COMPETITION WINNERS – AGED 10-12 years
FIRST PRIZE
Times Change by Zaki aged 11
“Is this it?” screamed Kieran, “Last year I got an Xbox, five games to go with it and the newest and most High-Tech phone released for Easter, and now all I get is a stupid tablet!” the ungrateful boy tutted.
“Wu-well times have been tu-ough this year son,” murmured Kieran’s dad.
“Tough?” he roared, “this year you have had a back extension; a new porsche and bought a diamond ring for mum! One day I’m gonna have the big house and you’ll be the one asking me for presents.”
“Times change and when it does maybe you won’t be the spoilt little brat you are now!” Yelled his mother, “Now get out!”
Kieran left his magnificent house on Broadwalk and stormed off to Grovelands Park, however on the way Kieran saw an old beaten-up car being driven by a frail old man. Kieran (being his spiteful-self) decided he would follow the car and taunt him with pictures of his parents’ car. Unfortunately for Kieran, as he started walking, he fell down a manhole with a tarpaulin cover.
“Aaahhh!” he screamed, this is the end for me he thought with only a sheet of tarpauling to break my fall. Is this really the fate I deserve? he asked himself. He was beginning to make out what he would land on “Well that’s just great,” he muttered to himslef “a concrete floor.”
To Kieran’s surprise he did not land with a bang but was walking on his feet. He looked around the area. Everything was foggy and people were wearing what he thought were ‘old people’s clothes’ but when he looked at himself he could have cried. Instead of his skinny jeans; Nike astroturfs; Lacoste t-shirt and hoodie, he was wearing tattered and dirty rags and was barefoot. And just to make his situation worse, he was hungry.
“Please, I need food!” he begged but no-one would give him the slightest amount of attention. After an hour he cold take the pain no more but luckily a kind young man gave Kiearn his last penny. “Thank you,” he cried tears running down his face. “Thank you and happy Easter.”
Just as he went to buy a loaf of bread someone screamed, “It’s the Bobbies! Run!” and suddenly the street plunged into chaos, Kieran was running with the crowd but he didn’t know what he was running from. Suddenly, Kieran tripped over only to find another man with tatty colthes and woman help him. Instead of thanking the kind people he yelled, “Let go of me you filthy pauper and don’t touch me you old hag!”
“My name’s Jake and you ain’t very polite mate. I imagine you ain’t go no friends,”said Jake the raggedly man, furiously. He speaks like an uneducated Victorian thought Kieran.
“Well instead of an apology for you insolence and a thank you for my help I suppose you could help me think of a name for my book. My name is Henrietta Cresswell.” Suddenly Kieran realized he had read a book by Henrietta Cresswell what was it called again? “Winchmore Hill Memories of a Lost Village,” thought Kieran. “How about call it Winchmore Hill Memories of a Lost Village?” Kieran suggested.
“That’s a great idea, thank you.” she answered gleefully and gave him a sixpence. “Could you tell me what year it is?” Kieran asked.
“Well it’s 1897,” Jake answered.
“We’d better be going, if we’re caught we will be sent to the Chase Farm Workhouse,” said Jake. However, as they started running a policeman spotted them.
“Hey you two, come here!” commanded a policeman starting to chase after them until he caught them.
“Runnnn!” Screamed Jake, as he fought back the policeman giving Kieran time to escape. “Please do me a favour and be kinder to everyone you meet.” Jake asked of Kieran.
Fighting back the tears, Kieran ran as fast as he could, he would keep Jake’s wish forever. Strangely as he ran the area around him started changing until he found himself in Grovelands Park, present time (2014). He suddenly felt 11 years of guilt piled on top of him as he went back home. He opened the door, went to his parents and said that he was sorry for everything he ever did and that he loved the tablet he was given.
“What happened to you son?” his parents said in unison.
He simply answered “Times change.”
THE END
SECOND PRIZE
Anna’s Adventure by Zahra aged 10
As Anna walked across the street of Highlands Village she thought about her family, her cheeky brothers and her lovely parents. She thought about her parents’ jobs (that sometimes disgusted her) they were scientists, but what made Anna feel queasy about this is the fact that they use animals for testing. Some people would not care, such as her family and most people at school, however she did. Even killing an ant made her feel awful. After a moment she realised she’d stepped on a worm, which took her back to a time when a boy in her school brought in his collection of worms that he collected so that he could kill them. This made her feel sick. When she had stopped daydreaming she decided to go to her nearby park, Grovelands Park.
Whilst swinging high on the swing, her silky, brown hair whipped the sky like a man on a carriage and when she smiled her teeth were like pearls. She got off the swing and gave it to a young child and then took a stroll past Broadwalk gazing at the colossal houses and knowing that one day her house would be bigger. Without looking where she was going Anna clumsily hit her head on a tree and became unconscious….
Luckily, when she woke up she was alive and found she was in a forest. She pinched herself several times to see if she was dreaming, but this was real. She had seen a picture of this panorama on the internet when she was looking up the Tudors. She cleverly remembered that she was in Enfield Chase, but what year? She saw a fat man that wore a lot of red and gold, he reminded her of King Henry 8th. Cautiously, she walked up to the stranger and asked,
“Excuse me sir, but could you tell me what year it is?” Anna asked politely.
“It is fifth-teen thirteen of course, now go away you nosy girl! You’re disturbing me and my hunting!” shouted the man.
“You should never hunt, those animals have as much right to live as you! Only horrible people hunt animals and horrible people disgust me!” raged Anna furiously.
“How dare you talk to your King like that! I deserve respect, money and gold, not insults from lowly peasants. You’re hear shall be chopped off immediately! Executioner!” Thundered the King, who was King Henry the 8th. This is when pandemonium struck.
Anna was dragged across the forest in terror, she was screaming and crying on the way. A man dressed in black, so dark it reminded her or a pitch-black, winter night sky, and he was covered in blood it made her almost throw up. The strange man pushed her in the the Tower of London where she was to stay until she was killed. Hours later she was taken to a vast room with blood and other sickening things, but worst was the basket of rotten head and hers was about to join the collection. She was crying louder than a raged lion on a stormy, thundery day. More than once she was told to be quiet. Nevertheless she didn’t listen.
Suddenly, she saw the man in black covered in blood once more though this time he had a sword.
Anna was wishing she was in her humble abode and that was not real. She then thought or her sage family who may be putting placards up for her. As soon as the executioner lifted the sword to kill her…..
Anna was on the swings again. Fearfully and curiously she skipped home hoping she would never almost be killed again. At home she explained to her understanding family, who after hearing that sad story never ate, killed or used an animal for an experiment again. That year on Easter Sunday she was given a lovely pet cat and her brothers got two fish each.
THE END
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