Hello!! This is my writing thread. I'll be using it mostly for SWC, but I'll try to occasionally post personal projects!! <33
It would be appreciated if you didn't post here <3 if you have something to say please reach out on my profile.
*this thread was recreated from an old thread that was in the wrong place

I wandered amoung the endless void for an eon before the ice found me.

I shivered and froze solid for another until the fire caught up.

A thousand lifetimes passed as I watched from the embers of creation.

The world was born anew to an era of destruction.

Worlds burned and fire destroyed my divine creation.

The ice smothered the embers of a forgotten land.

Through it all, I watched the flames be extinguished and give way to a new light.

A light so bright, so blinding, that even the most ravenous flames and and the most vile of ice fell to their knees in silence, begging for her mercy.

I watched her forgive them for their sins and their lies.
I watched her forgive them for their crimes and their destruction.
I watched her forgive them for the millennia of suffering they alone had caused.

I let that fire carry me. No—I was more than the fire that had destroyed me. I was an unstoppable inferno of flames and a vicious ice storm that consumed all. I let my wrath fall on those who dare defy me until I exhausted myself and slipped back into the shadows. Away, away from the cruel world I had created.

In the silence I would grow.

Let the darkness consume me—turn me into something more. Something stronger. I let the void sink its claws into my skin and drag me down. Further and further I fell.

So far I was sure I could never get back up.

But when all of the light from my creation had faded, the darkness relishqued its grasp. Like a friend, it held me. Fueled me. Pushed me to become stronger.

I stopped resisting its power. I let it fill me with rage for what they had done. I let it fill my bones, my muscles, and my veins with the power the endlessness.

I let them think they had won.

But they hadn’t.

It was hard to tell how much time had passed in the complete darkness filled with an endless silence. A millenia, at least.

Soon it would be time.

Soon. But not yet.

Now it was time to rest.

Let them bask in their victory for a bit longer, without so much as a shadow in their minds about my presence.

I would come back.

I would come back when it was time.

So I shut my eyes and let the time pass until the light dawned on the last day of hell.

The day was but a second for me.

And when the blinding light sunk out of sight, I was freed.

Date: 2/3/24
Word Count: 438

Dailies:
1: 0 points
2: 269 words - 400 points
3: 425 words - 400 points
4: 302 words - 350 points
5: 205 words - 150 points
6: 275 words - 250 points
7: 0 points
8: 207 words - 300 points
9: cabin wars
10: critiquitaire
11: 264 words - 500 points
12: bookstore daily
13: 321 words - 450 points
14: skipped
15: skipped
16: skipped
17: skipped
18: skipped
19: skipped
20: skipped
21: skipped
22: skipped
23: skipped
24: skipped
25:
26:
27:
28:
29:
30:
31:

Weeklies:
1: 1328 words - 2000 pts
2:
3: 2500 pts
4:

Word Wars:
1: win - 343 words - 125 points - 3/5
2: win - 305 words - 125 points - 3/6
3: win - 230 words - 125 points - 3/8
4: win - 397 words - 125 points - 3/9
5: win - 383 words - 125 points - 3/11

Critiquaire:
1: (word count - point count)
2: (word count - point count)
3: (word count - point count)
4: (word count - point count)
5: (word count - point count)

Total words:
Total points (not including from words):

Sci-Fi Cabin Wars:
1 (0 points lost):
War - 3500/3500
War - 4000/4000
War - 45000/4500
War - 2000/2000
War - 4500/4500
War - 3500/3500
War - 700/700
War - 4000/4000

War 1 - completed
War 2 - completed
War 3 - completed
War 4 - completed
War 5 - completed
War 6 - completed
War 7 - completed
War 8 - completed


2 (total points lost):
War -
War -
War -
War -
War -
War -
War -

War 1 - completed/incomplete
War 2 - completed/incomplete
War 3 - completed/incomplete
War 4 - completed/incomplete
War 5 - completed/incomplete
War 6 - completed/incomplete
War 7 - completed/incomplete

2/3 - Daily

I stared into the black eyes of the rarest species on all of earth–the abyssal slug. It's gooey exterior was a dark blue and it was dotted with tiny white flecks–like stars. It was quite pretty–as far as slugs went. Some years ago I had been told by an old coworker that me eyes resembled slugs. I had been insulted, at first. But when they told me they meant the ‘pretty slugs’ I had to laugh. But I spent years wondering if they had been serious until I decided to hurt down the abyssal slug and see for myself. And now I had finally found it–and it was kind of pretty. But I was still kind of offended that I had been told my eyes resembled them. My eyes weren't even blue, for starters. They were a dark brown with little flecks of gold. So maybe they were closer to the ugly slugs after all. I scowled and quickly fumbled through catching the slug and putting it away where I stored all of the things I'd captured. There was quite a nice variety between all the different species–some were vivid colors, like hot pink and neon green, while others were dull and boring in shades of brown and grey. I sighed in exasperations as I closed the back of my truck and got in the driver's seat, starting the car and starting the long drive home. I thought long and hard about the different types of slugs I had collected so avidly–maybe that was what my coworker had meant. Even the weird slugs were beautiful in their own way.

269 words - 400 points

3/3 - Daily

Sci-fi is in first place,
We are very good,
We are going to win,
Because we're so good
There is a computer
And a very bad machine
We will fight it a lot
And drink lots of caffeine
Sci-fi was introduced in november of 2017
Where we got 7th place
But we're going to win this time,
We will not disgrace
Next session we got third,
And this time we'll get first
Make no doubt about it,
Our victory rehearsed
When alyelle led sci-fi
We got a lot of points
We will win this time, for sure
We will not disappoint

Myth is very cool,
I like their intro a lot,
Its very mysterious,
Like that one guy named scott,
there are gods and goddeses,
strong and nice
and also a labyrinth
and perchance some mice,
there is a quest
and demigods
and hopefully
Myth was introduced in 2019
And they got 6th place
And now they are still here
Trying to win the race
Now we have myth oddessyey
Led by luna, moonlit and reese
I dont think there's a prophecy
it might take place in greece
theres a god of curiousity,
aura, and regret,
this is mythology
and there probably is a threat

someone took us
its tragedy the taking
it has a creepy vibe
you'll certainly be shaking
tragedy is a new cabin
from like three sessions ago
even thought they're new, they're pretty strong you know?
its run by em, willow and river
its tragedy
its pretty spooky to be honest i like it a lot
its a calamity!
people lie
and your eyes lie to you
dont trust people
only trust you!
cry and wander the forest
you dont know where to go
it will never be over
though you try to roam
you thought it was over, but you were wrong
it will never be over
there is no way home

there is a kingdom
and many knights
nothing rhymes with kingdom
but knight rhymes with write
there are monsters
and foes to defeat
to save the kingdom
never ever retreat
its led by eevee, stringray and crim
the fantasy knighthood
the odds are far from slim
they are very good
they might fight dragons
or an evil villain
they must defend the kingdom
they're on a mission
on the edge of the forest
they fight valiantly
they fight monsters
a lot
the monsters are scary
but theyre knights
so they carry
they will defeat the monsters
there is no doubt
lobsters
they will stay strong throughout

425 words - 400 points

4/3 - Daily

Kiwi would look at her reflection and sigh dramatically as she would step away from the mirror. Her parted blonde hair would sparkle as she walked down the glimmering hallways of her home, unknowingly that the stones would soon crumble. Her pale pink dress would shimmer under the suns ray as she stepped outside for a breath of fresh air, and she would be blissfully unaware that would never return home. She would turn her back to her castle as the stones would crumble. A girl with raven black hair would run up to her and grab her by her wrist and she would pull Kiwi along with her as she ran as fast as she could. Furious thoughts would run through the girl's head as she would pull Kiwi along with her, dipping under trees branches and flying rocks. Kiwi's head would spin from dizziness as they would leap through twisted paths and jump thin streams of water that crossed the property. “Don't ever walk alone,” the girl would warn Kiwi as she would introduce herself as Ve. She would soon leave Kiwi alone just outside the property's border and she would run off into the distance. Ve would already know that Kiwi was a princess and very valuable to the people who would destroy her home. Kiwi wouldn't know that Ve knew that, so she was very confused. The bad people would only have targeted Kiwi if she was valuable, that was how Ve would know. Kiwi would know the people would keep coming after her, so she would learn how to fight. After many years of running away from her problems, she would be ready to fight back and she would eventually win by a lot and then she would return and claim her throne as the new queen.

302 words - 350 points

4/3 - Weekly
Part One:
Myth:
Crossover (Aphrodite and Loki)
Aphrodite crossed her pale arms, her harsh gaze meeting the eyes of the deceitful trickster god. Many considered Aphrodite to be weak and vain–and maybe that was why he had decided to meet with her, instead of someone else–but Aphrodite was a god of war. Her long brown hair was tied up in a twisted knot in the back of her head. She looked beautiful, but she was not to be trifled with. The goddess of victory stood tall as she faced the one who had invited her to this sacred ground for a meeting, Loki. Loki's wife was as much the deity of victory as Aphrodite was. It was said that she could change her form to appeal to anyone, but why she chose this form for this day was unknown. Loki could change his form as he wished too, choosing to appear as a young man despite his millennia of age. He seemed mildly entertained by the fact that she had shown up to his meeting in all her eternal glory, her body wrapped in the finest silk cloth. He was much more haggard looking, his ever-darkening hair disheveled and his clothes unkempt. Still, he had a wild sort of look in his eyes, as if he were temped at the challenge of speaking before Aphrodite. (218 words)

Part Two:
Historical Fiction:
Original Character in Historical Times
Rhyfel stood guard outside the vast estate, her sword strapped to her belt. Her role was insignificant–and she knew that. She was disposable. A peasant, but a loyal one. And for that, she would be rewarded greatly if she survived. It had always been a strange dream of hers to become the first female shogun, but she knew deep down that it would never work out. She had born to an un-noble family, and even if she tried her hardest there was no guaranteed way for her to get to the top. She had worked her entire life just to get to this point, where she stood now in front of the house belonging to a member of nobility. Her sword was stained crimson from the blood she had spilled in her many fights. She wasn't an inexperienced fighter. Her loyalty had been sworn to her master, and she fought fiercely on the battlefield. Generally, the women had to stay home and uphold the honorable code for samurai warriors, but Rhyfel was one of the few female samurai allowed to fight for her own honor. She had demonstrated her abilities in a fight against her older brother, who was exiled for his dishonor after losing. (205 words)

Part Three:
Fairy Tales
Enchanting Reunion (this one was super super fun–for clarification, Red is little red riding hood, Goldie is goldilocks and Talia is the protagonist of the original sleeping beauty–which is very interesting story, but huge, huge TW if you're going to research it!!)
Red had a long, twisted scar across her eye, but her hood covered it as she rode up by horse. Goldie was already standing in the clearing they had agreed to meet in, accompanied by Talia, who's eyes sparkled a vengeful glare. Her story was as tragic as her life, and Red knew that all Talia wanted was revenge. But she couldn't complain about Talia's selfish desires when hers were much the same–if ‘selfish’ even described their collective desire for vengeance. Justice seemed a more fitting word for the tragedies of their lives.
Goldie smiled at Red as she dismounted her horse and pulled back her hood–red, of course–revealing her scarred face. Slowly, Red tucked her long black hair behind her ears and met the gaze of her friends. Both of them had been blonde at one point, but Goldie had dyed her hair a crimson color to escape the watchful eyes of her hunters, and Talia had shaved her head and dyed the remainder of her hair as black as the night sky they stood under, stating her opposition to her captor.
Goldie took Red's hands in her own, examining them carefully as she ran her fingers over her skin. Red's skin was covered in many, many scars from her spar against the wolf. Red examined her, too. Her dark hair was longer now, blonde roots peeking out from her scalp, and her pale blue eyes sparkled in the starlight. Her and Talia would've looked so similar they could've been sisters. (252 words)

Part Four:
Folklore:
Write a Story with a Moral (yes it also has magical realism ahakskahdskl)
“Do not chase the angel cat,” the prophecy fox warned. His black tail flicked back and forth as he continued with his prophecy. He warned me of the coming storm and the fire that would ravage my life. His voice was deep and commanding, but he was a fox–and I was convinced I could take him in a fight if I wanted to. But that was the kind of decision that would be me exiled–or worse–so I bit my tongue heeded my own warning. I could always change my mind if I needed to, but I doubted I was going to do a lot of fighting mysterious magic foxes in the near future. So I followed his prophecy. I kept clear of the ‘angel cat’ and I hunted down the storm and evacuated the city to save them from the fire. And then I returned to him in shambles, disgusting at the things his prophecy had made me do.
“Why? Why did you make me do it?” I begged and begged him for an answer, only to be stated at, a smug grin plastered across his furry face.
“You shouldn't blindly trust everything you come across–prophecies can be misleading, and lies can be told to you.” (206 words)

Part Five:
Historical Fiction:
If These Walls Could Talk (this is the story of the shed behind my house and the last time I ever saw my best friend)
Two people entered the small, cramped shed–one from one side and one from the other. Both were wearing long black coats, but the girl on the left had a certain air to her that made her distinguishable. Each held a solid black briefcase, dropping them both in front of themselves when they eventually stood face to face. The girl on the right had long hair matching her puffy coat, and the girl on the left had an angled bob and sharp eyes that sparkled in the dim light. Slowly, they shook hands, signing the official start of their friendship. They spent hundreds of hours together, sometimes revisiting the same shed they had hung out in when they first met. Other times they just ran by the shed. And sometimes they stayed away–but they stayed friends throughout. And throughout, they would come back to the shed, sometimes hiding things in its strange variety of appliances. One time the girl with the bob (though it had long grown out by that point) brought a long strip of leather down the shed and hid it inside an old ripped out fireplace. Time passed–weeks, months, maybe days. But finally it was taken out of the fireplace and the two ran off into the distance with it once more. They spent a long time hanging out–many years, to be sure. But one day, unknowing that it would be the last, the girl left and she never came back. (243 words)

Part Six:
Folklore:
Magical Realism
The Snow Witch wrapped her fluffy coat tighter around her silk dress. Just because she could summon snow didn't mean she didn't also get cold from time to time. As the walked down the icy road, she paused occasionally to look at things in the snow accumulating on the ground. There seemed to be many crimson blood droplets littering the white. When she realized this, she quickened her pace, almost running as the snow made that all too annoying crunching noise under her soft white boots. She cast a little spell to help her run faster as she went, and a few others to make the cold less frightening. The magical cat spirit had given her the prophecy about what she was about to do. She would save the bunny spirit from a bear trap deep in the woods, and when she did she would be blessed a thousand times over by fortune and luck. So she ran through the trees, dipping under branches and jumping over bushes until she finally came to the clearing where the innocent bunny spirit lay trapped in the fierce jaws of the metal prison. With her bare hands she tore the bear trap apart, freeing the bunny spirit. (204 words)

1328 words - 2000 points

5/3 - Daily

“You're in danger?” she asked, her mind already spinning. “Do you think the Neverseen are coming after you?”
Marella shook her head. “I doubt it. Remember, they still can't use Ruy.”
“That's only a maybe. We don't know that for sure.” Sophie shook her head. “Maybe…”
“What?” Linh asked.
“Maybe you should go back to Choralmere,” Sophie finished. She knew Tam and Linh's parents didn't deserve their company after abandoning their children and treating them horribly their entire lives. But maybe it was the safest place for her to be right then. “I know it wasn't what he meant, but I think you should consider it, Linh. You don't have to like them–you could even make their lives extra hard. In fact, that'd be preferable. But… isn't your safety most important?”
“No. His is.” Her voice was barely a whisper, but it was all too loud. “We need to get him out of there now.”
Sophie shook her head. “It seemed like he was pretty against that. He even said…”
When she couldn't bring herself to choke out the words, Linh finished them for her. “That he liked it there. I know. But he has to be making that up–there's nothing to like.”

205 words - 150 points

6/3 - Daily

ethereal-fi (story involving ethereal life experiences)
The moon goddess slowly waded through the rippling waves, unable to tell if she was climbing or falling. Words could never hope to describe her appearance–her form shifted and shimmered with every step, her reflection rippling across the ethereal waters in turn. She was dawn–the dawn of an era. She was the moon falling from the sky at the end of the story. She was every star exploding in a hazy inferno of life–and she was moonlight in its purest form, scattered across the infinite waters of the world above. And so she went, deeper and deeper until she could no longer tell if her head was above the water. She was unaware if she was still breathing or lifeless under the moonlit surface. But deeper still she went, all the while wondering if this venture would be her last. A gilded cage was still a cage–but with the weight of the infinite water, she could bend and break its bars. Foggy clouds filled her mind, an eternal downpour consuming her as she went, thinking to herself about her regrets and her mistakes. Her fear was temporary, but her regret would last forever. That's why she kept going, quietly picking up her wrongs and placing them in a wild river and watching it carry them away. There was no pain as she drowned in the silence–no anguish, no longing for more. Her life gave way to a new world filled with peace, where all of the glittering cages had long been washed away. And at the bottom of the sea, she finally felt the ground beneath her feet again.

275 words - 250 points

3/8 - Daily

Boudicca was a Celtic queen–when her husband died, she was supposed to inherit all of his possessions, but Romans came and took half the stuff she was owed–and then returned and took the rest of her stuff, throwing her out. Like the epic warrior queen she was, she built an enormous army (which would've been difficult at the time, due to her being female) and stormed the city. She was incredibly vicious and fierce and killed all of them with ease–she killed more than SEVENTY THOUSAND roman soldiers with her army. However, when leaving the city, they made a poor choice of route and were ambushed on the path–she was taken captive and was to be sold as a slave to the romans, but instead she led them on and then killed herself with poison. She was remembered in honor by her tribe, but I've seen few talk about her in this day–probably because history has a knack for forgetting women. Another examples of this is Mary Seacole, a woman of color, who much like Florence Nightingale, was a war nurse, but she's much less remembered unfortunately–she helped many more people, and set up on the front lines unlike Florence who worked far away from the war.

207 words - 300 points

3/11 - Daily

Jealousy
Jealous of everything.
I heard a saying once–jealousy is admiration turned sour. I think its very much the truth, but I feel ‘bitter’ would be a better choice. That's what I am–I'm bitter. I'm cold and I'm lonely and I'm forgotten in the soul of myself. Others move on without me. People I used to know, used to love, knowing each other without me.
I wish I could accept it and just embrace the new life I have now–but I'm angry. I'm angry, I'm upset… I'm bitter. The past–if you could really call it that–was eating me up from the inside out.
And I wish I could fix it. I wish I could resolve my problems and just… talk to them.
I'm holding myself together as much as I can, but it doesn't seem like enough. I feel like my life was torn in tiny shreds that day and I could never hope to piece them back together.
But maybe I didn't have to.
Maybe that life could stay destroyed. I could leave it in ashes and build myself something new. Just let the jealousy burn–why should I care if two people I didn't like liked each other?
If they didn't me in their life, they didn't get to be a part of mine.
I might not have fixed the problem. My life still felt shredded–but maybe it was time to stop wishing it wasn't in pieces and focus on rebuilding it. There was no good in waiting for the problem to sort itself out. It was time to do something for myself.

264 words - 500 points

3/13 - Weekly

Part 1:
I sat among my mother's garden, staring up at the stars. The moon was hidden behind a glowing cloud, and the night air was frigid. Sparkling dew drops fell from the petals of the dahlias onto the cement roof of my apartment building. Dahlias had always been her favorite–even in death, I was all the more convinced she loved them. Her flower garden had always been so alive. Such a variety of plants grew there, from hellebores to zinnias to succulents and native grasses. Everything about it felt so much like home–a place I could always come back to and feel her presence. Smiling, a single tear ran down my cheeks, red from the cool air. The faint scent of marigolds filled the air with a gentle fragrance, reminding me of my mother's perfume she always wore. Everything about her, from her garden to her home to her perfume screamed life–and yet, her death snuck up on us. Her hair was the same fiery red as the zinnias she grew, she eyes a sparkling blue that matched her sapphire forgetmenots. Every summer, we would take a road trip up the valley into a tiny secluded clearing in the middle of the woods. It looked up at the mountains and down at the river below, long stretches of trees on either side. So many types of flowers grew there–some right along the riverbed and others inside our homey log cabin. But it didn't matter–we could never return now that she was gone. It wouldn't be the same. It just couldn't–no matter how hard dad tried to make it. Without her… things were too different. I knew I would eventually come to terms with her death, but right now I needed to hurt. That wound needed to be raw for a little while before it could heal. (305 words)

Part 2:
Cassiopeia looked up at the stars with glee. Her favorite was obviously the one with whom she shared a name–the vain queen Cassiopeia. Some viewed it as just a silly upside down M, but it was so much more than that to me. The symbol represented how she was chained to a chair as punishment for naming herself more beautiful than the nymphs of the water. Poseidon, in all his wickedness, had sent the vicious sea monster Cetus to kill them. The stars themselves weren't particularly special or interesting, but what they meant was so important it couldn't be sacrificed. I must've sat there the whole night, because before it seemed like even an hour had passed the sun was rising and the stars slowly faded from the sky. Another day, another dawn. Another chance for redemption– not that it mattered so much anymore. What had happened, happened, and what happened today would just be another adventure. I would never be the person I wanted to be. She wasn't even real, as far as I was concerned. I had to need or desire to be her– not when her will was so disingenuous, and her punishment was cruel. Her life was unnerving and empty and she was just as sorrowful as the people she condemned. I had no reason to want to walk in her shoes. She was a god, and I was not– it was simple and easy to see. Her presence had haunted me ever since I'd been named after her– but it was time for me to tel my story now. Maybe under a different name. I didn't want her to be associated with me any longer. She had cursed my soul since I had been born, and it was time for me to return the favor. (300 words)

Part 3:
Backgrounds in this project!! https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/927797601/

Part 4:
The Main Cabin was on fire. It was no doubt one of the campers—but who? Was it a sci-fi camper, desperately trying to keep first place? Or maybe someone from another cabin trying to climb the rankings by destroying them. It could just as easily be one of the leaders. Maybe Zion, willing to do anything to keep first—even writing the weekly at school. Maybe Recca, a poetry camper worried about sci-fi’s impending victory who decided to just set the rankings alight to stop sci-fi from winning. It could even be Eevee, the fantasy leader hoping to get extra points for arson.
But it didn’t matter at this time, anyway. We needed to put out the fire and save the main cabin! A few other things also were damaged a bit by the fire–the trefoil garden and the rhododendron grove.

As soon as the fire was out, the mystery continued. 6 suspects were apprehended.
Zion, the sci-fi leader desperate to keep first.
Alana, the fairy tales leader who had warred sci-fi many times during cabin wars.
Eevee, the leader of the fantasy knighthood who could’ve been trying to beat sci-fi.
Recca, a poetry co who had already sworn victory against sci-fi.
Mouse, the dystopian leader who had become sci-fi’s enemies before March.
Nova, a myth camper determined to defeat sci-fi and get myth more points.
And Vi, a fan-fi co trying to scale the leaderboard for fan-fi.
None of them had an alibi and they all had a motive. And so the mystery began (#bringbackmystery)—Chuey, SWC’s top detective carefully interviewed all the suspects, getting their opinion and possible alibi on the crimes that occurred.
Zion said that they were sleeping, because they were not a morning person and the crime occurred in the morning. Chuey decided that alibi was poor and entirely unbelievable.
Alana said she was too busy working on the daily to have committed the crime—but Chuey didn’t see why she couldn’t have done both.
Eevee said she was asleep, since it was the middle of the night in her timezone and Chuey thought that her alibi was the most believable yet—even though Eevee probably stayed up too late for cabin wars.
Recca said she was doing the weekly since poetry was so close to sci-fi—but Chuey knew she was lying. Recca’s first alibi was that she was asleep… so which was it?
Mouse immediately took credit for the crime. Chuey was tempted to join her so they could stop investigating and just marvel at the crime itself—which was very well organized.
Nova, the myth camper, said that she was also doing the weekly—which made sense since other SWC-ers had seen her doing it. Chuey let her go free, convinced that the only people in Myth who would commit such a crime were the tyrants, Moonlit and Luna—both of who had alibis.
Vi, the fan-fi co was a bit more suspicious, refusing to give an alibi to where she’d been.
But eventually Chuey got the suspects down to 3 suspects.
Alana, Recca, and Mouse.
Chuey knew Alana wouldn’t stop at anything to attack Sci-fi—and since they were in first, it seemed likely that Alana would try to burn the rankings in hopes of taking first. Recca was possible too—after all, Poetry and sci-fi were neck and neck now.
And Mouse.
Mouse had taken credit for the crime, but when hadn’t they? But the reason was what was important—was she doing it because she actually committed the crime? For fun? Or maybe she was covering for whoever really did it.
There was just no way to know.
So Chuey arrested all of them for arson and confiscated their mangoes. What mattered is that the rankings hadn’t been damaged and sci-fi was still in first. All was good. (628 words)

1233 words - 1500 ponts

3/13 - Daily

Their hands met and light spilled like a flood, as if it were a thousand golden urns pouring sunlight. The two deities stood tall at the end of their lives, smiling sadly as they walked down that path once more. Even in death, their presence would be all the more healing and even in their lives they had yet to feel ready until this moment– the last moment they would ever have, together or otherwise. Even if there was a life after this one, they would never be together. They couldn't–they were too different, too many things dividing them. Even if they were reborn they could never share another moment like this one, where they stood memorizing every detail of the other's face. They had to face the fact that they would always be too different to be like this in another time. They could never think of each other again beyond this encounter–this last serenade where they stood together at the top of the world, looking down on everything they had hoped and dreamed come alive.
But this couldn't. Their finally wish was to be together, even if it would be impossible–and when they found out it could never be accomplished, they were ready to tumble down the cliff together. Free fall from the sky. Drown in an ocean so deep light itself faded. Anything, if only to ease their pain. As long as they were together, death would be the easy part. But the goodbye was so much harder. Still, they knew they had to do it. Hands intertwined as the sun flashed its red dawn on the sea of creations below, it was time to go. Their careful steps fell in perfect unison, their eyes never leaving each others–their souls had stared into the depths of hell and seen the heights of heaven, but nothing could ever hope to marvel at each other's eyes.

321 words, 450 points

3/13 - Weekly

Part 1:
I sat among my mother's garden, staring up at the stars. The moon was hidden behind a glowing cloud, and the night air was frigid. Sparkling dew drops fell from the petals of the dahlias onto the cement roof of my apartment building. Dahlias had always been her favorite–even in death, I was all the more convinced she loved them. Her flower garden had always been so alive. Such a variety of plants grew there, from hellebores to zinnias to succulents and native grasses. Everything about it felt so much like home–a place I could always come back to and feel her presence. Smiling, a single tear ran down my cheeks, red from the cool air. The faint scent of marigolds filled the air with a gentle fragrance, reminding me of my mother's perfume she always wore. Everything about her, from her garden to her home to her perfume screamed life–and yet, her death snuck up on us. Her hair was the same fiery red as the zinnias she grew, she eyes a sparkling blue that matched her sapphire forgetmenots. Every summer, we would take a road trip up the valley into a tiny secluded clearing in the middle of the woods. It looked up at the mountains and down at the river below, long stretches of trees on either side. So many types of flowers grew there–some right along the riverbed and others inside our homey log cabin. But it didn't matter–we could never return now that she was gone. It wouldn't be the same. It just couldn't–no matter how hard dad tried to make it. Without her… things were too different. I knew I would eventually come to terms with her death, but right now I needed to hurt. That wound needed to be raw for a little while before it could heal. (305 words)

Part 2:
Cassiopeia looked up at the stars with glee. Her favorite was obviously the one with whom she shared a name–the vain queen Cassiopeia. Some viewed it as just a silly upside down M, but it was so much more than that to me. The symbol represented how she was chained to a chair as punishment for naming herself more beautiful than the nymphs of the water. Poseidon, in all his wickedness, had sent the vicious sea monster Cetus to kill them. The stars themselves weren't particularly special or interesting, but what they meant was so important it couldn't be sacrificed. I must've sat there the whole night, because before it seemed like even an hour had passed the sun was rising and the stars slowly faded from the sky. Another day, another dawn. Another chance for redemption– not that it mattered so much anymore. What had happened, happened, and what happened today would just be another adventure. I would never be the person I wanted to be. She wasn't even real, as far as I was concerned. I had to need or desire to be her– not when her will was so disingenuous, and her punishment was cruel. Her life was unnerving and empty and she was just as sorrowful as the people she condemned. I had no reason to want to walk in her shoes. She was a god, and I was not– it was simple and easy to see. Her presence had haunted me ever since I'd been named after her– but it was time for me to tel my story now. Maybe under a different name. I didn't want her to be associated with me any longer. She had cursed my soul since I had been born, and it was time for me to return the favor. (300 words)

Part 3:
Backgrounds in this project!! https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/927797601/

Part 4:
The Main Cabin was on fire. It was no doubt one of the campers—but who? Was it a sci-fi camper, desperately trying to keep first place? Or maybe someone from another cabin trying to climb the rankings by destroying them. It could just as easily be one of the leaders. Maybe Zion, willing to do anything to keep first—even writing the weekly at school. Maybe Recca, a poetry camper worried about sci-fi’s impending victory who decided to just set the rankings alight to stop sci-fi from winning. It could even be Eevee, the fantasy leader hoping to get extra points for arson.
But it didn’t matter at this time, anyway. We needed to put out the fire and save the main cabin! A few other things also were damaged a bit by the fire–the trefoil garden and the rhododendron grove.

As soon as the fire was out, the mystery continued. 6 suspects were apprehended.
Zion, the sci-fi leader desperate to keep first.
Alana, the fairy tales leader who had warred sci-fi many times during cabin wars.
Eevee, the leader of the fantasy knighthood who could’ve been trying to beat sci-fi.
Recca, a poetry co who had already sworn victory against sci-fi.
Mouse, the dystopian leader who had become sci-fi’s enemies before March.
Nova, a myth camper determined to defeat sci-fi and get myth more points.
And Vi, a fan-fi co trying to scale the leaderboard for fan-fi.
None of them had an alibi and they all had a motive. And so the mystery began (#bringbackmystery)—Chuey, SWC’s top detective carefully interviewed all the suspects, getting their opinion and possible alibi on the crimes that occurred.
Zion said that they were sleeping, because they were not a morning person and the crime occurred in the morning. Chuey decided that alibi was poor and entirely unbelievable.
Alana said she was too busy working on the daily to have committed the crime—but Chuey didn’t see why she couldn’t have done both.
Eevee said she was asleep, since it was the middle of the night in her timezone and Chuey thought that her alibi was the most believable yet—even though Eevee probably stayed up too late for cabin wars.
Recca said she was doing the weekly since poetry was so close to sci-fi—but Chuey knew she was lying. Recca’s first alibi was that she was asleep… so which was it?
Mouse immediately took credit for the crime. Chuey was tempted to join her so they could stop investigating and just marvel at the crime itself—which was very well organized.
Nova, the myth camper, said that she was also doing the weekly—which made sense since other SWC-ers had seen her doing it. Chuey let her go free, convinced that the only people in Myth who would commit such a crime were the tyrants, Moonlit and Luna—both of who had alibis.
Vi, the fan-fi co was a bit more suspicious, refusing to give an alibi to where she’d been.
But eventually Chuey got the suspects down to 3 suspects.
Alana, Recca, and Mouse.
Chuey knew Alana wouldn’t stop at anything to attack Sci-fi—and since they were in first, it seemed likely that Alana would try to burn the rankings in hopes of taking first. Recca was possible too—after all, Poetry and sci-fi were neck and neck now.
And Mouse.
Mouse had taken credit for the crime, but when hadn’t they? But the reason was what was important—was she doing it because she actually committed the crime? For fun? Or maybe she was covering for whoever really did it.
There was just no way to know.
So Chuey arrested all of them for arson and confiscated their mangoes. What mattered is that the rankings hadn’t been damaged and sci-fi was still in first. All was good. (628 words)

1233 words - 1500 ponts

Writing Comp Entry
I made some mistakes, but… I’m glad I got to make them. I made mistakes, but before the mistakes were memories. And those memories might be painful and hard right now, but I’m glad I got to make them. I’m glad I got to make them with you, even if we now stand on opposite sides and I stand completely alone. I learned something from every mistake I made—and even if that knowledge came late, it was knowledge nonetheless and I couldn’t toss out the lesson I’d learned. There was a time, that felt so long ago, that made everything feel broken. I had felt like my life had been torn to shreds and I had been left by myself in a castle burned. But slowly the ashes shifted into something else—it wasn’t better, per say, and if definitely didn’t make things easier to deal with, but… It was done. It finally felt over. It had been such a brutal war—half with those that left me, and half with myself for thinking I made them—but I had come out alive. I wasn’t uninjured. I was scarred and bruised and I was certain that I would never be the same again. But maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. The inferno that once consumed me let me rest—telling me that no matter what happened next, no matter what challenges lay ahead of my path, tangled in thorns, I could face it. Not because I was stronger than them, but because I was stornger than myself yesterday. That gave me strength. I thought I stood alone, but as I stood facing the people I’d come to love, I realized I couldn’t be more wrong. As one of my lives collapsed, another was born. I realized without the doubt that had been clouding my thoughts that sometimes the most painful, wretched ashes grew the most beautiful flowers. The flowers weren’t without their thorns—but they were alive. Cuts and bruises, scrapes and scars, blood stained flower petals—my garden lived on. Some flowers would wilt and some would die, but I let the ashes grow my garden, feeling so much stronger in knowing that nothing could ever hope to destroy me again. I lost my life, lost myself, lost so many painful nights overthinking, wishing my sparkling castle walls hadn’t come tumbling down. But they did. And in its place was me, scars and all, in my thorny oasis, knowing completely and undeniably, that I was undefeatable and that the ashes could never stop me again. Things hurt. You can feel their pickles and thorns clawing you up from the inside out—let them burn. Let it all burn down, so you can build an empire in the ashes of what used to be a castle unstable—let it all burn. Grow from the ashes. You are stronger than the flames that forged you. The burning skies have power over you no longer.

485 words

3/24 - Weekly
Plot Points:
1: The Jewelry store is robbed–lights flash and alarms beep as every single thing of value is viciously ripped from the shelves as the mysterious thief leaves into the night. The thief is careful not to leave any trace of their identity–or so they think. When the owner gets there the next day, he immediately reports the crime.
2: Detective Jeong examines the crime scene, and eventually brings back all the evidence she can find–an eyelash, found in one of the now empty jewelry displays, an earrings that fell onto the floor in the chaos, and a single blurry video of the crime when it occurred in the middle of the night.
3: Jeong examines the evidence and after many months of work, narrows it down to two suspects. She questions them both separately and then together, but both their stories hold up. When both the suspects are allowed to go free, Jeong faces scorn for going after the wrong people and eventually resigns.
4: Jeong does extra investigating since she no longer has a job, and eventually catches someone when the thief strikes again, this time stealing money from a grocery store! Jeong takes the money and brings in back to the police station along with the thief, but she isn't believed and they let her leave with the money!
5: Jeong is revealed to be the one who stole the goods all along, under the false pretense of investigating the crime. She disappears into the night once more, leaving nothing behind except a note making fun of everyone who failed to see her involvement. She keeps the jewelry and the money.

Red Herrings and Clues:
Red herring one: jewelry store owner. his alibi didn't hold up, and Jeong thought he was the one who stole the valuables and accuses him. He was one of the suspects she had to let go and lost her job over. readers are meant to think he is guilty when he seems nervous during his interrogation.
Clue one: Detective Jeong slips up and wears the set of earrings that were used as evidence–she uses the excuse that she ‘just wants to get into the thief’s mindset' and people generally believe her, even though they were her earrings all along and had been a gift from her mother. Readers are meant to believe Jeong but not believe the suspect.
Red herring two: Detective Jeong mentions that the necklace of the other apprehended suspect looks exactly like one of the stolen ones, though the suspect quickly defends themself saying their mother gave it to them. Jeong is suspicious but doesn't pry further. The reader is meant to think they did it, when Jeong used a similar excuse and was believed.
Clue two: Jeong has a habit of ripping her eyelashes out in a moment of stress–and as it so happens, the eyelash found in the crime scene disappeared before it could be sent to a DNA lab. Readers are meant to not think of this as anything, until the final moment when everything clicks together.

Interview:
https://scratch.mit.edu/users/Zionykon/#comments-320429124

Final Scene:
The alarms blared as the thief ripped things from their shelves and containers, lights flashing as they frantically made their escape. They dipped out of sight just as the vivid sirens from the police pulled up to the store. But they weren't able to catch them before the slipped out the back entrance and disappeared into the night. Jeong pulled up to the jewelry store not much later, notepad in hand and ready to investigate. After asking around and finding not a single witness, she headed through the heavy door and into the wrecked store. Bending down to examine the case for the necklace closest to the door, she spotted a single eyelash on the dusty glass. She gently grabbed it with her tweezers and slipped it into an evidence bag. After watching the security cam footage, she was able to find an earring that must have slipped from the thief's ear. She took the evidence back to her home to start her investigation.

Three weeks after the crime, Jeong took her work and evidence down to the police station. She technically worked for them, so they had to arrest whomever she said as long as their was reasonable evidence supporting her suspects. But the police chief was obviously surprised by who she told him to arrest–the jewelry store owner and the owner of the large apartment building next door. Jeong was able to question them the next day. First, she spoke to the man who owned the jewelry store. He acted as if he had no reason to steal from himself, but most of the jewelry was bought with a credit card, meaning it wasn't really his money. He seemed increasingly nervous about it, too. Stealing it would ensure he kept it–but he wouldn't be able to sell it. At least not in the same country. The owner of the apartment building next door was incredibly rich–but that didn't mean she didn't have a motive. One of the items in that store was incredibly rare and heavily sought after, since there were only seven in the entire world. She had made it clear she wanted it before, and this gave her the opportunity to steal it. Jeong flicked a loose eyelash off her finger, flinching when the apartment building owner narrowed her eyes.
“Bad habit,” Jeong explained.
She didn't seem convinced. And when Jeong looked at her outfit more carefully…
“Where did you get that necklace?”
Without missing a beat, she answered “my mother gave it to me. Why? And what about your earrings?”
“…My mother gave them to me.” Jeong sighed. Without any incriminating evidence, she had to let them go. The police chief laughed at her on her way out, and some other officers gave snickers.
She resigned the next day. If they laughed at her, she would show them all. She would solve it quicker than them. But then, the grocery store across the street from her house is robbed in broad daylight. She storms into the store, demanding to examine the crime scene–but without her detective status, she is declined.
When an officer shows up the next day to take her statement, he found her house mysteriously empty.
But when he turned around, he saw a message scrawled into the dirt in front of her house.
His heart dropped in his chest when he read it. ‘Maybe I should’ve given you guys some of the money so you could hire a competent police department. LOL.'
And they never saw her again. (586 words)