A selection of short
stories submitted by
students from
Years 5 – 11 at
The Stephen Perse
Foundation, in honour
of the ‘Inspire Me: An
Evening with Jacqueline
Wilson’ event.
1
Contents
Year 5 & 6




Lara Chaplin…………………………………………………………..….3
Lucy Awbery-Maskell, I Couldn’t Live Without…You Teddy……......4
Jemima Fung…………………………………………………………..…5
Hannah Germaschewski, What I Can’t Live Without: My Furry
Friend………………………………………………………………...……8
 Sirisha Gorvantla……………………………………….………………..6
 Ellie Roles…………………………………………………...……………7
Year 7 & 8
 Amy Field, I Couldn’t Live Without My Heart………………………….9
 Mia Hyde, One In four………………..………………...……………..10
 Priyanka
Narayan…………………………………………………………...….....11
 Qu Gao, The Diary Of An IPhone 5………………………………..…12
 Bethany Barnet, The Mask……………………………………..……..14
 Elizabeth Eaton-Banks…………………...………………………..…..15
Year 9, 10 & 11
 Vivian Lyn, Deserve…………………....………………………...…....16
 Laura Holliger The Memory Fairy………………………….…………18
 Kirsty Smith, I couldn’t live without…….……………………………..20
2
By Lara Chaplin - I Couldn’t Live Without
There are so many things I couldn’t live without. I immediately thought about
scrumdiddleeumptious sherbet sweets, my cute and cuddly teddies (especially
my favor ite, Bumble Bear) and my warm and cozy bed. But the n having sat and
thought long and hard, I finally decided that the one thing I simply couldn't live
without,wou ld be..... My brain.
Just take a moment to think about it, what exactly would it be like without a
brain? Imagine exc itedly entering Enid Blyton's amazing Enchanted Wood, you
finally find the magical Faraway Tree and wow you are so exc ited, you wonder
what fabulous land is at the top. You f inally reach the top, then nothing. You are
in the Land of Nothing, you can't see, feel, smell, or taste anything, all your
senses have gone . W ow nothing, absolutely nothing. Is that what i t wou ld be
like not having a brain?
I would hate to li ve like that. Think of all the fun things we'd miss - Christmases,
Birthdays, playing w ith my new puppy, speedi ly running around my garden,
playing with my family.
But hang on, wow, if I didn’t have a brain then I wou ldn't have to go to school. I
could live wit h that! How relaxing. How fantastic. How BORING!
There'd be no wacky science days when colourful clouds of explosions spew
around the classroom, no monkey bars screec hing at me to come and play. No
guess ing the lunc h w hen it wafts around the schoo l corridor tickling my nose.
Y ikes, w hat about my friends? I wo uldn’t be able to see, hear or touch them
and worst of all, I wo uldn’t be able to chat to them I Oh no!
Wit h a brain in my head (or at least in my school bag) I can make new friends ,
learn new facts and improve my knowledge of the wo rld. Maybe one day I
could even be in the Olympics!
Sometimes in my mind I spot many trains of thought shooting throug h my body,
the platf orms are always busy and I can hear a voice recorded messages
buzzing all around. Imagine all of that just stopping . Everything would suddenly
be silent , empty platforms .
Remember the Wizard of Oz? I've watched it most snowy Christmases.
Remember the tatty straw scarecrow, all he wanted was a brain. Well I agree
with him, of all things, I simply couldn't live
Without a brain.
3
By Lucy Awbery-Maskell - “I Couldn’t Live Without… You Teddy”
Suddenly it stopped raining. Glancing around, I noticed everyone pulling down their
umbrellas. The sun blazed down, giving a watery smile of sunlight. I flopped on to
my bed and told teddy, “I could never live without you.” Teddy secretly gave a smile
as I put him gently into my bag; we knew exactly where we were going… THE
PARK.
I ran downstairs and put my shoes on. I could just imagine it: the roundabout, swings
and my favourite, the twisty slides. I couldn’t wait. Opening the door, I rushed down
the road.
Teddy was safely in the bag. The next-door neighbour’s dog jumped up at us but ran
off when she spotted a snaky cat in the bushes. The sun was beckoning us to come
and play. Finally, we arrived.
Finally Lucy and I arrived. Lucy likes the twisty slides but my favourite is the swings.
As Lucy ran to the bench, I knew something was wrong. The zip was opening wider
and wider… then Lucy plonked me onto the bench. She normally takes me around
the park. Sitting on the bench, I saw Lucy playing, having all the fun. I felt alone like
a grizzly bear in hibernation. I hoped she wasn’t going to forget about me…
Whizzing down the twisty slides, the playground seemed a blur. I skipped over to the
bench to tell teddy how much fun I was having but he had vanished. I raced like a
Ferrari from one corner of the park to another desperately trying to find teddy.
Sprinting to the rickety roundabout I hoped to see a glimpse of teddy but he was
nowhere to be seen! I roared and growled for teddy but he still did not appear.
I remembered Lucy telling me that she could never live without me, so I tried to call
Lucy but she would not come to find me. A big mongrel flopped me behind a blush
and six little puppies were hanging their soggy tongues out at me. I kept thinking
how rude these animals were.
I searched and searched for teddy but he just would not appear. I walked backwards
and accidently tripped on a bush! I sat up. Six puppies gazed up at me with adorable
eyes. At once I noticed the next-door neighbour’s dog had puppies and teddy was
with them. I jumped for joy!
Snatching teddy up, I wiped all the slobber from his body and cuddled him tight. In all
my panic, I didn’t notice the grey clouds towering above. Drip drop. Without warning,
the clouds grumbled with relief as the rain started to pour down on us, washing away
our worry.
As the rain poured like buckets, Lucy hid me under her jacket and whispered, “I
couldn’t live without you teddy.” I gave Lucy a secretive smile as she galloped home.
4
By Jemima Fung - I Couldn’t Live Without…
I was climbing up the old apple tree trying to find good, ripe and juicy
apples. I saw a little grey squirrel and sat down on a relatively thin branch
watching its acrobatic display. The scarlet apple tasted sweet. The only
sounds were rustling leaves and birds tweeting, but then I heard a crack
and it wasn't my teeth in their train track braces. My branch snapped, and I
fell and fell and fell. Soon I was on the ground and on top of my apple.
Later that night with a blue ice pack on my bruised shoulder I thought to myself
"Why does gravity exist? Life would be way better without it. I don’t see
any point in it. I mean I can't imagine Is aac Newton himself liked it much as
thanks to it, he got his head whacked with an apple. I wish it didn't exist!"
With that thought and my ice pack I went off to bed.
When I woke up the next morning, m y ice pack was missing and my duvet
was gone. Was it just me or was my bed nearer the ceiling than yesterday?
I checked below me, yes it was just air. All my stuff was floating!
"Wow, very funny!" I sarcastically yelled at my brother. He walked along the
corridor but as soon as he got to my door his school tie headed upwards
like a helium balloon and then the rest of him followed it until he was like an
astronaut on TV!
"What? How are you doing this?" He floated out of my door but when he
got to the door he dropped to the ground like a stone.
I assumed that the same thing would happen to me but when I got to the
corridor I still had zero gravity. There was a loud thump behind me as
everything from my room hit the floor. I went to the toilet. I don't want to talk
about what happened in the toilet. W hen I ran a bath, as soon as I floated
into the bath the water just flew out like a magic carpet. I chased it around
the bathroom trying to wash myself. I gave up eventually and as I left I
heard a loud splash. I wished this was a dream because the water was all
over the brand new carpet and I would be in serious trouble!
After a really hard day trying to catch my food and shocking nearly
everyone, I went to sleep in the middle of the air. At exactly midnight (and I
knew that because my clock landed right beside my head) I hit the ground
with a thump, starving hungry and extremely confused. All my stuff had
landed around my body and luckily not on me.
I regretted that I ever said that I could live without gravity.
5
Sirisha Gorvantla - I Couldn’t Live Without...
Relaxing in my bed after a fun packed day, which included enjoying a
hilarious movie with a huge box of delicious caramel flavoured popcorn, my
thoughts began to drift. I pondered over the question, “ what could I not live
without?” first, I thought I couldn’t live without chocolate, the sweet brown
chunks melting on my tongue giving me a giant boost of energy after a
tiring days of sports. Next I considered our amazing holidays, lounging on
the golden sand after splashing around in the crystal clear water. Suddenly
it came to me! It was not about the brand new movies or the beautiful
holidays. Clearly it was about who you spent the moments with to make the
magical memories. That was the answer to my question, my family and
friends were truly what I could not live without!
Immediately my happiness disappeared and a sense of panic engulfed me.
Was I ready to return to school again? I reflected upon the of term events. I
now realised the true extent of my difficulties. I had struggled with
friendships and never felt that I was able to confide in my so called “best
friends”.
Some girls were incredibly harsh, throwing dagger-like stares, or even
more hurtful, they sniggered exchanges between themselves. Classmates
would always somehow alienate me away from the group that I had hoped
to play with. Honestly I never really understood what I had done to deserve
this kind of cruel behaviour. My mum simply thought they were jealous of
me. However, it was impossible to ignore their actions and words. They
taunted me and called me a “goody two shoes”.
Fortunately all was not so bleak and new friendships blossomed. The
disappointment of being excluded from my old circle of friends enabled me
to discover amazing new friends. I realised that there was nothing wrong
with me and I enjoyed simply being myself. I gained confidence over the
remaining weeks of term. Enjoying sports and an enormous variety of
fabulous end of term activities. Happily my new friends accepted me as I
was, we even had exciting play dates arranged for the summer holidays.
In actual fact, the play dates became sleepovers and now I find myself
eagerly anticipating the adventures to come in the year ahead. I am certain
that there will be bigger and harder challenges to overcome in the future.
However with the support of my loyal friends, the wisdom and
understanding of my family and determination. I am equally sure that
everything will be alright. Finally, if all else fails, there will still always be
chocolate!
6
Ellie Roles – I couldn’t live without...
My guide dog and everlasting companion, Ziggy
I am Ms Tortoise, happily married for most of my life to Mr. Keith Hoover. He
tragically died without warning from brain cancer in 2000, leaving me hopeless
and alone in my flat by the poo-covered bus station close to central Cambridge.
My friends say that I still have glossy brown curly hair, but I think they are
ridiculously kind as I am completely blind and have been since just after Keith
died. That was the worst two year of my life, as the loss of both my husband
and my eye-sight left me with nothing but sadness and tremendous grief.
At that moment in time I was ready to give up all hope of ever living happily
again. Then a miracle happened when I met my guide dog in 2010. Ziggy
erupted into my life like a volcano spewing red hot lava. She was from the very
first day we met a lively, energetic and wonderfully happy dog. My life
transformed by Ziggy, who helped me leave the house again after almost 10
years of being held captive in my small flat.
I was devastated to wake up one cloudy gloomy morning last December to find
that Ziggy was missing from her cherry coloured basket by the TV. I felt like my
heart had sunk and cracked into a million pieces. How would I cope without
Ziggy? My first thought was that his must be a nightmare, but I smacked my leg
and found that the nightmare was true; I was awake and Ziggy was definitely
gone.
Without Ziggy I couldn’t find my way to the telephone, but I desperately tried
and fell, hitting my toe hard on the jagged table. At last my hand grasped the
phone and I sued the braille keys to dial 999. The policeman I spoke to was
calm and professional, and told me that 5 other dogs had been stolen in
Cambridge last night. Most surprisingly they were all guide dogs! The
policeman thought that selfish thieves were trying to steal well behaved dogs to
sell. They didn’t care that blind people would suffer without their dogs. I was
worried that I would never feel her soft fur or sense her hot breath on my
wrinkly hands whilst we walked together to the local sweet shop in the cobbled
streets of Cambridge.
Almost in the pots of despair, I had given hope when there was a knock on my
door later that day. There was a tall policeman at my door, to my delight
accompanied by Ziggy! I was overjoyed and hugged her close to me whispering
“I’m so glad that you’re safe” into her silky swishy ear.
We celebrated Ziggy’s return with an extra-large bone that night (for her, not for
me!)
7
By Hannah Germaschewsk - What I Can’t Live Without… My Furry Friend
People say kittens are all the same, and I guess that's right for they are the
same species. But no kitten is the same as Muff i n. With short stubby paws,
round blue eyes and a heart full of love she is the one and only most
adorable cat in the universe and beyond. Now that is the reason why I just
couldn’t live without her.
Every day I feed her yum my cat food i n gravy, although looks quite revolting
to me, with some biscuits. She runs at the speed of light to her bowl when
she hears her "d reamies" rattling in their package. On some specia l
occasions she gets fresh salmon or mil k or something especially tasty l i k e
that.
She has only just started to explore the outside world but has not
experienced snow yet! She looks sleek i n her new lilac collar we gave her
with its cute shiny name tag saying
M U FFI N i n big letters. She also carries a silver bell on her collar so that we
can know where she is. It's just so adorable when she runs around, her bell
tingling i n time with her steps.
She prowls around the ga rden like a tiger (mini version). Her useful skill of
chasing rabbits around the ga rden hel ps us to keep them away from
eating our pretty Echinacea’s.
Muffin is in fact a Siamese Birman cross although she looks far more like a
Birma n with the typical small round paws, ultra-fine, soft fluffy fur and a
bushy tail. The only indication of any Siamese featu res is the long ears and
annoying meow. When we came to get her it was so hard to look at the
kittens properly as they were running all over the place!
At night she is totally safe for she is never cold under the duvet of my pa
rent's bed. Her u s u a l sleepi ng style is stretched out over ha lf the bed
space with her head popping out the other end. I guess she likes to do
this because she can smell us. And when she c an smell us she knows we
are here. However, if we go away on holiday she c an no longer smell us
so she then knows she is alone. Fortunately her d isa ppointment is soon
over when our neighbor comes to feed and comfort her. I thin k that she
misses us when we are away because when we come back as soon as
we open the door she races down the stairs to be cud d led.
Sometimes she mysteriously goes missing. But with our a mazi ng detective
skills and the sound of her ti nkli ng bell we c an (not so quickly) find her. But
when we do, we usually find her in the airing cu pboard because it’s so warm,
or you could find her curled u p i n the washing basket with all the freshly
washed shirts and jumpers.
Now I would thin k that you would agree with me that I just couldn't live without
M uffin
8
By Amy Field - I Couldn’t Live Without My Heart
How long could you stay alive if your heart wasn’t working?
It was 2010; I was in year two at primary school and the average seven year old.
Our class was starting a new subject, dinosaurs. We were all ecstatic. We had
other subjects like sports. I was rubbish at sports as I ran out of breath very
quickly.
I was really enjoying it, learning about Mary Anning and the types of dinosaurs.
Then I noticed a thumping sound, I started hearing it more and more, thump,
thump, thump. Dinosaurs, they were coming back, getting nearer and nearer. I got
scared and had nightmares. Telling my Mum and Dad again and again was hard
at first because they didn't really believe me but it was only time until they started
to get concerned. Then my Mum and I went to the doctors. The doctor did all the
usual check-ups, including listening to my heart.
This is when my life changed.
A murmur, well there might be one. I had to have a scan on my heart. W e went
to the hospital and I could see my heart on a screen. They said there was
something wrong with it. There was a large hole.
The doctor said I had a condition called Atrial Septa I Defect (ASD) a hole in the
atrial chambers of my heart, the top two chambers. I had to go to Great Ormond
Street Hospital in London (GOSH) to fix it. I didn’t understand any of what they
said but I somehow knew it wasn't good. W e walked out of the doctor's room
and sat down on a row of seats, it was seconds until we cried.
I was sad and nervous, so the school got a nurse to help me with my thoughts
and she played puppets with me making the puppet go through the same thing
which will happen to me. It helped.
It was the night before we headed to London. I was packing, when the phone
rang, my mum picked up. Soon she put it down. Then she said that the hospital
had an emergency so they needed to rebook. It wasn't long till it was time again.
We went to London. I got to the entrance. This was it. I was in the waiting room I
was starving because I wasn’t allowed food until after the operation. A nurse
called me into the operation room. I lay on the bed and Ingot given laughing gas.
I counted down from ten and fell asleep holding my parent's hands.
A woke up and was still sleepy from the gas. I was in a dark room with wires
coming out of me. I looked down and saw a huge red scar. I was really stiff. The
doctor said I was ready to go after three days. I walk out of GOSH and went
home.
I now feel better and don't hear any thumping sounds, all because of the
dinosaurs.
9
Mia Hyde - One in Four
I woke up at 2 AM, screaming. It was the nightmare again. I had been having this
nightmare for the last two weeks: my name on his grave ... He had been
diagnosed with melanoma (eye cancer) about two months ago, but none of us
knew it was too bad until the surgeon suggested eye removal. Seeing him without
eyes ... I could end up like that!! I have 1 in 4 chance of getting melanoma too ... I
don't know what I could do if I didn't have my eyes!! Then, about a day later, he
died; the anaesthetic was too strong for him, at age 79.
When I woke up again, there was a beautiful beam of sun reflected across my
room. I had never really appreciated small things like this before, things that
grandpa wouldn't have seen. I stood facing my mirror, staring into my eyes and
imagining life without them. They are as beautifully green as an emerald, the
same as grandpas were.
Downstairs, I noticed that the house had been filled with an aroma of tension,
distress and mourning ever since that dreadful afternoon a fortnight ago. No one
looked into my eyes anymore, afraid that because of their rare colour, I might have
the disease as well. But eventually, Mum decided to break the ic e.
"Jade, we'd only do this if I was absolutely essential," she tried, "but we don't
really have a choice. It's just that you're so much like him, and -"
"So you're going to let them remove my eyes and let me die are you?" I
interrupted, my patience fuse blowing.
"No," she attempted to explain again, "it's just that ... If you do have it, well we'd
want to get it diagnosed sooner, because then there is less risk of you ...
ending up like he did. Please, it's for your health. Anyway, the possibility of you
having melanoma is small; it's a rare type of cancer." I sighed; if it was true,
and you can treat melanoma from an earlier stage without surgery, then I
guess it was my best choice.
"OK, I'll see a doctor." I decided grudgingly.
A week later and I still haven’t heard from the doctor; he said he would call us with
the results of my test. I started worrying about the results, what would happen if I
have to have my eyes taken out, even if it’s not the day after the results come? I
wouldn’t be able to read, look at pictures, type, I wouldn’t even be able to walk! Is it
really possible to live without eyes? I was getting scared…
“Have you had a phone call?” I asked mum for the fifth time on day.
"From the doctors, no." She replied and I sighed. "But anyway, lots of people are
blind, and they manage to live their lives!" she assured. I smiled faintly. You can
at least live without eyes, even though it's bad.
10
Priyanka Narayan - I Couldn’t Live Without…
Drowned in darkness. The small wooden benches stuck firmly to the edge of the
wall shake. Around me people are pushing their way around, swarming like
wasps, looking for parent’s siblings and loved ones alike. It pains me to think that
they may never see those dear to them ever again. I sit still absorbing the frenetic
atmosphere around me. My mind is vibrating as the awful screech of the air raid
siren climbs the sky. No one is watching. No one will know. Silently I creep
towards my only escape. People filter in through the entrance their faces streaked
with dirt, tears and blood. My slight body dodges past them quickly but not
unnoticed.
I clamber up the faulty ladder that leads to the destroyed world outside tripping in
my eagerness and curiosity of what sight waits for me. Bright lights flood into my
eyes, my vision clearing gradually. I take a sharp intake of breath.
Around me an eerie fog is settling over the sea of rubble. Reminding me of the
inexorable sufferings we still have to face. Unable to take it anymore I let myself
drop to my knees. The cold hard ground tearing my skirt. In front of me a small
family are in a tight embrace clutching desperately onto the broken relics they still
have left. Good memories ripped apart by the jagged edge of war.
A loud throbbing sound wakes me from my morose reflecting state I heave myself
to a sitting position and purposefully start pushing through the debris to find what I
risked my life for. To find the last living memento of my mother that I own. Her
locket. Well, mine now.
Finally, I catch something gleaming in my peripheral vision. Hurriedly, I plough
through the remains. As my hand hits the cool pendant of the locket an
inexplicable joy courses through my veins. I can’t help but let out a sigh of relief. I
begin to scurry over the demolished land when a deep rumble takes me by
surprise. A large Jerry soars above me. I look up and see a cascade of black
gemstones plummeting down towards me. Before I know it Aim running frantically
towards the safety of the bomb shelter, a thousand tiny pieces of stone piercing
through the soft skin of my feet. Suddenly, I stumble on the foundations of a
ruined building, the world spins around me and I fall to the ground like a petrified
stone angel.
In the distance I can hear my name being called from the shelter but I don't
respond. There is no point. Instead I tilt my neck back and watch the plane swoop
with mysterious elegance and grace. I let the locket tumble onto my palm and
read it one last time 'I couldn't live without you'
11
Qu Gao - The Diary Of An iPhone S
Christmas 2013
Darkness draws, I feel numb and my soaring ego plummets down,
down, down. The stuffy air engulfs my polished metal inside the box,
slowly draining out hope until there's only a hollow corpse left. Just
before I consider a system shutdown, a dappled golden light unravels
across my surface and I instinctively radiate my sleek pearly glow. I
gaze at a face with pure delight, overflowing with joy just as the sun
bursts with light. The girl caresses me like a summer breeze plays with
hair. Ever so lovingly, she dresses me in a gorgeous black leather case
and intently places a screen protector, spending hours squeezing out
the bubbles. She types in her name, Rosa Hanker. I repeat it . She
smiles. "I can never live without you, “she whispers.
20/04/14
She was cycling with me in her back pocket. Rosa swerved, tilting
dangerously until I slipped out. Time was suspended in the hands of
fate. It all happened too quickly, but too slowly; too surreal to believe
in, but awfully realistic as well. I land on the concrete with a sickening
jolt. Torrents of agony ravage my frail cover. My screen shatters. Pain
pulses though my system. I writhe with spasms of desperation, fury
searing through my wounds, the revolting noise of metal-on-concrete
ringing inside. Rosa scrambles to snatch me up, but it was a second
too late. I'm already scarred for life. Rosa's been so careless with me
recently - she used to always tuck me into her inner pocket...
09/09/14
IPhone 6 has come out. Rosa drones on incessantly about how that
phone is supreme in every way: its size, weight, thickness, processor
and speed. Injustice resonates in my speakers - it's not my fault that I
was manufactured like this. It's the way I was designed. Can't she
see? Then she's off, begging her mother for the iPhone 6. Moaning
about battery life, she puts me on charge. How long do you last
before getting hungry? She grumbles about every time an app
crashes. What about the times when the app doesn't? She never
mentions it when everything runs smooth. Whenever Rosa uses me in
front of her friends she calls me "stupid phone". People always want
better.
Christmas 2014
I'm basically sacked now. Her doting mother has got her what she
wanted . Rosa’s eyes glitter at that iPhone 6, temporarily free from
her ravenous hunger for more. But even that phone will meet its fate,
because her greed is unstoppable. The unknowing new phone smirks
12
and boasts of its features. Rosa thrusts me back into the box where I
came from, the fingers that once tenderly lifted me up from there.
Precisely a year later, I am transformed from a cutting edge, trendy
and sleek innovation into an unwanted, smashed, replaced and
outdated machine. A pang of realization slams into my screen, the
words toll endlessly like a funeral bell.
Rosa can always live without me.
13
By Bethany Barnet – The Mask
"I couldn't live without you, Beast," I stage whisper, looking into Charlottes’
eyes. As I follow the lines of her hideous mask romantically, I can1 help
but let a giggle form in my throat. I mean, I'm supposed to love
this.. .Thing?! As much as I like acting, this is pushing the boundaries. A
grin threatens to break when the drama teacher, Ms. Bucket, shouts
angrily from the wings. "Miss Netty!" She frowns, her arms crossed in the
way which makes you gulp. "This is the third time now, and still you
cannot contain yourself. If you keep this up, I'll choose somebody else for
your part."
My heart flutters at the thought of losing one of the main parts in the Year
Production, so I duck my head, muttering apologies. Then it's over again,
lights glaring down, the entire class watching from the side, and yes, that
hideously hilarious mask staring straight into my face. Blanking out all
other thoughts, I delve into Belle's mind, recite the script and finally finish
the scene with a quick stage kiss. Icon see Ms. Bucket smiling now, and
pride fills my veins as she gives me a thumbs up. Great. Now all I have to
do is repeat the exact same thing in the real performance.
It's the night of the show; my face is a make-up artist's dream; my dress
glitters in the bright white lights that focus on me. I'm choosing a book from
my library when the manly scream comes from the wings. I rush over,
gritting my teeth as I try not to trip in my heels. Now Charlotte is staggering
onto the stage wearing her hairy suit, failing into my arms. I'm laying her
head down and I know the line is coming soon. The Beast is gasping for
breath comically. It's time.
"Oh Beast! No, don't die!" I weep, burying my head into her shoulder.
Sniffling, Visit up. "I couldn’t live without you, Beast."
I’ve done it I haven’t laughed, giggled, smirked, or grinned. Now just the
kiss and the show’s ended. I lean in, my lips tingling. The kiss is over
with before I know it and we’re standing up, hugging each other. I look
up, expected to see charlottes pretty freckled face, but instead I see the
disfigured mask, lopsided as the Beast tries to yank it off. I grimace as
the phrase flashes through my mind: prop error! Eventually, charlottes
gives up, her hand dropping down uselessly. I pull away to stand in my
position to be applauded for at the end of the performance, but instead
of the crowd cheering, they’re laughing – howling, at us. My face turns
bright red in embarrassment as I clutch onto the still ugly Beasts hand.
As I start to sweat I look to my classmates and see they’re chuckling too,
laughing with the audience. Now I get it. I stare up at Charlotte, and the
old giggle starts. What a funny performance, eh?
14
By Elizabeth Eaton-Banks - I Couldn’t Live Without… Summer
As winter fades, I push my way through the moist peaty soil, breathing
in the cool morning air that fills me with carbon dioxide and happiness.
It is the day of my birth when at last I will see the land that I have only
dreamed about waiting for spring to arrive. For the past few months, I
have gathered up the energy I needed to escape my seed prison. Now,
the golden sun dazzles my cells that have so far only experienced the
dark dampness of an underground world. Small beings of joy skip and
giggle as they play together amongst the colours and scents of the
busy city oasis. The song thrush sings to mas a we welcome the day
This is my time. I feel surrounded by the velvet of my petals cushioning
me from the harsh realities of my new existence. Their vivid colours
make me feel proud and confident as they tell all around that I have
arrived. I am jealous of the children who can move around so easily on
their legs. They have the opportunity to see the world, to have
adventures, to explore. I will live and die here – although my offspring
may travel to places I will never know. I envy the bees with their strip
jackets and buzzy music. They steal my pollen, but without them I
would have no future. They are my life givers.
All too soon, the sundials days shorten. Shadows lengthen and autumn
is arriving. The sounds of children playing in my park lessen and are
replaced by the flutter of bronzed leaves swirling as they fall towards
the diamond frosted ground. My time here draws to an end as my
strength in the spring when life was ahead of me and the waters fed
and strengthen me. Now the rain mixes with my tears. Time is an
unstoppable force. I am born, I live a little while, I die. But nature
replenishes itself each year and each generation. The bees of summer
will take my pollen and a new seed will melt ad the park will come to
life again. The song thrush will return and sing once more and children
will resume their games. When the warm winds of spring blow again,
all these sights, sounds and smells will be my offspring’s to enjoy. I will
never see this place again but my life cycle continues through the work
of the bees of those past golden days
I couldn’t live without summer
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Deserve
Blue knew she was going to do something terrible that night, something
that she couldn’t avoid doing.
Once it has darkened, the streetlights were dimmed. Cars gradually
became unable to move, even the sirens of the ambulances sounded
soundlessly. Malls and restaurants were no longer places to enjoy.
Mothers fled anxiously with their youngsters, crossing bridges and roads.
When a shadow darkened upon them, they accelerated, even they were
wearing high heeled shoes.
Everyone fled blankly, except her.
Blue walked motionlessly towards a crooked wooden bench outside, not
far away from the entrance to an underground parking. She sat down
firmly, hunched over, with her both hands resting on her knees. She had
her hair down, some strands were stuck tightly onto her face, because it
was wet.
She waited for the chaos to end achingly, then it would be her turn.
Blue felt every incisive bitterness was marching silently through her veins,
her breath was cramped with insensible danger, unreachable and wild.
"Stay there Mariah, mom will be right back, Mom's going to get your sis
on the other side."
Blue heard a voice, sharp but tender. She glanced up toward the
darkness beyond her. She saw vividly a women with dark curly hair. In her
arms, there was a little girl, shivering. They were moving slowly. Her feet
trembled greatly. When Blue set her attention onto a thin wooden beam,
'Bang!' Crash went the sound.
Blue smiled coldly as she heard a thin whispery voice. "No mom! What
are you doing mom?"
Soon, the poignant whispers grew louder. Unbreakable chains of
screams and cries echoed under the night sky. Mariah was drowned in an
ocean of anger and despair. Then, the sea gradually regained its
calmness, silence returned. Mariah was sitting on her hands, with her
head resting on her laps, sobbing quietly. Then, she stood up numbly and
forced her legs to carry her forward. She slipped on the slippery edge,
and fell.
Blue laughed sinisterly as she untangled her hair with her stone cold
fingers.
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A shadow moved swiftly towards her and laughed: “Before long I'd be
used or I'd be trampled on. Therefore, it wouldn't be long for you and for
your ignorant species to pay back your debts," It continued. "Don't be
afraid, I wouldn't over use you to make things that we don't even need.
However I would curse you to kill among yourselves!"
Just then, she fell down blankly. Echoes of the indescribable event
choked her. Her eyes ached while she tried to rub them. They were
unkind, arrogant. No one has ever cared how anything else might feel
when they did harm to them. They wouldn't be sorry for their cruelness
even though they came to realize the truth.
My name is Blue. All of a moment, I understood why we had been alive.
We had been alive because there had been kindness in us, but then, we
kept on losing it and we made that as our pride. Maybe, we would bring
an end to all of us.
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Laura Holliger - The Memory Fairy
It all started with a question: "Have you got any memories for
me?”. Then, I heard the twinkling of tiny bells reverberating in the
quiet attic and the dainty figure of a fairy approached me with a
quick gliding motion. "I do not ask for many- a single day in your
long-forgotten past will be enough", she said. Outside, the light
had the transparency of an early spring morning; Lisette in the
garden opposite was picking primroses growing among the moss
and piling them up on her mother 's lap, who was reading a book
and absent-mindedly caressing the child's head. The fairy turned
around and, facing the garden, continued:
“My kind thrive on memories but can’t make our own, so we buy
them, so to speak. There, in the garden below I am seeing
memories being formed it is like looking at cakes in a shop window:
delicious and glimmering but out of reach. It would make no
difference to you to give me one day in your early childhood. I can
offer you the power to make any luxury materialize – three things
each day. It is a bargain and I doubt you will regret it”. As I
considered, petals of blossom carried by the wind fell on the
windowsill. “And why not?” I thought, I had nothing to lose, it was
only a day. And besides, only needed new memories – such old
ones, I could look at photo albums. So I agreed and the memory of
that day was hers forever
She kept her part of the bargain. I was ecstatic. Shoes, clothes,
the tastiest morsels, anything I wanted materialized instantly.
Oh, and that brought admiration and envy in equal parts.
Summer came. Then, one evening I noticed the honeysuckle by
the fence had started blooming. But something felt different. ..
The fragrance was there, yet something eluded me... a fleeting
feeling like a butterfly seen and not seen. It felt as if its
quintessence was missing.
I frantically scanned old photo albums and soon found the
answer: there I was with my mother in her blue dress, the
cascading honeysuckle in the background, sunshine shimmering
in her dark hair as I stood proudly on my chubby legs. I
understood that the joy that honeysuckle always brought was
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made up of more than its beauty, that there are no "uneventful"
events we can discard and live without. I understood that there
are secret links that unite time and people and make us who we
are. And then I realized that the feeling of the fabric of my
mother’s dress was gone, too, and that lately her smile had
started to lose its comforting effect on me. . .
Lisette has grown up a little now, but she still picks primroses.
And among her memories of that summer i s the girl in the house
opposite, staring out of the attic window for hours, as if waiting
for someone, or something, to come back.
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Kirsty Smith
The log of wood should've swung down onto the back of the knife, but
my dirt covered hand slipped and I brought it onto my thumb instead.
I cried in pain as my hand swelled. Tears trailed down my cheeks mixing
with the rainwater streaming off my numb nose.
I was disgustingly dirty, not having showered or washed my hair in five
days. Dreadlocks were developing at the nape of my neck and behind
my left ear, there was a little pocket of dandruff with bubbles of grease
matted into it.
I looked down at the jagged piece of wood jutting out of my hand, the
blood congealing into the cuff of my fleece, and concluded that this was
all my parents' fault. They'd signed me up for this;
Twelve days of kipping in the woods, falling over rocks and real physical
exercise. Mum was always pushing me to achieve more. It was so
unfair.
Though it is true that I had been taken with the idea after watching 'The
Hunger Games', but in hindsight, I, Amelia Swinton-Jones am not made
for that sought of thing.
I ran over to my single waterproof bag, which was all they had let me
take. Inside my First Aid kit was a pair of tweezers. Sterilized? Unlikely.
Gripping the splinter firmly, I braced myself and yanked. The wood slid
out and I squeaked, releasing a great lung full of air I had been holding.
I was lying in my hammock trying to squish my earplugs further into my
ears. I lay still, appalled at my sleeping arrangements. How on earth was
I supposed to sleep in a wet sleeping bag with a tarpaulin flapping like
laundry in the wind?
I heard a quiet buzz near my left ear. A bug.
I sat up, ripped open the zip of the hammock, and tried standingforgetting I was cocooned in my sleeping bag, tripped on a guy rope
and landed hard on my face.
I lay for a minute in silence. I was so tired that sleeping here didn’t seem
too bad. But after the thought of more bugs I resignedly returned to bed,
rubbing my eyes
The journey back was too long. Every cell in my body was so exhausted
that I could barely function. I hoped that Mum wouldn't be too angry that
I'd melted t h e rubber my hiking boots by leaving them under the fire to
dry. Finally the train juddered into the station and I flopped onto the
platform.
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My parents were waiting at the turnstiles and all my anger drained as I
hurried into a huge bear hug with my dad.
"You're a bit honky!" He chuckled as he stroked my hair. Sitting in the
car's heated passenger seat on the way back, a woodland grove with a
cluster of sturdy trees whipped past outside.
'A good place to pitch a tarp', I thought.
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