Erin Lehman - Southwest Minnesota State University

He turns the brass knob of his third-story apartment. As the door cracks open, a faint series of meows grows louder, drawing closer. He reaches down as he walks in, fingers brushing the soft fur of a small orange tabby, scratching gently beneath its chin. The cat purrs loudly in approval.

Delaney Dorantes - California State University of Fullerton

“Papá por favor no te vayas[1]. Please… Please don’t take him away from me… I beg you…” I said amongst the tears welling up in my eyes while seeing my dad being taken from me. I felt a sense of helplessness seeping through every fiber of my being,  as I witnessed them, the ones who were supposed to protect us, take my dad away.

Mason Dodds - Arizona State University

The boat to my side is ready to sail along the crimson sea, with the sand crushing with every step. The boat, donning a deep sapphire hue, stood out from my surroundings' harsh, warm colors. I grabbed the cool wood and pushed it through the sand, causing the parting of the grainy terrain. This boat wasn't always as heavy; my time limit has started now. But I know He will be there to correct this.

Erin Morgan - University of Delaware

A clock switches to another grey March day. Blocked out by undecorated grey walls of a similar hue. A desk sits in the corner of a dimly lit room. It sits cluttered with half-abandoned mugs and pencils, a dozen scrapped beginnings crumpled up and tossed aside. The chair is drawn out, covered in charcoal marks and a thin layer of dust.

Xander Hull - University of South Dakota

1 day. Today marks 1 day since our crew took off from the slums of Sweet Home, Oregon on a hunt to kill King Maine, the overlord of the once United States of America, now the Kingdom of Maine. From what we know about him, which isn’t much, we can decipher that there’s a chance he might not even be human.

Ashley Walton - University of the Incarnate Word

The music notes danced around Sagan. Every key they played brought another to life. Suddenly, the tempo turned violent and the notes fled. Before they could get away, the tempo filled with sorrow, and one by one the notes slowly died.

Dakota Allred - Arizona State University

The first emotion I received was sadness. It was important to the inventors that I had something to stop me from hurting them. Some way to feel grief if I did. It did not matter that the emotion hurt me instead. When the only thing I could feel was sadness, I thought that the absence must be feeling happy. So I made an attempt not to feel anything as often as I could. I also made sure I did everything correctly, perfectly, so that no anger was directed my way, and I was never upset.

Bernadette Remington - La Vernia High School

The youngest Prince of Cimmeria was my best friend. Valerius, known only as Val to me, was a ruthless, incredible boy. Since we were sixteen, we had become as thick as thieves, sharing a mutual distaste for dragons, something Val’s brother, Eravan, couldn’t comprehend. But I could. 

Ariana Hernandez - University of the Incarnate Word

We are no one. Nothing. We, the humble viewers of the lives of many, never see our own, but we need not; we are happy with this life. We, the universe, watch as surveyors of life and of death, unconcerned with the limitations of the physical world. Here we see: our journey takes us to the life of a pre-teen girl. Surrounded by lush, dense deciduous trees among a sea of dark green and fog. A nameless girl rode her pale blue bike down a residential street. The sun was nearing its depth, and she knew she’d better be home soon.

Ashley Cameron - Arizona State University

The flashlight illuminated the emptiness. The rock walls stretched like Daedalus’ labyrinth and Daya hoped to avoid the Minotaur. She was never afraid while on the job, she had been to far greater depths to find far greater mysteries, but this dive left her feeling particularly icy. Each breath caught and she knew it wasn’t because of the cave’s temperature. In a fit of brave arrogance, Daya had told her team to wait at base camp some miles behind her.

Kallista Fritts - Texas Tech University

“What brings you here?” The creature’s gravelly voice pierces my ears as it rises from its nest, head slightly tilted down, tailing slowly whipping side to side. Even from a distance, it towers over me. “Curiosity I suppose. I’ve heard the legends about your kind since I was a child. I just needed to see if they were true.” I let my eyes sweep over the beast, taking in what I’ve always desired to see.“Legends? Legends are nothing but lies and exaggerated stories. Now go, return home.