WriteOn! 2024

6th Grade

1st Place

Nikol Papa, Korça

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Everything I touch turns to candy…

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One day I woke up but I couldn’t move… It felt like I was stuck between sticky rocks, but the rocks smelt like cherries...I opened my eyes and saw...What?! Everything was turned to candycanes. I thought it was a dream so I rubbed my eyes and, yes… it was still candy. I screamed so my mom could hear and she did. She came into my room and almost fainted! I slowly tried to move but couldn’t so I had to break the candy and get out. To be honest I actually liked it, I felt like a superhero even tho its just candy.

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Well, I started eating my gummy bear pillow while my mom was calling grandma and telling her everything, but by the time she arrived I turned like, the whole room to candy so...that was pointless. I stopped licking candy and started thinking. I could be a superhero for kids, like get them candy when they are sad and make their day. I wore my flip-flops and went out, good my clothes were still good. Everyone was looking at my outfit and probably thinking I was crazy or insane. I didn’t care because on my way to the police with my mom I saw a little boy, crying. He was alone and it was my time to shine! I ran to him and you know started to support him. And then I ran out of patience so I just grabbed a rock and Boom! It was candy and I gave it to the boy. Everyone was staring at me not believing their eyes, and when the camera man came I proudly introduced myself as “The candy hero”

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After that I was pretty famous but still tried not to touch anything. I would usually get interviewed but one day the idea came to mind. I could create a real candy world, so this is what I did - on one of my interviews I said it and two days later I had my own big plot and ready to start.It felt like Elsa in the movie Frozen just it wasn’t ice it was candy. Candy world took so long to make but I finally had houses, people made of candy, a bunch of candy parks, playgrounds, woods, camping grounds, etc. This was amazing.

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My life turned upside down! I was so happy. Now my job was to take care of candy world and make children happy. I built my own car that actually did not ruin the planet and started to control my power in order to live normally. I build my family a whole house and this is how life is going. I go through adventures everyday and I love that, but this happened long ago now I am grown up and don’t use my power as often now but at least candy world is still going….

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Well I guess this is my story of how I am who I am. One last thing. When I was little always wanted to be a superhero and I loved candy so I guess never give up on your dreams.

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2nd Place

Alketa Velçani, Kavaja

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3rd Place

Maikela Hamzaj, Kukes

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7th Grade

1st Place

Danja Nela, Kavaja

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That was the worst day of all. It started like this. I was sleeping very happy. I was dreaming for my test mark and there were my teacher and classmates. The teacher was very happy for one reason. I’ve got the best marks of all the students. She gave me the test and I saw on it. Suddenly I felt something on my hand which was walking on my little finger. I saw my hand but there was nothing. I felt a little bit scared. Then, I felt again the little thing on my other hand. I looked again on my hand, but didn’t saw anything scary. It was a little brown ant. I smiled and I left the ant from my hand. That dream was strange. Then, I saw lots of ants on my desk. The ants were brown, red, small and big. I screamed and when I opened my eyes I had lots of tears on my cheeks. I was in panic. I said very softly: “what’s going on with me?” Why I feel so strange?

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As I said before it was a horrible day. I woke up at seven past half and I was late for school. When I was running to school I fell on the road. All my clothes were dirty and on my shoes were some ants. I looked at them so scared. They were like people on my point of view. I ran to school again but when I arrived there, I saw the angry face of my teacher. Her hazel eyes looked very angry She told me about my test mark. It was horrible. The teacher told my mum, too. When I was going very sad in my home I saw a group of ants on the road. They were coming to me. I ran to my home quickly and I asked myself very shocked: “Why are they chasing me? Why?” I opened the door of the house when I saw the angry face of my mum. Her pale brown hair was terrible. She shouted to me for my test mark and I went very sad in my bedroom. I cried a lot. That day was strange. A D- on my test wasn’t normal. I cried again. It was terrible. I slept very sad that night. I saw again that scary dream, but this turn the ants were looking at me. They called my name. The next morning when I opened my eyes I went to the bathroom very tired. But there was happening something. Everything I saw was bigger and bigger I looked on the floor and I saw six little legs. I screamed: “What?” Hey! I am a small something!! I screamed again: “Ohhh, my god!” I was...a..a...and ant. That was horrible. I called my mum but she didn’t answer. She thought that I was at school. I wasn’t very scary. I had a strange feeling. I was a little ant.

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I went to my garden quickly. It was so hard because everything was so big and I was so small. I looked the garden very happy. My hame looked like a big mountain to climb, the garden looked like a big forest to explore but I felt alone. It was amazing. I climbed on a tree without problem. From there I could see all the city. Being a little ant wasn’t bad for me. It was awesome. I turned to back on the ground when a big butterfly was in front of me. She had pink wings with white dots. Suddenly she talked to me softly and gently: “ Hi little ant! What are you doing on my house.” “Oh sorry” - I sad, - I will turned on the ground. That butterfly shouted to me: “Down, go on your home bad ant.” i cried a little bit and I continued my way. It was terrible. It was like my real life as a human. That world wasn’t so beautiful. I thought that there the insects lived in peace.

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When I was on the ground i met a little lizard. “Hey” - I said to him - You looked very beautiful. I will call you little Mr. Lizzy! The lizard opened his mouth and he talked to me very angry: “Oh, little ant, do you know the rules of the garden?” No, I answered him. “Ok, pretty little ant!!! The rule number one is: Don’t talk with a lizard. The lizards eat ants -he said. His long tongue was in front of me. He wanted to eat me. I ran quickly but, I was too small. The lizard grabbed me and smiled very happy. He said: The time to eat!! At this moment I closed my eyes. It was my end. Suddenly, I heard a song. “Loala we’re here for you.” -said some ants. I smiled to them. I opened my eyes very happy. Here!!! - I said - I’m here!! The ants were my helpers. They made a strange magic. That thing was very strange and quick at the same time. The lizard has gone. Their good magic saved me.

“Ooh” I said. “You are my little helpers?”

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Yes, they said. We’re here to help you. Say these words and you’ll be a human again: “Small or big it doesn’t have meaning . Just do your best and you’ll be better.” That’s all our padron. We are going to leave now. You are here to save the “fauna world.” Did you understand? -They said.

Yes, I understand. - I answered very proud.

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…..

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After some minutes I was human again. I didn’t forgot that words for a long time. I was the chosen one. I had to save the “fauna world.” But That wasn’t the end of my “little” adventure. To be an ant was beautiful but very hard.

I will start my adventure for a few days. I learned that the life was the most important thing. That was everything that I learned. Ants aren’t big but they work hard, like me.

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After all: No one knew for my adventure, but I will tell my mum of course, if she believes me, of course.

 

2nd Place

Sibora Kodra, Korça

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3rd Place

Diola Menga, Peshkopi

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8th Grade

1st place

Iris Sako, Divjake

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...I opened the door and saw a million, billion...whatever...old books. They were all covered in dust and their first pages weren’t so clear to see. But.. right there, I see a book, a different one… There was not a lot of dust on it but still looked really old. It seemed like someone had used it lately. It was sooo big, one meters square I can tell. Who on Earth would open that dusty old thing in the middle of nowhere…? Huh..me, of course…

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I went to look closely and their were some weird names written on it. I thought those were the names of the authors...but, um...we’ll find out soon. It was really heavy to open, but curiosity was haunting me (like… that ghost thing). I tried to open it and there...Crack!!! I twisted my ankle. That was the last thing I needed in that moment. Still managed to open that book. I opened it and there comes a butterfly! Aww.

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BUT , no… not really. A cockroach came out of there, I really hate those type of insects. Suddenly the insect flew to my ankle, “sat” there and stayed still, without moving for about 2 meters. I was dying inside, terrified and without moving even one finger. I couldn’t talk or scream. I was SCARED.

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Then the cockroach flew away out of the window and there I could finally move. I’m still not sure if I couldn’t because I was scared or the insect did that to me. Then my ankle didn’t hurt anymore. Yeah, that looks like those stories we see in movies, but...really, mine is real. I opened the other page and there comes two worms. Two big, fat, squishy worms. Weirdest thing ever!!! They were moving fast, really fast, to go to the old books and started eating their pages. My reaction was just as the one with the cockraoch: No moving, No talking!!! Really, that was making me upset! After eating, the worms came to me and one of them hopped on my hand and started moving in a “THANK YOU” shape. It really needed a lot of time, but letter after letter I started to like those guys. Then they went in the book again. After that...I don’t know why but I wanted to open the next page too even tho I was expecting a big, huge, giant tarantula to come. So I did open the page and the tarantula did come out. But with a little difference, or a big one probably. It was soo small and cute.

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(I’m not Billie Eilish, don’t worry. And I haven’t made a song with spiders in my mouth.)

But that one was so small and cute. I was looking at the spider and she was looking at me too. And there I kinda saw it smiling. Yeah, that’s impossible but I really did, or probably my mind made it up. Then the tarantula went back inside the book. Then I closed the book and started thinking about all these things. The cockroach helped me, or at least he made me think so and I didn’t feel the pain anymore. Then I helped the worms and they thanked me. After that, the tarantula came and smiled at me.

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Well, wasn’t so bad, right…? At least they didn’t bite me. I closed the book and saw the weird “names” again. There I understood why they were there. It said:

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EVOL ERUTAN DNA TI LLIW EVOL UOY KCAB

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(Read each word backwards)

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It was: LOVE NATURE AND IT WILL LOVE YOU BACK.

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That’s what I did, and now I love it even more than before. So you should too!

 

2nd place

Avni Axhami, Kukes

 

3rd place

Anastasia Myftarlli, Korça

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9th Grade

1st place

Ada Omuri, Kukes

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Hi! I’ll tell you my story, I’ll ​tell you that giving up is never an option, that if you keep trying there is always a way to escape!

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I’m just another teenage girl, just like every other girl, but my story isn’t just like any other girl’s.

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It was a normal day and my mom came to pick me up from school. I was telling her about my day when I heard a huge crashing sound and there...it all started! The last thing I saw were my mom laying next to me and the ambulance sirens coming towards us. It felt like a few seconds when I “woke up”, well… I thought I woke up. I couldn’t see anything, I couldn’t move anything, it felt like I was trapped in my own body. I stayed like that for a while, until I heard voices, it was my mom and some other voices I couldn’t recognize. They kept talking about me, how it was possible I wouldn’t wake up, but I was there. I wanted to scream my lungs out, I screamed my lungs out but nobody seemed to hear or notice anything besides my moveless but still breathing body.

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Time passed, I can’t tell exactly how much but it felt like centuries, it felt like a whole eternity. I felt empty. I could hear everything, could hear my parents crying, and I couldn’t do anything to stop them. I couldn’t do anything to tell them that their daughter was right there. They came and go, I could feel their warm hands and kisses on my forehead. I was desperate, I wish that was a nightmare and I could escape from it.That was it, I needed to escape, I needed to escape my own thoughts and my own body, I needed to wake up. At least I wasn’t alone, my memories were with me, my imagination was there with me and a little bit of hope was there with me. After some time my mind wasn’t that dark prison anymore. I thought with myself: “If I’ll have to stay here for a while at least I’ll make this stay nice and memorable, because it’s all I have right now.” That’s what I did, I turned my mind into my own wonderland. It had all I needed, it had a sun, that warmed my soul, it had rain, to take away the drought of a desert, it had four seasons one more beautiful than the other, it had mountains and hills. I could be anything I wanted there, I could be a fairy with sparkly wings or a mermaid with the fabulous tail. At least I escaped my “dark prison” inside my head, but I realized that was only the first step. I still had to wake up, so that wonderland wouldn’t be only in my head. Now I had to escape my “dead” body and bring life to it again. All I ever wanted to do is escaping real world because I didn’t like it, it was cruel and full of misery but it’s surprising how tables turn. All I want to do now is wake up, escape this imaginary world and live my life again. I missed it.

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Part 2:

It was like I was inside my body so I decided to escape it a bit. If I could touch one of my nerves it would make my body move, so it would be my passport to the real world, it would be that little button to signal my body to move. After sometime of endless trying I felt my lashes moving and seems like the doctor saw it. I could hear them jumping around but I knew they couldn't hear me screaming of happiness from inside. Some more time passed and was finally able to open my eyes. I saw the world. I HAD ESCAPED that nightmare and I couldn’t be more happy. The first thing I did when I opened my eyes was cry, I cried so much but not because of sadness, they were happiness tears. After two weeks I was able to move my whole body and finally get out of the hospital. I learned that I had been in a coma for 4 months and that if it wasn’t for my desire to stay alive I would have died a long time ago. In that time I realized that giving up is never an option and doing everything you can to escape will always be worth it. I first escaped the darkness in my mind, than in my body and I could finally see the light of day again.

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THE END

 

2nd place:

Viola Çera, Bathore-Kamez

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3rd place

Sara Duçi, Korça

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10th Grade

1st Place

Muhamed Istregi, Kavaja

 

​It was the second week since insomnia had kicked in and I couldn’t really think straight. It was 2 am and every second passing was driving me crazy. I got up and looked out, the sky was full of stars and the Moon was shining like never before. So I decided to go for a walk around the neighborhood. Five minutes later I found myself in the middle of a house which I had never seen before. Something inside moved and I decided to get the hell out of there as soon as possible.

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The next day while walking the same path with Tom, I pointed out the house which I saw the night before but he said that there was nothing there. He said that insomnia had made me hallucinate. I couldn’t say anything or he would think that I was crazy.

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3 am, the clock was ticking and I was in the balcony gazing away when I saw, or at least I thought I saw an old woman walking towards the strange house. I don’t know what got into me but I decided to follow her. She entered the house and it started glowing a heavenly gold light. As I entered the house she saw me and shouted out my name in an ancient language but surprisingly I could understand her. She was sitting in an old symbol painted on the floor. She looked like someone who I had seen before. As I sat she gave me one old crystal medallion and then the whole house started glowing.

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I woke up thinking all that was a dream but as I reached for water I saw the medallion. Later as I was looking on my desk I found a book with the symbol that was painted on the floor of the strange house on its cover. It was the book that my great-grandfather gave me, it was called “ The ancient rites of the Illyrians.” As I was turning the pages I saw the face of that old woman. She was called Enti, an ancient Illyrian goddess who would warn the people when there was something very bad about to happen. The language that she was speaking was the ancient illyrian but I couldn’t understand how I could understand her. In the end my great-grandfather had written that one of his descendants would save the world from the anger of the evil forces. I was totally shocked and I couldn't believe it.

A few moments later birds started attacking my window and in panic I opened the book. It wrote that when these birds would attack you the apocalypse was about to start. I should go to the ancient temple of Enti to put the medallion where it belonged. There was blood on the window.

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As the sky was getting darker I got in my car headed to the temple. There was blood on the road. I needed to hurry up. When I got to the temple two giant horses stopped me from entering. The sky was pouring a dark kind of rain. The horses opened the way as I showed them the medallion but bloodied spirits were preventing me from entering in the tomb of Enti. I jumped inside but I got caught on the rocks and cut myself and started bleeding. Just as I entered inside the old woman who I met at the strange house appeared and closed the great golden doors after me in order to keep the spirits away. She said that the prophecy was to be completed. When I put the medallion on the tomb of Enti, who was wearing some Illyrian clothes, I started to glow. The old woman said that I was to be the new guardian of the ancient god. It looked like I hadn’t read the whole story that my great-grandfather had written.

There I was a living soul shining with heavenly light protecting the saviour of the world. At least the clouds were gone and the skies were blue again.

 

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2nd Place

Eleonora Omuri, Bicaj

 

3rd Place

Exhumaela Kutelaj, Dukat i Ri

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11th Grade

1st Place

Ana Xhihani, Kavaja

 

Have you ever had the chance to have a conversation with someone because you want to know exactly what they did and why they did it? I agree that it doesn’t happen everyday but it's an experience I’ll never forget. Last summer my parents allowed me to go to summer camp. I was really excited and prepared mentally for it. Everything was great at first. Me and my friends did fun things all the time. Until one day everything changed. It was one of those long nights at the beach where we were sitting near the fire, telling stories. At around midnight, someone called us and we were told to go inside. Most of us left but a small group decided to stay there. I don’t know if this is where I went wrong or not but I decided to stay. After a while, someone appeared in the dark. It was a man, at nearly 50, who was wearing really old clothes. He threat us with a gun and ordered us to go with him. We found ourselves in an old boat 20 minutes later and we were told to keep quiet. Some of us panicked and started yelling.

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Immediately , he covered their eyes and mouths as well. In my eyes this guy was just a kidnapper, who was doing everything for money. I felt nothing but anger in my heart. I couldn’t sleep, the boat was too noisy because it was old. When I opened my eyes I saw this man standing close to the water. Even though I hated him I felt sympathy when I saw him in those conditions. I will never forget the words he said to me. “It’s easy to judge, isn’t it?” Actually it was. I had been judging him since the first moment I saw him. I didn’t reply and he kept talking. “It’s easy to turn pain into hate, it’s easy to do bad things when you're angry to people.” I felt calmer and I decided to continue the conversation I wanted to know so badly who had hurt him so much. Then I heard the most impressive and saddest story in my life. Apparently the name of the man was Micheal. His dad had died when his mom was pregnant and after his birth, his mom had killed herself from the disappointment. He spent his childhood in an orphanage. Life had been cruel to him, but it still wasn’t enough. When finally he had seen some good days, he got married and had a daughter. She was his blessing and he was determined to protect her no matter what. Unfortunately bad luck was not over yet.

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His daughter had been kidnapped at the age of 5, and been transported in the other side of the world. His sweet, pretty, little girl had been left alone to die with no place to go. This made him think that since he wasn’t happy, no other kid in the world deserves happiness. Since that day he had kidnapped 45 children all around the world and he had taken them to places far far away from their homes. He wasn’t angry anymore, he was sad, broken, hurt. I didn’t notice when tears started to fall down my face. I was sad for him but I was also sad because a complete stranger was sending me somewhere I knew nothing about. I talked to him about everything kind I could talk about. This was not the way he should manage his anger. Forgiveness is powerful and change is something constant people couldn’t control. He couldn’t continue to hold back his past, he needed to let it go and understand that other humans are not responsible for his pain. That’s when he stopped the boat and thanked me. On our way home my heart was so warm because I had changed someone.

 

2nd Place

Besjana Mazari, Peshkopi

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3rd Place

Reinald Rugji, Delvina

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12th grade

1st place

Besalba Kopani, Pukë

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​Let me tell you about Benji! My one year old robot and my best friend.

I got Benji a year ago. He was a gift from a friend I met on my freshman year, Jorid. We would do everything together, from messing with the bullies to listening to music on our way home. I loved Benji so much and Jorid had taught him a lot of cool stuff like changing lights or giving psychological advice, which he and I needed most. When Jorid passed away I took the robot as I had promised him and took care of it.

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Today is my birthday, and it’s only been a year since Jorid died. I don’t have energy to get out of bed so I lay there telling Benji to play some of my favorite songs. Its kinda weird lately with this thing! I don’t even have to tell him what I need. He just knows it! So I let him play the songs (mostly xxxtentacion) which was Jorid’s favorite and i hop into the shower. I get ready and I go out feeling exhausted, but I had work soo… And I also had to buy Benji a new battery. Jorid told me not to change it until my birthday.

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I got to work, I finish my stuff and I head out to buy Benji’s battery.I already miss thay baby. Wait! I left him on!! Shoot! He goes out of his mind if he stays on for too long. I hurry home with the battery on my hand and a soul full of sadness. This day could not get any worse. I cannot take care of the one thing I have to.

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I can listen to “remedy for a broken heart” from the driveway and a wave of sadness comes over me as I am reminded I will be spending my birthday without the only person who made it feel like an actual birthday.

I open the door and I cannot believe my eyes!

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The whole house is purple and gold, everything is covered in balloons and Benji is just sitting there and I swear my heart almost melted when he put the little projector out and a video started playing on my wall.

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It was Jorid! He wished me a happy birthday and he had put up a video of our best moments with our favorite songs playing on the back. I cried my eyes out, (ofc). The next minute I feel Benji touching my leg as he said: “I projected Benji to play this for the last bit of his battery so you would see it my sweet friend. Happy birthday, and look behind you!

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I turn around and everyone in my old class started coming out of everywhere singing happy birthday and cheering. “I couldn’t be happier” - I thought, and it was true.

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I had lost the most important person in my life, and lately I almost lost myself, but now I know. You are only lost when you choose to. Hang on to people, hang on to things that make you feel like you, and you will become the best version of yourself. I believe in you.

 

2nd place

Bejana Spaho, Poliçan

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3rd place

Adela Duro, Delvina