Stella

The party was in full swing; there was a constant commotion of conversation, with a few introductions and some friendly banter thrown into the mix. Truly, this was the best atmosphere a host could hope for, this air of peaceful amicability. Somehow, there was no drama to be dealt with, no fights to break up, no spontaneous drunken confessions or mess-making exclamations, which was truly a rarity in the party-throwing world. Benedict basked in the normalcy of this casual get-together and relaxed.

Of course, if you know anything about Murphy’s Law, you probably know where this is going.

There was loud //ZAP// and suddenly everything smelt of burnt pickles. Nobody really noticed this peculiar aroma, as they were too busy staring at the… //thing// that appeared in the middle of the dining room, a white bipedal humanoid figure with a vaguely cube-shaped head. It was hard to get any further description due to the fact that upon arrival (or maybe even before), the mysterious figure burst in to flames and was frantically flailing and running about. While the majority of the attendees generally did some flailing of their own, coupled with the occasional exclamation and startled shriek, somebody had the sense to get the fire extinguisher from the kitchen and began spraying the creature. After a few minutes, everything ablaze was finally doused with the white substance.

“E-excuse me,” Ben tried, hoping to maintain some semblance of control, “who are you?”

The figure carefully reached up and grabbed its head, lifting it up with excruciating slowness. The crowd let out a collective gasp. It wasn’t an alien, or a monster, or anything like that, it was a human!

“I’m your great-great grandson, come from the future in order to warn you all about the terrible Gl’spidglthkp about to attack!”

Benedict stifled a groan, mourning yet another party ruined by future shenanigans. This was __Christmas__ all over again.

“Okay. What on e//arth// is a glidspiglaryothkuh?”

"Not on Earth," the mysterious great-great grandson pointed towards the floor, taking an unnecessary theatrical pause, "but under it."

6 Word Stories: Short Story: Genre/Song Story: Memoir: Poetry: Dear Stella, Regarding ‘Lover’, I adored the language. It felt like I was ready an 18th century poet’s piece. It was linguistically fluid with excellent imagery. I actually reread it several times because I enjoyed it so much (something I rarely do) and truthfully, I must admit I actually have nothing to say in the criticism department. It feels rather foolish to say it, but I actually didn’t find anything wrong with it. The imagery especially in the line ‘jagged rocks austere’ was very vivid and reminded me of the Twelfth Night; not the word choice, but the imagery itself. Apologies for lack of constructive criticism, Sincerely, Mollie

Creative Nonfiction: Dear Stella, This particular feedback is for Pam/Over the Edge. First off, I loved it. I loved Morgan’s character. You describe just well enough that I can only imagine the other antics she might get into. However, the neighbor seemed a little…not enough freaked out to see a small child hanging out a window. The word choice in the line when the neighbor addresses Pam doesn’t seem realistic, but I can still get the general picture of how he’s saying the line. Speaking of small children, Morgan seemed a little old to be in preschool, so maybe if you had added a few subtle indications in her speech as to her age? The characters were probably my favorite part out of the whole story (e.g. plot, syntax etc.). They’re relatable because most families have someone in them who is like at least one of your characters. Sincerely, Mollie

Dear Stella, I read your nameless poem, and loved it! It was cute and funny. Poems that rhyme are my favorite! I have no constructive criticism because i loved the language and flow that you created. I also thought the title was very creative and unique. At first, I thought you couldn't think of a title; but then i realized! Very witty! Nice job! In addition, I love how you can make your work vary. In some pieces you show a sense of humore, while in others you have a tone that is quite serious. The ability to vary is hard to accomplish and the fact that you have that ability shows a lot! You are a wonderful writer and one day, I will look forward to reading one of your published pieces! Sincerely, Olivia

Found Story: