The Eggleston Club would like to announce the winners of our short story and poetry contest for children.
This year there are four winners. These winning shorties and poems were sent to the state contest of Indiana Federated Women’s Clubs. The Eggleston Club is proud to announce that all four winners won at the state level and will be entered in the National contest.
The winners are:
• Gwen Stone a seventh grader at Switzerland County Middle School won with her short story “Memories Past Due.”
• Grant Hall a fourth grader at Jefferson Craig Elementary won with his short story “The Big Trip.”
• John Sweeney a fourth grader at Jefferson Craig Elementary won with his poem “Nature.”
• Nicholas Dietz an 8th grader at Switzerland County Middle School won with his poem “Transforming.”
The Eggleston Club would like to thank all the students for their participation, encouragement and support.
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MEMORIES PAST DUE
By: Gwen Stone
Some people say that forgetfulness is like a form of freedom. It patches the wounds of heartbreak and sorrow, but almost like a black darkness. It can swallow you whole, But what happens when you mix forgetfulness and the uneasy feelings of something that can relate guilt….?
The Sounds of seagulls squawking fills the air, flying so far in the sky they are like black dots filling the morning purple and yellowish sky. The crashing of blue waves against the small beach, on a tiny island with a little house. He lays there, seeing nothing but pure darkness as his eyes stay closed. His small patches of ginger beard, his light ginger hair covered with a dark blue beanie like hat, his bulky and short lifeless body lay on the ground. He looks about in his forties with little wrinkles here and there, randomly selected near his eyebrows and cheekbones. His almost corps looking body lies against the wet sand staining his yellow fisherman raincoat and a blue sweater like undershirt.
The man slowly twitched, coughing out water and struggling to lift himself up. He was extremely puzzled. He didn’t even know where he was and how he got there. All he knew was that his name was Johnson Eliquise.
He winced in pain as he looked down at his leg to reveal a large hole in his jeans and a deep cut that was slashed across his knee cap, oozing blood. He gets up grabbing his leg, he looks around and shouts for dear life, “HELP!” he shouted over the crashing waves that sounded of thunder. The clouds began to gather in the sky, covering the once beautiful violet and sunflower yellow sky into a saddening gray. “PLEASE SOMEONE!, ANYONE!” but to his despair, no one answered. Far into the distance two black figures could be seen lying on the beach, he was slightly confused, but shrugged it off and took in his surroundings. Turning around, he quickly has a shimmer of hope pierce his heart. “A house! Maybe someone can help me!” His voice was rough but gently it was almost as if his voice was like a humble bear. With a smile plastered on his face, he tried supporting his leg with his arm and limped over to the tiny farm looking house as fast as he could go.
He grabbed the little golden knob on the old wooden door. Pushing the door open, cold chills ran down his spine as it started to pour outside. He liked this cozy little house, he thought of it as if he’s been here before. He trudged into the house, shutting the door behind him. As he walked into the in what seemed to be the living room the sound of creaking floorboards followed close by as he walked throughout the old house. The living room seemed like a classic family house. A red carpet with a golden trim lay in front of an old fireplace, and in the middle of the room sat three chairs. He looked at them curiosity, all he wanted to do was remember how he ended up on a beach. He walked into the bathroom and looked for a first aid kit to tend to his wounded leg. He was searching until he saw something move in the corner of his eye. He quickly turned around to see a tall figure looking at him. It was almost like looking at black smoke and sticky coal colored tar. “WHO ARE YOU!” he said in a fearful voice. The figure ran upstairs and slammed the door with a loud bang. He quickly ran upstairs after it, maybe it had answers or could help him. He crashed through the door on the room, only to stubble on a child’s room. His breathing hitched as he walked around the room until something caught his eye. A picture of a child with a mom and a dad. The dad looked just like….him. He looked in the small mirror at himself, with the black figure behind him, he finally knew what it was….it was his lost memory. The black mist slowly sunk int his body. He grabbed his abdomen as his stomach churned. He vomited on the floor as he felt a cold sting run down his spine. Finally, a train of memory crashed through his brain. He remembered it being a stormy night, lightning had struck the boat while traveling across the sea in a storm. The boat rocked from side to side as he watched his wife and child cry out to him. He ran after them to try and cut down the lifeboat with his only knife but tripped and fell on a broken pipe, cutting his leg open and slamming his head off the ground he passed out. Now, he was stuck on this island, and remembered two bodies on the beach when he woke up there.
He quickly ran out of the house, ignoring his almost broken leg. And in front of him was his family. Lying on the dirty ground. Covered in sand, he picked them up. He ignored the gritty feeling of his loved ones in his arms. And for the first time in a along time, he started to cry. Hot tears poured down his cheeks, bringing his beautiful wife and daughter close to his face. He will forever remember his wife’s beautiful, brown, and wavy hair. Her thin figure and her brown eyes. He looked over at his small daughter, burning his little girls’ image into his brain. She looked as if she was five, long pretty red hair and freckles of every part of her body. Taking in all the memories and hugging them tightly. Instead of a cry this time, it was a roar of a sob. Coming from a man who had remembered who his family was after almost one day on the terrible crash that happened. Thinking about how he could have saved them, but screwed everything up. His mind was going 100 miles a minute, but the snapping of his deeply cut leg broke him away from his train of thought. He wailed out in pain as he dropped his family and looked at his now broken leg. He realized how he never tended to his leg. His vision started to fade as he grabbed his wife’s hand, one last time. In spite of all the pain he had been put through, he smiles. Even with his broken leg and dying due to blood loss, he smiles. He smiles because he was going to end knowing he was next to his family. Knowing that maybe they will meet somewhere in another place, another time, and maybe even a different universe. The determination in his burning heart was so great, you could never convince him otherwise. Another memory floods back as he remembers his wife in a soft caring voice that he was always a stubborn man, he chuckled as he remembered his daughter and her adorable little giggle and how they would always play little games of hide and seek. This man loved his family so much, he was almost afraid to pass on into another life, But alas every life has a death that is due. Thinking one last time about his family he moved on and smiled.
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THE BIG TRIP
By Grant Hall
Once I went to the Cincinnati Reds baseball field and there was a contest and if you win you get to go to Alaska. I entered the contest to go to Alaska. I had to hit a baseball and get a home run. I was against the Cincinnati Reds. I was up to bat. I hit the ball in right field. I ran past first then I ran past second then I ran past third and I was going home. I was safe at home plate. The next day my mom and me went to Alaska. It was a 14 hour plane ride. When we got there it was 54 degrees outside. I was cold. We went to Anchorage and got a hotel.
The we went to a glacier and walked on it. The next day we went to Denali State Park. We saw a wolf, moose, caribou, and bears. The next day we rode a train and we saw bears more moose, and mountain goat. We rode from Anchorage to Seal. The next day we went on a boat and we were fishing. On the boat it was 10 degrees. I caught a halibut and 10 cod. My mom caught 11 cod and 1 halibut. The captain of the boat let me drive the boat.
We even held a piece of a glacier. And I even caught the biggest cod. We saw about 5 whales and every time we would see a whale the captain said there she blows literally every time. When we got back we saw a sea otter. Then we ate at Ray’s Fish House. I ate croppie and it was delicious.
The next day we packed up our bags and drove 5 hours to the airport and on the way there we saw a black bear in the road. We got to the airport and rode the plane back 14 hours. We drove 3 hours. In till we got home it was a tiring trip but it was a awesome trip too! I hope we can go there again. When we got home we saw a truck and on the side of hit it said enter a contest to win. And all of us said oh no. The End!
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NATURE
By: John Sweeney
See the jackrabbit hopping so fast,
See the snail, there at last,
Watch the bird fly up so high,
Watch the little baby try,
Think about how the bear cubs play,
While the parents come to say,
Time for Dinner!
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TRANSFORMING
By: Nicholas Dietz
We are evolving stepping up our game,
But yet we shall keep the same name,
the same labels
and, we are still kept in the same stables.
We are learning more, but also forgetting
but at the same time our bodies
are slightly changing, our minds have
become more wise but yet more
corrupt. Which will eventually Lead to our innately demise.
The word demise is something that we all despise yet it’s true.
We make up things to make us feel better,
religions and fates, I choose to
follow the old religion but some like the new.
They make books and maps to try to wrap our minds
and not guide us through.
What will you choose, because not everything is about you.