A big shout-out to Kailei Pew for hosting the Kids’ Choice Contest again this year. This contest is a lot of fun because the judges are KIDS!
Last year, my YA entry ONE WAY TICKET received an Honorable Mention. You can read it HERE.
This year, I resurrected a middle grade story I originally wrote for Fall Writing Frenzy, but decided not to use. Check out my spooky forest tale below.
STAY
199 words
“Ugh! There’s no service here. Who’s idea was it to go camping, anyway?”
As I walk away, searching for a signal Dad yells, “Don’t go far!”
“I’m 13, Dad. Not 3.” I mumble.
But the farther I walk, the thicker the forest becomes. This is hopeless.
A stick snaps nearby and I freeze. Seconds later, a little kid steps onto the path. When he sees me, he runs and I follow. Dad’s words echo in my head, but I can’t leave him out here alone.
Finally, he stops in a clearing surrounded by skeletal-looking trees. Slowly, he turns, his pitch-black eyes locking on mine.
My brain screams RUN!, but my legs are too heavy.
“STAY…” he whispers. His boney fingers feel like ice as they wrap around my wrist.
Gasping, I claw at invisible hands. The inside of the tent is barely visible in the early morning light. Was it just a dream?
“Dad?” I call, feeling more like 3 than 13.
No answer.
I unzip the tent and look around. Tendrils of dense fog have wound themselves throughout the camp, making it hard to see.
“Dad?”
A chill runs down my spine as the wind whispers “STAY…”
Lindsey Hobson, author 