Creative Corner

Attention, creative writers! Every month, Creative Corner hosts a contest for the highlighted writer of the month! Submit your writing to Creative Corner and you will be immediately entered to win a journal.

Calling all creative writers!

Welcome to Creative Corner, a space for readers to write in The Scroll without having to be journalists! The deadline this month is April 22, 2026.

How to participate:

Below is a set of prompts for styles of writing beyond journalism. The idea is that you can create some kind of creative writing piece inspired by one of the prompts, but your entry does not have to be prompt-based. You can submit any piece of writing you would like to share! All submissions should be school-appropriate. You can also suggest prompts to be featured in the next issue.

Email your submissions to j.norton@d7apps.gp.k12.or.us to be featured in the column! You are more than welcome to submit anonymously or put your name on your piece. Please just specify when emailing me. Thanks!

prompt suggestions for the JUNE issue:

May is the month when new life blossoms and the warm springtime starts. I would love to hear some prompts about this time of year.

You might choose to write about:

Write a summertime parade story.
What's your favorite childhood swimming story?
What's your favorite part of June?
Write a cute summertime animal story.

Down Love: chapter Tw0

By: JJ Norton

“Well, isn’t it Little Birdie.”

My eyes adjust to the brightness as I see Realynn in front of the stables. She’s smiling with her arms crossed. Now that it isn’t as dark, those eyes seem so light, like a calming caramel. They pull me in and that makes me frown. Stupid feelings for a strange girl. Her hair is still black, yet now I see the waves and layers. Something about her makes me want to laugh and that scares me. I walk towards her and try not to limp. My thigh is sore and I think I need to change the bandage. I can’t go to my room now or someone will notice, plus she caught me right when I left lunch. I bite my lip to ignore how much it hurts.

“Ready for lessons?” she says, studying me.

I nod, forcing a smile. I see her eyebrow tilt down in worry, but she waves it off. Realynn walks off and I follow her slowly. I know I should say something, but that will waste time. We need to get to work. She said she would help me. I need to help her, as well. I mean, you never know when the king might set her up to marry someone. The thought makes my stomach drop. This feeling surprises me, but I push it away.

After Realynn leads the Friesian stallion to a small pen, she walks towards me. “Are you ready to get on?”

Her grin makes me nervous, knowing my thigh is hurting more now. I will have to push through the pain. “Yes, I am,” I manage out through shooting pain. I watch as she tacks up the horse."What's his name?” I ask quietly.

She looks back at me. “I haven’t named him. Why don’t you? I mean, you are going to be the one riding him.” Realynn pulls the saddle straps tight in the buckles.

I look around, thinking. I first saw him on the Apolly trail. “Apollo, I like Apollo,” I say and Realynn finishes putting the bit into his mouth.

“Good boy, Apollo.” She agrees with my name for him.

Apollo makes a snickering noise around the bit. He turns his head towards me and bobs his head.

I walk over as Realynn steps back. I pet his head and he leans into me like he did when we first met. I smile and don’t flinch away like I did last time. “Good boy,” I whisper and look at Realynn. The pain in my thigh doesn’t feel the best, but it's not her issue. I don’t want to hold her back. I keep it to myself.

Realynn is looking at the saddle now as she looks around.

I realize she's looking for a way to help me up. I smile, “You can just give me a boost up.” My left thigh is the hurt one, so that means I will have to use it to boost myself up on the right side of the saddle.

Realynn nods, her face focused as she kneels her hands out for me.

I put one foot on the saddle stirrup, and the other on her hand. Instantly, pain shoots up my thigh. I force myself to push my body up and pull my leg over. Sitting on Apollo, up so high, I feel my head spin. I look at Realynn and force a tight smile.

“Nervous?’ she says, straightening up from the ground.

I adjust my pants that I brought from home. I nod, taking a deep breath. Grabbing the reins, I kick his sides and then he bolts, flying through the air, with me holding on tight.

“Apollo! Hold on, Jayla!”

I hear Realynn yell, but I'm not thinking about that. He's heading down the trail towards the beach. “Apollo, the fence! The fence!” I scream as we reach the gate at the edge of the pen. I close my eyes and lean forward on Apollo.

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