Groupe A

STORY #1


Just Beyond the Wall


Once upon a time, there was a land far, far away. However, this was not just any place, oh no. This was a land so cold that even its Summers were filled with ice and hopelessness. A place with nothing but frozen tundra and bleakness for as far as the eye can see. This was a land that claimed the hearts of even the warmest of souls and turned them cold. This was a place that had a name befitting its bleak and bitter surroundings. This was a land called “Chill Town”.

The land of Chill Town was ruled by a King just as cold and unforgiving as the place in which he ruled named Dr. Will. Dr. Will was as a very manipulative and calculating man but also a very intelligent man. He ruled Chill Town with an Iron first because he was able to convince his people that he would be the savior to one day bring warmth to the land of Chill Town. However, unbeknownst to them, the evil and cunning doctor had no intention of making good on any of his promises. In fact, he was hatching a diabolical plan that would devastate the land of Chill Town and leave it trapped in its frozen state for all of eternity.

The inhabitants of Chill Town, a group of 16 houseguests, lived in a big, but unimaginative palace that they referred to as the “Big Brother house”. The reason they called it that was because King Will had palace guards who always watched the houseguests day and night, 24/7. You see, King Will gave the houseguests all the necessities that their heart desired. They always had plenty of food, everyone had a nice bed to sleep in, and even games to keep them entertained. However, it was all a façade. A ruse set in place to placate the houseguest into being satisfied with the things he supplied for them so that they never questioned his stern rules. The houseguests were not allowed to have any contact with the outside world, they were not allowed outside of the palace doors but on specific days sanctioned by the King and only for a limited amount of time. Lastly, under no circumstances, were they allowed to venture outside of the palace walls.

One day, one of the inhabitants of the Big Brother house, a teenaged girl by the name of Megan Fox was sitting outside during one of their authorized backyard times, bundled up heavy to fight off the ever present bitterness in the air. She was doing as she always did, daydreaming about what the world is like outside of the 4 impeding palace walls. Megan had come to live in the palace when she was a small girl after her mother succumbed to illness brought on by the merciless weather conditions. The only real memories she had of her mother was when she would read her stories when she was little to help her sleep. Her favorite being about a princess who kissed a frog and turned him into her prince charming. Her mother had also left her a pair of fiery orange slippers that she always liked to dress up in when she was little. Her mother always told her that those slippers would one day guide her to the warmth of the sun that their color reflected.

As she was sitting, she heard a noise just over the wall that broke her out of her stupor. She glanced up and saw a large green frog resting on top of the wall. Not only was it odd to see the frog there in the first place but it seemed as though the frog was gazing directly at her. She stood and reached her hand above her head, palm outward to see if the frog would come to her and she was shocked when it did. As she looked into the animal’s eyes, she could not help but feel that there was something all to familiar about its presence.

As she went to go into the house to ask “Big Brother” if she could keep the animal, she heard a commotion coming from the other side of one of the walls. As she crept closer to the door, she heard the distinctive voice of King Will berating one of the palace guards. As she listened closer, she could hear the king yelling “how long before one of these idiots catches on to my plans”. As she continued to listen, the shock of what she was hearing began to set into her mind. She had just heard King Will lay out his full plan to entrap the land of Chill Town in its icy state and rule over the land for all of eternity.  She had always suspected that something was not quite right with this ordeal, but she never had any proof if her suspicions.

As she began to creep back out, trying not to be seen or heard, a loud slam of the door behind her caused her to jump and her heart to drop into her stomach. She was caught. As the guard began to advance on her, she turned and sprinted to her room with the guard giving chase close behind. She darted into her room and locked the door just as the guard caught up to her. Knowing that it would only be minutes before the door was opened, she crawled into her closet and shut the door. As she sat, thinking about how she was going to escape this situation, the frog that she had forgot she was carrying in her coat pocket, leapt out and jumped into the fiery orange shoes left to her by her mother. Needing to feel the warmth her mother promised they would give her; she grabbed the frog and slipped the shoes onto her feet. They were a perfect fit. They never had been any other time she had put them on. Just as she heard the door to the room finally open, a blinding light was cast throughout the closet and the next thing Megan knew, she was transported to another place almost instantaneously.

When she came to, she looked up and saw 4 women standing and fussing over her. As she asked them where she was and who they were, they told her that their names were Audrey, Chloe, Keesha, and Tinashe and they were the Femme Fatale. They had been expecting her. They told her it was her destiny to put on those shoes so that she could defeat the evil king Dr. Will and bring warmth to the land of Chill Town. With her head spinning, she suddenly remembered the absence of her slippery friend. She asked had any of the girls seen her frog, but they all said that they had not. Figuring that it must have gotten left back at the palace, she was as determined as ever to get back there to expose the king for who he really was, free the other houseguests from his confines and retrieve her pet. She had a destiny to fulfill.



STORY #2


The Quest For AFP


Hundreds and hundreds of years ago, in a magical land far….. far away…. so far. Very far. There lived a time where… quarantine did not exist… corona wasn’t even but a beverage yet…. and “social distancing” was simply unheard of!

In the land of Thirstville, USA… a land ruled by Queen Elena Davies…. there laid a coveted prize. A prize and possession so desired and wanted by the townspeople that some were rumored to even KILL for it. This possession? The infamous America’s Favorite Player trophy. A BEAUTIFUL… GOLDEN…. trophy that all but SECURED your position as the most POPULAR!! and BEAUTIFUL!! Character in the land… Relevance and notoriety were SURE to follow once you were in possession of the infamous AFP trophy… rumor HAS it that Haleigh came DANGEROUSLY close to possessing it at once but was stopped by the evil curly haired freak monster.

On a random Summer day, Haleigh and her counterpart Keesha decided to embark on a quest for the trophy. Relevance and fame was the most DESIRED prize in Thirstville. Through the woods and across the river they went to the destination where it was said to be hidden.

“Hey look! A frog…. should we kiss it to see if it turns into a prince?” Haleigh joked.

Without missing a beat, Keesha picked up the frog and kissed it directly on the head.

“Keesha, I was kiddi-“ Haleigh started, but stopped dead in her tracks when a mystical purple fog immediately started emitting from the frog’s ears.

“What the hell?! Does that actually work!?”

Keesha dropped the frog and it slowly stated to grow and form human like features. It was hard to make out through all the fog, but it was actually happening! What once was a frog was now seemingly turning into a handsome prince!!

“I kissed the frog I get the prince!!” Keesha said immediately.

“Hell no it was my idea!”

“You were joking!!”

“TOO bad!! He’s MY BOYFRIEND, not yours!!”

Alas, the transformation was complete, and the fog started to fade and the human slowly stepped out.

Keesha and Haleigh pushed past each other to be seen first. For this man would be one of their new boyfriends.

“WELLLL HEY THERE!! NOTTIE SALTON IS THE NAME AND JIGSAW PUZZLES ARE MY GAME!!” an EAR shattering high pitched shriek emitted through his mouth. This once frog, now prince was but a blonde dork with a big goofy smile and high pitched voice.

“On… second thought you can have him” Haleigh said.

“No, actually I don’t want to be in a relationship… he’s all yours!”

“No really you kissed him you deserve it!”

“It was YOUR idea!! I do-“

Before they could finish arguing they noticed Nottie Salton was already 20 feet away interacting with the curly haired freak monster!! But… instead of fighting amongst each other, Nottie was clearly taking a romantic interest. “PLEASE let me work for you!! I’ll do ALL your bidding! I can’t explain it, I just have an INFATUATION with you!!” Nottie begged.

“Let’s… keep going” Kesha said.

And counting, they did. They spent hours persevering through the woods, BRAVING the elements to reach their ultimate goal for fame and popularity but most importantly… ATTENTION!


Alas, after several grueling hours, they located the exact spot where legend has stated the infamous possession laid. Haleigh got on her knees and dug, dug, dug, for what felt like DAYS.

Gassed out, Haleigh eventually stopped.

“I don’t UNDERSTAND! It should be right here!” She cried.

“Hm… why don’t you keep trying” Keesha suggested.

Haleigh continued to dig and dig, unbeknownst to her, as she was doing such, Keesha had slowly taken off her shoe and was reaching her arm back.

WHACK!

Keesha batted Haleigh in the back of the head, knocking her unconscious. An evil smirk spread across her face. “Cute try sweetheart, but that AFP medal you want? I already HAVE it. And I have for over years” she said with a cackle. “And YOU will no longer be a threat to me to take it away. I AM!! the favorite! I AM the-“

*POW*

an explosion sound rippled through the air and Keesha dropped to her knees.

“Good to know” said a voice from within the shadows.

Could it be….? No it couldn’t….. I didn’t think she even EXISTED…. I thought she was a mere urban legend…. why it’s…. the most THIRSTIEST of them all…. KAITLYN HERMAN??? WITH A PISTOL?!

Kaitlyn snatched the AFP badge from Keesha’s hands.

“FINALLY…. after all this time…. now I!!! will be the favorite!! I WILL get all the attention!!! MINE!!!!” she cackled. “Oh and… thanks for making this so much easier for me” she said as she pushed Haleigh and Keesha’s bodies into the now 10 foot hole.

After patching up some dirt over it Kaitlyn walked into the sunset never to be seen again. Rumors have it that you can now find her yearning for attention mostly on instagram and pushing products nobody wants, but…. you know what they say about rumors…..



STORY #3


Mystery Inc Reloaded

Two years after that tragic accident that wiped out four members of America’s top crime solving team, Mystery Inc, sole survivor Daphne Blake sought to create a new team to continue their legacy. She had spent the two years grieving, hidden in the shadows, no longer knowing what to do with her life after the passing of her team which was more like a family to her. But now, with crime spiking across the country due to the lack of Mystery Incorporated’s presence Daphne had decided that it was time to band together a new team to fill the void and help make the world a better place. First up was Heather who although was not the nicest of the bunch, had proven her strength after her performance on the Total Drama series. Heather is famously manipulative, she knows what she wants and exactly how to get it and this is something we needed on our team. Heather would be able to get us into places and get us information that we wouldn’t be able to get otherwise along with the money she could bring to the team from her million dollar win on Total Drama World Tour. Second on the team was Penelope Garcia, the Behavioral Analysis Unit's former Technical Analyst. Penelope’s technical skills and computer knowledge would help the team navigate the cyber world and track information more quickly and efficiently. Finally, Daphne rounded out her team of four with Percy Jackson, a seventeen year old Greek demigod who is the son of Poseidon. Percy is a strong leader with powers like controlling water, making hurricanes, breathing underwater, and talking to animals and fish. These supernatural powers could be used in times of trouble and in catching criminals and solving mysteries.

As soon as it was announced that a new version of Mystery Inc was formed, the cries for help came in the hundreds. The first mystery they had decided to take on was a call about people mysteriously turning into frogs in New York City. They jumped into the Mystery Machine and travelled to the city from their headquarters in Albany to take it on. On arrival they met with Keesha Smith who had reported the issue, “thank you so much for coming!” she exclaimed. As Keesha began to explain the mysterious disappearances and appearance of frogs in their places, the team began to put together clues. “Are we sure they’re being turned into frogs?” Heather questioned, “that seems a little insane.” “Yeah, I'm not sure what's going on here but that Keesha just might have a few screws loose” Daphne spat out. The team headed to an area where a lot of the people were going missing from and where the frogs were coming from. Because security was in front of the door, Heather pushed up her bra, pulled back her hair, and attempted to use her body to manipulate the security guard Aang into letting her into the building. After a failed attempt, she took off her shoe and whacked him across the head with it, knocking him unconscious and letting the team run inside to look for clues. They entered the factory to find frogs everywhere, and no employees to be found. Confused, Percy Jackson began to speak to the frogs, “hello? Are you the employees of this factory? How did you turn into frogs?.” The frogs all began to laugh at him, “man.. what in the I want to lick you are you talking about, were FROGS not people”. Even more confused, Percy reported back to the team what he had learned. “This is so weird” Heather said, wondering what had really happened to these employees.

As they searched around some more, after following a trail of frog goop, Penelope found a trap door. Quickly using her hacking and analytic skills she figured out the code on the pinpad to open the door. As the door opened, they were all greeted by 30 employees in cages inside the secret room. “How did you guys get here?” Heather asked. “This masked woman put us here! She’s in the next room! Get her!” one of the employees exclaimed. They quickly ran into the room and Percy used his powers to lock all the doors in the room as the masked woman tried to escape. They cornered her and Heather grabbed the mask on her face and ripped it off with immense force. “KEESHA SMITH??? WHAT THE HELL, DIDN’T YOU CALL US?” Daphne questioned. “I recall no such thing”, Keesha said. Confused, the team took Keesha down to the police station for questioning. They quickly realized that she had multiple personalities and she unknowingly exposed herself to Mystery Inc trying to save the people she herself had trapped. Keesha was then locked up and the team celebrated their victory over some white claws and taco bell. Their first victory as a team and they had executed it flawlessly. The team finally went back to their headquarters and went to sleep, awaiting their next mystery in the morning.



STORY #4


Chaos in Florida

Once upon a time…..in a not so far away land…...not even a land tbh just the messiest state of Florida, havoc was about to strike. It was the day when the state dumbly reopened and people were everywhere: beaches, stores, restaurants, literally everywhere. In the Precinct 4 they had just received a call about a crime that had happened. Someone had broken into the house of Miss Florida and stolen one of her glass shoes that she was supposed to wear later and she was heartbroken. She demanded that the best of the best detectives would work on her case as she needed her shoe back and fast. The chief wanted to give Miss Florida the very best so Daphne Blake, one of Precinct 4 top detectives, was called for the job. Daphne quickly rushed over to Miss Florida’s house and got all the information she could: where was the last time she saw the shoe, did she have any enemies, had anyone else been in the house, and all that detective jazz. Miss Florida mentioned that she had gone to the Cloud 9 store the day before and someone there had complimented her shoes and seemed very interested in them. That is all Daphne needed to hear for her to immediately rush to Cloud 9 and try to get to the bottom of this.

When Daphne entered Cloud 9, she came across a sales associate Sandra Kaluiokalani who was wondering why Daphne was looking around the store all mysteriously. Daphne explained the situation to Sandra and asked if she could see video footage. Sandra being the straight to the point Sandra said “No, I’m off to my lunch break and I don’t work when I am off the clock,” and completely walked away. Daphne was stunned but was able to find another associate to help her. She quickly was able to find video footage of when Miss Florida was in the store the day before and her encounter with a mysterious man talking to her about her shoes. This man seemed to have scars all over his face like he had just gotten into a fight recently which made Daphne even more interested in the mysterious man.

She went back to the Precinct and tried to put things together and as well was able to obtain traffic camera footage to try and follow where the man went after she left the store. The trace was lost after he turned an alley into a rural area where there are no cameras. She knew that was her only lead at that point so she had to follow it and drove to this rural location. The alley was very creepy and dark. Daphne knew something did not feel completely right so she was walking slowly when BAM! Something was attacking her! She felt something in her face and it felt slimy and wet and she was freaking out. She was finally able to take it off her face with her hand and that is when she realized it was just a frog. “Phew!, that was a close one,” she thought as she moved through the alley. She soon came across a mildly open door and she could hear some screaming and cheering coming from farther away in that building. Daphne decided to go in and the cheering and screaming got closer and closer and she was finally able to see a bit of light in the near distance. She stopped to listen to what the screams were saying and they were just cheering things like “Come on man!” “Hit better than that!” Daphne soon realized she had stumbled across one of the secret Florida fight clubs. She went as close as she could to the crowd where she could still hide and watch and she suddenly saw a familiar face. It was the man from the store camera footage and he seemed like he was about to fight in the next match. The man that was acting as a referee introduced him as Tyler Durden. Before Tyler’s match started he took his backpack and took out a glass shoe out of it. Daphne quickly recognized that shoe and was able to confirm that Tyler indeed had robbed Miss Florida. It seemed like Tyler was putting this shoe as prize collateral in these fights. Miss Florida had told Daphne the shoe was very expensive because of the glass it was made of but she could now see that shoe had to be worth a lot.

Daphne quickly walked out of the building and out of the alley to call for backup. It was a busy day in Florida since all the crazies were out since it had just reopened. Backup took longer than usual to get there but they were soon breaking into the building and shutting their little club down. Daphne was able to get Miss Florida’s shoe back and she drove to her house to return it personally to her. Miss Florida was so happy and thankful to have the shoe back especially because she would get to wear it the same night at an event. Daphne asked Miss Florida what the special event was thinking it has something to do with an important pageant. Miss Florida let Daphne know she was wearing it to a Billie Eilish concert. Daphne was in disbelief that she went through all that trouble to complete Miss Florida’s concert outfit but it was her job and at least she could say she did it right. Daphne was happy, Miss Florida was happy, and everyone was happy.

The End



STORY #5


THE SNAKE CURSE

Once upon a time there lived a girl named Keke. She lived in the quarantine valley of a small town called BeeBee. She was very beautiful and very well liked by the people in the town. She was also very mysterious because people only saw her during the day. Keke lives alone in the valley because she was cursed by a sorcerer. The sorcerer cursed Keke because the town of Beebee was plagued with selfishness and greed. The curse was that at sundown, Keke would turn into a snake. Only a pure act of kindness would break the curse. This curse prevented Keke from attending any functions that were at night. Keke felt alone most times. One day as Keke went into town to gather supplies, she overheard that there would be a dance coming in town. Keke knew she couldn’t attend this dance because it would be after sundown. Keke heard a girl named Megan talking to her friends. Megan gushed about her plans to seduce the men at the dance. She especially had her eye on the most eligible bachelor named Idris. Keke wished she could attend the dance but quickly shook the thought from her head when she remembered her curse.

As Keke was heading home, she stumbled across a man sitting by the river singing. She hid behind a tree and listened to him sing beautifully. This man was oblivious to the fact that she was there. Keke was so impressed by his voice and tried to see if she could get a better look at his face. He turned around and she noticed it was Idris. The most eligible bachelor in the town of BeeBee. Keke was absolutely shocked and unknowingly let out a gasp. Idris turned towards the tree and noticed someone there watching him. Keke tried to run away but she wasn’t fast enough. Idris called to her and asked her to join him. Keke went over to the river banks and sat with him. He was very handsome and had a very calming presence about him. Keke told him that he had the most beautiful voice that she has ever heard. He told Keke that no one else has actually heard him sing and that’s why he only does it by the river. Keke and Idris ended up talking for hours and bonding over their love for music. He informed Keke that he would be attending the dance and then leaving the town of BeeBee. Idris said he would love to see her at the dance one last time and he enjoyed spending time with her. Keke noticed it was getting dark and she had to leave before turning into a snake. Keke remembered Megan and her plans and her heart immediately sank. Keke got up and ran away.

While Keke was walking home, she kept thinking about Idris and how she would love to go to the dance with him. While Keke was lost in thought, she heard a croak. She turned around and noticed a chameleon looking frog. It was so beautiful and she admired it. As Keke tried to touch the frog, it hopped away. Keke began to follow the frog and it led keke down a path that was very foggy. Keke lost sight of the frog but noticed a figure standing in the fog. Keke called out to the person and the person called Keke by name. Keke was afraid and the person told her not to be scared for she was the great sorcerer Arisa. Arisa told keke that she could offer Keke what she desired the most. Keke told Arisa that she only desired to go to the town dance and meet Idris once again. Arisa gave Keke some enchanted shoes and told Keke that if she wore them then she would stay human the entire night. Arisa also told Keke that the shoes were only good for one night and Keke was not allowed to take the shoes off. Keke was overjoyed and accepted the shoes and headed home. On the night of the dance, Keke wore the shoes before turning into a snake and then went to the dance. As she arrived at the dance, everyone was surprised to see her there. Keke and Idris’ eyes met and he immediately went to her. Idris asked Keke to dance with him and then Keke accepted. Megan was furious about this and decided to send her friend Tinashe to sabotage Keke. Tinashe went over and shoved keke and stepped on her shoes. This made Keke’s right foot step out of the shoes. Keke turned into a snake right in front of everyone. Some people screamed and ran away while some people tried to kill the snake but idris picked up the snake and took it to safety. This act of pure kindness broke the curse and Keke returned to human form. Idris was surprised but very happy to see Keke as herself again. Keke was given new life and was delighted. Idris decided not to leave town but stay with Keke and live happily ever after in the town of BeeBee!



STORY #6


The Colorful Duckling

Once upon a time, there was a mother duck.
One day, she was waiting for her eggs to hatch.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
One by one, all the eggs hatched.
But there was this one egg that was odd-looking.
Out from that odd-looking egg popped a strange-looking, weirdly colorful duck.
"Quack, quack!" said the little duck, the mother gasped as she took a look at him.
One of the yellow ducklings says "What is that? He is so ugly and weird! He can't be one uf us!" and they started mocking how he talks, walks and swims.
He had a flamboyant way of quacking, talking, walking, and swimming... Everything he did made stand out from the other yellow ducklings.
The mother duck loved him just the same, but he was bullied and shamed by his peers.
He did not belong there.
The little colorful ducking had enough and ran away to a land, far far away from home.

But even in the new place that he found himself in, he was still not accepted by his peers.
He was tormented by everyone mocking him, misunderstanding him, fearing him...
He was even mocked by a frog who he was supposed to eat, but he spared him.
The colorful duckling carried on, he kept moving and moving, searching for a place where he can find acceptance.

But unlike in other fairy tales, in this one, he couldn't find a safe haven in this one, so he kept traveling.
One day, he finally found this place called the internet lake. This was a place where he could go to meet new people.
That's when everything changed. He actually made friends, he discovered who he was and what his interests were.
He stared into his reflection in the lake, and that's when he found out that he was gay, and that it was okay.
AOC, Arisa Cox, Cent, Saoirse Ronan, Aang, Audrey, Billie, Chloe, Carly, Celine, Dean, Daphne, Nottie, Sandra, Megan, Keke, Layla, Keesha, Susie, Shirley, Tinashe, Penelope, Idris, Alycia, Bulma, Leslie, Rae, Sunflower, Heather, Haleigh, Penny, Percy, Michael...
Everyone was there, and they were celebrating me!!!
And there was also a shoe somewhere!!!

Look, this story was not the best, but I tried, okay?
I'm literally running out of time writing this right now.
I don't have time right now... I just need this to be 500 words at least.
But I tried my best.
Gay rights, POC rights, black rights, Indigenous rights, LGBTQ+ rights, okay? That's the point of this story!!!
I'm running out of time, but that's what I wanted it to come across!!
I hope y'all enjoyed this mess, I really hope so.
This is the end! Thank y'all for readin this!!! Thank you!
I still need words so I'm gonna say this! AOC 2024!!! That's all I wanted to say, thank you so much.
Stan AOC!!! Okay?



STORY #7


The Big Brethren Games

Once upon a time, there was a Kingdom by the name of Quarantonia. Quarantonia was a beautiful and magical place, fairies and elves abound. However, it was tormented by an evil sorceress named Arisa and her loyal frog sidekick, Saoirse. For many years, it was ruled by the kind and beautiful Queen Audrey. The people lived in harmony and peace. Then, one fateful evening, the dreadful sorceress Arisa killed the fair queen with a fatal spell and robbed her of her throne.

The sorceress Arisa kept control of the people of Quarantonia with the threat of her deadly magic and with her knighthood, the Big Brethren. The Big Brethren guarded all areas of the kingdom with the sharpest swords, threatening rebels with death. Each year, the sorceress Arisa forced the people to fight for a spot in the Big Brethren. It was known as the Big Brethren Games. The winner would be knighted as part of the Big Brethren, the rest would die. Also, they would receive a golden shoe of great mystery and power. Arisa was progressive in her evil as she forced both men and women to compete. Over several rounds, the evil sorceress Arisa would test the competitors on their wits, strength, and creativity. The loser of each round would die, while the rest moved on. The final remaining competitor would join the Big Brethren but, most importantly, keep their life.

The townspeople hated Arisa and they did not want to be part of the Big Brethren, but they feared her. Arisa’s loyal frog, Saoirse had powers of her own and used them to spy on all the townspeople for signs of rebellion. Saoirse the frog could teleport and stop time. She used these powers to jump between houses and listen in on conversations and report them back to her master. Saoirse was not evil, but she was under Arisa’s spell, literally. Arisa had put a curse on Saoirse when she was young, turning her from the beautiful princess from the neighboring kingdom into a frog, and forcing her to follow all of Arisa’s commands.

On the day of the fourteenth annual Big Brethren Games, the thirty-four eligible competitors from the kingdom of Quarantonia were rounded up. With their arms and legs magically bound, the competitors stood in Arisa’s arena. Some were shaking, some were in tears, all seemed terrified except for two by the names of Sandra and Tyler. While they stood beside each other, Tyler marveled at Sandra’s beauty and courage. As their eyes met for the first time, they instantly fell in love.

Through rounds of fighting dragons, solving riddles, and the like, many perished. Leslie, Bulma, Shirley, Penelope, Idris, Alycia. The final remaining competitors were Sandra and Tyler. The final round would be a classic joust, but with sharp lances instead of blunted ones. It was a joust to the death. Sandra and Tyler mounted their horses. From across the arena, they stared into each other’s eyes. Tyler began to cry. Sandra looked towards the exit but the knights of the Big Brethren drew their swords to block it. Tyler and Sandra both knew that had no choice. If they didn’t follow orders, they would both be killed anyway. Better for one of them to survive. Out of love, they each hoped the other would win. On the sorceress Arisa’s command, they started towards each other, picking up speed. Getting closer and closer with their swords pointed at each other, they closed their eyes. Then with a huge “CROAK” the frog Saoirse stopped time just before Sandra and Tyler hit each other. Saorise, a very strong frog, grabbed a sword from a knight’s hand and stabbed Arisa.

With Arisa dead, the curse on Saoirse was broken and in a burst of shimmering light she turned back into a beautiful Princess. She returned to her family in the neighboring kingdom and formed a powerful alliance with Quarantonia. And from that day on, the kingdom of Quarantonia lived free of the evil sorceress Arisa and her reign of terror. Sandra and Tyler went on to rule the kingdom as Queen and King, and everybody lived happily ever after.



STORY #8


Once upon a time in a land not so far away there lived a girl named Chloe.

Chloe was a very bored teenager who had been quarantined since the day she was born. She lived in a small bunker with her mom, dad and 2 siblings. She did the same routine every day and often daydreamed of the life her mom talked about before the great quarantine of 2020.

Chloe had never even left her small bubble wrapped town. The bubble wrap wasn't even something Chloe noticed, but her dad tells the story of the day the bubble wrap went up so much that Chloe could recite it word for word.

It was 2027 and Chloe's parents were planning their wedding via zoom video conference, when the town loud speakers alerted everyone to get in their homes and stay there for the remainder of the night.
All night as they cuddled together in bed they could hear plastic popping and when they awoke the next morning the entire town had been sealed off from the outside world.

Chloe rushed through breakfast and asked to be excused from the table, today was the biggest day of Chloe's life and she had to get ready.

Today was her immunity walk day. She would be going outside of the bubble wrap with the rest of the year 18's in her town and all of the nearby towns.

Once a year the state of FVC (the former Virginia Commonwealth) gathered every person in there borders who turned 18 to see if they had immunity from the airborne virus that began in 2020, but quickly mutated into something unspeakable.

Chloe and her best friend Susie Carmichael both turned 18 this year and they would both be participating in the immunity walk.

The girls spent the day doing their hair, nails, and eye makeup and picking out a cute outfits to wear with the custom masks Susie's mom made for them.

As they were getting ready susie mom told them about her teenage years and the different types of makeup she wore back then, like lipstick and highlighter and even blush.
The girls laughed at the idea of wearing makeup under their masks... How pointless since you could only take off your while eating meals with your household members.

Once the girls were completely ready Chloe, susie and both of their families headed down to the town gate to say their last goodbyes before the girls met up with the group for their immunity walk.

Chloe was super excited to be leaving the town's perimeter she had always felt super confined and she new there was a world out there to explore.

Susie was terrified, she had been dreading the immunity walk since her older brother left home on immunity walk day and never returned.

As the gate opens and the town council releases the annual frog sacrifice into the non bubble wrapped air, the girls put on their special immunity suits and get ready to venture into a new land.

Its a 40 minute walk before Chloe see's it. The skyscraper, something she has only seen in pictures before. Staring in awe and amazement at the building she accidentally bumps into someone and they both fall to the ground.

Here let me help you up the boy says to Chloe. Chloe looks up at the boy and is confused how can it be possible that she is more amazed by the looks of this person than the tall building she just saw.

"Are you ok" the boy mutters? "Huh" Chloe asks.

"Hi my name is Percy" the boy says as he double nods in Chloe direction. Chloe finally gathers her composure and triple nods back.

"Hi I am Chloe". "Hi I am Susie" Susie interrupts as she sends a double nod back at Percy.

Chloe blushes with embarrassment because she forgot Susie was there during this exchange. Thank god, Percy cannot see her cheeks under her helmet and behind her mask.

"What town are you from" Percy asks, "we are from bubble 3," Chloe whispers. "What town are you from Percy" Susie steps in and and confidently asks, oh I am from the Awakening Percy boldly states.

"The Awakening?" Chloe stammers. "Uh we have to get going" Susie says as she grabs Chloe and pulls her away. "No touching " Chloe says.. "You know the rules Susie."

"I cannot believe he is from the Awakening" Susie says.

The girls grew up hearing stories about a group of people who refused to reside under the new law order and went to war with the state but eventually they all called a truce and let the Awakening live as they wished. The state even gave the awakening 2 seats on the council and the Awakening agreed to wear masks to all FVC events and take part in FVC traditions like Immunity day and nodding instead of shaking hands.


The girls head over to their assigned locations for the immunity test. Susie is eliminated after test number 2 she is definitely not immune but as the day goes on Chloe makes it round after round until finally there is only one test left. Chloe must remove her Quarantine Suit and test out the air.

When Chloe arrives at the quarantine tent to receive her test, there is only one other person there with her and its Percy. The 2 are quarantined together in the area where they will do the test.

Percy tries to make small talk with Chloe...
"This is serious Percy, we need to focus on the test be quiet" Chloe snarls.

"its ok, all of my siblings have been immune, they told me all about its easy. If you arent immune when you take off your suit you'll know right away just put back on your helmet and head to the medical tent." Percy says with confidence.

Both teens remove their suits and feel the fresh air on their face for the first time in their lives. They're quiet for about 2 minutes, and then Percy slowly leans over and asks Chloe if he can kiss her, Chloe nods twice for consent and Percy kisses Chloe on the cheek.

Chloe jumps.

"I have never kissed anyone before" Percy says.

Just then a loud voice comes over the tent's speaker ok both of you are free to go. Please put back on your suits.

"But we are immune" Percy yells out into the air.

When both teens get no response they put back on their suits and Percy reaches over and pulls chloe close.

"Please return to your designated areas" the loud speaker screams.

Startled, Chloe runs out of the tent and back to Susie.

"Where is your shoe" Susie asks.

"Oh my god" I must have forgot to put it back on when I was leaving the tent.

"Are you Immune" Susie whispers

Just then, a council member calls Chloe over.

Chloe please report directly to the Capitol, that car over there will take you. Wait what about my shoe.

"You will get clothes upon your arrival and will not need your suit" the council member says.

Back at the Immunity tent Percy holds Chloe's shoe. He stares down at it wondering if he will ever get to see her again.

The council members from the awakening arrive to take Percy back to his town. The awakening members have had many that were immune and while they have a truce with the former Virginia Commonwealth, they do not consider themselves to be apart of it and therefore their immune do not head to the capitol, but instead go back to the awakening for an immunity celebration with their family and friends.

As Percy drives away holding Chloe's shoe he wonders what the Capitol is going to do to her.
He wonders if he will ever get to kiss her again.

The end.... To possibly be continued...



STORY #9


Duck, Lemur, Raccoon

Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a bunch of random animals who all lived together despite most of them not liking each other. Arisa and her sister Saoirse were the weird animal lovers who for some reason wanted to invest in a zoo in their home and so they went out of their way to find whatever animal they can find on Craigslist, animal shelters, shady corners in the shady parts of town, etc. Arisa usually did the smart thing in going in person to buy these critters, but for whatever reason Saoirse always bought them in the most shady ways. One time someone had told her to meet her in a Walmart parking lot for a pet frog and to bring nobody else and for whatever reason she thought it would be a ~wonderful~ idea lolwut. She clearly was not thinking very well because there is always those random stories of people wandering into strange places with strange people and ending up in a food processor.

So this particular story has a trio of friends who met each other over time in this zoo-topia. There is Leslie the Lemur, Rae the Raccoon, and Daphne the Duck. Leslie the Lemur had a very strange deer-in-headlights expression pretty much present at all hours of the day. She just forever looked dazed and confused like she had just snorted a bunch of glue and then she would randomly talk about warming up pizza in an easy-bake oven and then cutting them into star-shaped pieces because for whatever reason she thought she was a star. Whenever people would tell her "Good morning" she would just reply with the most awkward smile known to man. Whenever people would tell her "excuse me, I have no idea who you are,"  she would again reply with a creepy smile. As you can tell, she was extremely not popular with the other animals who could not appreciate the type of over-the-top awkwardness that she provided. Most of them did not approve of her, telling her she needs to learn some social grace because she usually weirded people out.

Then there was Rae the Raccoon who had no idea what was going on half the time. Leslie would always tell her about the weirdest topics she had discovered on Reddit and Rae literally had no idea what she was talking about half the time, if at all. One time they had a full hour discussion about the ethics of cutting the grass. Apparently there is some random plants' activist movement going on and people are growing upset by the increase in well-trimmed lawns.  Rae would typically just nod at these kinds of discussions and move on. She wanted to become friends with Leslie the Lemur after Leslie told her that they could be emo twins. Rae thought it was weird at the time but she was glad that someone was talking to her so she figured why not. Even if Leslie spent a lot of time looking through people's windows at least there was a genuine aura around her, even if she spent a lot of her time smelling people's shoes.

And then there was Daphne the Duck who spent a lot of time banging her head against the wall like a New Age teenager. Every time she spoke to someone about anything, it would end with a headbang. "Hi, nice to meet you, I'm Daphne the Duck asdjflkasjdfklkk" *bangs head on wall*. She was the last one to join the Arisa zoo and has made it a lot better with her presence alone. Before she was there, many of the animals found were in bad condition. They randomly had missing fur, injured feet and hands, and other characteristics that made them unappealing to the public eye, but once Daphne the Duck arrived she spent a lot of time helping them through their dark times and inspiring them to do better.

So one day, the three animals were hanging out by the window and laughing at all the kids who were walking by. Leslie would just smile at them and there was a time when the kids threw a tomato at the window when she was creepily staring at them. Rae was standing by her at the time and jumped back in fear but Leslie was grinning ear to ear. Rae did not understand why nothing seemed to phase Leslie but she was not going to question it. If Leslie wanted to spend all day sitting like a statue, Rae was not about to change that. Daphne would jump back in fear but would immediately go back to the window and gaze out the window with her buddy Leslie.

But today was different. Instead of annoying kids making their way down the street acting like idiots, they instead a weird elf-dragon hybrid WUT. He had the body of a dragon but wtf he was small in stature and had a weird elf-head like the Keeber cookie mascots. So this little bite-sized abomination was just casually strolling down the street when Rae noticed him and raised an eyebrow. Leslie continued to smile, because, you know, she's weird and all, and Daphne, clearly uncomfortable with the jarring sight, turned to Rae in disbelief. The two of them began to talk about the random sight and became so invested in their conversation that they had no idea that Leslie decided to just sneak out the window to join this draconic creature.

By the time the two friends realized this, Leslie was already halfway down the block to meet up with the odd beast. Rae quickly saw this and grabbed Daphne so they can hurry on over and grab their friend before she became dragon food.

When Leslie reached the dragon elf, she continued to smile at him. The dragon elf looked back at her and snarled. He was not a fan of smiles, as he was traumatized as a kid. One of his birthday parties features one of those dancing, singing clowns on unicycles that adults randomly thought their kids would appreciate, not knowing that the creepy over-the-top makeup would terrify their tiny tots. At the party, he was having a drink of his sweet tea and the clown came up to him and blew up a balloon. Then he was working on creating a balloon dragon, smiling the entire time in an attempt to provide joy in this child beast's life. Unfortunately the baby  dragon elf sneezed out his fire and the flames burst the balloon dragon, releasing a loud popping noise that deafened the baby dragon elf's precious ears. Since then he was not a fan of clowns, balloons, smiles, or sweet tea, but then again nobody loves that awful drink anyway, sorry not sorry.

Back to the present, the dragon elf took one look at Leslie and opened up his mouth to take a bite of this monkey wannabe. But Daphne swept in like a wrecking ball and randomly started quacking. In the confusion, the elf dragon attempted to release a beam of fire at her, but Rae the Raccoon randomly took a bite out of the elf dragon's foot and he screamed in pain. Leslie continued to stand there frozen like a lunatic instead of trying to move out of the way and Daphne flew in front of her and smacked her in the face to snap her out of it. Rae the Raccoon continued to chomp down on the dragon's foot, so he decided to just kick her far away. His strength alone threw her into the air where she was unceremoniously hit by a plane oops.

Upon seeing the devastating sight, Daphne quacked more at the dragon and the dragon lunged at her with his weird creepy face. With one breath, he released blue flames that quickly roasted the poor duck. With all her friends gone, Leslie continued to stand around with a large smile on her face.

The dragon elf looked at her and scratched his head. He was confused by how stupidly bold she was, so he just decided to flap his little wings and fly away and never have to deal with Leslie's creep stare ever again.

Meanwhile, Leslie just observed her surroundings. Daphne was literally cooked duck now and Rae was now roadkill. Yet she continued to smile. She walked around the scene and it finally began to sink in about the gravity of the situation.

Then she snored loudly and woke up. It had all been a dream and her friends were sitting right next to her while they were watching those annoying kids out the window again. There was no dragon elf after all. It had all been in her head. She decided to stop being creepy and she asked her friends if they wanted to go to the park where they lived happily ever all (despite being prisoners to Arisa xoxo).

THE END