by Natalie Acosta-Bonilla, 13
The attic smelled of dust and forgotten memories. I was too scared to go up there before, but once I pulled open the door something caught my eye. It was a black leather journal with my name on it? I picked it up and brushed off the dust. My name was definitely on it. I had never seen this book before in my life, but once I opened it I realized it was a book filled with old records and my handwriting. After seeing that I left it right where I found it, I didn’t look through it any longer.
The next morning I calmed down and just figured it was an old memory journal. But once I flipped through more pages, I realized it wasn’t. It wasn’t just a memory journal, it was something else entirely. They were pages full of writing I don’t remember writing, and telling of stuff that hadn’t even happened yet. Some things were small, like me running into an old friend at the store. But further into the book it became warning messages.
“Don’t answer a blocked number.”
‘Don’t answer the door at 5:34 a.m.”
“Keep your curtains closed.”
I wasn’t sure what this meant at first. I figured someone was playing games with me. But later that night I heard a knock at the door.
Who would be at the door at such an early time? I thought to myself.
I turned to look at the time and the clock read, 5:34 a.m. I was frightened to see that I got a knock at the exact time the journal said. I rushed from out of my bed and ran up to the attic. It was dark and cold up there, but I grabbed the journal and began reading more. All the pages disappeared with just one message that read: “Go back to sleep.”
I rushed downstairs to my bed, almost tripping over my own feet.
Red Bank, New Jersey
Reader’s note: I chose The Journal to be a winner because of its ability to incite fear and suspense in the reader. The author has amazing storytelling abilities; the ending about what the narrator saw in the journal was especially interesting to read!
Bridge Ink 