Sea Glass Fiction Contest
Grades 6-8
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First Place: Zachary Hart Musselwhite | Grade 8, Syosset
Sea Glass Prompt
I didn’t know where I was. Or what time it was. Or who I was. I guess, in short, I didn’t know anything. No, that’s not true. I knew one thing: what I was. I was a mason jar, made to hold jam or pencils or anything else you want. But I wasn’t wanted. I cracked a little bit, almost imperceptibly so, in the factory. The quality manager checked me. Why me? I was one of a million. But he did check. I was tossed, like trash. Tossed to the ocean. Then it went black.
Even when it was black, I felt… something. I felt the sea eroding me, destroying my label and tag and anything else that signaled who I was. Better for it, I think. They didn’t want me. Why should I ever be associated with them? I forgot what it meant to be sharp after all these years. How many, I didn’t know. But then, there was light. I heard a voice; it was a man. He sounded unnatural. The voice was sweet, it sounded right, but it just didn’t fit. Something was off. But he picked me up. I was wanted. I remembered what it felt to have a purpose. What it was, I didn’t then know.
It went black again as he slid me deep into his denim pocket. I knew that I was coveted, a recovered gem taken from the depths of the god Neptune, at least by someone. When light came back, I was in an apartment. It was bright, with pastel walls and a random yet endearing assortment of items cluttering the walls and floor in the best way possible. He was next to someone, a girl who was about his age. She had a messy blonde bun and wore a navy cardigan with thrifted jeans.
“For you,” he said, his sickeningly sweet voice again piercing my ears. “I saw it on the beach. It’s bright and quirky, just like you, my sweet Madeleine,” he said with a smile. He placed it into her palms and she smiled. Is this it? I thought, giddy at the thought of being wanted. Is this my purpose? They embraced, their warmth spreading to me. That night was the best of my admittedly short and destitute life. In the morning, I was placed on a DIY shelf. I was next to a pink conch and a necklace made of small pale shells.
The next years were like a dream, a beautiful dream which one forgets, but always remembers the sensation of. But like a dream, it had to end. I heard the door open, but I knew it wasn’t the pair I knew. It was the man, though now the sickening, unnatural sweetness was gone. He had a girl in his arms, in a low-cut red dress with straight blonde hair. It felt wrong, though I couldn’t say why. She trusted him, I thought. She put faith in him. I shut down.
It was morning, even though it didn’t feel like it. The bright sun, which I was so accustomed to seeing through the stained glass window, was covered by a wall of grey clouds, spewing their rain like venom to the life I had enjoyed for so little time. The man and the lady from the previous night were in the house. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that what he was doing was against some unspoken rule. Still, an eerie calm presided over the room, like the pressure before a storm. That calm was broken instantly when the door creaked open.
“Who is she?” Madeleine demanded. “Why is she in our house? My house?”
The man sputtered. “She’s a friend,” he said, though it was clear not even he believed that obvious falsehood. “She needed a place to stay, and-”
“Get out,” Madeleine ordered. “And get everything else of yours out, too. I never want to see you again.” She was choking back tears, and I couldn’t blame her. I was reminded of what he said when I was given to Madeleine. “It’s just like you,” he said. I am just like her–when we weren’t useful, when we lost our purpose, we were thrown to the side like garbage. Even an imperceptible crack made me, us, unwanted. Worst of all, it brought me to the place where I found true joy, only to have it ripped away from me.
I didn’t know where I was. Or what time it was…
Even when it was black, I felt… something. I felt the sea eroding me, destroying my label and tag and anything else that signaled who I was. Better for it, I think. They didn’t want me. Why should I ever be associated with them? I forgot what it meant to be sharp after all these years. How many, I didn’t know. But then, there was light. I heard a voice; it was a man. He sounded unnatural. The voice was sweet, it sounded right, but it just didn’t fit. Something was off. But he picked me up. I was wanted. I remembered what it felt to have a purpose. What it was, I didn’t then know.
It went black again as he slid me deep into his denim pocket. I knew that I was coveted, a recovered gem taken from the depths of the god Neptune, at least by someone. When light came back, I was in an apartment. It was bright, with pastel walls and a random yet endearing assortment of items cluttering the walls and floor in the best way possible. He was next to someone, a girl who was about his age. She had a messy blonde bun and wore a navy cardigan with thrifted jeans.
“For you,” he said, his sickeningly sweet voice again piercing my ears. “I saw it on the beach. It’s bright and quirky, just like you, my sweet Madeleine,” he said with a smile. He placed it into her palms and she smiled. Is this it? I thought, giddy at the thought of being wanted. Is this my purpose? They embraced, their warmth spreading to me. That night was the best of my admittedly short and destitute life. In the morning, I was placed on a DIY shelf. I was next to a pink conch and a necklace made of small pale shells.
The next years were like a dream, a beautiful dream which one forgets, but always remembers the sensation of. But like a dream, it had to end. I heard the door open, but I knew it wasn’t the pair I knew. It was the man, though now the sickening, unnatural sweetness was gone. He had a girl in his arms, in a low-cut red dress with straight blonde hair. It felt wrong, though I couldn’t say why. She trusted him, I thought. She put faith in him. I shut down.
It was morning, even though it didn’t feel like it. The bright sun, which I was so accustomed to seeing through the stained glass window, was covered by a wall of grey clouds, spewing their rain like venom to the life I had enjoyed for so little time. The man and the lady from the previous night were in the house. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that what he was doing was against some unspoken rule. Still, an eerie calm presided over the room, like the pressure before a storm. That calm was broken instantly when the door creaked open.
“Who is she?” Madeleine demanded. “Why is she in our house? My house?”
The man sputtered. “She’s a friend,” he said, though it was clear not even he believed that obvious falsehood. “She needed a place to stay, and-”
“Get out,” Madeleine ordered. “And get everything else of yours out, too. I never want to see you again.” She was choking back tears, and I couldn’t blame her. I was reminded of what he said when I was given to Madeleine. “It’s just like you,” he said. I am just like her–when we weren’t useful, when we lost our purpose, we were thrown to the side like garbage. Even an imperceptible crack made me, us, unwanted. Worst of all, it brought me to the place where I found true joy, only to have it ripped away from me.
I didn’t know where I was. Or what time it was…
Second Place: Janis Fok | Grade 7, Great Neck
Gentle, warm gusts of wind kissed her pink-tinted cheeks as her fingertips caressed a pink glass bottle. Pristine, gleaming waters enveloped her feet. Rays of lustrous light refracted against the polished surface of the bottle she gripped. Now, she held it close; her heart thumping, her fingers trembling, her lips quivering, to convey her sincere desire: for the message that lay within the bottle to reach a kind soul, who’ll rescue her beloved.
She tossed the bottle into the aquatic abyss, congested with what seemed like a plethora of tears. She staggered backward—her gaze softening, her jaw clenching. Halcyon memories rushed through her head, the memories that refrained her from arriving here—her final destination. It was time to go. It was time to let go of her burdens. Along with the glass bottle, she dived as well, though a tinge of regret pierced her heart.
She was suffocating on the sand, but nothing was as suffocating as the wrath of the sea, she realized.
The rosy, pellucid bottle rode across the undulating waves, much as how blue fabric motioned along the wind. Dim clouds began to emerge—overriding the white clouds and the once scorching sun. A tempest was imminent. The waves shifted from friendly to harsh, and the sky from alluring to sinister. Waves towered above the jar—a ravaging beast aching to strike. In a swift descent, the waves engulfed the pink bottle. At that moment, the bottle shattered along with the dream held within.
A silent message descended into the ravishing depths of the sea; and the solivagant bottom piece of the jar drifted along the flow of the waves. As the bottle tumbled beside coral and marine life, there came colors. Colors, other than the color it had itself, surfaced from the lapping waves, reaching the destination every glass was headed to—the shoreline of the East. Propelled by a ripple, it congregated along with the sea glass, illuminating the shore with its divine beauty.
A man leisurely trudged through the glass while a breeze carried the fresh, salty scent of the shore. At the corner of his eye, a glamorous pink glass piqued his interest. He bent down and admired its beauty before shortly resuming his walk.
As he left, he heard a playful yet melancholic chime caused by the wind and sea.
The chime of a thousand wishes.
She tossed the bottle into the aquatic abyss, congested with what seemed like a plethora of tears. She staggered backward—her gaze softening, her jaw clenching. Halcyon memories rushed through her head, the memories that refrained her from arriving here—her final destination. It was time to go. It was time to let go of her burdens. Along with the glass bottle, she dived as well, though a tinge of regret pierced her heart.
She was suffocating on the sand, but nothing was as suffocating as the wrath of the sea, she realized.
The rosy, pellucid bottle rode across the undulating waves, much as how blue fabric motioned along the wind. Dim clouds began to emerge—overriding the white clouds and the once scorching sun. A tempest was imminent. The waves shifted from friendly to harsh, and the sky from alluring to sinister. Waves towered above the jar—a ravaging beast aching to strike. In a swift descent, the waves engulfed the pink bottle. At that moment, the bottle shattered along with the dream held within.
A silent message descended into the ravishing depths of the sea; and the solivagant bottom piece of the jar drifted along the flow of the waves. As the bottle tumbled beside coral and marine life, there came colors. Colors, other than the color it had itself, surfaced from the lapping waves, reaching the destination every glass was headed to—the shoreline of the East. Propelled by a ripple, it congregated along with the sea glass, illuminating the shore with its divine beauty.
A man leisurely trudged through the glass while a breeze carried the fresh, salty scent of the shore. At the corner of his eye, a glamorous pink glass piqued his interest. He bent down and admired its beauty before shortly resuming his walk.
As he left, he heard a playful yet melancholic chime caused by the wind and sea.
The chime of a thousand wishes.
Third Place: Amelia Sullivan | Grade 6, Bay Shore
My Sea Glass Journey
Hi! Not long ago, I was a bottle of Coke™. So let’s start with the basics. I started off at a shop in Kismet, Fire Island in August of 2013. I currently reside on a mirror but let me tell you how it all began. I You see, after my contents were gulped down by some human, I vaguely remember being tossed around by a bunch of kids. All I could hear was the sound of the wind and teenage kids screaming trying to catch me. This went on for a while until one of them tossed me into the ocean. I didn’t really have a thought on that, I was just happy to be away from them. I don’t remember much about what happened while I was in the ocean. I just sank to the bottom and was constantly being tossed and turned to and fro.
I’m not sure how long I was down there but eventually the ocean decided to release me. Fortunately, for me I ended up back at the same beach somehow. Still at Kismet. My color was more fabulous, I was now a beautiful hue of purplish pink. Although now all that remains is the bottom of my bottle. I was waiting on the beach for a while with some other washed up sea glass when I noticed someone drop their phone and I snuck a peek at it. “Woah, It’s been 9 years! When the girl bent down to get her phone I got a good look at her. She was beautiful, with dark brown hair and blond highlights, as beachy as hair could be, with eyes that made the sky look gray. I watched her pick up her phone and she saw me. I was finally seen! She picked me up in her soft hands, she smelt salty, but not the bad kind, like the kind where you practically live at the beach in the summer. I watched her beach waves blow behind her and run towards other people, probably her friends and family. “Hey guys, look what I found!” She showed me off, her new treasure to everyone. Her mom and dad looked in admiration, while her friends, Jessica and Dave, went over to her and said “Wow, Grace! Where did you find that?” “It was over there on the beach. Isn’t it lovely?” she asked. The girl, now I know as Grace, pointed over to where I was. I never thought that someone would consider me pretty. “You know, every single piece of sea glass has a story behind it, Grace. You can probably find some more, if you look for them.” That’s when I realized how remarkable it was that she found me. I was probably there for a long while but no one looked down and scoured the sand looking for sea glass or anything else for that matter. So Grace, her two friends, and brother got bags and walked along the beautiful Kismet beach. I could always tell when one of them found one by the way their faces lit up. After a while, I heard Grace’s mom calling them. I hope I don’t need to be thrown back into the sand. “Mom! Can we keep the sea glass?” I really hoped she said yes! I couldn’t spend years waiting in the sand again. Next thing I knew, I was tossed in a bag with a bunch of other pieces of sea glass. I could hear Grace talking to her friends. “I had so much fun picking up sea glass!” she said. Jessica turned around and shouted, “Me too! We can start a collection!” “Plus it’s good for the earth. Even if they are pretty, it's still litter.” Grace responded. “Yeah! Now we have an excuse to come to the beach more often!” Dave shouted. I then heard Grace's parents’ laughter.
They all walked down a street called Oak Street, into a large beautiful beach house and began to separate my sea glass buddies and I onto a soft plush mat. They discussed our colors and sizes at length. A few days later I found myself and many other pieces of sea glass attached to a large mirror displayed by the entryway of their home and this is where I am til this very day. We must look really nice because everytime people enter, they comment and make a fuss about how stunning we look!
Hi! Not long ago, I was a bottle of Coke™. So let’s start with the basics. I started off at a shop in Kismet, Fire Island in August of 2013. I currently reside on a mirror but let me tell you how it all began. I You see, after my contents were gulped down by some human, I vaguely remember being tossed around by a bunch of kids. All I could hear was the sound of the wind and teenage kids screaming trying to catch me. This went on for a while until one of them tossed me into the ocean. I didn’t really have a thought on that, I was just happy to be away from them. I don’t remember much about what happened while I was in the ocean. I just sank to the bottom and was constantly being tossed and turned to and fro.
I’m not sure how long I was down there but eventually the ocean decided to release me. Fortunately, for me I ended up back at the same beach somehow. Still at Kismet. My color was more fabulous, I was now a beautiful hue of purplish pink. Although now all that remains is the bottom of my bottle. I was waiting on the beach for a while with some other washed up sea glass when I noticed someone drop their phone and I snuck a peek at it. “Woah, It’s been 9 years! When the girl bent down to get her phone I got a good look at her. She was beautiful, with dark brown hair and blond highlights, as beachy as hair could be, with eyes that made the sky look gray. I watched her pick up her phone and she saw me. I was finally seen! She picked me up in her soft hands, she smelt salty, but not the bad kind, like the kind where you practically live at the beach in the summer. I watched her beach waves blow behind her and run towards other people, probably her friends and family. “Hey guys, look what I found!” She showed me off, her new treasure to everyone. Her mom and dad looked in admiration, while her friends, Jessica and Dave, went over to her and said “Wow, Grace! Where did you find that?” “It was over there on the beach. Isn’t it lovely?” she asked. The girl, now I know as Grace, pointed over to where I was. I never thought that someone would consider me pretty. “You know, every single piece of sea glass has a story behind it, Grace. You can probably find some more, if you look for them.” That’s when I realized how remarkable it was that she found me. I was probably there for a long while but no one looked down and scoured the sand looking for sea glass or anything else for that matter. So Grace, her two friends, and brother got bags and walked along the beautiful Kismet beach. I could always tell when one of them found one by the way their faces lit up. After a while, I heard Grace’s mom calling them. I hope I don’t need to be thrown back into the sand. “Mom! Can we keep the sea glass?” I really hoped she said yes! I couldn’t spend years waiting in the sand again. Next thing I knew, I was tossed in a bag with a bunch of other pieces of sea glass. I could hear Grace talking to her friends. “I had so much fun picking up sea glass!” she said. Jessica turned around and shouted, “Me too! We can start a collection!” “Plus it’s good for the earth. Even if they are pretty, it's still litter.” Grace responded. “Yeah! Now we have an excuse to come to the beach more often!” Dave shouted. I then heard Grace's parents’ laughter.
They all walked down a street called Oak Street, into a large beautiful beach house and began to separate my sea glass buddies and I onto a soft plush mat. They discussed our colors and sizes at length. A few days later I found myself and many other pieces of sea glass attached to a large mirror displayed by the entryway of their home and this is where I am til this very day. We must look really nice because everytime people enter, they comment and make a fuss about how stunning we look!
Honorable Mention: Audrina Park | Grade 6, Floral Park
Across the Sea
As she was walking home from school, Aster saw the glint of something shiny out of the corner of her eye. She dug through the wet sand and excavated a smooth piece of purple sea glass. Aster collected sea glass as a hobby. She found pieces on the beach near her small seaside village. This one was beautiful and had a dazzling pearlescent sheen when you held it up to the light. At the same time, it felt like energy hummed through the glass up Aster’s arm. This piece of glass was definitely different from the others she had collected in the past. Aster anxiously tucked it into the back pocket of her jeans and sprinted home.
When she finally got home, Aster fumbled with her house keys. She managed to unlock the door and rush upstairs. Her mom had left a few hours ago to run errands, and she had seized the moment to go beachcombing. She pulled the sea glass from her pocket and again felt the buzzing energy dance up her arm. Suddenly, the purple glass began to glow. “What is happening?” she whispered to herself. The warm piece of sea glass started to mold itself around her hand. Panicking, she tried to force it off, but it resisted her touch until it had completely encircled her wrist in some kind of bracelet. Intricate, swirling designs like waves were etched into it. Aster tried to pull it off, but it was so perfectly fitted around her wrist that it wouldn't go over her hand. Then, she heard the front door open. “Girls, I’m home!” her mom’s voice called from downstairs. Aster shoved her hoodie sleeves over her wrist and feverishly racked her brain for what to do.
The next day at school, the bracelet still would not budge. As Aster walked home with her best friends, Sol and Lupa, the sun’s light caught the bracelet and it shimmered as if it was laughing at her. Sol looked stunned when she saw Aster’s wrist. “What? But–how?” she stammered. “I have that same bracelet!” Sol pulled back her sleeve to reveal an identical version of Aster’s sea glass bracelet, except it was a celestial blue color and had the shapes of shells etched into it. Lupa jumped in surprise. “You guys have that too?!” She raised her arm to show her friends a light red sea glass bracelet with the outlines of pearls carved into it. Aster’s eyes widened in excitement and awe. All of a sudden, the girls’ bracelets started glowing in the same way Aster’s had last night. A burst of golden light surrounded the three friends. “What’s going on?” Sol yelped as the light exploded, throwing the girls off their feet.
Aster’s fall was broken by a pile of wet sand. She sat up feeling dizzy, the sound of rushing water thrumming through her ears. When she opened her eyes, she saw a crystal clear ocean swirling all around her. Sol and Lupa were a few feet away, looking equally confused. This can’t be underwater, Aster thought. I can breathe. A school of small fish swam past her. Ok. Maybe I am underwater, afterall. “This is super weird!” Sol said, kicking up thick clouds of sand as if she doubted it was real. Suddenly, the girls spotted a huge shark closing in on them. The shark lunged at Aster. Her sea glass bracelet vibrated with intense levels of energy. A crackling beam of purple light shot out from Aster’s fingers and hit the shark's fin. It was thrown back, disoriented. “Woah. These bracelets give us powers!” she exclaimed. Sol did the same, shooting a burst of celestial blue energy at the shark’s tail. Lupa blasted it with a final shock of red light. The shark shuddered and swam away, defeated. Right where the shark was, a small, swirling, whirlpool-like portal opened. “I guess that shark was the guardian of this portal.” Aster said. “I wonder where it leads?” “Well, there’s only one way to find out!” Sol yelled, smiling. Then all three girls excitedly grabbed each others’ hands and jumped in.
Aster jolted up in bed. There was nothing on her wrist. It was just a dream, she thought. Her gaze slowly crept to her nightstand. Sitting on it was her purple piece of sea glass with a wave design etched into its surface, glinting in the morning sun. It was real. Aster thought, smiling.
As she was walking home from school, Aster saw the glint of something shiny out of the corner of her eye. She dug through the wet sand and excavated a smooth piece of purple sea glass. Aster collected sea glass as a hobby. She found pieces on the beach near her small seaside village. This one was beautiful and had a dazzling pearlescent sheen when you held it up to the light. At the same time, it felt like energy hummed through the glass up Aster’s arm. This piece of glass was definitely different from the others she had collected in the past. Aster anxiously tucked it into the back pocket of her jeans and sprinted home.
When she finally got home, Aster fumbled with her house keys. She managed to unlock the door and rush upstairs. Her mom had left a few hours ago to run errands, and she had seized the moment to go beachcombing. She pulled the sea glass from her pocket and again felt the buzzing energy dance up her arm. Suddenly, the purple glass began to glow. “What is happening?” she whispered to herself. The warm piece of sea glass started to mold itself around her hand. Panicking, she tried to force it off, but it resisted her touch until it had completely encircled her wrist in some kind of bracelet. Intricate, swirling designs like waves were etched into it. Aster tried to pull it off, but it was so perfectly fitted around her wrist that it wouldn't go over her hand. Then, she heard the front door open. “Girls, I’m home!” her mom’s voice called from downstairs. Aster shoved her hoodie sleeves over her wrist and feverishly racked her brain for what to do.
The next day at school, the bracelet still would not budge. As Aster walked home with her best friends, Sol and Lupa, the sun’s light caught the bracelet and it shimmered as if it was laughing at her. Sol looked stunned when she saw Aster’s wrist. “What? But–how?” she stammered. “I have that same bracelet!” Sol pulled back her sleeve to reveal an identical version of Aster’s sea glass bracelet, except it was a celestial blue color and had the shapes of shells etched into it. Lupa jumped in surprise. “You guys have that too?!” She raised her arm to show her friends a light red sea glass bracelet with the outlines of pearls carved into it. Aster’s eyes widened in excitement and awe. All of a sudden, the girls’ bracelets started glowing in the same way Aster’s had last night. A burst of golden light surrounded the three friends. “What’s going on?” Sol yelped as the light exploded, throwing the girls off their feet.
Aster’s fall was broken by a pile of wet sand. She sat up feeling dizzy, the sound of rushing water thrumming through her ears. When she opened her eyes, she saw a crystal clear ocean swirling all around her. Sol and Lupa were a few feet away, looking equally confused. This can’t be underwater, Aster thought. I can breathe. A school of small fish swam past her. Ok. Maybe I am underwater, afterall. “This is super weird!” Sol said, kicking up thick clouds of sand as if she doubted it was real. Suddenly, the girls spotted a huge shark closing in on them. The shark lunged at Aster. Her sea glass bracelet vibrated with intense levels of energy. A crackling beam of purple light shot out from Aster’s fingers and hit the shark's fin. It was thrown back, disoriented. “Woah. These bracelets give us powers!” she exclaimed. Sol did the same, shooting a burst of celestial blue energy at the shark’s tail. Lupa blasted it with a final shock of red light. The shark shuddered and swam away, defeated. Right where the shark was, a small, swirling, whirlpool-like portal opened. “I guess that shark was the guardian of this portal.” Aster said. “I wonder where it leads?” “Well, there’s only one way to find out!” Sol yelled, smiling. Then all three girls excitedly grabbed each others’ hands and jumped in.
Aster jolted up in bed. There was nothing on her wrist. It was just a dream, she thought. Her gaze slowly crept to her nightstand. Sitting on it was her purple piece of sea glass with a wave design etched into its surface, glinting in the morning sun. It was real. Aster thought, smiling.
Honorable Mention: Bella Krieger | Grade 6, Brightwaters
The Famous Washed Up Sea Glass
Once upon a time, the Bengie family was at the beach for the first time since they moved from Arizona to Florida. The parents were Joe and Megan, they had four kids, two girls, two boys. The girls were Emma and McKenzie, The boys were Mason and Christopher. All of the kids were so excited to finally go to the beach again. Once they got there, the kids ran to the water! They were having so much fun splashing and swimming around until Mason got a scratch but it didn’t hurt that bad. He ran up to his parents to show them. His dad ran down to the water to check out what was there, and he found a bunch of seaweed, coral, but then he found a washed up sharp piece of sea glass! Mason said “Yes that's what scratched me!” “I just know that is what scratched me because it didn't hurt that bad but I definitely felt it.” Their dad was going to throw it back out but then McKenzie screamed “NO! DON’T THROW IT AWAY! I want to start collecting sea glass since we will be coming here more often!” McKenzie told her parents the backstory of what she believed happened to the sea glass and how it was at this very beach, 25 years ago. There were three fishermen and they were going on a two night trip. They were using sharp pieces of glass from their bottles to cut their fishing lines when they needed to. After they ran out of the glass that they had already prepared and was already broken into sharp pieces, they used some of the bottles that they were going to drink, but they were desperate for sharp pieces and they didn't have any left so they smashed the bottles against the side rail of the boat, but one of the bottles cracked too much that a piece of it fell off the boat into the ocean started traveling around the ocean. 25 years later a huge storm hit and the waves were crashing! Eventually, the sea glass washed up on the shallow end of a beach in Florida. The end!” All of the kids began following McKenzie and started to collect sea glass! After a bunch of beach trips, they collected so much glass that they made a painting of the beach to put in their house. McKenzie then posted on her instagram account and it went viral! The painting is now famous. The parents were so happy that McKenzie didn’t throw the sea glass back into the ocean because if they did, the picture would never be famous. After a few months, people wanted to buy the picture but the family didn’t let anyone buy it because they only had one and it was special. If they made more, it wouldn’t be as unique because the pictures wouldn’t have that original, exceptional purple piece of sea glass. The buyers didn’t care if the art had the famous sea glass or not. They just enjoyed the family’s work. So the Bengie’s agreed and made hundreds even thousands of pictures and were very successful. To think, it all began with that one beautiful piece of sea glass. It made a big difference in all of their lives.
Once upon a time, the Bengie family was at the beach for the first time since they moved from Arizona to Florida. The parents were Joe and Megan, they had four kids, two girls, two boys. The girls were Emma and McKenzie, The boys were Mason and Christopher. All of the kids were so excited to finally go to the beach again. Once they got there, the kids ran to the water! They were having so much fun splashing and swimming around until Mason got a scratch but it didn’t hurt that bad. He ran up to his parents to show them. His dad ran down to the water to check out what was there, and he found a bunch of seaweed, coral, but then he found a washed up sharp piece of sea glass! Mason said “Yes that's what scratched me!” “I just know that is what scratched me because it didn't hurt that bad but I definitely felt it.” Their dad was going to throw it back out but then McKenzie screamed “NO! DON’T THROW IT AWAY! I want to start collecting sea glass since we will be coming here more often!” McKenzie told her parents the backstory of what she believed happened to the sea glass and how it was at this very beach, 25 years ago. There were three fishermen and they were going on a two night trip. They were using sharp pieces of glass from their bottles to cut their fishing lines when they needed to. After they ran out of the glass that they had already prepared and was already broken into sharp pieces, they used some of the bottles that they were going to drink, but they were desperate for sharp pieces and they didn't have any left so they smashed the bottles against the side rail of the boat, but one of the bottles cracked too much that a piece of it fell off the boat into the ocean started traveling around the ocean. 25 years later a huge storm hit and the waves were crashing! Eventually, the sea glass washed up on the shallow end of a beach in Florida. The end!” All of the kids began following McKenzie and started to collect sea glass! After a bunch of beach trips, they collected so much glass that they made a painting of the beach to put in their house. McKenzie then posted on her instagram account and it went viral! The painting is now famous. The parents were so happy that McKenzie didn’t throw the sea glass back into the ocean because if they did, the picture would never be famous. After a few months, people wanted to buy the picture but the family didn’t let anyone buy it because they only had one and it was special. If they made more, it wouldn’t be as unique because the pictures wouldn’t have that original, exceptional purple piece of sea glass. The buyers didn’t care if the art had the famous sea glass or not. They just enjoyed the family’s work. So the Bengie’s agreed and made hundreds even thousands of pictures and were very successful. To think, it all began with that one beautiful piece of sea glass. It made a big difference in all of their lives.
Honorable Mention: Caylyn Alexis | Grade 8, Bay Shore
Bottles, beakers, band cups, and bowls, broken, leaving me with the remnants of what they used to be. Dull, yet holding colors that I've never seen before. As they wash up onto the hot sand, the water caresses their surface for the final time. Translucent, rock-looking, smooth, and colorful. Just what I like; sea glass. So smooth, so clean, I wish I could have them all. They all can’t just come from posters, right?
“Guinevere, I’ve brought supper.”
When I hear my Mommy, I put my sea glass away. Its been so long, I’m so excited! Swiftly tucking it in the pocket of my nightgown as Mommy rests my dinner on the widespread floor desk beside me. It is only when she sets the bowl down that I see what’s inside: cawl with a small piece of bread are placed on my floor desk. A metal soup spoon is then placed into my bowl as I stare at my mother. She turns to leave, hesitating as my eyes never waver from her. I want to say ‘Thanks’, but my mouth doesn’t let me.
My Mommy looks back at me with a blank face, before muttering something under her breath and shutting it. I hear keys jingle beyond the door, the handle moving slightly. Only a small click is heard, before the sound of my mother’s clogs are heard leaving, again.
Mommy and Daddy must really want to keep me safe.
——————--
The cawl has been finished, the bread has been eaten, and now I feel alone, again. The sea glass in my pocket moves when I do, how nice of them. Bored, I trace my fingers around the rim of the bowl, feeling the edges and rough parts atop it. As chipped and sharp as it is, I run my fingers over it numerous times, even after I start to bleed. I drop the bowl onto my floor desk and feel the sea glass in my pocket, then take out a purple colored one and put it in my mouth. My teeth graze over the dull glass, my tongue tasting the cotton fabric from my pockets. I know this is bad for me but I do it anyway. I like it.
I remember Mommy’s sister after almost slicing my finger open again on the bowl. I can almost hear her words: “Don’t rub your fingers on the bowl, you’ll get hurt!” She worries for me. I get so happy with her around, because I like her more than Mommy and Daddy. She says, “Don’t let their words get to you.” But I can’t tell if she’s talking about their nice words or when they tell me I should have been their son, aren’t they the same?
She patches me up when I’m hurt and plays with me, reads to me. She’s the only one I love.
She’s always talking about lighthouses now, and that she wants to go inside of one with me. She says she wants to save me. I keep thinking about how Mommy and Daddy say they’re saved, saying that I’m not like them, that the angels will come and take them away and not me. But that’s not true! Mommy’s sister will take me away and we’ll go somewhere better, in the lighthouse with my sea glass.
Mommy and Daddy always make me cry sometimes, and other times they’re not the reason why I cry: It’s because Mommy’s sister can’t come and visit me. She can’t see my friends, the millipedes, the buttons I’ve collected, and the pigs feet I've thrown up. I miss her so much.
“You think of her too much”, Mommy says. I wish she loved her sister like I do. I wish she would tell me more about her when I asked, I wish her sister was my mom instead. I wish, even when I know it won’t come true.
——————--
Sheep, lambs, and wolves never made sense to me when Mommy and Daddy talked about them. Even when I begged them, they wouldn’t tell me. I hate them, and feel bad afterwards. I’m ready to forgive even when they don’t want it. I’m ready to make them remember even when they don’t want me; Guinevere Hughes, 9 years old and a girl.
Mommy’s sister tells me she loves me, that I need to be young and have fun. That I need to “find solace in the light.” I don’t understand what she means yet, but when I do, I’ll come down and take her with me.
“Guinevere, I’ve brought supper.”
When I hear my Mommy, I put my sea glass away. Its been so long, I’m so excited! Swiftly tucking it in the pocket of my nightgown as Mommy rests my dinner on the widespread floor desk beside me. It is only when she sets the bowl down that I see what’s inside: cawl with a small piece of bread are placed on my floor desk. A metal soup spoon is then placed into my bowl as I stare at my mother. She turns to leave, hesitating as my eyes never waver from her. I want to say ‘Thanks’, but my mouth doesn’t let me.
My Mommy looks back at me with a blank face, before muttering something under her breath and shutting it. I hear keys jingle beyond the door, the handle moving slightly. Only a small click is heard, before the sound of my mother’s clogs are heard leaving, again.
Mommy and Daddy must really want to keep me safe.
——————--
The cawl has been finished, the bread has been eaten, and now I feel alone, again. The sea glass in my pocket moves when I do, how nice of them. Bored, I trace my fingers around the rim of the bowl, feeling the edges and rough parts atop it. As chipped and sharp as it is, I run my fingers over it numerous times, even after I start to bleed. I drop the bowl onto my floor desk and feel the sea glass in my pocket, then take out a purple colored one and put it in my mouth. My teeth graze over the dull glass, my tongue tasting the cotton fabric from my pockets. I know this is bad for me but I do it anyway. I like it.
I remember Mommy’s sister after almost slicing my finger open again on the bowl. I can almost hear her words: “Don’t rub your fingers on the bowl, you’ll get hurt!” She worries for me. I get so happy with her around, because I like her more than Mommy and Daddy. She says, “Don’t let their words get to you.” But I can’t tell if she’s talking about their nice words or when they tell me I should have been their son, aren’t they the same?
She patches me up when I’m hurt and plays with me, reads to me. She’s the only one I love.
She’s always talking about lighthouses now, and that she wants to go inside of one with me. She says she wants to save me. I keep thinking about how Mommy and Daddy say they’re saved, saying that I’m not like them, that the angels will come and take them away and not me. But that’s not true! Mommy’s sister will take me away and we’ll go somewhere better, in the lighthouse with my sea glass.
Mommy and Daddy always make me cry sometimes, and other times they’re not the reason why I cry: It’s because Mommy’s sister can’t come and visit me. She can’t see my friends, the millipedes, the buttons I’ve collected, and the pigs feet I've thrown up. I miss her so much.
“You think of her too much”, Mommy says. I wish she loved her sister like I do. I wish she would tell me more about her when I asked, I wish her sister was my mom instead. I wish, even when I know it won’t come true.
——————--
Sheep, lambs, and wolves never made sense to me when Mommy and Daddy talked about them. Even when I begged them, they wouldn’t tell me. I hate them, and feel bad afterwards. I’m ready to forgive even when they don’t want it. I’m ready to make them remember even when they don’t want me; Guinevere Hughes, 9 years old and a girl.
Mommy’s sister tells me she loves me, that I need to be young and have fun. That I need to “find solace in the light.” I don’t understand what she means yet, but when I do, I’ll come down and take her with me.
Honorable Mention: Brayden Dunn | Grade 6, Bay Shore
A Bottle’s Journey
I remember being produced like it was yesterday in the smelly old Yoohoo™ factory. I hated the stench but I had my siblings. All day Bill and Jill would smack labels on us. I’m Coco, a boring Yoohoo bottle that had quite a journey.
In the truck on my way to the store, the truck spun in circles and came to a jolting stop. The driver came to check on us and I rolled out. I don’t know how long I was rolling for but eventually I stopped and was picked up. I panicked. I feared being broken, lonely, and worst of all put in the trash. My mind was spinning, I passed out. Pure darkness. I didn’t know where I was. There was such a foul smell that I wanted to vomit. I fell back to sleep and was awakened by a loud beeping noise from a garbage truck and soon after piles of trash fell upon me. It was gooey and wet. For the rest of the day trash continued to fall.
The truck stopped. I thought it was another pick up. It wasn’t. We were at the dump to be left forever. I knew my days were numbered so I said farewell to my trash pals. Let me tell you this, you never want to go to a dump-ick! That night was the most lonely night. I had no one to talk to and all I could see was scrap metal. The next morning, I felt the ocean breeze close by. I missed my siblings and best friend who was always there for me. I thought to myself, “What will I do without them?” The following night I was still at the dump when a random boy picked me up. Some other kid threw a rock so hard that on impact, I almost broke. “Ben!” shouted the boy holding me,
“I’m going to get you!” While holding me up high in the air, the boy started to run. “Please, I’m sorry.” yelled the boy. I feared for my life. Smash! I heard people screaming and kids running. I heard the roaring ocean waves. Somehow I was still alive. I was broken but my head was ok. I had never felt more grateful in my life. Next, I heard an unfamiliar sound, “Wee ooo Wee ooo.”
It was somewhat scary but also soothing. I don’t know what happened to those kids but I hoped they would be ok, even though one did break me into a million pieces. Those next few days felt so good. I never appreciated life before but after the incident I was grateful for it. Until the day when everything went downhill.
A storm. Not just rain but wind and cold rain. The day before there was a full moon so the tide was high. I heard all the waves crashing and roaring like a dinosaur. I had lived through so much so what could have happened? I would be fine. I was wrong. That night, the moon shined so bright it looked like the sun. I woke up to a giant wave above my head. It swallowed me up. My life flashed before my eyes. Everything went dark. The impact was hard. It spun me in circles. What had I done to deserve this?
When I finally came to, I found myself in some smooth, comfortable tan stuff. I didn’t know where I was but I was grateful to be alive and felt weird. The sensation was tingly and cold. I noticed that I had changed to a purplish color. I wondered when I was tossed all around in the waves did that cause my color change? I knew I was down there for a long time but for how long? How would I get out? Fear began to haunt me.
The next storm was at the surface. A huge wave tossed me and flung me out of the ocean. I was sinking back down when a human wearing a mask grabbed me. I felt some relief but I was still worried.
That human saved my life and I don’t know the reason. Was it because I was at the bottom of the ocean? Was it because I now surfaced as a beautiful, purple piece of glass? I was sold to an old man that collected things like me, sea glass. Now, I sit for all to see that tragedy can end in beauty.
A Bottle’s Journey
I remember being produced like it was yesterday in the smelly old Yoohoo™ factory. I hated the stench but I had my siblings. All day Bill and Jill would smack labels on us. I’m Coco, a boring Yoohoo bottle that had quite a journey.
In the truck on my way to the store, the truck spun in circles and came to a jolting stop. The driver came to check on us and I rolled out. I don’t know how long I was rolling for but eventually I stopped and was picked up. I panicked. I feared being broken, lonely, and worst of all put in the trash. My mind was spinning, I passed out. Pure darkness. I didn’t know where I was. There was such a foul smell that I wanted to vomit. I fell back to sleep and was awakened by a loud beeping noise from a garbage truck and soon after piles of trash fell upon me. It was gooey and wet. For the rest of the day trash continued to fall.
The truck stopped. I thought it was another pick up. It wasn’t. We were at the dump to be left forever. I knew my days were numbered so I said farewell to my trash pals. Let me tell you this, you never want to go to a dump-ick! That night was the most lonely night. I had no one to talk to and all I could see was scrap metal. The next morning, I felt the ocean breeze close by. I missed my siblings and best friend who was always there for me. I thought to myself, “What will I do without them?” The following night I was still at the dump when a random boy picked me up. Some other kid threw a rock so hard that on impact, I almost broke. “Ben!” shouted the boy holding me,
“I’m going to get you!” While holding me up high in the air, the boy started to run. “Please, I’m sorry.” yelled the boy. I feared for my life. Smash! I heard people screaming and kids running. I heard the roaring ocean waves. Somehow I was still alive. I was broken but my head was ok. I had never felt more grateful in my life. Next, I heard an unfamiliar sound, “Wee ooo Wee ooo.”
It was somewhat scary but also soothing. I don’t know what happened to those kids but I hoped they would be ok, even though one did break me into a million pieces. Those next few days felt so good. I never appreciated life before but after the incident I was grateful for it. Until the day when everything went downhill.
A storm. Not just rain but wind and cold rain. The day before there was a full moon so the tide was high. I heard all the waves crashing and roaring like a dinosaur. I had lived through so much so what could have happened? I would be fine. I was wrong. That night, the moon shined so bright it looked like the sun. I woke up to a giant wave above my head. It swallowed me up. My life flashed before my eyes. Everything went dark. The impact was hard. It spun me in circles. What had I done to deserve this?
When I finally came to, I found myself in some smooth, comfortable tan stuff. I didn’t know where I was but I was grateful to be alive and felt weird. The sensation was tingly and cold. I noticed that I had changed to a purplish color. I wondered when I was tossed all around in the waves did that cause my color change? I knew I was down there for a long time but for how long? How would I get out? Fear began to haunt me.
The next storm was at the surface. A huge wave tossed me and flung me out of the ocean. I was sinking back down when a human wearing a mask grabbed me. I felt some relief but I was still worried.
That human saved my life and I don’t know the reason. Was it because I was at the bottom of the ocean? Was it because I now surfaced as a beautiful, purple piece of glass? I was sold to an old man that collected things like me, sea glass. Now, I sit for all to see that tragedy can end in beauty.
