GC Short Story Anthology 2014 15

Shunyi BSB Anthology 2014-15

Illustration by Lina Patushka

Welcome to the Global Classroom Short
Story Anthology 2014-15

Each year Global Classroom challenges over 19,000 students to devise a piece of
creative writing. This year our students were crafted an experience of “An
Unforgettable Place” in only 500 words.

Contained in this anthology are the commended entries from KS3. As well as this, we
judged the top 5 from KS2 and KS3, and included the top 2 from upper secondary.

Top Entries from BSB

Primary Year 5
Stacey Taurere Year 6
Aaliyah North Year 4
Eilidh Dransfield Year 6
Ellie Xing Year 6
Lina Patuschka
Lower Secondary Year 7
Tsepang Sekhokoane Year 8
Julian Komaromy Year 9
Basant Mohamed Year 9
Aliisa Numella Year 7
Stephenie Chen
Upper Secondary Year 11
Henry Long Year 12
Amy Wei

I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I do. Thank you to all the teachers, judges,
parents and pupils who inspired these wonderful pieces of creativity.
All the best in writing,

Mr Gregory Anderson
English Teacher and Global Classroom Coordinator

Forward from the Head of Secondary English

At BSB, we aim to nurture and encourage young writers.

We want our students to realise the impact that writing can have upon a real
audience and understand how their writing can move people.

That is why participation in writing competitions is essential. We want to show
students that writing a story isn’t just for an exercise book, a homework task or even
an exam.

It is about having the opportunity to share something special.

It provides them with a voice.

It is a way to communicate with the world around them.

Through our participation in the Global Classroom Short Story Competition, we have
been able to showcase the amazing writing talent of our students. This year is no
exception.

Congratulations to all the students that have been selected as entries for this year’s
contribution. You should be immensely proud of what you have achieved and I look
forward to seeing more outstanding efforts from you in the future.

Mr Gary Cairns
Head of Secondary English

Beauty comes at a price

I’ve been going to this beach for many years now, I was not
very sure it was going to be the same again.

“Wow” I said to myself as I looked out onto the blanket of
water and the blinding sand. “This is the life,” I said out loud. I
felt the warm sand squelch underneath my toes, as I started to
wade in to the play full waves. Teasingly they threatened to
engulf me. I felt fear creep up my spine when the waves got
more confident, that was enough for me and I clambered out
the sea.

As I got out the sea the sand welcomed me. I made an
awesome sand castle, which I bet I would have won a
competition. While I was making the castle I could feel the
sun’s warmth soaking into my skin. I let myself lay back onto
the ground, not caring about the bits of sand going in to my
hair. I had waited a whole year for this and I’m not even
disappointed, it has not changed one bit, its still magnificently
beautiful in its own way. “Ahhh” I sighed happily, what a
change to the cold winter in Beijing, I sighed again. No matter
how many times I come here, it will never get old.

The beauty
The silence
The clean water
And the Blue sky

Going away from the constant honk of horns is bliss, going to a
place with just the sound of water lapping at your feet, is
something else.

Looking out on to the water and seeing the birds fly, is like
being in a dream there are no honking horns nobody to disturb
you, its just you and them.

Opening my window in the morning, you don’t get greeted by a
grey, foul smelling air instead I get greeted with the view of a
beautiful lush ocean and a piecing blue sky.
Putting my feet in the water I marveled at the color and the
insanity of the clear bluish greenish water.

Slowly I open my eyes and see my dads face smothered in
tears I then realize that I’m laying in a hospital bed then all of
a sudden it all comes flooding back, a whirl pool of memories
that threaten to overwhelm. The pain, the searing pain, the
impact of the car as it hit the tree, seeing my mums eyes roll
back in her head as I slowly lost consciousness. I look at my
dad; he smiles a relived smile I smile back. I let him take my
hand as once again fatigue takes over.

Now I truly understand the beauty of what I had and that
beauty comes with a price.

Somewhere Unforgettable - Aliisa Nummela 9A – Yellow House (Vikings)

501 words

A simple ring of wind chimes wakes you from your dreams.

Now you stand outside with your feet planted firmly against the ground. Ears sharp. Mouth shut. Deep breaths of
the purest air.

This special place holds neither underlining glory nor fame and why should it? There is a small frame of rocks and
leaves bordering the water – keeping it safe. The pier stands sturdy beneath the darkened hue of night whilst a
candle warms your finger tips. Around you evergreen trees stand silent within the whispers of the wind: it is
perfect.

The way it’s meant to be.

“Remember the snow?” A familiar voice wraps around you. Laughter grins on your heart and you’re running.

“How could I forget?!” You picture the fleece of white covering all surfaces; the view is still fresh in your mind.
Think about how it would have felt beneath your bare feet: now you have the hard dry soil. It is smooth between
your toes, curling against you. Fixate on the shine of the floating flame against the black surface below. There are
no waves now – you stare at glass that cannot shatter.

“Do you want to go for a swim?” She blurts out through the quiet night.

“Are you mad? We will freeze in there!” You almost walk away but it draws you closer. Too gentle to touch –
your reflection is blurred.

You step forwards and you fall to your knees, water rushes over you causing your teeth to dig into your tongue.
For a moment it is strange – like you couldn’t ever imagine leaving this exact spot again. “Beautiful.” A whisper
escapes you. Catching water in your palms: you pour it over your head. You are whole – a part of something
larger and far more important.

“There is beauty to find in everything.” She mutters mockingly whilst standing above you on a stone, her arms
crossed and her hair pushed back behind her shoulder. Her green eyes become part of the background: she fits
here, in the nature.

On your feet again - water drips. Your skin shivers and seeks warmth.

Couldn’t you just stay here for another moment? Watch the sunrise another time, glance from under the horizon
and sneak away moments later. Instead you slip out of the water, let it slide back into perfection – seemingly
untouched.

“You didn’t go in the water?” You smile, slightly disappointed.

“I can go tomorrow.” She replies and offers you a helping hand. You take it and step up onto the large stone.

“You always say that. Which means you always lie?”

“I never lie.” Then she points towards the orange shimmer in the distance. The sun: it hides for a while before
emerging into view. A whole sky of red, yellow and blue, “You see, tomorrow can be any tomorrow. It can be this
tomorrow or the tomorrow of next year. Either way I keep my promise.”

“I don’t think it works like that.” I give her a slight nudge.

“It does for me.”

Letter to Dean
Amy Wei

Dearest Dean,

I expect this will be the last letter I shall be sending you for a while.

The streets of Rome were wonders to behold. I do not know how to
capture their magic in these lifeless strokes of ink; I can only tell you that they
were spellbinding, and that I hope that you, too, will be able to find your way
there someday. Be sure to visit the Colosseum - oh how wrong you were, Dean...
What had you called it? “Overrated”. My son, it is the centerpiece of the ruins of
Rome. You’ve never seen such decayed grandeur, such a rotten feat of
engineering. You can see it crumbling before your very eyes, but its descent to
utter fragmentation has been paused for thousands of years, and you know that
people will still be watching it fracture, frozen in time, one thousand years hence.

But it is not a sad sight, but grand! For an empire to experience a true
zenith it must needs waste away as it falls down the other side of the precipice.
Power changes hands, and old gives way to new.

“Even a lifetime isn’t enough to see Rome.” I forgot whose words they
were, but they come to me now. This whole tour of Europe was a sad attempt to
complete an old woman’s bucket list, but I feel like I can’t quite check off ‘visit
Rome; see ruins.’ It feels unfinished, even though it is, undoubtedly, ended.

I would have stayed there forever if I could. Afternoons spent walking
aimlessly through the winding alleys of glass and chrome and cracked marble
statues of Mars and Bellona; evenings musing and watching the light dance on
torch lit cobblestones in the rain.

They truly were the best few weeks of my life.

I expected to have a lot more to talk about with you when I got my hands
on a pen and paper and a cleared mind, but I find there’s not a lot else to say.
Most wonders were just whispers of thought, and those had best be kept to
myself.

How are you and Emily? I hope the tiff about fitting in a conservatory is
sorted for good now. Just fit the darned thing in; don’t be such a prig.

And little Ella, I trust she is doing well? Oh I’ll miss that little sot...

Only one stop left. I’m at the airport gate now, sitting with the almost
complete bucket list folded in my coat pocket. I think I’ll check the last box later
for formality’s sake.

I’ve got a little over an hour until boarding.

Bye Dean.
I’m going to Switzerland.

Somewhere Unforgettable

Ominous stonewalls jutted from the lush green grass against a backdrop of
bruised clouds smothering the sun. A place sprinkled with mystery but
daubed with ghosts. I step up to the castle and place my hands on its rough
surface.

“More than five thousand people were executed here,” drawls our tour
guide nonchalantly, not bothering to look as she attempts to point behind
towards the ruins, her finger instead motioning to the empty sky. Sighing, I
wait until the group of men and women with skin like creased paper
dipped in bitter coffee and heads full of dying grey hair creak their way
across the cliff. I glance back towards the castle and close my eyes.

Warily, I start walking and let the walls take me around, my feet sinking
into the soft earth, until I realise I can no longer hear the loud throngs of
tourists. My eyes struggle open and I find myself alone in a corridor inside
the castle, dimly lit with small, rusty light bulbs swaying precariously from
the ceiling.

How did I get in here?

The air is damp and the dust crawls into my body, making my throat itch
and my eyes water.

I whip around and squint into the darkness. Nothing. My heart slams
against my chest as my breath becomes ragged. I can’t see anything in the
suffocating gloom, so I don't know if anyone- or anything- is here with me.

Five thousand people is a lot of angry souls.

“Hello?” I croak. I have to get out of here.

Silence.

“Anyone there?” I whisper.

Snap.

A terrifying scream rips through my body as I stumble down the narrow
space between the two walls. This is how I’m going to die. I slam into a
thick sheet of silver at the opening and yelp as the thick cobwebs shove
themselves into my eye. I fall and twist maniacally on the ground.

Finally stopping, I lay there the dull strings of silk contorted around my
body, the crashing beat of my heart beginning to lessen. I’m in an opening
hidden behind the sturdy walls of the castle. I gaze upwards. The storm is
gone; the sky is a pale sapphire with white, wispy beds of cotton dissolving
into the sunlight. The wind soughs softly in my ear and through the green,
pink and red flowers growing a few inches from my feet, which slice
through the otherwise monotonous colour of the earth. Far away the cliff
ends abruptly- falling gracefully in a steep motion to the glittering, clear
sea below.

I feel like candy floss: sugar and air. The castle is no longer foreboding in
the golden light, but instead looks wistful, perplexed. Lost. Like a puppet
with its strings cut, now unsure what to do since its master has abandoned
it.

Muffled voices are speaking behind the walls and I realise one has a
distinct accent, her voice annoyingly bored. I should get back. Smiling I get
up heavily and decide to walk back the way I have come, through the dark
hall.

There is nothing to be afraid of here.

By Basant Mohamed











Eilidh Dransfield – Somewhere Unforgettable

One day Holly woke up with a buzzing feeling. Holly was a kind girl
with long curly hair and she lived in New York. She looked around
her, she was still in her room but something wasn’t right. She
dragged herself out of bed when she noticed her bright red story
book was wide open and buzzing like a bumble bee.

She kneeled over it and she imagined pencils sinking into it.
Suddenly a thought struck her like lightning. What if she tried it out?

Just at that moment Holly’s bossy twin, Hayden came storming in
muttering something about paper. “Did you steal my papers?”He
asked. “No, but I did find a portal to a magical land!”Replied Holly.

“Oh really,” said Hayden enthusiastically.

Hayden found himself kneeling over the book beside Holly; he too
was amazed that it was glowing. He was so amazed that he lost his
balance and fell into the book!

Where did Hayden go? Holly thought. Should I follow him? She felt
puzzled and frightened at the same time. She stared into the book
and saw Hayden swinging from the u in the word beautiful.
Suddenly he stopped swinging and landed in the pond that was in
the story. She realised that page was wet. She went to brush the
page of water to see Hayden and fell into the book herself. She was
lucky she landed on the h in the word the. She slid off the h and
landed in a beautiful meadow of lush, green grass. The pond was at
the bottom of the meadow and Hayden was standing shivering and
looking very bewildered. She ran to him. Both of them looked at

each other in amazement as they tried to make sense of what had
happened. They walked for a while until they came to an abandoned
camp. The sheets of the tent were ripped and they sagged at the
bottom. Holly found a towel for Hayden who was still shivering. They
didn’t know what to do so Holly curled up and went to bed.

Dolphin Watch at San Francisco Bay
By Ellie

My heart was pumping fast from excitement as I carefully climbed
up the steep rock. Finally, I succeeded. “Wow!” I let out a gasp of
amazement. The sky, unbelievably beautiful, was a mixture of pink,
red, blue, purple and orange which I had rarely seen in China for the
past three years. I stood there, just staring at the masterpiece of
the nature, when my friend Brianna exclaimed: “Look! Look!! A dolphin!
And there’s another one!! And another!!”

Whispers and murmurs of surprise spread through the small
group like the wind. Even the teachers seemed quite excited.
Standing on the high rock, I could clearly see what Brianna had seen.
Six lovely, shiny, smooth dolphins were leaping out of the water and
in again. They were as shiny as diamonds, and as precious as crystals.
They are as alive as it can be, right in front of my eyes. I wish I could
go closer and touch them with my hand. Before this trip, I only saw
them in the books, seeing them in the flesh is a different experience.

The dolphins were chasing after each other, leaping in and out of
the water. Sometimes they gather close together, squeaking to each

other in dolphin language. Sometimes they spread out evenly, showing
off their smooth and silver bodies, wiggling and dancing in the air,
making all kinds of cute and interesting poses. Even from faraway, we
can see their bright eyes shining in the sunlight. As they leaped and
twirled, they seemed to be smiling. It is said that the dolphins are
one of the smartest mammals on Earth, could they understand our
excitement?

With our eyes glued to the sea level, several of my friends and
classmates took out their cameras carefully and quietly (afraid to
scare the dolphins), and snapped photographs as soon as the dolphins
leaped out again. All around me I heard clicks, gasps, splashes and
‘Woo’s, and I saw dolphins’ graceful leaps, children’s glistening eyes
and excited faces, and the teachers’ satisfied smiles. I could feel
cool breaths dancing on my skin. I could smell the unique scent of the
blue sea. I could taste the salty, yet beautiful sea. For a minute or
two, I wished that time could freeze right there and last forever,
for I’ve never ever seen a dolphin in the wild before. Not as I
remembered.

One by one, each of my classmates, friends and teachers got a
chance to enjoy the unforgettable ocean view and the cute,

human-like creatures. Everyone was delighted and seems to be very
satisfied. On the way back to school, there were no complaints about
the long bus ride as everyone was still lost in memory about the trip
to the seaside and the amazing dolphin watch.

Later that day, I had a wonderful dream about turning into a
dolphin and living freely in the ocean with my fellow dolphins. How I
wish that this dream could come true!

Somewhere Unforgettable

By Henry Long

He wanted to punch through the mirror glass, but he knew that the demons would only taunt him
further with their seemingly endless spindly fingers drawing him in. Their sleepless black eyes
showed nothing but sheer bloody hate. The boy muttered under his breath, cursing the demons,
this only made it worse, their unhinging laugh could most likely be heard form the floor above and
below his quivering legs. The high pitched crunch of the mirror raged through the boy, his eyes
warmed as he felt them scraping down his arms, the blood specs began to roll up his forearm
before diving back down through the pores in his skin.

Immortality. That was the burden Aidan suffered. He’d gotten to 16 years of age and hadn’t grown
since. It was his 89th birthday in just a carless handful of days.

Spinning round to wash his hands only to find the school bully peering down on him like he was a
chunk of chocolate cake. “Morning” the Aidan sneered fearless of the god awful things Clint had
done to almost every new face he saw. Clint had reportedly poured bleach into the water fountain
taps one day after last period. Then again, the school was like a long chain of Chinese whispers
and somehow Aidan didn’t think much of the story anyway.

“Lunch money, scrub” Clint Burled through his fresh mars bar hanging from the side of his chops.
Aidan smiled and side stepped peering up into the eyes of the solid boy in front of him.

Aidan washed his hands with soap and whipped them on his jogging bottoms before turning for the
door.

Clint barged passed him knocking him into the cubicle door, “Oi you silly dyke, did you not hear
me?” Aidan stood and carried on towards the door, he’d had enough. The demons in the mirror
were laughing hysterically now, telling him to break poor Clint.

He gave in, he span chopping the thug in the neck with his right cutting off air supply momentarily
then jabbed him in the flabby section were the stomach often is (then again not a hard target when
you eat fifteen mars bars a day as well as full meals). Clint doubled in shock retching for breath.
Aidan slammed down, hard with an elbow to the back of the neck causing momentary paralysis.
Pirouetting like a drunken ballerina he fell on the wet paper towels that littered the Victorian school
bathroom. A terrible crack, his nose broke and splattered blood over the tiled floor through the
urine. “God why wont anyone learn?”

Aidan broke the last with standing mirror in the bathroom screaming profanities at the vexing
demons behind it.

The First Time

My feet left gentle footsteps in the sun scorched sand as I walked along the azure
blue shoreline. The skies were baby blue, my favourite colour for a sky (if someone
can even have one in these polluted days where you really don’t get a choice
besides the countless millions shades of grey that are each duller and greyer than
the one before it). The sand was that postcard perfect color and texture which you
see in bookstores. In short, everything was perfect. Except for one thing: I was about
to go diving for the first time in my life.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to; it was just that I was; well, not exactly ecstatic at the
thought of submerging underwater for minutes without hitting the surface.

Fine, I know, I was scared out of my shoes (well, sandals).

I was headed over to the dive shack where everyone was waiting for me, they were
all already in their full diving gear which we (my mother and I) picked a few hours ago
(well, not really my mother and I but the diving instructor instead). A few long and
wearisome minutes later I was decked out in my full diving gear with the scuba tank
and everything. After we were all ready the diving instructor lead us over to the
shore, which we waddled our way over to slowly because of the two – ton scuba
tanks.

Once we were in the water the weight of the scuba tanks instantly evaporated, we
put our flippers on with some minor difficulty and then swam over to a deeper area.
The instructor told us a few things (quite a lot actually) and after a few minutes of
preparation we finally put our goggles on and with our regulators in our mouths we
submerged into the beautiful sea.

It was as if the rest of our species (humans, if you didn’t realise) were blind to
everything that lies under the water, it was as if when we went under for the first time
a door opened up and butlers and valets in immaculate suits ushered us inside to
see all that is hidden from the people who don’t have or didn’t take the chance to
experience.

The very first thing I saw was all of the corals: big, small, white, green, spherical and
tree – like, they were all so amazing! I couldn’t believe my eyes; sure, people do
snorkeling all of the time, but that isn’t the point, the priceless ability to explore these
wonderful temples of nature is beyond doubt one of the most exhilarating things in
the world.

The second thing I noticed was all the life beaming out at you from the nooks and
crannies of the corals, they complimented each other so well: the still majesty of the
corals and the excitement of the little fish.

Sadly, all good things have to come to an end and I was very sorry to acknowledge
that after my first day of diving.

By Julian Komaromy



Somewhere unforgettable

Everything was silent as can be. I thoughtfully closed my eyes. I concentrated…and I
could hear much more. I heard the little “go-away” bird chirping like calling the sun, the
high grass whispering like telling stories; somewhere far away I heard a hippo splashing
in water and I smelled the fading smell of the hot savannah grass, and – surprisingly -
the smell of chocolate bars, that Grandma had taken with her. A soft breeze tickled my
skin as if the wind wanted me to open my eyes. I giggled.

Suddenly, I remembered what the guide had said. He wanted to show us a place where
we could watch the sunrise perfectly. I quickly opened my eyes to look for the sun, when
I spotted a huge elephant bull. The grey giant was only a silhouette against the still grey
sky. The only thing I could clearly see were his tusks, shining like white jewels. He was
about 3 meters high and had a lot of dust on his back. Amazingly, he stood there as if he
knew we were watching him. I felt that something was going to happen soon. I
remembered what we had seen yesterday – giant giraffes, noisy rhinos, happy hippos,
lazy leopards – and I even touched a leopard (in a sanctuary, of course!). But now, this
was no sanctuary; this was the absolute wild life. The giant elephant was free, he could
move everywhere he likes. Hopefully not attacking us! I was excited. Very excited! Same
as Mom, Dad, my sister Hannah, my friends Rebecca and Sophie, Grandma and Grandpa.

Then, after about 5 minutes, the elephant slowly stretched out his long trunk and
pushed a small tree with it. He was about to have breakfast! For a moment, he seemed to
be thinking if the tree would taste good. The bull tried a bit of the bark while using his
trunk as “fingers”. The elephant was as precise with his trunk as my sister with her
finger tips. And he seemed to like the taste of the tree. The bull began pushing the small
tree. I could hear the giant huffing and puffing and now I saw, it was not a small tree at
all! It was a pretty big one indeed. “Rebecca! Sophie! Look at that giant elephant!, I
whispered and goose bumps appeared on my skin. The noise did really frighten me. I
prayed he would be happy with his tree and keep “trunk off” from us. We were so close, I
could see his very small eyes. But he was busy.

Then, after the sun was about to pull herself over the mountains and spread her light
completely over the African plain, I heard a very loud crack – and the happy munching of
the bull. Breakfast was ready. Suddenly I was getting hungry too, so Grandma took out
her chocolate bars and all of us were munching while we were watching the giant
elephant. I thought: “Wow, what a wonderful scene, what a beautiful animal! Why do
hunters shoot them just for their ivory!?” And in that very moment I decided to do
something to protect the wildlife. One day I will go to Africa and …. But that’s another
story.

A Ghost School By Stephenie Chen

I woke in a cold sweat. Bright sunlight flooded my eyes. I glanced at my clock.
12:57? No, wait. Please excuse my morning drowsiness, although I’m sure you fare
worse. Hey, don’t laugh at me. My amazingly pleasant dream (you do realize that’s
sarcasm…right?) didn’t exactly add to my soaring spirits (kind of obvious what this is)
either…

There was only black. Then, a scene slowly started to unfurl in front of me. Rows of
lockers, grey like a brush of ashes across one’s face stood in neat rows along a
hallway. The hallway I was so familiar with, yet so distant from. As packed with life as
I had left it, yet as empty as a dead man’s soul. Devoid of laughter, the lively chatter-
all gone. I half expected there to be lockers slamming, but there wasn’t a single sound.
Gone were the halls packed with spirit- what replaced them were barren wastelands.
All that was left were the marble floors, walls, high ceilings, smooth and white, like
the face of Death. A hallway, stretching on forever, illuminated by lights. Empty lights,
cold lights, offering no warmth whatsoever.

A click. There and then, I should have bolted for the nearest door, but I was frozen.
Still. In shock. That whisper of a sound, a boat in the raging seas of silence was
enough to unnerve me. Instead of running, I screamed.

My high, piercing screech echoed off the walls and shook me to my senses. There
was silence, so naturally, I ran. Straight into my classroom, with gleaming oak desks
arranged in rows and an empty board sitting at the front, ready for fresh starts.
Everything else was in chaos. It looked like it had been trampled on by ogres. Things
were strewn everywhere. The walls were caked with mud, liquid splattered all over it
(blood?). One of the lights had crashed down onto the floor, dust strewn all around it.
The creak of the rotting floorboards that was non-existent before now came to greet
me with every step. Then there was the eerie silence- as silent as a school full of
children: dead ones.

Crying. Wailing. I couldn’t control the waterfall of tears flowing down my face. It
wasn’t exactly abnormal, yet not exactly normal either. A shiver ran down my spine.
Where am I? It was as empty as a broken promise. White, beige, black. That was all I
could see. Tiled floors, toilet stalls, gleaming mirrors. Everything was coated with a
fine grey powder. Ash. A dim light glinting in from the window, beckoning me to the
forbidden land that lies beyond. Another click. My ears pricked up while I reassured
myself that it was just my imagination.

That was when the screams came. Hooded figures drifted in, closing in on me from all
directions. Shadows. The epitome of evil, of death. I cowered in fear, clamping my
hands over my ears and squeezing my eyes shut, hoping it would isolate me from this
strange dream reality. I shrieked, high, clear and piercing. Then, everything melted

away into darkness. Pure darkness.

8:01. Time to go and face fear, humiliation, the usual chatter and gossip. It would be
just as I left it, crammed with life and joy.

Or would it?



‘Somewhere Unforgettable’

Tsepang Sekhokoane

I ran as fast as I could possibly go, overcoming the numerous obstacles in my path. My head
turned to see if they were still after me. Unfortunately they were, and gaining on me as well. I
could no longer feel my feet, my throat was so painful that I thought I could breathe fire, but I
had to keep going, the safety of the world depended on it. You are probably wondering how the
safety of the world depended on me. Let me tell you.

Well a few days back, my genius scientist friend Mark asked me to hold onto his time machine
until he got back from London. Some evil crooks heard about the time machine and wanted it for
evil purposes. Would I let them have it? Of course not! I tried to run away and hide it and just
like all evil crooks do, they tried to capture me.

Panting like a mad dog I continued running. The time machine started to glow in my loving
hands and I knew that meant trouble. A portal of many colours appeared and before I knew what
hit me, I was sucked in.

Minutes passed and I woke up in what looked like my bedroom. However something was
different, everything. Without knowing what else to do, I looked out the window and saw
something extraordinary. Buildings were so tall they looked like passage ways to heaven. People
with jetpacks and hover boards drifted in the air and they were wearing accessories that by a
push of a button, turned into mobile phones. Rollercoaster looking rides instead of the subway.
Cars floated and passed through the air like butterflies. I was in the future…

I tried to get of my bed and go outside but, THUD! My body was flat on the wooden floor. Pain
flowing through my body like blood in my veins. For a second excitement took over and my
brain shut down. No wonder I fell. Slowly I stood up and carried my body to the main door. Just
as I was about to go downstairs, I realized that there were no stairs. Rather than panicking like a
twelve year old girl, I tried to find a solution to my little problem. Suddenly something caught
my eye...

A turquoise button shaped like a crescent shone like a star in the moonlight. Carefully I pressed
the button and the wall started to open. Behind the wall was a TV the size of a spoilt girl’s ego.
There was no remote and no on and off button. Just a TV staring at me. As I touched it, the TV
switched on and on the screen it asked how I wanted to go downstairs. Out of curiosity, I pressed
the button on the screen that said ‘slide’ and out of nowhere, a slide appeared. Happily I rushed
to the slide and slid down. As I touched the golden doorknob, I remembered something that
Mark had told me, ‘Curiosity is dangerous if not handled carefully’.

I forgot to mention, my name is Scarlett and at that very moment, a whole new adventure began
for me.

Distant Lands

Zaden Lee 8E - Romans

I was a smart, yet not experienced sailor. We were led by Captain John
Becket for the pursuit of a mysterious island rumored to exist.

On June 14th 1687, we sailed out on a journey to the unknown. It was a dark
night, so dark that even our lights couldn’t lead the way properly. Over a long period
of time it was since we stepped on land. Worried and hopeless, everyone felt anger
for this endless journey.

Land! We thought it was a mirage, but we realized that it was not. Anxiously,
we sailed toward the land as fast as we could, hoping that it was ‘the’ land.

Arrived, we were filled with joy and felt ecstatic. We sang a song, got drunk,
and next thing you know, we were sleeping in a pile of people. When I finally found
my way through the pile of people, I realized it was a new day within new
surroundings; it was like I was a new person. Exploring the island, we started to;
what we saw from the island was extraordinary. We discovered that the size of the
island was greater than we thought. The trees were green apart from the usual pink
and the sand would be in different colours. For example, there were yellow or white
sands apart from the usual purple. Everything was different and confusing.
Interesting animals there were that we have never seen before. It had a tail, sharp
teeth and pointy ears; shouting at us in a weird language (we weren’t even sure if it
was even a language) that we could not understand. Nervously marching deeper
and deeper, we found more interesting and fascinating things such as a red round
fruit we have never tasted before which was surprisingly delicious. That night, we ate
all the fruits we have brought and had a proper celebration.

Deeper and deeper we went. There, we saw a liquid that was transparent. I
mean what? I have never seen a liquid that is transparent. One of the man
suggested it is water

However water is not transparent. It’s red. From what Captain Becket saw and
experienced, water should be red; not a ‘colourless’ colour! Shocked, from then on
other things in the island seemed to be dangerous; we were once again scared and
waited for a light to save us from this darkness. Captain Becket instructed all the
crews that the deepest parts of the island were forbidden. There was neither way to
get out nor a way to survive. We were living the days in an abyss of darkness.

On October 14th, 1689, exact day when we arrived two years ago. We were
running out of food and we were hopeless as always. One month later, after a huge
amount of thinking, Captain Becket decided to explore the deepest parts of the
island. Have I made an oath, never to speak what had happened, but the world must
know. When we were in the deepest part of the island, we saw another being.

We called them humans.