ART HUR, XHAID E N - Springs Preserve

ART HUR , XHAI D E N
Xhaiden Arthur
Age: 13, Grade: 8

School Name: Thurman White Middle School, Henderson, NV
Educator: Rhonda de Jager

Category: Short Story

S mile F amily
The Smile Family
A man named Albert went to an island to meet a Man named Robert Smiles 11/27/1994 Hallam Island, Ct This
family that Albert goes to meet is not entirely normal many bad things have happened to them you can only travel to
their island home by boat not far away is another island called Cemetery Island.
Robert Smiles invited Albert over through the message he said “Hello, Albert!“ “I'd love to have you over sometime
for some hot cocoa. I hope we can be friends. :)“ - The Smiles Family :) Albert responded not long after saying “I
would love to.”
“ Great! Let us know what time you can come over. :)” messaged back Robert Smiles
“Is 10 p.m. good for you, any day this week” Albert replied back “would today be okay with you? :) 10 p.m.”
replied Robert “Yes, of course,” Albert said “Great see you then, Oh and by the way, my three children will be here
too of course :)” “Yes that is to be expected Robert I'll be there shortly.” Albert got there not long after “ Oh,
Hello.” exclaimed Robert “nice seeing you!” said Albert “please come inside you are our guest” “Thank you” said
Albert as he walked inside he saw the three kids watching television in the living room “Here are my kids.” said
Robert
Albert then said “Hi, you can call me Albert” Robert looked at one of the kids he was dressed in red and Robert
told Albert “Albert, this is Seth.” “Hi, Albert” exclaimed Seth Albert waved at him Next, Robert Introduced the
next boy “Albert this is Mathew he is the oldest” Mathew was wearing yellow “Hey” replied Matthew Albert waved
Robert introduced the last kid to Albert “This is Clair.” he said She wore blue She said “Hi!” he waved back and
replied back saying “Hello!” Seth and Clair were the same age after Albert was introduced Robert asked, “Would
you like a tour of the place?” “Of course” Albert replied with a grin on his face “Alrighty” Robert Exclaimed, so all
of the kids sat back down to watch television “Here is our living room” they walked into the room over “This is the
kitchen” “This is our dining room” then Robert went upstairs while Albert followed they went into a different room
“This is Seth and Matt’s room” Seth’s bed had a red blanket and Matt’s bed had a yellow blanket the next room
over was blue “This is Clair’s room” “Hmm they really like sticking with one color don’t they,” Said Albert “Yes,
they do” Robert smiled they walked into the bathroom Albert even noticed that the toothbrushes were color-coded
“This is the Bathroom” Robert explained they went up more stairs onto the third floor Albert wondered what they
did for a living but that didn't really matter there were only two rooms up here one was Roberts room then they
walked into the last room in the house Robert then said “Here is my office“ then the whole house started shaking
Albert thought it was an earthquake but Robert shouted “Oh No“ “THE BOILER!“ “HURRY!“ “OH NO NO!“
the two Bolted down the stairs and ran outside into the boiler room quickly Robert Stopped the boiler “Thank gosh
we came when we did.“ exclaimed Robert then Clair and Matthew came down right as he stopped the boiler “That
was close, “ said Albert Exhausted “The darn boiler is so old you have to tend to it every day.“ Or else it’ll blow up
and we will wake up on the darn moon.“ Robert chuckled “Where's Seth?“ Albert said in a frantic tone Matt said
“Don’t worry he was scared so he stayed inside“ “Oh, I understand,“ said Albert as he calmed down “Well, we
should head back upstairs.“ Robert replied so they went upstairs back into the house Robert then told the Kids
“Would you guys mind going up to your rooms so me and the guest could chat.“ they all nodded their heads in
agreement Robert went into the kitchen and grabbed two Colas from the fridge and went outside onto a bench
together “So, What brought you to the neighborhood“ Robert asked “The scenery! Seems so peaceful here and I
also enjoy boat rides.“ Albert replied, “Ah“ “Yes, those are fun, “ Robert said “Uhm“ “Gosh, where do I begin“
exclaimed Robert “Well, to begin… Their mother and brother have passed“ It has been very hard on them it has also
been difficult for me to accept it.“ “Loss isn’t always an easy thing to get by, “ said, Robert “It’s often
misunderstood, we all deal with it differently“ Albert replied “Mhm“ mumbled Robert, “Wow, time flies by..“ It
almost seemed as it had almost instantly turned night “Time flies with friends“ exclaimed Albert “Well you oughta be

getting tired“ he asked Albert “A bit!“ Albert answered “I’ll set up the couch for you, you can sleep on, it, “ Robert
told him “Looks Cozy!“ Albert said “I figured it would be such a long boat ride back home. Why not just stay
here?“ Robert asked him “It would, I appreciate this." Albert said back “Lights out,“ Robert told Albert “good
night, “ said Albert not long after while Albert was sleeping on the couch he heard a noise he looked in front of him
he saw a man with a mask floating Albert screamed “OH MY GOD AHHH STOP STOP WHAT WHAT IS
THAT“ Somehow not waking anyone up he ran into the kitchen The Man followed him and said, “Sssh, Keep your
voice down.“ “?? who..are -“ said Albert more quietly “Now, we're going to do as I say got it?“ He said “Uhh
okay“ Albert exclaimed, still shaken up, Albert noticed there was blood on the man’s face “Come with me, “ the man
said, The man took Albert a little bit down to a garage he told Albert “Take the shovel.“ The man took Albert to a
boat And drove away from the island and to a different Island it was an archway in front of the island it said
“Cemetery Island“ Albert wondered if he was going to have to dig someone up He also been wondered why did he
listen to this man they Walked all the way passed a bunch of gravestones to this opened one Albert read it out loud
“Rest in death ALBERT ARETZ ???? - 1994 AHHHH“ The man then told him “This will be you if you don't do
what I say.“ he thought to himself now I'm starting to understand “ I'll do anything“ Albert said with a shocked
expression “then follow me“ The man said the man took Albert to two gravestones Albert read them out loud “In
memory Of Leo Smiles“ the other read “R.I.P Nancy smiles“ he realized these were the graves of Roberts son and
wife The man screamed Dig it up, NOW“ “Okay“ Albert said there was a note in the casket it said “I keep the key
to the cellar hidden in a safe within my office the code to the safe is 0191“ The man took Albert back to the boats
and drove back to the Island the smiles family lived on, they went up to the house and inside he took Albert upstairs
to Roberts office there was a safe on one of his tables Albert enter the code 0191 and there was the key inside there
the man then took him downstairs into the cellar where the boiler was so Albert unlocked it and they went down but
the man said “Now… Let’s head upstairs“ Albert thinks the man just wanted him to unlock it for him “The man
guided Albert back into the house and onto the couch and told Albert “Now go back to sleep Before he catches
you.'' Then the man went upstairs again. Albert thought to himself the reason they had to tend to the boiler was
because of people like him? He also wondered who “He“ was the man who would catch him All of a sudden Seth
came downstairs he walked over to Albert and ask Albert “excuse me“ “Huh, “ Albert said trying to act like he was
sleepy and stood up Seth said “ Th-There is something in the bathroom...“ with a scared voice and took Albert
upstairs all the kids were standing outside of their bedrooms Albert then walked into the bathroom at first Albert.
Though there was nothing in the bathroom then he looked in the somewhat see-through curtain on the shower inside
the figure sitting in the bathtub “I - I saw something in the tub...“ Seth exclaimed talking to his siblings“ “Sure you
did.“ said Matt Not Knowing what to say he for some reason said “See… Nothing..“ Matt opened the shower
curtain “There's nothing there“ said Matt “ see! Everything is fine..“ Albert told Seth pretending it was just his
imagination all of a sudden classical music started playing Clair rushed to the stairs and before she saw what was
down there she said “What is-“ then they looked down the stairs and there were men wearing suits and ties like they
were at a ball but they were all still and did not move then the phone started ringing and Seth ran for the phone
“Hello?, Hello?“ asked Seth to the person on the phone “Knock, Knock“ the person on the phone said, “Who’s
there…?“
“You“ exclaimed the person on the phone “You who?“ Seth asked, “You are going to die HAHAHAHA!“ Matt said
“The Heck'' and they all bolted upstairs the music stopped and all the people were gone Albert checked outside just
to see if there was anyone out there, nobody Seth said, “They’re gone, Did you see it too...” Albert responded
“Yeah.., I did“ the kids ran to there rooms not making a sound because they heard footsteps so Albert jumped onto
the couch and pretended to sleep, and then Albert saw Robert walk down the stairs Robert looked at a wall but
not super close almost if he was gonna talk to someone but nobody was there then he Said “Oh hello, Roy“
Nobody responded Robert said, “The usual, please.” “Coke” “Huh, Oh right” “Roy, listen…I-I don't think I can
do this.” “I mean you're asking me to kill a man! Im calling off the do you” “I won't do it!” Albert wondered if
“Roy” was the man he was talking to before “You wouldn't… Roy, I...I'm not feeling too good...” all of the sudden
Robert collapsed Albert did nothing hoping not to make things worse The three kids all came down when they heard
the thud Seth looked at Robert and said “Dad..?” “We shouldn't wake him up,” Seth told us, siblings, he'll be in a
bad mood.” Albert remembered that Robert did mention he did randomly pass out “Let's go back to sleep…'' Seth
said to his siblings and all the siblings went upstairs. Albert got up and looked that Robert the sickening thought
came to Albert's mind that Robert could be dead he went back on the couch hoping it was a bad dream a minute
passed and it was already getting bright outside so Albert opened the blinds and all the three kids came downstairs
and Robert was still lying there “It’s morning…” Seth said to everyone “Listen, we should probably get you out of
here.” Seth told Albert “Ok” replied Albert “What the? Smoke!” it was coming from the boats there was no way
for Albert to leave “ the engines are busted…” “ he's going to wake him up?” Clair shook her head so Matt decided
to wake Robert up “ I mean if no one's going to do it” Matt said they all walked into the house and over to Robert
Seth was scared “ I don't think we should wake him up, I take it back, don't do it ” Seth told Matt “ I know what

I'm doing, Seth” replied Matt “Dad?” All of a sudden Robert stood up, he was limping and had a stern look on his
face. He looked at Albert and said “You..” “What,” Albert said “Stay right here I'll be back” Robert walked out the
front door Seth went to the door “He locked it, We can lock ourselves in his office” “QUICK” Seth exclaimed
They ran up the three flights of stairs and into his office unlock the door they heard running up the stairs then they
heard chopping and Started seeing a hole in the door “ he has an axe” Seth told them the three kids were in the
corner While Albert hid behind a desk she started chopping the air towards the kids “Dad, Please No” all of the
sudden Robert looked normal “W-What the” Robert said confused “Huh” Matt mumbled “D-Dad“ “Dad,” all the
kids said at once “K-kids” “Dad, I missed you,” said Seth, the kids started hugging their dad “I missed you too, but
listen I want you to run. Run and remember how much I love you” “Dad, Please no, Try to fight it” Seth said to his
dad “There isn't much time, I can't fight it off for a long, please just GO,” Robert told the kids “We won't leave you
here,” Seth told his dad “Too late” Robert Replied back and picked up the axe and stabbed himself in the back of
the neck “AHHHH” DAD!, NOOOOOOOOO!!” “Oh My Gosh” they were all mortified then the house started
shaking again Albert Screamed “OUT” they went through the hole in the door down the stairs and out the house the
three kids made it out and Albert in the nick of time. The boiler had blown up and the whole house caught on fire in
an instant “D-Dad?” Mumbled Seth “Is He?..” Asked Clair all of a sudden the floating man appeared and the kids
seemed as if he was not there he said “It's not too late, you can give me the kids” “Don’t say it Clair” Matt told her
“QUICK! NOW!” the man said “Uhh Okay,” Albert said not thinking the man disappeared the kids were confused
who Albert was talking to “Who are you talking to ?” Seth said thinking quick Albert came up with an excuse “I
sneezed, sorry” “I sneeze weird” “Huh“ “Ooh” “I gotta go” Albert told them then they saw a man walking up the
island A man named Dan Stickman He said, “I saw the flames, and I came as soon as I could “D-Dan” the kids said
“You kids can stay with me until things get sorted out” “You Mean It” Seth said “Really” Matt asked Albert felt
something fishy he thought maybe the man was Dan “A place down in Florida we can stay at, let's head to the boat
now” Albert waved goodbye they all smiled as they waved goodbye knowing they would all see each other again one
day.

B E RT R AN D , J AYC E
Jayce Bertrand
Age: 16, Grade: 11

School Name: Bishop Gorman High School, Las Vegas, NV
Educator: Nathan Radzak

Category: Short Story

Up on the C atwalk
The freshmen were huddled on the stage, talking nervously and murmuring about how excited they were to     finally be
standing in the St. Andrew’s theatre. Only a high school, but renowned for putting on such high-quality productions,
St. Andrew’s was the school to go to if you wanted to go to Broadway. One freshman boy looked around the
theatre nervously. Such a large stage. Such a large building. Surely a building this huge should have some ghosts.
Danny smiled and laughed. The freshmen didn’t hear him, though. He was perched up on the catwalk next to Luke.
Their feet dangled as they sat on the edge and hung on to the rail. Luke smiled too.
“Were we that scared our first year?” Luke asked. The theatre director, world-renowned Dr. Feig, walked onto the
stage, singing and welcoming all the new students to another wonderful year at St. Andrew’s. The senior assistants
began the hearty round of applause. The freshman followed.
“No,” Danny began. “Not me, at least. I don’t know about you. You did show up a semester late, after all.” Luke
had joined the class second semester their freshman year after the soccer season had ended. He never went back
after that.
Luke let out a laugh. “Still holding that over me?”
“You know it.” The class had begun physical warm-ups. Danny and Luke looked at each other, and burst into
laughter. Physical warm-ups were the bane of every theatre student’s existence. That was something neither of them
missed.
After that, the class sat in a circle and introduced themselves. Danny and Luke played their new favorite game. They
watched the students stand up one by one and introduce themselves. As they did, they would pick which show they’d
be best in and whether they’d be a top contender in the theatre. Danny picked the young boy who went second to
last. His musical was Bonnie and Clyde, him being the male lead. Luke picked the boy who went first. He carried
himself more confidently, but not arrogantly. He said the kid’s musical was Little Shop of Horrors as the Dentist.
The bell rang, and the freshman scrambled off the stage, as if there were only two minutes to get to class instead of
five. Instinctively, Luke got up and walked to the stairs. Danny grabbed the cuff of his jeans. “Where the hell we
gonna go, Luke?” Danny asked. Luke smiled and let out a small chuckle.
“Sorry. Force of habit.”
“Besides”, Danny began readjusting himself. “The upperclassmen are showing up.” Luke sat down next to Danny
and craned his neck over the railing, looking for anyone they might recognize. A minute later, they’re friends began
rolling in. First Tom and Jack and Sam, and then Bela and Maddi, and then the rest came in a massive wave of
excitement. Danny smiled while his heart let out a cry of pain. They were all still so beautiful.
Dr. Feig walked back on stage and repeated her opening monologue (with a few tweaks, of course). Luke laughed,
and looked at Danny, who was listening intently to Doc. Made sense; this was the class where Doc announced the
annual musical.
“As you know”, Dr. Feig announced to the class. “Juniors and seniors have the special privilege of learning the
annual musical a day before the freshmen and sophomores. After an entire summer of pondering and thinking of what
would be best for this class…” Doc trailed off and went silent. The entire class washuts as quiet. “And despite a…
tumultuous last few months,'' she began again, “I have decided to go forth with my plan to do Sweeney Todd”.
The class remained silent. Some began whispering to each other. Luke looked at Danny. His jaw was clenched and
his eyes were watering. Sweeney Todd was his favorite musical. Luke watched as Danny’s nails scraped back and
forth along the metal rail, creating an unpleasant hiss.
No one said much the rest of class. They tried to do physical warm-ups, but the senior assistants weren’t in much of
a mood to move anymore. Doc had retreated to her office, hiding from the class. The bell rang, and the class left
silently. Neither Danny nor Luke said a word during the sophomore class.
A week later, Danny‘s mood had raised slightly. As did the junior and senior classes. As they left the class each day,

the talking and laughing seemed to pick up more. As Luke smiled down at the remaining students leaving the theatre,
Danny stood up and walked to the other side of the catwalk. Luke joined him.
Dr. Feig was kneeling down and sobbing. Her hand was on a marble plaque next to the main entrance. Neither of
them could read what the plaque said; it was too far away.
“Wanna go down and read it?” Luke asked.
Danny shook his head. “Not now, maybe some other time.” Doc had pulled out her phone and typed something in.
Then she pressed the phone to her ear, still sobbing.
Someone said something on the other line. “Cancel Sweeney Todd,'' she muttered, “I’m picking another musical.”
Two weeks later, she announced Godspell as the musical.
Danny and Luke watched the auditions and bet on who would get which role. Overall, Luke won with five correct
predictions to Danny’s three. Danny’s mood has gotten better, but he still usually kept his stoic silence. It was as if
he had a metal wall covering his thoughts.
“You would have been a great Sweeney, Danny,” Luke began in a desperate attempt to clear the silence, and patted
his best friend on the shoulder.
Danny smiled and nodded, his eyes watering again. “And you would have been a great Anthony.”
Three months later, Godspell opened. Danny and Luke loved the show. Tom sang his heart out, and both of them
had to keep from screaming aloud during his solos.
The Spring Final was the next show. Danny and Luke ignored rehearsals the best they could for the next two
months; they wanted to be surprised.
Two months later, the show was ready.
It was as fun as any show at St. Andrew’s was. The sophomores finished another heartfelt performance, and the
audience applauded. They stood on stage defiantly as the students from every other class joined them. The audience
went silent as an LED screen came down from the rafters. The music began playing. Both Luke and Danny
recognized it, but couldn’t exactly identify the song. Rich walked center stage and began singing:
I saw the sun begin to dim
And felt that winter wind
Blow cold
A man learns who is there for him
Danny smiled and laughed. “From Now On”. ‘Greatest Showman’. Good song.”
“Damn good song,” Luke agreed. He stood up and stretched. Danny followed suit, probably to get a better look.
Luke grabbed his arm. “C’mon, let’s go backstage.”
They walked along the catwalk and into the small nook leading to the ladder. As Luke climbed down, Danny turned
and looked back at the stage. A picture of him and Luke had appeared on the LED screen. Danny smiled; they still
remembered them.
The tempo began to pick up with the volume as they reached the warehouse. The students yelled and sang and cried
as they performed for the audience, silent and in awe. Danny ran his hands along the brick wall of the warehouse.
Luke went over to the prop table and fiddled with a flashlight. Not much had changed, only a few tables rearranged.
A new coat of black paint on the walls.
The bang of a drum echoed throughout the warehouse, and Luke dropped the flashlight. He brought his hands to his
ears and dropped to the ground, tears welling in his eyes. Danny rushed over to him. “You’re good, Luke. It’s just a
drum. Just a drum. It’s not a g-”
Another drum banged. Luke let out a yelp, and Danny went stiff. On stage, Rich and all the other seniors yelled the
song rather than sang. Tears streamed down their faces, ruining makeup and mics. Tom yelled with the rest of his
class:
From now on
These eyes will not be blinded by the lights
From now on
What's waited till tomorrow starts tonight
Tonight
Let this promise in me start
Like an anthem in my heart
From now on
From now on
The drums kept banging and Luke curled deeper into a ball. Danny sank to the ground and hugged Luke tightly.
Danny wanted out of this place. He opened his eyes again, and suddenly the warehouse wasn’t fixed anymore. The
repairs they had made to move on had disappeared. The holes in the bricks and wood gaped open again. Blood
smeared the walls and floors. The smell of gunpowder and metallic sulphur filled the air. The beautiful and passionate

singing on stage turned to screaming once more. Luke let out a cry and hugged Danny tighter.
“It’s okay Jake,” Danny muttered through sobs. “It’s not real.” But oh god it was oh so real and that evil man was
back in the warehouse and Danny and Luke were all alone again oh god please help them.
And then it all went back to normal and the singing continued. Rich and Tom had fallen to the ground sobbing, and
Amanda was helping them back up. The beautiful singing was now replaced with a cacophony of screaming, crying,
feedback from the microphones, and instruments blaring. But still, it sounded so beautiful.
Luke was shaking and muttering to himself. “Luke,” Danny whispered. “Luke we gotta get out of here. This isn’t a
safe place.”
Luke never moved. He only shook his head and muttered “I wanna go home”, over and over. Lord knows Danny did
too.
Danny let out another sob. “We can’t Luke. We can’t go home.” Another drum bang began, but was replaced by a
sound of metal screeching as flint met with iron and an explosion began in a tiny metal chamber. They both yelled and
sobbed. “C’mon Luke,” Danny whispered again. “Let’s go check out the plaque. Remember the plaque. Let’s go
look at it while everyone’s on stage.” Luke nodded silently and stumbled as Danny helped him up.
They walked on stage together, arms around each other’s shoulders, helping one another walk. They walked through
the crowd on stage as they reached the last verse of the song. Luke and Danny’s photos remained in the LED,
shining brighter than before. The audience remained silent.
They walked down the stairs and into the aisle. Danny stopped and turned his head. His family was sitting in the left
section. His mother was shaking and silently sobbing, dad holding onto her with the last bit of strength he had in him.
He moved to walk towards them, reach out to them, talk to them one last time.
Luke pulled him back. “We can’t,” he mouthed. Danny nodded, still yearning for his mother and father and brother
and sister and his home and everything he lost. Luke walked forward, taking Danny with him.
They stood in front of the plaque, neither one of them talking. Luke reached out with a shaking hand, and ran his
fingers over the plaque.
Etched into the marble:
In memory of Danny Benson and Luke Elmen
Heroes always watching over us
Danny smiled faintly. “They remembered us.”
“They really did,” Luke whispered behind him. Another drum went off, and the scene behind them changed. The
lights had snapped back on. The audience was empty now. As was the stage.
It was just Danny and Luke again.
And the man standing in the aisle.
It was the same as a year ago. He was dressed in all black. His face was expressionless and his eyes showed no
emotion. And he held an AR-15.
The exact same as a year ago.
Except this time Luke and Danny had been able to get everyone out safe. They had distracted the evil man enough
so no one was hurt. No one got hurt this time. Tom and Rich and Nick hadn’t been shot and weren’t limping into the
street screaming for help. Donny hadn’t been gunned down in the warehouse while running away, smearing blood
everywhere.
On the other side of the aisle, the scene from a year ago was playing out. That evil man shot Nick in the leg as he
ran out the door. Luke darted from underneath a seat and ran at him. He was shot in the stomach and shoulder, and
collapsed before he got close enough to tackle the man.
Danny let out a yell from behind the pig, wrapping both hands around his neck and wrestling him to the ground. He
wrestled the man for the gun, sweat pouring down his face as he punched and clawed at the killer’s face. A gunshot
went off, but neither of them showed any signs of pain. Danny’s hands once again wrapped around the man’s throat,
and he pressed all his weight onto his trachea. After what felt like hours, Danny finally let go of the man and sat
back. As he let out a relieved, yet pained, laugh, he glanced down and saw the blood staining his chest.
And then he began to feel the blood flow from his body. His laugh stopped. He let out a shaky breath. An outsider
would have thought that a puppy was whimpering in the theatre. He looked around the room for anyone who could
help. Only bullets shells and blood accompanied him in the room. Nick had crawled out of the room, fighting with
everything in him to stay alive. In the end, he couldn’t fight hard enough. How much blood can someone lose before
they turn cold and have no more strength to crawl forward, to push open a heavy metal door? Tears began to stream
down Danny’s face.
He opened his mouth to yell. “Momma!” he cried. Momma never came. She was ten miles away at home, just now
getting the news report and rushing over to the school. Just now was she coming to save her son as he bled and bled
and cried because he was scared he was so so scared and he didn’t know what to do and he couldn’t move his legs
or move at all so he couldn’t crawl outside for help and just now did he realize that this was it and that he was dying

and oh god what if he goes to hell and now he’s crying again as time seems to slow as the last of his blood seems to
leak from his body. He looks over at Luke’s dead body and cries even more because that was his friend that was his
brother above Nick above Tom above Rich above Amanda above anyone because they had known each other for so
long and they knew each other’s pain and Danny couldn’t imagine the fear Luke felt in those last seconds yet he
probably felt nothing as those bullets severed his spine and he went down oh god was his last thought of Danny did
he waste his last thought on Danny when it should’ve been his mom or dad or dog or cousins oh god why him why
now why did this happen WHY DID THIS HAPPEN
The last of Danny’s strength left him as he collapsed from the killer’s body and onto the floor.
Danny was pulled away from watching by Luke’s arm on his shoulder. The man, that disgusting, vile, evil man had his
AR pointed at them again. For the first time, the demon smiled. He saw the fear in Luke’s eyes and revelled in it.
Luke could feel all of his hope slipping away. Every memory he had of him and Danny up on that catwalk was
starting to fade and now he was feeling desperate again. Luke began to shake again as he realized that any type of
peace he and Danny could have found was going to be ripped away again by this piece of shit.
“Ready, boys?” the monster growled, showing his vile grin. Luke stepped back, ready to turn and run, to not be a
hero and just fucking run this time.
Danny grabbed a hold of Luke and shook his head. Their eyes met. Danny’s bloodshot eyes bore into Luke’s. He
could tell that Danny didn’t want to run. He wanted to fight again because no matter how many times Danny chokes
that man to death they’ll always be stuck here with him. For once Danny needed Luke to fight with him because he
wasn’t strong enough and he was getting more and more tired as the days and weeks and months went on and now
Danny needed Luke to stand and fight with him one last time.
He stepped forward, in front of Danny. He looked that awful man in his cold eyes. “No,” Luke growled. “You’re
dead. You’re dead and we’re dead and we’re burning in hell. We’re done.” The man’s smile disappeared as it turned
into a twisted and vile sneer. Danny closed his eyes as the man’s index finger wrapped around the trigger.
With a click, the man pulled the trigger, and disappeared.
The audience was back. The lights were back off. The students were back on stage. They had just finished singing.
The audience had flown from their seats, cheering and roaring for the performance. Nick wiped tears away as he
bowed with everyone. Rich and Tom and everyone else turned to face the LED. They held out a hand to the pictures
of Danny and Luke. The crowd cheered even louder. Luke smiled again.
Danny had turned around. From behind the door, golden light peeked through the cracks.
“Ready?” Luke asked, putting a hand on the handle.
Danny laughed a beautiful laugh and nodded. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
The performers bowed once more as they walked through the door.

B E RT R AN D , J AYC E
Jayce Bertrand
Age: 16, Grade: 11

School Name: Bishop Gorman High School, Las Vegas, NV
Educator: Nathan Radzak

Category: Short Story

O nly YO U C an He lp Us S top C rime !
Nick Ayonte was home alone, watching TV. His parents were at a dinner party. It was their 25th anniversary, and
didn’t bother to invite their own son. Maybe they thought 16 was the cut-off age for caring about your parents’
marriage. They were right; Nick didn’t give a damn that he wasn’t invited. Their old friends pissed him off.
    In Nick’s opinion, TV got good after midnight. That’s when the normal people went to bed, and the weird shit
turned on. Half of it was a bunch of infomercials for useless junk that definitely only existed to rob the elderly of
their pensions. The other half was true crime and horror stories. Nick loved that shit.
    He was currently watching People vs. Murderers, a cheap copy ofAmerica’s Most Wanted. The production was
cheap, the stories were clearly fake, and the effects nearly gave Nick a seizure every five seconds. He loved it.
Shows like America’s Most Wanted were real; they were scary. They talked about things that actually happened.
This show made up campfire stories. Nick could get down with that. He was not a person who usually enjoyed hyper
realistic horror.
    Nick was working at a bowl of popcorn while a Kurt Russel-wannabe droned on about how some hitchhiker
skinned a family alive in Utah. Nick had stopped paying attention to that story. It was too real. He was waiting for
them to go back to the story of how a ghost ripped a man apart in a hotel room in Los Angeles. At the end of each
section, a phone number would appear on the screen, as discount Kurt urged the viewer to call if they had any tips
about the case they just watched, always adding the tagline: “Only YOU can help us stop crime!” It begged the
question, though: how the fuck can Nick help solve a ghost murder?
   At long last, the next section began. Nick looked back at the TV, hoping that this segment would involve a ghoul
or banshee, something that would make him laugh.
    “Before we begin this next case, I feel obligated to warn the audience,” discount Kurt began. “The images you
are about to see, along with the content you are about to hear, is incredibly graphic and disturbing. Viewer discretion
is strongly advised.” Nick sat up on the couch. This could go either two ways: real shit or ghost shit. Nick was
hoping for ghost shit.
    “What began as a lovely dinner party for a couple ended in a violent bloodbath.” A silhouette of a couple
appeared on screen, and then flashed red. “ Beaten down, stabbed relentlessly, and gutted. Even worse than the way
they died, is who was guilty of the slaughter: their own son.” Another silhouette of a teenager flashed in red on the
screen.
    “After the murders had been committed, the son called the police, guilty of what he had done. Or was he? Even
more chilling than the murders, is his reaction to the police.” A phone graphic appeared on screen. A female voice
began to speak.
    “911, what’s your emergency?”
    “My parents have been murdered,” a heavy voice breathed. The voice sounded oddly familiar. Really familiar.
    “I’m sorry, what was that?”, the operator asked. Her voiced had become much more alert.
    “My parents. They’re fucking dead.”
    “How do you know? Do you know who did it?”
    “They’re organs are all over the house.”
    “Do you know who did it?”
    “I did.”
    “What’s your name?”
    Radio silence. Nick’s heart began to race. This wasn’t ghost shit. This wasn’t fun at all.
    “Sir, what’s your name?”
    “My name is Nick Ayonte.”
    Nick turned cold. He lunged across the couch as the host began speaking again. He grabbed the remote, and

rewound the show.
    “Sir, what's your name?”
    “My name is Mike Courtland.”
    Nick stared at the screen, his mouth hanging open. His heart was beating through his chest. Was he going insane?
Had he imagined it?
    No, it was real. It had to be. Nick remembered how cold he had felt only a few seconds before. That was real.
Hands shaking, he grabbed his popcorn again, and continued watching. For five minutes, the host rambled on about
Mike Courtland. There was no mention of a Nick Ayonte.
    Nick stood up to put his bowl away. As he turned around, the host began speaking again.
    “Thirty minutes after he called the police, Nick Ayonte was arrested in his home. He put up no fight. He never
said a word when asked why he did it.”
    Nick spun around and grabbed the remote once more. Mirroring what he did ten minutes earlier almost exactly, he
rewound the show yet again. The host began his sentence again.
    “Thirty minutes after he called the police, Scott Maren was arrested in his home. He put up no fight. He never
said a word when asked why he did it.”
    Nick stared at the screen, his mouth hanging open again. Scott Maren? Who the fuck was Scott Maren? Nick
backed away into the kitchen slowly. He placed the bowl on the counter. The host droned on yet again, describing
Scott’s interrogation and trial.
    Popcorn churned in Nick’s stomach. He stumbled away from the counter and down the hall. He rubbed his eyes
and looked up. Blood covered the walls. Red handprints stained the walls. Flesh covered the ground. Two legs stuck
out into the hall from the bathroom. Nick slowly stepped forward. His father lay in a bloody heap on the tile floor.
His head hung onto his body by only an inch or flesh and muscle. His stomach and chest were ripped open. His heart
lay ripped apart in the sink. His large intestine was wrapped around his hands.
    Nick backed into the wall. He doubled over and vomited. Shaking, he looked back up. It was as if nothing had
ever happened. The blood was gone. The flesh was gone. His father’s mutilated body had disappeared. The
bathroom was spotless.
    A loud bang echoed through the hall. It was followed by the cry of a child. Nick spun around. His father now
lumbered through the hall, a leather belt gripped in his left hand. A child cowered against the wall, whimpering. His
father raised the belt, and smacked it against the child’s shoulder with a grunt. The child let out a cry again, as Nick
flinched, feeling the pain on his shoulder.
    His father let out a deep growl. “Do you lie? Do you lie?” His bellowing echoed down the hall, overpowering the
child’s screams. “What happens when you lie?”, his father shouted again. The child didn’t answer. He only
whimpered again. “This is what fucking happens!” The belt came down again. And again. Two times more. The child
cried out in pain. Nick dropped to his knees as his shoulders and back lit up with pain. Tears welled in his eyes.
    The image changed as Nick blinked away the tears. His mother was changing the child. Her eyes were lit with
excitement. The child was squirming away from her. “Listen to mommy, Nicky,” she whispered. She pulled his pants
down, and began groping at the little boy’s crotch. The child squirmed again in protest. She smacked the back of his
head, and he stopped, tears rolling down his face. She kissed his bare back lovingly, and turned him around. She
took his penis in her hands, and…
    Nick shouted in rage and charged at his mom. He charged through the scene and back into the living room. He
panted as tears rolled down his face once again. His crotch was throbbing. The host spoke once again.
    “The tragedy is that no one ever understood why Nick Ayonte did what he did. Some say he was mentally ill.
Others say it was just a bad day. Only Nick knows why he did what he did. Only Nick knows that his mother
molested him for 10 years and his father beat him every time his son came to him for help. Only Nick knows the
pleasure he got ripping his parents to shred. Only Nick knows that he should kill them both.”
    Two bloody hands rubbed up his back and massaged his shoulder. One hand took his, and slipped a kitchen knife
into his grip. The other hand slipped a hammer into his other grip. “Do it, Nick”, his own raspy voice whispered
behind him. Nick strode to the bathroom, feeling nothing. He looked into the mirror, his eyes bloodshot. Outside, a
car rolled into the drive away. A key slipped into the lock of the front door, and turned the bolt.
    In the living room, the host echoed his catchphrase once again.
“Only YOU can help us stop crime!”
Nick smiled, feeling happy for the first time in years.

B E RT R AN D , J AYC E
Jayce Bertrand
Age: 16, Grade: 11

School Name: Bishop Gorman High School, Las Vegas, NV
Educator: Nathan Radzak

Category: Short Story

Luke ’s D own B e low
Luke Turner’s troubles began when he met Skunky Estevez in 10th grade. Skunky claimed he got his namesake
from the white line he bleached into his long and greasy black hair. Everyone else knew he got that name because of
the foul stench of weed and B.O. that hung on him wherever he went. Despite this, Skunky was one of the most
popular and well-liked kids at Luke’s school. Skunky was reliable. If you needed money, he’d hook you up. You
needed shoes, he’d hook you up. You needed contraception, he’d hook you up. To 10th-grade Luke’s naive mind,
this just meant he was reliable. Had rich parents. Everyone else knew the real reason he walked around with so
much cash in his wallet; Skunky was the biggest drug dealer on the east side of Las Vegas.
   Luke had his first run-in with Skunky two weeks into their sophomore year. Two weeks in, and Luke had already
forgotten his homework at home. Mr. Fillen wouldn’t accept a late turn in. Luke could practically kiss his 4.0 GPA
goodbye. He asked everyone around him what he should do. Everyone directed him to Skunky.
   Skunky was sitting against the wall of his “store”, the corner of the bus parking lot. A ginormous shipping
container sat feet away. He was smoking a blunt while he spun a silver chain around his fingers.
“Hi,” Luke began.
   “You Luke Turner?” he interrupted. “Everyone been saying some headass named Luke Turner been asking for me.
You him?”
   Luke’s mouth suddenly felt as dry as a desert. “Um, uh, yes,” he stammered. Skunky nodded and dropped the
blunt to the ground. As he stepped forward, he smashed it under his right heel.
   “What you need, Luke?” Skunky asked as he paced around Luke. His infamous foul stench rose around Luke
and nearly made him choke.
   “I need a copy of Mr. Fillen’s homework from last night,” blurted out. His face turned red from such a stupid
request. Skunky let out a chuckle.
   “Fillen. What a fucking prick. Is he still doing completion credit?”
   “Yes. I think so,” Luke muttered. Skunk nodded and turned. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver
key. The chains fell to the ground as Skunky pulled the padlock off.
Skunky grabbed onto one of the metal doors and pulled it open. Inside the shippingcontainer were rows and rows of
shelves filled with bins and folders. Stacks of paper littered the floor.
“There’s a reason I own this fucking school,” Skunky announced proudly to know one in particular. He pulled out
his phone and turned the flashlight on. He stepped into the container and began shuffling through the folders. “Funny
thing about Fillen is,” Skunky began, “is that the fucker rarely ever changes these assignments. Gimme the name.”
“Uh,” Luke began. “Unit 4 Assignment Number 5, I think.” Skunky nodded and moved to the back of the container.
He began muttering to himself. Luke could make out words like “Math” and “fucking clown.” Luke looked at his
watch. He had 5 minutes before lunch let out and he had to get to class.
“How did you get all these papers?” Luke called into the crate
“Got some people who owe me big. I have them go through the garbage each afternoon and grab any papers they
can find,” Skunky answered as he emerged from the darkness. He held a single piece of paper in his hand. Luke’s
heart did a leap of joy.
“And how did you get this crate?”
“Caught the janitor fucking a junior in the closet once. He gave me the keys to the school if I promised not to say
shit. Which I did.” He stepped out of the crate and closed the doors behind him. The paper was now tucked in his
back pocket. Luke continued to sweat. So close, yet so far…
Skunky turned and pulled the paper from his pocket. Luke held out his hands eagerly, but Skunky pulled the paper
away from him. “Cool it, headass. I did this for you, you gotta do something for me.”
Luke’s mouth went dry again. “W-what?”

“Meet me here after school. If you don’t, you won’t be able to walk 5 miles near this school without getting your ass
whooped.” Skunky handed the paper to Luke. Luke nodded, and ran off towards his class. He looked at his watch;
he was gonna be at least a minute late
Damnit
He walked up the same container where he had met Skunky before. He was talking with two seniors. He passed a
paper back to them, and motioned for them to leave. They nodded and rushed off. He smiled a yellow smile at Luke.
“If it ain’t headass. I knew you’d be back.”
Luke smiled meekly and nodded. “Yeah.”
“Don’t worry about this thing I’m having you do, champ. You ain’t killing no one or nothing,” Skunky laughed, while
Luke stayed silent. “I got this bag right here. Bring it to Locker 391. Combination is 59-92-36. Grab the money
that’s in the locker. It’s $50, no more, no less. I already had someone check it earlier. I expect to have $50 in my
hand when you get back.” Skunky handed a brown paper bag to Luke. “Locker 391. Make it quick.”
Luke hurried off with the bag. He barely even looked at it. He knew what was in that bag, but he didn’t want to
think about it.
Don’t be suspicious, he thought to himself. Teachers smiled and nodded at him as he walked down the halls. His
heart was pounding out of his chest. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.
Locker 391. Hands shaking, Luke spun the combination, and pulled the locker open. He tossed the bag in, grabbed
the money, and shut the locker closed. Luke froze. He had just helped a drug deal…
Luke shoved the money into his pocket and ran outside.
Skunky was still waiting for him two minutes later. He had locked the shipping crate up, and was tapping his foot
against it impatiently. Luke reached into his pocket and grabbed the money. He counted it, praying he hadn’t
dropped any bills. Skunky looked up at him and grinned.
“There’s my favorite headass. No incidents?” Luke shook his head and looked down to the ground. He silently
handed the money to Skunky, praying nobody saw him. Skunky snatched the bills from his hand, and began counting
quietly to himself. He looked up at Luke and narrowed his eyes. “55. Where did this extra 5 come from, headass?”
Luke began stammering. “I- uh. I- um.” Skunky grinned again and let out and laugh.
“Slipping me an extra five, eh? I like you, headass.”
Luke let out a sigh of relief. “So we’re good?”
“Yeah, we’re straight. More than straight, apparently.” Luke smiled quietly and turned away from Skunky. As he
began to pick up speed and sprint away, Skunky called from behind him.
“Headass, wait a second.” Luke froze and turned around silently. Skunky motioned for him to come closer, and
Luke inched forward slowly. Skunky reached into his pocket and pulled out a small ball of saran wrap. He tossed
the ball to Luke. “Next time you get all stressed out,” Skunky called with a wink.
As Luke walked away, he unrolled the ball. There were ten small white pills wrapped inside. Luke picked one up
and examined it. Engraved on the front of the pill were five letters: Xanax

Luke Turner dropped out of high school his junior year. He had been suspended five times for being found passed
out in the bathroom. He had detention every day for skipping classes. He was expelled for having 10 grams of weed
and 20 Xanax pills in his backpack. His father cursed him out and smacked him, and his mother sobbed and
wondered where she had gone wrong. Two weeks later, Luke officially dropped out and left home.
Luke made his money like Skunky did, except a lot less covertly. He sold weed and pills to the middle schoolers a
block away from his house. He would pass them their shit through the fence as he grabbed their money. Twice a
week he’d have to run from the cops.
If Luke had been in deep shit two years ago when he met Skunky, he was in deep fucking shit this time. Every time
he heard a noise behind him, he turned and stuffed his hand into his pocket, pulling out his switchblade. He couldn’t
afford a gun, not even the ones Ronny sold down the street. A switchblade would have to do, especially now that the
Menace was pissed at him.
A week earlier, Dennis “the Menace” Pollins had given him 50 Xanax pills to sell, which Luke would have to return
three quarters of the profit to him. Luke ended up taking 30 with a hooker in a Motel 6 in one night. It was a miracle
they were both still alive. It might’ve been better if Luke had OD’d, though; the Menace wanted his nuts on a
wooden spike.
Another sound behind him. Luke spun around and flipped out his blade. Then something crashed behind him. He
spun around again. All around him, it seemed that the city had come back to life, as bangs and crashes echoed in the
empty street.
“Turner,” a deep voice growled behind him. The inside of Luke urged him to turn around and start slashing, but his
body didn’t move. The voice growled again. “The Menace wants a word with you.”
A metal clang echoed through the air as an aluminum bat hit the back of Luke’s knees. He let out a yell as he

dropped the floor, covering his head. Pain flared in his ribs as a pair of steel-tipped shoes began kicking and
stopping him. Luke desperately crawled away, but another pair of boots stopped on his hand. He heard a crunch as
the bones in his palm broke. He let out a cry of pain. Luke was dragged up onto his knees by two pairs of gloved
hands. A black hood fell over Luke’s eyes, blinding him. Luke let out a yell and began writhing, struggling to free
himself. Another clang filled the air as someone brought a metal pipe over Luke’s head.
The passing hours were hazy and dim for Luke. He remembered only parts of it. Him being thrown into the back of a
van. The back door of the van opening him being dragged out. A small light turning on as he was thrown into a ditch
six feet deep, and then the sound of a door slamming. Luke sat in complete darkness for three hours, still blinded by
the hood. His hands had been chained to a wooden post.
After what seemed to be days, the hood was ripped off Luke’s head. He closed his eyes as the now-blinding light
assaulted his sense. He looked around. He was in a 6 foot deep pit, 12 feet wide and 12 feet long. Hay covered the
ground. A wooden A large object moved in front of the single light bulb illuminating the room. “Been a minute,
Turner,” a raspy voice began. Luke’s heart stopped. The Menace was right in front of him. He looked up slowly.
The Menace towered over him, wearing a spotless white suit with shining black dress shoes. He smoked a thick
cigar. “You hurt my heart, Turner. I trusted you with quite a big order, and you failed me. Youbroke my heart.”
Luke’s heart began to race. “I’ll pay you back, boss. I promise, I’ll make it up to you.” A giant man behind him
chuckled. He was holding a sawed-off. Luke’s blood turned cold. He looked back up at the Menace, pleading with
his eyes.
“You will, Turner. Trust me, I will pay you back.” Luke let out a sigh of relief on the inside. “Normally, I’d have
Jones’s right here blow your fucking brain out.” The relief went away quickly. “But you see, I’m a businessman. An
innovator. And you, my friend, are gonna help me with a new creation.” He snapped his fingers, and another man
brought a McDonald’s bag. He tossed it towards Luke. It landed in his lap.
“Eat up,” the Menace said with a smile. “You’re gonna need it.” He turned and stepped out of the pit. The man
holding the shotgun spit at Luke’s feet and stepped out as well. The hatch slammed, and the room before dark once
more, the lightbulb hanging from the ceiling providing only a small amount of light.
The chained screeched and freaked as Luke reached forward. The bag was warm to the touch. At that moment,
Luke realized how hungry he truly was. He greedily ripped open the bag and reached inside. He pulled out a Big
Mac, fries falling from the wrapper. He ripped the wrapping apart and savagely bit at the food. He wolfed down the
burger, and grabbed the box of fries. By the time the brown bag had hit the floor, he had already gone through all the
fries. He looked down at the bag. A few packets of ketchup had spilled out. Luke hesitated, then grabbed them.
He dug into the ground behind the post. After digging about three inches down, he stuffed the packets into the hole,
and covered the hole up with dirt again. He sat back and looked at the mound of dirt. He took a shaky breath; he
didn’t know how long he would go without eating.
The answer was two weeks. Luke, already a fairly thin man, had lost about 20 pounds now. He hadn’t touched the
ketchup yet; part of him knew this vacation of his wasn’t ending soon. Luke was chewing at his nails when the hatch
swung open. It was dark outside. The giant man entered with his shotgun and a cloth bag. The Menace followed him
in. He smiled at Luke.
“You’ve dropped quite a few pounds. You must be starving.” Luke glared at him. The giant man dropped the bag on
the ground and walked to the post Luke had been chained to. Luke felt the pressure on his wrists ease as the chains
were unlocked. Before he could react, the wooden butt of the man’s shotgun crashed over Luke’s head. He crashed
to the floor, blood pouring from his head.
“Don’t you worry, now. You’re gonna be to eat very soon,” the Menace began as his accomplice returned to his side
and began untying the bag. “Only catch is, you’re gonna have to earn it.” The man opened the bag and flipped it
over. A long, plump rat fell onto the floor. It began running across the ground. Luke looked up at the Menace
hatefully.
“Earn this meal, and you’ll get the chance to earn a better one. And a better one. Soon, you could be having a four-
course meal!” The man walked behind Luke again. “Oh, and I hate to do this,” the Menace continued, “But I don’t
think ketchup will go good with this meal. Dirt was tossed onto Luke’s head as the man dug up his stash and carried
them away. The giant stepped from the ditch. The Menace turned and followed.
“I’d hurry up with it. Never know when the rat is gonna get hungrier than you.”
Luke had snapped the rats neck and ripped its body open. He closed his eyes tight as he had eaten, thinking and
imagining and nice rotisserie chicken. It was awful, but he had done it.
That was three weeks ago. Luke’s ribs now showed through his skin. His cheeks had sunken in. His lips were blue
and cold. His nails had grown extremely long. The Menace stood in front of him, admiring his work. The giant man
had another bag, this one much larger.
“ A deal is a deal, my friend.” He nodded to his friend, and the man opened the man and flipped it over. Luke licked
his lips as his stomach growled, yearning for any food. Part of him let out a scream of joy when he saw what had

been dumped from the bag.
An orange tabby cat sat in front of him, looking around skittishly. Luke looked up, and smiled at the Menace. The
Menace smiled back and nodded to him. He and his friend left, filling the room with darkness again. In the shadows,
the tabby meowed quietly.
Luke Turner died a few minutes after that. That’s when he left the ditch kicking and screaming, and the Beast took
his place. The Beast did not eat for a month after that. He ate the pelt of the cat during that time. Now only the
bones of the cat were left.
The Menace entered with his friend once more. This time they had no bag with them. Instead, they pulled in a full-
grown Rottweiler, growling and snarling. They left the pit in the darkness as the dog continued to growl at the Beast.
The Beast smiled and growled back.
Two months later, the hatch opened, and the Beast sat up on its knees. The Menace didn’t enter the pit this time, nor
his friend. This time, a Mexican man with a white lined painted down his black hair was tossed in. He looked around
anxiously as the hatch closed.
Skunky Estevez peered forward into the darkness. His eyes widened, not believing what he was seeing. “Turner?”,
he called out to the figure in the darkness. The Beast smiled and growled. This time was different than the times
before. The Beast didn’t know why, but he didn’t want to just eat and devour this man; he wanted to kill this man.
Skunky backed slowly into the wall and the Beast crept towards him, bearing a row of bloody teeth.
Skunky screamed in fear and pain as the Beast ripped out the light that hung from the ceiling.