09/10/2013 Cliff McNish http://www.cliffmcnish.com

[WP Central]

When 13-year old Jake woke, he was no longer in his bed. 

He was in a forest, surrounded by plants too strange to be those of Earth.

And even stranger than those was the teenage girl in front of him. 

She wore a glittering dress that was cut up to here and down to there in a way that seemed to cling to her skin by charm alone, but it was her hair Jake noticed first. It was composed entirely of leaves. Tangled green and brown shoots burst straight from her skull, sending little radiants of light across her brow where the sun touched them. 

Her eyes were even more alien: the colour of wood and pupil-less, surrounded by corn-yellow where white should have been. They were also balanced in the focus, the steady eyes of a queen familiar with command, and when she blinked Jake smelt a wonderful perfume that beckoned him without her needing to say a word.

 

[Carola Webber]

All he remembered was in his dreams he saw the same teenage girl telling him that he was a special boy with powers destined to save her world and that was all. Suddenly, he woke up and realized he was not lying in his bed, but lying on the ground, in a forest, in another world, with unusual plants and things that have not been seen on Earth.

“My name is Aria, Jake you have been destined to save my world, By the king’s orders” Jake then said “ I know I saw you in my dreams but what are my powers you told me that I have” Aria said ”Your powers are in you and you will have to find it on your journey”.

Jake was confused. He did not know what his powers were and he didn’t even know what to do to save the world. I mean how could an ordinary 13 year-old boy with powers he did not know of save the world. Right before Jake could ask Aria what was he to do, a gigantic mythical creature, that looked like a centipede jumped out of the bushes and grabbed Jake. Aria used her powers to stop it and it did work. After she killed the gigantic mythical creature she then said “That is our problem”, “oh” replied Jake.

Aria explained “These gigantic fizzians are a pest and is destroying our world. We need you to destroy them by getting the gem of Dizzal mountain and by keeping them AWAY from the king” With a sigh Aria said “If the king dies, we all die and you got lucky today”.

 

Cecilia and Sahar Delany College, Granville Year 7

[janet dowey]

"Um... Hello?" Jake mumbled, unsure whether the strange-looking girl standing motionlessly in front of him would understand the English language. He noticed that he was still in his pyjamas, and the warmth of the surrounding jungle-like enviornment brought out beads of stinging persperation prickling out across his forehead, and so he had to undo two plastic buttons lining his pyjama-shirt to let out the warmth. The unmoving girl looked at him with those big, round, unblinking brown-yellow eyes, as if he was the strange one, not him, and then her brown lips parted as she spoke. Jake expected to hear an unknown language escape her mouth, making it impossible to understand her speech, but to his surprise, she spoke ENGLISH! "Hello," she anwsered, her voice slightly creaking and whispering, like the combined rustling of leaves and groaning of ancient wood. "You Jack. Me Luci. Hello." Jake, a little more confident now that she was speaking the same language as he was, gave a little wave, and then the girl Luci chuckled, revealing even teeth that were an uncanny green, like shards of emeralds. "Or leaves," Jake thought. Luci's hands were long and brown, with divided branches for fingers, and after a moment or two, she spoke once again. "You come," she said, her voice slightly trembling, as if she were afraid of something that Jake could not see or hear. "You see what Lucy wants." Jake held back for a moment, but when he felt Luci's warm, wooden fingers close around his forearm, he felt himself being tugged onwards through the jungle-like enviornment.

Dylan Wright, Unity City Academy, Year Eight

[janet dowey]

this was the dream he had the night before and to wake up in the same place he dreamed of was no coincidence the queen must of braught him here he felt a growing connection produce between the tenage girl and him.

"you are the one!" the little girl explained without revealing enough information to spiol the suprise when she spoke her voine was like silk there was no problems with it, it had a perfect pitch to it and the perfect tone.

"i am the one for what?"  jake was curious now, "please tell me because as you said 'I am the one' what does that mean?"jake was getting impatient. the misterious girl nelt down beside him and started to talk again " my name is abigail I am the princess of this world, and you are the one, the one from our stories," she started to get exited with this conversation that they were having.

"how am i the one from your stories. im just a boy from earth i'm just a normal teenage boy, i'm 13 and from a normal town. it is very..."

"stop, it is true and I need you to meet the king and queen they will treat you like a hero!" she was starting to get impatient "just follow me!"

 

bethany peacock, unity city academy

[janet dowey]

Jake took a step closer, slowly as to not scare the girl or worry her. Next it was her turn. Her movements where elf like. With a grace most people would envy. Her hair, although it was alien to him, was almost beautiful and in a way he liked it. 'I am Niya' Jake found himelf smiling at her unnatural beauty ad was intrigued by the way she spoke, it was quiet like a whisper but loud enough to be heard. 'My names Jake, w-where am I?' He was comfortable around her and he felt as if they had knew eachother for ages. '

Follow me, we are in danger.' she said turning on her heel and walking towards the bright light infront of her. The autum leaves rustled beneath her bare feet and small beads of sweat formed against my forhead as the heat increased the closer we got to the light. I felt alienated in this place and Niya was leading me further in to this strange place. Was this the begging of my life... or the end.

Zoe Pilcher, Unity City Academy, Middlesbrough.

[janet dowey]

Jake lay there in the cold sand of an unknown desert. where are we? looking closly, next to a dead palm tree stood a boy who didnt look like he was from this world. who are you i asked trying to make some sort of conversation.no answer. whats wrong,do you not like talking or something then he shot his head round in the direction a terrifingly loud noise that came to the left of him.This was terrifing. This type of dark blaze came and took the boy away and then in hade some advantages and that was that i could have the whole island to my self however there was a disadvantage and that was if the black blaze came and took me away when i want to make a fire

Matthew Foster Unity City Academy, middlesbrough

[janet dowey]

Really enjoyed today, one of the best will send photo's later.

Janet Dowey/UCA

[janet dowey]

4 lovely students, who did really well.

 

Janet Dowey/UCA

[Karen King - Oakbank School]

 “B-but.” Jake hesitated and broke down to his knees. “How did I get here? I don’t understand. TAKE ME HOME! Jake cried.

“I simply cannot, you must save this land, you are the chosen one, and there is no way to change that.”

“Why me?”

“Look, this world is in terrible danger, but when the centipedes are done with here, they shall travel to your domain. What do they call it; Earth?”

Flashback:

“Mommy, look I made the squiggly thing big!”

“GET AWAY FROM THAT THING” she yelled. She was a beautiful woman with wide, dark eyes (probably from lack of sleep. That’s what I assumed… But now I know it was terror.)

 

“What did you say, Centipedes?” Jake joked, mockingly.

She nodded slowly, trying not to make a fool of herself. “Yes, that is correct she whispered. Jake’s spirits were momentarily lifted. He began to laugh. “Is this a joke!?”

“Please, this is serious.”

At that very moment a loud shriek echoed through the walls of the bleak, lifeless castle they were consulting in. “Hurry, NOW!” The princess bellowed as she sprinted down the long, narrow room to a set of stairs. Jake followed close behind.

“This is happening sooner than expected, quick take this!” She threw a small gauntlet towards him; he caught it in mid-air, still running he put it on. “What’s this supposed to do?”

“Just trust me on this one thing, please “Jake could see the fear on her face so he did as told. There was a great rumbling “Over here!” Abigail yelled. They reached a doorway and inside the room was a man, covered in blood. You could see the life draining out of him, his eyes were slowly closing until suddenly, they snapped shut.

By Oscar Thorpe and Scott Duncan, Oakbank School

[Adrian Thompson Laisterdyke UK]

Jakes eyes opened in horror. The4 mans arms were outstretched, holding a piece of paper. The paper was covered in blood. looking at the paprt, the man looked terrified - too scared even to move.

It was as if his very future was written on that paper. Trembling, he released it,and collapsed. Niya shut the door and opened a cupboard. What was she doing...now was not the time to change clothes...

The wardrobe hid a secret staircase, grabbing the bloody paper in one hand, and pulling Jake down the stairs with the other.

Running down the creaky stairs looking terrified. Looking back as though someone was chasing them. While running, she shoved the blood red paper into her pocket. Theyt couldn't lose this, and if they did, the main's life would be ruined forever.

They reached the bottom of the staircase, sweating all over. Slammed the door behind them and reached her hand into her pocket. The paper - so important to Jake - was not there...

Zaynab, Halima, Madia & Fiza, Laisterdyke Business & Enterprise College, UK

[Allison Painich]

Jake was panting as he reached the door to the room where Niya was. He just wanted to escape this madness. He opened the door and jumped through quickly while closing his eyes. When he opened them, he was levitating over an ocean. He suddenly heard a distant voice. It was Niya. "Jake, you don't have much time. You are the one and only Time Lord. I know you have a lot of questions, but..." "Niya?? Hello?? Are you there?" She was gone. He suddenly felt and understood the Otherworld's intentions. His mind was clarified. He saw something in the distance. Like a bird, or...a piece of paper. He flew towards it and grabbed it. It was a time incantation. "Tick tock, time ran off the clock. The clock struck none. This world isn't done. Time, don't lack, because it's time to go back." There was a loud boom and the world exploded. He flashbacked, like literally flashbacked. He was back in bed, and he opened his eyes. He saw the silhouette of Niya, Abigail, and Lucy smiling. He knew he saved the Otherworld. Their sing-song voices filled his head and he fell back asleep...

Alyssa, Mikayla, Amanda, and Trey
Lee Junior High
Monroe, Louisiana, USA