City Labyrinth

By: Felicia Fang (Age 12)

(A retelling of Hansel and Gretel)

“Ugh! How am I supposed to make an all new original movie in a month. Making a movie is a long and tedious process that can take years to make. First I need to write a script, get together a group of spontaneous actors, film it and then edit it all into the movie that wins at least one Oscar. My supervisor really doesn't know anything about making a movie,” complained Harold to his wife, Georgia.

“Harold, I know you’re stressed out about that new movie you need to make, but I know why you can’t concentrate on making the movie that will make me- I mean us rich and famous,” exclaimed Georgia, “It’s the kids, they are too noisy and always asking you for ridiculous things like that new and expensive art kit Grace wanted for her birthday and that new apple laptop Harry wanted for Christmas. You spend all your money and time on them and not enough on the necessities in everyday life.”

“Well, then what do you suggest we do?” questioned Harold.

“I think that if we get rid of the kids, you’ll be able to focus on your career. I say we go on vacation tomorrow to New York City where we ‘accidentally’ lose them in one of the many crowded streets of the big city,” replied Georgia with a malicious grin on her face.

Unfortunately for her, Harry and Grace were in Harry’s room testing out some new gadget he made that let them hear what people were saying within a 10 m radius, and they were within 10 m of Harold and Georgia. They heard it all so they planned on how to deceive her plan and make it back home without getting lost. But despite their efforts, their parents were still able to lose them and they found themselves in an alley in the middle of nowhere.

Fortunately, Grace had brought some of her spray paints from an old school project. Along the way, she quickly sprayed symbols on the heavily vandalized walls. They were going to be okay after all. But their life wasn't that good. Gangs had come back to their marked territories only to find big pink hearts covering all their menacing graffiti. They weren't happy about that and they decided they were going to get back at whoever made them the laughing stock of the neighborhood. They followed the big pink hearts to where Grace and Harry were just realizing that they were lost.

When dawn broke, Harry and Grace woke up, but only to find themselves in an abandoned warehouse and being towered over by teenagers up to no good. Thankfully, Grace had her spray paint and Harry had a homemade taser. They not only managed to escape, they also found hidden stashes of stolen jewels and other valuables.

Harry and Grace were good and smart kids, so they decided that they would use the GPS tracking device in Harry’s phone to locate the nearest police station. When they got there, they told their story to the police and they handed in the valuables, which apparently were part of a long unsolved case. Together with the police, they were able to track down the members of the gang that stole the valuables and kidnapped Harry and Grace.

The police also were able to track down where Harold was. When the kids were reunited with their father, he finally told them about how he ended up getting married to a woman he didn't even like. He was forced to marry Georgia, and thanks to the incident of Georgia inferring that she wanted the kids gone, Harold was finally able to see that he wasn't okay with being married to Georgia. As a result, as soon as the kids were gone, Harold went and got divorced with Georgia. Then the kids told Harold about what he had missed. That is when he knew he had the best movie idea ever. He was going to film what had just happened to them all.

Later in life, Harry always said to his kids, “That’s the story of how your Aunt Grace and I learned that you can only fully rely on yourself.”

Worth So Much More

by Kassie Rong

There was once a greedy woman who had three beautiful daughters, all of whom loved her very much. But this woman was never contented with her life. She cared only for herself and for money, which she never thought she had enough of. She worked as a cloth seller in a village and would complain every day to her customers about how much she hated her children for wasting all her money.

One day, a strange lady walked into the cloth store and asked the greedy woman about her daughters.

“Oh, I hate them all so much!” she replied. “They are a hassle to take care of and cost so much to feed.”

“Well then, let me take some of them off your hands,” said the strange lady. “On the night of the next full moon, bring one of your daughters to the field north of the village and leave her there. I will pay you good money for her.”

*

And so, on the night of the full moon, the greedy lady took her eldest daughter to the field north of the village and told her to stay there no matter what. The daughter, ever loyal to her mother, did as she was told.

The next morning, the woman found five golden pieces at her door. Her other two daughters looked at the money with curious eyes.

“Where is big sister?” the littlest asked.

“I sold her to a witch,” replied her mother. “We got five golden pieces for her, isn’t that great?”

The daughters did not answer.

*

The five golden pieces bought the woman three lavish silk gowns, but as the next full moon approached, she decided she would need more money.

She took her second daughter to the field north of the village on the night of the full moon. This one was much more reluctant than the first, but in the end agreed that her mother new best and promised not to move.

The next morning, the greedy woman found ten golden pieces at her door.

“Where is sister?” the littlest one asked.

“I sold her to a witch,” replied her mother. “We got ten golden pieces for her, isn’t that great?”

The daughter did not answer.

*

The ten golden pieces bought the greedy woman five sparkling rings, but as the next full moon approached, she decided she would need more money.

On the day before the full moon, the woman told her last daughter, “Tomorrow you will come with me to the field north of the village and you will stay there no matter what.”

But the littlest daughter did not want to listen to her mother. After learning about the fates of her sisters, she now knew what a horrible person her mother was. The littlest daughter was smart. She knew what to do.

“Mother,” she said, “I am only a little child. Both my sisters were grown up. They knew how to sing and sew and clean and cook. I have not learnt any of that. The witch would have no use for me. I would make you a mere half silver piece. But you mother, you know so much. You are beautiful and talented and the witch would pay hundreds of golden pieces for you. You are worth a lot more than I am.”

“You’re right!” exclaimed the mother. “You are small and stupid and useless. But I? I am worth a million shining jewels!

So on the night of the full moon, the greedy woman went to the field north of the village, and did not leave, no matter what.

*

The next morning, the littlest daughter found a piece of coal at her door.

True Colors

Sophia Huang (age 12) has a story called True Colors published at I'll Tell you a Story. Here is the beginning...

Marie awoke to the sound of a sudden shatter. It was near sunrise and she was still dazed from her night’s dream.

“Who’s there? If you don’t come out, I’ll have to get my guards to come and slaughter you,” she said, but was met with only silence.

She was uncertain as to what it was but looked around, afraid to find what awaited her. She turned around and to her relief, found only her mirror lying beside her unharmed. However, she didn't go back to sleep and continued to gaze into the mirror admiring her reflection in the dim light.

When the sun had fully risen, she grabbed her mirror and headed down the winding staircase to the breakfast hall of her mansion which smelled like sausages, bacon, and all sorts of breakfast foods. Her father, Blaine Richmount was a budding investment guru and could therefore afford the finest things for his vain and lazy daughter. Read more...

The Ice Heart Princess

The Ice Heart Princess by Rachael Wang (age 12) is now available to read at I'll Tell you a Story. A story of self-love and lack of compassion that leads to disastrous consequences: a long cold winter of the heart.

An excerpt:

Once upon a time, in a magical world on the edge of imagination, was a princess with a heart as cold and empty as ice. She had the most electrifying clear blue eyes, and the most silver hair that any girl in the kingdoms would have died for. She had anything anyone could ever wish for, but she was still unsatisfied. She had all the men and princes throughout all the kingdoms wishing to marry her, and yet she had not batted an eyelash. She had the most enchanting, most perfect life, and still she felt nothing. She was immune to any love in the world, and cared for nothing but one thing: She wanted to live forever. Read more...