Short Story Competition Winners
Congratulations to the winners Alanood and Foteini.
Every Thursday, Creative Writing Club takes place in the library at Leeds City Academy. As part of the Academy’s Literacy incentive, students can enter short-story competitions, which take place at least three times a year.
This term, students had the opportunity to write a short story of around 500 words about a subject of their choice for a chance to win a prize of a stack of brand new books.
The standard of writing and the range of ideas made the judging extremely difficult; so much so that the library team decided on two winners.
Alanood and Foteini were delighted with their book piles and couldn’t wait to start reading.
Ms Harness said: “Ms Goddard and I were both pleased and astonished at the number of entries to this competition. We couldn’t decide on just one winner because the quality of writing was just so brilliant. Well done, girls!”
Read the winning entries below:
The Soldier
by Foteini– Year 9
The wind broke the silence. Her hands ran through my hair and her sweet voice through my ears. The echoing crunch of the leaves compressing under the weight of my foot was the only sound I heard as I trudged through the deep forests surrounding my desolate hometown. I look up at the trees, lush with green, looking over the town, taunting, as if we have nowhere to go out here.
The smell of pine suffocates my lungs, wrapping its cold hands around my throat, never dulling or holding back. My hot breath hit the cold air, looking as if I was breathing out smoke. I wrapped my arms around myself a little tighter.
My head, spinning and crashing like a hurricane, recalls my mother’s sobs and my father’s pleading as the men in black gave us the news. The horrible, terrible news. The news that had torn me in half. Weeks before the men came to bear the news, he had left, dressed in camouflage and a large cylinder pack hanging off his shoulders, to the terrible war raging outside our small town. He left with a warm smile and reassuring words.
“I love you all, and I will be back. I promise!”
His last words. His very last words were all a lie. I sit on the damp leaves of the forest floor, a stone’s throw away from a small creek. I put my hand in my pocket and wrap my fingers around a small porcelain figure. I yank it out of my pocket and hold it between my fingers.
A figure, dressed in camouflage just as he was, hanging from a chain. Looks just like him. He slipped it onto my hand, just before he had left my mother, father and I to protect our country. The small figure on the keychain had his hair, his eyes, his everything. It was truly him. A drop of water falls onto the figure, pristine and white.
I sob, squeezing my eyes shut, as I hold the figure in a tightly closed fist, remembering him. His laugh that could brighten anyone’s day, his eyes deep blue as if there was a bigger meaning to his being, his hair a deep brown mop that could never be untangled. I laugh a little, still sobbing under the tree. I stop laughing, remembering his casket, draped in beautiful blue, red and white. Our flag, symbolizing our country.
Freedom. What a word to use, when we are fighting for this so-called ‘freedom’ at this very moment. That’s where he went, the war. To protect his family, his home, his rights, our rights. The most important of all, he was protecting this country. The country we can all call home.
My idol, my hero, my best friend, the shoulder I could cry on, the person I could go to for everything. He disappeared, he left us. He left me. My brother murdered by the people who claim they’ll rule the world.
The End
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The Wonders of Reading
By Alanood– Year 7
Once upon a time, not long ago, a 12-year-old girl named Lucy loved reading. One day Lucy went to the school library to borrow a book. She saw a large and interesting book that had no title, but there were words in the book. Lucy thought that someone might have removed the title for some reason.
She asked the librarian if she could borrow the book and the librarian said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this book in here, in fact I think it’s free, you can keep it, Lucy.” “Thanks, Miss,” said Lucy with excitement. “You’re welcome, Lucy,” said the librarian.
After school Lucy walked back home and did her homework, then she held the odd book she go from the school library and said, “I really wonder what this book is about…”
Suddenly the book glowed like a shiny light bulb and pulled Lucy in the book. Lucy landed in a strange land. She was shocked, confused and amazed at the same time.
In the strange land, Lucy met a boy named Max. They became good friends and Lucy asked him, “What’s your favourite book?”
“Book? What’s a book?” asked Max, curiously.
“A book is something you read”, said Lucy.
“What do you mean by ‘read’?” asked Max.
“Oh dear…you never read before, did you?” said Lucy sadly.
“It’s not just me, it’s everybody,” said Max.
“Hey, in my home I have lots of books. Enough for you and your friends to read”, said Lucy, cheerfully.
“Great”, said Max, excitedly.
Lucy went back home and brought a big pile of books for Max and his friends and jumped in the book.
Lucy gave her books to everyone and thought her job was done when people asked her, “How do we say this?” and “How do I write this?” Lucy thought she couldn’t do this alone so she went back home and called her friend, Grace, for help.
When Grace arrived, Lucy told her everything. “Is this one of your pranks, Lucy?” said Grace, cautiously.
“Nope…well, I wish!” chuckled Lucy. “This is no time for playing games. Jump in the book,” said Lucy, seriously.
“I can’t believe it’s real!” said Grace.
Grace and Lucy jumped in the book and Lucy said, “Here is the plan, you help people with learning the alphabet and reading, and I will help them with writing”.
“Why is reading important for people?” asked Grace.
“Reading is important so you can learn new words and using for your future life or jobs,” said Lucy.
“You really know a lot about reading, let’s do this!” said Grace.
The two girls helped Max and his friends to read and write. “Thank you for helping us Grace and Lucy,” said Max, while hugging them.
“You’re welcome,” said the two girls.
“I guess this is ‘goodbye’,” said Lucy, disappointed.
“Goodbye? You girls are welcome to come visit us and read any time,” said Max.
“Thanks,” said Lucy.
The two girls went back home and suddenly the book glowed like a firefly and a title appeared.
‘THE WONDERS OF READING’. Lucy and Grace were happy that the book had a title and every afternoon the girls visited Max and read all day long.
The End