Eleventh Grade 2019
First Place: Alisa Pakhchanyan, Yerevan
You live in a world where everyone must tell the truth...but nobody knows that you are the only person who can lie.
"I know your secret."
Before I knew it, my hand was already gripping the handle of the knife.
I never stopped to think if maybe she was talking about some "dirty secret" she thought I was keeping about my personal life. In that moment I forgot there were other, more mundane secrets a person could keep, though in our world, secrets never stayed hidden for long anyway. Except for mine, of course. My life has always been full of secrets, but this one in particular I intended to take to my grave.
She screamed. Reached for her phone. My other hand stopped her. No one could know.
What is this mysterious secret, you ask? Well, it woundn't be be much of a secret anymore if I were to tell you, now would it? It would simply spread like wildfire, since people here just can't seem to keep their mouth shut. Ever. They just talk, and talk, and talk, and no one can stop them, even they themselves. Unless, of course, they are no longer breathing.
Tears were running down her cheeks. I could tell she regretted starting this conversation. I liked the look of realization that struck her face. What a shame, she had such pretty eyes.
I was six when I found out I was different. I broke my mom's vase while playing with my friend. I made her swear not to tell, but sure enough once my parents came home, she immediately burst into a detailed explanation of how it happened, leaving out no details, not even my name. I felt betrayed. My innocent child brain couldn't comprehend how a friend could do something like that, and yet when I asked her why, all she was able to mumble through her sobbing was that she was unable to keep quiet because my mother had asked her who did it. Directly. And that meant she had no way of dodging it anymore. I asked her why she didn't just tell my mom the dog did it. She looked at me like I was an anomaly of some sort. "What? That...that's impossible. No one can do that. People can't just make things up. You can't make things up. It's impossible. No one can make things up." She just thought I was being silly. Poor, innocent Katy. But for me, this meant so, so much more. I define that conversation as the Beginning. I'm not quite sure what began after this conversation, but something shifted, and I felt it with my entire being. That moment was the beginning of Me.
The knife pierced through her tender flesh. One, two, three times. I was painting a white canvas with bright red paint. It wasn't the worst I'd ever painted. Her screams were an ode to despair, the song of a dying swan. It was the most beautiful music that I'd heard in my life.
I leaned to use my newly discovered talent to my advantage. I could get away with anything. I could vandalize a wall and have the can of paint in my hand, but when they asked, I would tell them I didn't do it and they'd leave me alone. I became quite proficient. Rules didn't exist for me, and when someone tried to enforce some, I'd simply break them and then "make things up". They believed me every single time. Maybe I got spoiled. Maybe I got a bit arrogant. But can you blame me? I alone could do something so rare humans didn't even have a word for it. I felt powerful. Unstoppable. Soon enough, I began craving that feeling of being believed unconditionally. I was getting drunk on that feeling, and I wanted more. And more. and more.
The music stopped. I might've stretched it a bit longer if I knew it would be over so soon. But oh well. She looked almost graceful, lying there. What a shame. Such a shame.
Ah, yes, that's right. Humans had no word for what I could do. They had words for all kinds of supernatural powers that didn't and couldn't exist, but my ability was simply unfathomable. They never even dreamt of it. They didn't have a word, so I make my own. "Lying". Interesting word, huh? I never understood why people used both "laying" and "lying" to describe the same action. Perhaps it was a mistake. Most likely a mistake. So I borrowed one. I always liked the way "lying" sounded better anyway.
My painting was complete. There was a lot of red. I like red. It's such an honest color. It doesn't hide anything. It can't hide anything. I like red.
Love was never something I could wrap my head around. People tried to explain. I asked, and they tried. But I just kept asking and they kept trying until they gave up. "You can't explain it, really. You have to feel it." And that was that. I think I love lying. It brings me joy, and I'd certainly be lost without it. Maybe it was meant to be.
I didn't bother wiping the blade. I didn't bother changing out of my clothes, either. I left the knife next to her lifeless body and headed out through the front door. I knew they couldn't catch me. After all, they always believed me.
Every single time.
Second Place: Tatevik Galstyan, Yerevan
You live in a world where everyone must tell the truth...but nobody knows that you are the only person who can lie.
06.02.2100
My little robot waiter started. The loud sound was ringing in my ears, but I refused to wake up untill my little helper gave me an insulin-shot. I felt the energy rising and slowly opened my eyes. My robot-waiter was standing right behind me. His metallic hand was waiting for me to take the vitamins for the day. I finally got out of bed and started to put my clothes on. White t-shirt, white shorts, white shoes. "Why is everything white?" I asked myself. My robot waiter calmly answered, "We live in a society where you don't have to hid anything, that's why it's white". His straight intonation started to get on my nerves. My heart started to beat very fast and I heard it's pumping o voice in my ears.
"Is everything fine", asked my waiter.
I didn't want to get a calming-shot from my waiter, as I knew, that after that I won't be able to concentrate. Every cell of my body wanted to say yes, to avoid the shot.
"No" I said.
"Well, I know how to fix that", said my waiter and started to prepare the calming-shot.
I lost control over myself. I couldn't breath or think clarly, as everything was a blur. I only remember beating my robot-waiter with my legs. The power I suddenly felt amazed myself. It was broken town compleately, teared apart it's peaces were all over the room. I wanted to cry, as everything I did was not even close to something humans could do. But it's metallic voice, shots he used to, give me were torturing for me.
Someone opened the door another robot was standing there.
"good morning, sir. Is everything all right? The system showed, that there was a problem with you waiter, but the camera of the robot broke down, so I couldn't find out what."
My heart started to plump even harder. "This is the end" I thought.
"Yes," I said.
"When did you took you last calming-shot?"
"Just a minute ago."
"Well, have a good day".
I closed the door and realized, that I said not what I was supposed to say. Not what I was thinking. I lied. I rememberet what a lie was from my biology high shool textbook, but it was written that due to evolutional developement humans lost their ability to lie. I couldn't understand what was wrong with me, but deep inside me I was actually happy. The tortures I would feel after someone would find out, that I broke my robot would be painful, but the through of living without anybody's control was exciting.
08.03.2100
2 days have passed. The most exciting days of my life. I can feel and think what I want. People have started to like me more, as I can hide what I actually think about them. I feel more confident and relaxed. Even though I take the vitamins by myself it's not tiring as they say. The life without the calm-shot is amazing.
20.05.2100
Dear ipad, moths have passed. I am the head of our organization now. I lie a lot. My every word is a lie and I like it. I hide my feeling, my thoughts, that's why I am the leader now. Both robots and people seem to believe me. I don't think they have noticed, that I'm lying. I didn't get a calming shot for 2 moths and I started to have ideas I never used to. Lies are powerful. People love lies even though they can't lie. I am getting more power every day.
01.01.2101
In the world of the trut, the person who can lie is the most powerfull. And you shoul come and see this world sometimes.
Third Place: Mher Harutyunyan, Vanadzor
Describe that one time when the princess got tired of waiting and rescued herself.
This is a story about a modern day princess, who was locked on a tower owned by her family and preserved for the most charming prince to rescue. She had been locked up there for quite a long time. A young, slim lady with blonde hair that shined brighter than the brightest gold and were softer than silk, blue eyes that were bluer than the ocean and a heart melting smile. She seems perfect, doesn't she? Her only negative trait was that she was impatient to get out. She was getting annoyed of seeing the same walls every day.
There was only one way out of there. She had to rescue herself as none of the princes known at that time have shown up for fifteen years. She carefully examined the area from her window, detected all of the obsticles and created a master plan. First, she needed to get out of the tower. Second, pass the security system set outside of the tower and finally, fond her way back to the city. So, she started training every day on her uncomfortably small room, while singing "The Eye of the Tiger" and envisioning her success.
It took her two years to get ready. And, when the time was right, she started her plan. One day, she felt lucky, she knew that that was the day, that was the day when she'll taste the fresh air again. She stood two steps back from the window, swang her muscular arm and destroyed the wall. She tore it down, brick by brick and built a stairway down to the entrence gate.
The gate was protected with the newest security system called "DRA-GO17", which actually stood for nothing and was simply named using the word "dragon" and its serial number. After countless hours of looking around the gate the princess found the outlet, to which the system was connected to. But she had just one more thing to do. She took her phone out, that was out of battery, held it closer to the electric fence, which was part of the security system, and instantly charged her phone to a 100% of batter life. She knew that her phone was going to be helpful in one way or another. Afterwards, she just unplugged the security system and walked away as if nothing happened.
She walked exactly for a month, a week, a day, and an hour and six minutes till she reached the nearest highway. She was weak, her feeble legs couldn't take her any further. She collapsed and layed down on the warm asphalt. Her eyes were slowly closing, hands were shaking and was she was crying because she couldn't bear with it anymore. But suddenly...suddenly she remembered her phone, haphazardly took it out and opened an app that was used to order taxis. She, with her heart full of excitement, pressed the "Order a taxi" button and, unironicaly, the last thing that her eyes saw were the words "You'll be rescued in ~5 minutes" on the screen.
5 minutes later she was in the taxi that was rushing her to the nearest hospital.
You live in a world where everyone must tell the truth...but nobody knows that you are the only person who can lie.
"I know your secret."
Before I knew it, my hand was already gripping the handle of the knife.
I never stopped to think if maybe she was talking about some "dirty secret" she thought I was keeping about my personal life. In that moment I forgot there were other, more mundane secrets a person could keep, though in our world, secrets never stayed hidden for long anyway. Except for mine, of course. My life has always been full of secrets, but this one in particular I intended to take to my grave.
She screamed. Reached for her phone. My other hand stopped her. No one could know.
What is this mysterious secret, you ask? Well, it woundn't be be much of a secret anymore if I were to tell you, now would it? It would simply spread like wildfire, since people here just can't seem to keep their mouth shut. Ever. They just talk, and talk, and talk, and no one can stop them, even they themselves. Unless, of course, they are no longer breathing.
Tears were running down her cheeks. I could tell she regretted starting this conversation. I liked the look of realization that struck her face. What a shame, she had such pretty eyes.
I was six when I found out I was different. I broke my mom's vase while playing with my friend. I made her swear not to tell, but sure enough once my parents came home, she immediately burst into a detailed explanation of how it happened, leaving out no details, not even my name. I felt betrayed. My innocent child brain couldn't comprehend how a friend could do something like that, and yet when I asked her why, all she was able to mumble through her sobbing was that she was unable to keep quiet because my mother had asked her who did it. Directly. And that meant she had no way of dodging it anymore. I asked her why she didn't just tell my mom the dog did it. She looked at me like I was an anomaly of some sort. "What? That...that's impossible. No one can do that. People can't just make things up. You can't make things up. It's impossible. No one can make things up." She just thought I was being silly. Poor, innocent Katy. But for me, this meant so, so much more. I define that conversation as the Beginning. I'm not quite sure what began after this conversation, but something shifted, and I felt it with my entire being. That moment was the beginning of Me.
The knife pierced through her tender flesh. One, two, three times. I was painting a white canvas with bright red paint. It wasn't the worst I'd ever painted. Her screams were an ode to despair, the song of a dying swan. It was the most beautiful music that I'd heard in my life.
I leaned to use my newly discovered talent to my advantage. I could get away with anything. I could vandalize a wall and have the can of paint in my hand, but when they asked, I would tell them I didn't do it and they'd leave me alone. I became quite proficient. Rules didn't exist for me, and when someone tried to enforce some, I'd simply break them and then "make things up". They believed me every single time. Maybe I got spoiled. Maybe I got a bit arrogant. But can you blame me? I alone could do something so rare humans didn't even have a word for it. I felt powerful. Unstoppable. Soon enough, I began craving that feeling of being believed unconditionally. I was getting drunk on that feeling, and I wanted more. And more. and more.
The music stopped. I might've stretched it a bit longer if I knew it would be over so soon. But oh well. She looked almost graceful, lying there. What a shame. Such a shame.
Ah, yes, that's right. Humans had no word for what I could do. They had words for all kinds of supernatural powers that didn't and couldn't exist, but my ability was simply unfathomable. They never even dreamt of it. They didn't have a word, so I make my own. "Lying". Interesting word, huh? I never understood why people used both "laying" and "lying" to describe the same action. Perhaps it was a mistake. Most likely a mistake. So I borrowed one. I always liked the way "lying" sounded better anyway.
My painting was complete. There was a lot of red. I like red. It's such an honest color. It doesn't hide anything. It can't hide anything. I like red.
Love was never something I could wrap my head around. People tried to explain. I asked, and they tried. But I just kept asking and they kept trying until they gave up. "You can't explain it, really. You have to feel it." And that was that. I think I love lying. It brings me joy, and I'd certainly be lost without it. Maybe it was meant to be.
I didn't bother wiping the blade. I didn't bother changing out of my clothes, either. I left the knife next to her lifeless body and headed out through the front door. I knew they couldn't catch me. After all, they always believed me.
Every single time.
Second Place: Tatevik Galstyan, Yerevan
You live in a world where everyone must tell the truth...but nobody knows that you are the only person who can lie.
06.02.2100
My little robot waiter started. The loud sound was ringing in my ears, but I refused to wake up untill my little helper gave me an insulin-shot. I felt the energy rising and slowly opened my eyes. My robot-waiter was standing right behind me. His metallic hand was waiting for me to take the vitamins for the day. I finally got out of bed and started to put my clothes on. White t-shirt, white shorts, white shoes. "Why is everything white?" I asked myself. My robot waiter calmly answered, "We live in a society where you don't have to hid anything, that's why it's white". His straight intonation started to get on my nerves. My heart started to beat very fast and I heard it's pumping o voice in my ears.
"Is everything fine", asked my waiter.
I didn't want to get a calming-shot from my waiter, as I knew, that after that I won't be able to concentrate. Every cell of my body wanted to say yes, to avoid the shot.
"No" I said.
"Well, I know how to fix that", said my waiter and started to prepare the calming-shot.
I lost control over myself. I couldn't breath or think clarly, as everything was a blur. I only remember beating my robot-waiter with my legs. The power I suddenly felt amazed myself. It was broken town compleately, teared apart it's peaces were all over the room. I wanted to cry, as everything I did was not even close to something humans could do. But it's metallic voice, shots he used to, give me were torturing for me.
Someone opened the door another robot was standing there.
"good morning, sir. Is everything all right? The system showed, that there was a problem with you waiter, but the camera of the robot broke down, so I couldn't find out what."
My heart started to plump even harder. "This is the end" I thought.
"Yes," I said.
"When did you took you last calming-shot?"
"Just a minute ago."
"Well, have a good day".
I closed the door and realized, that I said not what I was supposed to say. Not what I was thinking. I lied. I rememberet what a lie was from my biology high shool textbook, but it was written that due to evolutional developement humans lost their ability to lie. I couldn't understand what was wrong with me, but deep inside me I was actually happy. The tortures I would feel after someone would find out, that I broke my robot would be painful, but the through of living without anybody's control was exciting.
08.03.2100
2 days have passed. The most exciting days of my life. I can feel and think what I want. People have started to like me more, as I can hide what I actually think about them. I feel more confident and relaxed. Even though I take the vitamins by myself it's not tiring as they say. The life without the calm-shot is amazing.
20.05.2100
Dear ipad, moths have passed. I am the head of our organization now. I lie a lot. My every word is a lie and I like it. I hide my feeling, my thoughts, that's why I am the leader now. Both robots and people seem to believe me. I don't think they have noticed, that I'm lying. I didn't get a calming shot for 2 moths and I started to have ideas I never used to. Lies are powerful. People love lies even though they can't lie. I am getting more power every day.
01.01.2101
In the world of the trut, the person who can lie is the most powerfull. And you shoul come and see this world sometimes.
Third Place: Mher Harutyunyan, Vanadzor
Describe that one time when the princess got tired of waiting and rescued herself.
This is a story about a modern day princess, who was locked on a tower owned by her family and preserved for the most charming prince to rescue. She had been locked up there for quite a long time. A young, slim lady with blonde hair that shined brighter than the brightest gold and were softer than silk, blue eyes that were bluer than the ocean and a heart melting smile. She seems perfect, doesn't she? Her only negative trait was that she was impatient to get out. She was getting annoyed of seeing the same walls every day.
There was only one way out of there. She had to rescue herself as none of the princes known at that time have shown up for fifteen years. She carefully examined the area from her window, detected all of the obsticles and created a master plan. First, she needed to get out of the tower. Second, pass the security system set outside of the tower and finally, fond her way back to the city. So, she started training every day on her uncomfortably small room, while singing "The Eye of the Tiger" and envisioning her success.
It took her two years to get ready. And, when the time was right, she started her plan. One day, she felt lucky, she knew that that was the day, that was the day when she'll taste the fresh air again. She stood two steps back from the window, swang her muscular arm and destroyed the wall. She tore it down, brick by brick and built a stairway down to the entrence gate.
The gate was protected with the newest security system called "DRA-GO17", which actually stood for nothing and was simply named using the word "dragon" and its serial number. After countless hours of looking around the gate the princess found the outlet, to which the system was connected to. But she had just one more thing to do. She took her phone out, that was out of battery, held it closer to the electric fence, which was part of the security system, and instantly charged her phone to a 100% of batter life. She knew that her phone was going to be helpful in one way or another. Afterwards, she just unplugged the security system and walked away as if nothing happened.
She walked exactly for a month, a week, a day, and an hour and six minutes till she reached the nearest highway. She was weak, her feeble legs couldn't take her any further. She collapsed and layed down on the warm asphalt. Her eyes were slowly closing, hands were shaking and was she was crying because she couldn't bear with it anymore. But suddenly...suddenly she remembered her phone, haphazardly took it out and opened an app that was used to order taxis. She, with her heart full of excitement, pressed the "Order a taxi" button and, unironicaly, the last thing that her eyes saw were the words "You'll be rescued in ~5 minutes" on the screen.
5 minutes later she was in the taxi that was rushing her to the nearest hospital.