31.10.2024, written by ELS Newspaper
Oct 30: the Creative Room of AEG “Geo Milev” smiled with an orange smile, together with the participants in the awards celebration dedicated to the winners of the 2nd annual contest for a “Scary Halloween Story/Poem”, written on the occasion of All Saints’ Day.
The official guest of the event was Mrs. Zhaneta Dimitrova, senior expert in foreign languages and mother tongue at the Regional Department of Education in Burgas, who presented special certificates and awards to the young authors. A well-deserved recognition! The event was also honored by the deputy principal of the academic department at AEG “Geo Milev”, Krasimira Miteva, as well as by colleagues and teachers of English.
The contest is definitely gaining popularity. This year, the competition was between 5 poems and 7 short stories, in each of which the creativity and the excellent English language skills of our students are evident. Candidates from almost all levels of ELS “Geo Milev” took part – 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th grade. Each of the submitted works was truly impressive to the jury!
Having a hard time in making their final choice, the three evaluators: Haley Strom, a Fulbright volunteer, and the English language teachers Dimana Essen and Darina Pehlivanova, still managed to determine the three winners in each of the categories: for poetry and for short stories.
Here are the awarded authors – laureates of the competition, who read out their works in front of the audience in the Creative Room:
POETRY
1st place: “Memories” – Alexandra Goranova, 11.g
2nd place: “The Voice of the Cemetery” – Senie Ramsey, 11.g
3rd place: “A Night of Fright” – Darina Mireva, 11.e
SHORT STORY
1st place: “I Ate a Catfish” – Petya Georgieva, 11.b
2nd place: “The Price of Disbelief” – Nikola Voinov, 9.e
3rd place: “One Tragic Night” – Eva Dimitrova, 9.d
You can read all of the awared works below!
The event ended with a fun quiz on the occasion of All Saints’ Day, presented by the students Elitsa Koleva and Lora Karaivanova, 10th grade, as well as with some delicious “scary” candy treats provided by the founders and organizers of the contest – Valentina Atanasova, Dimana Esen and Darina Pehlivanova, teachers of English.
Many thanks again to Darina Mireva from 11.e, a student majoring in “Graphic Design”, who, yet for another year, participated in the preparation of the advertising poster that announced and popularized the contest:
We wish future successes to all participants!
POEMS:
Memories
By Alexandra Goranova, 11.g
Pictures on the wall, faces smeared by time,
Eyes that once watched – now hollow, black.
The halls moan softly where laughter has died,
Shadows crawl where memories hide.
A mirror shattered – each fragment a face,
Whispers echo from their glassy embrace.
The window is sealed, blackened with age,
Yet something scratches from within the cage.
Should I take all pictures down and leave it bare?
Should I dare disturb the stagnant air?
What if the mirror draws blood when rebuilt?
What waits if the window is torn from its silt?
I remember their faces, yet they feel wrong.
Their voices echo like a twisted song.
No mirror is needed—my reflection has fled,
No window can open. I’m already dead.
The door swings open, dark and wide.
Cold fingers brush against my side.
I could leave, escape into the night,
But the house… It whispers. It knows my fright.
Who will dust these cursed frames?
Who will walk these halls, where no one remains?
Who will piece together the mirror’s dark grin?
Who will remember… The nightmare within.
* * * * *
The voice of the cemetery
By Senie Remzi, 11.g
“Where am I?”
I asked myself.
Then, suddenly I heard a voice:
“In the cemetery.”
That was the answer,
but who did the voice belong to?
“You don’t have to know.”
It… it could hear my thoughts?
“Turn around,” it said.
I wondered… Should I do it?
“Or you shall remain here with me.”
A shiver ran down my spine…
A cemetery.
Sprawling beneath a dark, stormy sky.
The thick air,
the ancient tombstones…
The voice was gone. I was trembling in fear.
Suddenly, the silence was broken
by the distant call of a crow:
heightening the sense
of something
lurking,
unseen,
in the darkness…
I feel it.
I’m in it.
Or is it inside me?
The darkness. The fear. The end.
* * * * *
A Night of Fright
By Darina Mireva, 11.e
A night of fright…
A day to scare…
Sauntering down the faded road
Slowly closing in on every step.
Headless creatures there wander.
Trees now whisper:
Time runs fast!
Wolves howl beyond the distant hills.
A haunting sound that sends cold chills.
Pacing through the shadows,
Where silhouettes glow.
Candles flicker in the windows clear,
Casting shadows that draw near.
Bats flutter by in eerie flight,
Dancing with the creeping night.
Ghouls hobble down across the black asphalt
On the hallowed trails where vampires stalk.
Souls taunt along the misty paths
Where humans look for treats, aghast.
The night of fright…
SHORT STORIES:
I Ate a Catfish
(Beware: Internet predators and cannibalism!)
By Petya Georgieva, 11.b
The room was dark. So dark, it would have been pitch black if it weren’t for the light emanating from a computer screen. A soft white glow, enveloping everything. It was quiet too, except for the sound of fingers, hitting keyboard caps … the fingers were mine. So was the room, and the computer guilty of the illumination.
“The internet raised me” is a phrase that’s becoming more and more common these days, mostly said as a joke… A joke. What a lame joke. For me, it’s just like that – the internet DID raise me. I’ve never had any friends, everyone either thinks I’m weird, or they’re too picky for my taste. My parents aren’t any better, either working or going out, and I’m not even gonna talk about my relatives… There has never been a time where I’ve felt truly connected to a single person in my life. So, you can imagine my happiness when I discovered the internet. Now picture that multiplied by 10 when I saved up enough money to buy a computer – it felt like a gate to another world! I could play video games. My favorite ones are about cooking. Or do my schoolwork. My favorite subject is biology, especially human anatomy. Or listen to music, watch tv shows… I spend just about all my free time like this. I’m fully aware it’s an addiction, but I don’t care. I get to do whatever I want. This is freedom… and it’s as sweet as candy.
I don’t need anything else… I don’t need anyone else…
That being said,
Another perk of constantly being online is everyone finds a way to talk to people- You already know what discord and Instagram are, right? … I’ve talked to so many people myself, but… they always disappear. Strangely enough, it’s like once we’ve gotten to know each other, they get scared. I always block them. Cowards. All of them are cowards, every last one of them.
Except for one person. My beloved. My darling… My boyfriend, Josh…
We met a couple of months ago through a random chatroom and got along instantly. He’s so cute. So sweet and so kind. He has that soft, melodic voice… He talks with me almost every day for hours! He tells me he loves me all the time, he always compliments my voice and claims I’d be a lovely singer, and that I’m so mature for my age. He thinks I’m prettier than all angels… at least according to all the photos that I’ve sent him. He says he understands me unlike everyone else. It’s like he’s been in my head, examined every nook and cranny in my brain and read all my thoughts and desires. Not that I mind. He’s perfect for me. He even said he wants to meet up with me in real life. Real life, can you imagine? … Ah, he’s so sweet. I could just eat him up!
We had agreed to meet up at my place. The poor thing was so embarrassed… He said his home was too messy and that it would be “impolite to invite his girlfriend over in such a mess.” Isn’t he so considerate? … I spent all Saturday getting ready: brushing my hair, putting on my cutest dress. He says my cutest dress is the pink, the girly one that makes me look smaller. I hadn’t eaten all day, that’s how focused I was. Could anyone blame me? I had to look perfect. I had to be perfect. I didn’t even know what he looked like… Who cares, anyway! … How cute and kind he is, and with that soft, sugary voice… no, no, he’s probably the most handsome boy alive!
At around 10 pm, I heard a knock on my door, and my senses immediately heightened.
“Trixie?” I heard a… dry, old male voice call my name on the other side. Excitement spread all over in my stomach and saliva filled my mouth like a rising tide… It was him! His voice was deeper, unlike our usual chat. He must be sick… Yes, that has to be it!
“Coming.” I purred, licking my lips and trotting over to the front door, opening it to see… a middle aged, overweight man with dull eyes. And a beer belly dangling from under a dirty shirt. Looming over me, I could see his toothy grin. And that smirk! God! He looked even better than I had imagined… I just couldn’t wait any longer…
“So… Can I come in?”
“Of course, make yourself at home!” I smiled and let him in. The door closed with a loud slam.
11:09 pm.
The kitchen would be dark, pitch black, if it weren’t for the light from the corridor. Everything was a mess. My dress was stripped down on the floor, long forgotten. Josh was still here or… what had remained of him, I should say. You’d think for all that mass he had, he would have put up a fight, but no. It was as if he was asking for it, and wouldn’t be surprised…
It was quiet, except for the sound of me slurping up his blood off the kitchen tiles and all that stuck to my bare body… Yum! Clogged arteries always taste so bitter… Oh well, at least the meat will last for much longer…
After finishing my hearty dinner, I gathered his remains and cut them up, placing the pieces in plastic bags and putting them in my fridge, next to a few other I’ve had in there for a while.
Another guy, all bark, no bite… And he claimed he was into biting!
I took a shower and went back to my room, water dripping down from my legs… washing down all my sins. I sat in front of my computer and went straight to our chat, blocking him without thinking twice. Sucking the remaining dried blood off my fingers, I murmured while scrolling down the endless chats…
Now, who’s next?
* * * * *
The price of disbelief
By Nikola Voinov, 9.e
It’s a normal evening in a small town in the UK when, around 5 o’clock pm, a news television program shares devastating news with all citizens.
“Breaking news, we have received more reports of citizens claiming that they saw some supposedly paranormal activity around the town, here is our news reporter, Alan with more information.”
The reporter takes over.
“The people around town have made reports about them supposedly being followed by transparent, seemingly human-like creatures that hide in plain sight and follow them throughout their day, watching and observing them everywhere they go. People describe them as normal humans, but with a transparent, almost ghostly feel to them, they don’t talk, they don’t walk, they don’t make any movement or noise, and their eyes are always locked on their victims. What makes these allegations even more interesting is that a large portion of them come from people, who would then go missing just a few days later, but out of all of them, one case is particularly eye-catching…”
A week earlier
A small friend group of 5 people were talking with each other in a café after school at around 6 o’clock. While that was going on, one of those people, Mason Anderson decided to bring up the supposed stories.
“Have you all heard of those crazy reports about there being ghosts in town?”
His friends all nod in agreement and then laugh a little.
“Who would believe that these kinds of rumors rarely make it big, but when it happens around the time of people going missing everyone loses their mind.”
One of his friends, James Johnson, comments on it.
“Yeah, I’m telling you, these people are just straight up mad, like seriously, ghosts? Oh, I’m sorry, I meant transparent figures.” – says James, unable to hold back his laughter before continuing.
“I will bet you 500 pounds that these people didn’t go missing but are just too embarrassed to show their faces in public again.”
Mason laughs, clearly enjoying the banter.
“I would usually say no to that because I agree with you, but I will make a deal with you.”
James laughs, then responds with confidence in his voice.
“That is the easiest 500 pounds in my life, I’m never wrong about things like this.”
After around an hour, the group splits up and they all go to their respective homes. But on his way home, James notices somebody looking directly at him from a distance. The person is quite far away, so James can’t make out who it is.
“What is that weirdo looking at?” – he says to himself, before continuing his way home.
After he arrives at his house, he is surprised to see that his family is not home.
“Huh, that is weird, they should be home by now.”
James does not think much of it, so he lays down on the couch in the living room and starts watching some TV. He does this for some time until he turns on the news, where they talk about another missing person.
“It’s only been 2 days since last time, but we have got another person missing, a young boy named Cole, at just 16 years old, this makes him our youngest victim yet. We have received these reports from his family after he didn’t come home from school and didn’t pick up his phone when they called him, let’s hear from his father for the rest of the story.”
The father takes over.
“I came back home that day, just to see my wife crying on the couch and when I asked her what was wrong, she told me about our son and where he is, he didn’t return our calls, and his GPS was turned off and any attempt we made of contacting his friends and teachers to find any trace of him were left with the same answer, they didn’t know anything about where he is or where he could have gone.” – says the man, not able to hold back his tears.
The parents then mention where their son studies, which leaves James slightly shocked.
“Wait, isn’t that where I study.” – he says to himself in disbelief.
The news reporter then adds more to the story.
“We have no information on where the boy could have gone, where he is now. We also have no clue about the reason behind his disappearance, but we are assuming that it is tied to the other missing people we have had recently, which gave birth to the popular theory that there are kidnappers around town, but another surprisingly popular one is that there is something far more sinister going on. There are rumors about humanoid creatures roaming around the city, who would follow and observe their victims before inevitably making them go missing mysteriously. We don’t have a lot of evidence to support either of these theories, but they are our best ones, so we suggest that all citizens stay home tonight until we figure out what is happening.”
James continues watching the news, practically laughing at them.
“Really? That’s the best theory they have got, ghosts? They can’t be serious, I can make up 10 better ones right now!” – says James, laughing, but slightly annoyed at what he sees as “madness” from his fellow citizens.
After a few minutes, James hears a loud knock on his door. In the very next moment, the reporter speaks:
“If you hear a knock on your door this evening while you are home alone, do not open it, report it to the police immediately.”
“Oh, that was weird timing, I don’t feel like taking my chances.” – says James to himself.
He decides to not open the door, but he doesn’t report it to the police as he still thinks that it is all fake. He locks himself in his room instead to get some rest on his bed. While he is lying down, James then hears something which completely catches him by surprise.
“No, it can’t be” – says James when he realizes where the sound is coming from, it’s from his bedroom door and someone or something is knocking on it, trying to get in.
James tries to calm down, but the knocks continue, getting louder each time, making him even more scared than before while still not knowing who or what is on the other side. He then quickly grabs his phone, trying to call the police, but nobody picks up. He tries again and again, failing every single time.
“It’s too late now!” – says the creature on the other side, following it up with twisted laughter and more bangs on the door.
“You had your chance, but you didn’t take it, now you shall pay the price for your actions”
James freezes in fear, knowing very well what the creature means. In desperation, he hides under his blanket, begging for mercy and praying for a miracle while genuinely regretting his actions. He spends hours in that room, the hours then turn into days, but nobody comes for him. He remains trapped in his room with the only thing to keep him company is the monster outside that continues to tempt him to open the door.
“What do you want from me? Why are you doing this to me?” – says James, screaming at the top of his lungs.
The monster doesn’t respond, it simply waits, it doesn’t try to break in or respond to his cries, but it just waits for him to give in. After multiple days pass, James can’t take it any longer and decides to end his suffering by opening the door and letting the creature in.
Back to the present day
The news reporter continues speaking.
“The police found a high school student in his home. He was found lying on the ground unconscious. The boy is right now in the hospital but in critical condition. They also found a note left next to him with text on it.”
The reporter then reads the text for the entire country to hear.
“I left the 500 pounds on the desk.”
* * * * *
One tragic night
By Eva Dimitrova, 9.d
Millie and Annabelle had been friends since they were very young. They were constantly together and shared everything. After the divorce of Milly’s parents, she spent most of her time at Annabelle’s house to distract herself from the sadness. They became even closer. When they reached 11th grade, many things changed.
Millie started going out with other people, became part of the popular group of kids in school, and she and Annabelle hardly saw each other anymore.
One day on the way to school, Annabelle decided that today was the day she would talk to Millie about the distance she had put between them and made her way to them. In front of their school there were several tables where Millie and her new company sat every day – Bella, Alex, Zoe, Aria and Nathan. Annabel saw them and went to their table.
“Millie, can we talk?”
“She doesn’t want to talk to a fool like you!” shouted Zoe.
“Go away!” Millie told her.
Annabelle hadn’t expected her best friend to speak to her like that. Sad, she left the table and entered the school.
The classes ended up. Annabelle took her textbooks and when she tried to get up, she accidentally dropped them on the ground. When she bent down, she saw that they had fallen right next to Millie’s chair.
“Millie, can you move your legs so I can get my things?” Annabelle asked with a smile.
“Of course!” replied Milly ironically, kicking the textbooks on the ground with her feet. Millie’s friends started laughing.
“Why are you doing this?” Annabelle asked.
“Because you don’t leave her alone!” replied Alex angrily.
“I just wanted to be friends with Millie again.” Annabelle answered sadly. Everyone started laughing.
“You think I want to be friends with a person like you?” Millie replied.
Annabelle picked up her textbooks and left the classroom.
The next day when she went to school, Annabelle noticed that Millie was not there. She wondered what was going on because she was almost never absent. Then Millie’s group came.
“Where is Millie? Why is she gone?” Zoe asked.
“I don’t know, that’s what I’m wondering too. She’s almost never absent! She must be sick!” – said Bella and they left.
The classes were over, Annabelle went home and found out on the news that a girl named Millie Hastings had gone missing. Annabelle was in shock.
The next day at school, everyone was talking about the terrifying news…
Years passed and everyone accepted the fact that Millie was gone. When Annabelle came home from work one day, she sat down to watch TV. When she turned it on, she heard the horrific news-Millie was alive and everyone was talking about her shocking reappearance.
Annabelle jumped out of her chair in horror… If Millie is really alive and that girl on the TV is her, then who is the person I killed and buried that night?