Storytelling Competition 2024 – Category 2
Emily – Aged 11
The door shut silently behind him…
All the times that he had visited his grandparents’ house Jack had never seen a door like this one. It simply had a perplexing glow to it. Jack had his eyes fixed on the glow and before he knew it, his hand was groping for the handle.
The coldness of the room beyond the door felt like knives to his chest. He felt goosebumps on his legs and his hairs stood on end as he stared into the abyss beyond. The entirety of the room was swallowed by a black lake the size of an ocean and the only light seemed to come from the depths of the lake itself. As if in a trance, Jack kept his eyes on the edge of the water and slowly made his way forwards until eventually, he was close enough to touch it. His head jerked back as a handprint appeared underneath the surface. His breathing ragged, Jack felt the temperature plummet. The glassy surface of the lake seemed to shatter before him as the hand reached up, only to fall back down again.
Any normal person at that moment would have run. Jack, however, did not. He bent over the lake cautiously, only to see a pair of deep, green eyes watching him. The hands shot out of the water and Jack felt like he was being suffocated as he was pulled down, down into the black lake.
In the gloom Jack thought he was dead. He thought that he had drowned. The dim lights made it hard to see anything, but as Jack opened his eyes, he could see dark hooded figures moving around him. Each person emitted the same eerie glow as the door. As one of the figures moved quickly past him, Jack caught a glimpse of what was under their hood; a pair of the same green eyes.
Mysteriously, Jack sat up and spluttered back at the edges of the lake. He knew he had not dreamt it. The figures were real. He stood and something behind him seemed to whisper his name. “Jack” it repeated, again and again. He turned, only to see the eyes still watching him from below the surface of the lake. “Jack” the voices whispered again, although more urgently this time.
Jack stumbled back to the door and grasped the handle. “Remember us.” The voices called out, as Jack ran through the door. “Remember us…” the words stuck in Jack’s head. He would have to return tomorrow if he was brave enough. Would the lake behind the door still be there? Even as he moved ever further away, he could still hear a whisper, “Remember us…”.
Ethan – Aged 11
Alex couldn’t believe his eyes. Spread out before him was a vast landscape that was alive with all manner of shiny and reflective colours. Alex tentatively decided to edge forward to get a better look and realised that everything was made of silver, gold, bronze and diamond. Alex had stepped into a diamond meadow that looked like a giant frozen lake. In front of him was a herd of bronze cows and calves. One calf was chasing the others, as if they were playing tag. Alex could hear them mooing but it was more robotic than at home. Behind them was a flock of silver sheep which had golden wool on their backs, grazing over a patch of silver grass. Their occasional baas sounded robotic too.
Alex gazed at a marvellous forest that was laid out to his left. The tree trunks were more gold, and the shimmering leaves were solid diamond! Bronze apples hung within the branches, waiting to fall or be eaten. A bright silver monkey swung through the trees, an apple in its mouth, and opaque diamond squirrels darted from tree to tree, looking for any bronze acorns that they could lay their hands on. He could hear them chittering as they scurried in the canopy. Everything Alex could smell reminded him of slot machine coins, like from arcades back home.
He peered round the door to see what was on the other side. He stared open-mouthed in shock. An awe-inspiring diamond mountain touched the distant sky, dotted with caves of all different shapes and sizes. Outside, some had piles of diamond bones a metre high glittering in the sunlight. He wondered what creatures lived there, although he didn’t want to find out. Alex’s tummy rumbled, it was lunchtime at home and he didn’t know if it was here.
Suddenly, a deafening howl cut through the air. From outside the largest of the caves, a golden dragon head peeped over the side of the cliff, fixating its sight on the distant sheep. Then, two more heads appeared. Each head had bright red eyes that glowed like lightbulbs and a menacing stare that sent a shiver down Alex’s spine. It leapt off the cliff and swooped down towards the sheep with its diamond-talons raised. It was then that Alex could see the shining plates of armour rippling across its body, the wings stretching far out to either side and those terrible talons, like daggers. It was clearly the apex predator of the mountain, and maybe the world! The sheep saw it coming and scattered while the cows and calves ran to the forest. The dragon swooped low but couldn’t find a grip on any of the sheep so it wheeled around in the sky, its heads turning left and right looking for food. Its gaze fell onto Alex. With one almighty roar, it came barrelling towards him, and he wasted no time in diving back through the door, slamming it just as those fierce red eyes filled it.
Milly – Aged 10 – WINNER
“I must be dreaming. I have to be dreaming. There is no way…” Alex paused, cut off by the reality of the scene unfolding in front of their eyes.
Alex was in sensory overload. It was as if the whole place was built on their imagination.
Clouds swiftly danced across the marbled sky, swirling and twirling like fluffy white ballet dancers. A chocolate river gushed through luscious flowering meadows, begging Alex to dive into its rich, delectable depths. Elephants pranced, while unicorns trotted, monkeys gibbered and giraffes leapt. Teddy bears as tall as grown men sat amongst colossal flowers, reaching up to an absent ceiling. The sweet scent of cotton candy wafted through the air, mixing with the aroma of the chocolate and exotic spices. The blend was strange, but Alex did not hate it. All of what had seemed unthinkable, preposterous, a far off dream a minute ago, was now right in front of them!
They crossed the bountiful meadows and down to the room’s end, stopping only to sip a mouthful of the river’s sweet waters. The back wall was unlike the rest of the elaborate room; a simple red curtain with gilded tassels. The bottom was intricately embroidered with scenes of what Alex struggled to interpret: a bear at one angle, the next – a dragon.
They pushed aside the curtain, the material soft and velvety against their palm.
Behind it was a dark, musty room, situated in the middle, a mirror stood tall, gleaming in what was left of the light. Dust hung in the air like fairy lights on a Christmas tree. They couldn’t put their finger on it, but there was an off-putting feel to the space-a sensation of unease. Alex reached out, tracing the curves and bumps of the delicate frame. They stared at their reflection intently. A short, scruffy young child looked back. They had always wished to be taller, to be able to reach the high shelves without a struggle like other children in their year.
All of a sudden, a piercing gold light flashed, blinding the child so much, they stumbled back in surprise! When they removed their hand from their eyes, the reflection staring back at them was different, somehow…taller! Alex blinked in amazement; it couldn’t be- could it? The last few minutes had been so unpredictable, they were beginning to confuse the truth with their imagination. Clearing their racing mind, Alex began to think to themselves: “I wish my hair were less scruffy.” Before them, the room seemed to dissolve into an emanating golden light, leaving a bewildered Alex standing in front of the mirror. Their sandy blonde hair was noticeably tidier.
“Wow!” exclaimed Alex in astonishment. It seemed like every wish they could ever have was appearing right before his eyes! “This is even better than playing with my puppy!” Before they had even finished their sentence, a group of puppies bounded towards them!
Alex couldn’t believe their own eyes! This was going to be a fun day!