Home
Young Writers Project

Search form

  • Login
  • DONATE
  • CREATE
    • RECENT POSTS
    • THE DAILY READ
  • COMMUNITY
    • TINY WRITES
    • BOOK CLUB
    • YWP PODCAST: Line Break
  • CHALLENGES
    • SUMMER OF STORIES: Challenges
    • SUMMER OF STORIES: Contest
    • JOURNALISM CHALLENGES
      • Journalism Project Info
    • THE GREAT POETS CHALLENGE
    • CHALLENGES BANK
    • YWP RESOURCES
  • PUBLICATIONS
    • ANTHOLOGY 12
      • Celebrate Anthology 12 Podcast!
    • THE VOICE
    • SPECIAL ISSUES: The ELM 2021-22
      • The ELM 2020-21
      • The ELM 2019-20
    • MEDIA PARTNERS
    • YWP NEWSLETTER
    • ANNUAL REPORT
  • ABOUT
    • ABOUT YWP
    • "YWP is ..." Who we are!
    • PERMISSION FORM
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS OF USE
    • CONTACT US
  • Donate
  • LOG IN/JOIN
Previous Post
Next Post
Apr 24
fiction
Penelope

~The Becoming~ Chapter 4: I See Red

Read all the chapters before to understand Chapter 4! (This is definitely one of my favorite chapters, sorry it's a little short the next one will be longer I promise!) 
(:
____________

I had never hallucinated in my life. And I didn’t know why I did today. 
I tried to forget about it as Mr. Clark told us we were going to be reading The Lightning Thief, everyone groaned though I didn’t. I liked reading even if everyone else didn’t.
“Okay your homework for tonight,” Mr. Clark said as the bell was about to ring. Ugh, I didn’t want homework today, homework was the last thing on my mind right now. 
“Ah never mind,  I won't give you any today,” he said, his voice emotionless, his eyes glassed over. My jaw dropped open as the bell rang and everyone got up before he changed his mind. Mr. Clark rubbed his temple like he had a headache. 
“Are you okay Mr. Clark?” I asked him slowly, not sure I wanted to hear the answer. 
“Sorry Kara, I just...Lost my train of thought,” he said, still rubbing his temple. I got out of there as fast as I could. Everything that’s happened today, the bus ride, my hallucination, and now when I thought about not having homework...we didn’t. It may seem small, but at the time it was pretty big. I told myself it was just a coincidence. A very weird coincidence. I told myself everything was okay and my world wasn’t crumbling around me. 
Even though it was. 
___________
During the day I waited for something, anything weird to happen. But nothing did. At the end of the day, I had almost forgotten my parents weren’t going to be there to pick me up. 
As I was about to text mom, I remembered she was gone. The pain came in waves and almost knocked me over. It was too much to bear. I sat down on the nearest rock and texted Uncle Tony to come pick me up. I couldn't brave the bus, not after what happened this morning. I put my face in my hands willing the tears not to come. Not yet. 
"Kar you good?" Oliver's voice was next to me. I looked up and he was standing over me. 
"Yeah, I guess," I didn't really feel like talking, and Oliver was usually good at picking up those clues. 
"Are you sure? You can talk to me you know." He said sitting down next to me. So much for picking up on clues. 
"I'm just rattled, my parents, everything that's going on...." I trail off, really not wanting to talk about it even with him. 
"What do you mean everything that's going on?" He pushed. Why is he acting like this? Can't he see I don't want to talk about it?
"Just stuff Ollie! I just don't want to talk about it!" I practically yelled at him. His face hardens. 
"Come on Kar, you can talk to me," he stares at me, with his blue eyes like the ocean. Usually, I lose myself in them but that's when I see something. 
"Kara! Come on!" Uncle Tony's voice. He's here. Thank the Lord. I stood up as fast as I could mumbling goodbye to Oliver through gritted teeth. 
I rush into Uncle Tony's car my heart in my throat. I was sweating so bad and was so light-headed. 
"How was school?" He asked and I returned him with a simple "good." I was not in the mood for talking. And thankfully he could tell, unlike some people. 
I leaned against the window letting the cool pressure of glass calm me. 
What I saw. It can't be real. It just can't be. 
Because when I looked into Oliver's ocean blue eyes. They weren't blue. 
They were red. And they were burning. 
 
  • Penelope's blog
  • Sprout
  • Log in or register to post comments
  • Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted: 04.24.21
About the Author: Penelope
-Penelope
MSG / CONTACT
RECENT LOVES
  • Butterfly by Night
  • Happy Summer
  • LGBTQIA+
  • 50 Years
  • My son and baby birds
RECENT COMMENTS
  • This is beautiful! Congrats
  • Yes! I may or may not have
  • OMG I love this so muchhh
  • Thanks so much!!! ((:
  • I love the picture and the

Other Posts

  • Water remembers (2 poems)
    (1)the tide is coming in each wavepushing it                 farther  Read more
    in poem 0 Comments
  • Beach Days
    (Part 1 of my 2 part photo series)   Read more
    in visual/photos/art 0 Comments
  • Future
    All I am left with Is the feeling of what isI am ready for the future Read more
    in poem 0 Comments

Discussion

Comments

  1. Wag it off
    Apr 24, 2021

    OMG! Oliver is REALLY freaking me out!!

    • Log in or register to post comments
  1. Penelope
    Apr 24, 2021

    Haha! Yeah he's a weird one.

    -Penelope

    • Log in or register to post comments
  1. slothwriter
    Apr 24, 2021

    Omg, sneaking suspicion Oliver's a demon!!!!!!!!!

    • Log in or register to post comments
  1. Penelope
    Apr 25, 2021

    You are defiantly on to something...(:

    -Penelope

    • Log in or register to post comments
  1. slothwriter
    Apr 26, 2021

    Oh dear...

    • Log in or register to post comments
  1. The Lone Cat
    Apr 24, 2021

    Holy moly guacamole. The way you draw out suspension through each of your chapters is so riveting!

    • Log in or register to post comments
  1. Penelope
    Apr 25, 2021

    Thank you so much!
    I love leaving you guys on a cliff-hanger haha

    -Penelope

    • Log in or register to post comments
  1. Wag it off
    Aug 11, 2021

    Your mean but my favorite author at the same time! Possible?

    • Log in or register to post comments
  1. Penelope
    Aug 11, 2021

    Haha tooootally possible!

    -Penelope

    • Log in or register to post comments
  1. Wag it off
    Aug 14, 2021

    K. Just checking

    • Log in or register to post comments
  • ABOUT
  • DONATE
  • PUBLICATIONS
  • SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER
  • JOIN/LOGIN
YWP is a creative, online community of teen writers and visual artists, ages 13-18. We're based in Burlington, VT, and we welcome young creators from anywhere!
Special thanks to The Kemmerer Family Foundation whose generous support made this new, improved website possible.
Website development and design by Refaktor Inc., Summit Creative Works, and YWP's Vivien Sorce, Lauren McCabe, Katherine Moran, and Susan Reid.

Young Writers Project | 47 Maple St., Suite 216 | Burlington, VT 05401
501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 2006
Contact: Susan Reid, Executive Director: [email protected]; (802) 324-9538