is
only
of
our
unfortunate fate that leads us to live this life as if we were eternal, thinking that death is so far away from us when in reality it’s just there watching our every move until it’s time for it to strike. Darwin was one of those people who thought that they had all life ahead of them. It was at nightfall in the spring, an evening as ordinary as usual, in Paris. In a luxury hotel very famous for its cuisine, while the richest couple in this city had dinner, a jazz
group
played
their
wonderful
melody.
The
two
spouses loved each other dearly; they laughed all the time
and
Count
were
Darwin's
immediately dark
and
very
happy
charming
went
sinuous
to
wife
their
stairs
to
be
began
room.
which
together.
She
led
to
Morgan, so
she
descended
the
there
tire
and
slowly
pushed the door of the room, making a slight creak.
The minute she wanted to turn on the light, her legs were no longer carrying her and she dropped onto the comfortable bed. She had passed out for a moment but then she no longer moved, no longer breathed. Indeed, she was dead. This inexplicable event was going to turn Darwin’s life upside down. He could not even imagine a minute of his life
without
announced
his to
beloved.
him,
he
When
did
not
the
bad
believe
news it.
He
was kept
screaming and he could not help denying it. His life had fallen apart so quickly. It has only been 7 minutes since he
had
found
her
body
and
his
whole
world
had
collapsed. There was no going back. One of the most loyal servants to Darwin could not bear to see his master so depressed and desperate. That is why he called on a wizard who practiced black magic. The sorcerer had the ability to revive the dead. After endless negotiations, he revived Morgan. However, she was not really back from the dead because she was only real in Darwin's eyes. It was a simple illusion. Years passed and Darwin didn't suspect anything. His life
had
continued
exactly
where
it
left
off.
He
was
happy again. The love of his life was with him so what could go wrong? He thought. If only he knew… One day the powerful sorcerer decided to break his spell because since then, everyone blames him for the count’s madness. They were saying that the sorcerer’s magic was doing more harm to him because sometimes, even the harshest of truths hurt less than the biggest illusion.
Subsequently, the enchanter decided to reverse his spell so
he
took
Morgane's
soul
and
disappeared
forever.
Since then, nothing has been known about him. He had vanished. Count Darwin struggled a lot to recover. Losing Morgan was harder than he imagined. Her presence meant so much
to
him
and
he
had
never
thought
that
it
was
possible to love someone that much. It took him a lot of years to finally realize that life did not depend on one person on Earth and that even without Morgan, life still had meaning. It had to be like this in order to survive in this life that does not spare anyone. He accepted her death because he had no choice. But deep down, he will never forget Morgan, the only creature on Earth that made his heartbeat. She will forever be in his heart.
Adam, by Rayan Lahnaoui
3rd Place Adam, by Rayan Lahnaoui Adam
was
a
young
teenager
living
in
Paradise,
California. At 6 years old, he discovered his passion for reading, and, years after, he got used to reading more than four books per week. One day, Adam went to the library in order to borrow a paperback. There, he was lost between aisles and spent hours
searching
for
a
novel
he
had
never
read.
Suddenly, Adam saw a little attractive book. He took it curiously, and read what was written on the cover: “DO NOT OPEN”. After overthinking these words. He tried to put the book down but in vain. It was like a mysterious power,
which
something
forced
him
extraordinary
to
open
occurred.
this
volume.
The
book
Then,
flew
all
over the hall and returned to Adam who was terrified. Once it stopped moving, the room became totally white and a dazzling light absorbed the poor boy. After that, the odd book returned to its initial place, as if nothing happened. Adam felt that he was falling from a very high place. A few seconds later, he could touch the floor. He was in another world: The green lawn was out of sight around him and the scent of trees’ blossoms was filling the air.
On
the
horizon,
he
pursued
a
huge
castle.
Our
miserable teenager felt so bewildered that he started sobbing alone. Lost in his thoughts, he headed for the castle. As he walked, he noticed a sign on which was inscribed: funny,
“Chapter
but
he
one:
was
too
Snow-white”.
He
sorrowful
smile.
to
found
it
Adam
continued roaming until he arrived at the fortress. There, he saw a beautiful girl, white as…snow! She was doing the laundry when he asked her, “- Miss, do you know the best way to get to Paradise, please?” “-If I knew it, you wouldn’t see me here.” She replied. “-Why? Are you lost?” She stopped rinsing the clothes and stood up. “-
Don’t
laugh
at
me!
You
know
who
I
am.”
She
responded. “- I swear I don’t!” Said the boy gloomily. “- So you’re new here… Well, I am the famous snowwhite and, as you can see, I am a maid who works for her stepmother after the death of my dad, the King. What were you asking for?” Adam did not answer. He was speechless. “- Don’t stay agape like that. Come and help me! I know who you are…” Before the boy could reply, snow-white gave him the laundry and told him to do it in her place so that he can go
home.
youngster wistfully. asleep.
Astonished, finished
He When
was
the
he
obeyed
travail
extremely
Adam
woke
the
quickly tired
up,
he
orders.
and
sat
therefore, saw,
on
another signboard. “Chapter two: Rapunzel”.
The
down
he
the
fell
road,
As soon as he read the title, the smart teenager started wondering
what
the
next
mission
was.
He
walked
desperately until he arrived at a huge citadel and, from one of its several towers, he perceived a girl whose hair was hanging from the top of the tower. On the spur of the
moment,
Adam
asked
about
his
town,
Paradise.
Expectedly, the girl frowned at him and ordered him to comb her long hair. Our adolescent started working by rote and kept straightening her long hair all day. In the end, he slept anew and, once he woke up, he found another sign. The chapters were so many and long, so he thought he could not finish them. He met the little mermaid, Aladdin, and myriad other stories’ heroes. Finally, he completed all the episodes of this malefic book, and, after his umpteenth slumber, our youngster could see “THE END”, beautifully written on a panel. “- That’s it, everything is going to return to normal… Thank God!” he said. However, that was too happy to be real. In fact, Adam found himself locked in the story: He became one of its characters. Nevertheless, unlike other heroes, Adam was real. And ever since, Adam never returned to Paradise, his hometown, because he touched a forbidden thing.
The End.