Sweat dripped down my nose. The clothes I wore felt like microwaves. The glaring light of the sun scorched my back. Sighing, I shifted from my spot in the sand, trying to scoot more of my body into the little shade I had in my cactus-esque tent. It was an especially warm day in the Amazon desert, and all the creatures had gone into hiding.

Well, all except for one.

Peering through my binoculars, I scanned the horizon for any movement. Only the wind seemed to be active today. Brittle dust and rocks scraped against my knees like sandpaper.

I knew it had to be around here. There have been reports about a mysterious humanoid creature wandering the desert, but no one had found solid proof yet.

I turned my gaze from the sand dunes to the cacti nearby. They aren't native to this desert but were brought in place of the trees

"Maybe the creature's hiding amongst the cacti. The spines protect it from predators," I muttered.

As the hours passed, the forest of cacti looked more and more appealing. I should have put my cactus tent there, it would blend in better anyway, I thought to myself. Plus, there's water in cacti and I could use a refreshment—

The tent started shaking. I gripped my binoculars, anticipating a storm. However, the horizon remained clear blue.

The tent shook again. I looked up and a tall, looming silhouette looked back. The shadows of two hands, five fingers on each, were grasping the tent, clawing at it weakly.

I could only stare. The creature was exactly as I imagined; humanoid but animalistic, too.

The shadow wavered, then started shrinking. It was leaving.

I grabbed my camera and scrambled outside. My breath quickened as I searched for the creature.

Then I saw it. The camera slipped right through my fingers.

Remember earlier when I said it was exactly as I imagined? Well, I took it all back.

It stood on long, stalk-like legs. It had two beady eyes on top of its flat face, a round-ish nose in the middle. It had two arms as well, five spindly fingers scratching at its brown skin.

"Y-you're supposed to be extinct," I whispered shakily. It occurred that I was talking to a supposed creature, monster, something potentially dangerous and possibly unintelligent.

But it wasn't. After all, I was talking to a human.

CBC Books asked students to give us a glimpse of the great Canadian novel of the year 2168. They wrote the first page of a book set 150 years in the future, with the protagonist facing an issue that's topical today and set the scene for how it's all playing out in a century and a half.

Two winning entries — one from the Grades 7 to 9 category and one from the Grades 10 to 12 category — will be chosen by bestselling YA author Kelley Armstrong, most known for her Darkest Powers and Darkness Rising series. The winner will be announced on CBC Books on March 11, 2020.

Both winners will receive a one-year subscription to OwlCrate, which sends fresh boxes of books to young readers across Canada on a monthly basis. In addition, each of the winners' schools will receive 50 free YA books.