Week Beginning - 22nd February February 2021
Elissa Miller:
9NWH
Akilan Rahulan
Week Beginning - 8th February 2021
9NWH
Student 1:
Brad
sat in the cold plain empty corridor wondering should
I be doing this? The dark corridor was so dark because all
of the lights were dimmed. The school smelt old because it was built
years ago and Brad could hear the creaks in the floor when people
walked past. His mind wondered back to his old school. It was colourful,
happy, and the weather was calm. He was thinking about the day he met his
friend Tom. They were in the playground when they started talking to each other
and became friends. Tom was small, blonde and friendly but things had
changed. Now Tom was tall and uneasy and Brad was unsure if they
were still friends. Brad wanted to tell Tom what he was
doing and how he wasn’t sure if he wanted to so he text him
saying, ‘‘What are you doing?’’. Tom replied and said ‘‘You know, the
normal stuff’’. That meant Tom was probably busy bullying someone.
Slowly,
the teachers walked past to the staff room. The head of year saw Brad
sitting outside of her office looking sad, sorry and silent.
Although, the head of year knew Brad she wasn’t used to seeing him this
way and said ‘’Brad, what’s the matter?’’. Brad responded saying ‘’It’s to
do with Tom’’ and the head of year invited Brad into her office to talk about
it. Brad slowly gets up from his chair and nervously starts the walk to
the head of year’s door,
As
Brad was slowly walking like a sloth to the door he started to doubt
himself. Brad was usually friendly to others and normally happy, not like
Tom had become at all. He was fidgeting as he walked and all he could hear
was the spinning of the fan on the head of years desk through the open
door. His mouth had gone dry. All could he see was the open door which made him
feel nervous. He could smell the teacher’s lunch in the air and as he
walked closer to the door the smell got stronger. Who has cream cheese and ham
on a bagel? Brad felt sick. What will he say?...
The
teacher stared. Brad stood as quietly as a mouse. He could taste the
bagel in his mouth and feel the air from the fan on his face. Is this a
good idea? Because he wouldn’t know what to happen to Tom if he told.
Brad was really stressed that if he tells the teacher he may never see Tom again, his heart sunk in his chest. They were the best of friends once however Tom has been bullying people for so long it’s non stop, never ending and naughty. Finally Brad had decided.
Student 2:
It
was a wet, and freezing night. I was alone in the house hiding
fearfully from danger. I did not know what I was going to do at this
point, but I knew I had no choice. There was no electricity at all in this
house and my phone was out of charge as I have nowhere to charge it. I
will just have to run away as fast as I can until my mom and that her boyfriend
gets back.
A
little flashback now.
My
mom got divorced with my dad who was the best person I ever knew. My dad was a
kind and caring man, he would buy me almost anything, but my mom
hated him. After a few months, my mom found a new boyfriend and he
was a lot worse than my dad that she divorced with. The problem was that
she loved him even if he hated me. I’ve done a phew bad things and for that he
would always yell at me and even beat me up at times like he was
my dad, but he isn’t my dad!
This
is my worst day of my whole entire life I lived. I have
a life-or-death decision right here beneath my toes and I’m
terrified. I must escape tonight. I have 2 choices; either I stay and
suffer, or I escape and might get caught by my moms’ boyfriend and that would
be the end of me. I am home alone because they went to this silly,
stupid party where they’re having fun without me whilst I’m alone in the
dark, frightened under my pillow. I feel like I should risk it and make a
run for it, if I can make it ill go to the nearest police station.
My mom’s boyfriend
is actually called Harry and he’s 43 years old. He looks scary, has all
his body tattooed to the last detail with skulls and knives. He also has
piercings which makes him look creepier. He is just the opposite of my
loving, caring father that I really miss. He’s actually really slim and
short for his age which is weird but it dosent surprise me and he’s weird
anyways. I know my mom will never do this kind of thing to me, but I don’t
get it why she is acting like this with her new boyfriend. I feel like he’s
controlling her actions and she’s doing everything he says to her.
I
made a run for it. There was no light in the street as I
was running, which was awkward as with no lights,
you can’t see anything. As I was running, I stopped in the
middle of a street that I didn’t know the name of as I couldn’t read the sign,
as it was too dark. I thought I saw my mom standing in the street, so
I went slowly close to see. As I went closer and closer, I saw that it
wasn’t my mom. It was HARRY! He was covered up with ketchup
holding a plastic knife in his hands, it looked like a plastic knife, but
I wasn’t sure. He whispered quietly in my ear, “your next”. And then
disappears. This left me standing in confusion and shock. But the I asked
myself “where my mom”.
9SON
Student 1:
It was
torture, torture as I looked up into the ceiling strapped and encaged like a
barbaric animal. The brown, leather snake – like straps clung on to me, almost
skin-tight; the air was thick and dull and there wasn’t any source
of bright light, only a small vent that seemed to be protruding light
out of it. Frantically, I shook myself, practically, begging my body to be of
use – but I simply couldn’t get out. I closed my eyes picturing what Papa
taught me: ‘Calm as the wind, soft as the snow’. These were the first words he
taught me while we were practising self-defence. I found myself, murmuring
those words, until my eyes shot up as if some sort of power came open
me, like a never-ending avalanche. With force, I managed to free my hand,
I then took my hand to my hip bone, putting ever little power I had left.
Finally, I sat up and unbuckled those traps off my legs.
“I’m
free!” I laughed, sighing in relief. Just as I was about to leave the metallic
box of a cell, the haunting voices came echoing down the hallway. I could tell
they were far, but I couldn’t see where they were; what were they saying?
Standing there with my face pale as a skeleton, my hands began to tremble, my
lips quivered, my body started to itch. “What am I doing?” I whispered to
myself, loud enough to snap me back into reality. I must get out of
here – but where. My eyes scanned the room, I was a hawk hunting
for its prey until I came across the vent – perfect. Grabbing the stool
that was located at the end of the bed I rushed and threw
the stool under the vent, I picked myself up and swung myself
in, closing the vent door behind me. Relief came gushing upon me, I’m
okay.
Climbing
in, wondering where to go, I followed the voices and used my picture-perfect memory,
locating where the exit would be. I came across a room, a room that was only
a second walk away from the exit. It was the control panel room.
Here it was decorated vigorously with computer, laptops, and monitors.
It seemed they had picked the wrong guy to look after those things as he was
sleeping, drool dripping from his face and line across it, indicating he had
a good couple hour of rest. The dark room, looked as if no one was
guarding it – so I dropped my self, carefully, where I made little to no noise.
I tiptoed myself to the door. I was so close; it was calling my
name as I angels picked that door for me to go through. My hands gripped
the glacial handle, and I pulled the door open slowly…
Slowly I
said…
CREAK!
I gasped,
throwing myself across the room trying to make sure the unresponsive man
would not wake up. Peaking over, it seemed as if this man
was out cold. Creeping to the door a little faster, which I basically
had no intention of doing as he was unresponsive, I pulled myself through the
miniscule space I made for the door. Examining the place, I saw no one walking
to or from my location – therefore I ran, looking behind me and in front
of me for all costs.
At this
point, I wish I wasn’t looking back. There in front of me stood a slender
man, with a tight crocodile patterned coat, that clung his bones. His nose was
elongated, and there on top of him, to top the whole grim reaper look, he has a
colossal black hat. I couldn’t seem to see its face, but I know for
a fact, it looked quite bizarre. I have never seen quite a species
like this – tall and slender with practically no muscles. Not a word escaped
his mouth as he drew a solid metal object towards me, I soon realised that that
thing was a gun.
My
eyes widened; I was in fear. Guns were my worst nightmare – I
couldn’t stand them and me being in this position didn’t make anything any
easier. This was a matter of life or death. I took a deep breath, calmed myself
and looked the strange thing in the eyes: ‘Keep your eye on the opponent’ Papa
said to me, on our second training. Eye contact is always a way of making the
other look weaker – I put my soul in to looking at this thing.
Attentively, I drew the gun away from the thing and pointed the gun at
it.
“WHO ARE
YOU?” I cried, I demanded answers, I
was tired and hungry and I have had it.
Silence.
“I said,
who are you!”
Silence
again.
“Fine,
since you won’t speak.” I drew the gun at it, locked my knees, kept contact
with it and the bullet flew out of the gun. Everything seemed to be going in
slow motion, as I saw the bullet seep into the thing’s head and it collapsed on
the floor, turning in to dust.
Water
started rushing down my face, and I was trying to find air to breathe. I – I
couldn’t breathe, I rushed to the exit, grabbing on to the walls around me,
trying to keep my body up. Collapsing on the floor, my vison was blurred:
rushing, diving, and swarming in a SWAT team came in. Hope came as, I
saw my father picking me up saying: “I’ve got you… I’ve got you.” Then it
all went black.
Student 2:
I
didn’t know if I had the courage to do this. Taking a deep breath in and
clenching my fists again, I looked him in the eyes and began to
speak once more, my voice steady and strong. My words were fuelled
by pure, unfiltered anger, curiosity, and the sheer need for
closure.
“Dad?
I know what you did to my mum. In fact, I’ve known all along,”.
Ever
since my mother’s disappearance two years ago, life hadn’t been the
same. One minute she was there, the next minute she was gone, just like
that. The whole situation seemed too clean, too sudden to be true. After all,
my mother loved me, there was no reason for her to just leave. So, naturally,
ever since her ‘disappearance’, I’d sworn to myself to find out what
really happened on the day she vanished, no matter what it took.
It
was a damp, foggy, frosty night, and I couldn’t sleep. I sighed, standing up
and going to my father’s bedroom after I heard his monotonous voice
drawling and rambling, muffled by the walls separating our rooms. Edging
closer, I stuck my head around the door gingerly, trying to eavesdrop and gage
if what he was saying was important. Besides, I didn’t want to interrupt
anything serious- I knew exactly what happened whenever he got angry, and
I could guarantee it wouldn’t be a pleasant experience for me. Peering in,
I saw the staunch man pacing around the perimeters of the room, swinging his
arms as he spoke animatedly. Whoever he was talking to, he certainly wasn’t
pleased with them.
“I
told you,” he roared, “you were supposed to have put her body in the river
within two days! Why should I be paying you when you’re doing such a lousy
job?”.
I
clamped my hand down over my mouth to stifle my shock. It took a mere
moment for what he was talking about to register in my head, like a sick
puzzle finally being pieced together. One thought alone resonated in my
mind, abundantly clear: How did I not realise that it was him sooner? Thinking
of what to do next, I padded back to my room, a solitary tear rolling down my
face. Why? Why did he kill my mother? She was a lovely woman, always so caring
and selfless to anybody she met, especially those she knew and loved. What
could she have possibly done to anger that wretched pig on the other side of
this wall?
Hastily
wiping away a salty, cool tear that trickled out of my eye, I lay back down on
my bed, deep in thought. All I knew was that I was lucky he didn’t hear or
see me, or else I’d be seeing my mother again very soon, and not in the way I’d
hoped. I had to bide my time and find a way to confront him without
endangering myself in the process. Suddenly, I sat up, rising upwards faster
than a rocket ship. I had the perfect, fool-proof plan: I’d interrogate
him at dinner time tomorrow. That way, he’d be so distracted by cooking our
food that he’d naturally be slower at catching me if things turned sour,
leaving me no choice but to run. This was going to be tense, and my fate
seemed uncertain at the time. But it was the only way to bring my
mother the closure and justice she so rightfully deserved.
The
day seemed to trudge by slower than usual, and every passing minute felt like
an eternity. All day I was in my own little world in my head, planning
every step of my plan out carefully and cautiously. By the time the late
afternoon finally rolled around, I was a ball of nerves, and I began to
doubt if I was even capable of confrontation. But the opportunity was too
good to pass up, so I took a shaky breath in and began to talk as my grotesque
father was pre-occupied by cutting up carrots.
“Dad?”
I queried, “what do you remember about mum?”.
The
question seemed to catch him off guard and he froze in motion, turning around
to face me with a somewhat panicked expression on his face.
“Why
d’you suddenly wanna know all the details about that lousy cow, eh?”
he slurred, turning back around and laughing to himself. My fists balled up and
I sniffled back tears. Don’t you dare talk about my mum like
that, I thought to myself. However, I still continued to
quiz him about her, not wanting to give him the chance to get another word in
edgeways in retaliation. I could tell that I was angering him,
because his chopping became more aggressive, more forceful, and he whipped
around once again. This time his eyes were wide, practically bulging out of his
head as he snarled at me.
“What’s
with all these bloody questions? Your mum was a good-for-nothing lazy sod, and
it serves her right that she went and got herself killed!”.
I’d
caught him. It was almost funny how easily he slipped up with his word choice,
accidentally revealing the true details of the hideous act he’d committed.
I
stood up, pressing my hands firmly against my sides as I faced the monster
across the room from me. I didn’t know if I had the courage to do this.
Taking a deep breath in and clenching my fists again, I looked him in the eyes
and began to speak once more, my voice steady and strong. My words were fuelled
by pure, unfiltered anger, curiosity, and the sheer need for
closure.
“Dad?
I know what you did to my mum. In fact, I’ve known all along,”.
Seeing
him begin to panic felt so much better than I thought it would. I had him
right where I wanted him, and there was no way to talk himself out of this
now. No, not this time.
“I
heard you talking on the phone last night, about disposing of mum’s body. You
know, I always thought you were a hideous little man, but I never knew you
could be this bad, this wretched and sick. You took away the one person who
ever actually cared about me- you killed my mother! And now you’re going to
pay!”, I screamed, backing away from him.
I
looked down at the floor, catching my breath.
Clink.
Before
I had time to react, I saw him lunge forward, clutching his
carrot-cutting knife in his white-knuckled hand. I gasped, ducking
into the doorway as he fell to the ground, shouting out
incoherent profanities and seething comebacks. I dusted myself off
and bolted out of the door just as he rose off the ground, slamming the front
door in his face. The sub-zero evening air whipped my face and body as I
sprinted down the street, making my way to the local police station in the town
centre. It wouldn’t take long for me to get there, maybe five minutes at
most. I was certain that it would most definitely not be a wasted trip- I
had enough evidence to put that fiend behind bars for the rest of his miserly
days.
After
running non-stop for a few minutes, I came to a halt abruptly. My breath
was raspy and I wheezed, my heart thumping out of my hollow chest.
Then, without warning, a gloved hand yanked me into the alleyway beside me,
extracting a confused yelp from my oxygen-deprived lungs. This had to be a
set-up done by none other than that vile father of mine. Without looking up to
face my attacker, I figured that it must be that goon from the phone call last
night, here to finish me off and make me meet the same grim end as my
mum.
One
thing was strange, though; why hadn’t they made another move? I was near-enough
unscathed. Rasping and gasping for air, but unscathed. That’s when my
would-be kidnapper began to speak. My heart stopped beating for a few long
seconds- I’d know that voice anywhere.
I
looked up to meet her kindly eyes, confused and in denial from the fact that I
was previously sure I’d never see her again.
“Mum?”.
(End).
9BNE
I didn’t know if I had the courage to do this. The sunset was anticipating the future beside me, clinging onto the school walls as to witness the forthcoming events. I rested against the cemented wall in my school uniform: my hair pulled up tight in two ponytails made my head ache due to the straining elastics, my tie was almost compacting against my throat as if to strangle me, my oversized blazer made my arms and upper bodice almost non-existence. Time ticked by and the sweat on my flesh began to become visible, fanning myself with my hand I rethink my decision: Should I really be doing this? Should I ditch while I still have the chance? No! What a stupid thought. I twiddled my dangling locks as I remember why I am here…
It was a Monday morning, I was busy rubbing the crust from the corners of my eyes to pay attention to the idiotic conversations from my fellow pupils in front of me until Katlin tapped my shoulder. “Hey! Were you listening?” she exclaimed, “Not one word.” I yawned back and turned to her with my head in hand, slumping against the table like its chilling surface was my soft bed. “Figures” clicking her tongue aggravated, “Someone is joining our class today!” Puzzled why anyone would want to move into this class of clowns and maniacs, I sat up a bit in my seat. “What? Why ‘this’ class of all other options?” she shrugged and ran back to her seat when Mrs Carlson wandered inside.
“Good morning students!” her high pitched squeal of optimism made me mentally gag as the drained students replied with an unbothered greeting- “Class, I would like to introduce to you your new classmate…Charlie? You may come in dear.” Entering was a young boy: Light brown hair with blue eyes, a facial structure that would make people mistake him as 16 then 14, his pearly toothy smile lit up the room like fireworks. I instantly miscalculated him as an angel from Heaven. He was perfect. No doubt in my mind. Even witnessing him take his seat was entertaining to me!
My heart had never wanted to bounce out of me and run a marathon more that day!
The cool breeze awakened me from my day dream (the sun was still waiting with me as it shone its marmalade colour over the Earth). As I recall today’s actions- I cupped my cheeks- a storm of restlessness and bother engulfed me in its thundering clouds: What if he doesn’t show up? What if he does? What should I do? Make a joke? No, that would be dumb…Do I just tell him and run? No! How disturbing would that be? What if I just write my feelings down and give it to him? No. That would mean the point of meeting him absurd…Why am I doing this again? All for a boy? A really cute, sweet, handsome- I’m losing my mind! This is nuts!
An abrupt patter of footsteps alarmed me, my palms rained with sweat and my heart felt more in my esophagus than my chest. He’s here! Quick! Hide. Run. Do something! Turning to break for it, his voice echoed through my ears- “Hey, you wanted to tell me something?” I never wanted to be more invisible at that moment as I faced him and stuttered. “ Hi…C-Charlie..”
9TEN
By Matthew Macbrearty
Mark perched there, frozen with fear. His parents dangled
there 100 feet in the air. How long would it take for them lose their strength
and fall to their gruesome demise? They were separated by a massive boulder and
several metres apart. Only one could survive; he needed to act fast or both
would fall. Who was he going to choose?
A week before, life was bliss for Mark. After he had
suffered a near fatal car crash. his father had returned after 7 years out of a
coma and they were a happy family again for the first time in a long while.
Mark was only 8 years old when his dad was hit, so he didn’t fully understand
what had happened on that day. When he grew older, he started to know the hero
his father was: Mark’s dad (Tony) had noticed that a van was hurtling towards a
small girl and he pushed out the way before taking the impact of the vehicle.
Tony had sacrificed his life for a stranger which inspired Mark’s future life.
However, life became extremely tough after his dad left as Mark’s mum (Donna)
had two mouths to feed on a miniscule budget. A part of Donna resented Tony for
how he had sacrificed his life and thus their lives in the process.
However, Tony was back and hopefully life would get back
on track. Mark didn’t know what to feel however because it was so long that
they last spoke to each other it was like there was a stranger in the house.
Slowly but surely, Tony’s presence in the house felt more and more welcomed;
Mark saw the man who was a hero and started to grow a strong friendship. Donna
was still unsure however, yet she was still kind and loving which is all a
person can ask for. They were starting to become a family again and their bonds
with each other tightened. A few days after, Tony proposed they go on a holiday
to Dorset and go see the beautiful scenery. The next day, they picked up their
bags and drove all the way to Dorset. It took them 2 and a half hours and once
they were there, they checked in to the cottage they booked. Tony used to live
with his parents in Dorset and always saw it as home. Mark had never been to
the South-west of England and thought it looked beautiful. Tony took them to:
Durdle Door, Poole Harbour, Corfe Castle and Lulworth Cove. The place was
sensational for a Londoner who had never left the city and was used to tall
building and busy roads. The final place Tony took his new family was called
Gad Cliff. As the sunset, the chalky white cliff looked immense in the golden
and hazel reflection of the sun. This is what life could have been, this is
what life is. Mark hugged his mum and dad for they had helped him come to this
moment.
Nothing could ruin this moment…
Suddenly, a rock cracked off and his parents were left
perilously dangling. Mark thought about who he was going to save. His mum had
cared for him all his life and is the only reason he would be standing here
today. On the other hand, his dad was a hero, this one day was, up to this
point, the greatest day of his life and it was all thanks to him. But Tony
barely knows him… Yet this week where he was back has been magical. Thoughts
meandered like a restless wind inside a letterbox: who was Mark going to save?
I did not know if I had the courage to do this. I looked around at my fellow opponents at the start line, all in their race cars, revving and raring to go. I felt like the complete opposite, I was petrified. I looked up to my grandad for reassurance who was sitting in the stands, he looked back at me with a gentle smile and a thumbs up. The time off us setting off for the race was getting ever nearer, I do not know if I can do this. It was my first time racing since the crash the crash.
3 years ago, on this very day, I crashed my race car on the
hammerhead bend. I couldn’t remember anything after the crash as I was in a
coma for a whole day and when I woke up the first thing, I saw was my grandad.
He didn’t leave my side the whole time I was in hospital and he was the greatest
company.
I was in my car, the race was about to start any second now.
I was so anxious. The only thing I could do now was try and relax myself. I
took at deep breath in and smelt the toxic fumes from the race cars, I could
feel the cool metallic steering wheel in my hands, and I could hear the rumble
of my opponents engines. Red, Orange… Green. We were off. Everyone going at
crazy speeds including me trying to get a good position at the start of the
race. Even though I haven’t raced in 3 years on this track I still vaguely new
it. As I was driving around the track, I started to remember it more and more
clearly. Oh no! My heart dropped. I realised the hammerhead bend was coming up.
It all came back to me now, all the horrors.
I remember the exact moment when it all when wrong. I was
going a touch too fast around the bend, I lost traction and my cars spun off
the track at crazy speeds and it started to roll until it stopped rolling when
my car hit into the massive metal fence. I can’t pull over now, my grandad was
watching and I want to make him proud as he was the one who helped me recover
and he nurtured me back to health.
I took a deep breath and started to approach the bend.
Trying with all my strength not to go to slow that the car behind me would hit
and not too fast that I would spin off the track like last time. everything led
down to this one moment.
Here we go.
The
Choice.
This was it. The decision
which will shape out my entire future. My career. My lifestyle. This was the
moment when I had to make a choice. An important one. My parents had once
warned me about this day, and I had been preparing for years. I felt like a
potter in a pottery, shaping out my future as a potter shapes his pot. I felt
old, like my whole life was behind me, but I knew it was right in front of
me and I had the power to determine what would come next...
Another Tuesday went
by, it was now Wednesday. The most important day of my life
was here. Years and years of preparation has led me to this
point in time. This whole week hasn’t been a normal day-to-day five
hours of lesson week. This has been a week of preparing for my GCSEs. I mean, I
aced all my term tests, and even my English language and literature test, but
it was this I was afraid of. I don’t know why. I had recently been diagnosed
with anxiety and the doctors say it’s due to exam stress. I see why.
Martha met up with me by the
fountain. She was still revising. Her eyes were puffed and red with fatigue, I
guess she was worse than me. Alyssa walked up to us all jolly like. I
presumed she was ready for exams. I wasn’t. I hardly had a clue what was
going on, I packed tons of medication in case I had
a panic attack, and my bags were full of books I still needed
to read. I was the definition of unorganised. “So, how d’you feel?”
Alyssa asked me. “Fine. Fine. I'm great!” I replied nervously.
“Are you sure?” she asked again. I nodded in reassuringly. I WAS NOT
OK! But I was trying to keep myself as calm as possible. The sound of the
bell rung in my ears. It was time. Time for the event which will change my
life.
This went on for three days
and I didn’t even have one single attack! In fact, I was feeling so
good about myself and my GCSEs. I think that went smoother than
buttercream. Even my parents were in a good mood, which motivated me to
try even harder. At this point I was flying in the sky and dancing on clouds. I
couldn’t wait for my results to come in tomorrow.
Today was the day when I find out my results. To be honest I wasn’t even a little nervous. Well, I knew well not to be, or I will have another attack! Le was going just as I had planned. I rushed downstairs to find my parents sitting on the breakfast bar with a document which seemed like my GCSE results. They were! My dad was looking hardly at the sheet of paper and my mum was scanning through with her glasses on the tip of her nose. “Well?” I questioned cautiously. “See for yourself.” my dad said, handing me the sheet. I closed my eyes whilst I retrieved it from him. The words I read on this document will determine my future, FOREVER...
9AMW
AP:
|
The Choice: July 1939: I’ve been told that I always have a choice, that there is never only one option to something. You can always find your way around anything: whatever the problem, and somehow, I've always believed that. “Are you still writing in that
notebook sweetheart?” I force a smile and nod. “Where
is Bash?” “Sebastian is getting
ready; he will be down in a second.” After a while, Bash came downstairs. I admire my older brother; he’s always been my best-friend. Through thick and thin, we were always together. I actually do remember, when we were younger, we would always run with each other to the angelic and ethereal field of radiant flowers that was up the road. The clement sky above our head and the sweltering sun against out overjoyed faces. The wind would rush through our hair as we ran hectically after each other and we would have gracious smiles on our faces, not a single care in the world. We both lay on the ground when we ran out of breath and giggled. “I'll race you home” He muttered. A smile grew on my face and I jumped up to get a head start. Nothing could go wrong, as long as we were together.
I couldn’t think of what else to
write. It’s getting hard now but maybe that’s actually better. Maybe it means
that I'm getting better. I have always been despondent, so I thought writing
out my thoughts would make me slightly merry and it has. “It’s alright, you will think of something later don’t worry. Right now though, we need to go sweetheart, come on.” It was Sunday, so we all had to go to church. Mother was wearing her Sunday dress; it was an elegant navy-blue colour with a pure, white collar, the one that I have always admired as a little girl. However, the woman in it, I admired more. She is a cordial, fascinating. Everywhere she goes, there is a light around her head. Her smile spread like the plague and I was always jealous of that. Nonetheless, mother always tried her best to not make me feel that way. She used to be like me, my mother. This beautiful and radiant woman used to be like me. She used to be unhappy. Unbelievable.
As we were just about to leave,
there was a knock on the door. “Excuse me! Excuse me anyone home?” This was
it. I knew it was coming but I didn’t realise that it would be so soon. “Oh this is not an appropriate
time! Okay then, Sebastian darling are you ready?” “Yes Mother.” Two men appeared at the door. One
with a long, fawn-coloured waistcoat and a top hat on and the other with
austere trousers and a simple suit. I felt the world on my shoulders. Why did
this have to happen now? I was not ready: nobody was ready. And so, after a
long discussion of what would happen at war and what he was getting himself
into I finally zoned back in. Bash looked over at me and smiled, just like he
did when we were kids however this time, although his face smiled, his eyes
told otherwise. The darkness, they were lifeless, my brother’s bright blue
eyes were suddenly lifeless. “Right let’s get going then sir.” “Now?” Bash’s shaky voice
replied. “Yes sir, better now than never.
Now come on chap!” My mother turned to him with tears in her sapphire eyes, “It’ll be okay sweetheart don’t worry. Your father would be proud.” As mother said this her voice choked up and she gave a graceful nod to her son.
Then Bash turned to me, his eyes blood-shot red and his lips blue and quivering. He ran over and wrapped his trembling arms around me, his head buried in my neck. This was the kind of hug that could have lasted for days if it could. He whispered that he’ll come back but my tears say otherwise and as he walks out the door, I could feel a piece of me walk out.
August 1939: I will say, I’ve always been told that I have a choice: there is never only one option to something. You can always find your way around anything, but this wasn’t one of those moments. This was reality and for once there was no choice: I had to let him go. |
B:
It was finally summer and the end of my schooling career. After 19 years, it was all over. To celebrate, me and my friends decided to head over to the newly established amusement park here in Stoke-on-Trent. It was only temporary and was leaving in a week. As me and my friends approached the place, my excitement grew infinitely, and I could sense the same from my friends (though they weren’t showing it). As we entered and got our day passes, I could see the all the rides just waiting for us. I could also hear the laughter and cheering of other people here.
As a teenager, I had a thrill-seeking sense inside of me which I got from my dad. I guess that’s why we were able to be together and understand each other very well. I remember him taking me to a new ride on my birthday every year until I moved out. “What about me?” you may be asking. Let me start off properly. Hi. I’m Jack Goodson and I'm 19 years old. I like thrill seeking and sports. Around a week ago, I was invited with some friends to try out the WORLD BIGGEST RIDE! I was obviously ecstatic and could not wait. When the day came, I knew that I was ready...
My friends were also excited and decided to head on to try out some rides for themselves and they also convinced me to come on some other rides as well before finishing off with the world’s biggest ride. We went on The Pendulum which swings you around like crazy (was almost sick afterwards!), The Flying Dutschmann (was great! I could see my uni from here!) and The Badlands (Was a little underwhelming for the name) just to name a few. As me and my friends were laughing and joking around, I saw it. In the Distance, I saw it... The Terminal Ultima!
My life has been very short but, in that time, a lot of great things have happened. I was born, grew up, started school and finished it. I’ve loved, been loved, hated myself and hated others. It happens and you should just accept it but... now, whatever achievements I have or will have in the future don’t matter now. All that matters now is me and the ride that stands in the distance, as still as a tree on a long summer’s day. This was meant for me. I was meant for this ride. Everything in my life, my successes and my losses, are pushing me forward for the opportunity to ride this. It called to me like a parent calling for their child. I must do this.
An hour had passed, and my friends were getting tired (I can’t
blame them. We have been here from 11am to 5pm). They said they were going home
because they wanted a quiet night of gaming and relaxing. While I would be fine
with this, I decided to try and convince them to go on the ride with me one
last time. After a bit, they gave in and said “Fine, we’ll go” and we started
running back as fast as we could. As we got closer, we noticed that the ride
was closing. Would we make it or not? I didn’t know...
Week Beginning - 1st February 2021
9NWH
Student 1:
DROP. As I heard the paper fall slowly towards the
ground, the tip of it became wrinkled as it fell on the floor. With
excitement, I felt the surface of the letter. You could see the different
fonts that had been put onto the paper, you could smell the fresh, new print
paper being placed into the envelope. I knew what this was. My
excitement was a lion telling me to rip the paper open.
Hurriedly, I ran upstairs and placed the envelope on
the desk. Carefully ripping the purple paper it was like my heart
skipped a beat. At that moment, I realised how important this letter could
impact my life it was like a life or death situation. I began to panic. My
heart beating like the beat of a drum I imagined in my head. The sweat dripping
in time with my heart beat. My fingers became like hot, desert-like,
rubber that was melting. CRASH…
Student 2:
The silence echoed around me, encapsulating me. The hair on
the back of my neck stood up in fright. My heart beating like a frog coming at
me. The freezing fog inhaled into my lungs, as I mutely crept to the haunted
house in horror, fright, and terror. The squeaky door creaked open, it was
pitch black, I could not see anything. I could hear owls in the trees, birds
tweeting, I could smell old, wet wood as I entered the house, the first step
was frightening.
As I entered the house, I could smell wet, mouldy, air in
the house. One lonesome Oak tree stood by the house swaying in the wind and as
the windswept by the tree whispered to the air and its surroundings. The moon
shone bright white, in the cloudless sky, it was the only source of light that
could be seen for miles. Owls occasionally fluttered by overhead, their
silhouettes passing over the grass. The air was cold and numb and with every
breath I drew a misty, chilly exhale followed.
As the house drew nearer everything around me became quieter
and more distant. The trees murmuring could not be heard anymore and the cold
iron gates were far, far back in the distance. Owls could not be heard anymore
and there were no leaves on the ground, just some aged concrete steps, and a
doorway that stood in front of me.
9BNE
Erin:
I am so clumsy, to clumsy for my own good. I am know as a walking disaster to my Mother although I can’t blame her- everywhere I step gets broken or lost. Literally. Do you know how many times I’ve said the excuse ‘Sorry Miss, I lost my homework’? Or ‘Sorry Sir, I dropped my work and didn’t realise till now.’? More than my hands and toes I can tell you. And sometimes it puts me in rough places…Like today for example; walking back home from a miserable day at school and the Locket, my Grandmother gifted to me before her passing, slips right off my neck! How I didn’t notice is still a mystery, but it doesn’t change things now.
“Mom! I’m home!” I screamed, throwing off my shoes and coat leaving them scattered along the floor as I ran to the kitchen. “ How was school?” she questioning me while I took my seat at the table rummaging through the cookie jar in front of me, “ Did you break anything new today?”. “ Mom!” I glared at her as she giggled away, “ I’m only teasing you, Sweetie.”. Her back faced me and she continued to cook and clean her station until she gave me a puzzled gaze. “ Where’s your necklace?” Panicked, I felt my neck for the comfort of the metallic chains but froze to feel only my human flesh. Oh no…
Treading back through the no longer sunny and bright trees, the dismal evergreen reached out from its oaky arms to touch me: I squeezed myself for reassurance [ and to avoid making contact with the branches and bushes ]. My hearing was more alert than before and I could hear every twitch of noise; crumbling sticks, faint screeches of the nocturnal creatures, my own footsteps as the scraped along the decomposing pathway. If I don’t find that Locket, I will never forgive myself. Would Grandma even forgive me? Is she shaking her wrinkled head at me this very moment? I didn’t know…but I had to keep going.
Student 2:
It was my birthday! So, I woke up early and on my way to the kitchen, I found myself in the centre of everything as every step I took everyone’s attention turned towards me. I was elated, I was waiting for this day since last year and I circled every date that was on the calendar hanging on the wall.
“We are going to hold a birthday party for you.” I was excited from the moon and back because now I grew a year older which meant that I am 13 today. Then I dressed myself my new clothes that were in my wardrobe and put on some makeup and the crowd outside started to gather up. In hurry I quickly ran down to greet everyone as I was followed with wished hugs from everyone.
They were all enjoying themselves except for one who was standing in the corner feeling down at such an astonishing party. I didn’t give much attention to him as more people started to come and fill me with presents and money in the birthday cards. It was when my mum gave me a call saying that she couldn’t make it to my party as she was held up with her work in the company.
At that time, I felt pain in my bones and my eyes about to fold with tears, but I tried to hold it in. Nobody noticed it except that strange boy who approached me. I stared at him with a blank face as he stared back. He took hold of my hand and pulled me out of the crowd and asked me the reason I was like this. Just because I didn’t pay any attention to him doesn’t mean he didn’t: he was watching me the whole time and felt that something strange took place.
I couldn’t hold back my tears to I started to cry because I wanted my mum to be there with me because she was my shield and the one who I relied on. I told him everything and he tried cheering me up by asking me riddles and dancing to his favourite song which didn’t help. So, he said that he wasn’t good in expressing the way he felt. These words cheered me up for some reason as I thought that he didn’t enjoy the party; turns out I was wrong: he loved it, but he stayed in the corner because he didn’t have any friends. I told him that I would be happy to be his friends as he lifted my spirit at this delightful moment.
When I was called to cut the cake, some called out “Suga” and dragged him in the car; it was his mother. And I never saw him again.
Week Beginning - 25th January 2021
9NWH
Student 1:
Was
this the end?
Was
I lost, was I dead or was I dreaming?
I
was struggling to see it was that dark; the air was getting thinner.
The
rough cobble stone terrain maid my heels kill as I bravely walked through it.
The long, sloped trees covered the moon from my sight, so I had no idea
where I was going. The thin made it hard to breathe especially under
these circumstances. The howling wolves sent shivers down my spine,
knowing if I came across them I would most likely be eaten. Crack!
A
branch crunches behind me, was I being followed...
“Who
are you?” I screeched in fear. Silence.
I
turned around and hid behind a gargantuan, green, mossy tree.
Fear
struck my heart as scarcely breathed; “Who is there?” I yelled.
I
heard large footsteps coming closer to my direction, the ground was
vibrating as it got closer, that’s not a human.
Because
I was so scared to find out what it was, I malfunctioned and stood still, was
this the end?
Student 2:
How
did it end up to this point? They looked like a hungry tiger
ready to attack me and rip my skin. It turns out change doesn’t happen
instantly. I could feel the tension building up in the hallways as eyes glared
at me. I felt like I had been punched on the stomach. What have I done to
deserve this? They just won’t leave me alone. I could taste the greasy
cafeteria food building the air as I walked my way to the locker. I thought I
wouldn’t be the laughing stock of the school. I thought moving would
change everything…
I
am doomed. Those slithery snakes thought ruining my life back at home wasn’t
enough. Since I was moving, my ex friends decided to post the
really embarrassing picture of me; my life is completely messed up I told
them this picture was forbidden. As they glared at me I could feel the shame hitting
me by every step I took in the hall way. The laughs made me feel even more
pain. Because of this stupid picture no one will want to talk to me, more
years of my life will be nothing but torture.
Student 1:
I arrived at the place which would change my fate. I strutted with a sense of confidence and eagerness to my lane. My opponents staring me up and down, their eyes piercing into me. Yet I wasn’t going to let that get in my way. Stay Focused, determined and win. I crouched down placing myself in the professional position us elite runners do. i looked both sides of me and I was shook. Pump pump, my heart was pounding like a wild animal trying to escape my chest, just waiting for the gunshot to go. My hands were beginning to tremble and my knees were beginning to wobble though with a few deep breaths I was able to compose myself. What am I so nervous for? I’m a winner and always have been. Right? We are still waiting when bang! we are off.
Student 2:
Patience. It’s all I need to stay calm although I’m struggling. What if I really do have it? What if it’s the worst thing possibly to exist? I’m anxious. I’m shaking. My mum sits next to me, she’s like my shoulder to cry on. I lay down on the soft, cosy cushioned chairs. I’m just afraid of what’s to come. If I really do have it, how am I going to live my life? I may as well give up. It’s not like I care about my life. I’ve barely lived, I’m only 12. Least I’ve lived a good few years.
30 more minutes go by. One by one, people surrounding me are getting called to go into each room. Do they mind speeding up the time? I mean seriously.. I’m tired enough
|
Task 2: Find examples of
tension in Model 3 |
|
|
|
Technique |
Evidence |
Effect |
|
Hyperbole (Exaggeration) |
“two pink
lines signalled the end of my life” |
Disappointment
as she is starting to get dramatic as it is not the end of her life. |
|
Metaphor |
“symbolised
the dark abyss ” |
Starts to
create deeper tension and maybe predicting her future. |
|
Rhetorical
Question (A longer sentence with
connectives and dependent clauses.) |
“How had I
got there?” |
Regrets what
she has done creating a dense atmosphere there froe make the reader sorry. |
|
Complex
sentence |
“I was a living,
breathing cliché” |
Portraits
that her world has turn upside- down as it didn’t go as planned |
|
Foreshadowing (Clues about what will happen
next) |
“I hadn’t
even wanted to go to the party that night” |
Indicates
that something that was not planned took place. |
|
Short
sentence for impact |
“The very
picture of my family bliss” |
How her
family feels about it. |
|
Ambiguous
ending (Cliff hanger) |
“I just had
to check” |
She doesn’t
want this child. |
I was about to do it. But before I could there seem to be something going on in the other room, where my friends had all gathered to mourn with our brief friend who just lost his mum. So, I accompanied them ignoring the fact that I was next to get interviewed. The person who was mean to be going after me pulled up, so I let him. I was about to go next when…
Student 2:
Week Beginning - 18th January 2021
9NWH
Task 4: Writing your own setting
Your task is now to write a short (no more than 150 words) setting description. HOWEVER, you are not allowed to tell anyone what setting you are going to describe.
You must use sensory language within your writing.
The dark gloomy grave yard covered in a thick blanket of icy snow. The cold sinking through my bones as, each step made a loud crunch, disturbing the dead in their peaceful sleep. White fragments raining down swiftly, as the bright illuminated moon, shines in the empty cold darkness. My hands and feet being attacked by the numbing cold even though It was protected by two layers of wooly socks. Small stones sticking out of the ground Like grass on a field. The smell of dead bodies invaded my nose.
The mist lingered and stuck to the ground like glue. The graveyard they were in was not just any graveyard. The grass was being soaked from the rainfall and the earthy smell was mixed with rotting flesh. The moonlight was the only light there was to guide them. The outlines of a gravel path, their only map to their destination. The eerie silence being interrupted occasionally, by the screaming winds and the pitter patter of the heavy rain. The graves aligned as if they were on show like clothes in front of a shop showing off their unique beauty only this time the graves where all the same, every crack and every plant that grew near them, all of them were terrifying. The small group of kids could hear their footsteps echo in the darkness. This graveyard was known for their mysterious graves, no one knew who had died there and know one knew who looked after them. The graveyard was surrounded by a dark forest, even the mist that clung to the ground was too afraid to venture into it, yet that was their destination…
9AMW
The Rain:
I check my watch (which is definitely not modern), and scream. Oh gosh! I only have 5 minutes to get to the interview and I now I’m stuck in a horrible traffic. I've done it again. I can’t believe this. I forgot to put the alarm on and now I'm 20 minutes late.
This is not good. Quickly I get up and run towards the bathroom tripping over my shoes, which I lazily through on the floor, my facing colliding with hard, cold wooden floor. Just great! Brushing my teeth in less than one minute, not caring to fix the bird’s nest on my head and putting on my formal attire. Hopping on one foot while trying to put my shoe on the other, I climbed my car. Driving to my job interview.
This isn’t new to me; I’ve done it before. People say you learn from your mistakes, well I certainly haven’t. That’s why I'm in a cheap apartment in the rough side of town. I can’t afford to live in a nice house with a pleasant neighbour because I keep forgetting to wake up on time.
3 more minutes left to get there and this person in front of me with a red compact car isn’t moving. I make a U-turn and follow another direction to get to the building. Going over the speed limit with 1 minute left I finally arrive. Rushing to the reception and getting my directions I reach the door with 30 seconds left.
Silently I pray, I knock the door and a low husky voice tells me to come in.
The Rain
It started like any other day, warm and
boring. Getting out of bed was the easiest part of the day, it's what comes
after is what always gets to me, should I go outside and potentially fry myself
like a sunny side up egg? Surely that’s a death sentence, or should I stay
inside and potentially boil myself as if I were a vegetable?
Decisions.
Decisions.
England's one of those countries that is
cold most of the time and when its summer, oh boy is it summer. No number of
open doors or windows would let even a bit of cold, if you went to the shop to
buy an ice cream then it would most likely just melt the second you grasped it
out of the freezer. If you were lucky then a shops entrance would have a smooth
blast of cold air, of course you couldn’t stay there forever, believe me, I
tried.
Heat was the biggest problem for most,
still a big one for me but not as big as what happened to mum.
A year or half back, me and mum got into a
car accident, luckily, I came out unscathed except for some bruises and cuts
but mum wasn’t as lucky, she snapped both her legs backwards and received
injuries on the head. This was at the start of the heat wave, a hell that
swooped in for many.
The Engagement
As I crouched to the floor, reaching into
the back pocket of my crisp suit, I knew this was it. I went numb, my head was
spinning like a Ferris wheel yet my smile lit up the room. Proud. I was lost in
my head, trying to find what to say to her. Not sure how to say this right, got
so much to lose. The truth was in her eyes, her hand reached out to mine, I
knew everything was going to alright.
As a little boy, I had dreams of finding
the right person and spending my life with them. I had found everything I was
looking for in Olivia. We fit each other like a glove and although we have had
some tough times, resolving our problems makes us stronger by the link. We
sleep on our problems like we will solve them in our dreams and we wake up
early morning and they are still under the sheets: we have learnt from that; I
have become a better man.
I started to tremble and my words got all
jumbled. I took a deep breath, ran over my lines, and asked her the anticipated
question. Her grin spread across her face like the morning news from the night
before. A single tear swam down her rosy cheeks as she grabbed onto me like I
was her everything. Before we knew it, the heavens opened. Without a second
thought, I wrapped my damp, louis-blue jacket over her shoulders and we ran to
shelter.
The rush of adrenaline hit, bouncing off
the walls in delight. I couldn’t wait to
spend the rest of my life with her. This is everything we wanted, a real pinch
me moment. We spent hours just sitting there talking, talking until early hours
of the morning. The best conversations are always made in the am because we
don’t know what we are saying. Talking absolute rubbish.
The sun was starting to rise as she asked to see the ring. I was adamant that I gave it to her but she thought otherwise. I patted down my suit, it was nowhere to be seen.
The Engagement
A soft yet bitter frost caringly caressed the ground outside. Great blades of once green grass had transformed into a frozen white blanket. The leafless trees that surrounded the green seemed to tower threateningly over the small plot, like a cartoon bully towering over a defenceless victim. It seemed that the whole world had frozen and stopped in time; the sky was emotionless and the distant sound of the hustle and bustle of the big city seemed to have dissipated into thin air.
It wasn’t until I had finished a bitter mug
of caffeinated coffee that I heard the intolerable ring of the letter flap
crushing back closed onto the front door. In its wake, a small, brown envelope
had graciously fluttered down upon the doormat. From a distance, I could see
that it wasn’t the ordinary bill or advertisement – it didn’t boast a small,
plastic window to show the address. I assumed that it was a personal letter. I
didn’t normally receive many personal letters and so I jumped on the
opportunity to retrieve it.
As I walked down the hallway, a sense of
excitement and anxiety washed over me. Questions flooded my mind. Who sent it?
Why did they send it? It may sound ridiculous that I was excited at the sight
of a letter but I often found myself lonely when I was at home. I extended my
arm towards the envelope and snatched it from thee floor. I surveyed it
admiringly. It read my address in a beautiful, elegant font that no computer
could produce. Never had I lay my eyes on such handwriting, so therefore, the
same questions intensely ran through my head. I flipped it over…there was no
return address. I didn’t care and so, in a bout of innocent curiosity, I ripped
open the envelope and quickly devoured its contents.
It was a letter that was produced upon a
luxurious parchment. A small stamp – a shield with a remarkably grand yew tree
– was positioned at the top of the page. There was no date clearly outlined on
the page at all, adding to the mystery that I was freely concocting in my
restless mind. I rapidly consumed what was wrote on the page:
Mr. Brown (it read),
It is my great pleasure to inform you of
your cordial invitation to an engagement in your honour. You are entitled to
bring a guest but please be aware that it is intended to be a small gathering
and not a large party.
Yours Sincerely,
JL
9BNE
