Literacy Update
Short Stories
Last week I started sharing some of the entries we put in for the Kid News Short Story competition 2023. Today, I would like to share 3 more. I hope you enjoy them.
Elemental Sisters
by Sorcha H O’B
Year 4
‘I found it so it’s mine!’ Earth yelled above Fire and Water’s continued clamouring of .. ‘it’s Mine! It’s Mine!’ Wind just continued to yelp ‘it’s Earth’s, it’s Earths!’ Earth didn’t think that Wind knew what had been going on. Earlier this morning Earth had found a place which she suspected was full of gems. Earth loved gems, all the sisters did. Anyway when she dug down deep enough to the spot where she thought the gems where, she wasn’t surprised to find Fire and Water there already. ‘Mother must have told them’. Mother was a Mind Reader. Readers, I don’t mean your parents might think they can read minds, I mean literally she had the power to mind-read. Mother must have told Fire and Water about the location. Mum was annoying that way. Fire exclaimed, ‘what a surprise to see you here Earth!’ Water bubbled up, ‘oh drop the mask Fire, she knows why we’re here and who told us!’ ‘Mum told you didn’t she?’ ‘Yes she did!’ said Fire. ‘Anyway I’m going to find the biggest gem and you can’t stop me!’ Earth used one of her summoning powers to collect the gem. It was a very pretty gem, and so colourful. Fire and Water began to yelp, ‘I knew it was there I knew it was there!!’
Earth rocketed up through the crystalline soil. When she got out she knew she had a head start because the others would have to dig themselves out. She knew that Fire would use lava to get herself out and she suspected that Water would use ice. But if the ice and fire collided in mid- air they would have to begin their ascent from scratch.
Without hesitation, Earth was off to put the gem in a safe place where her sisters would never find it. For about ten seconds that is. Of course then, Wind whistled through the locks and wrapped herself around the gem. Earth thought Wind just wanted to be part of the action. Right in the middle of the fight, Earth seized the gem from her baby sister and quickly used her rock powers to cover it in a layer of indestructible rock, the type that forms volcano’s. This special type of rock couldn’t be broken by any element! Not by ice, nor lava, nor fire, not even a cyclone. Earth finally felt satisfied in the knowledge that her sisters would never be able to get at the gem. Only Earth could get to it!
Once Earth had ensured the gem’s protection, she went to find her mother and this is what was said;
'Mum you’re always doing stuff like that! I knew where the gems were and YOU just had to go and give away my knowledge ! Do you even know how annoying that is? And now you’re saying that I should split the gem up! Because you told them where the gem was! It’s so unfair Mum!
Mum sighed because she could tell how colossally formed her eldest daughter’s mind was. ’Share with your sister’s please.’ ‘But they’re so annoying!’ Earth said. ‘ Well I just think it is important for you kids to learn how to share.’ ‘ Yeah but making it so unfair like that is just wrong! This should be illegal! ´ The ground was vibrating violently beneath their feet and for Earth, cracks were showing across her head.
‘ Fine, stormed Dervla, if you feel like that you don’t have to share anything with your sisters. You can stay selfish and protective of your precious stones all your life. Wind was upset because she told me she never finds any gems, not even when she uses her power to blow all the silicon particles away. But because she’s the youngest nobody ever expects her to actually find them!’
‘But Mum! trembled Earth. Here’s the thing! I figured out earlier that Elements alone cannot break the indestructible rock. But, if my sisters share their powers the rock will shatter beneath the combined force of Wind, Water, Fire and then the gem collection will be revealed to them. But as my sisters are more fair minded than I am, they will try and split the biggest gem three ways, and then water will die!’
To be continued…..
The Flying Basketball
by Jasper O’K-C
Year 3
Once there was a basketball that could bounce itself. It was so
strong and powerful it could wipe a smile off a kids face. He was so good at basketball his parent called him Bounce but he was very talented and never missed his shots. He was amazing at passes and was great at rebounds but he was such a ball hog. Bounce thought that if he was great he didn’t have to pass the ball he was
good at passes but that doesn’t necessarily mean he passed and soon enough all his teammates joined different teams. Bounce didn’t care though. His teammates just wanted for him to learn his lesson that just because your good doesn’t mean you don’t need a team and if people are struggling help them out show them how to do it right.
The next team was much better than Bounce, stronger basketballs, faster basketballs, taller basketballs so Bounce felt a bit scared but he didn’t dare tell a soul. Bounce loved basketball and wanted to continue his career.
Once he got home he saw a portal and pressed a button ZAP he disappeared through the portal. Luckily his friends were walking past and heard his screams and one by one they pressed the button.
When they finally found their friend he was screaming and crying. They had never seen him cry before because he was always tough and brave. He was crying and screaming because there were huge dragons tormenting the island. They were called Lebanese fireballs and they could light themselves on fire. The leader of the Lebanese fireballs was called Fire fang. It’s a pretty convenient name since he was a Lebanese fireball. Fire fang was the biggest, strongest, fastest and smartest.
The Lebanese fireballs didn’t find Bounce and his friends because they covered their scent with mud. This is a great strategy when you are in the bush with predators like jaguars and crocodiles. The dragons kept looking for the basketballs but they couldn’t find them even though they looked as hard as they could but soon enough the sun melted the mud and the dragons saw the basketballs. The basketballs sprinted looking for something for them to escape on but they didn’t find anything. So they had to keep running.
Meanwhile Bounces parents and his little brother came home and as soon as they saw the bags scattered on the floor and the portal they knew exactly what had happened.
They pressed the button and went to the island. The little brother landed perfectly on a sheep but his mum and dad weren’t as lucky, they landed in a pile of cactuses. While they were picking out the cactus prickles they walked round the island not knowing about the dragons. While they walked, the others were getting roasted for a stew because they were held captive by the Lebanese fireballs. The stew was hot and steamy but they were alive. This angered the dragons but eventually Bounce’s friends rubber started to go flat and they became an oval but luckily one of the basketballs had a knife and cut straight through the rope so the chase was back on again.
The Lebanese fireballs were flying after them. They ran back to the portal and zapped themselves back but Bounce’s mum and dad weren’t there. Bounce and his friends had forgotten them so they had to go back in the portal for the second time. They quickly grabbed Bounce’s mum and dad and ran to the portal to make it go again but it didn’t zap them. It had left them there because it had been broken by the dragons. They all got together and worked hard to fix it.
Bounce learned his lesson which is you do need a team.
Blood Red Eyes
by Isidora
Year 5
It was pitch black. The only visible light was the dim glow coming from the old, battered lampposts. Everything was coated in icy frost. It looked like London had been sprinkled with icing sugar. Three girls’ footsteps were crunching down the deserted alleyway.
“Why did we have to come out here anyway?” mumbled Rose.
“Because our pantry doesn’t have any milk left, and mother wanted us to get more,” replied Trudy.
“But it’s freezing cold, we’ve got no jumpers, and it’s, like, ten o’clock at night! What does she expect from us, to be her slaves? Thanks, but I’ll pass!”
“Stop grumbling, Rose, it’s not that big of a deal,” snapped Evelyn, annoyed by her sister’s constant complaining.
“But it’s annoying!”
“I don’t care!”
There was a rustle, coming from the bushes. The girls spun around, but all there was was a blackberry bush, it’s purple fruit speckled with snow. Trudy exhaled.
“Probably just a rabbit or something,” she said. Rose and Evelyn agreed, both ignoring the fact that it was winter, and all of the animals would be hibernating. They were about to reach the service-station, when,
“Rustle!” again, the sound was coming from behind them. They turned around, and gasped.
Behind them, there was a woman. She had frizzy white-blonde hair, bright red lips, and so much makeup on that she looked like a porcelain doll. They couldn’t see her eyes due to thick sunglasses, which the sisters found odd, because it wasn’t the slightest bit sunny. The woman was wearing red dress, red shoes, and, strangely, they could see the hint of a red sword, poking out from her boots. The woman was also wearing the most beautiful necklace the girls had ever seen. it was emerald green, and it emitted a strong glow around her.
“I’m so sorry to disturb you so late at night, but I think one of you dropped your coin. Come here, and I can give it back to you.” She smiled. It wasn’t a friendly smile; more like the sort of smile a shark would give you right before consuming you.
Rose slowly approached the woman, and extended her hand, for the woman to give her coin back to her. The stranger was about to give the coin back, when she grabbed Rose’s neck and started dragging her away.
“Rose!” screamed Evelyn.
“Let her go!” cried Trudy. the woman just grinned devilishly and picked up her pace. Trudy and Evelyn raced after them. As soon as they were about to grab Rose’s arm, everything turned black.
The last thing Trudy and Evelyn saw was Rose’s face. Eyes stricken with terror, screaming their names.
Rose’s eyes fluttered open. She was in a dimly lit cavern, filled with spiderwebs of late spiders. She kneeled up and saw her sisters sprawled on the floor, asleep. As everything came flooding back, Rose knew she had to get home. She crawled over to Evelyn and Trudy, and shook them awake.
“We need to get home,” said dazed Evelyn. Her eyes lit up when she saw the wide opening of the cavern. She ran to it.
“Guys, what are you waiting for?” she exclaimed. “We can just lea- OUCH.”
She was thrown back onto the ground.
“Hmmm… must be some sort of force field or something,” muttered Trudy.
“Ugh, then how are we going to get out of this blasted place?” Said Rose. She was silenced from further grumblings (fortunately) because the girls heard footsteps approaching. In came their kidnapper, muttering an incantation that made the force field disappear, before striding into the cave. The girls threw themselves back onto the ground, and pretended to be asleep.
“Wake up,” growled their kidnapper. When the girls didn’t move,
“WAKE UP!!!!!” she roared. Trudy, Evelyn, and Rose pretended to yawn as they rose. Their eyes widened in shock when she proceeded to unsheathe her sword and examine it with pleasure. She told Evelyn to come forward. Evelyn shakily did her bidding. The kidnapper pressed her sword to Evelyn’s throat. Blood started to drip drip drip down Evelyn’s neck onto her chest. Her eyes watered with pain, but with determination to show this wicked monster that she was not weak.
“Let her go!” yelled Trudy and Rose.
“You know you won’t get away with this,” said a new voice, this one was kinder, softer than the kidnapper’s. A cloaked woman glided into the cavern.
“Who are you, and how would you be able to stop me?” chuckled the kidnapper.
“Because.” The cloaked woman lifted her hood. She had blonde curls that cascaded down her waist, turquoise green eyes, and a sword in her hand. Rose gasped.
“Enola?” rasped the kidnapper. For the first time, she looked slightly afraid. She reached for her sword, but Enola was too quick. Their swords began clashing and crashing together.
“Murderer!” bellowed Enola.
“Thief!” screeched the kidnapper
“I think they know eachother,” Evelyn whispered. Enola finally cornered the kidnapper, and ripped off her necklace.
“Get out of here! I’ve opened the gateway back to your world, I’ll meet you there in a second!” said Enola.
The girls raced out of the cavern, sighing with relief as they finally felt fresh air on their face, a gentle breeze playing at their hair.
They saw a door in mid air, and raced to it, filled with a new energy. When they reached it, they heard a boom and looked back. The cave had exploded. They saw Enola running up to them, holding something. But they also saw, behind her, the kidnapper, her glasses askew on the ground a few metres behind. The girls winced as they realised why the kidnapper had always worn glasses. Her eyes were blood red.
The girls opened the door and saw the inside of their house. They were about to leave, when Enola caught up with them.
“One more thing,” she said, and passed them their well-deserved bottle of milk, smiling.