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Eduard-Ionuț Cocu is participating in the 5th International Literary Creation Competition, from Tulcea, Romania and he is 16 years old. He is guided by Mr. Professor Vlăduț-George Bogdan at the International Theoretical Computer Science High School in Constanța. We thank for the participation and wish him success.

You can read the text as he submitted it here:

A Dream Whispered by Stars

      I’ve always loved going on adventures with my dear friend, Bullet: a great, loyal companion who has never disappointed me and has always stood by my side no matter what. He must be the most precious gift I’ve ever received and for this, I’ll always be thankful to my grandparents who saved him and thought about leaving Bullet to me right before they passed away. Bullet always reminds me of them and I cherish their memory eternally in my heart. They were the only ones that knew me truly. Not even I have ever gotten there. Since I was little, I dreamed about becoming a hunter, but ironically, I’ve always been afraid to head into the woods. There was something about the heart of the forest which frightened me deeply and I believe words cannot describe the feelings of pure horror which overwhelmed me whenever I found myself wandering around the tall, proud trees that kept casting shadows of dread. I thought, for a long time, that there was no cure for me and I’ll never be able to achieve my dream. Fortunately, I was wrong and thanks to the Providence, I was saved...By Bullet, of course. I believe we saved each other and it all turned out for the best.
      Now, at an older age, my thought keeps heading back to my favorite adventure with Bullet. I cannot but reminisce about the past, every memory which I hold close today unraveling down the spiral of time.  Back then, me and Bullet didn’t get understand each other so well. That’s the day we truly became best friends and from that point forward, we achieved the ability to read each other like a book. No wall could stand between me and him, we were so alike, similar to a soul embodied in two halves. They say goodbyes are the worst and they’re the definition of “sour”. Well, if that’s the case, beginnings must be the definition of “bittersweet”...
      It was a bright, charming day when it all started. I woke up surprisingly late due to my unhealthy and irrefutable passion of writing in the midst of night, the time of day when the most marvelous plans in history have been sown, solitude becoming the ultimate guide and refuge whenever hardship is encountered. That is one of the conclusions I came to during my nightly confessions. I thought my day was ruined because of the poor sleep which disturbed me quite a lot. After my grandparents passed away, the cottage nearby the forest remained only to me and Bullet, we were all alone and I had just celebrated my sixteenth birthday. I had no choice but to start hunting and my loyal friend made sure we had something to eat everyday. The night’s grasp started diminishing its might, leaving room for the sun to overwhelm the sky with bolts of light which wrapped the trees in beautiful colors, exempting them from the cold and deadly claws darkness had placed around them.
     Upon lifting my rifle from its stand, I noticed Bullet right behind my shoulder and I was struck by the realization of why I named him this way. As he runs, he gives the impression of a bullet piercing through the forest and I’m confident no other canine being could ever outrun him. His sharp, alert eyes keep shooting bolts of agility, leaving no room for mistakes whenever it comes to spotting prey. 
     We ventured into the unknown. After a long time walking down the path, we came across fresh tracks of deer. Bullet sometimes looks at me as if he’s a human, not an animal. I noticed the spark in his eyes and I could sense the pride he held in our finding, he had clearly smelled the animal beforehand and led me to its tracks. Following them, a pond appeared right in front of our eyes and there it was: the majestic animal drinking water without a clue, completely and utterly unsuspicious of what was about to happen to it. I laid down patiently, positioned my iron sights aiming for the area between its heart and lungs so that my bullet could pierce through it, causing fatal damage and ultimately allowing me and my companion to enjoy our trophy. The wind stopped howling. I glanced at Bullet. He had already been waiting for me to take the shot and was ready to take action if I would miss. Upon taking a deep breath...I pressed the trigger. 
     The bullet flew across the pond, piercing the animal’s body, leaving it breathless and motionless. Blood covered the spot, darkening the color of the water. I picked myself up and headed towards the deer. Bullet was right behind me, carefully watching over our shoulders while I was approaching the pond. Fortunately, we always have each other’s backs.
     Out of nowhere, Bullet barks loudly, as if danger is nearby. In the blink of an eye, I turn around, grasping my firearm and pointing it towards the heart of the forest. Suddenly, a huge, dreadful beast roars at us so hard we could feel the ground trembling. To this day, I still believe the shake was real. Ominous dark clouds covered the sky leaving us in a wicked scene, having to encounter a powerful enemy dealing with a possessor of unmatched strength and sheer ferociousness. As if everything hadn’t been awful already, we noticed another brown bear heading towards us, but this time, coming from the direction of the fallen deer. For the first time in my life, I froze and life flashed right before my eyes. I couldn’t move. Fortunately, Bullet bit me gently by the leg allowing me to bring myself together. Upon lifting my head, I was struck by a horrific view: the two bears were charging at us terribly. I looked briefly at Bullet and, by simply nodding my head, he got my message. In the last moment, we rushed in opposite directions, leaving the beasts confused. Luckily, they were too slow to react and they clashed, both of them falling over, allowing us to flee the scene and head deep into the woods. 
     Me and Bullet were, for the first time, far away from each other. I pulled out my gun and fired a shot in the sky, hoping he’d understand and, without a doubt, he did. When I returned home, Bullet was playfully wagging his tail waiting for me. I smiled and sighed. I was relieved. We laid together in the grass, watching the stars that shined over us. We were alive. 
     ...
     Now, upon reminiscing these times, I get struck by heavy nostalgia. I was left all alone. The light from Bullet’s eyes eventually drained and became a memory I still hold on to and I’ll never let it go. My dear friend died in the line of duty, his soul was taken by a bear after all. He joined my grandparents in Paradise and I cannot wait to see him again, wagging his tail happily, just like he did that day. There was something so pure in him, words cannot describe properly. That day, my grandparents must have wished us luck. They and Bullet are my stars.