short-story – Dr. Parton's Literacy In Place

The Last Well-Reader by Lleyton Michael Kane | Runner-Up 2025 Rural Teen Writing Contest

By the second week without rain, the ground had begun to show its seams. Hairline cracks at first, then wider ones that caught the edges of boot soles and held them a moment too long. Livestock gathered at the troughs earlier each morning, standing with the uneasy patience of creatures that know more than theContinue reading “The Last Well-Reader by Lleyton Michael Kane | Runner-Up 2025 Rural Teen Writing Contest”

My eyes drifted open to see that the early morning’s light had already seeped through my flimsy, beige curtains. Sleep still smothering my senses like a thick cloud of fog, I reluctantly heaved my body out of bed. Suddenly, I stopped dead in my tracks, any remnants of sleep evaporating in an instant. I breathedContinue reading “The Precipitation that Earned My Appreciation by Genevieve Frander | Honorable Mention 2024 Rural Teen Writing Contest”