I have my own story contribution to this thread. I wrote this last year for my grade 9 english class.
The girl is the only one in the world. This world is an island, green with endless field of grass. There are no animals on this island. A castle is located in the center of a large plain. Its origins are unknown; it has been here as long as the girl, and she has been here since the world’s creation. There is no known beginning or end; it seems as if the world has always been here.
She is not sad, because she has not felt happiness before. She is not lonely, because she has never had company. She lives her life without emotion. She is not upset by this, because she has never felt anything else before.
In the beginning, she was hungry. She starved, until she learned what food in the castle was edible. She learned that she needed to stay warm, eat food, and sleep. She learned her own survival.
There was a large library in the castle. The books contained knowledge about an infinite amount of subjects. It was almost like the library contained the knowledge of a whole other world. She read many books about many different subjects, but all these things seemed unreal. The books mentioned people, of a society which she did not understand. She did not think much about these things. Ultimately, these things were a fantasy to her, something she had never experienced.
Every day was analogous; nothing seemed to set a day apart from the rest. She thought nothing much of it. Eventually, with a lack of interest, she lost track of time. She didn’t think it mattered. “After all,” she thought, “what makes this day worth remembering?”
It is not uncommon for her to take a walk on the beach. It is usually an inconsequential affair. “Going outside was good for you” she had read. She didn’t question knowledge from books, as there was no reason to suggest otherwise.
This time, however, things were different. A small, feathered creature could be seen flying in the cloudless sky. It moved gracefully, soaring through the sky, free from all bounds. She had read about these creatures before. They were called birds. The bird became larger and larger, until it jauntily landed in the wet, ocean sand. The girl quietly observed the bird. Gathering courage, she walked up to the bird and stroked its feathers. The bird chirped in delight.
The girl and the bird played. The bird sung for the girl with its beautiful, serene voice. The girl played tag with the bird; the bird spread is wings, and so did the girl. For the first time, the girl had fun. For the first time, the girl felt happiness.
She brought the bird back to the castle. She returned to her room, opened the windows, and looked up upon the heavens. She called out constellations to the bird, and the bird listened intently. Feeling tired, she laid down on her bed. She wished the bird good night, and quickly fell asleep.
The next morning was a typical one. She awoke at her leisure, leaving the bed when the sun was high in the sky. She looked for the bird from the previous day. She searched, and searched, but the creature was nowhere to be found. A feeling of melancholy filled her mind. She did not know why, but the absence of the bird was the cause of the feeling. For the first time, the girl felt sadness.
Weeks passed. Every day life continued, but the sadness persisted. She did not know why. It was only a bird, and it could not speak to her. However, this did not matter. What mattered was she felt it, and she couldn’t dispel the feeling.
She decided to venture to the forest. The forest was not far from the castle; it would only take a half day’s walk to arrive. The forest was clearly displayed on a map in the castle, but she had never dared to visit before. She planned to set out early, but did not leave until it was almost noon. She packed a bag of food for the day, and followed the path to the forest. By the time she reached the forest, the sun was already low in the sky.
She ate the food that she packed, left the forest, and started the lengthy journey home. Clouds had begun to roll over. Abruptly, the temperature dropped, and sheets of white began to cover the ground. The green plains turned white, becoming a frozen wasteland in minutes. The girl felt frozen daggers bite into her skin. She cried out, as she had never felt something like this before. By the time she reached the castle, she was almost completely frozen. Icicles hung from her hair, and a thin layer of ice covered her face. For the first time, she felt pain.
After that day, the girl did not dare to venture out of the castle. At least not until the plains became green again. She spent her time in the library, reading of another world, one with many people and animals. She was immersed in this fantasy world, a world spent with others. She yearned for company, someone to spend time with. She felt sad. She felt pain. And for the first time, she felt loneliness.
And so she painted. There were many items in the castle, and eventually she found the items necessary for painting. She painted a world without loneliness. She painted a world without sadness. She painted a world without pain. She painted her world. A world where people lived happily with each other, and lived their lives in bliss.
She painted and painted. She painted everything. Cities, country sides, oceans, and forest. She created a home for herself. She created people and animals surrounding her. She painted her world.
No matter how much she painted, she still felt lonely and sad. The world called out to her. They called her name, something which she had forgotten long ago. She reached out, but could not enter the world of the paintings.
The girl looked inside the paintings. She saw people happy. She saw people fulfilled. She saw a world without pain. She realized that she could never have these things.
A strange feeling enveloped her mind. She could not describe what it was. She wondered why the people in the paintings lived so happily. She felt raging jealousy, jealousy she could not control.
And so she burned them. All the paintings engulfed in a fireball of hatred. Tears fell from her eyes. For the first time, she cried.
The fire spread. The castle burned, and her world crumbled. The entire world was set aflame. At the end of it all, she was still the only one in the world. For the first time, she realized what a terrible world this was. She was truly alone.
