The Secret Society of Lefties | Teen Ink

The Secret Society of Lefties MAG

By Anonymous

You won’t ever read about it in the morning newspaper, you won’t ever hear about it on the news, and you won’t ever be a part of it.

Because, you see, it’s a secret.

We hide it so well that some of them don’t even realize that there is a world outside of these walls. For them, this is life; for some of us too, this has become all we know.

I don’t think any of us know exactly how it started. We just all had an obsession … no, obsession is the wrong word. We had a desire to become as wonderfully unique as they were, and to make them feel as special as they could possibly be.

It was innocent at first, I swear. We never intended it to go this far, but somehow it escalated. First, it was just small gifts to the special ones – a notebook or a pen, you know, to make them feel loved. Then we started befriending these special people, asking them questions about what it was like to be the way they are and do what they do. That earned us some strange looks. We didn’t care. It only pushed us to try harder to get to know them, their ways.

Then somehow, and I’m still not sure how, someone had the idea of keeping these special ones safe from the world’s harm, where they would be ours.

We keep them a secret.

***

“Oh my God, she is so heavy,” Claudia said.

“Suck it up. We’re almost there,” Monica replied.

“Shush! Do you want someone to hear?” Grace asked.

The three girls trudged down the long hallways of Grace’s house, which she had inherited from her parents. Years of decay caused the floors to creak. Mice scurried across the wood parquet, into the cracks that danced along the walls.

“Hang on. She’s slipping,” Monica said. They stopped and re-adjusted.

“Why do I always get the heavy end?” Claudia asked.

Monica rolled her eyes. “You don’t. Remember when we had to carry that kid Jason, and he weighed like 250 pounds? You didn’t hear me complaining when I got stuck with his massive thighs.”

“Can you two please shut up? We have work to do,” said Grace.

They had reached the basement door, which looked out of place in the dilapidated Victorian. It was a vibrant purple, with stained-glass windows and yellow trim. It opened with ease, and the stairs didn’t creak as the girls made their way down.

The sight at the bottom of the stairs was something out of a movie. All ideas of the house upstairs were forgotten in a rainbow of colors resembling a kindergarten classroom. The walls were bright blue with posters of smiling children. Circular carpets were arranged in the center, surrounded by desks of red, green, and blue where the lefties could sit and learn about their ancestors, their beginnings. They could read about the scientific studies, and of course, practice their writing. Along the walls were larger desks, where the society members could watch them. Observe them. Know them. Learn with them.

The next room was packed with army cots covered in flowered bedspreads and sheets. They placed the girl they were carrying on an empty one before hurrying back upstairs.

Once Claudia and Monica left, Grace went into the kitchen and dialed three digits. Two rings and then silence.

“Lefty number 213, secured. No problem. We’ll gather same time tomorrow morning,” Grace said.

Again, silence.

***

I suppose, by now, we owe you some explanation. And as the head of the society, it is my duty to fill you in.

Trust me, we’re not stalkers. We’re not kidnappers. And we are most certainly not pedophiles. We are protectors. These people need us. They need us to tell them how special they are. To let their skills grow in a secure environment. No one else understands them the way we do.

So we keep them where they are with their own kind and are the dominant ones.

They are our secrets.

They are locked in the basement of my house, just below our meeting room. We don’t force them to stay. They can leave any time they want, if they can figure out how to get out. As of yet, no one has.

As a society we befriend these special ones. Sometimes it takes time. Others are very open to us. We tell them that they are interesting and that we want to learn about them. And then we take them here and lock them in the observation room.

They don’t mind. In fact, they love it. They thank us for all they have learned.

***

Grace set 11 glasses of lemonade on the coffee table. The ice cubes clinked against the glasses. She picked up one and sipped it thoughtfully, the condensation rolling off the bottom and hitting the floor.

A piercing scream rang out from below.

“Just in time,” said Grace.

She walked to the outer wall where a calendar hung. With the pen dangling on a string, she made a small mark in box number 13. It was only one letter: S. The legend at the top explained that S stood for scream.

This is Grace’s job since she is the head of the society. The lefties are kept in her house, in her care. She listens to them all day and keeps a log of their activities.

***

A while later, the door to Grace’s house creaked open and in walked 10 girls. Nothing was out of the ordinary about them. They all looked to be high-school age, they wore normal clothing, and they talked of normal subjects.

The floor’s groans sounded like tree branches rubbing in a wind storm as the society traversed the dark halls that hid cobwebs in their shadows. The girls slipped one-by-one through a door just like the basement door.

Once everyone was settled on the couches and had taken out their notebooks with the spiral on the other side, Grace passed out the lemonade.

“Has everyone been practicing?” she asked. A few girls nodded.

“Wonderful, because we need to be just as perfect as they are.” Grace smiled and closed her eyes, running a pen through her left hand. “Splendid. Now, down to business, did everyone get the call last night?” Again, everyone nodded. “Monica, they may want to know the details. Why don’t you fill them in. And,” Grace paused, “it would be best to take notes.”

All 10 girls obliged. After all, they loved to write.

A while later, after the eight society members not present during the latest mission had been filled in on the events, Grace changed topics.

“As you may recall, Lefty 214 is a hard one to capture. Her name is Melissa Jones. Do you all remember?” Grace looked at the nodding heads. “Good. She is, as of now, the last lefty in our school, the end of our mission. We need her to be complete. You know how we tried to do it before. We shall do the same, tonight,” Grace said.

“Are you sure we’re ready to try it tonight? I mean, it took a month to plan Jessie’s kidnapping, and Melissa is a tough cookie,” Nicole said.

“Are you questioning me? Have we ever failed when I was in control?” Grace asked, standing her ground.

“I agree with Grace. I think tonight’s the night for a mission this big. We’re ready,” Claudia said. She stood next to Grace. “Come on, girls, think of all the work we’ve put into this. She needs us to do this for her. Melissa doesn’t know how much she’s lacking from being around the righties all the time.”

“She does need us,” Hillary said.

The girls nodded.

“We can do this,” said Monica.

“So all is a go then?” Grace asked. Clapping and cheers erupted from the girls. “Perfect.”

***

Six girls tiptoed down the sidewalk and across the manicured lawn. The metal ladder they were carrying clanked, the sound piercing the clammy night.

“Her window is on this side,” Monica whispered.

They were in front of Melissa’s house. Four girls would crawl up the ladder and through Melissa’s window, before standing in the darkness of her room.

One would watch the area. One would hold the ladder. Then the four who were in the room would drug her, tie her up, and take her down the ladder and across the lawn to the van. She wouldn’t make a sound. And she wouldn’t fight. None of them ever do. Grace would watch from the sidewalk, dressed in black. Once everyone was in the van, the driver would peel away through the deserted town.

When they arrived, the other three would be waiting, ready to make the long haul into the basement where Melissa would spend her days, forgotten by the rest of the world. Where she would be kept a secret. They would place her on what would forever be her cot. They would untie her and drink lemonade upstairs, congratulating themselves on a job well done.

***

Her eyes opened, but she shut them immediately. The fluorescent lighting was too bright. But she didn’t have fluorescent lights in her bedroom, she realized. She shot up from her pillow and looked around. Disgusting green paint decorated the walls, and the many cots around her were filled with sleeping strangers. She didn’t know where she was, but she knew one thing for sure: this wasn’t her bedroom.

And so Melissa did the only thing she could, she opened her mouth and screamed.

***

Grace didn’t even look up from her notebook when the scream ripped through the floor. She only smiled, and made a small mark on the corner of her paper. Another S.

They had done it, goal complete. All 214 lefties were now theirs to watch and learn from. It was only a matter of time until there would be more. Because they were always on the lookout, to make them feel good about themselves.

She smiled again and said quietly, “Our special secrets.”



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This article has 102 comments.


korhel said...
on May. 19 2010 at 5:48 pm
korhel, Rockhampton, Other
0 articles 0 photos 46 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I wish I had the guts to walk away and forget about you... But I can't because I know you won't come after me... And that's what hurts the most."

Very creative, the name of your story drew me in, then the mystery you wove around it. awesome job

on May. 16 2010 at 10:25 pm
she-is-a-witch, Towson, Maryland
0 articles 0 photos 33 comments

NICE. 

I thought it was very original and creative, and it was well written.


on May. 16 2010 at 2:14 pm
GreenEyedGirl15 BRONZE, Derby, Kansas
4 articles 0 photos 95 comments
i like it, but im not quite sure that i understand it! please explain for me?

on Apr. 27 2010 at 5:28 pm
Hope-in-life PLATINUM, Hutto, Texas
26 articles 0 photos 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
"too many of us stay walled up because we are afraid of being hurt.we are afraid to care too much for fear that the other person doesn't care at all "

this kept me glued  to my chair my eyes were watering by the time i had finished becaseu i ahdnt blinked in a last attempt to read as fast as humaniily possible, im right handed but my mom is a "lefty" and i no she would appreciated this if she were still here, thank you ill be looking in to see if theres more.

ps: you made me want to write again.


Darley SILVER said...
on Apr. 27 2010 at 10:06 am
Darley SILVER, Meadow Vista, California
5 articles 0 photos 12 comments

Favorite Quote:
" What matters most is how you see yourself."

This is really great! I love your writing . You are a natural writer, keep working. I am am in to writing. In fact I am writing a novel of my own. I write poetry on teenink you should come check out my work i think you would like.

Cartoon BRONZE said...
on Apr. 5 2010 at 7:45 pm
Cartoon BRONZE, Denver, Colorado
1 article 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Do what you gotta do to do what you wanna do."














-My Dad

In the story The Secret Society of Lefties, I think the author, Megan S., develops setting very well. She started by developing place. Two examples are the following quotes,
"They had reached the basement door, which looked out of place in the dilapidated Victorian. It was a vibrant purple, with stained-glass windows and yellow trim. It opened with ease, and the stairs didn’t creak as the girls made their way down." This makes me feel like the place is very vibrant and kiddish like a child's imagination. Number two, “The sight at the bottom of the stairs was something out of a movie. All ideas of the house upstairs were forgotten in a rainbow of colors resembling a kindergarten classroom. The walls were bright blue with posters of smiling children. Circular carpets were arranged in the center, surrounded by desks of red, green, and blue where the lefties could sit and learn about their ancestors, their beginnings. They could read about the scientific studies, and of course, practice their writing. Along the walls were larger desks, where the society members could watch them.” This makes me feel like the society is trying to do something good but it seems bad. Like kidnap.

 

She also developed social context and constraints well.
An example of one of them is that they are all lefties. There was no specific quote, but I gathered that everything is very secretive for the society. Although there is the title.
The time in the story I’m guessing is present day. I think she could've developed the time better , but overall it was good. That how she showed setting.


Julia_H SILVER said...
on Apr. 5 2010 at 3:51 pm
Julia_H SILVER, Merrimac, Massachusetts
6 articles 0 photos 26 comments
this was great! i am a leftie and am now slightly terrified, but by far the most evocative and interesting part of this is the understatement and mysterious normalcy you had about everything. having your narrator as someone who considers the whole thing completely unordinary is fantastic, kind of gives an eerie insight into what's going through the minds of cult leaders. i also got a bit of a 1984 feel, i don't know why, but as it's one of my favorite books, consider it a compliment. excellent piece! 

Alanna SILVER said...
on Mar. 17 2010 at 6:07 pm
Alanna SILVER, Jeffersonville, Indiana
6 articles 0 photos 6 comments
it would be a good episode on the Twilight Zone.

Cartoon BRONZE said...
on Mar. 16 2010 at 11:19 pm
Cartoon BRONZE, Denver, Colorado
1 article 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Do what you gotta do to do what you wanna do."














-My Dad

In the story The Secret Society of Lefties, I think the author, Megan S., develops setting very well.

She really developed place. Quote,

They had reached the basement door, which looked out of place in the dilapidated Victorian. It was a vibrant purple, with stained-glass windows and yellow trim. It opened with ease, and the stairs didn’t creak as the girls made their way down.



“The sight at the bottom of the stairs was something out of a movie. All ideas of the house upstairs were forgotten in a rainbow of colors resembling a kindergarten classroom. The walls were bright blue with posters of smiling children. Circular carpets were arranged in the center, surrounded by desks of red, green, and blue where the lefties could sit and learn about their ancestors, their beginnings. They could read about the scientific studies, and of course, practice their writing. Along the walls were larger desks, where the society members could watch them.”

She also developed social context and constraints well.

An example of one of them is that they are all lefties.

No specific quote, but I gathered that everything is very secretive for the society. The time in the story I’m guessing is present day. That how it showed setting.

DaniW PLATINUM said...
on Feb. 20 2010 at 9:24 pm
DaniW PLATINUM, New Bern, North Carolina
29 articles 1 photo 31 comments

Favorite Quote:
People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.
By Elisabeth Kuebler-Ross

creepy but so magnetic. this would make an amazing book :)

turn_it_up(: said...
on Feb. 20 2010 at 4:06 pm
very VERY unique! i enjoyed it! sort of confusing when you switch from 1st person to 3rd person, but other than that, great! keep writing! (:

chelseabo17 said...
on Feb. 18 2010 at 4:29 pm
really good.....was kindof confusing at first but this would make a really good book.

on Jan. 29 2010 at 4:30 pm
Waterlogged BRONZE, Grapevine, Texas
1 article 0 photos 36 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Winston, you are drunk." To which Churchill responded, "and you, madam, are ugly. But in the morning, I'll be sober,"-Lady Astor and Winston Churchill

It was a little confusing but really good! Keep writing

on Jan. 7 2010 at 9:39 pm
homewardbound, Billerica, Massachusetts
0 articles 8 photos 78 comments
very well written and creative, although it is creepy and very cult-ish. I enjoyed reading it :)

on Jan. 7 2010 at 9:09 pm
evrycloudyday7 PLATINUM, Wappingers Falls, New York
28 articles 0 photos 41 comments

Favorite Quote:
"As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what counts." Seneca
"I'll just read a book instead. I don't care if we're just friends. I can hang out with myself I'm old enough now to pretend. Bam ba dum ba dum ba dum." kate n

i really like this! it's so creative.

on Dec. 14 2009 at 8:03 pm
Saudade_indigo PLATINUM, Winnipeg, Other
21 articles 0 photos 17 comments
i absolutely loved it...i'm a lefty and i enjoy being special. but it did seem as though the secret society was getting more out of having the lefties than the lefties got out of being there. it was kind of like a cult in my eyes. but very well-written. u should write a book out the lefty society!

Secreteer said...
on Dec. 13 2009 at 9:05 pm
omg, this is amazingly well written and kind of creepy. i just have one question; what happens to people who are lefties and righties at the same time (i can write with both hands)

on Dec. 9 2009 at 7:25 pm
xenon333 PLATINUM, Billerica, Massachusetts
42 articles 0 photos 150 comments
Spooky! Just imagine...ooh! Well written, a little confusing, but very good :)

on Nov. 24 2009 at 8:03 pm
Lauren Wright BRONZE, Wildwood, Missouri
4 articles 2 photos 8 comments
I am a left-handed person. I personally thought this article was confusing, but well written. I will say I am a little scared, please don't come for me tonight.

evie428 BRONZE said...
on Nov. 19 2009 at 7:30 pm
evie428 BRONZE, Ontario, Other
4 articles 1 photo 88 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Writing a novel is not merely going on a shopping expedition across the border to an unreal land: it is hours and years spent in the factories, the streets, the cathedrals of the imagination."

Great! No wonder this made the mag! Keep it up!