In April, the Camp NaNoWriMo Young Writers Contest challenged writers to submit a 300-word story that began with a storm. From over 600 fabulous entries, we chose two Grand Prizes and three Honorable Mentions. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did! (For more stories, check out the Young Writers Contest forum thread.)

Pitter patter, pitter patter. 

The sounds echo through the room, surrounding me in a gray, looming light as I lie in my bed. I turn my head toward the window that is covered in streaks of droplets that slide all the way to the bottom of the pane and leak into my room.

I get up from my bed and open the window, letting the rain whip into my room with a deafening scream.

I’m not worried about this rain, even though it’s been raining for weeks on end. Some years ago, global warming went through the roof: warmer than it’s supposed to be in 50 years, and it’s all happening at once.

But it’s supposed to stop soon.

I crawl out onto the sill and close the window behind me. I take the leap to the fire escape and nearly fall the five stories to the ground from our Los Angeles apartment. I hold on and pull myself up and start the climb to the roof.

I climb the slippery metal stairs that creak below my feet, grasping to the cold rail. I finally make it to the roof and look out towards the ocean as the rain falls to the asphalt roof below me.

Pitter patter, pitter patter.

I come here a lot to think. About anything, really. Just think. And stare, out into the large blue. That builds up a wall so suddenly it can’t be. I take a step back. What’s happening?
A wall of blue, coming straight for the city; towards me. I can do nothing but stare as the wave starts to crash through Los Angeles, knocking down buildings, heading faster and faster towards my apartment, racing above my head. It reaches me, higher and higher.
I hold my breath.

Pitter patter, pitter patter.

Ainsley A. likes to write in her free time after school, but also is an avid reader and loves science-fiction and fantasy. She plays soccer (her favorite sport besides robots, if that even counts), and loves writing random bits of illogical, weird things that come to her mind, which sometimes lead to her story ideas. Ainsley is currently in 6th grade, and her favorite subject is Social Studies. (She also may have a slight obsession with space corgis.)