Ceiling
2023 creative writing contest submission
Sydelle Wilson, 11th grade 

“I think someone punched you in the face Jay…” 

I turn around and squint to see my reflection in the refrigerator. To my surprise a huge black spot has formed on my left eye. That explains the unbearable pain i’ve been feeling all morning. 

I open the freezer side of the fridge and get out a pack of frozen..something. Most of the food in our freezer is super old and the labels are fading.  

My roommate Kayo is always worried for my health.  Unfortunately, I have been getting sucked into the college partying life more and more recently. It’s definitely reflecting on my grades but as long as I get them up before the end of the term, how bad could a little after-curfew fun be?  

“Do you want me to help patch you up before class?” he looks down to check his watch, “I got like ten minutes, so this offer expires soon.”   

“No thanks, don’t wanna hold you up.” and with that, I walk back to my room before he can protest.  

I know it would ease his mind a little if I let him help me but honestly, I kind of like the black eye look. It makes me look mysterious, like I actually have a life outside of college and parties.  

The sun is peaking through the blinds in my room just enough to where you can see bars of light all over the floor. Contrary to popular belief, I really do enjoy the sunrise. Opening the windows in the morning is always the highlight of my day. 

I make my way to the window, imagining myself as a ninja while avoiding all the piles of clothes scattered across the floor. Key word, ‘imagining’. Jumping and sliding around every pile like a true parkour master.  

Right as I am about to preform my final trick, my entire body comes crashing down into the dresser in-front of my window. My frozen mystery vegetables fly out of my hand as well as my pride.  

If only I was a little less confident in my l body’s flexibility, I could have avoided this disaster.  

“Wow that really hurts” I mumble while turning to lay over on my back.  

I’m staring at the ceiling now. Sometimes focusing on the wall up there knocks a little bit of common sense into me. Maybe after a few seconds on the ground, I’ll know not to act like i’m on American Ninja Warrior in my messy dorm room anymore.  

Almost five minutes pass of me laying on the floor. My body doesn’t hurt from the fall anymore. I bring my mind back to reality and for a split second, I could have sworn there was a square imprint on the ceiling. It looked like someone cut out a hole above me. But how could that be possible? The only person who comes in my room is me and Kayo to collect laundry.  

You know how in movies they always say don’t press the red button and some idiot always ends up pressing it anyways? Yeah, well that idiot is about to be me.  

Curiosity takes over my body. I press my palms into the ground and push myself off the floor so I can head over to my dresser. Pushing piles of clothes out of the way with my feet for a clear spot under the hole. 

I stick my fingers into the spot connecting my dresser to the wall and push it forward. Continuing to push the dresser until it’s in the middle of the spot I cleared earlier.  

Now to put this in perspective, I weigh almost one hundred sixty pounds. This dresser probably won’t be able to hold my weight for long. I’ll be lucky if it doesn’t crack in half.  

I hop up on the dresser, all you can hear is the wood creaking under my weight. I don’t have enough money to buy another dresser right now so i’m really praying it stays strong.  

Slowly but steadily straightening my body out to get a closer look at the imprint. I trace the shape with my finger. The lines are very thin, but I can tell the cut is deep, did someone really do this?  

I put my hand flat on the ceiling in the center of the square and push to see if it will give, and it does. Dust and lint begin falling out of the spot I just revealed, getting all over my face and in my eyes.  

I set down the piece of ceiling on the dresser beside me and wipe my eyes with the bottom of my shirt. This is so annoying; my poor eyes can never catch a break.  

Suddenly, a huge shadow is shining down onto my body which forces me to look up. Before I can even adjust my eyes, an unusually large hand reaches out towards me and grips my entire head in its palm. Its fingers are pressed so far into my head. I can feel my jaw burning from the pain all I can do is flail around, it’s a pathetic sight.  

I’ve never been in so much pain before, this thing is squeezing my skull so tight I feel like it’s about to shatter. The hand pulls me up into the hole and the entire attic is completely green with flashing lights going off in every corner.  

Just before i’m completely on the other side of this hole, I hook my feet into the cutout. This is the only option I have left; I can’t even believe this is real.  

Who am I kidding? This hand is so large I’m like a pencil next to it. All I hear it a loud screech and my head starts to feel like it’ll be pulled right off my neck. My feet automatically unhook from the opening.  

I can barely see through the gaps in the hand but I’m trying my best to understand my surroundings. The only thing I can see clearly is what the hand that is crushing me is attached to. This creature is huge, unusually colored, has wings growing out of its back, maybe it is from another planet? People usually connect green mutated things with aliens so that’s exactly what I think is holding me. I’m being abducted from my own bedroom.  

Somewhere between my panic and utter confusion, I finally realize this scenario does not make any sense and these things only happen in movies, so why is it happening to the most average kid on earth like me? I assumed my attic was small so there is no way this creature could be going far.  

Nevertheless, we are flying. I don’t see any boundaries anymore. This creature has a destination for me, and i’m not sure it’s going to heal all my problems, but I will follow it either way.