In August 2024, the BCA invited local youth aged nine to 17 to write an original short story on one of two topics: a family discovers a mysterious door in the middle of a wooded path while out for walk; or a story about an alien or monster visiting your school/neighborhood for the first time.
Congratulations to all participants! We are pleased to announce that the first place winner of the short story competition is Eva Rakowski for her chilling short story “Another Family Through the Door” about a family who decides to go through a mysterious door they find, never to be seen again. Eva will receive the top cash prize of $100. We are also pleased to announce the following winning stories: “Alien Feelings” by Henry ManWha, “The True Spirit of Halloween” by Chloe Leblanc, and “Bobby, the Alien Visitor” by Georgia Udesen. Henry, Chloe and Georgia will collect cash prizes of $50 each. Honourable mentions also go to Zarif Iftikher for “Oak Door”; Aveline Pommainville for “Monsters”, and Lucy Comber for “Grayling and the Trap Door”. Additional cash prizes of $25 will be awarded to each of these promising young storytellers.
Winner
Another Family Through the Door
By Eva Rakowski, 17
The McGlebe family was out for a Sunday walk in the woods when they stumbled upon something odd. Sunlight filtered through the trees, casting various shapes on the pebbled pathway. Then they all saw it—a mysterious door standing upright, distorted and alone in the middle of the trail. It was a heavy wooden door in shades of brown, intricately carved with vines and leaves. There was no frame or wall around it—just a door, standing as if it were waiting to be opened.
“Who would put this huge door here?” asked Coraline, the youngest, her eyes wide with curiosity.
“Probably some hooligan trying to be funny,” her older brother Wybie said dismissively. Their parents, Marissa and Timothe, exchanged curious glances.
“Can I open it?” Wybie asked, half-joking. Strangely, something about the door felt inviting, almost comforting. Coraline stepped forward and reached for the golden handle. As she turned it, a soft click echoed, and the door creaked open.
On the other side, instead of the continuation of their path, they saw a reflection of their family. But this reflection was unlike anything they’d ever seen—each of their counterparts had buttons for eyes. In the distance, they heard an eerie sound, like a horrific melody, voices calling them to enter this strange world.
“Should we go in?” Coraline whispered, her voice barely audible.
Timothe nodded, his eyes a mix of wonder and caution. As they stepped through, the air seemed to grow heavier. They sensed that whatever lay beyond this door was meant for them—a world full of danger. And with that, the door slowly swung shut behind them, trapping them inside with no way to call for help. Mysteriously, that same night, their house burned down, and everything about the McGlebe family vanished.
Runners Up
Alien Feelings
By Henry MacWha, 14
Everyone remained silent when Sam entered the classroom. He was the new kid, tall, with big, thick glasses and messy hair. He sat by himself, head lowered, and avoided eye contact. The rest of the students laughed and whispered. Sam was bizarre, almost foreign to them.
He pulled out a strange foil-wrapped sandwich during lunch. The other children made a point to call it “space food.” Sam didn’t say anything, he just took a bite and chewed slowly as the conversation around him got louder. He didn’t realize he was dressed differently, not in the newest fashions but in ones that were practical and comfortable. He spoke in a soft, hesitant voice with an unrecognizable accent.
Sam’s answers were always correct in class, but he rarely raised his hand. He would mumble a response when the teacher called on him, his eyes darting anxiously. He got the nickname “Alien” from one of the kids, and it stuck.
But something changed over the weeks. Sam was always organized for class, kind and ready to share a pencil or help with homework, and slowly, more and more people noticed. He would encourage people, making them a better version of themselves. He would offer to hold the door, and he would always be appreciative and respectful. The teasing came slowly to a stop. They realized that being alien was not the same as being different. Sam didn’t come from another world, he just came from a different place, one in which being kind was more important than fitting into the social norm.
The True Spirit of Halloween
By Chloe Leblanc, 10
One colorful fall day, 9-year-old Lukas was feeling eager to explore his new neighborhood. His sister, 13-year-old Elena, was feeling homesick after their recent move, and wasn’t keen on going out. Lukas begged her to join him, and after some convincing, she reluctantly agreed.
They started out on the main roadway, until Lukas saw a wooded path, smiled mischievously at his sister, and took off. As Elena was catching up with him, she passed a witch and a vampire. This annoyed her, knowing that she would have to take Lukas trick or treating soon. Elena just wanted to be left alone and felt too grown up for Halloween. After a while the path narrowed and in the dense forest they could see a thin clearing. Lukas beckoned for Elena to follow. They eventually reached a mysterious door adorned with beautiful paintings. Lukas grabbed Elena by the wrist and pulled her through the door. On the other side was a lively park with ghosts, monsters, dragons, butterflies, and so many other magical things.
Elena and Lukas were awestruck at the sight. Everything was covered with light and sparkle. They spotted a poster tied to a tree that announced the town’s annual Halloween party. Everyone of all backgrounds and ages was invited! That was when Elena realized that Halloween was not just about candy, and you were never too old for fun. “Let’s go home”, Elena said to Lukas, who smiled happily.
By the time they got home, their grandpa was sleeping comfortably on the couch. Lukas and Elena tiptoed to their rooms, quickly changed into their costumes, grabbed their candy bags, and headed out hand in hand.
Bobby, the Alien Visitor
By Georgia Udesen, 9
Once there’s was boy named Charlie, and he loved to wander and collect rocks. One time he was walking in the forest near his home, and he found a unique rock perfectly shaped like an egg. He brought it home and opened it by hitting it with a hammer. To his surprise there was an alien inside it. It was super cool! He now had his own alien pet.
Then one day Charlie went to school and when he came back, the alien started speaking to him. Charlie was speechless!
Then the alien said, “Hello, again! My name is Bobby. I need your help to find my spacecraft. It landed on this planet, and I don’t know where it might be. I got thrown from it when it landed, and the tracker attached to my egg went missing. I need your help to find it so I can find my spacecraft!”
Charlie was scared but he knew that he needed to help him.
Later that night, they snuck out of Charlie’s house and started looking all over the area where Bobby landed for the tracker. They couldn’t find anything after hours of searching. Just as they were about to give up, they found the tracker stuck in the branches of an oak tree, thanks to its flashing red light. What luck! Charlie climbed the tree and grabbed it for Bobby. Once Bobby had it, he discovered that the signal from his spaceship was showing up on the tracker as coming from Charlie’s house. They looked everywhere around the house, but they couldn’t find it. Then they looked closer at the tracker, and it was showing that the signal was coming from the neighbour’s house. Since it was getting dark, they decided to hurry up and go next door.
They knocked on the neighbour’s door and asked if he saw a spacecraft in his yard.
The neighbour’ said, “I found this weird looking plane while I was gardening. You can look at it if you want. I put it in my garage.”
Then they followed the neighbour into his garage and immediately Bobby recognized his spacecraft on the neighbour’s workbench. Bobby was SO happy! He thanked Charlie and the neighbour a bunch. He could finally go home.
Bobby wasted no time and took off in his spacecraft back to his planet. Charlie felt sad to see his new friend leave but was happy that he got to go home.
The End
Honorable Mentions
Oak Door
By Zarif Iftikher, 14
In the dark parks of Blackburn Hamlet, where the forest had buried its secrets, stood an old oak door leaning against a gnarled oak tree. Locals called it the Scary Oak Door, a remnant of a long-abandoned cabin that had mysteriously vanished years ago. Rumours swirled like crusty leaves. Children dared each other to approach it, but no one ever crossed the property line.
On Halloween night, under a soft sliver of moonlight, a group of friends, very ‘high’ on sweets, decided to explore. They crept through the carved path before them, laughter muffled by the cold breeze, until they stood before the oak door. Its surface was warped and cracked, covered in moss and shadows.
“Let’s open it!” shouted one of the teens , their voice trembling with excitement and fear. The others exchanged nervous glances, but the thrill of adventure pushed them forward. As they grasped the cold, rusty handle, the wind howled around them, and the atmosphere grew thick with an unsettling energy.
With a deep breath, they swung the door open. Instead of the inside of a cabin, they saw a swirling vortex of darkness, pulsating with a low hum. Moss coloured shadows danced within and beckoned them closer. Just as they were about to step through when a rasping dead voice whispered from the void, “So you’ve come to play…”
In that moment, the friends turned and fled, leaving the Scary Door swinging wildly in the wind, keeping its secrets safe for another year.
Monsters
By Aveline Pommainville, 13
Monsters are fascinating creatures. They’re always portrayed as these horrible, evil, ruthless beings, yet, monsters are only the mix of the insecurities of those who create them.
Maybe that’s why they were such a problem at my school.
Monsters are basically invisible to everyone around you. Some people have bigger monsters than others, constantly looming over them. Some people make their monsters smaller by hurting others, taking their worries out on them, and they are just making things worse for someone else. Some tell others about their problems, lifting the veil for the person they confided in, yet also having a part of the weight lifted off of them, not having to deal with it alone.
Some don’t tell anyone at all. They feel bad for hurting the other, for struggling, even though they shouldn’t.
The point is, I have monsters too. Everyone does.
I have two. The first is something I call ‘the gloom’. He’s a big fella, dark navy, and is huge. He’s pretty spooky, especially when you first spot him. It’s not his fault he hurts people, he nevers means to. He’s not there all the time, but when he shows up I try to be nice to him. He can be ignored, and I have adapted to him. The other is ‘Jitters’. He doesn’t stop fidgeting, heart racing, eyes darting. He can never focus, and he can make me freak out. He’s always excited, always moving. He’s small, colorful, and kind of glows in the dark. He’s almost comforting in a way, because he’s always so excited. Unlike The Gloom, he’s always there, asking questions and vibrating. He’s almost distracting, but it’s nice having him around most of the time. Embracing my inner struggles, I found peace, and if I can do it, so can you.
Grayling and the Trap Door
By: Lucy Comber, 12
One bright and crisp fall afternoon, a small chickadee with gray patterns along her back named Grayling, her brother Lightbeak, their parents and their friend Bluechirp the blue jay were walking through the woods around their neighborhood. At this time of year the trees in Grayling’s neighborhood were beautiful explosions of red, yellow and orange. Not only that, but the cool mornings and the warm mid-days were exquisite. Grayling, Bluechirp and Lightbeack had flown ahead when suddenly, Bluechirp stepped on some leaves which collapsed under her! Her friends rushed over, but Bluechirp emerged a second later with a pleased expression. “I found something,” she explained excitedly, “It’s a trap door, can we explore it!?” Bluechirp asked. “Mmmm,” Grayling hummed nervously. “Please,” Bluechirp pushed. Bluechirp could be rambunctious at times, but she was always telling Grayling to be more adventurous. “Fine,” Grayling sighed.
It was dark in the tunnel and the walls smelled of old leaves. A short time after they had entered it they heard a “ RRRRRRRRRoar,” from in front of them. “AAAAAAAA,” screamed Bluechirp! They sprinted back to the surface. Thankfully, Grayling had left the trap door open, and she ushered Lightbreak into the air. Just as they landed on a tree to wait for their parents, Grayling got a glimpse of scaly wings, and long horns. “What was that?” Lightbeack asked between gasps. “A dragon maybe,” answered Grayling, recalling the bone chilling sound it had made. “Maybe they’re friendly,” he said. “Can we come back tomorrow?” Lightbeack then asked. “Sure!” Grayling laughed.
Later, the trio told Grayling’s parents what had happened. They were upset, but glad no
one had gotten hurt. What they didn’t know was that the three birds were going back.
That day Grayling had learned that sometimes an adventure was worth the risk.
The End