CKS Daily: write about an experience you enjoyed. make sure to give lots of detail to really paint a picture in your reader’s head. write 250 words for 100 points, 200 for sharing.

Maybe it doesn't sound like I enjoyed this much, but for reasons that would take way too long to write within the prompt, this actually meant a lot. very enjoyable experience indeed (:

354 words written.
—-
The lazy heat of summer was just beginning to fade when I drove up to an unfamiliar church. My dance studio was having a get-together there to kick off the semester, and as usual, I was a little nervous. Even knowing everyone there, I tend to feel awkward in social situations- and driving to new places isn’t easy, either.

Long pine needles piled at the edges of an old but sturdy playground, and were lightly scattered on a few picnic tables. I stalled slightly by watching the children play as I made my way to the door- where I paused, took a deep breath.

Most everyone was inside that large room, and dozens of overlapping conversations flooded over me the moment I stepped inside. On top of it all, someone had set up a speaker to play energetic music in the background. A fairly stressful environment, at least for me.

Once I found my friend in there, though, I knew everything would work out just fine. After the announcements were made, the two of us agreed to wait outside together for a while instead of going through the long (and loud) line to get lunch. Neither of us like crowded, noisy rooms, and we could always just eat after the line went away. Plus, the kids outside would have us there if they needed help while their parents were getting food, so it was the perfect solution!

We made our way outside, then sat on a picnic table near the playground. Several of the younger dancers and siblings were playing there, giving plenty of chaos to watch without us being overwhelmed by noise. We both finally relaxed, quietly watching the kids play, or the butterflies that danced above us, or the gentle wind in the prairie grass.

I used to think that friendship meant nail-painting, shopping, and doing fancy things together. After being in situations like this one a few times, I’ve finally realized that it’s far more than that. Friendship can be two people sitting outside together, barely saying a word, and choosing that instead of the “more exciting” situation, over and over.

Lol I think my sister is about to start stalking this place and if so she's about to think i am a crazy human probably

Daily for November 15ish:
We'll be turning the Main Cabin into a bookstore today! Write 150 words of a synopsis for either a story you're writing, a story you hope to write, or anything else original, then post it in the comments <3 After that, browse through all the other lovely books, and reply to at least 3 that you'd be interested in reading This daily will earn you 100 points, have fun!

Maisy never had the opportunity to have a childhood best friend, but having the luck to connect with Tanya as teenagers felt like the best possible outcome. She was friendly and upbeat, and could always make Maisy smile. Most of all, they both loved horses, and Tanya was thrilled to have a friend to hang out at her parents’ stables with. The fall after they met, they have the chance to join a trail riding camp in the mountains together, and Maisy sees it as the perfect chance to bond more with Tanya.
But Tanya loved to race, while Maisy was too nervous to go faster than a walk. Tanya loved trying new things and hanging out with new people, but Maisy just wanted to stick with her best friend, alone. To keep them connected, she has to unravel old fears and learn to finally open up- and in the process, she discovers that the two of them are more similar than she could’ve ever guessed.

(166 words)
This is my Nanowrimo project, aka I am attempting to write this entire book in one month- I'm thinking this will probably be one i publish someday! its going great so far (:

junipers- writing comp entry

1709 words.

……….

Deep in the heart of a war-torn kingdom, a secluded prairie village was easing into spring. The community’s orchards and gardens were in full bloom, a dreamy island of color in the sea of swaying grasses— even with half the men gone, summoned to fight for a king who barely knew they existed. When messengers reached the remote town, they warned of fields stained red and total destruction, a terrifying contrast to the peaceful life the town was trying to keep. But even with the warming weather and the fresh food returning, it seemed they couldn’t stay safe forever. A strange, unfamiliar sickness started making its rounds in spring, slowly spreading from one house to the next. So far, no one had died- but no one wanted to risk it, either.

A few weeks in, Bella’s parents caught it. At sixteen years old, though, she was more than trustworthy enough to stay out of the house all day— so instead of staying with them and catching the sickness, she chose to spend her days outside, marveling at spring’s wonders and the animals that visited them. Too often, she was told to ‘grow up,’ her parents citing the threat of raiders and people mysteriously disappearing, surely with a horrible fate. Distancing herself from the harsh realities of life, physically and mentally, was the only way she could stay sane.

The moment Bella stepped out of the small, dimly-lit house, she relaxed a little, grinning as the warm sunlight touched her skin. Her whole life, she could never stand to stay inside for long, not when there were plants to water and animals to tend to.

Bella half-walked, half-skipped on the well worn path, following it to the same destination as she always had: a small house on the outskirts of town, separated from the main group. A tall magnolia tree stood beside it in full blossom, shading the doorway where she saw someone stepping out.

“G’morning!” Bella called out, easily recognizing who it was. Hannah was just a few years older than Bella, and was learning to become a doctor, studying the dozens of plants in the town and every science book she could get her hands on. She’d always been a beacon of light, but since this new sickness came about, she’d seemed dimmer somehow.

Today was no different, it seemed, as she closed her house’s door with a sigh and put on a halfhearted smile. “Here to follow me around all day again?”

“Yep!” Bella responded, grinning. “As long as it’s fine with you.”

“Go ahead.” Hannah started walking to the gardens, and Bella walked right by her side, matching her steps. Bella felt a swell of courage inside. As long as she was alongside her friend, she was willing to take on anything.

Hannah started looking over the plants, picking some leaves to put in her basket, and Bella kept an eye out for anyone approaching. Their town hadn’t been physically affected much by the wars yet, but there were rumors of enemy soldiers sneaking into villages and destroying valuable resources. The gardens, and the town’s only medic, were prime targets.

That didn’t mean they had to be completely serious, though. Hannah’s tense expression was one that Bella recognized as needing something to cheer her up. As the girls walked past a cluster of elegant blue flowers, Bella picked a stem, holding it out to Hannah like they were little kids. “For you, milady,” she said, in the posh accent she used years ago when playing the knight to Hannah’s princess.

“Bluebells?” Hannah smiled, and it looked more genuine this time. “That’s just like you.”

“I mean, half of it is my name,” Bella pointed out, grinning.

Hannah tucked the bluebells into the woven stems of her basket, decorating its handle, then moved on to the next bundle of herbs. The two walked in comfortable silence, thankfully not interrupted by any danger. Bella proudly noticed that Hannah seemed more relaxed now, her motions a little more fluid, the tenseness easing away.

“How are your parents?” Hannah asked as they neared the edge of the garden.

“They’re about the same,” Bella shrugged, heart sinking at the reminder of everything being wrong with the world. “Not any worse, but not better either. What about the others?”

“Three more have caught it,” Hannah responded with a sigh. “I think I know where to find the cure, though.”

“Wait, what?” Bella asked slowly, until she’d fully processed the words and the somber tone accompanying them. “Hannah, that’s wonderful! What’s the catch?”

“It’s really far away. In enemy territory.”

”…Oh.”

“Someone has to do it, though,” Hannah continued, tone bittersweet. She reached down to pick a cluster of small blue flowers, almost like little stars or puffs of sky in the bright grass, along with one bigger purple flower that nearly matched the others.

Bella frowned as Hannah handed them to her. Forget-me-nots and periwinkles. “Are you saying you’re going?”

“Tomorrow.”

“What? That’s so soon!” Just the thought of having to go through life without her only friend made the world seem bleaker, all the life and color drained away. “I’m coming with you.”

“No! It’s too dangerous,” Hannah said sharply, and Bella stepped back. She’d never heard that tone from Hannah— or at least, she’d never been the one receiving it.

“If it’s dangerous then you’ll need protection,” Bella pressed. “Especially in enemy territory! I can’t let you go alone.”

”I can’t let you come,” Hannah said, a desperate sort of worry breaking through. “I can’t let anything happen to you. You have no idea how bad it is out there.”

Bella dropped her gaze. If Hannah was this stressed about the situation, she’d stop pushing her to talk about it… but she was still going to find a way to join her.

—–

Bella made her way outside the next morning far earlier than she usually did, the sky barely pink and the grass wet with dew. She paused behind the orange blossom tree by her house and looked cautiously towards Hannah’s. On the path, she could just make out one of the town’s young mules harnessed to a cart, and Hannah loading a few bags of supplies.

She waited for Hannah to go back inside her house, then darted over to the cart to climb in the back. A thick blanket was laying over a few bags of supplies, and Bella hid under the blanket beside them. Hannah’s front door clicked shut, the sound muffled. Light footsteps crunched on the dirt and gravel. Under the blanket, Bella felt the cart shift as someone climbed in, muffling a startled gasp when it started moving.

Bella held her breath, heart thumping as the wheels bumped on the rocky path. After a few minutes, she lifted the cloth just slightly, enough to see the sun rising over their village— a speck in the distance.

She smiled.

We’re in this together.

—– –

After a few hours under the heavy blanket, warmed by the sun, Bella was nearly dozing off.

So when the blanket was abruptly pulled off, it took her a second to react.

“What are you doing here?!” Hannah exclaimed, at the same time as Bella sat up and asked “What’s going on?”

They stared at each other for a second, and Hannah gave a frustrated groan. “Now I have to go all the way back,” she grumbled, climbing back onto the cart and picking up the reins. “I told you not to come!”

“And I told you not to go alone,” Bella countered, stepping up to sit beside her. “You can’t just go to enemy territory by yourself. If you bring me back to town I’ll just follow you again.”

Hannah sighed defeatedly, grimacing. “You don’t know what you’re getting into,” she said. “You don’t know how serious this sickness is. I’m not sure I even want you to know.”

“… But no one’s even died yet, what do you mean?”

Hannah bit her lip. “If I show you, you can’t talk about it once we get back to town. And you have to be serious. This is more than just curing a little cold.”

“I’m in."

Hannah wordlessly flicked the reins, and the mule kept walking, the cart gliding smoothly on the sea of rolling hills. They came upon a stand of young juniper trees, branches speckled with tiny white flowers, and Hannah jumped down from the cart. Bella followed, hesitating slightly— was it safe to leave the supplies alone here?

“They’ll be fine,” Hannah responded, like she’d read Bella’s mind. Honestly, after so many years around each other, maybe she could. The girls entered the circle of trees. In the center, the ground was bare, and a sack of dried flowers laid spilled over in its midst.

“Where’d that come from?” Bella asked.

“No one knows— and watch this.” Hannah picked up a fallen branch to brush some of the flowers out onto the ground, and Bella recognized a few menacing dark berries among them. Nightshade.

Hannah stepped on one of the flowers, crunching it into the ground with her shoe. When she stepped off, instead of simple crushed petals, there was a pool of darkness soaking into the ground. It spread like a sticky sap, slowly withering the sprouts and seedlings it touched.

“This isn’t a regular sickness going around,” Hannah said as Bella stared in shock. “Nightshades don’t grow in our kingdom, and definitely not ones like that. They’re using magic against us, somehow. Even us ordinary people.”

“But isn’t that a huge war crime?” Bella asked, with a sinking feeling that she knew the answer. “The messengers always say it’s not at that point yet.”

“Corrupt leaders don’t care about war crimes,” Hannah responded, voice heavy. “And messengers are too slow to rely on when there’s magic in the works. I don’t know what I’m going to face when I reach that border. I couldn’t stand to be the one responsible if something happened to you, are you sure you want to do this?”

Tearing her gaze from the destruction below, Bella straightened her stance, met Hannah’s eyes. “I’m sure. If you’re taking on a mission this dangerous, someone has to be your knight.”

……….

daily for march 15

It was supposed to be a normal day- or, as normal as a working day could be, for your average zookeeper.
I didn’t suspect a thing when I got up in the morning, other than maybe another spring rainshower, judging by the gloomy clouds still lingering over the city. I made it to work without any problems, but as you’ve probably already guessed, that didn’t last long.
Of course, my job isn’t exactly the safest one, but there’s worse ones I could be doing! Normally I’m in charge of feeding the primates, and sure, there’s a lot of ways for that to go wrong, but I was supposed to cover the tigers that day for a sick coworker. You’d think that would be the part where I died.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. When I got to work things seemed normal, besides Cathy being missing and the note behind the gorilla enclosure reminding me to check on the big cats. I figured I should just do that first, so I wouldn’t forget about it doing my normal routine.
So I went down the hallway to get supplies for the tigers, but I was stopped by a strange figure stepping through another door into my path. They wore something like an oversized hoodie, with the hood large enough that what part of their face wasn’t covered was still hidden by darkness.
A strange person to be wandering around the employees-only area, sure, but not the strangest thing you can see at a zoo. “Excuse me, are you looking for the bathrooms or something?” I asked.
“No, I came here for you,” the person said. “You’re going to die today. This is your warning.”
“Very funny,” I responded suspiciously. This was probably just another edgy teenager who was embarrassed about getting lost, and trying to creep me out as a defense mechanism. “This area is closed to the public. I’ll show you back out, or I can call security.”
“You won’t,” said the person, taking a step closer to me. For a second, they seemed almost transparent- I thought I caught a glimpse of the tile floor through their body. “Security can’t do anything to stop it. I’m here to tell you you won’t survive the day. Goodbye.”
The person vanished. I just stood there for a second in shock, blinking and trying to decide if that actually happened or not.
Supposedly, I was going to die today, and it wasn’t something security could help with. And the only really dangerous thing I was supposed to do that was different than normal was feeding those tigers- huge, strong predators, who were probably strong enough to kill me on accident if they felt like it.
Even if that was just a hallucination, I wasn’t about to risk it. Maybe that was my biggest mistake.
Inside the gorilla enclosure are a few tall, sturdy trees, with rope bridges between them for the animals to climb on. After I set out their food, I noticed that the recent rains had knocked down a pretty large branch on one of the bridges, and it looked like it might collapse from the weight- one of the ropes was already frayed.
Looking back, going up there was a much stupider idea than feeding the tigers ever could be.
I climbed up to the edge of the rope bridge, thinking if I could just cut the frayed rope, then the bridge would be unstable enough that the gorillas wouldn’t climb on it, and they wouldn’t have any risk of being injured while we waited for a repair. But once I got to the platform beside the bridge, I apparantly forgot that rain also makes things slippery. When I reached out to cut the rope, I slipped and fell, probably fifty feet, to the floor of the enclosure.
I did not survive.
I should’ve just fed the stupid tigers.

Part 1 of the weekly, 1025 words:

Sunlight danced through the window over hastily-scribbled notes, illuminating the blank paper beside them. Bree twirled a colored pencil in one hand as she looked over the notes. She knew exactly what she wanted to say, but the prospect of actually making the card had her freezing up.

Tomorrow was her best friend’s birthday. The party wasn’t happening until the weekend, and Bree was confident she’d picked the right gift for then, but she wanted the card to be ready for her actual birthday. They always gave each other something on their actual birthday, and it was always comforting to see that someone remembered it for real, and not just for the celebration.

She wasn’t about to let her best friend down, but making the perfect card wasn’t going to be easy. Out of the two of them, Bree definitely wasn’t the artist or the poet, or anything useful for card making (unless imitating other people’s handwriting counted). She could tap dance and play sports and be a good friend, but when it came to something this artsy, she usually had to ask for guidance.

But she’d planned for this. A few months ago, around Bree’s own birthday, her best friend had gone through a flower-language phase and given her a fancy bouquet that probably had a secret message or something in it (although she’d insisted that it was okay if Bree didn’t want to decode it, since she wasn’t as interested in that sort of thing).

Though the flowers had long since dried up, she still had several pictures of the bouquet, and carefully began drawing them on the front of the blank card: yellow dandelions (the only ones she really recognized), bigger light purple flowers, a cluster of tiny white ones, and little pink blooms with what looked like clover leaves.

Halfway through, she nearly convinced herself to stop. What if the drawings weren’t good enough, or she did something wrong that changed the flowers to have a bad meaning? What if that bouquet wasn’t supposed to have a message after all, and the flowers meaning actually were bad, and she was about to accidentally tell her best friend that she hated her or something?

She was in too deep to stop now, though. And they were understanding with each other over these things, so if she accidentally drew the wrong flowers, at least the rest of the card would still be nice.

Bree carefully filled out the last dandelion and opened the card to the inside, switching from the colored pencils to a bright magenta pen. Once she was done writing, she doodled a few more flowers alongside the words, to brighten up the inside of the card.

She closed the card again and started to question if she should start over- then, before she could stop herself, put it in an envelope and sealed it shut. On the front of the envelope, she wrote “To Nancy” in bright pink letters with a little heart at the end.

There. It was finished. There was nothing she could do but wait for tomorrow.

—

School was out, the card was in her pocket, and Bree was more nervous about the whole situation than she should have been. She’d originally planned to give Nancy the card that morning before class, but she’d chickened out. Now, she was standing outside by the school’s entrance, waiting for her best friend to appear.

Finally, a puff of strawberry blond curls in a sparkly pink shirt appeared in the crowd, and Bree waved her over. Their steps matched as they turned down the sidewalk together, beginning the walk towards home.

At first, they had the usual conversation asking how every class went, and Bree wondered for a moment if she should just save the card for the party. But then Nancy told her how a few of their old classmates decided they wouldn’t go, since they supposedly had better things to do- and as her best friend, Bree was not about to let some sad news ruin Nancy’s birthday.

“They’re being ridiculous,” Bree decided. “You’re the best at making parties, they’re totally going to wish they came! And I’ll still be there,” she added with a grin, offering a high five that turned into a reassuring hand squeeze.

“At least I won’t be completely alone,” Nancy said with a sigh. “At this rate no one else is going to show up!”

They walked in silence for a minute, and Bree put her hand in her pocket, hesitating before she took out the card. “I have this for you,” she said quickly, handing Nancy the envelope.

That finally put a smile on her face, which only brightened more when she pulled out the card. “Bree, this is amazing! It’s the same flowers I gave you before!”

“I’m glad you like it- I know the drawings aren’t as good as yours, but I tried. I hope the flowers don’t mean something terrible,” she added with a slight laugh.

“Not at all, these are perfect,” Nancy responded, tracing one finger over the colored pencil marks. “And I don’t care if you think the drawing are bad. You made them, so it’s perfect.” They both stopped walking for a few seconds as she read the inside, and Bree held her breath as she waited for a reaction.

Nancy gently folded the card, tucked it back into the envelope, and put it safely in the front pocket of her backpack. Then she turned to Bree, grinning, and threw her arms around her in a tight hug. “Thank you so much! It’s perfect. Just like I said.”

Bree just smiled and hugged her tighter, then stepped back. “So what do the flowers mean?” she asked.

Nancy pointed to each flower on the card as she explained. “Dandelions are for faithfulness,” she began. “Elder blossoms are for compassion. Wood sorrels, they’re kind of like clovers, for joy. And periwinkles are for friendship.”

“That is perfect,” Bree agreed, as they continued walking down the path to their twin next-door houses. “Happy birthday, again.”

Nancy smiled, back to her usual bright self. “This makes it the happiest.”

Part 2 of the weekly, 383 words.
(inspired by… random kids books i guess?)

Long ago, many bears lived at the top of the world. Icy mountains and frozen glaciers stretched up into the sky, and the bears made their homes in the frigid caves below shimmering auroras and a million stars. Their white coats blended into the cliffs of ice around them, and caught the colors of their bright, ever-changing sky.

One night in late autumn, Big Bear was sitting on a cliff over the seaside with her sister, Little Bear. The water was deathly cold, but not yet frozen over, and the still water created a perfect reflection of the constellations. At this time, the stars wandered across the sky like fish under the water’s surface. They had no guide to hold them in place, and they formed no signs for wandering animals to find their way home with.

Little Bear loved the stars more than anything, so Big Bear took her to the seaside every night to watch them dance. Tonight, Big Bear had felt danger in the air when they left their ice cave. The closer it came to winter, the less energy they both had to spare, and the more risky it was to be outside- especially in the cold night.

“I want to touch the stars,” Little Bear told her sister, standing at the very edge of the cliff. “I want to fly with them!”

“Be careful,” Big Bear warned, watching her sister stretched up towards the sky. “Or you may slip on the ice and fall down the cliff.”

But Little Bear was too enthralled by the dancing of the stars, and at the next gust of wind, she fell. Big Bear jumped after her, to save her sister- but it was too late.

Before the bears fell into the water, the stars caught them up and brought them into the sky. Little Bear became the brightest of stars, full of light and wonder. Big Bear stretched across the sky, a constant pattern pointing to her sister.

The stars could never dance again after that night, and the sky stayed dark for the entire winter. Now, every year at the top of the world, the stars stand still in the winter nights to remember Little Bear, and her bright light is always there as a guide to find her home.

Part 3 of the weekly:

project 1

project 2

project 3

project 4

project 5

Part 4 of the weekly, 1261 words.

This is also an explanation as to why I've been absent for basically the first half of camp- I kept thinking about writing that whole time, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it for a while. but I will be ok! <3

—–

Three times a year, young writers across the world were able to escape their ordinary lives to visit the magical island of SWC. There, anyone could join a cabin to practice writing- and causing chaos. It was a safe haven for kids of any background, untainted by the darkness of the ‘real world,’ welcoming to all who wished to enter.

The island was a mysterious place in the way it worked, from leaderboards that seemed to update seemingly on their own (never once could anyone be caught changing the numbers) to the cabins that shifted every session- some transforming into completely different buildings than before, some vanishing away, some appearing out of nowhere.

The camp was filled with half-written stories and the bright, blooming dreams of its writers. The sweet scent of mangoes was somehow everywhere, and the camp’s leaders were skilled at creating engaging activities and welcoming even the most hesitant writer into their groups.

All anyone had to do was send in an application the month before, and a hidden portal would appear in their writing place to bring them to the island.
Lark loved to participate in SWC, even if she wasn’t usually adventurous enough to try something like a month long overnight camp on an unfindable island. When she began to lean into her passion for writing in highschool, it was the perfect place for her to forget about all the annoying responsibilities of life and simply be creative.

Two successful sessions saw her complete a full novel and a half, and despite the pressures of school rising going into March, she’d thought at first that she’d be able to make it to the session. After all, essays counted as words written, so it might be a way to make her finish assignments faster. Plus she had her novel to edit, and was quickly finding that it was hard to continue without a concrete goal.

Then the news hit: her life was about to change forever. Her family was going to move to a different city, hundreds of miles away, just as she’d begun to feel settled in her current home.

Even though there were still months before it happened, the news weighed Lark down like nothing she’d felt in years. All of a sudden, her motivation to write simply disappeared, and her application for March sat on her laptop, unsent, for weeks. Finally, halfheartedly, she sent it in a few days before the deadline. Seeing messages from past cabinmates was barely enough to bring a smile now, when normally it should’ve given her a surge of happiness and excitement to know the session was about to begin.

The portal appeared on March 1st in the back of her closet. She only knew because she could hear it’s gentle buzzing- she didn’t have the heart to look. Keeping up with real life felt difficult enough, how could she possibly make herself write through all of that?

The days began to blur together for Lark, until, by some forgotten habit, she checked the online SWC news. She was supposed to be in Epistolary, editing her novel and drafting ideas for new ones. The first Cabin Wars had already come and gone, and the daily and weekly prompts were ones she would’ve jumped at in other sessions.

Maybe she should go after all.

Shakily, Lark moved aside the clothes in her closet to look through the portal. As always, it was a bright, shimmering image of the island, with the cabins and the Big House arranged in a circle around the announcement boards.

Now that she thought about it, feeling bad like this wasn’t a reason to stop writing. In fact, it was sometimes the only thing that got her through. Whether it was venting out her negative thoughts in a journal or crafting comforting fanfiction, writing had always helped her survive the darkest of times.

So now, when she was slipping again into that darker headspace, maybe a reminder to write was the thing that would pull her through.
Lark stepped through the portal, and came out in front of the announcement boards. All around it, the open space between the cabins had transformed into a blooming field of flowers for the weekly prompt, with signs beside each type with the name and meanings of the flowers.
The smell of fresh mangoes washed over her as she began to walk through the flowers, catching bits and pieces of silly conversations when campers walked between the cabins or checked the leaderboard. The breeze blew lightly over her skin, and for the first time in days, Lark felt like she could actually breathe.

She pulled a small notebook out of her pocket and began to jot down a few ideas as she walked, reading the signs beside each group of flowers. SWC, and writing in general, weren’t about to go away. Even if she had to move to a different continent, the applications always magically knew where to make to portal. No matter what happened, she could return here.

Hearing a burst of laughter somewhere nearby, Lark grinned, taking another deep breath. She could feel the prickles of stress slowly leaving her, and the creative parts of her mind starting up when they’d been silent for ages. A few flowers caught her eye, and she wrote down their meanings.
wood sorrel: joy. dandelions: faithfulness.

Lark spotted another camper in the garden nearby, someone who’s name she couldn’t remember but recognized as someone else from Epistolary. The other camper met her eyes and gave a friendly wave. Lark returned it with a faint smile, and stepped over beside them.

“Hi!” she said, a little nervously. “I’m from Epistolary too, I just… came a little late. I feel bad for missing cabin wars, is there anything I need to be caught up on?”

The other camper leaned over the flowers and picked a few. “The wars were chaos as usual,” they reported with a fond laugh. “Don’t worry about it, though. We all get caught up in life sometimes. Everyone’s going to be glad you made it here.” They handed the flowers to Lark, a cluster of white elder blossoms. Compassion, according to the sign beside them. It seemed fitting.

“Would you like me to show you to the letter terminal?” the other camper asked. “Our cabin- I’m sure you could’ve figured it out fine on your own, but I know it’s not fun to walk alone sometimes.”

“That sounds good,” Lark agreed, relieved. The other camper was right- she would’ve been fine on her own, but having the presence of someone else nearby was always comforting, and a little comfort was exactly what she needed right now.

Sunlight warmed them both as they walked towards the Epistolary cabin, a building with most of its windows open to allow birds of various different species to enter and exit with little letters clutched in their beaks or talons. A few campers raced from the next door cabin to turn in their dailies, and were greeted by cheers and excited chatter from the campers already hanging out by the boards.

A writing camp sounded like it would be something quiet and serious, in theory. And sure, SWC could have moments of quiet (though maybe not seriousness, not for everyone). But whatever was happening in the camp, whether chaos or calm, war or peace, it would always be a safe escape from the world.

Lark smiled fully as she stepped into her cabin, surrounded by her new, encouraging teammates.

She was going to be okay.

full post for Weekly 2. This is just the links to each piece of it, they're all on this same thread/topic (can't remember what to call it lol). These were all posted today, and they're basically the only things I've posted for this SWC so far- so whoever is checking this, if you don't feel like dealing with links then by simply scrolling up, you'll see these same posts with the parts of the weekly. <3

Part 1: write at least 300 words, based on the previous flower daily. 1025 words completed.
https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/7865122/

Part 2: Write at least 300 words based on the previous constellation daily. 383 words completed.
https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/7865169/

Part 3: Create a 5-picture aesthetic set based on either of the pieces just written. [5 pictures posted based on the flower prompt, links to each are here: https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/7865214/ ]

Part 4: Write 600 words of SWC fanfiction, incorporating the meanings from either the flower story or the constellation story. [1261 words completed, incorporating the flowers. https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/7865240/ ]

March 17: Critiqueaire for @silverlynx-

318 words (after subtracting quotes).
(link to the piece here)

Overall I love this poem- it has detailed but clear imagery and a steady flow, which can be tricky to get right (and which I tend to be a bit picky about, since the musician in me wants syllables to line up perfectly lol).

The first paragraph is a strong one, and I like that it repeats at the end of the poem. The only thing I’d change there is editing the last line- “An eerie yet beautiful tune.” Here, I think the word “yet” could be replaced with a comma. With poetry, usually taking out filler words makes the remaining words more impactful. Similarly, in paragraph 4, the phrase “on and on” could be switched for a stronger description of the rain’s sound.

In paragraph 3, I’m not sure what “gloved paws thunder from scorching tongues” means, but every other part of the poem is very clear so I don’t think that’s a huge deal, and this line does sound pretty cool anyways.

In paragraphs 2, 3, 4, and 6, the comma at the end of the second line should probably be a period. In each case, the sentence structures of the first two lines and the last two lines are independent from each other, because the main subject of the sentence changes there (which is absolutely fine! just means it should be a period there).

In the last two lines of paragraph 6, since a simile using the word “like” is used twice, I would change the wording in one of them- in the third line it could potentially be replaced with “in,” as a suggestion. The word “it’s” in the fourth line could also be removed.

But once again, this is very nice overall! The only things I could think to critique were super tiny, and the descriptions all are awesome- it makes me think of a picture book, or like when the beginning of a movie has poetry as the intro. Great job, and keep writing! <3

writer's awakening // fanfiction entry for the writing comp

1289 words.

—

Three times a year, young writers across the world were able to escape their ordinary lives to visit the magical island of SWC. There, anyone could join a cabin to practice writing- and causing chaos. It was a safe haven for kids of any background, untainted by the darkness of the ‘real world,’ welcoming to all who wished to enter.

The inner workings of the island were shrouded in mystery, from leaderboards that seemed to update on their own to the cabins that shifted every session- most transforming into completely different buildings, some vanishing away, some appearing out of nowhere.

The camp was filled with half-written stories and the bright, blooming dreams of its writers. The sweet scent of mangoes was ever present on the island’s breeze, and the camp’s leaders were skilled at creating engaging activities and welcoming even the most hesitant writer into their groups. All anyone had to do was send in an application the month before, and a hidden portal in their writing place would arrive to send them to the island.

Lark loved to participate in SWC, even if she wasn’t usually adventurous enough to try something like a month long overnight camp on an unfindable island. When she began to lean into her passion for writing in high school, it was the perfect place for her to forget about all the annoying responsibilities of life and simply be creative.

Two successful sessions saw her complete a full novel and a half, and despite the pressures of school rising going into March, she’d been determined to make it to the session. After all, essays counted as words written, so it might be a way to make her finish assignments faster. Plus she had her novel to edit, and was quickly finding it hard to continue without a concrete goal.

Then the news hit: her life was about to change forever. Her family was going to move to a different city, hundreds of miles away, just as she’d begun to feel settled in her current home.

Even though there were still months ahead before it happened, the news weighed Lark down like nothing she’d felt in years. Her motivation to write simply disappeared, and her application for March sat on her laptop, unsent, for weeks. Finally, halfheartedly, she sent it in a few days before the deadline. Seeing new messages from past cabinmates was barely enough to bring a smile now, when normally it would’ve given her a surge of happiness and excitement to know the session was about to begin.

The portal appeared on March 1st in the back of her closet. She only knew by the sound of it’s gentle buzzing- she didn’t have the heart to actually look. Keeping up with real life was difficult enough, how could she possibly make herself write through it all?

The days began to blur together for Lark, until, by some forgotten habit, she checked the online SWC news. There, she got a glimpse of what her life would’ve been like without the terrible news, or if she’d had the courage to keep writing anyways. She was supposed to be in Epistolary, editing her novel and drafting ideas for new ones. The first Cabin Wars had already come and gone, and the daily and weekly prompts she saw were ones she would’ve jumped at in other sessions.

Maybe she should go after all.

Shakily, Lark moved aside the clothes in her closet to look through the portal. As always, it appeared as a bright, shimmering image of the island, with the cabins and the Big House arranged in a circle around the announcement boards.

Now that she thought about it, feeling bad like this wasn’t a reason to stop writing. Before, it was sometimes the only thing that got her through. Whether it was venting out her negative thoughts in a journal or crafting comforting fanfiction, writing had always helped her survive the darkest of times.

So now, when she was slipping again into that darker headspace, maybe a reminder to write was the thing that would pull her through.
Lark stepped through the portal, and came out in front of the announcement boards. All around it, the open space between the cabins had transformed into a blooming field of flowers for the weekly prompt, with signs beside each type with the name and meanings of the flowers.

The smell of fresh mangoes washed over her as she began to walk through the garden, catching bits and pieces of silly conversations as campers walked between the cabins or checked the leaderboard. The breeze blew lightly over her skin, and for the first time in days, Lark felt like she could actually breathe.

She pulled a small notebook out of her pocket and began to jot down a few ideas as she walked, reading the signs beside each group of flowers. It felt strange to do something so normal even when her life was being turned completely upside down- but SWC, and writing in general, weren’t about to go away. Even if she had to move to a different continent, the applications always magically knew where to send the portal. No matter what happened, she could return here.

Hearing a burst of laughter somewhere nearby, Lark grinned, taking another deep breath. She could feel the prickles of stress slowly leaving her, and the creative parts of her mind starting up when they’d been silent for ages. A few flowers caught her eye, and she wrote down their meanings.
Wood sorrel: joy.
Dandelions: faithfulness.

Lark spotted another camper in the garden nearby, someone whose name she couldn’t remember but recognized as someone else from Epistolary. The other camper met her eyes and gave a friendly wave. Lark returned it with a faint smile, and stepped over beside her. “Hi!” she said, hesitating when a wave of nervousness washed over her. “I’m from Epistolary too, I just… came a little late. Is there anything I need to be caught up on?”

The other camper leaned over the flowers and picked a few. “Well, the wars were chaos as usual,” she reported with a fond laugh. “Don’t worry about it, though. We all get caught up in life sometimes. Everyone’s going to be glad you made it here.” She handed the cluster of white elder blossoms to Lark: compassion, according to the sign beside them.

“Would you like me to show you to the letter terminal?” the other camper asked. “That’s our cabin. I’m sure you could’ve figured it out fine on your own, but I know it’s harder to walk alone sometimes.”

“That sounds good,” Lark agreed, relieved. The other camper was right- she would’ve been fine on her own, but having the presence of someone else nearby was always comforting, and a little comfort was exactly what she needed right now.

Sunlight warmed the path as they walked towards the Epistolary cabin, a building with most of its windows open to allow dozens of birds of different species to enter and exit with letters clutched in their beaks or talons. A few campers raced each other from the next door cabin to turn in their dailies, and were greeted by cheers and excited chatter from the campers already hanging out by the boards.

A writing camp sounded like it would be something quiet and serious, in theory. Of course, there were times when SWC felt more serious, whether it was writing an intense scene or racing the clock to turn everything in on time. But whatever was happening in the camp, it would always be a safe escape from the world.

Lark smiled fully as she stepped into her cabin, surrounded by her encouraging new teammates.

Maybe, somehow, she was going to be okay.

the letter // potential writing comp entry!
796 words.

—–

I cried when I got home from the library.

It should’ve been a pretty good day, and overall, I suppose it was. The library is one of my favorite places, and spending a few hours there with my best friend is always a highlight of the weekend. Once we’d finished our homework, we sat outside in the cool spring breeze, listening to the sparrows’ bright songs as we talked.

Our conversations used to be simple and quiet, sharing only the simplest pieces of our stories. As the leaves turned golden and we had more time together, we started to open up a little. Ever since the first autumn storms settled in, I had a feeling that she was going through something hard, though when I asked if anything was wrong she never gave more than a reserved yes or no. Through careful words and extra hugs, I tried my best to support her, to make her smile whenever possible.

When winter’s freezing winds drove us inside, we bonded together more fully. I’ve never had a friend so similar to me. We both love music, birds, and dancing in the rain. We both spent more time reading or watching the butterflies than playing with other kids when we were younger, and we both are nervous and hesitant about connecting with other people.

I never thought friendship like this would be a possibility for me. My few attempts always ended in the other person turning on me, or moving away, until I tried to close myself off completely. No one, it seemed, could possibly be trustworthy. Then I met my best friend, saw the beautiful light and kindness she holds with everyone she interacts with despite her quiet nature, and realized I may have a chance connecting with someone after all.

I couldn’t be more grateful for this friendship, especially once we both begun to share our struggles with each other. I almost feel honored to be trusted by someone so amazing. I don’t understand how anyone could hurt her.

I cried when I got home from the library. After months of trying to piece her story together through little hints and clues, I know what’s going on. The day before was a bad one for her, and she trusts me enough now to explain what happened. Somehow, among all the joy and bright wonder of spring, as flowers bloomed and butterflies fluttered in the gardens, she’d had one of the darkest days in her life.

I’ve known for a long time that there is evil in the world, probably for longer than most kids my age. Dark thoughts muddled my mind when I was too young to understand any of it. Friendship has revealed more light and hope in the world then I ever knew before, yet somehow, the person who showed me that hope was going through a heavier darkness than I’ve ever been through.

I was afraid to leave her when it was time to go home. I wish we could’ve become birds like the ones we love to watch together, and flown away somewhere safe where she wouldn’t ever be yelled at again. I wish I could give her something more than reassuring words and an extra hug.

I cried when I got home from the library. I don’t understand how anyone could hurt her. So once I was steady enough to find a path forward, I found a piece of paper and began to write. Every kind word in the world isn’t enough to change the past or heal old scars, but if it’s enough to provide a moment’s comfort, it’s worth saying a hundred times over- and worth putting into writing, where it could be read and remembered a million times to come.

My handwriting was messy from years of sloppy notes that no other person needed to read, but I was careful to straighten out the letters, placing them just as carefully as the chosen words that I hoped could bring her a glimpse of light. I folded the finished letter and crafted an envelope around it, questioning whether there was something more I could add to the message, some perfect phrase to encapsulate everything I hoped to express.

I could’ve revised the words for hours or days on end, but I sealed the envelope shut. I could always write another. When I went on a walk the next morning, I brought the letter in my pocket, and left the familiar paths of my neighborhood to deliver it to hers. Instead of the mailbox, I left the letter on my friend’s windowsill with a smooth rock to hold it in place, where neither of her parents would find it first.

Two hours later, I received a text: Thank you for everything.

Critique for @bewilder_ed
link to project: https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/736319/?page=2#post-7891162

- At the beginning, you wrote ‘i-phone,’ if that’s intentional than it’s fine but it is usually written iPhone. (you can also just write ‘phone’ or ‘smartphone’ if you’d prefer it to be less specific).

- The second paragraph/line could be reworked for grammar as well, changing it to “’Sure!’ Amelia and I responded.” would solve it.

- moving on to Claire’s section, there is this quote: “Speaking of which, which way *is* the exit?” It would read a little more smoothly if the sentence was reworded a little, so the word ‘which’ didn’t appear twice in a row.

- “There were many, many things in the antique store, and it was crazy to think we hadn’t reached the end yet.” Since the girls have already expressed this same thought, editing this to describe the variety of items in the store (instead of just stating it as a fact) could help drive the point home more. Similarly, a couple paragraphs down it says “I was getting frustrated.” and it could help to describe the feeling a little more.

-”We walked for some more” feels a little informal compared to the rest of the story, simply deleting ‘for some more’ would grammatically work just fine.

- and one final thing, towards the very end: in this sentence, starting with “We walked down the main aisle to where there postcard stands were”, the word “there” could be changed to “the,” and a comma added after the quoted piece of the sentence.

This story was fun to read overall, the confusion of exploring the store and never finding the exit reminds me of going to Ikea with my family lol. Great job, and good luck with the weekly!

(critique is 245 words after subtracting quotes.)

Critique for @HermioneVoiceActress
https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/744676/?page=1#post-7833775 (4th part of 2nd weekly, the SWC fanfiction.)

-”I’d been snoozing nearly the whole day?!” in this thought, “I’d” should be changed to “I’ve”, because in writing people typically think in the present tense (and it makes slightly more sense, at least to me).
- “Anyways, Fern the fluffy Goat from the Fairy Tales Cabin, decided ” In this sentence, either the comma before ‘decided’ should be removed, or one should be added after ‘Fern’.
- “He seemed to be trying to eat me, or so I thought” is a little bit redundant, ‘seemed to be’ could be replaced with ‘was’.
- “You’ve got good taste,” Fern grins, I guess ” The comma at the end of Fern’s dialogue should be changed to a period here.
- The tense is a bit inconsistent: the first three paragraphs are set in past tense, and then it’s all in present until the last paragraph, which is in past tense again. It does make sense for the last one to be in past tense (since it’s at the end), but for the earlier paragraphs, it may be best to stick with one or the other, or find a way to transition between the two.
I really don’t have many critiques for this one, they’re all pretty nitpicky. I thought it was pretty clear what was happening, and the story is definitely humorous- the style of it reminds me of Percy Jackson

(critique is 185 words, after subtracting quotes.)
edit: critique finished on March 30, based on when the daily changed.

Critique for @PoppyWriter
link to the writing: https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/744595/?page=2#post-7885556

- “They seem to be looking longingly ” (from the 3rd paragraph) The phrase ‘seem to be’ is a bit clunky, I would change it to ‘appear to be’ or something similar, although that’s mostly personal preference. This comes up in the following sentence as well, although finding a replacement in that spot may be slightly more tricky.

-A little further down: “Might as well, I think.” It isn’t completely clear what the character is thinking here, was the character planning any specific interaction with the mysterious person or simply deciding to approach?

- At the end of the letter, the wavy dash at the end blends in a lot with the normal dashes used as scene transitions, so formatting this slightly differently or using a different scene transition would clear this up.

-In the second scene: ”I'm going to walk in their, claiming you're my sister, a magistic, and you're looking for work as an entertainer.“ In this sentence, ‘their’ should be replaced with ‘there.’

-At the beginning of the third scene: “And thus, I took on employment for the first time in my life.” This sentence sticks out a little, being in past tense when everything surrounding it is in present tense. I’m not sure if that was intentional or not, so just thought I’d point it out.

-At the beginning of the fourth scene’s third sentence, I think “purposely” should be changed to “purposefully,” although technically they’re probably both right? I tried looking up the difference and it seems like the correct one depends on what you intended as the author, so maybe just double check it.

-Near the very end: “my body seems to be begging me to cry, to get out this hurt.” It looks like the portion of the sentence after the comma may be missing a word somewhere?

-and lastly: “It's only when I see Eo's wanted poster two weeks later that I realized he got away too.” Here, ‘realized’ is in past tense when the rest is in present, so it should probably be switched to ‘realize’. I think there’s also a formatting issue at the very end, with “[/i}“ following the last word.

I’m afraid I was rushing a little when I wrote the critique, but the story is definitely an enjoyable read overall! You say the pacing is bad, but it seems fairly balanced to me for a short story, and I’m impressed that you got a full story into this shorter wordcount for the weekly. I also appreciate that the cliffhanger involves literal hanging from a ledge lol.

(critique is 350 words, after subtracting quotes.)
critique finished March 31, based on when the daily changed.

the letter // final entry for the main writing competition // 880 words
(thank you to @PoppyWriter, @bewilder_ed, and @BlauHourglass for your critiques and support!)

-=-

I cried when I got home from the library.

It should’ve been a good day, and overall, I suppose it was. The library is one of my favorite places, and spending a few hours there with my best friend is always a highlight of my weekends. Once we’d finished our homework, we sat outside in the cool spring breeze, listening to the sparrows’ bright songs as we talked.

Our conversations used to be simple and quiet, sharing only the simplest pieces of our stories. As the leaves turned golden and we had more time together, we started to open up a little. By the time October’s first storms thundered in, I had a feeling that she was going through something hard, though when I asked if anything was wrong she never gave more than a reserved yes or no. Through careful words and extra hugs, I tried my best to support her, to make her smile whenever possible.

When winter’s freezing winds drove us inside, we started to bond together more fully. I’ve never had a friend so similar to me. We both love music, birds, and dancing in the rain. We both spent more time reading or chasing butterflies than playing with the other kids when we were younger, and we both are nervous and hesitant to connect with other people.

I never thought friendship like this would be a possibility for me. My few attempts always ended in the other person turning on me or moving away, so I eventually tried to close myself off completely. No one, it seemed, could possibly be trustworthy.

But then I met my best friend, saw the beautiful light and kindness she holds with everyone she interacts with despite her quiet nature, and realized I may have a chance connecting with someone after all.

I couldn’t be more grateful for this friendship, especially once we both began to share our struggles with each other. Now I feel honored to be trusted so much by someone so amazing. I don’t understand how anyone could hurt her.

I cried when I got home from the library. After months of trying to piece her story together through little hints and clues, I know what’s going on. The day before was a bad one for her, and she trusts me enough now to explain what happened. Somehow, among all the joy and bright wonder of spring, as flowers bloomed and butterflies fluttered in the gardens, she’d had one of the darkest days in her life.

I’ve known for a long time that there is evil in the world, probably for longer than most kids my age. Dark thoughts muddled my mind when I was too young to understand any of it. Friendship has revealed more light and hope in the world then I ever knew before, yet somehow, the person who showed me that hope was going through a heavier darkness than I’ve ever been through.

I was afraid to leave her when it was time to go home. I wish we could’ve become birds like the ones we love to watch together, and flown away somewhere safe where she wouldn’t ever be yelled at again. I wish I could give her something more than reassuring words and an extra hug.

I cried when I got home from the library. I don’t understand how anyone could hurt her. So once I was stable enough to find a path forward, I found a piece of paper and began to write. Every kind word in the world isn’t enough to change the past or heal old scars, but if it’s enough to provide a moment’s comfort, it’s worth saying a hundred times over- and worth putting into writing, where it can be read and remembered a million times to come.

Firm determination steadied my hand, driving my focus forwards as the hollow sadness faded. Silent tears won’t free my friend from the chains of fear, but maybe hope can. Simple words can’t build her a safer home to shelter in, but maybe a reminder of all the light the world holds can give her enough strength to survive the hard days. I know I can’t save her, but maybe I can help her save herself.

My handwriting was messy from years of sloppy notes that no other person needed to read, but I was careful to straighten out the letters, placing them just as carefully as the chosen words that I hoped could bring her a glimpse of light. I folded the finished letter and started to slide an envelope over it, questioning whether there was something more I could add to the message, some perfect phrase to encapsulate everything I hoped to express.

I could’ve revised the words for hours or days on end, but I sealed the envelope shut. I could always write another. When I left for a walk the next morning, I brought the letter in my pocket, and left the familiar paths of my neighborhood to deliver it to hers. Instead of the mailbox, I left the letter on my friend’s windowsill with a smooth rock to hold it in place, where neither of her parents would find it first.

Two hours later, I received a text.

[ Thank you for everything. ]

-=-

Weekly 4, SWC March 2024

Part 1: 200 words of outlining. (364 words completed.)

-Ivy is growing up as part of a secret group of people with powers, who all have the main goal of protecting nature (from both mean humans and the forces of evil). As she’s developing her powers, she has to move towns often to keep anyone from tracking her down. (this became the exposition)
-She moves to a remote town in the mountains, and meets Willa while walking around a park. At first they’re distant (because Willa is shy, and Ivy doesn’t want to get attached to anyone when she’ll probably move again soon). But Ivy realizes that Willa may have powers too, and they start talking more, because Ivy is curious if Willa knows about it. (plan for 200 words) (New Character Introduction)
-Soon they are close enough to tell each other almost anything. Ivy keeps the powers secret though, because she knows that if Willa finds out about them, the bad guys will notice her too, and Ivy doesn’t want her to be hurt. They meet at the park at night and look at the stars, and talk about life. Willa has been having nightmares about the bad guys coming for her, and feels like it’s real, but she and the people around her don’t realize that it is real. (plan for 400-500 words) (Foreshadowing) (Introducing a Symbol)
-Ivy was supposed to move away after just a few months, but decides to stay. But because they stayed there for so long, the bad guys were able to track them down. Hoping they can get out of there soon enough to stop them attacking, Ivy tells Willa she’s moving away the day before she leaves. Willa is shocked and a little angry that Ivy didn’t tell her sooner, but they still stick together for that last day (plan for 200-300 words) (New Conflict Arises)
-Ivy leaves and encounters the bad guys on her way out of town- but they already know Willa’s there too, because they eventually run past her to the town. She chases them down and protects Willa, fighting off the bad guys, and announces that she doesn’t have to leave right away. (open ending)



Part 2: 100 words of exposition. (163 words completed.)

Over the course of history, the flawed, destructive tendencies of humans has done a lot of damage to the earth- yet despite it all, nature still thrives, an elusive yet powerful reminder of the beauty that grows here. But not all humans are the destructive ones, and some individuals are the very reason that the world’s ecosystem hasn’t become completely unstable.
Ivy grew up with a deep connection to nature, honing her abilities to strengthen the plants around her and ward off the forces of evil. But one child and her caregiver is not enough to defend a city alone, so she was forced to move hundreds of miles away every few months. Ivy always considered herself a lone wolf because of this, putting her duty to the earth above childish wishes for friendship. As she grew up without any real friends, however, the human need for connection grew stronger, and she begun to consider the idea of actually reaching out to someone.



Part 3: Pick at least 5 story stew ingredients to add to the story.
-new character introduction (introducing Willa)
-new conflict arises (the enemy finding their town)
-foreshadowing
-introducing a symbol (the shadows)
-open ending





Part 4: Write 1000 words of the story. (1974 words completed)

Aspen Hill was a tiny town in the mountains, still dusted with snow even though it was the end of March. Its land had scarcely seen a hint of darkness, sheltered from the plague of shadows that was constantly coursing through the rest of the world.
A town so remote was exactly the place that a seventeen year old with powers wouldn’t be found by the darkness, so it’s exactly where Ivy ended up. She didn’t appreciate the cold after trying a few different towns further south, but the peaceful feeling of a place where the plants weren’t all crying out to her in distress was admittedly pretty nice. For once, she could train in peace, if only for a few months.
On a walk through the town’s little park, she spotted a short red-haired girl around her age. Willa, it turned out, liked exploring nature just as much as Ivy did- and everything about her showed the signs of another kid with powers, though she clearly didn’t know it. Despite Ivy trying her best not to get attached, knowing she’d probably move away in a few months, she and Willa soon became friends, and she kept watching for any signs of the other girl’s powers.
-
One spring night, just as the wind was starting to lose it’s freezing sting, Willa brought Ivy to a hidden clearing in the forest. As the stars rose overhead, Willa started to open up about things, and every little hint suddenly clicked in Ivy’s brain. While she got her powers from the earth and the plants, Willa’s were from the sky.
The bad news, though: Willa was having nightmares about mysterious shadow creatures attacking her and the town, and if Ivy’s hunch was right, then those nightmares could come true any day now.
She still hesitated to tell Willa about the powers, though. When she asked the wiser trees in the area, they reported that there wasn’t any hint of danger just yet, and the shadows would probably still take a little while to find them. There would be plenty of warning before Ivy had to leave, most likely, and plenty of time to explain everything to Willa if it seemed right.
But the longer Ivy went without sharing her half of the story, the harder it felt to bring it up, and the more she convinced herself internally that everything would be fine. As long as Ivy could get out of the town to stop the shadows before they attacked, it would work out. She could simply slip away into the night, and Willa wouldn’t have to deal with the mess that came with knowing about the powers.
At the same time, Ivy found herself growing closer to Willa than she had with any other kid before. She’d always focused on training above everything else, learning about the environment and how to protect it with her powers instead of playing with the other kids, but having another girl her age to talk to was surprisingly relieving. And Willa needed it too, with the way her nightmares bothered her so much, and with the way her mom kept insisting it was childish to be so worried about “made up problems.”
Both being socially pretty isolated and introverted, the girls could support each other better than anyone either of them had met before. Ivy dreaded the thought that she’d have to leave Willa one day.
-
Winter slipped into spring, and Ivy knew when the wildflowers started blooming that she was supposed to leave soon. But whenever she thought of bringing the idea up to Willa, she froze. Ivy didn’t want to leave at all, and she knew Willa would be sad to see her go too- and without the extra support that they’d both grown used to, it was going to hurt both of them a lot if it did actually happen.
Ignoring the date marked on her calendar to start scouting out a new place to live, Ivy stayed well into June before she got the warning that danger was coming- and soon. The message came from a young birch tree at the edge of town, passed through the roots of thousands of plants like a perfect but slow game of telephone. The report of shadows lurking in the next city over a few weeks ago meant that the danger was approaching, and fast.
Heart heavy, Ivy checked how long she could safely stay in town, and found that she barely had a week left. When they went to walk in the park together the next day, Willa was nearly in tears describing an intense nightmare she’d had the night before. Ivy did her best to comfort her, and didn’t have the heart to tell her that it was all possibly real, or that she’d have to leave in order to stop the attacks from happening.
The guilt felt like enough to swallow her whole as the week flew by. Of course, Willa could tell something was wrong, but Ivy couldn’t bring herself to admit what it was. Instead, she made plans to hang out with Willa for her last day there, and saved the news for then.
The day came. Ivy almost decided to call it off altogether before she left the house, but it wouldn’t be fair to Willa for her to just disappear without a word. So she made her way to the park where they always met, feeling like she was walking towards certain doom and not towards a day with her best friend.
When she got there, Willa immediately sat her down on the closest park bench to ask what was wrong, since Ivy could barely hold back her tears. Shakily, she said it. She was moving, and she’d be gone tomorrow. The silence afterwards was deafening, until Willa quietly asked, “How long have you known?”
Ivy didn’t know how to answer that question, as it hit her just how much worse it would be for Willa to handle her moving away when it came as such a sudden shock like this. She practically broke down, and she could tell Willa was upset with her, too. Of course she was. Who wouldn’t be, if someone so close decided suddenly to up and leave without any prior warning?
Still, they spent the whole bittersweet day together, and finished it off by watching the stars for a few hours until they both had to go home to sleep. Ivy didn’t bother fighting the tears in her eyes as she made the slow walk home- to a home that would only be hers for one more night.
-
Armed with nothing but her backpack of belongings, Ivy set out from Aspen Hill well before dawn. She couldn’t bear to watch another sunrise over the now familiar streets- she might not be able to leave if she did. The air felt cold and harsh so early, while it was still dark, and the silent stars overhead served as a constant reminder of the wonderful friend she was leaving behind.
Then she got the warning.
It was more vividly panicked than most plants usually were able to convey, but for an area so remote and isolated from the dangerous shadows, that made sense. Ivy gasped when she brushed against a tree and immediately felt the message, so strong that it had to be something recent, nearby, and solidly dangerous.
Only a few minutes later, she spotted the first shadow-wolves. They slipped among the trees, barely visible, but Ivy could feel their presence through the shivering fear of the world around them. What started as only one or two shadows in the breeze quickly shifted to five, then ten, all lurking as she walked.
Despite her heart racing with nervousness, Ivy stayed outwardly calm as she made her way to a brighter patch of the forest. Dawn hadn’t yet hit, and she’d need all the light she could get in order to fight off the beasts. She almost had them lured into her trap when, suddenly, they seemed to figure it out- and like they’d caught the scent of easier prey on the wind, they turned to move in a different direction.
Right towards Aspen Hill.
When Ivy tried to follow them, they seemed just too fast for her to keep up. She felt sick as she caught sight of the town ahead of her, so calm and peaceful under the pink morning sky, about to face the dark, evil creatures.
The shadow-wolves scarred every plant they brushed by, internally if not visibly. They became instantly weaker, and many never recovered fully, even weeks later. Even once the wolves were far ahead, Ivy could easily follow the sickening trail of destruction.
The wolves’ trail went straight through the center of town and into the park- and the moment Ivy realized that, she gave up on conserving her energy and broke into a sprint. She’d been holding out hope that the wolves were just passing through, but the park’s trails were too specific and too out of the way for the wolves to take them for travel.
They were going after Willa.
Ivy didn’t bother to stay on the trails inside the park. This was too urgent. She raced towards the clearing where she and Willa watched the stars together, guided by the quick messages from the plants nearby.
There in the middle of the clearing was Willa, curled up with her knees to her chest, and a dozen shadow-wolves circling around her. Ivy called out to her, tripping on one of their half-solid bodies as she ran towards her friend. She winced as the wolf snapped at her ankles in return, but kicked it away before it could do any real damage. Crouching beside Willa, she put an arm around her.
“Ivy? What’s going on?” Willa asked, panicked.
“No time to explain,” Ivy responded, summoning up a few vines to tie down the closest two shadow-wolves, which dissolved into nothing after a minute of struggling. But the time it took to vanquish the first two gave the rest of the shadows time to creep in closer, and summon more allies. Ivy started to block off two more of them, but it was quickly becoming clear that she couldn’t defeat them all alone.
Willa, shaking, kicked at the nearest shadow-wolf. It stumbled, then growled, turning to lunge directly at her. Ivy tried to call up another vine to block its attack, but she was too late. When Willa held out a hand as some attempt to shield herself, though, a flash of light appeared out of nowhere, blasting straight through the wolf and dissolving it instantly.
“Keep doing that!” Ivy told her, already starting to feel drained as she tried to tie down as many of the wolves as she could.
“I don’t know how-” Willa started to protest, but when she turned to push away another wolf that was getting too close, the light beamed from her hand again, like a powerful flashlight to dispel the darkness. Working together, they managed to hold off the shadow wolves, until, finally, the last wave was gone.
The moment the grass gave the all clear, Ivy just laid on the ground, taking a long breath. Willa hovered beside her anxiously, at a loss for what to do. “Are you okay? What’s happening, is this just another nightmare?”
“…There’s a lot to explain,” Ivy said, sitting up again despite the tiredness tugging at her bones. “But now that those guys are gone, I can probably stay for a few more weeks at least.” Willa helped her stand again, still confused and a little shaky.
Ivy gave her hand a gentle squeeze and smiled, trying to lighten the mood a little. “Is now a good time to tell you we’re basically superheroes?”



(now just to speedrun the critiqueaire-)

Overall this is a really good story! It felt well placed out, the plot and worldbuilding were good, you did a very nice job! There were a couple parts I thought the main character was being a little non-realistic in, but otherwise the characters were quite nice as well. Onto the editing! ‘and the more she convinced herself internally that everything would be fine.’ Could be changed up, maybe like ‘and the more she comforted herself that the shadows had finally left her alone’ or something like that? ‘The message came from a young birch tree at the edge of town, passed through the roots of thousands of plants like a perfect but slow game of telephone.’ Had to read this twice to understand what it meant, so maybe you could change it to something istead like ‘The message came from a young birch tree at the edge of town, and it had been passed through the roots of thousands of plants like a perfectly understandable but slow game of telephone.’. ‘they went to walk in the park together the next day, Willa was nearly’ ‘and Willa would make more sense to have! This next part is purely my own preference but shadow-wolves seems a little… basic to me? I’m sorry but maybe if you did something less common like a swarm of evil ash-like songbirds, or shadow- boars even might sound a bit better. I loved how you compared contrast of the sunrrise with the shadow-wolfs, that part was super great! Sorry if I seem strict, but I just wanted to make sure I got the parts that bothered me a bit lol. But yeah, good story! Okay bye-