Children's Runners-Up Collection, page 1
Runners-Up Collection
Oxfordshire Libraries’
eBook Short Story Competition
Children’s category
Contents
Zero to Hero by Joel Bance
A Fluffy Tale by Emily McCartney
Congra by Aysha Monk
A Russian Man, Disaster and Me by Olivia Montgomery
Zero to Hero
by Joel Bance
I’m Chromchark Gonel. People, well the people who actually talk to me that is, call me Chrom. Only my sister calls me Chromchark (said Cromchark) and somehow nicknames me ‘alone’. It’s logical, I mean it makes sense when she says it, but something about it makes me feel that it’s a valuable chance for her to tease me. Things like these, I am used to. While I’m at school, I do my best, but I have a lack of word knowledge. I feel fine with maths as I do my times tables and algebra challenge every morning, and if I have a test, I go over and over the night before and over and over in the morning.
Friday was just a normal day of pain and sadness as I journeyed through the sorrow and jibing. I came into school at 9:00 with my bag, holding my water and lunch. I found it better the first half of the day, as my class partner was off with COVID-19, badly. During break time, or as the other guys call this “free from the prison cell” recesses, I stood in the corner doing origami. Ci, a new kid, who had shiny orange brown skin sped past me, tongue sticking wide out of his pale pink lips, while placing his thumbs in his horrendously waxy ears. Typical! Ben, another kid from my class snatched my origami and threw it in a puddle…great! Do you, whoever out there is feeling better than me, feel homesick? You get it at school, a cold feeling that cannot be warmed, a shaky feeling that cannot be smoothed, a foul evil feeling that cannot be justified. As you begin to get goosebumps, you’re trapped under a hunter’s net, about to take a dose of something that’s going to turn you 100% evil. I trudged in grumpily feeling a disappointing let down. I want to fight back, but my head spins and my brain says no. A simple no.
Art came at 14:00 and we were going to continue on with our UKIYO-E art. I snatched my art book and unwillingly made a big show of it. I smiled sadly, looked around and sat down. I turned to the newest page and began to put the date inside of my work. I then continued on my picture of a blank looking figure of a man with long sleeves with an unexplainable expression printed on his face. As I began to outline his trousers and torn shoes I noticed Ci doodling on his chair. ‘Don’t bother’, I thought. No-one listens to me anyway. I continued miserably, lips drooping down my face, making an unclosed semicircle. My head fell to my shoulders which slumped and my legs glued themselves to the underside of the chair. Half an hour later, art was over.
Home time came as I read through one of the Lee Child books from the series I was reading. I dragged my belongings through the hallway towards the door. As I trudged through the mockery I saw an endangered animals poster on American Alligators. I thought about this on the ride home, while weakly crunching on a slightly soft apple, full of bruises. When I got home, I turned on my laptop and typed ‘American Alligators’ into the search engine. A number of bluish links came up and I swiped my finger over the touch plate which caused the cursor to fling over to the ‘All about American Alligators’ link. A fact file came up and here’s what it said in a list:
Weight: 230 kg
Dangers affecting them: Habitat destruction caused by human activities
Lifespan: 30 - 50 years
Length: 4 metres
Where found: Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North and South Carolina
Three weeks later…
We’re going to Florida. It’s half term and my Uncle George lives there. He always feels hot, sweaty, and talks so formally that people can barely understand him. We’re going on Tuesday which is in two days. I’ve got my bag and I’m standing in my room.
My room is a mess, and I have a bed that is higher than usual but doesn’t have another bed below. On my desk lies an ‘Infopedia 2020’, drawings, origami sheets that have been uselessly folded and a box which is full of origami that I have already made. On the floor lies scattered Lego, old pictures and the mat I received from my grandmother…from when she was alive. On the corner of my bed hangs my incredibly fluffy dressing gown with white bears and buffalos scattered across a dark blue sky.
I opened my box of completed origami shapes and I pulled out my chocolate digestive biscuit packet and helped myself. I let them melt between all of my ten fingers, then snap it in half, and scrape all the chocolate off the biscuit with my teeth before crunching the biscuit down my throat. Last, I lick all of my fingers. YUM.
With my bags packed, I decided to draw for a while. Later, I dragged my bags downstairs and hauled them into the boot. I clumsily stumbled into the rusty pile of metal and sat comfortably. In our car, we have three rows: one for the driver and passenger, one for me and my sister and the third for storage. If it was a long journey, me and my sister would recline the seats back. As we took off, I thought about American alligators. I pictured the poster in my mind. In the picture stood an alligator backing away and surrounded by facts. The rest of the journey I felt light and not too soon after we left, I fell fast asleep.
When I woke up, we arrived at the airport. I took my bags out of the car and carried them over to the airport. There was a LOT to do, such as security, passport checks and more. I loaded my carry-on bag onto the overhead luggage compartment on the plane. I then slipped into my seat. I yawned and took out my book and began to read ‘The curious incident of the dog in the night time’. After that I slotted it back in my bag and replaced it with my favourite book of all time, ‘The London Eye Mystery’. On the front of the book was the London Eye, filling up two thirds of the space and people down below by Big Ben.
Such a great book. Soon enough, I fell fast asleep with The London Eye Mystery on my lap, dreaming of the mystery.
Soon, I woke up. We've arrived, I thought. I felt calm. I abandoned the plane and I literally flew into uncle George’s arms, and he said “careful, now… I’ve got a bad back…”. I squeezed a little less. When we arrived at the house, I went to the kitchen lounge, hungrily. I quietly strode out of the sliding door and placed my head in my hands. I took a piece of origami paper from my pocket and began to fold it into unique shapes.
After dinner, I trudged upstairs and looked at the ‘things to do.’ One was a safari park, and I decided to go there. I told Uncle George that I would go to the Sinte safari park, and he made me take my phone, as I could get lost among the many eye-catching attractions. ‘I’ll put the tracker on’, I thought. ‘I’ll set it for 9:00 in the morning’. I went to bed, and soon, I was asleep.
I woke up to a start and I looked at the clock. 7:53am. I had one hour to spare before I left. I got dressed and went downstairs, exhausted. I greeted Uncle George with a hug and sat down with a bowl of cereal. I put the spoon in my mouth. Cheerios. Delicious. I shoved in the rest in a rush and told Mum where I was going. “OK Honey, just remember, I want you home by 4:00!” I agreed, said a quick farewell to George (he always makes me speak so formally). I flew out the door with my gloves, bag and coat. I threw my coat in my bag before putting on my gloves over two hand-shaped blocks of ice.
I glanced at my watch. 8:30am. I arrived at the park, puffing. I bent down and put my hands on my thighs. I breathed deeply. Then I looked up.
A magical world of animals stood before my amazed eyes. Lions, tigers, leopards and…an American alligator!!! Wow! This place was so worth it. I stood up properly and smiled. Magnificent. Incredible. In…des…cribable. I leapt in…where to start? Aha! The Lions for sure. No! The Aquarium! I grabbed a map and went to the Aquarium.
In the Aquarium. I felt free, the total opposite of at School…urgh. School sucks. Now, back to the Aquarium…It was a big glass tube, but square. Animals swarmed around me in an enormous tank outside the tube. It really was like I was inside it!
Where next? Ah yes, the lions.
When I arrived the cubs were asleep, but the adult lions weren’t. They were ripping meat off a hook held by a man in a green leather jacket. I shivered. The cubs awoke. Apparently, they were hungry too.
The cubs ran to the meat and almost killed each other doing so. Next? American alligator place.
I ventured past the tigers, snakes and wolves. Where are they?
After ages of searching, I found what I was looking for (American alligators). I took the picnic out of my backpack, and ate. Jam? Yes! I barely have jam so it was a real treat. I munched through my raspberry jam sandwich and began on my apple. Mmmm, crunchy.
Soon I finished lunch. After I had a good stare at the wild green scaly beast, I looked around and saw a poster. I had a closer look and I realised that it was the exact same poster that I saw at school, only with more information. I studied it for a while, before realising it was 3:45; I panicked and ran. I made it home by 4:03 and made myself at home. I had a drink and sat back down. I felt tired. I spent half an hour planning Thursday and I settled on a forest which is known for many bugs living there.
Dinner was roast but I barely touched my Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, potatoes and cabbage. I went to bed and dreamed.
I awoke the next morning slowly, at eight minutes past eight, fresh and ready to go. I had breakfast, brushed my teeth and got changed. I slumped out of the door after saying a quick ‘goodbye’ to Mum and a ‘farewell’ to Uncle George. I swiftly flew out the door and sped to the F
I strode through the Forest looking for a decent climbing tree, and heard a strange noise in the distance. I investigated. I followed the sound, deeper and deeper into the mountain of trees. Soon, I saw a light glimmering through some Oak’s. I moved forward into a clearing and saw a small swamp. I began to feel uneasy, and I stepped back nervously. But something touched my leg. Something BIG.
I spun around nervously, and here's what I saw: A scaly monster, green, a mouth of serrated knives snapping clumsily into the air. I began to sweat, I put my arms out and I shuffled backwards, trying to soothe the ferocious beast. I swivelled around, ready to dash but out of the swamp emerged another monster (which I realised was an American alligator) which was closely followed by several more!
I knew I couldn't fight back, as I was totally outnumbered ten-to-one! Also, I didn’t have any weapons and they had teeth to attack and scales to protect themselves. I knew I had to act fast, or I wouldn’t live. I realised I could use a skill: climbing. I jumped up, grabbed a branch, and pulled myself up hard. I swung up, caught another one. The American alligator stood below staring at me, looking awkward. Eventually I was safe and I slid down a silver birch. I ran home still shocked. As soon as I got home, I snatched my phone from my pocket and dialled the number for wildlife protection. “Hello?” I said. Somebody was at the other end of the line clearly, as I could hear muffled words and the rustling of paper. “I’m calling because I’ve discovered something,” I said. Then I stated my name. “There is a forest where I’ve managed to find several American alligators and I’d like to inform somebody to protect this area”. They thanked me and told me I had done a good thing.
Three weeks later…
I feel like a new person. Yesterday they announced on the news that American alligators had officially come off the endangered animal list and they mentioned my name. They said they discovered an area where American alligators naturally lived, and it was all thanks to…Chromchark Gonnel. When I heard this, I was amazed.
When I’m at school now, I’m a champion as opposed to the one who is always being teased and bullied. That just goes to show that even me, the smallest person in the school, could make a difference. That’s how I went from zero… to my very own hero.
A Fluffy Tale
by Emily McCartney
Sunlight filtered through a curtain of tightly woven trees and sparkled onto my fluffy, grey baby fur. A robin chirped noisily on a nearby branch making my long, floppy ears prick up. It puffed out its vibrant plumage and nodded a greeting to me. I bounded out of my cosy den and out onto the long, springy grass and I raced through all the delicate woodland flowers to a nearby evergreen tree. As I settled onto a moss-covered root, I felt the toughness of the bark. It was as sturdy as a rock, and it reminded me of how old it must be. A friendly breeze blew through a small gap in the foliage where I knew my den was hidden. I noticed my mummy’s tufty ginger fur shifting against the slight wind. I got up from my root and hopped back over to my den.
I nosed Mummy awake, sighing at the softness of her fur. As soft as feathers. She rolled over and mumbled something before rising to her paws slowly.
“Mm, Baby Bounding Bunny?” She asked dozily.
“Can I go see Silky?” I asked, my fluffy ball of a tail twitching eagerly. Silky is a wolf pup and my best friend. We do everything together.
“Yes, your Daddy is out looking for food, OK?” She blinked.
I nodded and dashed back out into the glade to find Silky. Calling out quick greetings to a few bird families along the way, I bounced over crinkly logs and winding roots. Finally, I arrived outside the pack’s clearing.
“Silky, you there?” I called.
A shimmering sheen of fur flitted through the trees. A slender female wolf trotted towards me. Not Silky but… the leader of the pack! Before I knew it, I was sprawled on the dusty ground. My ears flapped in a panic, and I could’ve sworn that she’d wrinkled her snout in distaste at the pink skin inside my ears. I had never met the leader of Silky’s pack before! She nosed me up and drew back her lip to reveal her needle-sharp teeth. For a moment she looked like she was going to eat me but then she turned on heel and swished her pearly tail. She strutted forward a few steps before glancing back at me. Her wise, creamy, brown eyes were warm. I stumbled clumsily after her, wondering where she was leading me.
In the middle of the clearing, the leader stopped and lifted her narrow snout letting out a
“Aroooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo”
Wolves struggled to their paws all around me and I couldn’t make out who was who. Just then, a messy heap of fur covered in autumn leaves came hurtling out at me. It shook itself out and revealed…
“SILKYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!” I yelled and we dashed away from the chaos of the wolves awakening.
We were silent for a long time, taking in all the surroundings of the wonderful forest around us. I scuffed the freshly fallen leaves with my front paws but then stopped, ears lifting.
“What’s wrong?” Silky woofed, weaving around me.
“What’s that strange noise?” I asked worriedly.
Silky took off towards the direction of the noise. Halfway through the route, I noticed that most of the undergrowth was flattened down and all the flowers had been trampled. I heard a clomping sound ahead. We scampered into the bushes. We were about to burst through when a red squirrel hurried down a tree trunk.
“Ssshhhhh, the humans are invading.” The squirrel’s tail whipped around.
I crunched up into a ball. I stifled back a cry of dismay as I saw a human with a cage in his arm. Stubby clumps of white fur stuck out and I spotted Daddy’s face, desperately looking round.
“This rabbit will make a really good pet and sell for a whole lot of money!” One of the humans cackled. I couldn’t understand what he was saying but I could tell it was mean. I burned like a flame with rage but Silky shot me a warning glance. I almost wailed out loud at the unfairness of it all.
“Why don’t we creep away to your Mummy, she’ll know what to do.” Silky whispered gently. I nodded glumly, trying to think how to explain this to my mother. We tiptoed out of the bush and bounded back home.
I paused outside our den, knowing what I would find inside. The path had been flattened and all the birds’ nests had been torn apart. The humans had been this way while I had been away. I sombrely pushed my way inside. Nothing, not even one tiny trace. My mummy had been taken by those rotten humans as well! I crumpled to the floor.
“Don’t worry…” Silky started but was broken off by a yowl from outside. “Silky, your parents have been taken by humans!” A grown male wolf stood panting outside. Silky sighed and murmured at the other wolf to leave them in peace. Silky’s eyes glistened, and she sucked in a deep breath. Determination pulsed through me.
“Let’s follow the humans, we can get help in the city nearby the forest.” I suggested solemnly. Silky’s head was bowed and the only answer I got was a nod.
I turned and dashed through the undergrowth. I could hear Silky struggling after me. We emerged by the side of a busy black trail. Heavy, colourful human inventions were zooming all over it, making a tremendous noise. It vibrated uncomfortably in my sensitive ears.
“Do you know which way the bad humans have gone?” I asked hopefully. Silky sniffed a couple of times before nodding contentedly. “Just like you said, towards the city.” Silky started out towards the black trail. Cautiously, I trotted after her, careful to watch out for the heavy human inventions. I winced as the sooty stuff grazed my paws. Once on the other side, I could hear the sounds of crinkling paper and chatting. I drew back my ears, feeling overwhelmed at it all.
“Well, this place must be the city.” Silky clenched her jaw as she gambled a few steps forward, over the hill.
I followed more slowly, dreading what was beyond. A vast expanse of grey, dismal buildings and pavements opened up before me. Heavy rain clouds darkened over it and the heavens opened. A human’s food wrapper blew sadly around the streets. I teetered over the crest as Silky padded uncertainly down the hill. The grass was scratchy and sharp but at least it was grass. There didn’t seem to be any greenery where we were going. Little, sharp blades of rain cut into my fur, as I shuffled away from my beautiful forest that I had never been out of before. I shook myself, there was no time to be sentimental.
