In English, we were assigned to write a flash fiction story and illustrate a graphic novel based off of the same plot. I chose to base my story on two main characters: a girl named Annabelle, and a boy named Charlie. They both feel lonely and don't fit in with the other kids at school. Below is my flash fiction story I've written and if you click on the thumbnail, you can view my graphic novel. Enjoy!
Click on Image to see Graphic Novel.
The Journal
Slam! She closed her thick locker door and clicked the lock tight. Her pink polka dotted dress swayed as she walked down the hallway. Her daily red bow on the right side of her hair accented her dress and gave her a feminine look. Her beautiful brunette hair bounced as she strode through the various crowds. Although her confidence illuminated and shined, no one even bothered to turn his or her head to glance at her. Annabelle was invisible.
She turned to her right as she noticed a young boy silently sitting on a brown bench reading. Her feet abruptly stopped and she nonchalantly took a couple steps back so that a thick wall was covering her entire figure. She peeked at this young man with interest and curiosity.
His innocent hands were gripping a pencil with force as he fluently wrote on the fragile pages. His expression was calm with a glimpse of a grin. His hair was neatly combed and his circular shaped glasses sat still on his nose. Charlie was alone.
Suddenly, the sound of feet loudly stomping on dry cement was heard over snickers and giggles. Charlie raised his head and glared at a group of boys with fear spreading through his body.
“Hey, look guys…Charlie’s writing in his lame journal again!” Their snickers started to echo as they continued to mock him.
“Ha, ha, ha! What a loser!”
“Don’t you have anything better to do kid?”
These boys had been picking on Charlie since the beginning of high school and wouldn’t quit. He was done with them calling him out. He was fed up with their insolence. His legs steadily arose along with his entire body filled with courage.
“What’s your guys’ problem? Cant’ you leave me alone for once?”
The snickers suddenly ceased. A boy, twice the size of Charlie, inspected him as he slowly walked towards him. His hand swelled up into a tight fist. Once face-to-face with Charlie, he grabbed his notebook and violently lashed it in on the ground.
Charlie went from a lion to a mouse as his eyes swelled up with tears. His hands covered his face to make his sobbing become silent. The reminiscent snickers and mocking chuckles started to echo again as Charlie’s feet scampered off into the distance and his shadow disappearing behind a building.
After witnessing the entire scenario, Annabelle was left speechless. As the boys walked off, she noticed the journal with torn up pages scattered across the ground. She sprinted to the location of the journal and gingerly gathered all the pages. Frantically, Annabelle headed towards the swings, where she spent most of her time.
Taking a seat on the lowest swing, she glanced at the journal. Very slowly, she put the pages in their correct spot and taped it down with extreme caution and care. Then, she opened the journal and couldn’t stop herself from reading the entries Charlie had scribed through his years in high school.
Suddenly, there were tears dripping down her face. She felt emotionally connected to him from reading the experiences he went through and the emotions he felt. She could feel the pain to a certain extent he felt; it was as if she was in his shoes. She knew what she had to do. Annabelle closed the book shut and headed off yelling, “Charlie, Charlie, Charlie!!”
There he was hiding behind a shed with his hands still planted on his moist face. Annabelle could hear the faint sobs and softly spoke his name. Startled, his head swiveled and his eyes filled with confusion.
“I believe this is yours Charlie.” As Annabelle returned his journal back to him, she sensed the feeling of gratitude he was experiencing.
She leaned towards him and gave him a kiss on the lips. Although it was obvious he was startled, he too could feel the connection and empathy she shared with him. Who knew a simple object, like a journal could connect two human beings on an extreme emotional level. Now, neither of them was alone; they had each other.
I thoroughly enjoyed the process of storytelling throughout this unit. Writing a short story allowed me to express myself and show off my writing skills through words and also drawings in my graphic novel. I loved making up my own characters and giving them external and internal conflicts, along with building the plot to make it aesthetically pleasing.