Light in the Dark

Prose by Mina S.

5th-8th GRADE FINALIST FOR THE 2023 YOUTH CREATIVE WRITING CONTEST. Prompt: The story must be between 150–300 words, and must include ALL THREE OBJECTS: Birdhouse, glow stick, soap.

I crept through the shrubs and trees, trying to sneak away from the disaster.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sound of gunshots rang in my ears, the angry yells turned into pain filled cries, I needed to get away from it all, away from everything. I quickly crouched behind a bush while guards marched passed, in unison, one was wrapped in a bath towel, using a bar of soap to cleanse himself. The capital, the very root of all that was happening, a city full of the most powerful people.

There goes population control, I thought to myself. In charge of dealing with riots, not the best job.

I quickly raced to an abandoned hollow, my hollow, and searched around. There it was, a birdhouse that I had carefully crafted in secret. Chirping sounds arose from it as I walked towards it, fallen leaves crunching under feet. I peeked in and saw my pet bird, Birdie, snuggled up in her nest, like a child in the warm embrace of a blanket. I smiled, Birdie was my light in the dark, she was the only reason I had survived for so long, without her I’d be lost. I noticed a red glow stick next to the birdhouse, however I paid no attention to it, thinking it was nothing. I should have known better.

The next day

“No way,” I whispered. “Birdie?”

I ran at full speed toward the crushed birdhouse. I carefully picked up the roof and saw Birdie’s body inside, Birdie’s mangled, bloody body. I held my ear up to her chest and was met with…silence. The chemicals of the crushed glow stick spilling on the ground, the light no longer shone. My light no longer shone, my light in the dark was gone.