Ninth Grade 2020
First Place: Anna Narimanyan, Yerevan
Escaping was only the first step…
Escaping was only the first step… I was trapped. I had plan my master escape. Like in the movies, I was locked in a trunk, abandoned in a parking lot, mouth duct-taped shut. I wasn’t scared, in fact, I wasn’t even worried. I’ve watched enough horror movies and read enough of Stephan King books to feel brave in this sort of situation. In this day and age you see plenty of survival tips and I just happen to remember some. It took me awhile to realise that this is not a dream, I am in a real-life kidnapping. The trunk was pretty much empty- it had a fire extinguisher and a plastic snow-cleaning tool. I pushed my tied hands with my shaanched knees. The fetul position is most common for these kinds of situations so I knew what I was doing. I yanked the tape from my mouth and tried to untie my hands with my teeth. It worked! My heart filled with joy but I knew I had notime to celebrate. This car could start riving anytime. I reached for the plastic tool. Chances that I could pry the trunk open where low, but it was worth a try. With all my force I stuck the tool into the gap between the trunk and the car. I knew that the tool would break if I continued. Trying to remember everything I ever learned about these situations, I soon realized that I could try another trick. The tool needed leverage. I put the fire extinguisher under the tool and smacked the handel with all my strenght. It opened. The car alarm didn’t go off.. I was free. Or at lest I thought so…
A creepy looking man wearing nothing but a black rob approached from a far. I soon realized were at a shopping mall parking lot and the clock outside told me it was 3:00AM sharp. I escaped the trunk, now it was time to escape the man. Another trick I found on the internet was that duct tape can be ripped from your arms/legs when you quickly and strongly pull the two appart. Doing that, I freed my legs and was ready to make a run for it: The Run of my Life. The man was close, and if he had better sight, he would be closer. I thought that he won’t see me if I ran and even if he did, he would be able to catch up because he wouldn’t really see where I’m going. It was a risky run. Maybe he just wanted to see me try. I wasn’t sure so I had to do my best to make it out alive. I had an idea. I’d run towards the man, I’d remember his facial feturs and see if he is someone that I know. Before I get too close, I’ll spray the extinguisher into his face and hit his head with the bottle. That way there’s a 75% chance that he will not see me and a 95% chance that the concusion will hurt him enough to slow him down. My master plan was done- now it was time for action. I ran with all my remaining leg strength and pulled the tab on the extinguisher. I was getting closer to the slow-paced man. I saw him. Examind his face. This man was the creepy janitor at my school. I had no time to analize that fact. I quickly sprayed the white fluff onto his face and hit his head with the barrel. Step two of my great escape: done.
Honestly, I was concerned about this situation. My janitor tried to kidnapp me. What kind of movie is that? I ran to the nearest phone booth. Dialed 911 and told them about what just happened. then I dialed my mom’s number, who was sleeping soundly, thinking that I was at a friends house.
In the end, the janitor was arrested and charged for attempted kidnapping and assult. In court, he refused to speak which still bothers me: I want to know his true intentions. Everyone saw me as a hero, a hero of my own story. Survival isn’t something everyone knows, I simply was a lucky person. In my opinion, everyone should know basic survival skills, for surving in the nature or for in times like these. With kidnapping, murder, and crime rates, we all need to learn how to be safe.
Second Place: Mariam Aghadjanyan, Goris
You are becoming more suspicious that your English teacher is actually an alien from another planet.
Hi! I’m a young girl. My life is like the life of other teenagers. I go to school, do my lesson, walk with my friends. Also I go to the english lesson. I like my group with which I learn english and I like my teacher. She is a young woman. She always motivate us to do something new, try to do something unusuall for us. But she is an unusuall person. I think she isn’t from our planet. In every situation she see which is so good and she starting to smile, to laugh. If it is very sad story she starting to smile too. The other members of our group think the same about her.
One day when we go to our english lesson she was laughing again. During the lesson she didn’t stop to laugh. And later we knew that her dog has died at the same time. After this lesson we gathered at my house and we started to make a plan. We think what can we do with that teacher. Because everyone liked her and nobody wanted to stop learn english with here. But we Became scared. We don’t know what to do with that. And one boy say:
-Why are you so scared? She isn’t a damon. Let’s ask her why is she always laughing. This is the right way.
-He is right. If we don’t understand her it doesn’t mean that she is an alien or something else.
-Let’s do it! We decided and at the next day we went to here house. She was surprised. Nobody wanted to start the speaking. But I decided to start. I asked:
-Miss, can I ask a question?
-Yes, of course!
-Why are you always laughing? When the film, or story is sad you laugh too. Why?
-I wait this moment. You know in this world there are a lot of bad, sad people. You can see it everywhere. When you walk in the park you can see that everyone is sad, nervous. They aren’t happy at spring, wher everything is green, at summer, when they have holiday, time for family, at the autoumn, when everything is red, yellow, so Beautiful, when the weather is cool, and they also aren’t happy when the winter come. I don’t want to be like them. The life is short and I want to enjoy it.
After that day we has already understood our teacher, and we love her.
Third Place: Lilit Kakoyan, Dilijan
You are becoming more suspicious that your English teacher is actually an alien from another planet.
Baam! A loud sound was heared from the city. A strong electric wave hit the city, which caused the lights of the city to switch of. Nobody knew what caused the electric wave and from where it came. The day after the incident was a regular day, so we had to go to school. Everybody was talking about the strange night. Many were making up stories about aliens and invasions, but that was just for fun, nobody was taking it serious.
-What class is now?
-We are free now.
-How?
-Apparently, our English teacher Mrs Ann, is sick, and didn’t come to school today.
That was strange, because she never missed a class before, even if she was sick. But at that time it didn’t bother me as much because we were free!
Next day too, the teacher didn’t come. Next week too. The school started replacing English with other subjects. Now that was really really strange. Nobody knew what happened to her. One day it was very late. I was finaly coming home from library. Suddenly I saw Mrs. Ann and went to her.
-Oh hello, Mrs. Ann! Are you fine now?
She didn’t reply, she paniced and started running. I started chasing her. Something wasn’t right. She seemed like she was glitching. I caught her and saw that her face changed. Some areas of her skin became purpleish, some of her hair became green, her eyes became yellow.
-OMG! What happened to you, - I screamed, she quickly shut my mouth with her hand and said
-Follow me to a safer place and I’ll tell you
After 30 mins of walking, we reached to the forest. She started talking.
-Please don’t be too scared, but I am not from here. I came from another star from Andromeda galaxy. I came here to an expedition, to learn from Earth and its people. The electric wave that happened 10 days ago was actually from our spaceship. our camuplage started dissappearing, so my spaceship came. ( when Aliens go to other planets, they transform to look like the people from there). I need to go back home now or else I’ll die, but I don’t know where the spacship landed.
I was shocked. Then I remembered that near the forest we were standing, a strange rock was discovered.
-I think I know where is your spaceship. Come with me
I led her near a small lake, where the strange rock was located.
-Oh dear, here it is! Thank you dear. I must take of now or else I’ll die. As a gift for your help, have this, an amulet as a symbol of my gratitude. And pleas keep all of this a secret.
She gave me a neckless and quickly ran to her spaceship. She activated it and the next moment the spaceship wasn’t there. I was still shocked. The amulet was really beautiful. When the moonlight hit the amulet it activated and the whole Andromeda galaxy map appeared right in front of my eyes. This was one of my life’s most strange, scary memory.
Escaping was only the first step…
Escaping was only the first step… I was trapped. I had plan my master escape. Like in the movies, I was locked in a trunk, abandoned in a parking lot, mouth duct-taped shut. I wasn’t scared, in fact, I wasn’t even worried. I’ve watched enough horror movies and read enough of Stephan King books to feel brave in this sort of situation. In this day and age you see plenty of survival tips and I just happen to remember some. It took me awhile to realise that this is not a dream, I am in a real-life kidnapping. The trunk was pretty much empty- it had a fire extinguisher and a plastic snow-cleaning tool. I pushed my tied hands with my shaanched knees. The fetul position is most common for these kinds of situations so I knew what I was doing. I yanked the tape from my mouth and tried to untie my hands with my teeth. It worked! My heart filled with joy but I knew I had notime to celebrate. This car could start riving anytime. I reached for the plastic tool. Chances that I could pry the trunk open where low, but it was worth a try. With all my force I stuck the tool into the gap between the trunk and the car. I knew that the tool would break if I continued. Trying to remember everything I ever learned about these situations, I soon realized that I could try another trick. The tool needed leverage. I put the fire extinguisher under the tool and smacked the handel with all my strenght. It opened. The car alarm didn’t go off.. I was free. Or at lest I thought so…
A creepy looking man wearing nothing but a black rob approached from a far. I soon realized were at a shopping mall parking lot and the clock outside told me it was 3:00AM sharp. I escaped the trunk, now it was time to escape the man. Another trick I found on the internet was that duct tape can be ripped from your arms/legs when you quickly and strongly pull the two appart. Doing that, I freed my legs and was ready to make a run for it: The Run of my Life. The man was close, and if he had better sight, he would be closer. I thought that he won’t see me if I ran and even if he did, he would be able to catch up because he wouldn’t really see where I’m going. It was a risky run. Maybe he just wanted to see me try. I wasn’t sure so I had to do my best to make it out alive. I had an idea. I’d run towards the man, I’d remember his facial feturs and see if he is someone that I know. Before I get too close, I’ll spray the extinguisher into his face and hit his head with the bottle. That way there’s a 75% chance that he will not see me and a 95% chance that the concusion will hurt him enough to slow him down. My master plan was done- now it was time for action. I ran with all my remaining leg strength and pulled the tab on the extinguisher. I was getting closer to the slow-paced man. I saw him. Examind his face. This man was the creepy janitor at my school. I had no time to analize that fact. I quickly sprayed the white fluff onto his face and hit his head with the barrel. Step two of my great escape: done.
Honestly, I was concerned about this situation. My janitor tried to kidnapp me. What kind of movie is that? I ran to the nearest phone booth. Dialed 911 and told them about what just happened. then I dialed my mom’s number, who was sleeping soundly, thinking that I was at a friends house.
In the end, the janitor was arrested and charged for attempted kidnapping and assult. In court, he refused to speak which still bothers me: I want to know his true intentions. Everyone saw me as a hero, a hero of my own story. Survival isn’t something everyone knows, I simply was a lucky person. In my opinion, everyone should know basic survival skills, for surving in the nature or for in times like these. With kidnapping, murder, and crime rates, we all need to learn how to be safe.
Second Place: Mariam Aghadjanyan, Goris
You are becoming more suspicious that your English teacher is actually an alien from another planet.
Hi! I’m a young girl. My life is like the life of other teenagers. I go to school, do my lesson, walk with my friends. Also I go to the english lesson. I like my group with which I learn english and I like my teacher. She is a young woman. She always motivate us to do something new, try to do something unusuall for us. But she is an unusuall person. I think she isn’t from our planet. In every situation she see which is so good and she starting to smile, to laugh. If it is very sad story she starting to smile too. The other members of our group think the same about her.
One day when we go to our english lesson she was laughing again. During the lesson she didn’t stop to laugh. And later we knew that her dog has died at the same time. After this lesson we gathered at my house and we started to make a plan. We think what can we do with that teacher. Because everyone liked her and nobody wanted to stop learn english with here. But we Became scared. We don’t know what to do with that. And one boy say:
-Why are you so scared? She isn’t a damon. Let’s ask her why is she always laughing. This is the right way.
-He is right. If we don’t understand her it doesn’t mean that she is an alien or something else.
-Let’s do it! We decided and at the next day we went to here house. She was surprised. Nobody wanted to start the speaking. But I decided to start. I asked:
-Miss, can I ask a question?
-Yes, of course!
-Why are you always laughing? When the film, or story is sad you laugh too. Why?
-I wait this moment. You know in this world there are a lot of bad, sad people. You can see it everywhere. When you walk in the park you can see that everyone is sad, nervous. They aren’t happy at spring, wher everything is green, at summer, when they have holiday, time for family, at the autoumn, when everything is red, yellow, so Beautiful, when the weather is cool, and they also aren’t happy when the winter come. I don’t want to be like them. The life is short and I want to enjoy it.
After that day we has already understood our teacher, and we love her.
Third Place: Lilit Kakoyan, Dilijan
You are becoming more suspicious that your English teacher is actually an alien from another planet.
Baam! A loud sound was heared from the city. A strong electric wave hit the city, which caused the lights of the city to switch of. Nobody knew what caused the electric wave and from where it came. The day after the incident was a regular day, so we had to go to school. Everybody was talking about the strange night. Many were making up stories about aliens and invasions, but that was just for fun, nobody was taking it serious.
-What class is now?
-We are free now.
-How?
-Apparently, our English teacher Mrs Ann, is sick, and didn’t come to school today.
That was strange, because she never missed a class before, even if she was sick. But at that time it didn’t bother me as much because we were free!
Next day too, the teacher didn’t come. Next week too. The school started replacing English with other subjects. Now that was really really strange. Nobody knew what happened to her. One day it was very late. I was finaly coming home from library. Suddenly I saw Mrs. Ann and went to her.
-Oh hello, Mrs. Ann! Are you fine now?
She didn’t reply, she paniced and started running. I started chasing her. Something wasn’t right. She seemed like she was glitching. I caught her and saw that her face changed. Some areas of her skin became purpleish, some of her hair became green, her eyes became yellow.
-OMG! What happened to you, - I screamed, she quickly shut my mouth with her hand and said
-Follow me to a safer place and I’ll tell you
After 30 mins of walking, we reached to the forest. She started talking.
-Please don’t be too scared, but I am not from here. I came from another star from Andromeda galaxy. I came here to an expedition, to learn from Earth and its people. The electric wave that happened 10 days ago was actually from our spaceship. our camuplage started dissappearing, so my spaceship came. ( when Aliens go to other planets, they transform to look like the people from there). I need to go back home now or else I’ll die, but I don’t know where the spacship landed.
I was shocked. Then I remembered that near the forest we were standing, a strange rock was discovered.
-I think I know where is your spaceship. Come with me
I led her near a small lake, where the strange rock was located.
-Oh dear, here it is! Thank you dear. I must take of now or else I’ll die. As a gift for your help, have this, an amulet as a symbol of my gratitude. And pleas keep all of this a secret.
She gave me a neckless and quickly ran to her spaceship. She activated it and the next moment the spaceship wasn’t there. I was still shocked. The amulet was really beautiful. When the moonlight hit the amulet it activated and the whole Andromeda galaxy map appeared right in front of my eyes. This was one of my life’s most strange, scary memory.