The story is called “The Show,” the protagonist is known as the “performer,” and here’s the twist – this performance is definitely not family friendly.

Old Rochester Regional High School junior Renae Reints wrote the short story,  which was selected to appear in The Marble Collection, a non-profit arts magazine.

Published twice a year, the magazine features the work of Massachusetts secondary students in print and online including, art work, literature, music, and videos.

A Rochester resident, Reints developed the story for a school creative writing assignment. Students read Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” and then adapted its chilling theme of mob mentality into their writing.

Reints looked to the past for inspiration when she decided to set her story against the backdrop of a public hanging.

“Hangings were real events that people went to. I wanted to take that idea and make it more dramatic,” she said.

This is how Reints described the scene the crowd came to see: “The performer’s face contorted into various shapes of pain while he danced to the crowd’s cheers. After a few moments, he ceased to move, and his eyes closed. His body swayed in the slight breeze, a waltz to complete the show.”

The Marble Collection chose to include Reints’ story from artistic works submitted by students from 170 secondary schools across Massachusetts.

Once selected, students are assigned a college mentor who offers editorial advice before publication.

“They taught me so much about the publishing process,” Reints said. Her editor, Kristen Fournier, helped Reints refine her story.

For about a month, they exchanged emails about “The Show” until it was ready for publication.

“It’s a great experience. It really is perfect,” Reints said, who plans to pursue a career as an environmental journalist.

An avid reader from a young age, she was amazed by the fictional worlds her favorite authors created. That experience inspired her and a friend to write a novel as children.

“We thought we were going to write a bestseller,” Reints said. She may not be too far off. Three of her short stories and one photograph have been published in various editions of The Marble Collection during her high school career.

In addition to focusing on writing, Reints is a member of the National Honor Society, student council, Students Organizing Labor Equality, and an international culture club.