Ooh, this is intriguing. At first, it seems to be a strange sort of prison for a child, perhaps for her own good… then the final paragraph sets us straight.

A couple of things— the dialogue in the second paragraph should read “…for any of you,” the teacher had told them. Also, the beginning of the third paragraph should be “No, it’s not,” she reported innocently.

Anyway, nice work, and thanks for entering!

Thanks for the edit catches. I always seem to miss something.

Interesting concept. I definitely like how you took the secrets challenge and made it your own. It reminded me of that one short story (if any of you ever read it in school) where the kids on Mars (or some planet) shut one of the girls in a closet so she can’t go outside when the sun comes out. Sound familiar to anyone?

Anyway, I think it might have a little more dramatic flair if you didn’t spell out “Area 51” so clearly. Maybe all she catches before being whisked away is “United States Air Force—”, or you tell us something about the “Nevada sun” or something. I think the right amount of ambiguity might strengthen the story.

Or I could be crazy. You decide.