Download - 101 Short Stories
101 Short Stories
Mercy College Sligo Chapel Street, Co. Sligo, Ireland
www.mercycollegesligo.ie [email protected]
071-9143476 Teacher: D. Kearins
Table of Contents
Prologue 1
Chapter 1 Little things by Lana Nevin 3
Chapter 2 My Paradise by Leah Kelly 5
Chapter 3 Hallowe’en Horror by Deia Carbonell 9
Chapter 4 Modern Fairy Tale by Leanne McGoldrick 13
Chapter 5 Fishy Story by Anastasia Vakhtina 17
Chapter 6 Disaster by Aoife Kelly 21
Chapter 7 Bullies Don’t Win by Aishling Burke 23
Chapter 8 Everything Had Changed by Sarah Armstrong 27
Chapter 9 The Storm by Hannah Monaghan 31
Chapter 10 The Talking Dog by Chloe McManus 35
Chapter 11 David’s Dream by Mary Agou 37
Chapter 12 The Egg by Melissa Cox 39
Chapter 13 Carpe Diem by Calisha Devaney 43
Chapter 14 Terror by Danielle Callaghan 45
Chapter 15 Electric Chair by Grace Filan 49
Chapter 16 Night I Would Never Forget by Jade Gaffney 53
Chapter 17 Love Story! by Leah Fox 55
Chapter 18 Disaster Struck by Tammy McGynne 57
Chapter 19 Wishes by Mary Stenson 61
Chapter 20 The End by Amy Conlon 65
Epilogue 69
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Prologue
We waited for the teacher in the last classroom of the corridor. It was also
the coldest. I stared around our classroom. There were twenty of us, all
waiting for English class to begin. I sat rubbing my cold hands. The cold
draught from the window had banged the classroom door shut. I could
smell the bar of chocolate as my friend gobbled it quickly. I could almost
taste it as my stomach rumbled, pleading for food.
All of a sudden I heard the key being placed in the door. It was the teacher.
“SNAP.”
That does not sound normal.
“Damn it,” I heard the teacher say. “Girls, I will be back in a minute.”
A few minutes later the teacher came back but I could also hear the
caretaker’s worried voice.
“Girls I called a friend who can fix this but, for now, you are stuck in the
classroom.”
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As I looked around I could see scared faces, worried faces and happy ones.
Then one of the girls stood up. Her light brown hair fell softly around her
pale face. Ashling had big blue eyes and rosy cheeks.
“Let’s tell some stories to pass the time,” Ashling suggested.
"Ok I will go first," Lana replied.................
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Chapter 1
ana’s Story
Little Things
As I sat in the brightly coloured surgery, it still felt like a dark, dull
closed in room. The smell of prednisone hung in the air as the white cleaned
pressed uniform of the medical staff moved around me. With nerves, my
heart pounded out of my chest, I felt the liquid spurt into my body. It was
the prednisone. I felt myself plunging deeper into the cold surgical
bed………………..
I could see the glistening white teeth of the surgeon smile at me. I could lip
read him saying.
“It’ll be fine.”
My eye lids felt like heavy stones as they slowly closed
and I drifted into a light sleep.
I dreamt that there was someone who could save me from all this pain and
sorrow. I needed a superman, a superhuman, someone who would brighten
my day. Instead of being stuck here, alone, I wish there was someone out
there who could make me happy. Who could take all this pain away and let
me live my life instead of being stuck in here?
I awoke as I heard the crackling sound of the bin bag. I blinked my eyes a
few time to see Ben, the bin man. He’s short and stubby and I could hear his
deep jolly laugh.
“Afternoon Ashling!!”
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I smiled and tried not to make eye contact with his sparking blue eyes that
you could see for miles. I was so depressed; I didn’t even want to talk.
As he left the room I was aware of what was going on around me. I saw
buildings from a distance through the small window in my room. I also
spotted a bunch of needles in a cup filled with all the drugs to keep alive. A
mad notation went through my head. I could grab a needle and stick it in to
my vein. Then I could grab two more with my sweaty shaking hands and
stick them in. All of a sudden I felt weak and dreary. I was thinking of
suicide.
Suddenly I heard a jolly laugh coming from the hallway. Then I saw the
handle of the door press down as Ben walk in. He didn’t notice anything as
he continued with a joke he came in to tell me. He was laughing so much I
couldn’t understand what he was saying but all of a sudden I burst into tears
of laughter. I realised straight away as Ben left the room that he was hero.
I know it might sound silly but Ben comes into me every day and talks and
smiles and never has a sad face. Even when I ignore him, he still comes in
and empties the dirty bin and tells me a joke. I realised that I might have a
bad life but Ben has a bad job. Yet he still manages to make my day just by
having a big smile on his face and getting on with his life. Things may be
hard and things may get harder but all these little things get me through the
day. Sometimes supermen or superheroes are the people we see every day.
Lana Nevin
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Chapter 2
Leah’s Story
My Paradise
The crowd hushed. The silence was defining. I delicately placed the
ball on the penalty spot. I took exactly five steps back. Then I slowly walked
up and hit the shiny, almost spotless new Nike football. The silence was
eerie. 50,000 people stared at me but I could almost hear a seagull cawing
high in the June sky. The blinding yellow sun blazed its heat down upon my
sweating head. The Nike football seemed to move in slow motion from my
foot. It was as if time had stood still. The noise from the crowd went from
silence to an almost deafening crescendo. It was as if a God had suddenly
turned the volume for planet Earth from 0-maximum. I looked at the goal
hoping the ball would beat the keeper and put us 2:1 up.
It all started when I was ten years old and I joined Strand Celtic. I loved it
and I gradually got better and better. Then as
I got older I got to play in a more central role.
I was inspired by many people who had gone
on and played on Ireland squads and it was
always my dream. Then one day I was asked
to go to an Ireland trial and I couldn’t miss
out on an opportunity like this. The trial was
in Dublin on a lovely summer’s day. The car journey up was unpleasant at
best. I was very nervous and, when I began playing at the trial, I wasn’t
playing as I used to. However I hoped I would get better and they would pick
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me. It was a nervous wait as I waited for the call that would pronounce me
an Ireland player.
Two years later I was not only an Ireland player, I was also playing for
Liverpool (my favourite team since I was a child.) I was playing with players
who played in Champions League Finals and probably even World Cups.
It was the day before the Champions League Final. We were doing intense
training. We would be playing Man United, the hardest opposition in our
league. I didn’t know whether or not I would be playing. The wait for the
game was agonising and I found it hard to even eat.
Finally the day was here. The game would start at eight o’clock. It was all
over the news. People were coming from all over the world to see it. But I
was not thinking about the big shiny trophy you got if you won and the big
parties after the game. I was thinking about the big opportunity this was
and how, if I played well, I would become a regular starter for the team.
The game was getting closer and closer and the nerves were building. We
were in the dressing room waiting for Brendon Rodgers to come in and
announce the starting eleven. My yellow Predator boots lay on the ground
and I hoped that they would get an opportunity to play in this very famous
Aviva Stadium. Rodgers named the team but unfortunately I wasn’t starting.
However I knew that I would play for some of the match.
As the game went on you could see we were struggling in the right midfield
position but the game stood at 1:1 at half time. We listened to Brendon
Rodgers summarise the first half.
Then I heard “Leah warm up, you’ll be going on in right midfield”.
I was delighted and I ran onto the pitch with a smile that went from ear to
ear.
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The second half began and we had all the possession but we just couldn’t
seem to find the target. I feared that Man United would score a goal against
the run of play but the game stayed at 1:1 with only minor chances for each
side. Then on the ninetieth minute, I was running up the field with only the
keeper to beat. I did a step over and tried to take the ball past the keeper
but I was tripped up. I fell dramatically to the ground. I looked at the
referee hoping he would award a penalty. He pointed to the spot. I jumped
up with delight.
I know it seemed antitheses but the shiny almost spotless Nike ball flew like
a rocket in slow motion towards the top right hand corner of the net. I had
scored 2:1. The Liverpool crowd went mad. The whistle blew for full time.
We had won the Champion’s League. I was awarded “Player of the Match”.
We were treated like heroes for a long time after. It was the most nerve
racking day of my life but it was also the best day of my life so far and I’m
sure I will never forget it.
Leah Kelly
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Chapter 3
eia’s Story
Hallowe'en Horror
One Hallowe’en, Lucas and Lisa decided to throw a Halloween
party in an old haunted house. It was at the edge of the forest in their
village!
It was Hallowe’en morning. Lisa jumped out of bed, got dressed as fast as
she could and ran to Lucas’ house which was only a couple of doors down.
On her way out, Lisa heard a story on the news about an escaped killer. Lisa
ignored it. News was boring.
When Lisa arrived at the house, she knocked gently on the door. Lucas’
mum Teresa answered the door.
“Good morning Lisa,” said Teresa surprised. “You’re up bright and early.”
“Yes I am actually and I was wondering if Lucas was up yet,” exclaimed Lisa.
“No, I’m sorry he isn’t but he should be so you
can go up and wake him up if you want.”
“I will actually.”
Lisa rushed up the stairs and burst into Lucas’s
room.
“Rise and shine my little rainbow, it’s eleven o’clock and we have to discuss
our party,” exclaimed Lisa excitedly!
“Nooo, it’s too early,” muttered Lucas as he rolled over onto his side facing
the wall.
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“No it’s not. Now get up and get changed. We’re going to check out this
haunted place.”
“Ughh,” mumbled Lucas while dragging himself out of bed.
“Whoa, let’s go,” shouted Lisa.
As they approached the old burnt and shattered looking building, their
breathing got heavier and their footsteps got smaller. In the streets, police
lights illuminated the morning sky as road blocks for the escaped killer were
set up.
When they got to the front door, they both looked at each other and
whispered,
“You go first.”
After a long and meaningless conversation, they both agreed that Lucas was
to go to first. Lucas pushed open the door. It creaked open, its rusty hinges
protesting. They took the first tentative footstep inside the house since,
“The Accident.”
One cold, gusty evening the old lady that used to live in the house
mysteriously went missing and also the same night her house was set a fire.
Gladly the whole house wasn’t burnt, just the extension which held the
bathroom and the dining room. Apparently a candle tipped over and it went
up in flames. Rumours say it was no accident, that the lady was brutally
murdered and the murderer set fire to her body and the house. Whoever it
was, there was no hard proof that there ever was a murder.
As they walked into the house, they could still smell burnt wood and plastic.
There was an old musty scent in the house and a lot of dust. They stepped
into the sitting room only to see half a sofa and a little table in the corner of
the room. That’s all that survived the fire in that room. Next they stepped
into the kitchen where there was only a chair and a mini freezer. They
stepped out of the kitchen prepared for the next room. They realised it was
the bedroom where it was all said to have happened. They bravely walked
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up to the door and peered in. There was nothing left so that gave them an
excuse to get out of there and say they saw the whole house.
“This is it,” said Lisa excited and scared at the same time.
“It sure is,” replied Lucas.
They rushed home, spread the word about their party, got dressed for it and
raced back to the old house to set up.
They never even noticed that a pair of eyes had watched them the moment
they both stepped into the house.
Ten o’clock came and people started arriving. By eleven o’clock there were
over 100 people there. Just about 75 more than they invited! The party was
great. One of their friends knew a good bit about DJ’ing so he organised the
music and one of their other friend’s mum was a cook so she organised the
food and drink. At about 1:30 everyone started leaving and by 2:00
everyone was gone so Lucas and Lisa started cleaning and tidying.
At 2:15 Lucas looked at watch and saw the time.
“Damn it, I was meant to be home fifteen minutes ago.”
“It’s ok, you go, I’ll finish up here.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes I am now, go on before I change my mind,” giggled Lisa.
“Ok, thanks a million. Bye,” shouted Lucas while grabbing his jacket and
running out the door.
When Lisa turned around to pick up the sweeping brush, all she could feel on
her right shoulder was a cold hand.........
8:00 the next morning. Lucas got a call from Lisa’s parents wondering if she
had stayed over last night because she never came home. Lucas froze for a
minute.
“Hello, hello,” shouted Lisa’s mother,“Hello?”
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Lucas dropped the phone and ran as fast as he could towards the haunted
house. The second he walked in, he could taste fear in the back of his
throat. He rushed into the bedroom to see Lisa lying face down on the floor
with a stab mark in her back and blood all over the ground. He dropped to
his knees in tears.
Suddenly he felt a presence in the room. He turned and stared into the eyes
of the escaped killer. He felt like a fawn staring into the eyes of a killer tiger.
He was paralysed.
As the man with the knife in his hand walked slowly towards Lucas, he did
the first thing that popped into his mind which was RUN. Lucas hopped up
off the floor and ran towards the door but not quick enough to escape. The
man grabbed Lucas by his neck and dragged him back. As the man stabbed
him multiple times in the back, it felt like a hundred bee-stings rushing
through his body.
The killer grabbed a can of petrol. Just like he did with the old women,
nobody would ever know for definite there had been a murder. He poured
the petrol around the room and calmly lit a match…
Deia Carbonell
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Chapter 4
eanne’s Story
Modern Red Riding Hood
It was a misty December morning. There was a cold breeze going
through Red Riding Hood’s golden hair. The birds were chirping loudly in
the forest trees, their sweet song echoing through the distance.
“I can almost taste the coldness at the back of my throat,” whispered Red
Riding Hood to herself, as the smell of frosty wood filled the forest.
She came to a pool of frozen water and stared at her reflection through her
beaming blue eyes. She could see her curly blond hair and her red cape
blowing in the wind.
“Red,” as she was nicknamed by her friends walked
further and approached a little cottage. It was white
with a thatched roof and flowers on the window sills.
She cautiously opened the door. It creaked open.
She hung up her red cape and went to the bed in
which her grandmother was lying in.
“Hello, how are you?”
“Hello dear ,I am quite alright” replied her grandmother.
Her curly hair was pushed back by a little black hairband and her big brown
eyes were sparkling behind her glasses. Red loved her grandmother which
was unusual, because Red was really mean and didn’t really like anybody,
especially animals.
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When Red left her grandmother’s house, she went hunting. She went deeper
into the forest and came upon a wolf’s den but, to her surprise, there was
nothing in there. She walked a little more. She could hear wood banging in
the distance. She thought it could have been a builder but what was he
doing in the middle of a forest? The banging now sounded like it was right
beside her but she could not see a thing. She looked up. She scratched her
eyes.
To her amazement she saw a wolf building a house, in the trees.
After Red fell out of shock, she aimed her gun at the wolf, shot once, then
shot twice, but missed the wolf completely.
“Na na na na na you will never get me,” the wolf shouted down at Red.
He disappeared into his half built house. Red could see him through the
little window at the side, but she could not get over the idea that a wolf
could build a house with a window, a door, half a roof and it was in the trees.
Red wanted that house so she thought of an idea to get it. She would
pretend to go home but she would not. Instead she would hide in a bush
and shoot him and then take his home!!! So she waited till the time was
right. She lifted her gun again but this time she shot it three times.
“Bull’s eyes” she whispered.
However the wolf shouted once again “Na na na na na”
Red was now really angry at this stage and she said she would come back
the next day.
“I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I will blow your house away” she shouted “But it will
be with a grenade”
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The next day came and Red came back to the same spot she was in
yesterday, but this time she was not alone. She put the grenade behind her
back. There were police everywhere.
“Hello,” exclaimed the police man.
“Hello sir, may I ask why you’re here?”
“You see last night we had heard five gun shots, we came straight away but
it was too dark to investigate so we came back today” replied the police man.
“I see. Has any evidence been found yet?”
“Yes, quite a bit.”
“But it could have been a hunter,” replied Red.
“But this is a non-hunting area.”
Red was nervous as she looked into the blue eyes of the policeman. His hat
was on top of his black hair and he was wearing all his little gadgets under
his black coat.
“Well I better be off,” muttered Red nervously.
“Not so fast.”
Red turned back at the policeman.
“We know you were here last night, we know it was your gun. So do not try
and play games.”
Later on that day Red was put in jail for hunting in a non-hunting area.
Wolves, after all, are an endangered species.
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Leanne McGoldrick
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Chapter 5
nastasia’s Story
Fishy Story
Once upon a time there lived three men in the small county of
Kerry. They were called Hibert, David and Jone. Hibert was a plump man
with a bald head! David was a scrawny looking shy man and Jone was the
youngest and had a strong build.
They all loved to fish and shared a small fishing boat. It was old and a dirty
white colour. It had no radio or special features but they didn’t mind.
One morning they were getting ready for a fishing trip.
“Has everyone got their fishing rod?” asked
Hibert.
“Yes” replied Jone and David.
“Great” exclaimed Hibert.
They set off to the dock which was close to where they all lived. They had
just arrived at the dock and they noticed a new boat at the dock! “WOW”
they all exclaimed gobsmacked by how clean, shiny and expensive looking
the boat was!
“But it will never be as good as our old girl!” laughed David.
“I agree” replied Jone and they all got onto the boat.
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They set sail. The waves were calm and soothing, the sky was a clear blue. It
was a lovely day. One hour later they stopped to see if they could catch any
fish.
“I hope we catch plenty!” sniggered Hibert.
“I’m feeling lucky today!” laughed Jone.
David just opened his mouth to say something but the boat started to rock
more and the sea started to get rougher. Waves started to get bigger and
bigger!
“Come inside!” shouted David as they all rushed down the stairs.
“Just our luck!”
At that point it started to pour rain! The raindrops were the size of golf
balls. The sea was black and rough. They were all terrified as they heard the
waves crashing against their little boat.
“How long do you think the storm would last?” whimpered Jone.
“I’m not sure! Anywhere between one to four hours! But this storm doesn’t
look too good!” whispered David.
It was as cold as an iceberg in the room, they were all quiet and the only
thing that could be heard was the wind whistling and the waves crashing
against each other.
“We’ve been in this storm for three hours!” complained Jone.
“I know but we can’t do anything about it!”
David was starting to lose his patience and got up to go outside. He walked
up the slippery steps carefully not to fall.
“Guys the storm is starting to wear off!”
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Jone and Hibert raced up the stairs to see outside! In the far distance they
could see an island!
“Look!” shouted Jone.
They all stared at the large abandoned island.
“It looks like were heading for it!”
They landed on the islands shore. The sand was soft and clean. They
jumped out of the boat and fell onto the sand.
“Land! Oh we’re on land again!” cheered Hibert.
“Just one problem! We don’t know where we are!” snapped Jone.
Then they started panicking.
“How are we going to get home?!?!” worried David.
“ I don’t know…” Jone replied. “we can’t just sail home since we don’t know
what direction to go in.”
They were stuck on the island!
Anastastia Vakhtina
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Chapter 6
oife’s Story
Disaster
I could hear the wind through the November trees, whistling to the
tune of disaster, I could feel the cold rain going through my fingers. The
drops were heavy and felt like giant ping pong balls against my hands.
Through my frightened blue eyes I could see the water getting higher and
higher. The smell of impending death hovered in the air. We were wading
through three foot high water in order to cross the flooded road.
I felt frightened for my own safety but I was
terrified for the safety of Ali and Molly my two
children. Ali’s blonde curly hair was strewn all
over her face. You could see the fear in her green
eyes. Molly didn’t know what was happening, the
tears started dripping down her face. Her light
blonde hair was all over the place.
The storm was getting worse. The wind was getting stronger the rain started
getting heavier. The place was a mess, the roofs of houses had been torn
off. My eyes stung from the water getting into my eyes.I had to let go of Ali
and Molly’s hands to wipe my face which was covered with the dirt and rain.
All of a sudden the girls were dragged away. The girls were screaming and
trying to grab onto something, but there was nothing. I tried to get help but
there was no one around because everyone had been evacuated.
I was helpless.
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I saw Ali and Molly float away, float away to their premature deaths. Tears
flowed from my eyes but there was nothing I could do. It was a disaster to
beat all disasters.
Aoife Kelly
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Chapter 7
shling’s Story
Bullies Don't Win
The Nationwide Study of Bullying in Irish first and second level
schools conducted by Dr Mona O'Moore in Trinity College Dublin indicates
that some 31% of Primary Students and 16% of Secondary Students have
been bullied at some time. From Ireland’s 870,000 school going population,
this means 23% or 200,000 children are at risk of suffering the ill effects
of bullying. This is the story of one…..
One stormy cold winter’s day, Lana sat happily next to one of her closest
friends Mary. The cold rain lashed against the classroom window and the
wind howled like an angry wolf. However inside was not safe for Lana.
Lana and Mary had been friends since the start of secondary school. They
looked similar. They both had blue eyes and long black hair. Both were lithe
and both were bright. But there was one big difference. One was bullied
and one was strong.
Mary knew nothing about Lana getting bullied by
the two girls in the class, Sarah and Ciara. They
were small bitter people. Their small dark eyes
expressed hate. Like cats, they enjoyed playing
with a terrified mouse.
Mrs. Kelly announced “Mary can you to stay back and help make a poster for
a singing competition. Sarah and Ciara too.” Lana shook with fear when she
heard her name followed by thirs.
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“Oh and Mary also.”
Once she heard Mary’s name, she calmed down.
Everything was going fine until Mrs. Kelly asked Mary to go with her to get
paper and paint. Once Mary and Mrs. Kelly left the room, the girls started on
Lana. Sarah pushed her into the corner while Ciara stood at the door on look
out
“Think your’re better than us do ya?” they hissed like snakes about to attack
a timed mouse.
Once Ciara shouted “Ohhh, Mrs. Kelly hi do you need any help? “Lana was
released from the corner.
“Nobody needs to know about this okay!” Sarah whispered Lana shook with
fear but she had never been so happy to see Mrs. Kelly.
As the day got wore on, Lana was terrified for lunch.
“If that’s what happened in the classroom what will happen at lunch? “she
thought.
Every lunch time, Lana would try to stay close to Mary, but the second Mary
turned her head Sarah or Ciara would pull her away. They would take her
lunch money and, some days, both. Mary always went looking for her but
could never find her. Then up and out of no where Lana turned up. Mary
asked her where she was but every day Lana came up with a different
excuse. Lana shook with fear as Sarah and Ciara gave her the eyes.
Mary suddenly announced “I just have to go to the toilet.”
Sarah and Ciara took their chance. Lana felt herself getting punched, hit and
kicked by Sarah and Ciara. Mary heard a scream and peeped her head
around the toilet corner. She saw someone lying on the floor. Once she saw
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that it was Lana she went to her aid. Lana broke down crying and told Mary
everything.
“It was time to tell Mrs. Kelly,” Mary announced….
Ashling Burke
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Chapter 8
arah’s Story
Everything Had Changed
It started as a stormy, cold, windy night on Central Street on the 5th
of December. Mary Regan was out walking her dog, kids were playing on the
streets with the leaves rustling trough the grass. It was a normal day but it
was all about to change.
All of a sudden Aishling ran up behind me. Her small manicured nails were
in her long black hair as she yelled.
“There’s a man in Tammy’s house trying to kill her and her husband Dylan”.
I heard a scream, it sounded like Tammy. I ran over to the house as a chair
flew out the window followed by Tammy. Dylan jumped through the
window.
Tammy screamed “HELP." Dylan shouted “I will not let my women be treated
like this.” So he hit the fella.
Tammy smiled and thought to herself “couldn’t
ask for anyone any better.” As I ran to Tammy,
Dylan dragged the man into the house, I asked
Tammy was she ok or was she hurt, I got no
reply. As I waved my hand in front of her face,
I heard a gunshot. I screamed. I lifted Tammy
by one arm and ran to my house.
“Was Dylan Ok?” Tammy asked me when we got to my house. I didn’t know
whether to answer that question because I didn’t know if he was or not. She
asked me the question again, I looked down. Her hands, they were shaking
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a lot! There was a loud knock at the door, but we didn’t know who it was so
I told her not to get it. As the tears ran down her face, she cried and said it
might be Dylan.
I got up to look out the key hole. It was Aishling. She was crying and
sobbing in my face at the door so I brought her in for a glass of water. T
there was another bang at the door and Aishling jumped to get it. By the
time I got to the door, Aishling had it open! Dylan walked in.
”Was everything ok?” I asked but he just ran to Tammy and hugged her so
tight.
“What happened Dylan?” I asked again. He paused. His soft blue eyes
looked hurt. His hands were shaking. For the first time I noticed the blood
on his new Levi top.
“When we were in the house Connor Grey came in the back door (Connor was
Tammy’s ex-boyfriend)” he started. “When he came in he saw Tammy. He
ran to her and cried to take her back. Tammy, but Tammy asked Connor to
leave. Connor wouldn’t leave. He produced a gun. When I walked in, I
grabbed the gun but it went off by accident.”
I trembled. A horrible feeling overcame me.“Dylan, whose blood is that?” I
whispered.
“Connor’s” he replied. “He’s not moving. I think he’s dead”.
The sound of ambulance and gardai sirens could be heard in the distance.
Dylan and Tammy’s lives had changed forever….
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Sarah Armstrong
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Chapter 9
annah’s Story
The Storm
It was the worst day of my life. On the 26th
October 2012 Sandy
came into my life. He was big, powerful, violent and had no regard for any
person or anything. Sandy was a category 5 hurricane, the biggest hurricane
on record.
It was a Friday afternoon in New York. I had just returned home from school.
I walked into the living where my mum and dad were glued to the TV. I knew
there was something up.
“A hurricane warning had been issued to the coastal parts of New York,” the
newscaster announced
I froze in horror when I saw the size of the
hurricane. My mum and dad immediately took
action into keeping our family and house safe. My
mum and dad started boarding up the windows
and putting the sandbags in front and behind the
doors. The atmosphere was very uneasy.
The next morning was very cold and very windy. Black clouds hung
ominously in the threatening sky. The sky was silent as all the birds sought
shelter. The taste of fear filled my mouth.
My dad and I went to the supplies shop to get gas cookers, blankets, torches
and batteries while mum went grocery shopping to the stores that were still
opened! When we were driving home we could feel the car leaning to one
side. The wind was getting stronger and stronger. We were driving past the
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sea when this gigantic wave covered the car. The waves were crashing over
the wall.
When we got home, mum had already unpacked the food and was watching
the TV to see if there was any update on the hurricane. There was only 18
hours until the storm hit landfall.
After that, we started to put up the heavy furniture onto the kitchen tables.
The sandbags were all put in front and behind the doors. The windows were
bordered up while the furniture was put on the tables. We were all prepared.
I was getting more and more scared. It was about 9:00 when the lights
started flickering and then 9:30 when the lights went out. We were
swallowed in darkness. This was when I got really scared. The air was very
humid and warm, the atmosphere was getting very tense. We assembled
upstairs and turned our torches on.
It was about 11:35 when the hurricane hit landfall. We could hear the waves
like we were right beside the sea! The alarms were going off on the cars in
the flooded street. We could feel the cold icy draught creeping up the stairs.
We knew the hurricane was here. We could hear things hitting off the house
.A big grey gate smashed the window. Tears whelled up in my big blue
frightened eyes. I was starting to cry. I thought this was the end.
The next day I woke up and my mum and dad weren’t there. I started to
panic. I ran downstairs where, to my horror, there was cold water up to my
knees. I wandered around the house until out of the corner of my eye I saw
them in the front garden (which looked like a scrap yard). I made my way to
the garden where my mum and dad were standing like statues, horrified at
what they saw. I walked over without tripping over the scrappage that was
thrown there by the hurricane.
The house beside us completely torn apart. The roof was all gone. I wasn’t
surprised as the roof was really old. I stood beside my mum and she
squeezed me really tightly. I glared down at the street. The cars were all
piled up on each other. I looked back at our house and my heart sunk as
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fast as a pebble in a pool. Our beautiful home had not been spared. The
chimney had collapsed and the place was a mess.
But chimneys can be fixed, a mess tided up. People can’t. I held my mum’s
hand tighter. At that moment I knew what was priceless in life.
Hannah Monaghan
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Chapter 10
hloe's Story
The Talking Dog
The sun was shining high in the blue cloudless sky as the
birds chirped happily in their morning song. The scent of the freshly
cut grass filled my nostrils. Jack my golden Labrador, scratched happily in
the grass.
"Morning Chloe" Jack whispered.
"Morning Jack” I replied. Whoa!! Has my dog just talked to me? I was
incredulous. “How do you think I feel when ye talk? Jack muttered. "And I
don’t mock you? “I know but it’s weird to hear a dog talk I replied.
“I know,” Jack said I called my dad and told him. But he said Chloe he can’t
talk.
“Yes I can talk” said Jack.
“Oh my god you can talk,” cried Jack before he fainted.
I ran upstairs and told my mum to check dad. She
came down stairs “Chloe I always knew he could
talk but didn’t tell you. My dad and I brought Jack
for a walk. It was great that he could understand
us and could tell us where he was going. To be
honest Jack was more intelligent than your dad. All
your dad talks about is Sligo Rovers.” The next day my brother and I
brought him up the woods. A lovely white and brown small dog came over
to us.
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“Hi Lilly,” Jack said.
“Hey Jack follow me," Lilly replied.
So Jack and Lilly went running of in the lovely warm woods. Jack and Lilly
were best friends. Lilly came over to our house most days.
Yesterday me, Jack, dad, mum, Lilly and Lilly’s owner Paula went to the park.
It was a lovely summer’s day. The smell of the freshly cut grass was in the
air. There were lots of birds flying around the place but there was this one
bird that kept landing beside the dogs.
“Let’s get it.”
Jack and Lilly chased the birds. There were loads of children running around
place having fun. Their happy screams filled the air. I smiled happily too.
“It’s funny how life can change,” I whispered to myself.
Chole McManus
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Chapter 11
ary’s Story
David's Dream
It was a cold, rainy, winter’s day as David was practicing for his
school talent show. He finally had the courage to perform in front of people
for the first time since his traumatic incident while saying his line in a school
play when he was six years old. It was horrifying. He remembered when his
turn came to say his line.
He felt the warm spotlight on his face as he stared at the audience staring at
him. He was like a rabbit paralysed in a car leadlight.
“Em, em, em “, he stuttered. His mind was blank.
He could hear a pin drop. Somebody laughed, then another. Soon the whole
crowd sniggered in unison. He would never forget it.
As he practiced playing the guitar, his two annoying
curly haired brothers Jimmie and John walked in the
door screaming
“You’re no good, you’re no good”.
“What are you doing here?” David replied.
“Mum just wanted you to come down for dinner”, Jimmie started.
“Well tell her I’m busy “, David shouted.
“What are you busy doing? You know you’re no good”, interrupted John.
“Get out you two annoying weirdoes “screamed David.
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A tear drop ran down David’s fairly soft, pale skin, they dripped onto his
Gibson guitar. He caught his reflection in the mirror. He had blue eyes and
fair brown hair. And tonight, for the first time since he was six, he would
perform in public. His fingers were sore from practicing. His voice was
finally tuned, he was ready. But would he bury the ghost of past failures?
It was 8 o’clock. David watched from the stage wings. The stench of sweat
filled the stage as he stared at the intimidating audience who sang and
laughed at, or with, the performers. A cold shiver of fear ran down his
spine.
“Next we have David Jenson “
As he walked down the stage, the smell of fear was in the air. He was about
to sing. He closed his eyes and remembered the time when he was six. He
was on the very same stage. Then he remembered the time when he was
alone in his bedroom, playing guitar and singing songs. He opened and let
his entire fears slide away. The next thing you know, David started singing.
When he was finished the crowd applauded and chanted “More, more, more
“Relief swept over David. He had buried his ghost and could now move on.
Mary Agou
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Chapter 12
elissa’s Story
The Egg
It was a warm summer’s day and Thomas was bored. Birds sang
happily in the June sun as a warm breeze tip toed through the air. He could
smell the temptation of escaping from his bedroom window. The room was
humid and stuffy. It was the antithesis of life outside. Life was boring and
he needed money. FAST. He yearned for the taste of adventure. As he
heard the forest calling, he mustered up the courage to go.
He was ten feet into the forest when he found an old newspaper, dating back
two days. Thomas kept walking until he found somewhere comfortable to sit
and read the newspaper. The top headline in big bold writing read
“Ostrich on the loose!”
He opened the page and read on.
“An ostrich belonging to a white witch escaped”
“The woman must have been mad. She said it was a talking ostrich.
“What a nutter,” Thomas thought to himself.
When he was finished reading, he explored deeper
into the forest. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a
large nest type pile and in it an egg. Thomas had
never seen an egg like this before. It was peach in
color and smooth in touch. However what shocked
him the most was the size. It was twenty times the
size of a normal chicken’s egg.
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Suddenly, “crack” a tiny splinter appeared in the egg. “Crack” another larger
splinter appeared. Like ice slowly cracking, little lines ran all over the egg.
The shell broke and a little head appeared. It was a small feathered bird that
looked as if it was swimming because all his feathers were stuck to his body.
Thomas wrapped it up in a hanky and brought him home. He ran quickly up
the stairs and into his bedroom. He locked the door and took the bird out of
the hanky.
“Hello” the said “Are you my mummy?”
Thomas fell back onto his bed with dis-belief.
“Oh my God, you can talk?” Thomas asked.
“Of course I can I’m a duck, all ducks can talk.”
“You’re not a duck!”
“Of course I ‘m a duck what else would I be?” giggled the new arrival.
It took Thomas two days to get used to a talking bird in his bedroom. He
had grown six inches so he decided to give it a name. Alex. Alex started to
demand foods like carrot snacks and coconut milk. Where did Alex expect
Thomas to get coconut milk? So he got normal milk and insects. Alex was
growing rapidly and eating like a horse. The growth spurts made him think.
“What type of bird is Alex?”
It took four months for Thomas to figure out Alex was an ostrich. Alex was
now fully grown and hard to hide. Alex was black and white with yellow
eyes. He was over six feet in height and knew all the words in the dictionary.
One weekend there was a music concert on Labyrinth beach. Thomas really
wanted to go but what would he do with Alex? He had an idea but wasn’t
sure it was going to work.
It was early Saturday morning, time to put Thomas’ plan into action. He ran
down the stairs and got Alex some breakfast and left for town on the bus.
He walked briskly to the music shop to buy a double bass case. He got back
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on the bus and arrived home five minutes later. He rushed up the drive way
to Alex. Alex met Thomas at the door.
“Get upstairs now or you’ll be seen!” Thomas told him to
“OK! OK!” Alex replied irritated
Thomas chased Alex up the stairs and told him the plan. He didn’t know
how to answer so he didn’t.
They reached the music concert. The smell of sweaty concert goers hung in
the air. The sound of electric guitars tickled their eardrums. They barged
through the crowd. Thomas opened up the case and out popped Alex. Alex
was on a lead so he couldn’t run away. They reached the stage. At that
point, everyone stared in amazement.
One little girl came up to Thomas and asked to rub his parrot.
Thomas told her “It’s an ostrich!”
The little girl argued that it was a parrot for ten minutes. Thomas pointed
beside him and said “OSTRICH!” but when he looked around Alex was gone.
Thomas took a quick look around but Alex was nowhere to be seen. Thomas
looked at the stage and there he was. All he heard was “Next to sing a song
is Alex,” Thomas laughed. Alex was obviously enjoying himself. The crowd
were in awe.
“OH MY GOD A SINGING OSTRICH!”
“He’s gonna be famous!” Thomas sighed happily, “Everyone will want to see a
singing ostrich and he’s mine! I am going to be rich!!!”
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Melissa Cox
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Chapter 13
alisha’s Story
Carpe Diem (Seize The Day)
George walked along Strandhill beach trying to clear his head. The
windy ocean breeze blew softly through his short curly brown hair. The
scent of seaweed filled his nose and seagulls played happily in the bright
blue sky. Bathers screamed happily in the cool Atlantic waves.
The serene atmosphere did not match George’s mood. Every day he saw her,
everyday he kept on walking. He walked by the words “Carpe Diem (Seize
the Day),” painted onto the grey wall, every day.
There she was again. He stared at her through his love sick eyes. Her silky
brown hair flowing in the summer breeze air, eyes sparkling in the sun.
Today would be different, today he would speak to her. He made his way
slowly towards her.
“Hello,” he said softly.
“Hi,”she smiled.
“Would ,would, you like to go out sometime,” he
stuttered.
“Sure”, she replied.
George was delighted. He had met the woman of his dreams. Better still I
had made a date with her. He had made a choice to take a risk and seize the
day.
“Carpe Diem”, he smiled to himself.
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Calisha Devaney
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Chapter 14
anielle’s Story
Terror
Once upon a time there was a girl named Lily. Lily was sitting in
her house one day and her mother called her into the kitchen. Lily
walked into the kitchen to see her tall, blond haired mother
standing over a basket full of food such as apples, bananas pears etc.
“Go to your grandmother’s house and give her this basket full of food,” said
Lily’s mother
“Ok,” said Lily.
“Don’t talk to any strangers on the way,” announced Lily’s mother.
Lily walked outside and felt the cold breeze on her face. The forest was
dark. There was an eerie silence. Not a bird could be heard. It was as if
they were hiding from someone….. or something.
Suddenly she tripped over a branch in the woods. She heard branches
moving back and forth. Tension hung in the air. Cold sweat ran down her
spine. Fear filled her.
“Is anyone there,” shouted Lily.
There was no reply. Lily began to get worried but kept on walking.
As she got closer to her grandmother’s house she
heard it again. Branches moving and rustling but this
time she saw a man walking behind her. He was a tall
man, you could not see his face because he had a scarf
covering it. He started to run after her. Lily started to
run and saw a large tree which she hid behind.
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She stayed there for a few minutes. When she came out she did not see the
man so she continued walking.
When she reached the house she knocked on the door and there was no
reply.
“Grandmother, granddad are you in there?” shouted Lily.
Her grandmother did not answer so Lily entered the house. When she went
into the sitting room she saw the man sitting in her grandmother’s chair.
“Who are you?” whispered Lily.
“Hi I’m Freddy, nice to meet you,” announced the man.
“What do you want this is my grandmother’s house?”
The man jumped off the chair grabbed Lily and tied her arms and legs to a
chair. She was terrified.
“Help!” she screamed.
Her grandfather was in the forest chopping wood when he heard Lily’s
scream for help. He came running in with axe in hand and saw the man
putting all his belongings into a bag.
“What do you think you’re doing?” screamed Lily’s grandfather.
He threw the axe at the man. The axe narrowly missed the man but chipped
the man’s shoulder.
“Aghhh,” screamed the man in pain. He raced out the door, blood dripping
from his wound.
Lily’s grandfather released her.
“You’re okay now,” he reassured her. “We’ll find him,”
But they never did. Now whenever Lily walks outside and feels the cold
breeze on her face in the dark forest, she sometimes thinks there are is pair
of eyes staring at her in the forest. And sometimes there really is……..
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Danielle Callaghan
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50
Chapter 15
race’s Story
Electric Chair
Rian sat in his cold damp cell in the feared Lakefield Prison. The
grey stone walls matched his sombre mood as he stared at his prison cell
through sad tired blue eye. The repetitive tick tock of the clock was driving
him insane. “Tick, tock, tick, tock. “He had thought of smashing it but it
was important he knew how much time was left. He paced his lithe body
around his almost bare tiny room once again. Five steps forward and five
steps back in a by now rhythmic mode towards the old wooden chair in the
corner of the room. He endured a restless night. A young hysterical man
that had been brought in in the late hours of the day cried and screamed
non-stop until he passed out. The smell of impending death hung in the air.
“But I’m innocent,” exclaimed Rian yet again to another prisoner awaiting
execution.
“Aren’t we all,” was the standard reply.
“You’re another dead man walking, just like the rest of us,” a prisoner
interjected.
The problem was he was innocent, well kind of…..
It all began the week he had been discharged from
rehab. He had gone to an anger management meeting
and was on his way home. It was a cold, dark night.
He was wrapped up in a black ski jacket, a size too big
(it once had belonged to his brother). Rian was going as fast as he could
because this particular part of town was known for being very rough.
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All of a sudden he heard a cry for help. Every instinct told him to turn and
run, this is a trap! He’ll go to help and end up being mugged. Then there
was a shrill scream that bounced round his head. Rian was startled by how
feminine and strangled this other voice was. He knew what he had to do.
Rian located where the disturbing noise was coming from, a creepy dark
alley. He hurried towards the alley. Then he cautiously took out his phone to
weakly illuminate the dark alley. He saw a heap stir by the dustbins but
thought now was not the time to deal with that.
He saw the source of the feminine cries. It was a woman in her late twenties.
She had matted dull hair which stuck out all over the place and overly large
grey eyes that had a look of what Rian thought to be desperation about
them. Even in this alley it was clear to see this woman was very unhealthy,
probably a drug addict.
Rian didn’t know what to do. He felt ashamed to admit it but the overall
image of her was so revolting he didn’t want to go near her let alone help
her up.
Rian knew a second too late that the heap from beside the bins was on his
feet. To his shock, there was a steady stream of blood flowing from his
temple that the man wasn’t trying to stem. There was something very
familiar about this man but Rian couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
It all happened so fast. Rian stumbled back towards the girl on the ground
who thrust a knife, already wet with blood, into his hands. The other man
stumbled forward in a somewhat threatening way and Rian found himself
putting the knife in the man’s stomach.
Charlie Tate! That’s who this man was, the barman who hadn’t served him
and had given evidence that had put Rian in rehab for a gruelling 6 months.
He watched this man’s life come to the end. Rian fell to the ground in horror.
He had killed this man.
The next few days went by in a blur. The cops arrived. Rian was carted away.
He had many sleepless nights. There had been a trial in which Rian had been
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found guilty. The police never found any trace of the woman in the alley. All
they had was the knife that had killed the man and Rian’s fingerprints on it.
He had few visits. All went the same way, the look of disgust turning to
disappointment then to despair again, and now here he was waiting.
Rian felt a shiver down his spine.
“Someone must be walking across my grave” chuckled Rian.
“Tick tock, tick tock.” Rian wondered exactly how many tick tocks he had
left. He had a strange thought as if the clock was counting down the
seconds. The clock seemed to tick away all the time he had left because in
what felt like a few minutes he was sitting on the last chair he would ever sit
on.
He looked at the captive audience there to see the execution. Some seemed
as if they felt sorry for him, most looked on him with disgust. He was a killer
after all. And he knew he hated himself too. He was the one that had killed
Charlie not that woman. That woman! How he longed to know who she was!
Her grey eyes were all he had thought about these last few days.
The second before the executioner flipped the switch, memories flooded
back. His first bike, first date, Lilly in her wedding dress, the twins, that
woman’s grey eyes.
Then his clock stopped tick tocking.....
Grace Filan
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Chapter 16
ade’s Story
A Night I Would Never Forget
It was a cold, dark night outside as I lay inside my warm, snug bed. I
could hear the rain tapping against the window gently, like a baby tapping
its mum. Suddenly the night silence was interrupted.
“Help!”
A woman was screaming outside so I raced outside.
“The house, the house is on fire down the road”, she shouted.
I stared down the street. Flames illuminated the night sky. I raced to the
house. I could see the smoke filling the air. I saw a tall, skinny man wearing
a black mask race from the burning house to a long white van. He stopped
and stared as if remembering my face.
I quickly pulled out my phone and nervously called
911.
They replied "Hi how can we help you?"
“There’s a fire on 18 O Connell Street.”
“Yes ma'am, we will send help, don’t panic.”
My heart was beating very fast. Soon I could hear the loud alarms and I could
see the bright blue flashes. The firemen pulled out the large hoses and
eventually put out the big burning house. They found two adult bodies and
two children around 6 years old, a boy and a girl. It was terrible.
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Worse was to follow. Investigators found the fire was deliberate. Arson! I
explained to the police that I saw the man running from the house. They
took me down to the station, and took my statement. They got all the details
off me and they sent out a search party to find the man.
They never found him.
It was a night I would never forget. I am the only one who can identify him.
And he knows what I look like. Will I be next……
Jade Gaffney
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Chapter 17
Leah’s Story
Love Story!
Church bells rang as the newly married couple left the church.
People cheered and confetti rained down upon the smiling young couple.
Ella smiled when she remembered the day she met Franko.
She recalled the warm soft sand touching her feet as she walked along
Melbourne beach. Birds chirped happily in the trees as the smell of seaweed
filled the air. The sweet taste of ice cream was lovely. Then she saw him. It
was his blue innocent eyes that first attracted her. He was with a bunch of
his friends but she had eyes only for him.
“Hello” she said.
“Hi” he replied “I’m Franko”.
Ella smiled when she remembered their
engagement. After five years dating they were in a
restaurant Franko looked very nervous with his blue
eyes watering and his tanned hands shaking as he
whispered
“Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” she said in a loud cheerful voice as people began to clap and cheer.
It was two years after they were married. Ella smiled when she looked in the
mirror. Through her brown eyes she saw herself as an eight month pregnant
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woman whose small hands gently held her pregnant stomach. Life was
about to change for the better. They had come a long way since that day on
the beach.
Leah Fox
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Chapter 18
ammy’s Story
Disaster Struck
At 1:30 on November 14, 2012 Sky viewers worldwide heard the
shocking news story.
Newsflash!!!
“Reports are coming in that an aircraft from Dublin to Pretoria has crashed
in the Sahara. It has been reported that only one out of the 56 passengers on
board has survived. The plane was carrying mostly Irish passengers
including an under 14 girls soccer team. We will update you with any further
developments”
Thousands of miles away, I lay on the warm Sahara sand. Pain shot through
my body like a thousand bee stings. My short brown hair was caked in blood.
I could feel sand in my ears and up my nose. Through my tear filled eyes, I
stared at the burning plane. It looked like a jigsaw that had been one giant
piece but was now a thousand fragments. Thick black smoke was
everywhere. The smell of death hung in the air. The head of my football
manager lay close by. His body lay 50 metres to my left, his legs 50 metres
to my right. Never liked him anyways.
A rescue crew was tending to my needs.
"What happened?" they asked.
"Was it a terrorist?" another interjected.
"Yes.”
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I lied. How could I tell the truth?" I fourteen years old Tammy McGwynne had
just caused a plane crash. The memories came flooding back…
I was just sitting down in my seat beside the window quietly talking to the
girls about how excited we were to have a football final in South Africa.
Usually the girls did not talk to me because of my short temper.
All was fine until I heard the manager talking.
“McGwynne won’t get a game, she’s useless,” he laughed.
I had to defend myself. I felt my infamous temper rising. My blood was
boiling. I started to argue with my manager.
“Calm down,” he asked.
“No!” I screamed. I quickly jumped up of the seat firing glasses at anyone
that was close to me. I walked away in a huff looking for a something sharp.
I finally found a glass bottle near the pilot’s cabin.
“What is going on?” asked the pilot. “I have no co-pilot and now you start
causing trouble.”
“What’s it to you!!” I shouted.
I slowly crept up behind the pilot and stuck him on the back of the head with
the bottle. Big mistake. He slumped forward, out cold.
I nervously walked back to my seat as fast as possible. When I got back
everyone was asking me to calm down.
"Look I’m sorry" the manager said.
"No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to and it’s going to be ok."
The manager looked confused. Little did he know. That’s when I felt the
plane going side words. I can’t remember anymore until I woke up here like
this and no one around me and everyone just lying there. Dead.
"Yes, it was a terrorist,” I lied.
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No one could ever discover the ugly truth.
Tammy McGynne
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Chapter 19
ary’s Story
Wishes
“Be careful what you wish for in case it comes true.”-Proverb
As I feel my cold and battered head, I suddenly see bright red blood oozing
from a gaping, open wound on my head. I run my dirty fingers through my
brown hair, now tangled with warm, sticky blood. I am lying on the wet,
mucky floor of the dark forest floor. As I stare up at the dark grey clouds, I
realise the tremendous damage the storm has caused. The wind howls like a
banshee. A banshee prophesises death. So too will this storm. I put my weak
hands on the ground and, with a lot of pain, I try to sit up. I glare around at
the run down village. I am shocked! The village looks as if a giant has just
smashed his way through it. People are running frantically around. The
sound of desperate crying fills my ears. The smell of death hangs in the air.
A tree is on fire beside me and, as once
as I inhale the pungent smoke, I fall
straight to the ground again. I see a
shoe, a shoe I recognise as my mother’s.
And nearby a man’s shoe. My father’s.
How did this happen? I had caused this
storm and orphaned myself with a wish.
My mind flashed back to the beginning of the week. It was my birthday, I was
thirteen. The happy cries of my family filled the room. I was the centre of
attention. I saw a picture that someone had taken on their iPhone. I smiled.
The picture showed me that I had long brown hair, eyes as green as freshly
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cutgrass and perfectly white teeth.
My aunt Hilda took in the cake. My dad was afraid of her. He said she was a
white witch. And he was not joking. She had snow white hair while her eyes
were as big as golf balls. She wore a long black dress and a cat called
Gasper.
‘Make your wishes. But be careful what you wish for in case it comes true,
“she whispered to me out of earshot.
“Okay so.”
I made three amazing wishes. (Well that’s what I thought at the time). How I
wish I could turn back the clock.
I was an only child. For my whole thirteen years I was on this planet all alone.
For every Christmas holiday and party it would just be my mum, dad and I.
My first wish was that I could have a brother. I wasn’t picky, any age or any
size. I didn’t care! As long as I wasn’t alone anymore.
A week later my brother arrived and he was fifteen years old. He had jet
black hair and his eyes were as blue as the crystal clear ocean. I didn’t know
how my parents had never noticed him; it was as if their minds had been
tampered with. He acted as if he was their son. It was amazing. Those weeks
were unbelievable. We got on so well.
However it took a turn for the worse, Matthew started arguing with me. I was
used to being the centre of attention and now I had to share it. We couldn’t
agree on anything. I started to regret my first wish. I wasn’t going to waste
my second wish on fixing my first wish so I just left it.
My second wish was for me to be smart. I knew that my wish had come true
because, when I got my test results back, they were all A+. It was amazing.
However one day at school someone shouted out ‘nerd’ as I walked into the
classroom. I was horrified at this and couldn’t believe that I, one of the
popular girls in school, was being called a nerd. I knew now that something
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was wrong with my wishes. In each case, a couple of days after I’d made the
wish, it would turn bad.
I thought for ages about my third wish. I needed something that couldn’t
turn bad.
“Tidy up your room,” my mum shouted.
“No,” I replied.
“Now,” dad chirped in.
I stormed up to my room. Out of full frustration, my third wish was that my
parents wouldn’t boss me around. I knew straight away this was a mistake.
The next morning I woke up and my parents were not there. I got scared and
worried. I decided to go to the forest and look for them. It was lashing rain
outside so I grabbed my rain jacket and wellies. There had been reports of a
storm heading this way but I took no heed. Dark clouds scurried across the
sky.
As I was searching in the forest, I could hear thunder and lightning. I longed
for my parents. As I was running along, I slipped in muck and hit my head of
a branch. Darkness. I was knocked unconscious.
The next thing I remember was me staring around at the damages of the
storm in the village. I thought it was a sign from my aunt Hilda, trying to
show me what would happen if I was selfish. It taught me a valuable lesson
but at a very high cost. Everything that I had taken for granted was gone. I
had learned a horrible lesson.
“Be careful what you wish for because it will come true.”- My Proverb
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Mary Stenson
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Chapter 20
my’s Story
The End
It seemed like an ordinary night in Gaza. Crickets chirped
peacefully and the sound of a dog barking filled the night air. The smell of
tranquillity hung in the night. The talk of a war seemed to be just that, talk.
I caught my reflection in the mirror. I saw my dark brown curly hair fall
softly on my pale soft skin, I stared at my blue eyes.
“BANG”
Suddenly I heard explosions, people screaming, guns firing, cars crashing
and beeping. I had no idea what was going on, I pulled off the covers and
got out of bed. As I began to walk, there was another
bang and I fell to the floor.
“What is going on?” I said to myself.
As I reached the window, I looked out. I became
terrified of my vision. I saw wild fires everywhere and
people running around avoiding the large craters in
the roads. It looked like an earthquake hit our town
but I knew that was not the reason. So what?
“Are you crazy Ofira?”
I jumped with fright. I turned to see my sister. She looked terrible; her eyes
were swollen and red. I could clearly tell see was crying. Her hair did not
have its usual curl and shine it was actually very dull and knotted. I knew
something bad had happened.
A
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“What has happened?” I asked her.
“We are at war! Our town is being attacked by Israel”.
“WHAT!” I screamed. “Where is mum and dad?”
My sister began to cry.
“I don’t know”.
My sister is two years older than me and I have never seen her cry. Seeing
her cry made me very worried. What does she mean she does not know
where mum and dad is?
“So what are we going to do?”
“We need to get underground, we will go to the shelter”
“The shelter?”
“Yes everyone is gone there, mum and dad might be there!”
“Why would they be?”
“Well they did not come home from the dinner party yet”.
“But the shelter is at the bottom of the street”.
“Well if we stay here we will die!”
We left my bedroom. As we got to the front door my sister stopped,
hesitated and then opened the door. It was scarier than looking out my
bedroom window. The noises were much louder.
“BANG”
The floor began to shake and my sister and I fell.
“What was that?” I asked in a frightened tone.
“A bomb.”
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I looked up to see aeroplanes with weird looking signs at the side. They
looked like stars of David.
“Come on,” my sister screamed
We began to run we were almost there when, “BANG!” we both fell again.
This time I hurt my leg. When I looked down, the cut was bleeding but I
didn’t care because I could see the stairs leading down to the shelter just
within sight. When it was clear we began to run again. We made it. As we
reached the stairs two Hamas soldiers came up and took us down into the
shelter.
As we got to the bottom step I could see the shelter, it was crowded.
Everyone was lying on the hard cold ground; the walls had cracks from the
bombs hitting the streets above. Suddenly the shelter shook as if a giant
picked us up, to shake us to get us out. I had never been so scared. I
covered my ears with my hands because the explosions were so loud. As I
did this I fell to the ground. I looked around to see the walls of the shelter
collapse. Everyone started to scream, I felt my sister’s cold hands wrap
around me. I could smell her lovely perfume the one she always wears.
Another big explosion went off.
It was a direct hit.
I looked at my sister for the last time. I saw the tears in her eyes. Everything
went dark. I knew my time was up. Eternal silence awaited me…….took over
and I drifted from this life.
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!
Amy Conlon
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Epilogue
As my story finished, I heard a key carefully being placed in the lock. The
door slowly creaked open. The teacher walked in as if nothing had
happened. The cool breeze from the corridor hit our red faces in the stuffy
room. It was a relief! As the teacher placed her book on the table, she
turned to the white board and wrote.' Today’s lesson will be on essay
writing.' I looked around the room, everyone had a smirk on their face. The
teacher stared at us all in bemusement.
'What are you all smirking at?'
We continued to smile. Little did she know......