Fall Writing Frenzy 2020

Here we are in October. Everyone’s sipping their pumpkin drinks and planning for Halloween. Do you know what else it’s time for? The Fall Writing Frenzy, a contest for kidlit writers. It’s not too late to join the challenge, either! Find the rules here.

And here’s my entry for this year.

The Runner

Footfalls echo around me as I run, trying to pretend that things are fine, that I’m just a normal kid jogging in the woods. Trying to pretend that I’m bold and brave. Trying to pretend that the red cloaks are not roaming the woods, axes in hand, just looking for a wolf to chop.

Every breath I draw hurts now. If I tried to speak, I would find my throat raw. At least the woods are on my side: I can hear the trees shifting around me to cover my tracks; hear the paths hissing as they shift position behind me. I mouth a silent thank you and keep running, heading for the pack grounds deep in the heart of the woods. Any red cloaks that follow me there will get more wolves than they can handle.

Behind me, hoofbeats pound. Someone is catching up to me. I bite my lip and run faster. I don’t know how long I can keep this up, but I’m almost to pack land. Once I get there, I can shift form and run on four legs.

Uh-oh. Someone’s throwing axes now. First one misses . . . CRACK! Second one? Better aim.