LIKE MINDS CREATIVE WRITING

CREATIVE WRITING

Cozmo Cavanah

Cereal Killers

Once upon a time, in a large factory, a very large factory, two cereal brands, Fruit Loops and Cornflakes, were locked in rivalry. Fruit Loops aimed to ban all healthy cereals to dominate the market with sugar! Meanwhile, Cornflakes wanted to ban all sugary cereals to protect health!

In their childhood, they were already at odds, and now, Cornflakes was unhappy with Fruit Loops, who had more customers and money, making Cornflakes feel left behind. One day, in a fit of jealousy, Fruit Loops punctured a hole in Cornflakes’ box, leading to a court case where he wildly insulted Cornflakes with roasts like, “YOU’RE LIKE A CLOUD MADE OUT OF SPAGHETTI!” Everyone in the crowd, including other cereals, was confused. He then finished off by saying, “CONSTANTLY RAINING MEATBALLS!” The judge, equally puzzled by the antics, declared Fruit Loops guilty, sentencing him to a year soaked in a large bowl of milk.

A year later, after being trapped in that horrible milk, Fruit Loops emerged determined and eager for revenge. In a twisted plan, he kidnapped Cornflakes’ wife, Weetbix, along with his kids, Porridge, Coco Pops, and Nutri Grain. Panic erupted in the factory as Fruit Loops’ return sent everyone into chaos! Cornflakes, filled with determination to protect his family, fought back by tearing holes in all the sugary cereals and lighting fires all around the place, BOOM! CRASH! BANG! Creating a serious mess. Just then, Cap’n Crunch, the powerful CEO of all cereals, arrived with his impressive presence, using an army of berries to extinguish fires and mend the cereal boxes.

Cap’n Crunch addressed everyone, emphasising the importance of friendship and community with a heartfelt speech that went something like this: “Your life is To Be or Not To Be! You get to choose who you are, and this is not one of the options! Life is about being friends and family! Being part of a community and helping each other! Being like an aeroplane connecting with the wind while flying in the sky!” He then asked Cornflakes why he wanted to get rid of sugary cereals, but Cornflakes, overwhelmed by everything and feeling hopeless, ran away crying, feeling totally defeated.

With the conflict finally resolved, Fruit Loops surprisingly decided to help Cornflakes, realising the error of his ways. Together, they formed a collaboration that nobody could have expected, surprising all their friends. Cap’n Crunch became the king of the cereal world, and Weetbix was promoted to CEO! Weetbix’/ Cornflakes’s kids decided to join forces too, creating a massive new cereal that was a delightful mix of everything! The factory transformed from a battleground into a fun playground, where sugary and healthy cereals could hang out together in harmony. This new cereal community became a big hit, and they even hosted cereal parties where everyone was invited! It turned out that by working together, they could have the best of both worlds and build a brighter, healthier future for all in the cereal world. They proved that they could create a more delicious world—one bowl at a time.

Asha Fawcett

The Girls Who Cried Wolf

South Westridge was the definition of a ghost town. With the population of 346 people, everyone knew everyone and everyone knew who Anne Belmore was; the troublemaker raised by the town itself.

The town had little to no rules:

1. Avoid the hitch-hikers.
2. Don’t investigate any noises.
3. No one goes to the petrol station after 8pm.
4. Do not talk to Ms. Dalesmen.

Anne had broken nearly all of them.

“Anne, no,” Maya said, her voice clipped. She had said that to every one of Anne’s plan. The thunder crackled outside, causing the lights to flicker. Anne sighed, letting herself flop backward onto the bed, her dark curls fanned out like a restless halo.

“Please?” Anne asked, she knew she couldn’t sway Maya but it was worth a try. “It’ll be funny.” Maya had just shot her a look, she wasn’t in the mood. Maya’s green eyes glinted like a fox’s—sharp, alert, and as untamed as the Eldwood forest itself.

“Fine,” Anne muttered, her voice heavy with defeat, the spark of rebellion fading as she sank into the pillows. The rain was dying down and the two heard quiet growling outside. They looked at each other than ran to the window to check it out. There was a feral dog scratching at the fence, well, that’s what Anne thought it was.

“Maybe we should stay inside a bit longer,” Maya said softly. Anne nodded in agreement, and they returned to their tasks without another word.

Anne kicked off her skateboard and rolled through the quiet morning streets, her backpack stuffed with snacks bouncing lightly on her shoulders. When she reached Maya’s house, she grabbed a pebble and tossed it at the window, watching as it made a small clinking sound. After what felt like forever, Maya finally came out, looking half-asleep as she wheeled her bike out.

“Took you long enough,” Anne teased, tossing a pebble from hand to hand, a smirk tugging at her lips. Maya rolled her eyes and they headed off to their spot. It was a secluded tree at the outskirts of town they had found two years ago.

“So…” Anne was cut off by a scream that came from the forest. They glanced at the forest and then each other. Maya grabbed Anne’s wrist as she was about to run to investigate.

“Anne, no, you can’t,” Maya whispered, her eyes looked desperate. “Please.” Anne pulled her wrist away, she hated seeing Maya like that but she had to investigate. She ran into the forest. Maya clenched her fists and followed after her.

Anne felt Maya put her hand on her shoulder but she was frozen. Maya gasped. There was a mangled body hung from a tree, claw marks scarring the trees. A trail headed deeper into the forest. The two sprinted out of the forest, the leaves crunching underfoot.

“Mr. Greene, you don’t understand! There was claw marks everywhere and a body!” Anne exclaimed, he wasn’t listening.

“Dad, seriously. There was,” Maya said, more calmly, trying to get their point across. Her voice was shaking ever so slightly.

“You girls are in over your heads,” Mr. Greene said, dismissing them without a second thought. For someone who was the Mayor, he didn’t take advice very well. Anne felt like kicking something, but instead, she scuffed her feet along the floor in frustration. While Mr. Greene and Maya argued, Anne’s hearing turned splotchy, and her vision grew foggy. Why does this always happen? She barely noticed Maya shaking her until she snapped back into focus and looked at her.

“You okay?” Maya asked, her voice a whisper so Mr. Greene didn’t hear. Anne responded with a nod.

“You girls are off your heads,” Mr. Greene said, shaking his head. Anne grabbed Maya’s wrist and dragged her out of the room.

“We’ll just have to tell the others ourselves,” Anne said, her voice steady but filled with determination. Maya pinched the bridge of her nose.

“They won’t believe us. You know that,” Maya said, brushing her hair back, her voice quiet but resigned.

“We can try.”

They told everyone they knew, the kids thought it was an old ghost story and the adults said it was their overactive imaginations. They even told frail and old Mrs. Dalesmen, who squinted at them with a look of confusion and dismissal.

“Anne, it’s no use,” Maya sighed. “Talking to them is like shouting at a rock in a storm.” Anne didn’t listen. She never did.

The town’s annual festival buzzed within the forest, its laughter and music drifting faintly to the edges of South Westridge. Anne and Maya, true to form, stayed far away. But as twilight settled and the distant sounds turned to panicked screams, the girls froze. Their hearts pounded in unison before they dashed toward the source, instincts overriding caution.

The music was distorted and the rides were stained bloody. Anne picked up a blood-stained teddy, she had seen the owner playing tag the other day. There was a faint growl from behind the ferris-wheel. They slowly walked towards the sound, Anne leading the way. She peered over through the gaps. It was monstrous, black matted fur, red eyes and knives for teeth. Anne dropped the bear, the girls turned and bolted, their pounding footsteps swallowed by shadows.

The forest was stained a crimson red.

1. Avoid the hitch-hikers.
2. Don’t investigate any noises.
3. No one goes to the petrol station after 8pm.
4. Do not talk to Ms. Dalesmen.
5. Leave.