A huge thank you to all who took the time to enter the 2025 Solano County Library Teen Writing Contest!

We were honored to read your work, and encourage each of you to continue writing.

Please enjoy the winning entry below!

SHORT STORY WINNER

Next Planet Moon

by Ekadesh Madaan

The thruster roared to life, a deep, resonant rumble shaking the very foundations of the launchpad. Outside, the Spacex rocket to be specific, a gleaming titan of human ambition, stood poised for its ascent, an engineering marvel preparing to pierce the velvet black of space. The crowd, a sea of upturned faces and eager shouts, erupted in a final crescendo of cheers, their collective excitement a tangible force against the hum of the powerful engines. In the controlled chaos of the cabin, amidst the final pre-launch checks, a thought suddenly struck me, a fleeting, almost forgotten detail. “Wow, I almost forgot to introduce myself,” I mumbled, a nervous laugh escaping my lips. “My name is Billy, and I am going to the moon with other people that I do not know.”

The situation was surreal, a heady mix of exhilarating anticipation and profound unease. It felt crazy and awkward, crammed into this metallic shell with strangers, each of us on the cusp of an unimaginable journey. I was scared, a primal knot of fear tightening in my stomach, but beneath it, an electrifying surge of excitement pulsed through my veins. All of a sudden, a familiar sound cut through the rising tension, a soft, almost imperceptible “Bark!” I stiffened, a cold shiver tracing its way down my spine. My dog? Here? It was impossible. He was supposed to be safe at home, entrusted to Mrs. Henderson, our meticulous neighbor. “Bark!” I heard it again, this time louder, laced with an undeniable tremor of fear.

Panic began to set in. I could not ignore it, could not dismiss it as a hallucination brought on by pre-launch jitters. My heart hammered against my ribs as I unbuckled my restraints, my gaze darting wildly around the cramped cabin. Every shadow, every nook, every hidden crevice became a potential hiding spot. That’s when I found him. Max, my loyal, mischievous golden retriever, huddled in a tight, trembling ball in a corner, his usually bright eyes wide with apprehension. My first instinct was to get him out, to usher him back to safety, but then I heard the chilling countdown, the voice of the launch director echoing through the intercom: “ready to lift off at 10, 9…”

My blood ran cold. There was no time. No time to explain, no time to reason, no time to escape. In a desperate surge of adrenaline, I snatched a spare oxygen tank, a life-sustaining lifeline, and with trembling hands, secured it to Max. He looked up at me, his brown eyes filled with an unspoken plea, and I whispered reassurances I wasn’t even sure I believed myself. Then came the final pronouncement, a deep, booming voice that seemed to shake the very air around us: “3, 2, 1… lift off!” My heart, which moments ago had been a drum of fear, now pounded with an almost delirious joy as the SpaceX rocket, a fiery arrow, finally broke free from the Earth’s embrace and soared into the sky.

I had always dreamed of exploring the stars, a yearning that had flickered within me since childhood, fueled by countless hours spent gazing at constellations and devouring tales of cosmic adventures. But nothing, absolutely nothing, could have prepared me for the unexpected, cataclysmic turn his journey would take. As the countdown reached zero, my loyal dog, Max, let out a final, terrified bark, a sound quickly swallowed by the deafening roar of the rocket. We shot into the air, a potent mixture of unbridled excitement and gnawing fear swirling within me. The ascent was powerful, a relentless shove against gravity, pushing me back into my seat with an almost violent force. Max, miraculously still clinging to his makeshift oxygen supply, whined softly, a tiny tremor against the vastness of space.

However, just minutes into the flight, a sudden, jarring malfunction ripped through the ship. A violent lurch, a shriek of tortured metal, and the rocket, once a symbol of unwavering power, began to veer wildly off course. I struggled, my hands instinctively gripping the controls, trying desperately to regain command, but the console lights flickered erratically, and the controls themselves were unresponsive, lifeless. The rocket, a wounded beast, began its rapid, uncontrolled descent. The crash was brutal, a symphony of rending metal and bone-jarring impact, but against all odds, it was not fatal.

When the chaos finally subsided, a strange, eerie silence enveloped me. I found myself stranded, disoriented and bruised, on an unfamiliar, barren landscape beneath a sky unlike anything I had ever witnessed. Max, miraculously, was by my side, panting softly, his fur dusted with the unfamiliar red dust of this alien world. The terrain stretched out endlessly in every direction, rocky plains dotted with peculiar plants that shimmered faintly in the dim, otherworldly light. A sense of awe, strangely, began to temper the shock and the lingering pain of the crash. I realized that this unexpected, catastrophic event hadn’t ended my journey; instead, it had catapulted me into an entirely new adventure, a world that might hold secrets and opportunities far beyond my wildest dreams.

My immediate priority shifted from panic to survival and exploration. With Max trotting faithfully at my heels, I began to meticulously document everything I saw. The air, though thin, was breathable, and the shimmering plants seemed to glow with an internal luminescence. I gathered samples, sketched diagrams of the unusual rock formations, and analyzed the strange, multicolored dust that coated everything. The crashed rocket, a twisted monument to human endeavor, lay nearby, a constant reminder of my predicament, but also a beacon of hope for potential repairs.

The challenges were immense. My supplies were limited, communication with Earth was impossible, and the true nature of this alien world remained a profound mystery. Yet, my determination burned brighter than ever. I was Billy, and with Max, I was ready to face whatever this “Next Planet Moon” threw at us. This unexpected crash wasn’t the end of a dream; it was the thrilling, terrifying, and utterly captivating beginning of an adventure on an entirely new, undiscovered world. We were pioneers, thrust into a grand, cosmic experiment, and the universe, in its infinite wisdom, had chosen us to be its newest explorers as my heart pounded. It also said your friends are going to help you because you need a companion explorer.

I went home and I was going to tell mom until I saw my friends talking to mom and dad. He came home and told me everything he did and I told him to. Then that’s when we figured we were going with each other. I told mom what I did top to bottom. It took one hour to tell her. Then me and my friend walked to the park to talk about what happened. We added a little lie to spice it up and it worked but at the end we told each other the truth. The sun was setting when we were done and going back home. He went home and I also went home not able to sleep because our next mission is tomorrow. When we both went to school  we showed off that we went to space. I added a little bit of editing of the story to make it interesting because it sounded pretty regular. That’s the story of the next planet moon.