ARRESTED DECAY by Ashlee MacCallum Go camping with your friends, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. But “they” didn’t know my friends. I declined participation in a hormone-fueled game of truth or dare, so when the newest member of our group, a California transplant named Dakota, suggested we tell ghost stories, I was all in. “There is a small town off Highway 395, about thirteen miles from the road. You’ll know you’re getting close when the road turns to dirt and your vehicle starts to kick up dust on the unpaved path. Tucked behind the hills, you’ll find what was once a gold-mining hot spot. Today, it’s a 19th-century ghost town.” Blake made a ghostly moan from behind me and we erupted in laughter. Dakota was undeterred. “The town experienced a mining boom in the 1870s and became a bustling area with over two hundred buildings and a population of 10,000 people. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end, and by 1920, only two hundred people lived in the mining community. Today, no one lives in the ghost town; it is preserved in a state of arrested decay. People travel there to walk down the deserted streets and get a glimpse of the California Gold Rush and the way of life in the wild west. It sounds interesting, doesn’t it? Fun, even. But there is a dark side to the lonely hills of this little ghost town. While history remembers it as a place where miners raised their sweet families, it was actually a lawless town ripe with violence and bad luck. Now, what do you think happens to a town that’s seen more than its fair share of death?” “Ghosts?” Jess giggled. “Worse, ” replied Dakota. “A curse. The legend goes that anyone who takes something from the town will be cursed to experience misfortune and tragedy. Even if you take something as small as a pebble, you will be haunted by the object and the ghosts of the town until you return the item.” “Wait,” I said. “What is the name of this town?” “Bodie, California.” I broke out in a cold sweat. “I . . . I’ve been to Bodie,” I said. Dakota’s face twisted as she said, “My dear, I know you have. Don’t you see? That’s why I’m here.” “I don’t understand,” I said. “Oh, I think you do. Today is the first of three important dates, each of which will bring you misfortune. The third and most important date will fall exactly a year from today. It is on this date that your time expires. In other words, you have one year to return what you took.” “I didn’t take anything!” I yelled unconvincingly. “That’s what they all say,” said Dakota. “I’ll be waiting.” I blinked and they were gone, left with nothing but an hourglass etched into my left palm. Go camping with your friends, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. “They” didn’t know my friends, but I didn’t either . . . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I hope you enjoyed my entry for the third annual Kid's Choice KidLit Writing Contest! I had a blast researching the real-life ghost town of Bodie, California. A huge thank you to Kailei Pew for organizing and hosting this incredible contest! It's the thirteenth annual Halloweensie writing competition, hosted by Susanna Leonard Hill. It's my third year participating in this fun holiday writing challenge. This year, we were tasked with writing a short story (no more than 100 words) for kids under 12 using the words werewolf, superstition, and fright. Check out my entry below! A Haunted Treasure Hunt By Ashlee MacCallum 100 words Look down. An envelope. You should pick it up. Inside? A map. You are here. Walk down the haunted hill. Go past the coffins. Take a left at the cauldron. Superstitious? Avoid the black cat. Turn right at the werewolf’s den. Skip until you reach the dancing skeletons. Take three leaps forward. Spin around five times. STOP. Do you hear that? Never mind. It’s just the ghosts moaning. Frightened yet? Now—close your eyes. Wait until I tap your shoulder. Tap. Here. X marks the spot. Hope you brought a shovel. Huh. A DEAD end. What did you expect? HAPPY HALLOWEEN. Thank you to Kailei Pew for hosting this fun, kid-centered contest for the second year in a row! Read the instructions here: https://www.kaileipewbooks.com/post/announcing-the-2nd-annual-kids-choice-kidlit-writing-contest and check out my entry below!
The Legend of the Minch Callum set sail under sunny Scottish skies. But suddenly, a storm approached -- CLAP CRACK BOOM Weaving through the waves were the storm kelpies. HA HA HA they laughed as waves crashed around them. Callum’s head spun in fear. He froze. Silence fell on the waters of The Minch until -- Waves thundered higher. The ship took on water. It capsized as Callum hit his head. He awoke in a sea cave and was trapped below the water’s surface. As the days went on… his body turned a blue hue, his skin flaked into scales, and his legs morphed into a tail. Callum and the kelpies rose to the surface. CLAP CRACK BOOM Callum weaved in and out of the waves. HA HA HA laughed Callum as waves crashed around him. But then he saw it-- A boy on a boat with terror in his eyes. Callum remembered the day he set sail. He leapt onto the boat. Suddenly… his body was free of its blue tint. his skin shed its scales. and his tail split into two legs. The kelpies moaned in anger. Callum didn’t look back as he left the tortured waters… vowing never to return to The Minch. Halloween is almost here which means it's time for Susanna Leonard Hill's Halloweensie! THE CONTEST: write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (children here defined as 12 and under) (title not included in word count) using the words slither, treat, and scare. Below is my 100-word entry. Enjoy, and Happy Halloween! Wilhelmina the WitchThe moon slithered against the hillside and rose into the black sky. Wilhelmina’s cauldron bubbled something fierce while bats circled outside. Suddenly, an unwelcome noise filled the air.
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. Wilhelmina froze. Despite the scare, she returned to her cauldron. Seconds later, the sound returned. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. “Who goes there?” shrieked Wilhelmina. Silence hung like a heavy blanket. “Answer me!” the old witch commanded. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. Wilhelmina grabbed her broomstick and sprinted for the door. She swung it open to an unsightly scene. There before her was her worst nightmare— children! Together they sang, “Trick or Treat!”
The challenge: Write a 150-word story for children 12 and under, inspired by a gif about spring! Thank you to Ciara O'Neal and Kaitlyn Sanchez for the opportunity to write about my favorite season.
Passing Friends
By Ashlee MacCallum Word Count: 150 There was a young fairy who lived in a flower. And on the first day of Spring, she awoke from her slumber. A sleepy snail was digging a hole when the fairy said, “Dear friend, stay for spring.” He replied, “I must hibernate. Instead, tell me about your season.” She said, “It’s the kind of pitter patter that beats like a drum, Belting the song of spring as the earth is sprinkled with rain. It’s the collection of color, rising and growing anew, Stretching into a different season as flowers surge from the dirt below. It’s the lush hills that are reborn, rolling as far as the eye can see, Providing a space for tiny feet to roam and explore. There was a sleepy snail who lived in a hole. And on the first day of spring, he fell into a slumber… while thoughts of spring danced through his dreams. Thank you to Vivian Kirkfield for this fun, challenging contest! Participants had to tell a full story (with a beginning, middle, and end) in 50 or less words! Below is my STEM-themed entry, POP!
POP! By: Ashlee MacCallum Word Count: 49 Small, round, and a hard exterior. A droplet of water within. Temperatures rise in anticipation; water turns to steam. Sizzling and hissing fill the air. Pressure c l i m b s. A chorus of expansion and evolution. Bursting open with a giant-- POP! Fluffy. Tasty. Popcorn is born. It's the first annual Kid's Choice Kidlit Writing Contest! Hosted by Kailei Pew, this contest is for kids, and judged by kids. Entries can be PB, MB, or YA and can't be longer than 200 words. I hope you enjoy my 199-word YA Horror entry. If you want to see the other entries, check them out on Kailei's blog: https://www.kaileipewbooks.com/post/the-1st-annual-kids-choice-kidlit-writing-contest-is-open
THE SEVEN GATES We had been dating for a month when it happened. Everything was new and exciting. Every word he spoke left me hanging, wanting more. I would have followed him anywhere. When he suggested we go to the gates, I agreed. I wasn’t afraid of them, or any of that hocus pocus crap. We drove to the secluded spot where the first gate stood, just behind the abandoned loony bin on Argyll Street. The gate looked sinister, but when we walked through, nothing happened. We made our way to the other gates, hand-in-hand beneath the pale light of the crescent moon. “Do you know what happens when you pass through the seventh gate?” he asked me as he rubbed his thumb along the palm of my hand. “Well, I’ve heard it’s the entrance to hell…” I said mockingly. “Exactly.” He threw me over his shoulder. I tried to scream, but nothing came out. I was paralyzed as he opened the gate and walked through. And that’s it. How I died. Now we walk the road, entering the gates, and finding lost souls to take back with us. Hey, do you want to go on a walk? I know a place. A BIG Happy Birthday to both Amy and Gennie, and also a thank you for creating this fun kitlit contest! Below is my 97 word entry.
Rules:
I'm Okay and Here's Why I had a birthday party. With balloons, cookies, and cake. I blushed as they sang to me, And danced to celebrate. My mom was late again. Then she didn’t show. I wished she’d have come, just to say hello. I opened all my presents. I got a puzzle and a kite. I looked out the window, But saw no cars in sight. But I’m okay and here’s why- Grandma hung the banners And baked my birthday cake. She loves me every day. She loves me more than any other. You have a mom, I have a grandmother. Daddy's Little Girl
Flames ignited through the mansion creating an orange hue behind each window. Stella laid in her bed. She could feel the heat encroaching her. This was the moment. The moment when she would decide if she wanted to run. At first she thought no, but with a sudden change of heart, she jumped from the bed. Stella grabbed the letter. It was going with her, if for nothing more than a memory of this night. She shoved it into her pocket and stumbled to the exit with her head tucked into her sleeve. Heat radiated off the door. It was the window or nothing. Stella stepped onto the thin ledge below her window. She looked down. Her heart was thumping so hard it felt like it was no longer a part of her. She closed her eyes and leapt. Somehow she landed on both feet. Stella stood and took in the sight of the mansion. Just because she started this blaze didn’t mean she had to go down with it. She opened the crumpled letter and read, “When I die, I leave the estate to my youngest daughter Amelia…” Stella laughed maniacally. If she couldn’t have it, no one could. |
AuthorAshlee MacCallum Archives
October 2023
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