Writing Competition

Winning Entry

Life on Jupiter

"According to my research there should be..." Lockie hesitated for a few seconds. "No way! There should be life on other planets."

"Lockie, you don't understand that this is an academy that only allows ideas that will actually make some money, not ideas that live in some sort of fantasy land." Sir Yellsalot said as he crossed his arms. "You just don't belong here."

Lockie packed up his stuff and walked to his apartment in the rain. "Of course I'm not good enough." He said to himself. He kept walking until his umbrella got struck by a bolt of lightning. Lockie tightened his hoodie and folded down his broken umbrella.

"Hey, need a ride?" His sister asked Lockie as she drove by.

"Thanks, Chels." Lockie said as he opened the car door.

"So how was the meeting with Yellsalot?" Asked Chelsea as she started the engine. 

"Horrible!" Lockie complained. "He said I was living in a fantasy land and he only wants money. He even said that I don't belong at the academy."

"Wow! Yellsalot can be mean at times trust me." Chelsea said to comfort her brother. "Like when he rejected my avocado in a toaster idea." 

Lockie smiled. "Sounds delicious."

"Anyway, here's your place." Chelsea parked the car in front of an apartment building.

"Yeah, thanks again." Lockie said, walking to the front door.

When he got to his apartment he took off his glasses and laid down on his bed. "Goodnight, Mino." Lockie said to his cat. Mino edged his way up the bed.

"Rise and shine." Lockie put on his round glasses and green hat and coat. "We've got a big day ahead of us." He grabbed his suitcase and cat who was trying to escape from his arms while checking his watch. "Oh no, Mino!" Lockie dropped the fat fur ball. "We are going to miss the train." He picked up his cat again and raced faster than a cheetah who saw an all you can eat meat buffet.

"Wait!" Lockie called after the train. "Wait for me!" Mino then jumped out of Lockie's arms and chased after the runaway train. Mino jumped onto the railing on the back of the train and disappeared from Lockie's sight. "Mino." he said sadly.

Then Mino poked his head out of a window. "Mino! Don't worry I'm coming." When Lockie got in the train he immediately saw Mino. Mino and Lockie were taking a nap until the train stopped.

"Wake up Mino." said Lockie. The two got off the train and saw a beautiful sight, treetops from high above and a waterfall gushing in the far back corner. "Wow."

They walked for a while until they saw the tall, white building of The University of Space Research.

Lockie and Mino walked in and saw lots of people studying and researching the same thing as Lockie.

They will have to believe me when I say there will be life on Jupiter, he thought.

Lockie went to the front desk to see a woman smiling at him.

"Hello, I'm Alice." she continued. "How could I help you?"

"I have been researching life on Jupiter, I booked an office earlier." he said.

"Yes. Down the hall and to the right." Alice instructed.

"Thanks." Lockie grabbed Mino and his things.

Instead of following Alice's directions he quickly located the private stairs to the basement. He just knew his calculations would be right and all his studies would pay off.

After sneaking through a maze of tunnels he had finally found the secret door he had been searching for all these years.

Lockie clutched Mino tightly and stepped through the door. He looked around after he had finally opened his eyes, and when he did, it didn't have a desk nor a chair, not even a floor or ceiling... he was in space, floating there with Mino doing backflips next to him.

"I can't believe it!" Lockie cried with joy. "I did it, my calculations said there would be a portal right here! I was right, I knew it." Lockie had just discovered a new world. A new world that was warm and weird, a world that could become home for many. Then he realised the door had disappeared and he was stuck on Jupiter but then Lockie saw a gap of the dim lighting from his 'office'. Lockie moved closer to the light and saw Mino blocking the door from closing.

"You're a hero, Mino!" Lockie said as he slipped through the gap and picked up the little fur ball. Lockie ran back to the front desk.

"Alice!" Lockie started until he realised Alice was gone and an old grumpy man was taking her shift. "Where's Alice?" Lockie asked, confused.

"On a break." The grumpy man said whilst taking a bite out of his sandwich with lettuce falling from the side.

"I have just made a big discovery... there's a portal from Earth to Jupiter!" Lockie said happily and continued. "THERE'S LIFE ON JUPITER!"

"Yeah, yeah." The man said, clearly not impressed. "As if."

Lockie laughed only because he knew what he saw and he knew Mino did too.

By Sofia, T17

Age 9