Sabrina Lowney, who is one of my TEENWriters wrote this, and I just had to share.
Sparkly vampires are actually kind of genius. I mean, Stephanie Meyer took vampires and morphed them into the birds of paradise of the monster world. Can you imagine a short story about sparkly vampires written as though it were a National Geographic/Animal Planet narration? I did, and then I wrote this:
Spring has dawned in the Pacific Northwest, and the mating season has arrived. Our vampire, Edward, is no longer the youngest with the arrival of newly-dead Jasper into the Olympic Coast clan. With Emmett and Rosalie having paired up for the season, Alice is now the clan’s only eligible female. In previous years, Edward would have had a clear shot. But this time, he will have to challenge the younger, sparklier vampire, Jasper, for mating rights.
On a makeshift stage in a forest clearing, the vampires wait for sun. Competing male vampires may spend days in their chosen arenas, out in the elements, as they wait. To leave would be to forfeit mating rights. Edward cannot afford to be alone yet another season. His position in the clan depends on proving himself. After the past few decades of being unable to find a mate, Edward’s standing is tenuous. If he fails again this season, he will be further shunned by the clan, and, if the clan is forced to move to a new den, he may be left behind altogether.
But Jasper, too, needs this victory. As the newest member of the Olympic Coast clan, Jasper must find a mate this season or he will be banished. If he is kicked out, he will either have to find a new clan, and go through the trials of being accepted there, or face the prospect of life as a lone vampire, where he will have to deal with werewolf packs, faerie prides, goblin pods, trolls, and other predators a lone vampire is ill-equipped to tackle.
When sun finally shines on the meadow clearing, Edward, Jasper, and Alice are ready. In order to be chosen as a mate, Edward must prove to Alice that his sparkle is superior to Jasper’s. To showcase their sparkles in the best light, the male vampires must strip and preform a sort of dance for their intended mate.
Jasper proceeds to frolic around the field, while Edward goes for a more stationary approach. He clasps his hands together and swings his arms in a similar fashion to that of a human with a baseball bat. Edward finishes his routine with a 360 degree spinning jump-hop, keeping his arms out to his sides for balance. It was an admirable effort, but Alice chooses Jasper instead, marking her territory by licking the younger vampire’s neck. Once again, Edward is without a mate.