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August 2022 Fiction Contest: The Census MAG
August 23, 2022
“Remember last year when we played hide-and-seek?” My older sister, May, smiled like Cheshire, one of my least favorite cartoon characters.
As the cabinet’s doors swung shut, siphoning off the last wisp of light, me and my twin sister held our breaths, for we knew there was more than one seeker—May; my parents; and a group of scary men who always banged on the main door, tramped around the room, and spoke in harsh syllables.
We didn’t even dare to cough.
For three years now, the prize had been ice cream. We didn’t know the punishment, for we haven’t lost yet.
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My name is Elaine G., and I am a junior at Jenks High School, Oklahoma. My greatest hobby of all is reading and writing. It was after reading extensive YA fiction that I realized what I wanted to do—write YA. Whenever I have the time, I now sit down and write poetry, short stories, or even novels. Recently, I am working on publishing my very first book, The Oracle.
This flash fiction is from my childhood memories of how my parents always hid me and my sister when government officials came to update the census. Because of the one-child policy, we were illegal. As I grew up and learned the cruelty behind this policy, I am increasingly thankful for my family. They tried to protect me and my sister in every aspect, both mentally and physically.