2021 Elementary School Winners
1st Place
"Life on Mars"
Olivia Marner
Lina stared out her bedroom window at the barren, bleak, red landscape of Mars, unable to sleep. She and her parents had been there for four weeks, and it felt like they were on the edge of the universe. Her father had been a renowned scientist on Earth, and had leaped at the opportunity to go to Mars. So, here they were. Suddenly, Lina was shaken out of her thoughts by a cracking noise towards her door. When she turned to look, there was a hole the size of a manhole in her floor. Trying not to scream, she tiptoed around the edge of the hole to the door to get help. Just as she reached the door, she felt something grab her leg. She froze, willing herself to turn around. On her ankle was a blue hand, reaching out of the hole! She tried to scream, but no noise came out. A large sheet from somewhere in the hole was tossed over her, and she was dragged into the pit like a fish caught in a net.
Lina’s eyes blinked slowly open. She had landed in what seemed to be a small, dark, cave. What was this place? She must have been knocked unconscious by the fall, as she did not remember anything. The ground was firm, but if she moved a bit to her left she could feel something soft and cushy, which she must have landed on. Suddenly, she felt a slight breeze move past her. Someone - or something - was here with her! Lina froze and felt something touch her face, her eyes, ears, and then her mouth. She screamed in fear, pinching her arm to make sure this wasn’t a dream. She kicked whatever it was away, and stumbled onto her feet. She abruptly realized she could see. She turned around in a small circle, taking in the room. All around her were blue crystalline walls, and they seemed to glow with energy. But the strangest thing of all was the thing standing in the corner. It had ocean blue skin that was almost scaly, and it's large, black, lemon-shaped eyes sparkled. Instead of hair, it had three large horns protruding from the middle of its head, and where its temples would be. In between the horns, thin tentacles sprouted out of its forehead and continued down its back. It wore a tunic that looked like it was made of some sort of flower petal, and a long grass skirt. Lina felt her body freeze up in sheer terror. Falling through the hole had been one thing but now, coming face to face with an alien, was quite different. She raised her hands up above her head.
“P-please don’t hurt me,” she whispered "I don’t mean any harm.” Then, to Lina’s surprise, the alien replied.
"I don’t mean to hurt you either.”
Lina's jaw dropped. Now the alien could speak?? “Uuuuuuuuuhhhhhh” she blabbered.
“Why don’t you come with me” asked the alien, reaching out a blue fingered hand “I know you might be scared.”
“Are you sure you’re not tricking me?” Lina asked, her voice squeaking.
"I’m not tricking you. I promise.”
Lina rose to her feet slowly, then followed the alien (who she now assumed was a girl, from the sound of her voice) into another cave. Lina suddenly noticed the girl had four arms, two of which were now tucked behind her back.
The girl led her out into a small room, with the same glowing feel. As she gazed around the room, Lina realized that they were under the canopy of some sort of weeping willow, except all the branches were glowing with blue and pink energy. Lina gaped as she took in her surroundings.
“Sorry I touched you back there. I had to so you could understand me. And, also, you're probably wondering why all this happened.”
Speechless, Lina nodded.
"I don’t have time to explain fully, but I’ll tell you what I can. We’ve all been living down here for a very long time.”
“WE???” Lina gasped.
“Yes. We - my whole town. It all started when that famous scientist from earth, Edward Lee, discovered our existence.”
“Oh, him,” said Lina “He helped build the technology that brought humans to Mars. But I think he’s kind of a snob”
“Yeah. Talk about it,” the girl continued. “He promised never to tell anyone about us. He kept that part of the deal - for now. But then one day, he disappeared. And he took our gem with him.”
“Gem?” asked Lina.
“There is a magical gem that is our lifesource. We all depend on it. Without it, we die. The only thing keeping us alive is the smaller part of it that I wear around my neck. My mother owned the bigger part. When Lee took the bigger gem, my people started getting really sick. I’m the only one who doesn’t because my gem keeps me healthy. But it can’t hold up everyone else too. I have to get the bigger gem back before we all die,” The girl looked away as a tear slid down her cheek. “I have about a week.”
Lina frowned. “I’m supposed to believe you?”
The girl sniffed and looked up. “You don’t believe me?”
“I-,” said Lina “I guess I believe you, It’s just hard to believe, you know?”
The girl stared at the floor. “Here. This is proof.” She took off her necklace and showed it to Lina. “This is my crystal.” the crystal glowed slightly, and then began to float.
“Whoa! Now I believe you,” said Lina. “How can I help?”
“Thanks. My name is Ceearnay, by the way.”(See-AR-ney)
“I’m Lina," said Lina. She stared at the floor. "I’m sorry about your community. I’ll help you find your crystal. Maybe it’s a good thing I went through that hole - ”
Suddenly, all the puzzle pieces in Lina’s head clicked together.
“You made the hole!! You brought me down here!!”
“Uhh,” Ceearnay cleared her throat. “Sorry about that. I needed a human to help me, to get me to Lee’s office and negotiate with humans. Will you help?”
“I will,” said Lina.
Ceearnay smiled.
Ten minutes later, Lina and Ceearnay set off to find the crystal. They climbed up into Lina’s bedroom, and, without making a sound, slipped out the door into the small pressurized vehicle that they used to get around. Lina pressed the button that said LABORATORY, SECOND FLOOR and they zoomed off. In no time, they had arrived at the laboratory. The door required a pass, but luckily, Lina had borrowed her Dad’s. They slipped quietly into the hall. They quickly found the door marked Dr. Lee. Luckily, there was someone there, judging from the light coming out from under the door. Lina gestured for Ceearnay to hide, and knocked loudly. Dr. Lee opened the door.
“What brings you here at this time of night, Lina?” he asked, his voice a little strained.
“My Dad sent me to give you this,” She waved a manilla envelope she had brought from her house. “He says it is very important. I got up early to finish some homework and figured I’d bring it to you now.” She reached up and flipped her ponytail, a signal to Ceearnay. Right on cue, Ceearnay sprung out from behind the door and jumped on the scientist, knocking him to the floor. Lina stepped inside and shut the door, locking it behind her.
“Where’s my crystal!” Ceearnay shouted in his ear.
“Ha! You think that you're gonna get it back that easily? Not so fast,” Lee elbowed Ceearnay in the ribs, sending her sprawling, then leapt to his feet. He tried to run out the door, but Ceearnay reached her four arms out and tripped him, sending him sprawling. Lina tied him up with some string while pressing the scientist for the location of the gem. It wasn’t too hard, given that he was tied up on the floor, completely at their mercy.
Back at Lina’s house, Ceearnay prepared to go back into her hole.
“I guess this is goodbye then,” Ceearnay sighed.
“That’s up to you,” replied Lina. “Are you really going to hide down there forever?”
“I just don’t think your people are ready for us.”
“They aren’t all like Edward Lee. Maybe we can coexist.” replied Lina.
Ceearnay smiled. “See you soon.”
“Very soon.”
As Ceearnay climbed back into the hole, Lina wondered what would happen next. Hearing Ceearnay’s story made her realize how unexpecting and selfish people could be.
She just had to hope that they could change.
Honorable Mention
"Heroes of Slavery"
Raya Geiko
Did you know that there is evidence that slavery existed as far back as ancient Greek and Roman civilizations? In America, slavery started before the first pilgrims arrived, and even occurred among Native American tribes. Slavery continued to grow in America when the original European settlers started growing crops and farming. They used African Americans and Native Americas to care for and harvest the crops for no pay. Slaves also worked in households and businesses. Men, women, and children could all be slaves; families were torn apart when slaves were bought and sold. As disgraceful as America's history with slavery was, there were some American heroes who emerged and helped America get back on the right track.
One Native American from the Patuxet tribe; Squanto, is one of these heroes. He was taken captive as a slave. He could have been angry and seeking revenge, but instead he chose to be a leader and a hero. Squanto was born a Patuxet Native American in 1590. He along with 20 other Patuxets were kidnapped, into slavery, by an English sea captain in 1614 and brought to Spain where they were sold as slaves. Squanto was purchased by monks who lived in Malaga, Spain. While Squanto was in Spain the friars taught him to speak english, about their religion, and about their way of life. In return, they helped him return home to America. Squanto returned to New England on an English ship where he and the friendly captain made a plan to work together to create peace between the colonists and the Native Americans. In March of 1621 Squanto returned home to where the Patuxets used to live, where now is called Plymouth and met with the English settlers. He taught them how to survive in America by teaching them hunting skills, as well as how to plant native crops. Squanto was a hero because he saved many settlers by translating words of peace between the Native Americans and English settlers, as well as teaching them survival skills.
Another American hero who helped lead America out of slavery was William Still. William Still was born free in 1821 in New Jersey after his parents escaped slavery in the south. His parents escaped with two daughters but left two sons behind in slavery. William was raised and educated in New Jersey with his fifteen other siblings. He left home at 23 seeking a more exciting life, a better job, and he moved to Philadelphia. But he ended up having low paying job after low paying job, so he decided to help slaves by working for an anti-slavery newspaper where he still did not make much money. William and his family became a stop on the underground railroad where he met travellers. He kept track of everyone that came through the door at his underground railroad stop and wrote down their stories. One day a slave came, who turned out to be one of his brothers that was left behind. Once slavery was ended by the Civil War and Araham Lincoln, William was inspired to publish his stories after he was able to find his brother. This reunited many former slave families together. William was a hero not only for being a stop on the underground railroad, but also for keeping detailed records of every slave he met, which led to many family reunions.
A third hero, who was also a former slave, was Harriet Tubman. Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in around 1821. When she was six, she ran away but began to starve; she reluctantly had to go back... but she knew what was going to happen. She went back to her owner but was determined to escape again. Her father began to teach her ways to navigate, like how to find the north star, and how to walk silently in the woods. Even after Harriet married a free man, she remained determined to escape to the north. Harriet's husband thought it would be too dangerous, but she had other plans. In 1849 she couldn't wait for her husband any longer because slave traders were coming to her plantation. She would be separated from her family, so she met her brothers outside of her shed and they headed north. Her brothers made too much noise and they became too scared. The brothers went back, and Harriet was all by herself, on her way to freedom. Eventually she got to Pennsylvania, a free state, and worked for pay. There she met William Still (you might remember him from earlier) who had news of her sister's family down south. They were about to be sold. Harriet's first trip as a conductor on the underground railroad was to save her sister and family. Over the years Harriet continued the dangerous job of being an underground railroad conductor. She saved over 300 people in eight years but had to stop when she was "wanted" by slave owners and there was a bounty on her head. She went on to be a nurse, a spy for the Union Army, and a public speaker. She was a hero who risked her life and never stopped helping people.
America's dark and tragic history around slavery make it difficult to be proud of our country's past. Slavery brought the best and the worst out of people. From Abraham Lincoln to Harriet Tubman, American heroes helped in all different ways including; abolishing slavery, reuniting families, working on the underground railroad, nursing soldiers, and so much more. America can continue to be proud because we still produce heroes today such as: teachers, firefighters, parents, and police. Whatever America faces in the future, I am positive that heroes will continue to emerge and guide us.