Short Story Contest: Honorable Mention #5

Read about the contest.

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The Hunger by Candice Murray
Osbourn Park High School - Prince William County, Virginia

“Don’t open the box,” my father always told me. I never understood his secrecy until a few years ago. It was November 12, a day that I will never forget. I came home from a rough day at school; I had failed my geometry test and I forgot my chemistry homework at home. For lunch, they offered my three least favorite choices: lasagna, spicy chicken, and some mystery meat clump that cannot be real food. I walked off the bus into my house but realized I left my key on my desk in my room, so I had to get the creepy old lady from next door, Mrs. Agnes, to use her key and let me in. As I went into the kitchen, I noticed my stomach growling surprisingly loud, so I shuffled to the pantry. I opened the door and nothing caught my eye. I called my dad to see if he’d pick something up from the store on his way home, and he said that he’d get me food once he got home. Why would he come home and go right back out to the store instead of picking something up on his way? I pushed it aside and waited 52 minutes for him to get home.

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