SPARK MAGAZINE 2018

“ There through the entangled bushes, I can see a streak of light “ cried Sam in
delight.

Who wouldn't be happy, Being lost on an island nowhere to be found on the maps,
all means of communications lost, completely cut off from the world, no proper
food, no medicine. The conditions were really bad. that light was a streak of hope
for them “That's a cave … How is there light coming from it ? “ asked Clary a
Curious 18-year-old. She had beautiful blonde hair and she was about 5’5. Clary
was really brave and would adapt to situations really quick. Which made her an
amazing leader. “ Whatever it is let’s find out . “ said Sam. Just a few days ago
Sam and Clary were complete strangers. But being stranded in a thick forest,
struggling for survival brought them pretty close. There were 8 people on that
plane. Out of them only 4 survivors - Clary, Sam, Jace: Sam’s elder brother and
Parker.

They crept into the cave and found the headlights of the plane that brought them
here. “ How on Earth did this get here ? “ they wondered. Clary noticed something
on the wall. “Sam, there are some drawings on the walls, Carvings actually, “ said
Clary running her fingers along the wall examining them carefully. There were
animals, plants and a sketch of the island on the walls. *Thump* Clary turned
around to see what the sound was. She found Sam crouching on the floor with her
hands covering her mouth and tears rolling down her cheeks. “ Sam ! what is it ? “
asked Clary. Muffled cries were heard from Sam as she pointed towards a darker
part of the cave. Clary was shocked to find Jace, or what remained of him.

Jace’s head was ripped off, his ribs exposed and the rest of his body adorned with
claw marks. Lying in a pool of blood was the only family Sam had left. “Sam, we
are not alone here, “ said Clary examining the claw marks on the walls. An unusual
inhumane cry was heard in the distance. “ We have to get out of here Sam .“ yelled
Clary at a still shocked Sam who was reluctant to leave her brother. “ There were 8
of us on that plane. Only three left. Our best chance of survival is if we stick
together. U have to understand that Sam. We have to get to Parker. We have a few
weapons there " said Clary as she dragged Sam back to base camp. Parker was
cooking the meat of a deer, cooking dinner for the 3 others whom he was expecting
to return. Parker was a star chef before the crash, he had a perfect life. All he
wished was to get back to his wife and children who were expecting him to return
in a few days after a world tour. Parker who was intending to return home
stumbled upon one of his oldest friends Raven Reyes renowned archeologist and
her daughter Clary. As he finished his tour a few days earlier he decided to join
Reyes in a flight across the Pacific and spend some quality time with his friend.

Clary spent the night comforting Sam who was now all alone. Sam’s parents died
in a fire when she was just a baby. Her brother was the only family she had really
known.

The rays of the morning sun struck Clary through the leaves of the trees which
covered almost all view of the sky. “ I’m gonna go check out that cave again.
There was a sketch of the island. If i can find out where we are now maybe i can
find the coast and make an S.O.S sign to alert anyone flying above us. " Stay here
and look after Sam will ya, “ said Clary picking her bow and quiver which she
cleverly made from branches, scrap metal, and fishing string.

"Aye Aye captain," said, Parker. "Clary one more thing, i think you might need
this," said Parker handing her a mobile phone. “Oh my god, Parker where did u
find this ?" ” I found this in the crash site. It belongs to someone who was on the
plane .” replied Parker." But it only has 67% battery charge left and i don't think
we can get a charger port around here so use it wisely ok kiddo and be careful,"
said Parker knowing Clary will get them off the island.

Clary reached the cave and took pictures of the wall.
and was hurrying back out when she noticed a few skeletons along the walls. “
Guess we weren’t the first ones to get here .” said clary gulping and praying that
Jace's soul rests in peace.

She got back to camp and sketched out the island on a large piece of white cloth
using charcoal from the campfire. She was smart enough to find the approximate
location of the crash site and the direction to the coast. She told the others the
amazing news and told them that they were getting off the island.

After 3 hours of walking they reached the coast . “ u know this place wouldn't to be
so bad if there wasn’t a dangerous man-eating predator on the loose .” said Parker
who has a terrible habit of bringing humor into serious moments. Clary responded
with a shrug signaling parker it was not the time for jokes. Sam hadn’t spoken a
word since she found Jace dead. Who could blame her she was now orphaned .”
There! pointed Clary towards the beach which was the only place where sunlight
actually touched the ground in abundance. grab a few rocks we gotta set up an
S.O.S sign. They rolled a few rocks around and made a huge sign. This is gonna be
hard to miss “ said Parker as he patted the sand off himself. Hours passed and it
was getting dark. Still no sign of any planes of any kind.

The others were starting to lose faith but not clary, she was determined to get Sam
and parker off the island.

Parker and Clary were sitting on the sand waiting when parker suggested she got
some rest as she didn't sleep much the previous night. I’ll wake u if we see
something .” “ ok” replied Clary as she rested on the ground to the sound of the
waves washing on the shore.

A loud scream was heard. Clary woke up and it turns out Parker had dozed off too.
When she looked around she saw Sam being dragged back into the forest by a
creature as black as the night sky almost like an ape but it was incredibly bony and
had incredibly long fingernails. Clary shot it with her bow but it continued to drag
Sam deeper in. Clary was not very good in shooting at a moving target especially
in the dark. But her determination to save her friend aided her in her attempt. She
shot it on the nape and it dropped Sam and climbed a tree.
“ Clary ! a chopper! a chopper is coming ! get here quick ."
“ Help me Sam is hurt .” cried Clary. She could hear the creature writhing in pain.
Parker and clary carried Sam who safely boarded the plane. Parker followed her in.
Just as Clary was entering she was pulled back by the creature who recovered from
its wounds. It grabbed her feet and was pulling her off an ascending aircraft she
was hanging on to with all her might. She knew she was going to die if she let
go. But she didn't want her efforts to be in vain or her friends to be in danger and
thus decided to make the brave choice and kicked the creature off the chopper with
all her might, letting go of the Chopper. For a brief moment, Clary thought that it
was the end There it stood Staring at Clary, its amber yellow eyes gleaming with
death. Something told Clary that it was not the end ..

Avneeth

Grade 10 A

The Drowning Earth

Like the al after the stor , y sister was fi ally at pea e. “he’s bee ryi g
si e oo a d it’s eve i g ow. It all started whe it had started to rai . “he
was watching TV when suddenly she broke into tears. She started running
around, tears falling down her panic stricken face. Along with the running, she
was also saying something.

When I finally got her to sit down, she sat on the floor with her knees pulled
towards her chest and she cradled herself back and forth. After a while when
had stopped moving, she went to the window and stared out of it. When I asked
her what was wro g, she did ’t eve bother to look at e.

After hours of staring she came to me and asked, Whe will it stop rai i g? , I
do ’t k ow I replied. The u e pe tedly she broke out into another episode of
tears. I betwee sobs I ould hear her tryi g to tell e so ethi g but I did ’t
get what it was.

The Earth……is…. A pause, we….. eed….. ust a other pause,
drow i g……. ust save a d looked at e, hopi g I u dersta d what she’s
tryi g to say. Is so eo e drow i g? she odded her head vigorously. Who?
MOTHER EARTH I“ DROWNING!!! “he the took y ha d a d pulled e to
the backyard, pointing at it. The water had filled to almost ankle level. Then I got
what she was trying to tell me.

I rou hed dow to her eye level a d said, Mother earth is ot drow i g. I
explained how the water cycle works and told her not to worry. I tried really
hard not to break into a fit of laughter at how naïve my sister was.

Catherine Green 9 B

GALAXY

NANDANASAJEEV,Gr 5C

The little girl

She wanders the streets,
wearing a torn white gown
Her eyes filled with darkness
that matches her soul
Her hair is dull,
just like her dress
Her face is straight
She stood motionless
Looking ahead she’s hoping to find
a soul that would share her depressed mind

Gayathri Syam
Grade 9B

If I found a magic carpet…

If I found a magic carpet, I would go to my mom’s womb because she always tells
me stories from that special nine months - A special tale that spans forever! The
wonderful and everlasting rhythm of those stories perfectly mirrors a mood of
delight in me.She always used to talk to me and sing for me.She told me that a
mother’s word is the first example of language. My movements had given her a
heavenly feeling of sweetness and fun moments. When she says all these
unforgettable stages I can see the beautiful glow of fond feelings and affection on
her face.When she narrates these soothing statements,I feel special.I hated
tomatoes and my mom had a never-ending craving for tomatoes during her
pregnancy.I was helpless as I could neither run away nor prevent the tomatoes
from coming down. But this time I will fly away when the tomatoes are starting an
avalanche. And I hope the magic carpet will help.

Iffaet Aaeesha
5B

Stop saying it’s impossible and start saying…………

o Nothing is going to be impossible because the word itself says “I’m
Mission: impossible

o With god nothing is impossible
o Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion.
o Who say’s nothing is impossible? I’ve been doing nothing for years.
o Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools.
o It is going to be hard but hard is not impossible.
o To achieve the impossible dreams, try going to sleep.
o Find a place in your heart where nothing is impossible.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND

By: LYSANDRIA 8A

Hearing and Fearing

Aaah…silence.Silence is melodious. Silence is divine for people like me, when the heavens
threatened to open that Saturday night at the railway station. Forecasters predict that a
noisy storm may be coming your way. Everyone is advised to take shelter. I cursed at
“noisy”, as it stood out in bold letters in the news headline. Hoping to take refuge in my
earphones, I popped them into my ears, anticipating the relaxation music that I used for
yoga. Instead, what came through was “Thunder” by Imagine Dragons. “What the hell?” I
screamed, dropping my phone, probably cracking the screen, as “Thunder, feel the thunder,
lightning and the thunder” continued to torture. Was this the universe cracking a joke and
taunting my fear for what was to come?

As if cued by my thoughts, the first drops began their descent and I hurried into a waiting
room, where a mansat placidly, a solitary figure. I sat, my mind wobbly, as I saw lightning
streak across the sky. My heart felt as if it wished to burst out of my body and escape. My
fingers began numbing as breaths came in short and rapid. My legs were chained to the
ground. And atlast, thunder made its entrance, the vicious maestro directing the rain, the
nightmare that I couldn’t wake up from. I screamed – a long, agonized, desperate scream.
It was then, that I recalled the person sitting next to me. He continued staring out,
indifferent to the thunder. I shook him wildly, terror dancing in my eyes. He looked at me
as if he’d just noticed me then, and bewilderment took over his face. “Don’t you hear it?”
I shrieked, having abandoned my sanity. “Don’t you hear the monster?” He touched his ear
and made a negative gesture, about the same time that the thunder died down. My breathing
slowed. I sank deeper into my seat, the reality beginning to set in. He was deaf. He heard
nothing...he feared nothing. I tried to put myself together, no more screams emanating from
me. He never let thunder enter, while I gave it plenty of provision to come in, uninvited.
He never listened to it and counted down the minutes towards it, while I did. Perhaps you
couldn’t fear something, if you never let it in. From that day onwards, the sound of thunder
makes me smile. I’m no longer scared of storms.

Malavika Rajesh

Grade 9 A

Mat the cat

Done by: Muaz Hanas, Grade: 5D

Mat the cat,
had a ball and bat.
It was bitten and torn,
But was his own.

He lived with Sam,
who always ate jam.
He lived beside the dam,
called Ram.

There was a monster,
who was red,
And was always on his bed.

His eyes,
looked like pies.
His legs looked more like,
a peg.

Meg had broom,
in his room.
With which he beat,
The monster.

My faithful servant

One of my servants was having a vulture eye, on one dark evening as he entered my
room I felt uneasy as he kept on looking around the place very cautiously. Jim, my
old faithful servant, has been with me from four years now. Our pet cat Snowy was
just relaxing by the couch as usual. It was raining heavily. I was sitting on my couch
and watching TV. Soon after, I heard a loud thud in the kitchen. I felt indifferent
about it but my servant had quickly rushed down to see what caused the noise. Jim
didn’t find anything amiss. But something had caught his attention; he saw a few
muddy footprints and he also noticed that the window lock was broken and left open.
Oblivious of what Jim was doing I was back to my room and almost dozed off until
I heard some footsteps and the door creaking. I immediately called my servant Jim
to see what had happened in my bedroom. He answered, “Master I believe we are
not alone here, I have seen muddy footsteps in the kitchen floor, the window was
left open, which was unusual.” I was frozen with fear. So Jim and I decided to start
off from the hall down stairs. We went there, looked at everything on the floor, on
the table but we couldn’t find anything.

Next, I decided to look in my bedroom as the noise was heard from there first. When
we entered my room, I saw the worst sight. All my drawers were pulled out, papers
and documents were scattered everywhere. I was completely shocked. Meanwhile,
Jim was quietly looking around, He sensed something in the cupboard, so he opened
my cupboard and saw a man dressed in black, hiding with all my documents and my
project plans. The intruder tried to escape. But Jim didn’t let him. Jim quickly caught
him and called the police. I grabbed back all my documents which were a crucial
part of my next project based on artificial intelligence. The police arrived in a jiffy
and arrested him. I was extremely glad and relieved when I saw Snowy behind the
clothes tied up. I quickly untied him and let him free. Jim proved himself to be a true
and loyal servant and I spent rest of the night thinking about ways to reward him for
his faithfulness towards me.

Nabeel Ahmed

Grade 8B

Caption: Sanal Sabir was in a reflective mood while capturing the Love Lake at
Al Qudra.

(This picture was published in the Gulf News, Friday Magazine)

One of my servants had a vulture eye…

One of my servants had a vulture eye. On one dark evening it was raining heavily,
the drops of water pounding heavily on the window as he entered my room. I was
engrossed in reading Dracula and suddenly he banged on the floor with a stick. My
book flew from my hand to the other side of the bed. I was very scared and was
imagining as if the Dracula was here and I was still for a moment. He started to strike
the stick again and I came back to my senses. I asked him what was wrong but he
did not respond as if he didn’t know how to talk. I asked him again and again what
was wrong but he didn’t respond. I was completely freaked out as this servant, Ramu
kaka was acting like this for the first time. He had stopped banging the stick and was
standing still, his eyes searching for something. I was just surprised. Suddenly my
glass of water which was on the floor near the bed fell. When I looked there, there
was nothing, just water spilled and a glass. I screamed at the top of my voice but
Ramu Kaka was running here and there banging the stick searching for something
as if he saw what had spilled water. I climbed on my study table and was very scared.
I did not know what to do. It was only me and Ramu kaka in the house. One acting
like crazy and one frightened. I was completely mad thinking about the glass and
Ramu Kaka on top of a table. Suddenly I heard a squishy sound it turned out to be
from Ramu Kaka hitting a nice with a stick. Finally he spoke and told that he saw
mice enter my room and that’s what he was searching for as he knew I was damn
scared of mice. And yes, I am so silly.

Sharvari Joshi
Grade 8A

The Unpredicted Call

On October 4, we were decorating our house to celebrate the most long awaited
festival, Diwali. My heart was filled with excitement to meet my father after a long
gap of six years. But a call from the army headquarters left us stunned.

It said that a new war had opened up the West Front and my father's aid was
necessary. My mother looked at me with pity. It took me some time to comprehend
the message. But once realization hit, my eyes filled with tears. I fled to my room
but in between I stepped on something. I looked down at the blurry floor to see two
pieces of metal glinting in the shy brightness of the sunlight. I realized that it was
my gift to my father. I had eagerly anticipated the moment where I would slide the
smooth metal of the hand chain onto my father's wrist. I mused, "How can a broken
thing matter more than a broken heart?" I ran the rest of the way back to my room,
not caring about the chain at all.

On reaching my room, I cried my heart out and cursed God for making my life so
miserable. It was at this moment the tortuous absence of my father was most felt.
Six years of long awaited day and still I was kept away from my father. I sulked
throughout the whole day and finally cried myself to sleep.

On the day my father was supposed to come, I was sitting gloomily when our door
bell rang. I stumbled to the door, expecting the milkman. But there stood my hero,
with badges and medals gleaming proudly on his chest. He gathered me in a hug
with his strong arms as the inevitable tears came forth. The whole world felt better.
It even seemed the sun was smiling. But my fathers smile outshone the rest.

Shifa Gani
Grade 10B