UIDE USER’S G A A T C PAN DEMI A joint production from 83 young writers, Story Factory, 100 Story Building, Storyboard and the Story Island project contents Introduction by Markus Zusak 8 FICTION Saniah, 15 years old 14 Ruya, 11 years old 17 Leo, 15 years old, I Survived Online School! 21 Oysharjo, 12 years old, Life in Quarantine 25 Jethro, 15 years old 28 Sophie, 11 years old 42 Yashneil, 9 years old 43 Karla, 12 years old 45 Nawal, 14 years old How My Hate for Dark Chocolate Became Love 46 Kavya, 12 years old 49 Johnny, 14 years old 51 Tomin, 12 years old 54 Ella, 14 years old 56 JC, 14 years old 57 JJ, 14 years old 59 Trinity, Year 10 60 Naira, 13 years old 61 Ahan, 11 years old, Germi the Wormi 63 Daniel, 12 years old, The Future Breakout 67 Dihansa, 12 years old, Lizzie’s Diary 71 Elise, 12 years old, Lucky in Lockdown 74 Honey, 12 years old, Hero of TokenKey 77 Lauren, 17 years old, Common Sense 80 Wat, Year 10 140 Loyola, 13 years old, Whispers: Part One 83 Kimberly, Year 10 141 Pearl, 13 years old, The Pandemic 87 Jenani, Year 10 142 Phoenix, 12 years old, The Last One 90 Anonymous, Year 10 143 Sahansa, 13 years old, Light Within the Darkness 93 Jenarthanan, Year 11 144 Silvana, 13 years old, The Breakout 94 Angela, Year 10 145 Taha, 19 years old, Sally Says 96 Abishek, Year 10 146 Yarrow, 12 years old, Backstage 99 Anamaria, Year 10 148 Amuor, 16 years old, Sweet Dreams 102 Nisara, Year 10 149 Hudson, 12 years old, Apart 104 Bryce, Year 10 150 Tegan, 17 years old, Death of 2020 107 Mira, 11 years old 151 Olive, 14 years old, A World Temporarily Still and Silent 111 Ibrahim, 17 years old 153 Evie, 14 years old, Una_pig 113 Ember, 11 years old 154 Mahad, 12 years old 156 Isabella, 15 years old 157 POETRY Herman, 16 years old 158 Bettina, 14 years old 159 Cassandra, 16 years old, My Pandemic 118 Aiza, 14 years old 161 Mylee, 11 years old, Poem About 2020 119 Rebecca, 14 years old 162 Adam, 13 years old, A Twisted Glance 120 Nethrra, 12 years old 163 Gregory, 13 years old, Pandemic 123 Marianne, 11 years old, Road Trip 124 Munira, 15 years old, This Perfect Endlessness 126 ISOLATION STATEMENTS Nerissa, 17 years old, Chicken Soup 128 Nikita, 18 years old, Alone 130 Anhaar, 13 years old 166 Rose, 13 years old, COVID-19 Effected 133 Clarissa, 17 years old 167 Eva, 16 years old 134 Zahra, 17 years old 169 Malika, Year 10 136 Zimal, 13 years old 170 Agum, Year 10 137 Thomas, 17 years old, I’m Me 171 Cody, Year 10 138 Ryanna, 17 years old, An Unexpected Interest 173 Kaysier, Year 10 139 Abigail, 15 years old, 29th May, Coasts 11:41pm 174 Indira, 11 years old, Stuck in Isolation 177 Jiah, 13 years old 227 Lara, 17 years old, Snapshots of a Life in Isolation 179 JC, 14 years old 228 Atoc, 16 years old, Sleep 181 Evie, 14 years old 230 Zahra, 17 years old 231 Saniah, 15 years old 233 MUSEUM OF COVID Mahad, 12 years old 234 Jethro, 15 years old 235 Jamie, 13 years old, The Museum of COVID 184 Bettina, 14 years old 237 Malika, Year 10 188 Anhaar, 13 years old 239 Agum, Year 10 189 Oysharjo, 12 years old 242 Cody, Year 10 191 Isabella, 15 years old 244 Kaysier, Year 10 193 Clarissa, 17 years old 245 Wat, Year 10 195 Kimberly, Year 10 197 Acknowledgements 248 Jenarthanan, Year 11 198 Angela, Year 10 200 Abishek, Year 10 201 Jenani, Year 10 203 Anamaria, Year 10 204 Nisara, Year 10 205 Bryce, Year 10 206 Yashneil, 9 years old 207 Sophie, 11 years old 209 Ruya, 11 years old 210 Nawal, 14 years old 213 Muhammad, 14 years old 215 Naira, 13 years old 216 Leo, 15 years old 218 Prakash, 12 years old 221 Johnny, 14 years old 224 JJ, 14 years old 226 introduction For example: In one of the very first pieces I read in this anthology, one of the students wrote that a slight downside of lockdown was: Tons of pressure online for people to all of a sudden be the best versions of themselves after lockdown…Good to an extent but bad if taken to extremities. The accomplished writer of that line has basically summed up the adult world, and all the veneers and paint jobs we apply to things and unwittingly (or wittingly) deliver to our kids, thinking they’ll swallow it all without AN INTRODUCTION FOR A User’s Guide to a Pandemic, in question, or without humour. Or reality. As evidenced both here which someone who lives in lockdown normally (because he’s a in my own home, and in this writing, our children won’t swallow writer) lived in lockdown with everyone else in his household, anything without considering it, and bringing something to it some of whom were really good at home schooling, and themselves. some who, quite frankly, were not. In short, it wasn’t always A few other facts about reading this anthology: pleasant…but what was pleasant – or more to the point, absolutely freaking inspiring (and I use that word sparingly – 1) You’ll never look at an embroidered cushion the same way maybe once per year!) was reading the pages ahead of you again. now… So here’s a brief introduction, as you enter a world we 2) You’ll see a child in slight shock that his or her parents are all saw ourselves, only now you’ll see it better: actually checking the news. The first thing we should note in this introduction is that 3) You’ll be hit by jaw-droppingly perfect empathy when the kids’ writing in this book is better than anything here in the someone writes: Downsides to the pandemic – friends introduction. This is a fact. And it’s a fact I’ve come to realise not wanting to call anymore. (Even Zoom gets old after more and more over the years: a while.) 4) You’ll have similarly jaw-dropping moments when you Children are better writers than us. read things like: A conversation with me has to include my They have better ideas. love for cats. Or: I hope when I get my report, my grades They’re better at the truth, too. are higher than a B, but it’s highly unlikely because of how I rushed most of it…You’ll go, ‘Hey, I know that kid!’ 8 9 In the end, what else can I say? What we have here is one of the more gorgeous things you can ever hope to experience as a human – which is kids just thinking out loud. Kids just building on ideas. I read this writing and thought, ‘Why can’t I write like that? Why can’t I be fearless and lawless and, just, right? Every single time.’ Enjoy this writing. Stay with it, page for page. It’ll be like remembering how once we were, back in 2020, when we were kids again, when we saw things how they actually are, and when we weren’t afraid of being us – and writing it. And lastly, to the kids whose work is in here – thanks for reminding me why I try to write books in the first place. Love and best, MARKUS ZUSAK 10 11 fiction 12 13 swarm of droids had gathered around her, eyeing her down as Saniah if she were a feeble prey at the mercy of a predator. Without a 15 years old second glance Astrid sprinted back to her room, shakily wiping the tears that had put her vision into disarray. Astrid hated the feeling of being looked down upon, especially by those that had caused the destruction of everything she had ever cherished. A shrilling alarm went off at the back of Astrid’s mind, shooting needle-like daggers through her spine. Flickering red came into view, accompanied by a robotic voice. ‘Alert, alert! Human in distress sensed! Please take your WITH A ZAP of illuminating cyan Astrid’s cognitive implants Happiness pill.’ summoned a platinum-glazed automobile; levitating, luminous Astrid chuckled and numbly retrieved a circular pill, which and in all its glory. As she got in her mind immersed itself was adorned with the luminous hieroglyphics that were in a nostalgic bubblegum melody, its rhythm oozing an embedded in the roots of her arm. With a weary push she overwhelming sweetness like confectionary. The air around inserted it into the back of her head. Astrid’s eyes rolled back Astrid was infused with an aromatic mist of industrial candy as she adjusted her implants. Her mind now engulfed in a static cane, accompanying the grapefruit-tinged tangerine sky. A recording of her mother and Sen, who endearingly gazed at crooked asphalt trail lay ahead of her, scattered with bushes her and told her tales of how the world used to be, before the of wild freesia on either side. Extending her arm, engraved droids took over. with several radiant hieroglyphics, she attempted to graze the Sharp knocks echoed from the front door. Astrid was delicate freesias. Confusion darkened Astrid’s features. She sure it was the droids, and she was prepared to tackle the stared blankly at her palm and then back at the freesia. Her consequences for being human.