December 19th’s Writing Prompt was a neat one with a fun Sci-Fi twist, like many of the ones we’ve done. We saw some new faces jumping in and our winner from that week was a first-time participant, Andrea Tino! Great job, Andrea! (You can read her story below).

The original photo prompt is here. The prompt reads: “There it is,” he whispered, “the safest city on earth.” I took a step toward it and said, “Do you wanna knock or should I?”

Andrea Tino’s winning entry:

A mix of emotions flooded over me. Relief, exhaustion, and anxiety to name a few as I looked up at the city in the clouds. We had been traveling for weeks now, my brother and I, to reach the rumored last safe haven. I was exhausted, filthy and damn near starved to death.

After our parents were taken in the last Collection we had been going from one camp of survivors to the next, collecting pieces of rumors about this place. Now we were finally here and I wasn’t sure if we should go in. Something wasn’t right.

“Ethan, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Look, what could be worse than this. I mean look at us Janelle. We’re filthy, starving and so damn tired we can’t see straight. Go back if you want to but I made it this far. I’m going in.”

“No I’m serious. I’m getting a reall bad vibe from this place. If we turn and go back now we can go back to camp and be there before nightfall.”

“I love you Janelle.”

I watched as Ethan turned and walked to a group of guards, hands up, showing that he meant no harm. I crouched down in the thick grass and watched. Little did I know that the next time I saw Ethan, we’d be behind opposite ends of a gun.