{"id":3482,"date":"2016-11-19T14:04:42","date_gmt":"2016-11-19T22:04:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/?p=3482"},"modified":"2016-11-18T16:14:42","modified_gmt":"2016-11-19T00:14:42","slug":"asher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2016\/asher\/","title":{"rendered":"“Wonder” — story by Asher Follett"},"content":{"rendered":"

Young Readers League\u00a02016\u00a0Writing Contest<\/p>\n

Category 2 (Age 12-14)<\/p>\n

3rd place<\/p>\n

\n

Wonder<\/h3>\n

by\u00a0Asher Follett
\n14\u00a0years old (Grade 9)
\nLa Canada High School<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Everyone knows that the Infinite Circus is the best in the world. Performer hopefuls travel thousands of miles and sit through hours of grueling auditions only to be turned away. It\u2019s a dream to be in a room with the Ringmaster himself, to have his full attention as you pour your very heart and soul into the most important performance of your life.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>A performance I\u2019m about to give.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>I cross the stage in pitch blackness and calm my breathing as I face an audience I cannot see.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>A blinding spotlight switches on without warning, focusing on me.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cState your name and ability,\u201d an unknown voice orders.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cMy name is Athena Sapir,\u201d I say.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>A pause.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAnd your ability?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Even though I rehearsed my response, my voice shakes as I reply, \u201cYou\u2019ll see that I can\u2019t even put it into words.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cProceed, then.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>I swallow and close my eyes, extending my arms. For a moment, nothing happens, but then slowly, magically, tendrils of light inch from my palms, shifting colors as they coil towards the ceiling. They lengthen and brighten until sweat beads on my brow and the taste of iron coats my tongue, but when I open my eyes, it\u2019s worth it, for my strands of light bathe the room with beauty, illuminating the awestruck faces of the audience with a power brighter than the sun itself. I cup my hands, forcing the light into one enormous, pulsating ball, and raise them above my head. The strands erupt into an explosion of multicolored stars that shower wonder down onto the open-mouthed people below.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Panting, I lower my hands, waiting breathlessly for their verdict. A single man in the center of the crowd – the Ringmaster – rises, and though he doesn\u2019t speak, I see the answer in his face. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Yes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Contest info:<\/p>\n

Tell us something about a new character joining a magical circus. What is their special ability? How did they come to join the circus?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Special thanks to our judges: \u00a0Allison Hill (Vromans), Nick Smith (Pasadena Library), Shauna Redmond\u00a0(Pasadena Library), Tiffany Duenas (Pasadena Library), Jean Penn (Pasadena Library)<\/p>\n

Sponsored by the\u00a0Friends of the Pasadena Public Library<\/p>\n

\n

To view more\u00a0stories from the contest, view the list: \u00a0http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/kids\/2016\/yrlcontest<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Young Readers League\u00a02016\u00a0Writing Contest Category 2 (Age 12-14) 3rd place Wonder by\u00a0Asher Follett 14\u00a0years old (Grade 9) La Canada High School   \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Everyone knows that the Infinite Circus is the best in the world. Performer hopefuls travel thousands of miles and sit through hours of grueling auditions only to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[92,93],"class_list":["post-3482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-writing","tag-contest","tag-young-readers-league"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/s5ZwbD-asher","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8312,"url":"https:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2025\/borrow-my-heart-teen-book-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":3482,"position":0},"title":"Borrow My Heart – Teen Book Review","author":"Teen Blogger","date":"November 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Borrow My Heart by Kasie West Reviewed by Kaelin Lee, age 17 When Wren witnesses Asher being catfished by his online crush, she decides to pretend to be the girl he is waiting for to save him from embarrassment. 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