HOUSE SHORT STORY COMPETITION:
Brilliant Beasts
Dragons and Unicorns n Sam’s ragged breath pulsed agonisingly through his lungs as he ran. Round the first corner. Round the second corner. Up the unending garden path. And finally, home. As he turned his rusty key in the lock and closed the heavy door behind him, he slumped to the cold, hard floor and cried. They were tears of relief and tears of sadness. The bullies hadn’t caught him this time but they’d be back. He was still scarred by the visual memories of the week before: they rained blow after blow as he shielded his face and begged for mercy. The bruises still crisscrossed his back like spiderwebs. When the tears finally stopped, he pulled his weary body up the stairs, changed from his drab uniform and sat at his desk. Homework and dinner finished, he crept silently into bed. As he lay there, he waited for his dreams to transport him like they did every night. To take him to a safe world to meet a new friend: an amazing creature he would share his day with. The previous night, he’d travelled to meet the most majestic of dragons he could ever imagine. His scales were as red as the evening sun and his eyes burned with the fire of a thousand stars. He was crowned by two ashen sabre-like horns. His claws were as sharp as the finest serrated knives and his feathered wings hung gracefully at his sides like loyal servants. He sat regally in the corner of a shallow cave, listening intently to all Sam had to say. Sam shared all the pain he felt and when he had finished speaking he felt entirely unburdened and free. Fore the rest of his dream, Sam flew through the darkness of the evening on the dragon’s back guided only by the light of the moon. By the time they’d landed, Sam felt ready to face the world again and say goodbye. Beating his wings in a mournful farewell, the brilliant rose effortlessly into the inky darkness and vanished into the night. As much as Sam loved the dragon, his favourite dream was of the unicorn, an that night he longed to see him again. The unicorn was luminous white, almost translucent, shrouded by a tangible outer glow of warmth that radiated around him. His eyes were as blue as the depths of the sea and his horn was a golden torch. When Sam was with the unicorn, he felt nothing buy joy. His anger and loneliness melted away like ice-cream on a sunny day. Together, they frolicked in the clouds, turning loop the loops over spires and chimneys while others slept unknowing. But that night, Sam’s dreams took him to meet the wild pig. Though less glamorous than the dragon and the unicorn, as he lolled in the mud, he was equally joyful. His leathery skin was bald and wrinkled like a prune and he and Sam laughed, sang and talked for hours. Together they plotted Sam’s revenge on the dastardly bullies. Sam’s dreams were his support. He knew that using the strength of his imagination could get him through anything. As he rose to meet the day ahead, he realised that he always had friends to talk to (whether real or imagined) when he was feeling low. He got would become bold and ready…and those bullies wouldn’t know what was coming.
The Dragon’s Nest n One million years ago there was a sandstorm, all the different creatures were zooming around rapidly trying to find shelter. Apart from one. The Humog family were strange little things half human, half dog. The mum humog had just had babies so she had to stay rooted to the spot. Suddenly the sandstorm became too strong and tipped the mum over! The eggs went rolling in every direction. This is where the story starts, one of the eggs rolled into a dragon’s nest. When he hatched he saw he was the odd one out, but he tried his best at all of the usual dragon things, until, he came across flying. Of course, all the dragons were dying to try to fly, but the young humog called Barker did not have wings. Then when he saw all the dragons above him, he really wanted to fly so he tried making some wings. He tried to make wings so he dug down, eager to find some materials to make wings out of, he was elated to find some metal and wood. As quick as a flash he had made some metal wings, he quickly climbed up a tree and jumped off and plummeted down as quick as a rocket. He then used the wood, it took a bit longer to make the wings out of because he had fallen into a river. So, he leaped up the tree again and shot off the branch, he was FLYING, for a moment until he fell into the river again. It was shredding season for the dragons and there was a carpet of scales on the floor, and all the other dragons were shining like the sun. Barker thought he might give it one more chance. The little humog took as long as a snail to make some wings out of all the bountiful scales, so he leaped off the tree for final time and flew. Many years later the humog and the dragons now play together happily.
Oscar W (Year 6)
By Luke T (Year 3)
14
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