Student Work

In a corner of the world, far away from both you and me, a small village woke up to a strange truth: their eyes were gone. The news spread quickly past the dry mountains that had long concealed their hunger and thirst. Every news outlet reported on it. Breaking news: A VILLAGE OF PEOPLE WITH NO EYES News like this is bound to cause polarization between believer and doubter. Comments ranged from “How bizarre, how tragic” to “How exaggerated is this?” And the conversation muta

The rain hadn’t stopped for days. The world outside my window looked washed out — streets glistening with puddles, trees bending under the water’s weight, the sky heavy with gray. My room smelled faintly of damp air and water, the hum of the radiator competing with the steady rhythm of my breath. I sat at the edge of my bed, watching water droplets race down the glass, counting the seconds between droplets of water. It was here, in this small, dim corner of the world, that I

You there! Don’t let anyone from the grapevine crew know I’m here! I’m stuck in here and I was wondering if you could help me escape. You see, on thanksgiving last year I started writing a story. I was simply sad, I felt disconnected and misunderstood, but when I looked closely at the letters I could see something on the other side, not just black colored letters. In fact, I can see you right now, just barely through these letters, it’s like looking at your freedom from sidew

You there! Don’t let anyone from the grapevine crew know I’m here! I’m stuck in here and I was wondering if you could help me escape. You see, on thanksgiving last year I started writing a story. I was simply sad, I felt disconnected and misunderstood, but when I looked closely at the letters I could see something on the other side, not just black colored letters. In fact, I can see you right now, just barely through these letters, it’s like looking at your freedom from sidew

The feeling of thunderous pain struck my chest, causing my throat to close and ache. My eyes desperately tried to hold back the tears that threatened to burst onto my cheeks at any moment, creating a catastrophe of emotions. My bed seemed to sink around me, suffocating any words I wanted to say in that conversation. What was the conversation? I couldn’t tell you the details—my mind drowned out most of the memories. But the ache it left behind remains vivid. I do remember thos

(not the smothering heat one would expect from summer days) On sunny days I think about you. I wonder if you’ve thought of me just as much as I think of you even now – it’s an unlikely possibility. The moments where I think about all the memories we’ve shared, I smile. Not the one people take hours to practice, not the one that makes me look good – no. It’s that cheesy smile I’ve preserved only for you. On sunny evenings I wish you’d talk to me like before. Where my presence

The world runs on sevens. Susan learned this in the deep Texas country of her childhood. She was standing in the muggy heat, watching her Father raise his glinting blade up high before bringing it down with a thud onto the rooster's neck. It took seven minutes for Father to walk outside, go into the rooster’s pen, carry it by the neck to the chopping block, kill it, skin it, bring it back inside, and give it to Mother with a smile. Seven people. Susan dated in college, but

My grandfather died and I did not cry. It was not because I didn’t love him. It was not because he made me mad. It was not because I held something against him. It was not because I was happy. My grandfather died and I did not cry. It was because our visits were synced with the blue moon. It was because I forgot to pick up the phone when he called. It was because I was too busy to call back. It was because I thought he would pay for my college tuition. It was because he woul

A man just walked past me and left behind the stench of blue raspberry vape smoke, attached to his shirt like the microbiome it is. As it traveled through my nose, I almost teleported back to Baba Den’s house, where the same exact flavor could be smelt dancing through the stagnant air. It reminded me of the memory foam mattress at the end of the hallway in Adrian’s room that I sunk into, maybe trying to escape somewhere that didn’t always feel like home. It reminded me of the

Shining in the spotlight, shining on the stage and shining in their performances. Theatre is their shining place for some professional actors to appear on stage in performances. However, there’s only one kid who is working for the lobby during performances. And that's me, Andres Perez-Lopez. New person to the production crew at West High, but sometimes on certain teen stories like “New kid in the block”. Well, I am here because I am new, but I look older than the other kids i

Meet the Bendaran. This species lives on a crystalline planet, Shadar. This planet has a crushing atmosphere that makes life practically impossible on its surface. However, the underground of this planet is riddled with vast subterranean caves. These caves are where these aliens live. During their evolution into an intelligent species, they learned these caves would sometimes collapse for mysterious reasons. Because of this, the Bendaran would constantly move around in order

Prose - Grapevine, Spring 24/25 Beginning I sat at the dinner table in my house, eating. My family sat there, too. They were talking...

In late 2020, I found myself in the pediatric unit of Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Hospital, a psychiatric hospital focused on...

Prose Fiction - Winter 24/25 Issue Growing up in that small house on 7th, 2 bed 2 bath - it feels weird even to say "growing up." Did I...

Fiction - Grapevine , Winter 24/25 Issue It was a slow experience of death, prolonged and nuanced– but comfortable. Perhaps, even longer...

Prose Fiction - Grapevine , Winter 24/25 Issue She is nowhere to be found. I search the ground of gold and crimson leaves for...

Fiction - Grapevine , Winter 24/25 Issue I never wanted to play the guitar. I was more of an arts and crafts kid. My father was a...