Hier können wir unsere eigenen literarischen Werke publizieren. / Here we can publish our own pieces.

Barbara Marten - 22.09.2019 @ 15:13

Here is my short story "The oak".

Anja Leitner - 13.11.2019 @ 17:10

The oak

by Anja Leitner, BG-BRG Kufstein/Austria

Picture by Anja Leitner

The first few months of the oak's life were dark and damp. It was just a little acorn then, separated from its parent, all alone. Occasionally, an earthworm would visit, but it would vanish again without taking notice of the small acorn. During those days, it felt very lonely, and missed the sun and its family. But it grew steadily, and it always told itself: “Soon, I will hear the birds chirp, and the wolves howl, and I will see deer and badgers, as I did when I was still together with my parent and my siblings.”

When the little sapling finally broke the surface of the earth, it was filled with an overwhelming joy. Rays of sunlight made their way through the bigger trees' leaves, and they warmed the little sapling's thin stem. “Oh, how I missed the world above”, it thought.

However, being a sapling was dangerous. Whenever it didn't rain for a longer period of time, it feared it would die of thirst, and whenever the sun didn't show for a couple of days, it felt weaker than usual. And then there were the animals: wolves and foxes, badgers and deer. One time, it even spotted a bear in the distance. They somehow always managed to run past the little sapling, but it was scared of being trampled nevertheless.

Many years passed before the oak saw its first human. By then, it had grown up to be a healthy tree

and it had been carrying acorns of its own for a long time. It had heard of humans before, the birds often told tales of their wonderful singers and terrible wars. But the young boy that spent a night leaned against the oak’s mighty stem, didn't look like a singer, and neither did he look like a fighter. His clothes were in rags and his cheeks dirty, and he was too skinny. He reminded the oak of its own childhood, for he looked as fragile as it had looked back then. It was a cold night, and the boy was shivering in his sleep. The next morning, he woke up early and left quickly. The thought of the poor boy searching for shelter but not being able to find it, saddened the oak.

One day, some years later, a man passed it. He was wearing shining armour and riding a strong descrier. He did not recognize the place, or so it seemed, but the oak recognized him. He had changed a lot – but his eyes were still those of a young homeless boy who had spent a night underneath an oak when he didn't have anywhere else to go.

The next humans who dared to go so deep into the forest were two women. They wore dresses made from the finest silk, but they obviously weren't afraid of ruining them, as they sat down on the muddy ground without hesitation. “Do you think we are safe here?” one of them asked, her voice trembling with concern. “Yes, I think we may talk and act freely here”, the other replied and took her friend's hand. From that day on, they visited the oak every seventh day for several months. They would laugh and they would talk, and sometimes they would just sit there, holding hands and saying nothing at all.

But then came a day when they weren't laughing. They were crying and clinging onto each other as if their lives depended on it. Seven days later, only one woman was sitting on the muddy ground, and she couldn't stop sobbing. Before she left, she looked back over her shoulder one last time, and the oak knew she would never return.

Centuries passed, and humans and animals came and went. The oak witnessed kisses and arguments, it spotted soldiers on their horses and hunters and their dogs; it watched animals die and animals being born. It noticed how the humans' appearance changed over the years, and how the people treated each other differently in different time periods. It also got more and more aware of a catastrophe the humans were bringing upon themselves and their environment. The rain was changing. The air was changing. The birds' songs were mostly sad these days. They were singing of trees being cut down and lakes being polluted. But the oak didn't want to think about it. It wanted to focus on the good aspects of life.

Recently, a family of three started to visit the forest regularly. The father tied a swing to one of the oak's lowest branches, and his daughter loved to use it. Sometimes, she even found the courage to climb the tree. Whenever she did that, her father would tell her to stop. He was convinced she would fall and break her neck. But her mother only laughed. “She is a smart child”, she would always say. “Let her climb. She will be careful.” The oak loved the little girl. It was very old now, hundreds of years old, but the little girl's cheerful smile helped her to never forget how beautiful life was. And it loved to see this happy family, enjoying their time together, for it had seen too many sad and terrifying things during its lifetime. “Hopefully, it will stay like this for a while”, the oak thought.

But one day, something was different. Strange men who had been coming into the forest for some weeks and had been looking at the trees were crowded around the oak. And the family was there again after the oak hadn't seen them for a couple of days. The father, his face solemn, was holding his daughter back, who was struggling to break free and run towards her swing. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Her mother was standing beside them, shaking her head and trying to console the little girl. Suddenly, the oak remembered the two women that had visited it so many years before, and a word came to its mind, a word they had said to each other: “Goodbye.” And for some reason, it seemed to fit the current situation quite well.

There was a loud noise, a roar, similar to the sound the bear had uttered, the bear the oak had spotted so many years before. The girl cried out, and the oak felt something sharp biting into its stem. “But I have not seen enough yet!” it thought. But there was nothing it could do. And the little girl's cry was the last thing it should ever hear.

Here are some short-stories from my classmates.

Mathias Sörensen - 14.11.2019 @ 08:10

No Date Has Ever Been More Disastrous

by Ebba Snygg Nygren, VKS Växjö/Sweden

No date has ever been more disastrous. It all started when a guy added me on snapchat. I knew who he was because we went to the same school before, but he was a year older than me. I didn't really know him, but he was familiar. Then we started talking and just having very ordinary conversations, as friends usually do. I realized that he was actually a really funny and nice guy. After a while he told me that he had liked me for a while and that he thought that I was really beautiful. About a week later we met and we clicked right away. He was kind of shy in the very beginning, though, but I just thought it was cute. 

We met up in the city, right after school. He gave me a hug and then we started to walk towards the center of the city. We went to a grocery store and bought some stuff for a picnic. We bought sweets, soda, chips and strawberries. He insisted on paying for everything. Then we took the bus to my place, we came home and realized that we had forgotten to buy the most important thing, the chocolate. He loved chocolate and I knew that because he had told me that before. So I insisted that we should drive to the closest grocery store and buy some chocolate for him. I had a moped and I knew how to drive, and he didn´t, so it was very obvious who would drive.

We were on our way to the grocery store, he was sitting behind me and had his hands around my waist. Even though we had helmets on, I felt the wind blowing in my hair as we drove down the long downhill slopes. A short while after the slopes had run out, the moped suddenly died. I checked if the gasoline or coolant had run out or if there was something else wrong. But I didn't really find the error. The thing was that we were halfway to the grocery store and neither of my parents were home and could fetch us. So we only had one way to get home, to walk, with the moped in tow. As the gentleman he was, he took the moped and led it up all the long slopes and all the way home.

When we got home we went down to the lake and had a really nice picnic. So the story ended really great actually. But unfortunately there was no chocolate.

My Spontaneous Night Out

by Rahma Alblebish, VKS Växjö/Schweden

It was the most perfect date, or at least that’s what I thought. It all started with me being bored and lying in my bed on, a Friday night. When I suddenly receive a text message from my friend, Lily. She texts me that she is going on a date next week with a guy she got to know over the internet. That doesn’t sound like smart idea, I think to myself. I advise her that she should try to find out more about him before meeting him. I mean, who knows, he might be a serial killer. She responds with an annoyed emoji.

I start thinking about the last time I went on a date. I remember it so well because it was with a boy I had a huge crush on, but it was so long ago, when I was in high school. The week goes by quickly and now it’s Friday again. I don’t really have a social life, and I’ve only got one friend that's always busy. When I think about it, I really am an introvert. This is not okay; I need to be more spontaneous. I’ve just graduated and bought my first apartment. I mean my life has just begun. I need to get my life together - I should go out tonight.

I quickly put on a little make-up and then I start to think about what to wear. I check my wardrobe, there is not much to choose from. I have a little black dress that I put on. I’m blown away by the fact that it still fits me. It has started to get a little chilly outside, so I should probably bring a coat with me. I go out and lock the door to my apartment. When I get out, I feel the cool evening air against my warm skin and I feel how the hair on my neck starts to rise. I live a little outside of town and usually take the car if I want to go somewhere. I don't really know where to go, but there is a small, hidden and cozy bar at the end of the street.

I walk into the bar and am surprised at how little people are there. I see an older couple sitting at a table, a small group of people standing in front of the bar and then my gaze gets stuck on a guy sitting alone at a table further in. He’s sitting with his back against me, and I can't see his face, but something about him catches my interest. My gaze wanders around him; I try to see if he has company. But it doesn't look like it. He hasn't bought anything to drink, he has no book in his hand, he is just sitting there. He looks so peaceful, like all his worries are gone and he’s just enjoying the silence of the bar.

I look away for a short while and when I turn my gaze back to the guy he is gone. Where did he go? I'm a little disappointed. Just before I turn around, I feel someone patting me on the shoulder. I look up and it's the guy that was sitting at the table. He must have caught me staring! I’m so embarrassed. He offers to buy me a drink and I say yes.

We sit down at his table and I notice that I haven't even looked him in the eye. I raise my gaze and meet his. He has green eyes and they really fit his dark hair. The whole night goes by perfectly, the conversation flows on well and it never becomes awkward. I have to tell Lily this. I say that I have to use the bathroom, but really I’m just going to call Lily. The last time I heard from her was on Wednesday before she went on her date. But she has not answered my text messages or calls since then, she may still be angry about what I said. I try calling her, but she doesn't answer. I go back and the guy is gone again. I look around and then notice that he is standing at the door. I should have taken the bus instead of my car. How am I going to get home now? He offers me to stay at his place tonight and he says that he lives around the corner. At first I think it was a bad idea because I don’t know him very well, but I can’t drink and drive. I say yes and we walk towards his apartment.

When we arrive I feel a disgusting smell from the trash can outside. He explained that it smells bad because his neighbor throws away rotten cat food in that trash can. We walk into his apartment and it’s small and cozy. He reaches out his hand and says his name is Caleb. Then he says that I can sleep on the bed and that he will take the couch. I say that I can sleep on the couch, but he insists that I sleep on the bed. I ask where the bathroom is and he says that it’s on the left, then he disappears into the living room.

I feel the same disgusting smell in the bathroom. It smells like an animal has died in here. The bathroom is pretty small, I look around and my head hurts. I would love to take a bath, but I dare not do that when I see the disgusting shower curtain with yellow-red stains on it. I wash my hands and before I go out I accidentally drop my cell phone on the bathroom floor. I bend down to pick it up and see an earring on the floor that I recognize. Lily has the exact same earrings. I’m probably just drunk, I think to myself. 

Speaking about Lily, I should probably try calling her again. I call her and the same second I hear a cell phone start vibrating inside the bathroom, it sounds like it comes from the tub behind the shower curtain. My heart starts beating faster, I look down at my phone and it’s still calling Lily. My thoughts are starting to spin. Why is Lily's earring lying on the floor? Why am I feeling this rotten smell? Why isn’t Lily responding? That's when I remember, the guy that Lily went on a date with was also named Caleb. I slowly pull the curtain and see Lily's phone lying in the bathtub, my heart stops and I can't breathe. The disgusting smell I felt was that coming from Lily? Is she dead? Did Caleb murder her? A thousand thoughts are spinning in my head but one thing is clear, I have to get out of here. I carefully unlock the door and start to run toward the front door. I slip and fall back and when I look up I see Caleb, I watch him as he goes to the front door and locks it and then he turns and looks at me....

The Worst Date Ever

by Nicklas Olsson, VKS Växjö/Sweden

No date has ever been more disastrous. It all started when I chose some clothes. My cat ate my underwear, which meant that I had to go to the mall, since I didn’t have another pair. So, when I drove to the mall the traffic was horrific! There were so many cars blocking the road! Finally, when I got to the mall, I couldn’t find a parking spot. So I spent 30 minutes looking for one and finding a spot 300 meters away from the mall.

After one hour, I finally got to the mall, and started to look for underwear. The only store I found was Calvin Klein, which contained clothing that was super expensive! One pair of underwear for 60 dollars! So after that, I drove home with my car and took a quick shower, but I realized that I didn’t have any soap. So I had to smell like trash, but that’s ok because I didn’t really like the girl I would be meeting.

I finally picked up this girl at 7pm, at her house. The traffic was thankfully not as horrible as earlier and we came to the restaurant in time for our reservation. I picked the restaurant this time, and I chose a meat restaurant because I love meat. There isn’t anything better than a good big juicy steak.

Suddenly she said: “Uhh, I thought you knew, but I’m vegan.”

And I said: “Oh, sorry girl, should we go somewhere else?

The girl said: “Can we go to McDonalds? They have vegan burgers!”

And I said of course that we should go to McDonalds, their meat burgers are spectacular.

After 25 minutes of driving, we finally arrived at McDonalds. We walked into the building and started to order. I ordered a Big Mac and she ordered a salad. We started to eat our food and we discussed about how much she contributes to the environment. One fact about me is that I don’t care about the environment. After 30 minutes of a boring discussion about the environment, she started to cough.

I asked: “Oh, what’s going on, are you ok?”

She answered: “Yes *cough* or I mean *cough* no. Can you call 911, please?”

I took my phone and called 911. After 10 long minutes, the ambulance showed up. I was too tired to go with the girl to the hospital. So I drove home. 

That was probably the worst date that I ever had. Wish me good luck with the dating in the future!

The Most Disastrous Date Ever

by Max Augustsson, VKS Växjö/Sweden

To start off I found him on tinder. He was so beautiful, and he had the best description of himself that I had seen on tinder so far. We had talked for a bit on tinder and finally set a date that worked for both parties, it was a on a Tuesday in May and I was so excited.

I got second thoughts on the day before the big night and got so nervous I almost called it off, but my sister convinced me to go. She told me how fun it would be and that it couldn't go more wrong than the latest date I went on, but that's another story. 

It was date time and he stood outside my door with flowers. It was a massive bouquet and so gorgeous. His name was Jakob and was a normally built guy with short black hair, brown eyes and the cutest smile I've seen. I opened the door and hugged him. He said I looked so beautiful and I couldn't help but blush. We walked to the umber he came with. The date started in the best way possible and I was so excited. I asked what he had planned this evening and he answered that to start off we were getting ice cream on the beach, after that we were going on a boat trip on his yacht where we would be served dinner on deck under the stars. I pictured the most romantic scenario ever.

After the date was over I thanked him for everything and he replied that he had a great time so I gave him my number and a kiss on his cheek. He took one step backwards and said the weirdest thing ever. Next time maybe I could bring my girlfriend so you guys could meet each other? I turned and ran off screaming bad words, crying. I thought a thousand thoughts in a second and just blacked out. Next thing I know I woke up in the hospital wishing I was dead.

Hello,

I am Pia and I read the short story: "No date has ever been more disastrous". I like the way how you met. I mean... it is the 21. century and everybody uses social media, so how they met was very realist. In my point of view to write about a first date is a cute idea for a short story. You gave the protagonists characters so it was easy to paint a picture of them in my head. 

Nevertheless, I think you could use more adverbs, adjectives and conjunctions to describe their surrounding so it is easier to imagine and the reader can follow the story more fluently. 

Thanks for sharing 

-Pia 

Pia Boje - 17.12.2019 @ 16:13

Hallo! Ich heiße Zsanna und ich habe diese kurze Geschichte „The Most Disastrous Date Ever” gelesen.

Um ehrlich zu sein, benutzen heutzutage schon viele Jugendliche Internet, um andere Leute kennen zu lernen. Sobald ich beim Lesen zu Tinder kam, hatte ich eine schlechte Vorahnung, dass mit wem sie spricht, gab sich für eine ganz andere Person aus. Aber ich las weiter und alles ging gut und normal in der Story. Auch das, dass sie nervös war, wie in der Wirklichkeit, wenn man vor einem Date ist. Wenn ich an ihrer Stelle wäre, hätte ich auch geglaubt, dass es ein Rendezvous ist. Am Ende hast du einen sehr guten Schluss ausgedacht, ich finde es witzig, aber ich fühle die Frustration des Mädchens in dieser Situation. Das Einzige, das ich nicht verstehen konnte: Warum benutzt der Junge Tinder, falls er eine Freundin hat?

Im Allgemeinen gefiel mir dein Artikel sehr! Danke sehr Max, dass du es geteilt hast!

Zsanna Pásztói - 19.12.2019 @ 08:52