Competition: Story Starter

Shortlist and Winner Announced
Piers was impressed with the overall quality of the entries commenting:
“I’m staggered by the volume of responses to this starter, and the quality of imaginative writing on display. Whatever else may happen after this is over, originality, creativity and storytelling skills remain in ample supply with LTE schools for the foreseeable! It must have been a near impossible task for you to sift through for the finalists, who were all excellent, in every category.”
We appreciate pupils might be disappointed to not make the shortlist but please congratulate them all for their efforts. We made a shortlist of three primary and secondary entries:
Primary shortlist:
Sophie Mann – Berrywood Primary, Hampshire
Leila Kalsi-Razaq – Middle Park Primary, London
Tamsyn Sayles, Four Marks Primary School, Hampshire
Secondary shortlist: 
Maisy Middleton, Purbrook Park School, Hampshire
Ethel , The Woodroffe School , Dorset
Ava Burdett, The Grey Coat Hospital School, London
It is a great achievement making the shortlist given the quality and number of entries. You can review the shortlisted entries in the attached document.
Piers Torday selected Tamsyn Sayles (primary) and Ava Burdett’s (secondary) stories as the winning entries.

Piers provided the following commentary on Ava’s entry:

Ava Burdett, The Grey Coat Hospital School, Competition Winner

“This is a short response, and all the more effective for it. Ava has a sure instinct for storytelling, guiding us through the characters’ choices and revealing so much essential backstory – the prank playing Uncle, the mysterious book in the library, their home in London, sleeping Grandpa and fortune telling Madame Calypso – in one page, without it ever feeling shoehorned in or contrived. And trust me, that is much harder to do than it sounds! But this efficiency and speed of plot is never at the expense of atmosphere. “Her wings encrusted with tiny stones, each a pool of hope and adventure” is perhaps the most beautiful descriptive phrase in the whole competition. Ava is also clearly a keen reader, as the characters’ sophisticated literary musings on dragons and warlocks make clear, another essential for writing stories as compelling as this one.”

While our shortlist judges provided the following commentary on Ethel and Maisy’s submissions:

Ethel, The Woodroffe School, Dorset

Ethel confidently made just one of the characters, Rafi, her narrative focus, which was an unusual choice across all the competition entries. The judges were draw in to Rafi’s complex and deeply convincing emotional world. Ethel knew what kind of fantasy genre she was writing, and, what a clever touch, Rafi is also aware he is operating within the rules of a fantasy world. He knows how stories like this go, and he gives in to the rules. And the rules are dark and dangerous.

Maisy Middleton,Purbrook Park School, Hampshire

Maisy is a writer with a broad imagination and real courage. She interpreted Piers Torday’s given passage as part of a wider novel, not in fact its opening, but a moment of build-up in which the characters are unexpectedly reunited with a character from their past. She is confident to change her pace: some passages rest on vivid, atmospheric description and some lurch forward with character dialogue, emotion and intent. This writing had poignance, shape and style.

Piers provided the following commentary on Tamsyn’s entry:
 
Tamsyn Sayles, Four Marks Primary, Competition Winner
 
“Tamsyn has successfully developed a small inciting incident into a fully executed story with a middle and end. Her descriptive language is startling and vivid:  “their hearts pounded like a poorly played drum”….”like a crab, Simon scuttled backwards” (although they actually scuttle sideways of course!) and “cherry-red smoke”, suffusing the text with the strange and magical atmosphere fantasy fiction needs to breathe. The characters have thoughtful and believable motivations “curiosity had got the better of her” “never in his wildest dreams” and the summoning of the original toy owner is a breathtaking set piece worthy of E. Nesbit. But what I liked most about this story was the bird’s song. Creating an action packed fantasy adventure is one thing, but leaving the space for a long, haunting lyric by a trapped clockwork bird is a stroke of mature artistry by a true writer in the making.”
While our shortlist judges provided the following commentary on Sophie and Leila’s selection:
Sophie Mann – Berrywood Primary, Shortlisted Entry
Sophie managed to maintain a strong sense of character and tension through a significant stretch of dialogue.  Stretches of dialogue can become tiresome, but this was focused and pacy. The introduction of the eerie ‘amber eyed’ man towards the end picked up on the sense of foreboding in the original opening.  The judges were keen to know where you would take his character and when the purpose of his strange spell would emerge.
Leila Kalsi-Razaq – Middle Park Primary, Shortlisted Entry
Leila is a writer in Lower Key Stage 2, with such a wide and deep imagination.  We liked the pace – the sisters touching all three toys straightaway to get the story moving.  The magical appearance of Rupert, the strange creature was intersting enough.  Then we learned he had been sent from the future to save the world from coronavirus and needed help.  Through stories, we can imagine our troubles can be solved – by who better than a koala/ panda with a reptilian tail and two children.  Of course.

Piers Torday the author of The Last Wild trilogy has set a writing competition for Let’s Think in English students. Read the story starter below and then continue your story.

You can review their entries below.

When continuing the story you may want to consider the following questions:

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU PLAY WITH THE DIFFERENT TOYS? WHO LEFT THEM THERE? CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE HOUSE, SUITCASE AND TOYS IN MORE DETAIL?
WHO ARE THE CHILDREN AND WHY ARE THEY THERE?

There will be a short list of the best entries, Piers will chose the winner and they will receive a prize. The deadline for entries is the 15th May Please take the time to plan, edit and redraft your work before sending. Enjoy.

Story Starter

It was while they were exploring the old house that Rafi and Simone found the suitcase, stuffed into the back of an cupboard.

“This looks old,” said Rafi, trying to find a way to open the lock.

“There’s something inside,” said Simone. “It rattles when you move it.”

They laid the case down on the floor, and eventually Simon discovered that if you pressed the clasp softly, the suitcase clicked open, the lid rising into the air. A sudden cloud of dust made the children cough, but once they had waved it away with, they saw what was inside. There were three very old looking toys, lying on a bed of crumpled tissue paper. A clockwork bird, with a key sticking out of the back. A tin soldier, with a brightly painted uniform, beginning to rust. And a funny old doll, made of corn tied together with ribbon.

“Hey!” said Rafi. “Someone’s left a note on top.”

It was as old as the suitcase, if not older. In spidery ink, on yellowing parchment, it read:

Touch one, just for fun.
Touch two, that will change you.
Touch three, to come and see me.

“Who do you think wrote that?” said Simone.
“What shall we do?” said Rafi.

296 thoughts on “Competition: Story Starter”

    1. Hi Mimi,

      Once you’re prepared your entry, you post it on this page.

      Make sure you draft and edit it first.

      1. A creak was heard from the master bedroom upstairs, the children fell silent as a small piece of the paint on the ceiling crumbled to the floor. The kids instantly packed up the briefcase and ran out the house. They were frightened of what they ran from. The briefcase slipped out of Rafi’s hand, so they checked inside the case and the tin soldiers head was screwed off. What they found inside was a note that read:
        “Don’t let them fool you.”
        Rafi’s hands began to shake and Simone’s face looked like he’d just seen a ghost. Simone grabs the note from his brother, stuffing it into his pocket just in time for their mother to call them for tea.
        They begin to squirm uncomfortably for their mother begins to fix her eyes on them like an eagle. As they finish dinner, they ran upstairs to their room for them to reveal the note to see what lies on the other side.
        “Wind up the clockwork bird to see where it leads,
        For you’ll find a clue see what it reads.”

        Rafi and Simone’s mother squawks to them that she is off to work. Simone grabs the bird, beginning to wind it up while Rafi snatches the bird while hissing, “What do you think you’re doing?”
        “We need to wind up the bird!” He retorted sharply. As Simone clutches the bird, pulling it out of Rafi’s reach, he sighs. Simone finishes winding up the bird and places it on the floor to see where it takes them. It takes them a while to get to the destination which was the old house they had fled from. It took them inside and lead them to a small compartment in the walls. Within the walls, was a riddle laid before them.
        “You must seek,
        for what you find is quite unique.
        Be very careful, he’s as quiet as a mouse.
        To find what you want,
        search the top of the house”

        Simone begins to lead the way up the stairs and Rafi reluctantly follows revealing a ladder pointing to the entrance of the attic. There was nothing in the attic and simone couldn’t help but feel disappointed meanwhile Rafi was slightly relieved. They made their way out while Rafi tripped on a loose floorboard. Simone rushes to search under the floorboard and finds a riddle:

        “Now this mystery is coming to an end,
        Crawl inside the vent to see what you can spend.”

        “I’ll search out here.” Rafi whispers. Simone agrees and climbs into the vent. Simone crawls through and reaches a dead end of metal bars.

        Ravi continues searching the attic and sees a door creaking open and yells, “STOP THERE IS PEOPLE HERE SIMONE! IT’S A TRAP!” It’s their mother and a man who Rafi can’t recognise due to the terrifying leather bird mask he is wearing.

        “HELP!” They both grab him dragging him away.

        Simone gasps and falls through the vent. A tied skeleton covered in cobwebs lays before him along with a dirty mattress and a tied up man on top of it. He slowly walks over, looking over the prisoner.

        “Dad?”

        Thomas Tucker age 14

    2. “Lets touch them like the words say and find out! ” Said Simone.
      “I don’t think we should’….Said Rafi.
      “Oh come on, what’s the worst that can happen” said simone.

      Simone leans over gently and picks up the rusty old clockwork bird.
      See nothing happened….“Go on you give it a try” said simone.

      Rafi nervously picked up the toy soldier and all of a sudden the children’s fingers
      Transformed into plastic and the rest of their bodys followed.
      “What’s happening” yelled rafie frantically.

      “I don’t know but this is fun, quick we need to touch it one more time!’ said simone.
      “But why?” Said Rafi.
      “Remember it said to do, Touch three, to come and see me.” Said Simone.
      Simone touched the last toy, the old doll,She had big blue eyes and bright white hair, and had cobwebs all over her.

      As Simone touched the doll the two children suddenly were pulled into a gigantic, spinning, colourful, magic portal. The portal whirled them into a magical toy land.

      The children were awoken by squeaky voices .
      As they looked up they were surprised to see a circle of toys looking down on them from a distance suspiciously .

      As Rafi and Simone unsteadily stood up, they both looked at each other surprised.
      “Where are we? and who are they?” Asked Rafi nervously.

      Rafi and Simone looked around with big eyes and saw shops, trees and houses made out of lego.

      “Is that a lego shop or just a regular shop because if it’s a lego shop
      Then I’m buying some!” said Rafi.
      “I don’t think so Rafi, and I think thats the last thing we need to worry about”. Said simone.
      “Look! Over there! It’s our toys, they’re all alive !”Said Rafi!

      Simone gasps
      “Uhhh are they… coming over here” said Rafi

      …….

      Amelia Parmenter age 8.

      1. Thank you for your entry Amelia. Could you reply with your school name too?

          1. Thank you Amelia. I saw some incredible dance videos online from your school recently.

    3. Pitch Black

      As the day past the sun set grow mist filled up the room, and no longer no one could be seen.
      Voices fell on the midnight moon, shadows went past.
      Voices grew who was there nobody knew.
      Wind blowing shadows moving, everyone was shaking on the midnight moon little sounds one by one got closer to the ear.
      Everyone was petrified everyone tiptoped out and ran.

      A while later the day light sprung we woke up one by one.
      We went to the destroyed unloved house.
      Sparks flashed round it – what was going on?
      I looked at my phone there was a thunder storm, but Rafi didn’t care he jumped right over it – wow he could jump high.
      Rain blew thunder shaked the wind pushed me in the house.
      The door locked we looked back at the clue did it mean we had to come back a third time a shadow crept up to me I felt a tap on my back.
      My heart was racing like a bird trapped in a cage.
      I turned around wait no one was there the doll toy was flying in the air.
      I asked if it was Rafi but no.
      The light flicked on and off, the lights fell pitch black!!!

      By Chloe Monument age 10
      Four Marks CE Primary School, Year 5

  2. “I don’t know,” Simone replied, “Maybe we should take the case and leave. I mean, we could figure this out at home?”
    ” I guess so. We don’t have any other good options.” Rafi stated, whilst starting to get up. The two boys snatched the suitcase and left the dimly lit room. When they got home, their mother asked many questions about where they had been which they dodged carefully and went up to their room to talk. Rafi said they should go back to the house and investigate there as their mum wouldn’t come up to the room to find them looking into the suitcase. The next day, Rafi and Simone went to the abandoned house. As they stepped in, the floorboards creaked and it felt like the room was shaking. Simone went upstairs and Rafi followed, both being careful not to make too much noise. The door to the room opened; they found themselves sitting on the dusty bed whilst touching all of the toys at once. Immediately, the boys found themselves in a different place to where they were originally. ” Why did we even go to that house in the first place!” Rafi mumbled, quietly.
    ” It was a dare remember!” Simone replied, nudging Rafi
    “A stupid one..” Rafi murmured.
    “Stop arguing, you lousy children,” A deep voice said, making the two boys jump.
    “Who are you?” Rafi asked, bravley
    ” Touch one just for fun, Touch two, that will change you, Touch three to see me. I am the owner of those cursed toys,”
    “Cursed!” Simone exclaimed.
    ” Yes and now you boys belong to me. You see, those toys used to be people who betrayed me but now I just do it for fun!” He laughed maniacally. The boys almost cried as the voice somehow sucked them into a doll. That was the last heard from them but they do say now the puppet master lurks in the dark shadows…

    1. Thank you Aaliyah for penning the first entry. Your piece reminds me of a short film that features in a secondary LTE lesson.

    2. “Well i think we should touch the toys like the note said just for fun.” Said Simone
      “I’m not to sure about that .” cowardly mumbled Rafi.

      As per usual, Rafi was nervous but his brother was up to doing anything.

      “Are you sure we should do this. What is we get in trouble ?” Asked Rafi.

      “We wont nobody is even here .” explained Simone trying to reassure Rafi.

      Rafi agreed to playing with the old toys and sat down on the dusty carpet.
      “Please can i play with the tin soldier ? ” asked Rafi

      Rafi always asked Simone permission first as he was the oldest . In the old house there was hundreds of ancient books and spider webs right in the top of the ceiling cracks . The furniture was an emerald green colour but looked like nobody had sat on them in years in fact the whole house looked as no one had lived there in a long time .

      “Look there’s a painting of a man and a women they must be the people who lived here .” Explained Simone .

      When they turned back around the toys had vanished all that was left was the old suitcase .
      “Where did the toys go? ” Shouted Simone .

      “Shh listen forget about the toys what is that noise?” Whispered Rafi .
      They both walked out into the hall searching for where the sound came from and
      who made it. It was coming from the kitchen so they walked to it and the noise got louder and louder . They peaked there heads round the corner of the the door and stood in front of them was the same family from the painting but little did they know that same family had be dead for twenty years …

          1. The deadline for entries is next Weds 13th May. We should be able to announce the winner by Monday 18th May.

    1. Hi Upper,

      Plan, draft and edit your entry. Once you’re happy with it, post it in the comments section here.

      1. ”I’m not very sure” said Simone ”maybe we can touch one for fun.” as Simone stretched his hand towards the old crumbled box ,Rafi screeched ”NOOOO” before he could even touch any of the toys .”come on Rafi ,don’t be a scaredy cat”said Simone as he touched one of the toys . but nothing happened .”lets touch another one”said Simone as he laid his hands on the uneven toy. suddenly ,the clothes that they were wearing fell of and they transformed into ninjas. ”cool” Rafi said as he looked at his black clothing. two sharp swords fell from the sky and Simone said ”we can face anything with these swords”. but that was the time when loads of warriors were summoned by a black cloud of smoke.” that wasn’t a really a smart thing to say, ” said Simone as he stood back to back with Rafi .They fought the warriors and Rafi mumbled ,” these things are tough!”.
        Simone quickly leaped to the old box, hoping to touch the last toy. But all of a sudden Simone disappeared . Rafi shouted in a terrified voice, ” SIMONE! ”
        But Simone was nowhere to be found. After a tiring battle, Rafi looked up and walked towards the old suitcase to touch the last toy. Upon contact with the mysterious doll, Rafi was sucked into a hypersonic portal. colours swirled around him as he floated down a long tube. Down, down he fell. Right into another world….
        Rafi woke up to a tap on the shoulder. “AAAHH!” Rafi screamed in horror as Simone tried to shut him up. After a matter of time, Rafi stoped screaming In relief that it was Simone .”luckily we still have our swords and we can fighting for ourselves ”said Simone .they walked through the soggy footpath . after a few minutes ,which felt like forever for Simone and his friend thy got to green grassland were the suns rays was shining so brilliantly. suddenly, high tree stumps grew around the entrance.”uh-oh”Rafi said as the entrance closed a booming voice said”you shall have everything you want but you shall never escape from here”
        Rafi was woken up by his family shouting his name. ”phew.. it was only a dream .”

  4. The two boys were glued to the three queer toys. A couple nervous looks and stuttering ensued, ignoring it was out of the question. “I say we…” Simone was interrupted by a sudden lock of the door behind them. It was as if destiny was luring them towards it. Rafi re-read the note, “Touch one, just for fun… touch two, that will change you… touch three come and see me…” the damp walls in the room started to look like it was towering over them.
    “Where are WE” Simone screeched with a trembling lip.
    It took a while for Rafi to reply, he was repeating the words in his head over and over, clanging from left and right in his mind, he finally paused and struggled to say “I-I I don’t know… but were trapped…” all there was to do was play with the toys, questions flew in their heads not stopping anytime soon. Why. How. What.
    Simone took the deepest, most nervous breath he had ever taken, “I will touch the second one..” he felt as if he said it bravely but it was really a half whimper half whisper. His hand and directed it toward the mini soldier, maybe this was all a joke, yes a harmless joke he thought. As his first finger touched it Rafi stepped as far back as he could from Simone. To their surprise nothing happened.
    “So this was all a… A JOKE” Rafi yelled with a murderous look.
    Simone froze – his head turned 180 degrees and starred right at Rafi, his eyes beamed but not a colour of hope, but a colour of pure evil, “No my friend,” his mouth curved to make a horrifying grin as he twitched, “it was not…” A sudden light-flicker and a huge crashed was the last thing Rafi heard… he was in a bed and an alarm he thought was his was beeping. So it was all a dream, he thought. A middle-aged woman burst through the door opposite him. It was not his mum, but Simone’s.
    “Simone!!!” she said to him, “time for breakfast…”

  5. This is my entry:

    It was while they were exploring the old house that Rafi and Simone found the suitcase, stuffed into the back of a cupboard.
    “This looks old,” said Rafi, trying to find a way to open the lock.
    “There’s something inside,” said Simone. “It rattles when you move it.”
    They laid the case down on the floor, and eventually Simon discovered that if you pressed the clasp softly, the suitcase clicked open, the lid rising into the air. A sudden cloud of dust made the children cough, but once they had waved it away, they saw what was inside. There were three very old looking toys, lying on a bed of crumpled tissue paper. A clockwork bird, with a key sticking out of the back. A tin soldier, with a brightly painted uniform, beginning to rust. And a funny old doll, made of corn tied together with ribbon.
    “Hey!” said Rafi. “Someone’s left a note on top.”
    It was as old as the suitcase, if not older. In spidery ink, on yellowing parchment, it read:
    Touch one, just for fun.
    Touch two, that will change you.
    Touch three, to come and see me.
    “Who do you think wrote that?” said Simone.
    “What shall we do?” said Rafi.
    “ Yes, what shall you do?” an unfamiliar voice echoed in the deserted room.
    “ Who said that?” Yelled Simone, stepping backwards.
    All of a sudden, the corn doll started to move, it came closer and closer until it was sitting on Simone’s shoe. It moved it’s featureless head up to him as if it was staring into his soul.
    “ I did, young man” the sound was high-pitched and blurred, like when somebody tries to talk without using their mouth. The sound came from the doll. The two boys slowly tried to turn away…
    Then, the clockwork bird soared up and out of the box, grabbing Simone by the scruff of his neck and shoving him into the suitcase.
    “ No! Simone!” Cried Rafi, “ Don’t hurt me!”
    The doll climbed into the case, but the tin soldier out. With that, he made his way over to Rafi and dug his sword deep into the back of his leg. Clutching his leg, Rafi fell down, down, down into the dank depths of the suitcase. Would they ever come out?

  6. “I’m not sure,” said Simone, “But I like the little corn doll!” She reached out to touch it, but Rafi grabbed her hand.
    “No, we can’t risk anything. Don’t touch it, or any of the other toys.” Simone sighed but agreed. “Alright, alright. But what do you think the note means?” She paused. “Is it talking about.. them?” She was pointing at the tin soldier and the bird, and the small corn doll inside the case. Simone looked up at Rafi. “Rafi, we’re going to have to touch the toys, if we’ve any chance of escaping this place. You know that horrible wizard who took us here won’t unlock the door, so we might as well try to escape ourselves.” Rafi looked around at the dilapidated room, paint peeling off the walls, broken planks of wood scattered around them, and a small mattress with brown stains over it being the only thing close to comforting.
    “I’m just scared. My mother said nothing bad would ever happen to me, and she would make sure of it! But here I am, trapped in some old wizard’s house with a girl.”
    “Hey, not just any girl! The girl who’s going to get us out of here. Not your stupid mother, who never even cared about you anyway.” Rafi looked down. Simone stopped, realising what she had just said. “Rafi, I didn’t mean that… Your mother does care about you.”
    “She doesn’t. She never did. She probably said that to shut me up when I was younger.” Simone saw him wipe a tear off his face.
    “Well who cares. We don’t need mothers, do we? We can run away together,” she said. Rafi smiled.
    “Stop dreaming,” he said, picking up the note and reading it once again. “Touch one, just for fun. Well, that isn’t going to help. Touch two. That will change you.” Rafi glanced up at Simone. “Too risky.” Simone snatched the note out of Rafi’s hands.
    “Might be worth a try.” She looked back to the paper. “Touch three, to come and see me? Someone offering to help?” Rafi nodded.
    “Go on, Simone. Touch the corn doll.” He told her. Simone reached out slowly and tentatively and picked it up. Suddenly, the children heard footsteps coming towards the door. They stood up quickly and clasped hold of each other’s hands. The door creaked open. A large corn doll opened the door and gestured to them to come closer.
    “Children,” she whispered. “Come here.” Simone led Rafi, who had frozen in shock, to the doll, and she picked them up in her arms and brought them home.

  7. “Lets touch them like the words say and find out! ” Said Simone.
    “I don’t think we should’….Said Rafi.
    “Oh come on, what’s the worst that can happen” said simone.

    Simone leans over gently and picks up the rusty old clockwork bird.
    See nothing happened….“Go on you give it a try” said simone.

    Rafi nervously picked up the toy soldier and all of a sudden the children’s fingers
    Transformed into plastic and the rest of their bodys followed.
    “What’s happening” yelled rafie frantically.

    “I don’t know but this is fun, quick we need to touch it one more time!’ said simone.
    “But why?” Said Rafi.
    “Remember it said to do, Touch three, to come and see me.” Said Simone.
    Simone touched the last toy, the old doll,She had big blue eyes and bright white hair, and had cobwebs all over her.

    As Simone touched the doll the two children suddenly were pulled into a massive magical
    Colorful portal …..

    The children were awoken by squeaky voices .
    As they looked up they were surprised to see a circle of toys looking down on them suspiciously .

    They started to stand up .
    They both looked at each other surprised.
    “Where are we? and who are they?” Rafi said .
    They looked around and saw shops and houses made out of lego.

    “Is that a lego shop or just a regular shop because if it’s a lego shop
    Then I’m buying some!” said Rafi.
    “I don’t think so Rafi”. Said simone.
    “Look! It’s our toys!”Said Rafi!

    Simone gasps
    “Uhhh are they coming over here” said Rafi

    …….

    Amelia Parmenter age 8.

    1. Hi,

      There is no need to input an email address. Just ask students to list their first name (only), year group and school when posting.

  9. The children glanced at the toys for a while, contemplating every detail on them, the delicateness of the bird’s feathers and its metallic clockwork back incrusted with tiny gems.
    The tin soldier rusted badly on its hand painted face, with its long shotgun pointing up in a smart fashion.
    But the most intriguing thing of all, was the tiny corn doll with its wide skirts and its miniature bonnet tide with bits of silk string.
    “Maybe it’s supposed to go in some sort of order?” questioned Simone
    Rafi looked at Simone as if he had asked to eat breakfast for dinner.
    “Don’t be stupid Simone, obviously someone’s put this here to entertain us during quarantine! It’s just some sort of baby-nonsense,” replied Rafi, clearly trying to sound mature.
    Simone wasn’t quite sure, this handwriting didn’t seem familiar at all, and the thick dust on the wide chest had proven that nobody had touched it for years. Rafi had seen Simone’s expression, thinking things through thoroughly.
    “Honestly, Simone, people will think you such a child if you believe this garbage. It’s all a trick I’m sure of it!”
    Simone wasn’t reassured as he glanced back at the toys laid out neatly on the old tissue paper. He could tell there was only one way of settling their disagreement.

    Simone announced, “alright then if you’re so sure it’s a big con hold the first doll, hold one just for fun.”
    Rafi was taken aback, sort of believing the whole thing after all. Interpreting some clues, he still wanted to prove Simone wrong so as to feel the bigger person.
    Rafi said aloud, “alright then you big wimp! I’ll prove you wrong.”

    Rafi selected all three of the toys instead of one. Instantly shocked with his actions, he blushed bright pink.
    They waited one moment, then another… nothing happened.
    Simone was embarrassed (red too) after his childish request didn’t go as planned.

    Rafi smirked, pleased that he had won this argument.
    “So, was I right or was I right?” claimed Rafi.
    Simone crossed his arms sulkily. “Alright no need to get such a big head!”
    Suddenly, a loud rumble filled the room. Simone wound his head round desperate to discover where this loud sound had originated.
    Rafi blushed. “Oops- just my stomach, I’m starving after all these toy mysteries, let’s go ask your mum for some food!”
    They both had one last look in the gloomy cupboard of junk (including the disappointing chest) then walked away to have some lunch after their small adventure.
    They ran across the landing to hopefully discover Simone’s mother, doing housework in the kitchen.
    “Hello kiddos, ready for lunch are we?” This was Margaret, Simone’s mother.
    She had quite long hair, jet black that she wore fastened tightly in a top knot. Her clothes had always been simple dry colours like earth brown and pale yellow. She was a wide-ish woman with fat fingers that had a great grip.
    Simone, still down about his discoveries replied, “mother, why did you lie to us about that old chest in the junk cupboard?”
    Margaret had never been convincing in her life. It was simple to tell if she had been sneaking a little white lie, but for once she looked absolutely clueless.
    “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand. You found a chest?”
    Rafi and Simone looked baffled. “The one with the three small toys, the Clockwork bird, the rusted tin man, and the tiny corn doll,” declared Rafi.
    “I have absolutely no clue. Maybe it was some of your grandfathers’ old junk he asked me to dump away, but I didn’t have a chance,” she answered.
    Unexpectedly, a loud boom hit the room.
    “Rafi, hold on two seconds, my mum’s just getting the food,” said Simone.
    Rafi widened his mouth in a big ‘O’ shape. “That’s not me…”
    A trumpeting sound echoed around the room so loudly their eardrums popped. It was followed by a booming sound like drums, making it feel as if a rock band had taken up residence in their kitchen.
    And suddenly silence…
    Rafi and Simone glared at each other. The world around them was no more…

    Lucy – Age 11
    Purbrook Park School

  10. This is my story:

    “I knew we shouldn’t have come here in the first place.” Exclaimed Rafi, shaking.
    “Well we didn’t intend to; we came across it and wanted to know what was in here.”
    They stood there for a couple of minutes, in the eery silence.
    “I think we should do number 2; I like changes!” Simone replied eagerly.
    “No, no I don’t think that’s a good idea, you don’t know what could happen!”
    Rafi started backing away from the suitcase and the toys, wishing they had never entered the creepy house in the first place. He wanted nothing to do with the toys.
    Rafi and Simone were in quite different mind sets but who would get their way and which number were they going to choose, if any?
    “That’s the point Rafi, we don’t know what’s going to happen, it could be good. It could be REALLY good” Simone was getting carried away, she liked the mystery and the unknown of what might happen.
    “Or it could be bad, VERY bad.” Rafi quickly jumped in.
    Without any further thinking, Rafi took the suitcase. “We are not talking about this anymore, this is silly, nothing will happen whichever number we pick.”
    “No Rafi, give it here.”
    They were tugging and pulling at the suitcase for a matter of minutes, when all of a sudden, they both heard a loud chime.
    “What have you done Simone!” Rafi snapped.
    “What have I done, what have WE done I think you mean.”
    Accidentally one of the buttons on the suitcase had got pressed, number 3 come and see me. Both their eyes widened, and they took a big gulp. This was not much fun anymore; it was turning out to be the scariest time of their lives.
    Neither of them knew what was going to happen, it was terrifying but at the same time Simone couldn’t help but be a little bit excited.
    “Who could have set this up though, who do you think lived here?” Enquired Simone.
    “Doesn’t look like anyone has lived here in years, just look at this place.”
    They both looked around the room they were in, there was cobwebs hanging from every corner, dust on the old ripped furniture and a horrible musty smell filled the air.
    Simone was about to speak when…
    “Tap Tap”, someone or something was tapping on the walls, getting louder and more frantic, causing Simone and Rafi to cling to each other in terror.
    A spider suddenly ran across the dusty, unpolished floor.
    Rafi’s eyes followed the spider all the way over to where a doll was sitting in the corner, it had one eye missing and a piece of ribbon tied around its waist which had a slight rip in. She got a shiver down her spine.
    Something did not feel right. She studied the doll from where she was standing, looking the doll up and down.
    Just then, Rafi noticed something that terrified her. She blinked multiply times to work out if this was real. “its not real, it can’t be real.” She told herself, hoping it was a dream.
    “What’s the matter, have you seen something?” Simone whispered, she was terrified that someone else was in the house and would hear her speaking.
    “I… I just see that doll… smile at me.”
    Simone’s teeth started chattering and she immediately looked over to the doll. Surely Rafi must have imagined it, the doll wasn’t real, it was simply a damaged toy.
    “Are you sure you didn’t imagine it was smiling at you?” She asked tentatively.
    “No, I know what I saw.” Rafi couldn’t take her eyes off of the doll, praying it didn’t smile again.
    Just then, the door banged shut, shaking the whole room.
    Simone heard footsteps coming from behind her and heavy breathing on her shoulder.
    “I think there is someone behind me.” Simone’s voice was barely a whisper, she daren’t turn around for fear of what or who was behind her.
    Rafi felt a bit braver and turned around sharply,” There’s nothing there Simone, you’re probably just scared.”
    “No, I’m sure there was….”
    As the girls turned back around, there right in front of their eyes was an army of dolls. All Standing facing towards them and all dressed in matching clothes. The girls let out a piercing scream and sprinted from the house as fast as they could, not stopping until they were home.
    From that day onwards, no-one has stepped foot inside that house.

    From Emily Millward, Debden Park High School.

  11. It was while they were exploring the old house that Rafi and Simone found the suitcase, stuffed into the back of a cupboard.
    “This looks old,” said Rafi, trying to find a way to open the lock.
    “There’s something inside,” said Simone. “It rattles when you move it.”
    They laid the case down on the floor, and eventually Simon discovered that if you pressed the clasp softly, the suitcase clicked open, the lid rising into the air. A sudden cloud of dust made the children cough, but once they had waved it away with, they saw what was inside. There were three very old looking toys, lying on a bed of crumpled tissue paper. A clockwork bird, with a key sticking out of the back. A tin soldier, with a brightly painted uniform, beginning to rust. And a funny old doll, made of corn tied together with ribbon.
    “Hey!” said Rafi. “Someone’s left a note on top.”
    It was as old as the suitcase, if not older. In spidery ink, on yellowing parchment, it read:
    Touch one, just for fun. Touch two, that will change you. Touch three, to come and see me.
    “Who do you think wrote that?” said Simone. “What shall we do?” said Rafi.
    Curiosity flowering in their minds, Rafi, being the daring individual of the group, swiftly grabbed the ancient looking doll.
    “Don’t touch that thing!” screeched Simon.
    “Oh don’t be a big baby,” giggled Rafi. “It’s just a doll, here have a look.”
    Suddenly, Rafi launched the fragile doll at him as he attempted to block it. Failing dramatically, the doll hit his head as he fell to the dusty ground. Rafi and Simone burst out laughing as she threw the clockwork bird at him. As Simon hesitantly got up to his swollen knees, his eyes caught onto the brightly painted tin soldier. Something about it drew Simon to the unusually odd face. Its eyes were popping with colour. His long brown hair slipping through the creeks of his worn helmet.
    As he slowly got closer his dusted hand reached out for the tin soldier. As his hand softly touched it, the lowly lit room suddenly turned bright like a warm summer day. The giggling stopped and the girls vanished turning to dust. The room span like the Waltzer. Then… darkness.
    Quickly opening his eyes, his blurred vision slowly returned. A wave of thick, icy air hit his skin like goosebumps. He seemed to be on a plane but not just any plane, an old claustrophobic aircraft full of people in khaki uniforms all with a different look on their face. Some nervous, some excited, some neutral and some sad.
    “20 seconds!” yelled one of the men standing at the front of the queue as he opened one of the exits to the plane.
    “What’s he doing,” whispered Simon with a noticeable stutter in his shaky voice “is he jumping out?”
    “No you fool we are!” shouted one of the soldiers as the rest of them laughed.
    “Right lads, when you reach the ground grab your kit and meet at the rally point!” Said a soldier with a red beret on and a slug like moustache.
    “Fritz don’t stand a chance against us Brits,” exclaimed one of the other soldiers “this isn’t their country!”
    “It’s not ours either!” argued another soldier.
    Suddenly the light went from red to green.
    Out of nowhere, he was pushed out of the plane and was freefalling through the dark sky full of explosions and bullets. In desperation he found a chord and pulled it as a parachute emerged from the satchel on his back and slowed his pursuit to the ground. As he looked down, he realized he was closer to the surface and beneath him was a lake. Plummeting into the lake, the parachute pulled him to the bottom. Considering what would become of himself, he tried to escape but he couldn’t. There was no hope left. As he closed his eyes, he felt a sudden tugging at his waist as another soldier cut the parachute and helped him to the ground.
    “Come on lad we have a country to liberate!” laughed a warm voice.
    As he cleared his eyes of the bitter water, his eyes caught onto the soldier’s bright uniform. His eyes were popping with colour. His long brown hair slipped through the creeks of his helmet. It was the tin soldier. However, a loud bang filled his ears as a large bomb came their way and…

    Daniel Harrison Y7
    Handsworth Grange Community Sports College

  12. School: Purbrook Park School

    Simone didn’t answer. He was muddled and perplexed. Why would there be three toys in a giant suitcase? Something didn’t add up. And the note, what did it mean?
    “Maybe we have to touch the toys, like it said on the note.” Rafi guessed.
    “Touch one just for fun.” Rafi placed his pale finger on the worn clockwork bird. Simone giggled in amusement.
    “You seriously fought that would work?” He chuckled. Rafi gave him a sharp glare. As they continued to search the drawn remaining of the dim dwelling there was an abrupt movement. A swift twitch. Both boys turned to one another in awe. They dashed to the toys, inspecting each one of them.
    “Look! The bird!” Rafi yelled. Simone turned his head. The golden key was gradually turning.
    “The key, its winding up the bird.” Rafi explained. The continuous clicking of the stiff key come to a stop. Both boys gave it a second but there was no answer. It was silent. Simone stood and eventually walked off. Rafi just sat there staring at it. He knew something was going to happen, he just didn’t know what. He too had given up and got bored with the useless toy. As he turned away from it a heap of dust flew straight into his face. After a minuet or two of coughing he shifted his position and there it flew. The clockwork bird was circling the room. He was soaring through the air.
    “Get down!” Rafi shouted to Simone.
    “What?” Simone asked. The bird was heading straight for him. Simone, with his eyes wide open, rapidly ducked his head. He had to look twice to realise what was actually happening.
    “What did you do!” Simone called.
    “It wasn’t my fault! The bird was winding itself up!” Rafi replied. The boys could hardly hear each other think. The deafening clank of the tin bird echoed the room. The bird felt free, the bird felt alive, the bird felt open. Simone grabbed a small wooden net and running round the room he finally caught the heavy clockwork.
    “What just happened?” Simone said trying to catch his breathe back.
    “Touch one just for fun.” Rafi whispered to himself.
    “Touch one just for fun!” Rafi said in a much louder voice. Simone was still confused.
    “I touched one of the toys, the bird, and then it flew!” he explained to Simone
    “Touch one just for fun.” Simone repeated. “That was not fun! After a small discussion they both ran downstairs to find the note and read the second line. It read: Touch two and it will change you. Simone picked up his feet and started to bather the toys.
    “No!”’ Rafi shouted, “Don’t touch them, look at what happened last time we don’t want to get into any trouble.” Simone raised his head and glanced at the marked walls inside the house.
    “I guess your right.” Simone lied. Rafi picked up his things to go.
    “Simone?” Rafi said. “Simone, seriously this isn’t funny, just come out already. Stop hiding.” Then there was a twitch. It had come from the toys but it wasn’t the three toys in the suitcase it was a fourth toy. Rafi walked over to the unusual toy and inspected it carefully. It was Simone!
    “Simone! Simone is that you? What happened? Simone!” Rafi panicked. Simone talked back but
    nothing could be heard he was too small.
    “Did you touch the toys, the toys… Simone where did you put the toys they are gone.” Rafi asked. Then, Simone’s face had a sudden change, his miniature arm, shaking, was slowly raising to point directly behind Rafi. Standing behind them were the two toys Simone had touched. The soldier and the old funny doll. They were both dusty and cracked. The problem was that they were twice Rafi’s size! Simone finally raised his voice loud enough so that Rafi could hear it.
    “RUN!” Simone screamed in a high-pitched voice. Rafi quickly grabbed his torn bag and made it to the door.
    “OPEN THE DOOR!” Simone repeated. But Rafi was so scared his hands just couldn’t grab hold of the door handle. After many try’s Rafi managed to open and shut the door behind them. The boys had no words. Rafi just ran. What is going to happen to Simone? How will they tell their parents? Is this all a dream?
    “That was only the second stage.” Rafi explained “What about the third!”

  14. “well of course we touch it told us not too!!!”Simone replied
    “maybe we shouldn’t because what if the boogie man is in there..”Rafi shuddered
    “your really scared of a guy who eats boogies?!?!”Simone yelled and put her hands on her hips glaring at Rafi
    “well your scared to touch that suit cast so you cant say anything!”Rafi screamed as he scratched his hair furiously as he looked at old toys.
    “oh really?”Simone then tapped the suit case with a smug look.
    “now I dare you to tap that old thing! “she said and pointed to him and then the suitcase, he let out a sigh and dragged he big feet across the ground as he made his way to the old Maleta,
    “chica estúpida….”Rafi mumbled as he knelt down almost touching the suitcase but suddenly.
    “EXUSE ME!?!?”Simone defensively screeched
    “I’m atornillado..!”Rafi sighed as he got hit in the back of the head almost passing out.
    “do you think I’m deaf!?!?” she shook her hand aggressively.
    “yes.. I mean no ma,am!”he said
    “ARE YOU TRYING TO CALL MY OLD!?!?”the girl yelled almost making the whole room shake, the boy laughed as he tapped the suit case two more times then suddenly it clicks open and suddenly cold fog started to engulf their feet.
    “I TOLD YOU TO PRESS IT ONCE!!!!”
    “NO YOU DIDNT!!!”
    “OH YOU LITTLLE UGH!! KNOW WE ARE GOING TO DIE BECAUSE OF YOU!!”
    “BUT IT WAS YOUR FAULT DARING ME ANYWAYS!!”
    “why are kids nowadays so loud and obnoxious..” a warm voice said , both of the kids wiped there heads round(probably almost breaking their necks) to the suit case to see a tall slender lady jump out of the suit case wearing a very smart pink suit,
    “don’t kill me hermoso ángulo t-the chica estúpida she forced me to do it.” the boy said as he went onto his knees and bowed,
    “ella es más intelligente que usted en primer lugar y no se puede quejar de que claramente dijo grifo una vez, pero con su cerebro estúpido que golpeó dos veces!!! no te mataré sin embargo para que disterbing mi sueño que tendrá que tomar el control de mi trabajo!” the lady spoke loud and friendly and wore a smile that shines from ear to ear
    “English please!” simone growled as she tapped her foot on a wooden tile
    “ah hehe sorry miss so I was first of all having a yell at the stupid boy for calling you stupid girl and clearly he’s stupid in this situation and I will not kill the pair of you but however you’ll have to take on my job!” the woman in the pink suit encouragingly yelled, the pair kids looked at each other in confusion,
    “and that’s monster hunting!” the pair stood there mouths dropped to the ground and eyes at wipe and as bright as the moon
    “sorry Madame but we are kids we should be playing video games and being fat pigs like this is our summer holiday!!!”simone yelled waving her arms around in the air
    “well that’s better because the stuff the gang will teach you it will actually stay In your brain!” she replied as she flicked both their foreheads
    “what if we die like you’ll have to tell my parents!” Rafi yelled
    “well first that’s a lie because you don’t have parents you both live at the old witch’s house.” the woman said as she started taking two big bags out of the suitcase
    “does that mean we have to kill them!?!?”Rafi yelled scared out of his life.
    “oh no of course not we aren’t that bad besides they are the ones who make magic thrive through the world!” she said giving the small people a bag of super agent stuff.
    “child slavery…..”simone mumbled as she puled out a pink suit
    “do we have this in black I don’t do barbie sorry.” simone said as she dropped the suit on the floor.
    “nope but now ill see you vey soon, I’m going to play with my goat, eat chocolate chip chicken cookies oh and I’m going to hibernate for 15 years so that’s probably when you’ll be….28 or older, ” the woman yawned as she took her suit of to reveal a pair of pyjamas ,
    “wait we don’t even know you or what weapons we use and what if we need to call you in case we need backup r something!?!?”simone yelled as she grabbed the woman’s arm
    she then sighs and plops onto the bed.
    “my name is Skye Taylor, those toys are your weapons an-”
    “ahhaha funny joke!” Rafi laughed
    “not a joke idiot boy.” Skye glares at the boy, this glare could not be broken and it felt like it could kill you,
    “and you will have a group of other friends some you might know some you might not but that doesn’t matter what so ever, just don’t kill each other.” The woman finished
    “sorry but how are our baby toys suppose to beat a monster?” simone question as she finished putting her suit on.
    “good vs dark of course, memories can be good and these toys are the things that spark those memories.”Skye yawned as she dozed off.
    “where are we supposed to go!?! ” Rafi yelled as he put the toys in the pocket of his suit.
    “are you dumb? jump into the suitcase! annoying much?” simone smacked Rafi and then dived into the suit case.
    “I knew I should have slept in and played super lurgies kart…”Rafi sighed as he carried the bags and puts one foot into the suitcase expecting there to be a surface but he then falls. Skye hid in the bed and smiles to herself

    15 years later

    “for gnomes sake just shoot the thing Rafi!” yelled a small fat boy with freckles and red hair.
    “are you dumb?!? the plasma gun wont work on a demon due to its skin!”Rafi started drawing symbols on the snow and then cuts his hand
    “sorry but are you dumb you are going to hurt yourself even ore than you can!” said a tall girl with blond hair cut to her shoulders, the symbols started to glow red and the creature was then pulled into the portal leaving a pool of blood,
    “man I hate this!” said a short black man with a big backpack

  16. The children nervously looked down.
    “That’s a good question Rafi.” Wispered Simone.
    Rafi crouched over and picked the small bird up.
    “Dont touch them Rafi !” Simone called raising her voice.
    “Hey look, the initials say V.M . Who could that be??” Rafi wondered.
    “I have no idea. I wish i did. But please can we just go now Rafi. Im scared.”
    Simone sighed.
    “What do you think it means anyway touch 3 times?” The boy paused for a moment.”
    Oh come on Simone, nothing will happen, its just some stupid kids trying to scare us.”
    Rafi stated.
    As Simone wandered around the house. Looking for anything that could explain just a little where they where or who even lived there. The walls where paper thin. Cobwebs in every corner. There was frames in each room, all of toys.
    Rafi observed the brocken bird. And just as Simone entered the room again, Rafi turned the small bird round and twisted. One.. Two.. Three..
    And with that as quick as you could click you fingers the two children where gone. Everything blackened out.
    When the children both woke up the couldn’t move. They were stuck. Frozen on the shelf of the toy store below the house.
    The children had transformed into toys.
    The memory of their life before was slowly faiding away.
    The End.
    My names Tia and I’m 14.
    I go to Trafalgar school. Portsmouth

  17. “Touch them!” said Simone- a wicked grin forming on her face. “Well I … stuttered Rafi” His voice fell into a whisper. “It’s really not a good idea”. Simone obviously didn’t hear Raifi and carried on: “which one… Aha! Look at this soldier”. Her hand reached out to touch it but stopped as she saw the terrified expression carved onto Rafis face. “ Hey”She said concerned. “You don’t actually believe it right?” Rafi didn’t say anything- he wouldn’t let his friend see him scared! Simone’s hand grasped the soldier. Rafi gasped and closed his eyes as if expecting a bomb to go off… Nothing.

    Apart from the sound of Simone’s laughs. “Honestly Rafi! See it’s completely fine.” But Simone had forgotten the ancient parchment. “ What should we play with next?” Her hand reached to the corn doll. And grinned fascinated by it. However, her grin was demolished as her fingers grabbed the corn doll. She let out a massive scream and fell to the ground twisting and twitching in agony. “ Simone”. Rafi whispered. His face turned from white to a very pale green looking worryingly like an over-boiled cabbage! Simone tried to talk back but her tongue was as solid as a rock and her mouth was clamped shut. She couldn’t move anything apart from her eyes which were darting around the room .

    Rafi suddenly had a weird sensation to touch it. A sad dopey little woodpecker- always last to be left. Rafi tried to fight the feeling screaming in his brain: “Touch it! Touch it! Touch it! Everything will be OK if you touch the bird. Come on Rafi, NOW!” His hand was reaching out towards the cuckoo clock without realising it. “No!” It was no use Rafi was too weak and he knew it. His finger tips skimmed the bird and he closed his eyes waiting , it was worse than it had ever been in his life.

    He woke up lying in a place he’d seen many times. He got up- in a heavy trance, picked up Simone by the hair and stumbled towards the shop. As Simone looked around the place looked almost pleasant. It was white with snow and all the buildings looked clean and cozy but completely deserted. Apart from one shop- which was where Rafi stumbled into. It was extremely old and looked like an abandoned library. It was musty and there were cobwebs in every plank I’d rotting wood.The books and suitcases there looked at least a thousand years old. It looked ancient as did a small desk with a small seat and a small man older and more crippled then the library itself. It couldn’t of been human- could it? Simone looked up as far as she could and saw that the desk was stacked high with yellowish parchment older than the ancient library. The owner looked up but Simone could see the writing- well one word! It said “touch” in small spidery handwriting.

    “ Ah Rafi” the voice rasped- it shivers down Simone’s spine. “ What have we got here?” Rafi muttered something that Simone couldn’t quite hear. “ Ah, a nice young lady. It will be a very nice add to the collection.” It looked at Simone. It’s small black eyes were slits in its crippled walnut like face. It turned to Rafi. “ And you… You took way to long, you were gone at least ten years befriending her. Still… you lead her to the house in the end. You will be rewarded”. Simone looked at Rafi in disbelief. They had been friends all their life… or at least she thought. Rafi smiled a smile quite unlike his own-“ thank you master” he rasped and pointed at Simone. “ Reducto!”

    Aughhhhhh! It was horrible as if her skin was too tight for her body. But then it changed- she was now in a suit of armour and screwing it tighter and tighter and tighter and it stopped. She opened her eyes but they weren’t eyes and gasped for breath without breathing. She looked down realising she was china. “Oh my God!” She thought angrily “ I’m a tiny doll!” “ Put it on the shelf Rafi!” The creature said. Rafi nodded and gently lifted Simone to a super high shelf . The shelf had dolls- mainly children from Caveman times up until modern day from all around the world. They were all eyeing Rafi with a mixture of anger, sadness and dislike. Simone glared at Rafi “Don’t make it harder Si” Rafi whispered as he gently removed her hair from her eyes. He wiped away the tears trickling down his face and turned to his master. “Get a boy now” it said “there’s too many girls on the shelf”. Rafi nodded and ran off. Leaving Simone looking desperately after him- By Emma.W 7R6 at Amery Hill School

  18. Emily Rose had always loved peaceful California with its bright, lushes trees. It was a place where she felt surprised.She was a brave and generous with beautiful eyes and blonde hair. Her friends saw her as a lonely, long lover. Once, she had even jumped into a river and saved a cute baby bird. That’s the sort of woman she was.

    Emily walked over to the window and reflected on her exciting surroundings. The sun shone like loving puppies. Then she saw something in the distance, or rather someone. It was the figure of Phil . Phil was a sweet caring man with charming eyes. Emily gulped. She was not prepared for Phil

    As Emily stepped forward and Phil came closer, she could see the kooky glint in his eye. Phil gazed with the affection of a smart relieved angle. He said, in hushed tones, “I love you and I want love. ” Emily looked back, even more sparkly and still fingering the beautiful rose. ” Phil, I love you,” she replied.

    They looked at each other with happy feelings, like two kind, doves flying high in the sky.
    Emily regarded Phil’s curvy eyes and skinny hands. “I feel the same way!” revealed Emily with a delighted grin. Phil looked happy, his emotions blushing like a bright rose.
    Then Phil and Emily came inside to water the roses.
    THE END

  19. This is mine :

    ” Well, i think we should touch them , like what is the worst that can happen?”Simon questioned.
    “Fine i guess , but your going first!” Rafi replied with an angry tone . Simon touched the clockwork bird . All of a sudden a violet mist started flowing from the bird, so Rafi quickly touched the soldier as he was drawn to it . Another mist was flowing out of the soldiers rusty back . Now the room is filled with the violet and blue mist . “What is happening ? what should we do ?”Simon shouted as he cant see Rafi.
    ” Calm down first and touch the creepy doll together , maybe it will stop the mist .”
    “Okay ! 3…2….1… NOW!” as the boys grabbed the doll together the mist turned into a whirlwind! the boys screamed as the whirlwind got closer to the boys and the chest. The boys got sucked into the whirlwind still holding the toys afraid of what will happen if they let go . BANG! the boys hit the ground and instantly realized that they are not at home . ” STAND UP!”a strict voice shouted at the boys . The boys stood up and saw that the boys were standing in front of the toy soldier that Rafi was holding. “is that the ..”Rafi got interrupted by the soldier saying , “don’t you dare say it “.
    “doll!” Rafi finished scared.
    ” i told you not to say it , GUARDS , take him away ” the soldier screamed while staring at Rafi angrily . the boys had no idea what was going until to soldiers just like the other one took Rafi . ” Where are you taking him to ?” Simon screamed at the soldier scared for his friend . ” The ragged toy ” the soldier answered , ” and where is that ” Simon asked trying get a plan to save his friend . ” at the top of the tower of course .”
    “so that is where i am going then.” Simon said with attitude.
    “No you are not you are coming with me !” the soldier replied while going to grab Simon’s arm . But luckily Simon dodged and he sprinted as fast as he could too the top of the tower . Where he saw Rafi knelling before the ragged toy that they both grabbed . ” Rafi!” Simon shouted, causing everyone’s heads to look at Simon. ” RUN!” Simon shouted . Rafi stood up and sprinted towards Simon. ” Get them! ” the ragged toy screamed at the soldiers . Simon and Rafi were running down the stairs when they saw a massive clock that had the clockwork bird on top.” come on both of you grab me at the same time to go back home ” the clockwork bird said with a concerned tone in his voice. the boys looked at each other and then looked up the stairs and saw the soldiers. ” Ready! 3..2..1..NOW!” Rafi exclaimed while him and Simon grabbed the clockwork bird, and BANG! The boys where at home and they both looked at the chest and ran towards it and locked it back up. Simon started laughing . ” lets agree we are never doing that again . ” Rafi said laughing as well.
    THE END!

    Tilly Herbert, Year 7
    Debden Park High School.

  20. ”I’m not very sure” said Simone ”maybe we can touch one for fun.” as Simone stretched his hand towards the old crumbled box ,Rafi screeched ”NOOOO” before he could even touch any of the toys .”come on Rafi ,don’t be a scaredy cat”said Simone as he touched one of the toys . but nothing happened .”lets touch another one”said Simone as he laid his hands on the uneven toy. suddenly ,the clothes that they were wearing fell of and they transformed into ninjas. ”cool” Rafi said as he looked at his black clothing. two sharp swords fell from the sky and Simone said ”we can face anything with these swords”. but that was the time when loads of warriors were summoned by a black cloud of smoke.” that wasn’t a really a smart thing to say, ” said Simone as he stood back to back with Rafi .They fought the warriors and Rafi mumbled ,” these things are tough!”.
    Simone quickly leaped to the old box, hoping to touch the last toy. But all of a sudden Simone disappeared . Rafi shouted in a terrified voice, ” SIMONE! ”
    But Simone was nowhere to be found. After a tiring battle, Rafi looked up and walked towards the old suitcase to touch the last toy. Upon contact with the mysterious doll, Rafi was sucked into a hypersonic portal. colours swirled around him as he floated down a long tube. Down, down he fell. Right into another world….
    Rafi woke up to a tap on the shoulder. “AAAHH!” Rafi screamed in horror as Simone tried to shut him up. After a matter of time, Rafi stoped screaming In relief that it was Simone .”luckily we still have our swords and we can fighting for ourselves ”said Simone .they walked through the soggy footpath . after a few minutes ,which felt like forever for Simone and his friend thy got to green grassland were the suns rays was shining so brilliantly. suddenly, high tree stumps grew around the entrance.”uh-oh”Rafi said as the entrance closed a booming voice said”you shall have everything you want but you shall never escape from here”
    Rafi was woken up by his family shouting his name. ”phew.. it was only a dream .”
    he met Simone at his front door and they walked into the abandoned house.
    when Simone found the suitcase Rafi screamed……….

  21. “Who do you think wrote that?” said Simone.
    “What shall we do?” said Rafi.
    Rafi reached for the corn doll.
    “Rafi DON’T YOU DARE!” said Simone “Listen to me I’m 7 minutes older than you -”
    “Aww,” Rafi said tauntingly putting her hand on her hip “Is my big brother a scaredy-cat!”
    ” RAFI – Hold on a second, look there are numbers carved in the toys.”
    “Trying to change the subject, how babyish.”
    “No, I’m serious look…”
    Simone pointed to the bottom of the corn doll.
    “Ohh…” her voice trailed off “So if we touch it then we’ll see the ‘someone’?”
    “I think so.”
    Before Simone could stop her, Rafi reached the for the doll.
    Nothing happened.
    “I told you you were being a wimp for no reason,” said Rafi convulsed with laughter.
    A distorted voice began “Are you sure it was for no reason Rafi Rose Middleton.”
    “What the heck?” the twins said simultaneously for no-one knew their full names apart from…
    “Oh yeah! I know everything about you. You to Simone Alex Middleton. Ten years ago we were playing together with one of your ‘weekly’ toys making me ashamed of what I had – a corn doll, a clockwork bird and a metal soldier, but that’s beside my objective, you will suffer like I did to only then DIE.
    “Joie?…” Rafi asked holding her brother’s hand voice trembling “If that’s you, I just want to say I’m sorry. Not like that’ll change what happened. I’ll never forgive myself for what happened. When you died I couldn’t sleep. But I kept on telling myself that you were resting in peace.”
    Joie’s voice was no longer distorted when she scoffed “Peace. PEACE! HOW ON EARTH DO YOU THINK I REST IN ‘PEACE’ KNOWING MY SUFFERING WAS CAUSED BY MY SO-CALLED BEST FRIENDS! You know I loved you two you guys were closer to me than my mum, my dad and even my twin! Now…” she began to cry “N-n-now y-you’ll suf-f-fer”
    The wall began to shake and doors started to slam.
    1 week later.
    “Is she gone?” she asked in a low whisper Rafi.
    Filth knawed at them like an antibody to a virus.
    “I think so…” said Simone.
    “Remember the plan?” asked Rafi.
    “You bet”
    They climbed out of the small window surviving death. The only reason they survived is the Tin soldier. It changed them – every time they touched it they were no longer hungry.

    By Daniya Age 11 Ambler Primary school Year 6

    2. -I apologise I didn’t write it out correctly.-

      They climbed out of the small window surviving death. The only reason they survived is the Tin soldier but they never found out what the clockwork bird did…
      It changed them – every time they touched it they were no longer hungry.

      But just before they entered their dead friend’s house they weren’t sure if ghosts were real. Now they know…

  22. “I know!” exclaimed Simone. “We should do what the note says!”

    “Are you sure?” Rafi asked nervously.

    “I’m sure, I’m sure! This is one of the best ideas i’ve ever had!” Simone fixed a stern stare at Rafi, then turned back to the box.

    “Come here Rafi, and touch this clockwork bird.” Simone ordered. With trembling fingers, he reached out and tapped the bird. It made a clink sound, and the rusty key shot out the back.“See! That’s not too bad, is it Rafi?” Simone nudged his shoulder and reached out a hand. As she touched the bird, a door slammed shut on the far side of the room.

    “Yeah, it’s really not that bad, is it?” Rafi muttered.

    “I heard that.” Simone quickly let go of the bird and turned back to Rafi. “How about we touch the tin soldier at the same time? It might stop you from trembling so much.”

    “O-o-o-ok.” He stammered. Slowly, they reached out their hands and touched the rusty tin soldier.

    “See! I told you it would be alri-” Simone was cut off by a loud scream.

    “I told you so.” Rafi murmed. Rapidly, Simone jerked her head around to meet Rafi’s gaze.

    “It’s just a scream, Rafi. Stop being so scared. Anyway, we still have to touch that weird old doll. Are you up for it?” Simone asked.

    “S-s-sure.” Rafi stammered. Together, they reached out a hand and tapped the doll.

    “It’s fine, Rafi. Look! Nothing is happening to us!” As soon as Simone said those words, one of the windows flung open.

    “Simone, do you think now is a good time to run for our lives?” Rafi asked in a terrified voice. Simone didn’t answer. Her gaze was locked on the door. It had swung open, and in the frame stood a tall, skinny human with amber eyes. He held a box in his arms; it was the same one that held the three toys.

    “Touch one, just for fun. Touch two, it will change you. Touch three, to come and see me.” The man repeated the words over and over, until Simone’s eyes had glazed over. Rafi smacked his hand into Simone’s face. She didn’t react.

    “Little child, you don’t know what’s happening, do you?” The man questioned. Without waiting for an answer, he carried on. “She’s under my control now. And next, it will be you. Simone, attack him. Now!” Instantly, Simone leaped onto Rafi and punched him in the face, pinning him down. The man came over, and whispered into Rafi’s ear. “Touch one, just for fun. Touch two, it will change you. Touch three, to come and see me.”

    Sophie Mann, Berrywood Primary, age 11.

  23. May 12, 1998
    “Well, what do you think?” said Simone, “We both know you’re the smart one.”
    Now, this wasn’t wrong. “I don’t know!” replied Rafi, “Don’t expect me to know everything!”
    They both shared a sigh in unison. Even though it wasn’t said out loud,
    Rafi and Simone knew that they were both thinking the same thing.
    “What do we do?”
    They both looked at the case. That single, mysterious suitcase. It looked battered. So battered. It’s like it was taken around the world twice. This state of the container trailed off into inspirational thoughts of the brown box’s origins.
    “What if it was the box of a famous sailor!” Simone thought.
    “What if it was the box of a notorious gangster…” Rafi thought.
    Nobody would ever really know for sure.
    “What if the toys are magic?!” Simone wondered.
    “Don’t be stupid,” Rafi replied with a sneer, “There’s no such thing.”
    They both knew that magic wasn’t a thing. They were old enough to realise that all the tiresome lies about Santa and the Easter Bunny were all fake. They were ploys to entertain small children and were dragged on too far. But on the other hand, the suitcase appeared out of nowhere. It’s like it was destined to be there at that exact moment.
    “I’m touching the bird,” Simone said recklessly
    “Why can’t we just leave it alone?” Rafi asked, “We aren’t even meant to be here.”
    Before Rafi could ask any more questions, she touched the bird. Before she could even wind it up, the key in the back started spinning rapidly. It cranked for about 10 seconds then stopped. Following that was the sound of a static television crackling, enough to make your ears bleed. Then it fell silent. The mood changed from excited to uncomfortable in the blink of an eye. As the bird arose to its feet, an audio clip started playing.
    “Day one.” It stated, in a voice that sounded like a completely uninvented robot whilst also sounding old and raspy at the same time.
    “This cesspit of a house will be the death of me. Every day the walls seem darker and damper than before. They’ll fall down on me soon and that’s going to be the end of me. I’ll never get enough money to afford a new house and I’ll just be sitting here waiting forrr..rrr…” The bird’s voice slowly droned off.
    “What?!” Rafi exclaimed, “That can’t be it.”
    “We need to touch it again!” Simone said with a bold urgency in her tone.
    Simone’s fingers moved rapidly over the table and onto the bird, and at that moment, the voice started playing again.
    “…The day she is here. She’s beautiful. My work of art. My only friend. She’ll always be there for me, because she doesn’t have a choice. It will be so fun and after everything that’s happened, she’ll be my motivation.
    Her name iss..ss…” Yet again, the bird shuts down.
    “Can’t this stupid thing stay on for one second?!” Rafi shouts.
    Yet again, another tap.
    “…Rose. She will always be my favourite because I have nothing to compare her to. I will… cough… get the corn and wrap up the ribbons. She will soon be complete and I can rest peacefully!”
    They were both speechless.
    “Rest… peacefully?” Simone said, “What does that mean?”
    At this point, they were both scared out of their mind, although neither of them wanted to show it. Then, it was almost at the same time when they both realised what he was referring to. Their eyes darted to the carefully-created corn dolly. The details were so intricate and the craftsmanship was beautiful. It was obvious that this man devoted a lot of time to it.
    Without thinking, Rafi picked up the doll.
    “Woah,” He admired in awe,” It’s so soft!”
    “I want to hold it,” Simone says.
    “No, I want to!” Rafi says. Even though they were both 12, they bickered as if they were five. Back and forth, back and forth they pulled the doll. They repeated until they heard a buzzing. A buzzing from the bird.
    “Day one hundred and twenty-four” The bird stated. At this point both the kids were confused. They had both stopped tugging and froze like time had stopped. Neither of them had touched it and the bird was nowhere near them.
    “What the-” Rafi didn’t finish as he was cut off by the continuation of the bird’s speech.
    “I’m finished… cough. She’s done! Rose is done! I’ve spent 4 months on this and it’s done! I can’t believe it!”
    This was followed by the sound of a seemingly-psychotic fit of laughter.
    “She’s amazing! She’s beautiful! And she’s mine! Hahaha! Hahaha! Hah-”
    Then, the laughter was cut off by vigorous coughing. It repeated for so long. You could hear a wet, sickly noise like something was coming out of his throat. Then it stopped.
    “Great.” He stated.
    They both stared at the bird, waiting for the next statement.
    “My last minute alive and I’ve got blood on the doll…”
    Simone and Rafi stared at the doll. They now apprehended what those red, crusty stains were. Simone let go of the doll on the floor as something amazing happened. Whilst Rafi’s grasp on the doll was still tight, he started to change. Shrinking down as his skin shredded. Underneath was a thick layer of corn. His hair turned grainy and his facial features deteriorated. After a long moment of screaming from both of the children, Rafi was no longer human, he was a doll on the floor. Simone sat there, speechless. She couldn’t believe what she had witnessed. Then,
    because of the shock, she lay down and fainted.

    1. Breaking News!
      Early teen Rafi Tongston has gone missing from his home in the town in Dover.

      Rafi Tongston was last seen on May 12 1998, and his parents have been looking for him ever since. Perry Tongston, mother of Rafi quotes:
      “I don’t know where he is. I last saw him when he said he was going out to meet his friend. He could’ve been kidnapped or had an accident, but I won’t stop searching.”
      Such a traumatic experience with such little evidence. This is Casey Evans, signing out for today’s news bite.

      Other stories
      12-year-old Simone Withers is left speechless after unknown events…

  24. “What should we do?” said Rafi.
    Simone examined the toys with curious eyes, pondering the question. “I’m not sure. Would it be right to touch these? They aren’t ours.”
    Rafi sighed in frustration. “Don’t tell me you’re backing out now. Do you know why we’re here?” Simone guiltily averted her eyes. “We need to find out what happened to HER. We’ve been through this entire house and this is the only thing we’ve found that could give us any answers.” Simone hesitated, before lifting her gaze back to Rafi.
    “No, you’re right, we need to do this.” Nodding in approval, Rafi went back to examining the dusty toys. His attention was drawn to the doll first, twisted into the vague silhouette of a lady, held together by a thin red ribbon. Cautiously, he scooped up the doll, hearing Simone’s sigh of relief when nothing happened.
    “I mean, it did say ‘just for fun’,” Rafi chuckled, turning the peculiar toy in his hands. His smile faded as quickly as it appeared. “Elsie would have liked this one.”
    “Yeah, she always loved dolls,” Simone mumbled, reluctant to dwell on more memories of their old friend. “Just grab another one…” Rafi delicately placed the corn dolly back in the case, the tin soldier catching his eye next.
    Before he could touch it, he nervously asked Simone, “Could you touch it too? At the same time?” Simone, though cautious, slowly shuffled closer. The second the children’s fingers touched the soldier’s worn uniform, immense dizziness overtook their senses. Rafi shook his head in an attempt to wake out of his dancing daze, looking to Simone for consolation only to find that she shared his confused, wide-eyed expression. He looked around the room and his bewilderment only increased. The dull, drab colours of the bedroom had been replaced with a vibrant colourful glow, filling even the darkest corners of the room. It looked like all the furniture in the room had been sliced into sharp fragments, floating in the air. It was as if the house had been twisted like a kaleidoscope.
    “What in the world?! ” Simone cried out in alarm. She shrieked again and pointed at the tin soldier, that had hopped onto its own two feet and was marching across the floor. “What’s going on?!”
    “I-I have no idea… but we can’t turn back now,” Rafi stuttered. Their eyes fell upon the final toy. The children shared a frightened glance before approaching the clockwork bird. A bronze owl, eyes devoid of light, the metal lacking any shine after years of age. The silver key lodged in its back, however, shimmered in almost an inviting way, as if it was waiting to be turned. Interlocking their trembling hands, Simone and Rafi, with their hearts in their mouths, extended their reach towards the key.
    They didn’t even need to turn it – the moment they touched it, it began to twist on its own. The wings twitched with movement for the first time in many years and began to flap. “Where is it going?” Simone asked, watching it fly clumsily out the door and along the corridor. Instead of answering, Rafi stood up and followed after it. As they walked down the hallways, they noticed that the soldier’s strange magic that had deformed the bedroom had done the same thing to the rest of the house – everything was contorted and glowing in the same dizzying manner. The bird led the children through the house for some time, before fluttering to a stop at a dead end. Rafi’s confused face twisted into one of anger.
    “Was this all just a wild goose chase?! Just a waste of time?!” he spat in rage. He spun around and went to stomp back to the case, but Simone seized his wrist.
    “Wait a moment Rafi,” she reassured him, not tearing her eyes off the scene taking place in front of the clockwork bird. Rafi’s eyes widened like hers, as several of the flying fragments gathered before them. They span around before assembling like a puzzle, creating a tall cupboard, the doors wide open. “It’s the same one we got the case from…” The iridescent glow that filled the house illuminated from within the doors. Before either of the children could question it, the clockwork owl once again rose from the ground and swooped through the cupboard doors, vanishing into the light. Rafi and Simone gulped, trying to push down their nerves. Their fingers linked, taking one step, two steps, three steps forward as they ran and threw themselves into the cupboard.
    Rafi and Simone collapsed onto the other side of the doors. Rafi rubbed his head, groaning in pain. Despite being nowhere in sight, the mechanical flapping sounds of the clockwork bird’s wings could still be heard. Lifting his head, he gasped. He grabbed onto Simone’s arm and shook her, urging her to look up to. Her heart stopped. The bronze owl was in front of them, circling a figure that stood in the centre of the room. She had messy blonde hair, tattered clothes, and the same stunned expression they had.
    “… Elsie?” Rafi breathed.
    A single tear fell from her eyes, an overjoyed, relieved smile blessing her cheeks.
    “You made it, guys. You actually made it.”

    – Maisy Middleton, Purbrook Park School

  25. Hi, My name is Syed Ahmed from Regent High School, I am a student who studies homework and reading so I can improve my learning difficulties and knowledge.

    1. Hi Syed, Thank you for posting on the blog. You sound very committed to learning. I’m sure your school and teachers are very proud of you.

    1. Hi Alfie,

      Could you copy and paste your submission to the comments? We can’ open the Google docs.

  27. “I don’t know!” shivered Simone.

    Rafi’s eyes brightened, “I know, let’s take them all home and we can decide tomorrow”.

    As the two boys were sleeping, they had no idea how their lives were about to change. The lighting still shone brightly even when the night was at its pitch blackness.

    The sun was rising as Simone woke up; he couldn’t smell the diesel or petrol fragrance in the air anymore. In his house, Rafi was puzzled too – he didn’t know what had happened either. He rushed to the phone on his desk to call his friend.

    “What did we do?” he whispered down the telephone.

    “Beats me!” the words from Simone’s mouth suggested that he was thrilled but curious at the same time.

    “Ok, I think I know what did this. Meet me at the creepy, old house, with the suitcase, in ten minutes!” Rafi yelled.

    Ten minutes later, with the lightning bolts deconstructing nearly every tree in its path, the two boys stood outside the eerie opened gate not moving one inch. The expression on Rafi’s face showed that he was absolutely terrified. But his best pal didn’t look so worried.

    “Cheer up!” Simone gestured, patting Rafi on the back.

    “How could you say that,” Rafi exclaimed through gritted teeth “We are standing outside a house that is known all over England to be haunted!”

    “Well, when you put it like that…”

    Rafi placed his finger to his lips, “Be quiet! Now, have you got the torches?” his voice sounding now slightly less shaky, slightly less terrified.

    His friend held them both up and they walked up the long, winding pathway. A flash of light lit up the house which sat on top of the hill. Big and black, it was just like any ‘scary house’, but the fact that this house made people move away as far as they could, even to the other side of the world, was because it was dead quiet. Silent and still. Not even a mouse could be heard. The story goes that one day the man who was an estate agent (who sold houses to people looking to move into the neighbourhood), went into the house with a young couple and was the only one to come out. He was the only one to survive. The house had stood empty ever since that night. Until tonight.

    Suitcase in hand, the boys had made their way slowly and carefully upstairs back to the bedroom where, out of the dust-covered window, they could see blackness meeting light as the ferocious bolts continued to light up the night sky. The bedroom looked the same as it did the night before – but they still had strong telepathic thoughts about entering it again, communicated only through their darting eyes. Rafi started to mutter under his breathe, trying to convince himself that what had happened the night before was not real, when the piercing sound an old telephone broke the silence…

    Joshua Hunter, (age 12) Purbrook Park School

  28. Rafi reached out and touched the tin soldier.
    He suddenly felt a warm tingly sensation through out his whole body.
    “this feels amazing, I feel so good now” shouted Rafi.
    He reached out and touched the wined-up clock but then he started to feel quite different.
    “what’s happening” Simone said, scared.
    “Shout for help, I’m changing and I don’t like it. It hurts” screamed Rafi.
    Simone shouted but nobody could hear him.
    “Rafi, maybe if you touched the straw doll it will reverse the effects” Simone said hopefully.
    “Ok I’ll touch the straw doll in three, two, one” said Rafi.
    A circle of light appeared below Rafi. Simone grabbed Rafi’s arm.

    “I don’t know, just hold on ok” shouted Simone
    Simone lost his balance and fell in along with Rafi.
    “ahhhhhhhh help!” Rafi screamed.
    “Rafi where are you? I cant see you, all I can see is white” Simone shouted in fear.
    “Simone” Rafi shouted

    “I’m over here” screamed Simone
    “where?” shouted Rafi.
    “I see you. Stay still” shouted Simone
    “I can’t see you, I don’t think that’s me your looking at” screamed Rafi
    “what do you mean?” shouted Simone
    “Remember what that note said. touch one for fun, touch two, that will change you, touch three to come and see me. I think that is him” screamed Rafi with a tremor in his voice.
    “he has gone and I don’t know where” screamed Simone
    “come to my voice and I’ll come to yours” shouted Rafi
    They went to each other’s voice and were relieved to find each other.
    “where are we?” asked Simone.
    “I think we are inside a huge white box” explained Rafi
    “ok, lets think of a plan to get out of here” said Rafi
    “what’s that in the distance? it’s getting closer” said Rafi
    “RUN ITS HIM!” screamed Simone
    They ran but it just got closer and closer!
    “what should do, is just getting closer?” asked Rafi
    “I don’t know” said Simone
    “WHO ARE YOU!” screamed Rafi in fear
    “I am the person who put that case there with the toy’s inside” said the man calmly
    “where are we?” Simone asked
    “you are trapped in the same place I have been since I was a young boy” said the man
    “Can you help me go back to normal” said Rafi
    The man grabbed some pills from his back pocket and put his hand forward.
    “take these pills it will help” said the creepy man
    “how can I trust you?” asked Rafi
    “because I need your help getting out of here” explained the creepy man.

    Reilly Parkes Purbrook park school. Hampshire

    1. Hi Audrey,

      It’s important your plan, draft and edit your writing. We’d expect every submission to be different so we’d rather not set a limit.

  30. Touch one, just for fun,
    Touch two, that will change you,
    Touch three, come see me.’

    “What is that supposed to mean?” asked Rafi.
    “I don’t know, but this might mean we are not alone…”
    “I don’t think it’s a good idea to be here…”
    “No! We should stay and investigate, we will be everywhere on the newspaper!” explained Simon.
    “Well, as you say so.”

    Rafi went out to find out more about this old, mysterious house while Simon tried to find out more about the note.

    Suddenly Rafi shouted: “Simon, Simon, QUICK I’VE FOUND SOMETHING!!! I’M UPSTAIRS DOWN THE CORIDOOR, MEET ME AT THE END OF IT!”

    Simon ran upstairs as quickly as he could to see what Rafi had discovered. Sneakily, Rafi heard Simon’s footsteps and quickly hid in one of the rooms.

    “BOO! HAHAHAHA!”
    “ AHHHHH! THAT WASN’T FUNNY! Hang on… don’t move a muscle…”
    “Wait… why?…”

    The reason why Rafi couldn’t move was because there was a large snake that looked a lot like the black mamba. Then, Simon noticed that it wasn’t moving, so he grabbed a nearby piece of wood and jogged the snake.

    “Phew, it’s just fake.”
    “What is?”

    He slowly turned around and reacted with an: “AHHHHHHH!!!”

    “Did you not hear that I said it was fake, FAKE!? Anyways, we have got ourselves into such a tantrum, what exactly did you want to show me?”
    “Ah yes, follow me.”

    They walk through a hallway and came across an attic with some string attached to it.

    All of a sudden, there was a thud downstairs. Both of the youngsters sprinted down the flight of stairs. Rafi noticed that one of the toys fell from on top of the suitcase.

    “We still haven’t played with the toys.” realised Simon.
    Oh yes! We must play with them at once!” exclaimed Rafi.

    Simon instructed Rafi that he should take the doll, and for himself, he would take the bird, then they wold both take a look at the tin soldier. Going with Simon’s idea, Rafi picked up the doll and Simon twisted the key of the bird and see what they could both do.

    “This doll barely does anything!” shouted Rafi.
    “Whoa, look at this bird, it walks and makes sounds just like a real one! Ok, fine, let’s look at the soldier.”
    “FINALLY!”

    Simon lifted the brightly coloured toy and examined it very carefully.

    “I have an idea! Let’s make the toys play with each other!” said Simon.

    Simon somehow managed to make all the toys hold hands and they played ring-a-ring-a-rosie; on the third time spinning round, a beam of light burst out and a strong wind came rushing in the old, cranky house, but when the light stopped, all the toys had disappeared!

    Abruptly, an old looking man appeared out of nowhere.

    “Ahhh. So you’ve finally done it.”
    “WHO ARE YOU?! STAY BACK!!!” ordered Simon.
    “You don’t know me, but I know you, Simon, Rafi.” said the old man.
    “So you own this house?”

    The man nodded.
    The man turned around and was about to leave when Rafi said: “WAIT! What’s in the attic upstairs?”
    “That is for me to know, and for you to never find out…”

    The old man snapped his fingers and just like that, the man was gone…

    Name: Andesha
    Age:10
    School: Alderwood Primary

  31. Rafi felt uneasy, as if someone had left it there deliberately, as a trap. “Creakkk,” went the floorboards. Rafi nearly jumped out of his skin, he didn’t exactly know what, but there was something mysterious about this house, and he didn’t want to find out. “Simone, maybe we should just leave,” he said worryingly, almost pleading. Simone laughed, “Come on, where’s your sense of adventure. ” Rafi knew this would happen, Simone was great, but he could sometimes be a bit stubborn. “My sense of adventure is in my house, safe,” Rafi replied sarcastically. “All right” said Simone,”you don’t have to touch it, I will, you just close your eyes,” Simone said, feeling sorry for Rafi. “Ok, if you’re sure,” and he shut his eyes. He heard one knock, then two and finally three. He curled up tightly, waiting for something to happen, but nothing did. He opened his eyes, expecting ,Simone to brag about how he was right, but Simone wasn’t there! “Simone, Simone where are, if this is one of your silly pranks I’m not falling for it.” But there was no reply, Rafi suddenly hated himself, why was he such a scaredy cat? Why hadn’t he been looking when Simone disappeared? He took a deep breath and went up to the rusty suitcase. He tapped each toy in turn one time and nothing happened. But when he did it the second time, everything grew. Or.. he was shrinking. What was happening, would he stay like this forever? Suddenly, he heard a deafening sound that cut him off his thoughts. It was the chime of a cuckoo clock. He turned around and saw a bird, the toy bird, alive. Next to him were the ragged doll and the tinman. He screamed the loudest scream ever. “Calm down, we’re not going to hurt you,” the bird said comfortingly. “Speak for yourself, I haven’t eaten in donkey’s years,” the tinman said grumpily. “Don’t mind him,” the doll squeaked. Rafi needed time to digest everything. When he got over the shock, he asked the tinman angrily,” Is that what you’ve done, have you eaten Simone?” The tinman smiled maliciously. Bird, seeing the smile, said “The little boy, of course not, we’re not monsters, well me and dolly aren’t, he’s over here.” Rafi followed her and saw Simone sitting in a corner of the suitcase sobbing. It felt weird, he’d never seen Simone cry, it was always him who did. He ran over to comfort him.
    “Simone it’s OK, we’re going to find a way back home.” he sympathized.
    Simone looked at him as if he just realized he was there.
    “I’m sorry, I should’ve listened to you, I suppose you want to brag now.” Simone said thickly.
    “No, I’ll leave the bragging to you,”Rafi replied. They both laughed.
    “Let’s go and ask the toys how to go back,” Rafi said, thinking of a plan.
    “No point, I already asked, tinman is the only person who knows how but he won’t tell us,” he sighed.
    “Well then we’ll just have to convince him,” said Rafi, confidently.
    They walked over to Tinman.
    “I know what you’re going to say and the answers no!” he shouted annoyed.
    “But why? We’ll be off your back, just let us go home,” they both pleaded.
    “If you don’t we’ll constantly annoy you,”said Rafi, and he knew he had won.
    “Okay, but you’ll need Bird and Dolly.”
    “We’re here, what do you want with us,” Dolly said.
    “Well… because you had to touch us three times, you have to do the the same thing again,” Tinman explained.
    “Thank you so much,” Rafi said, and Simone nodded.
    “Mind you don’t do it so hard,” Tinman mumbled, but he was pleased for them.
    Once they had all said their goodbyes, Tinman, Dolly and Bird stood in a line.
    “In three, two, one, now!”
    They grew and grew until they were normal size.
    “Wow, that was quite an adventure,”said Simone.
    “I know, but if you ask me, I’ve had quite enough adventure to last me my whole life.” Rafi replied.

    – Farida, Pakeman Primary

  32. Hi, I have posted my entry today; I cannot see it on the list.
    Please advise.
    Andesha.

    1. Hi Andesha. There is a delay between when you post and when it is displayed on the blog. Check if you can see it now? If not, could you repost?

  33. Simone picked up the suitcase to see if it said the name of the owner. As she picked it up all three toys tumbled onto Rafi.
    “NO!” shouting Simone
    Then, a thick, dark layer of black smoke filled the room. As the smoke cleared an old, warty witch appeared.
    “Hello my dears,” said the old witch, “I see you have found my toys.”
    Rafi and Simone started to back away, in fear and confusion. The witch waddled closer no matter how much they moved. It was like she was attached to them.
    “Oh dont be afraid of me. I won’t hurt you,” croaked the creature-like lady.
    She took them to her place. Her house was as old as her and her toys. Shivers ran down the children’s spine as the door creaked open and almost fell off its hinges. The living room was filled with statues of animals and children.
    Simone strted to whisper to Rafi “what if these children were like us once, she could have toys all over the world!”
    “Shush, she might hear us!” replied Rafi.
    When the witch walked into the room the two children hid behind the many statues.
    “GET HERE!!!” roared the creature, “YOU CAN’T HIDE FROM ME!!!”
    She grabbed her wand and started shouting spells from across the room.
    “Hymteswagty, wifychaswee, yumtohum!”
    Several hours passed before the children managed to escape.
    All they did was step out the door and were sent back to the house. When they got home their screams echoed all through the street. Their bodies were coated with thick fur like lions.
    Tails had grown. Teeth had doubled in size. The witches plan had worked. They would be animals for enternity. Siomne touched the toys and the witch reappeared…

    Ivy-Mai Robinson 11
    Purbrook park school

  34. Here is my final edited submission:
    “I don’t really know.” replied Simone, unsure of what else he could say.
    “Maybe we could take it back to our house.” suggested Rafi hopefully.
    “Where would we put it?” questioned Simone.
    “We will think about that all in good time.” answered Rafi.
    “You don’t know where to put it do you?” Simone said doubtfully.
    “No.But we can think along the way.” Rafi said optimistically.
    “And how are we meant to get it in the house?” Simone said pessimistically.
    “We could sneak it in through the back door.” Rafi said determinedly and optimistically.
    “We will never be able to pull this off.” answered Simone without a hint of optimism.
    “You’re being very joyful aren’t you?” Rafi said sarcastically.
    “Well I’m just saying that I don’t think that we can pull this off.” Simone replied not sarcastically.
    Half an hour later,after Simone realised that he was fighting a battle he could not win,he and Rafi were carrying the suitcase and the piece of paper back to their house and they were talking about what excuses they could use if mum caught them carrying an old suitcase into their house.They were also speaking about the places they could hide it so that nobody else would find it.
    “I know where we could put it.” Said Simone loudly.
    “Where?” Asked Rafi joyfully.
    “Back where we found it.” replied Simone grumpily,he was obviously still in a mood about him and Rafi taking the suitcase back home.
    “No,that’s a terrible idea.” Rafi said annoyed with his brother.
    “Have you got a better one?” Simone asked.
    “No.But I know if we hurry no one will notice that we were gone but if we get caught I will put the suitcase back and take the blame for going out and I will say that I forced you to come.” answered Rafi.
    “Fine but let’s just get back home quickly.” Simone said.
    20 minutes later they were back at their house and nobody noticed them.Almost immediately,Rafi was sitting at the desk in their room and looking at the toys,the suitcase and the piece of paper(though not at the same time) and he was trying to figure out what the piece of paper meant.

    “How are we going to move all this about to put it in a hiding place without being heard?” pointed out Rafi.

    “I have a layout of the house,even the areas only we know about,so we can decide where to hide it before we hide it.” Simone said proudly.

    “Where will we put it while we are deciding where to hide it?” asked Rafi.

    “Under our desk in the secret cupboard at the back of it that we added.” Simone answered.

    Indeed,Simone and Rafi had added all sorts of secret places to the house when they were left alone.They had a secret elevator(secret because only they knew where it was) in their tree house that led to a secret underground base.So naturally they were the best at hide and seek in their own home.

    “Good idea.” Rafi agreed.

    “You know how good we are at making hidden places in the house?” Simone asked.

    “Yes.” Rafi answered swiftly.

    “Maybe we could make a secret place especially for all those things.” suggested Simone.

    “Good idea and everyone is going out today as soon as they wake up to go on holiday to Spain for 3 months.So we’ll have plenty of time to make a place to put the suitcase.” explained Rafi.

    “Yes and that will also give us time to try and figure out the message while we make a place for it.” added Simone.

    “It’s a brilliant plan.We should probably start designing a place to put it now.” suggested Rafi.

    “Maybe we should start thinking about what the message means first so nobody thinks we’re doing anything strange.And when everyones gone we have breakfast and start thinking of a place to put it.” Simone replied.

    “Yeah that sounds like a better plan.” agreed Rafi.

    After an hour of thinking it was 6:30 and everyone was awake and getting ready to go(except Rafi and Simone of course).

    “Bye.See you in 3 months.” called Rafi and Simone’s mother.

    “Don’t get into any trouble.” shouted Rafi and Simone’s dad.

    “Ok.Bye dad.Bye sis.Bye mum.Have fun.” yelled Simone.

    After 5 goodbyes everyone finally left.

    “I thought they would never leave.” chuckled Rafi.

    “I thought we were going to have to push them out the door.” sniggered Simone.

    “Lets get breakfast and begin thinking about what the message means and where to put all the stuff.” uttered Rafi.

    “I thought you were going to say let’s get together and be alright.” sang Simone.

    “Ha ha.I have a feeling that today is going to be a good day.” laughed Rafi.

    A few weeks later,after they had built a place to put all the stuff,they figured out what the note meant(or they hoped they knew).

    “I’ve got it.” announced Simone breaking the silence.

    “What?Athlete’s foot?” asked Rafi, lowering his and Simones book,that they were just reading about athletes foot.

    “What?No.The solution to the riddle on the note.” replied Simone joyfully.

    “Really?” asked Rafi happily.

    “I think we have turn the key of the clockwork bird 1 to 3 times and then touch the same amount of toys as the amount of times we turned the key of the bird.For example imagine we turned the key once we might just touch the bird,twice we might touch the soldier as well as the bird and three imes we both touch all the toys at once.” replied Simone confidently.

    As soon as Simone had finished,he and Rafi tried his plan and it turned out that Simone was correct.And hen they did all three they were sucked into the chest of the clockwork bird and they met the people who had written the letter(who turned out to be brothers) and they all became friends and they spent the rest of the day playing in this magical world that Simone and Rafis new friends lived in but it was eventually time to leave.So before Simone and Rafi left they did two things.Firstly they promised to visit their new friends every now and then.The second thing they did was ask for their names and they said that their names were Simone and Rafi…..

    Fraizer Hepworth , 12, Purbrook Park School

        1. Fraizer, that’s wonderful that you worked so hard. You should be very proud of yourself.

  35. This is my story:

    The children sat for a while, thoughts revolving around their heads. Rafi was just about to tell Simone about his next idea when they heard their mother shouting from below. “Coming!” Simone called down the staircase while Rafi closed the suitcase and together they went down the staircase, carrying the suitcase with them. Halfway down, Rafi slipped and dropped the suitcase, which hit the stairs and fell open. Simone cried out. “What have you done, Rafi! Help me pick them all up!”
    “Sorry,” said Rafi with a guilty look on his face. “You know I’m clumsy.”’
    He bent down and just as he was about to pick up the tin soldier, he noticed something.
    “Look Simone! There’s a number on the back of the soldier!”
    Simone rushed over and saw that he was right. There was a big one scrawled in marker across the back of the soldier. Then it dawned on her.
    “Rafi, get me the parchment.”
    He did and she peered at it closely then said, “It all fits.”
    “What all fits?” asked Rafi.
    “The number. If we touch the tin soldier nothing will happen. But if we touch the…” She glanced over her shoulder and saw the doll lying on the staircase. “If we touch the doll then it will somehow change us.”
    “Oh, I see. So we shouldn’t touch the sparrow or the doll, right?”
    Simone nodded then used the suitcase to pick up all of the dolls except for the soldier, which Rafi picked up. He was putting the soldier back in the box when his fingers brushed the corn doll. Simone watched in horror as Rafi slowly turned into stone. She knew what she needed to do to save Rafi but she didn’t have the courage to do it. After a long pause, she tentatively reached out her hand and touched the clockwork sparrow…

      1. The ending should be this:

        “What all fits?” asked Rafi.
        “The number. If we touch the tin soldier nothing will happen because it only says “Touch one, just for fun.” But if we touch the…” She glanced over her shoulder and saw the doll lying on the staircase with the number two on its back. “If we touch the doll then it will somehow change us.”
        “Oh, I see. So we shouldn’t touch the sparrow or the doll, right?”
        Simone nodded then used the suitcase to pick up all of the dolls except for the soldier, which Rafi picked up. He was putting the soldier back in the box when his fingers brushed the corn doll. Simone watched in horror as Rafi slowly turned into stone. She knew what she needed to do to save Rafi but she didn’t have the courage to do it. After a long pause, she tentatively reached out her hand and touched the clockwork sparrow…

  37. Simone answered, “Its probably just a practical joke there’s nothing to worry about.”
    “Only touch the first one though just to be sure,” Rafi replied nervously.
    Slowly, Simone reached into the box and curled her fingers around the clockwork bird. The bird was a made up of rusty-gold clogs the only place where the clogs were covered was the wings. They were intricate and covered in tiny golden feathers that looked exactly like a birds. Imbedded in the back, the golden key longed to be turned.
    “Turn the key,” Rafi suggested in a whisper.
    Simone did as she was told and carefully turned the key. After six whole rotations the pair were about to give up when suddenly the clogs began to turn. In a cannon movement all the clogs started to move. Rafi brushed Simone’s hands off the key and they waited. Eventually the clockwork bird’s mouth began to open and air flooded into its corroded lungs. The children held their breaths. Then, unexpectedly, the bird sung a long deep note. Surprised the children gasped. Without a breath, the bird continued singing; the song was the saddest song they had heard and tears began flowing down their mournful and silent faces. As the song went on it got louder and the notes got higher till suddenly the bird stopped. Rafi took his hand across his eyes and dried his salty tears, picked up the bird and gently placed it back into the suitcase tucking it into it’s bed of crumpled tissue paper. Then, he put his arm around Simone, who was still sniffing and weeping.
    Softly he whispered, “she would of loved that.”
    Simone nodded a response and sarcastically replied, “Lets hope the next one is more cheery.” She also wiped her eyes and together they sat up and looked at the box. The next one was the soldier, the one that was meant to change them.
    “You do it this time,” Simone said indicating to the box. Rafi lent forward and approached the tin soldier with an open hand. Nervously, he folded his fingers across it’s thin middle and brought it closer to study. The soldier stood to attention with his hands by his-side. He wore a painted blue jacket with red cuffs and shoulders. His trousers matched his jacket and had black shoes pointing out of them. Rafi looked into his deep-blue oceanic eyes then suddenly everything went black.
    When Rafi woke up he was in a muddy field surrounded by soldiers dressed exactly like the tin man. Fearfully, he looked down and saw that he to was in the uniform. Suddenly, gun-shots echoed all around him and men fell with their weapon in hand. Cries of the dying could be heard from everywhere. Rafi, continued running through the field dodging falling men and pools of fresh blood. The gunshots were getting louder. Then suddenly Rafi screamed as there was a pain in his side then his leg then his head. Like a leaf in the wind, Rafi fell to the muddy and bloody grass feeling like he was being torn apart. A man lay not to far away in a pool of blood. Rafi didn’t want to die. He had so much to live for. Then his eyes closed for the last time.
    Simone tried to shake Rafi awake as he screamed in a feverish nightmare. He’d been looking at the tin man when all of a sudden he’d fainted and started screaming. Rapidly, Rafi woke up and sat bolt upright screaming.
    “It’s ok Rafi. You’re ok,” Simone reassured. Rafi stopped screaming but continued shaking with fear tears pouring down his swollen face.
    “I died!” Rafi exclaimed, “I died and so did all the other men on the battle field.”
    “You’re ok now, don’t worry I’m here!” Simone said, knowing better than to not question him. After a couple of minutes of Rafi explaining what had happened he eventually got himself together. Though he would never remove the feeling of death from his mind, changing him forever. The soldier was carefully placed back into the case upside down. After much discussion together the pair agreed to not tell their parents of the occurrences and to not touch the straw girl for fears of what would happen after what the soldier did to Rafi. Instead they hid the suit case somewhere better and safer, where no-one could find it.

  39. “I don’t know…” murmured Simone. “Well, we should probably follow what the note says.”
    “Something like that” said Simone quietly.
    “Which toy shall we pick? It says to touch one just for fun!”
    “I don’t really like this Rafi…”

    “Oh, come on Simone, it’s probably just a game, can’t you get into the spirit of it?”
    “Fine.” Simone groaned, rolling her eyes.
    Rafi bent down so he was at eye-level with the dusty old object. The bird seemed to be looking right back at him the most, so he picked it up gingerly, and immediately tossed it sharply at Simone. She jumped away like an electric spark.
    “What was that for?!” She exclaimed, taken aback.
    “I dunno, it was looking at me with black beady eyes, like it wanted to peck me!”
    “Oh, don’t be silly Rafi – now you’re acting like the scaredy-cat”.
    With that said, Simone crouched down, and wound up the peculiar-looking bird. First it did nothing, then a little flinch, then it’s eyes turned red.
    “ Tell me you didn’t see that..” shrieked Rafi
    “See what?”
    “You’re joking, it’s eyes turned red!”
    “Oh Rafi, don’t be silly, the eyes were always red!”. The next few moments were crazy as the friends watched the bird slowly revolve its head and let out a creepy squawking. The bird then shrieked out his name. “Raaaaaafeeeeee?” as Rafi gripped Simone’s shoulder.
    Rafi leapt for an escape down from the creaking attic, which seemed to start to sway. The bird hopped after him saying, “Rafeeee, I’m your friend! I’m never, ever going to leave you! We’ll have fun together… forever!”
    The object just stood there, repeating forever, forever, forever, as it slowly ground to a halt. They realised it was more annoyingly chummy than a threat.
    Simone grabbed Rafi’s hand, pulling him back to the suitcase. They managed to wrap the crumped tissue paper up to muffle the bird’s murmurings.
    “I want to go home!” pleaded Rafi,
    “This is fun, I’m kind of liking this, now who’s the scaredy cat?” smirked Simone.
    Rafi froze and made his eyes slim, biting his lip:
    “Pfft, I ain’t scared, grab the soldier next please!”
    “If you say so,” Simone said, laughing as she said it.
    “What if…you touch it?”
    “Okay, shouldn’t be that bad right?” A nervous laugh said with it.
    “Yeah yeah , go on!”
    With that said and the children feeling that they had had just enough of having a go at each other to break the tension, they silently felt the agreement between them. After all, they had broken out of the lockdown to get away from the horrors of home schooling – they risked their freedom but always looked out for each other.
    Their friendship was as tough and well-travelled as a rusty iron train track.
    Rafi then slowly but surely walked tentatively towards the mysterious suitcase, the source of all the trouble. To him, the soldier reminded him of his games as a toddler, so he grabbed it with both hands, looked it straight in the eye…
    …it all happened in micro-seconds. Well, what Simone saw was a massive cloud of ancient dust was streaming out of the soldier, but Rafi seemed mesmerised with his toddler memories of being General In Charge of the Little Oaks Nursery back in the day.
    There was a reverse sucking sound and she watched, dropping in horror to her hands and knees as Rafi disappeared. She crawled towards the toy soldier, not daring to touch in case she transformed as the rhyme had warned.
    In pure terror and with a quivering eye, which she rubbed and rubbed in disbelief, she realised it was Rafi’s face imprinted on the soldier toy. A a tiny voice wheedled out “Attention”! Quick march!”
    In a weird twist, his inside wish of his toy soldier days had been granted in a sickening way.
    Simone couldn’t help but stifle a laugh as the tiny voice retorted, “hey, don’t laugh get me ,out of here!”
    “Just shush now Rafi I’m going to get the last toy so we can get out of here!”
    The last toy was a peculiar-looking thing make out of corn and elastic bands. It kind of looked like a witch. As Simone dared to get nearer the creepy doll, she closed her eyes as she turned her head away and felt out into the cold smoky air and picked up the doll. But all of a sudden as she tried to clasp the doll, it disappeared into thin ear.
    “Gosh, what’s with all this disappearing?” she said with a bit of annoyance. She’d seen too many PGs sneakily, so she was quite hard to shock.
    Then she realised a note had appeared in her hand. She read it quietly and carefully and it said:
    If you want your friend back
    Don’t be taken aback
    Follow the dusty smoke track
    And you’ll this mystery crack!
    “What is this, Enid Blyton and the Famous Five or something?” thought Simone, “Well, here we go again!” As she scooped Rafi up and put him into her trouser pocket.
    “Hey! do I look like a toy to you?!”
    “Err, yes.”
    “Humph!” replied Rafi with a puff.
    Simone rushed down the stairs eagerly, but carefully, and often skipped a step or two, because for some reason she was excited to solve this mystery.
    “Slow down Sim!” Sim was a short name Rafi called Simone.
    “I’m going to fall out!”
    “Oh, shush will ya?”
    As Simone jumped out of the house, landing on the creaky porch, the door shut tight behind her and Simone was a bit taken aback at this, but she was too busy following the dark smoke track and flapping the badly-scrawled note in her hand.
    “Are we there yet?”
    “No, not yet..”
    “Now?”
    “No.”
    “Now?”
    “Nope.”
    “Now—”
    “No!”
    “Okay, you could’ve said that you know.”
    Simone rolled her eyes with a smile. They arrived at a tall, large, place over towering them. It had three bright red and blue tacky initials on the front.
    “Nice, we eating chicken? I’m starving.”
    “This can’t be right, it led to a…chicken shop?!”
    Simone looked for the black smoke, but it was all in a ball in front of the door, Simone entered cautiously. Coming out of the fryer.
    “Alright mate, what can I get for ya?”
    Rafi replied, “Four tubs of chicken thanks!”
    Simone stood, awkwardly.
    “What da heck was that mate?”
    “M-my talking soldier!”.. said with a nervous laugh.
    “Aw, les see then?”
    “M-my solider?”
    “Yeah?”
    Simone gulped, “heh, sure.”

    She placed Rafi on the greasy counter, Rafi stood still as a, well, a solider figure.
    “Cool dude used to have it when I was younger!” Old school retro that!”
    “Cool…”
    Another customer walked in, so Simone snatched Rafi and sat at an unhygienic table and put Rafi down.
    “That was close…too close.”
    Rafi let out a laugh.
    “Stop acting like you’re in a movie!”
    Simone went red.
    “Fine, but seriously!”

    “Look, that shop guy is distracted by the customer, let’s explore! The end of this story might be in there! Where it says Witches Only, wait what…”
    “Rafi you’re a genius! that sign says “ONLY WITCHES ALLOWED! NO HUMANS!” let’s go!”
    The shop guy was into some girl, so they sneaked into the door, and my oh my what they saw was a masterpiece: the walls were black with glowing stars, the floor was covered in rugs with dark blues, dark greens and purples, there was a proper roaring fire with a sofa around it, and a crystal ball, with a…a…oh gosh an official Old Hag!
    “Show yourself!”
    An old spikey voice came from down below, they looked down,
    “Hello, it is I the Great Hag!
    Rafi and Simone let out a laugh,
    “S-she said the Old Hag!”

    “Stop laughing!”
    She struck a lighting spark at the ceiling. They shut up.
    “Why a chicken shop miss?”
    “Because I love chicken, now shush!”
    “If you want your friend to be free…then you have to do a quest only a brave warrior like you could do… order me some chicken!
    “Uh… why?”
    “Listen love, I’m broke order me a chicken.”
    Simone came back with a bucket of chicken and handed it to the Old Hag.
    “Thank you child”.

    She turned Rafi back, just before ravenously attacking the bucket deal . He stumbled back to his feet, hugging Simone.
    “What now?” said Rafi,
    “I’m really just an old witch wanting to have some fun, you can go now.”
    “Bye!”

    “Yeah, bye, err, Mrs Old Hag? ” chuckled Simone as she left the chicken place.
    As soon as the Old Hag disappeared, Simone woke up in her bed.
    “Funny dream.”
    But then she saw an dishevelled lady with a rather pointy hat out the window, stumbling around with an empty chicken bucket.
    “Wait what? Ehh, actually… I’ll leave it.”
    By Lila Christou-Hill Age 11 Year 7 Charter North Dulwich

    1. Hi Mia,

      Yes post them in the comment box and at the end put your first name, year group and school.

  41. ‘what does it mean anyway’ said Simone, as she gently stroked the crinkly leather on the suitcase.
    ‘well we’ll someday have to find out, won’t we? Said Rafi his eyes widening with curiosity.
    ‘yes… but our questions will have to be answered tomorrow as it’s getting late and we still need to explore the rest of the attic’ whispered Simone, carefully closing the suitcase and clicking the rusted, damaged lock.
    The kids decided to leave the suitcase which lied not only a mystery, but many secrets destined to be unravelled.

    Simone tossed and turned throughout the night; anticipation filled her as she desperately wanted to understand what the creepy suitcase meant by its confusing message. But as she was about to get up and go investigate the suitcase Simone suddenly dropped off to sleep. Images flickered in her mind of the suitcase. But it wasn’t only about the present, pictures of three children [ a girl, a boy and a baby] who seemed to live in world war two. A tall grand lady [ who would supposedly be their mother] was holding the baby cooing at it while the other two children play with a limp corn doll and a tin toy soldier. The mother went inside their little brick house leaving the children playing on the lawn.
    She came back with a bright yellow wooden duck with a key sticking out of its back. ‘those toys look oddly familiar’ thought Simone ‘like the ones in the suitcase! These must be the children who owned them before when the house was first built.’ Suddenly a siren went off and fear filled their faces. The mother grabbed the children and fled inside the house. The pictures went from an empty front yard to the mother in the attic storing the toys and herding the children into a little huddle in a room below their house. A loud boom and a thud filled the air the baby started crying and the mother started shivering with fear…
    After those bombings, the radiation from the bombs placed a curse on those toys. A voice filled Simone’s head crying those who touch them three with send them back to thee.
    Abruptly, Simone woke up in a pool of her own sweat. Was it a nightmare or was it the truth?

  42. “I don’t know, its complicated,”Said Simone. “As for who wrote the note, it could’ve been the previous owners of the house. Its pretty dirty in the box too. What it says look’s like a riddle to me.”
    ” I think we should keep this to ourselves since its a mystery and i would love to discover this.” They walked and wondered how they could be playing something outside by now but they kept calm. Then Simon just remembered it said “Touch a toy just for fun.”
    “What do u mean?” said Rafi.
    “The letter says touch a toy just for fun!”
    “This could be a trap,”
    “What toy do you want?”
    “The doll to scare my sister.” Quickly Simone picked a toy and picked the doll up then shouted “Run!” They bursted out and ran back to where they came from.

  43. They stared at the letter, Simone looked at Rafi in confusion. “I think it’s asking us to play with it” said Rafi. Simone grasped the doll and started to make it and the action figure battle, but to her surprise nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Rafi held the tin soldier in the palm of his hand then glanced back at the letter, he felt a feeling of dread surrounding him but despite what the letter said he began to play with the toy.
    “Did you feel that?” said Rafi in a panicked tone.
    “Feel what?” replied Simone.
    “I thought it felt a tremor” exclaimed Rafi.
    “Does that toy look bigger than it was before or is it just my imagination?” said Simone looking bewildered, “or that vase, that looks larger too”.
    “I don’t think the world’s getting bigger, I think we’re getting smaller!” shouted Rafi.
    Rafi felt his helpless little body shrink to the floor, turning around he saw Simone crying for help as she became smaller and smaller and the room became bigger and bigger.
    A rustling noise arose from the depths of Rafi’s bed.
    “Hello, Rafi is that you?” asked Simone.
    As Simone turned around, looking for Rafi, something caught her eye. A pair of menacing pincers appeared out of the darkness. Before she could even let out another scream for help, Rafi grabbed her arm and pulled her away. Together they begin to run as if their lives depended upon it.
    “What on earth was that?” said Simone looking at Rafi with terror in her eyes. “I don’t know but I’m not gonna stay around to find out”. Rafi leaped onto a discarded pen spring which propelled him 50cm into the air landing on the winding handle of the clockwork bird. Struggling he hoists himself onto the back of the bird. “SPIDER!” yelled Simone. Rafi stretches his arm to the point he can feel his muscles tearing so Simone can grab hold of his hand. As they struggle to reach each other Rafi manages to grab hold of Simone with her feet narrowly missing the spider’s pincers as he yanks her up onto the bird with him. In his haste to climb onto the bird, Rafi had knocked the winding handle and now the bird’s wings were slowly beginning to move up and down as if it were alive and wanting to take flight.
    Its wings grew more alive with every breath they took, seeing the dust brush away from beneath them it soon became airborne. Soaring through Rafi’s bedroom Simone pointed out a small hole in his wall that the toy bird seemed to be gliding towards.
    The toy narrowed its wings and swept towards the wall, the children gasped but when the toy bird drifted through the hole in the wall both of their eyes gleamed up with excitement and shock, as what was on the other side of that wall they would never forget. A whole other land with beasts they never even dreamt of seeing before, was apparently hiding behind Rafi’s bedroom for the whole six years he’d lived at that house.

    Finn Whittington, Amery Hill School Hampshire Age 12

  44. “I don’t know.” they chorused.
    Meticulously, they both scoured their brains for the answers to these questions. They could tell their parents; it was their house now after all. But they both knew that if they did so, they would never find out who wrote the note and what would happen if they touched the toys. Telling Mum and Dad was out of the question, they couldn’t eliminate all possible sources of fun from their new house. Well, they wouldn’t call it new, Mum had inherited it from a long-lost relative who must have died ages ago judging by the amount of dust that shrouded the entire building. As for who wrote the note, they knew exactly how to find out. Rafi’s eyes met Simone’s and they silently acknowledged their shared opinions.
    “Which one?” said Rafi.
    “Do you think it matters? Just choose one, whoever wrote the note doesn’t seem to mind.” replied Simone.
    Tentatively, Rafi reached out towards the clockwork bird, the floorboards creaking beneath him as his weight shifted. His hand enveloped the toy and brought it up to eye level so he could examine it in more detail. Simone snatched the bird away impatiently and started turning the key. To their disappointment but also relief, the clockwork bird remained totally immobile.
    “Well that’s useful.” Rafi muttered.
    “Wait, wait, the key doesn’t work for this, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work for something else.”
    They both scanned the room for a lock before spotting a locked drawer in the top corner of the oak cupboard. Simone tried the key and managed to slide the drawer open. Rafi reached in cautiously and extracted a scrap of black ribbon. They were both equally confused by the relevance of the ribbon so decided to ignore it for now. Mum would be along soon, wondering where they had got to and they couldn’t risk her interrupting their investigation.
    They knew what they would have to do next to find out the truth, so they did just that.
    They had decided to save the doll until last, it was the least inviting of the three due to its sinister appearance. Simone reached for the next toy, the rusty tin soldier. Her hand brushed its corroded surface and they both felt a sudden sensation as if they were being suffocated. This feeling was only momentary though, almost instantly things went back to normal. Except from their clothes. Simone was now dressed in an old fashioned, weathered dress and Rafi in a shirt and shorts of a similar appearance. Startled, they glanced at one another and shared the thought that whoever had written the note had stayed true to their word. Although they were shocked, it was obvious in hindsight that something like this would happen, wasn’t it?
    Rafi looked nervously at the final toy; a corn doll with two woven plaits, one secured by a shiny, black ribbon. Simone picked up the scrap of ribbon that they had found inside the locked drawer.
    “This is the same, it’s the same as the ribbon on the doll.” Simone suggested.
    “Should we put it on her then, maybe that’s what we are supposed to do?” replied Rafi.
    Simone took the ribbon and began to tie it in a bow around on of the doll’s straw plaits. Nothing happened when she first touched the doll. Rafi was scanning the room anxiously, anticipating a dramatic change or for someone to appear. The room did begin to change, gradually at first, layers of dust disappearing, cracks in the painted walls correcting themselves. But then, as Simone finished tying the ribbon onto the doll, new furniture had appeared and an array of colourful toys scattered the floor.
    The room had been transformed into what the children assumed was an old nursery, due to the extravagant range of toys, which also contained a pair of incongruous looking beds in the corner. It seemed strange to the children why the nursery had such excessive means to entertain its inhabitants but little more than a blanket on the floor for them to sleep on. Until now the house had been silent, not a sound from their parents who were roaming around downstairs, discussing costs and possible renovations.
    “Children! Come on now, come downstairs, don’t think I don’t know where you are.” the voice uttered cheerfully.
    Rafi took a few apprehensive steps towards the door before being dragged back sharply by Simone.
    “What do you think you’re doing?” she said. “We aren’t her children, she isn’t Mum!”
    Simone ran quietly towards the huge window and peered out. The deserted single-track road that the family had driven down to get to the house was now teeming with furious villagers. Simone watched their mouths, trying to decipher what it was that they were so angry about, and what it had to do with this house.
    “Open the window then!” said Rafi. “We’ll be able to hear what they’re shouting about.”
    Quickly, Simone gripped the bottom of the window and with all her strength managed to open it a few centimetres. That was enough. The gathering’s silent anger erupted into a disorderly display of hatred aimed towards whoever was downstairs in the house. The children listened intently for words to show what all this was about, and the words came.
    “Evil witch”
    “I saw how you treated them, poor things.”
    “What happened to those children of yours? Explain that.”
    “Killed them, did you?”
    “We know, we know the truth.”
    “Everyone must know, what happens to people like you!”
    A noise came from downstairs within the house.
    “Children come now, I need you to pop to the village for me, it’s your favourite for tea!” said the woman. This time the voice was accompanied by footsteps. Too loud. Too heavy to be human.
    Terrified, the children backed into the corner of the room, the corner furthest from the door. The door which creaked open, a pale, spidery hand clasping the handle.

    Year 11 Attleborough Academy

  45. “I think we should touch it” whispered Simone reaching out and running his finger down the wing of the clock work bird it felt smooth. The metal key was sticking out of its back.
    “Do you think it works?” Asked Rafi curiously
    “Only one way to find out!” responded Simone. He picked up the bird and studied it, it had a blue body with yellow-tipped wings. As Simone turned the key the cogs clicked. He set it down on the floor and let go. The bird did something they never had expected. It came to life.Both boys gasped as the lifeless toy they had seen a second ago turned into a bird. The smooth wood turned into soft feathers and the wooden beak opened. It took of as the metal in its back turned as it flew, soaring around the room. That magical moment ended as soon as it had started the cogs stopped turning and the bird froze mid air and landed on the bed sending a dust cloud. Both boys coughed. Rafi stood up in shock he ran over to the bed as Simone stood up. Rafi picked up the bird and ran his fingers down it’s back solid. It was once again a toy.
    “Woah” squeaked Simone.
    “What was that?” Asked Rafi.
    “I don’t know but it was cool” said Simone. They walked over to the suit case and looked at the toy soldier
    “WAIT!” Shouted Rafi. “Remember the note touch two and it will change you”.
    “Oh yeah !”said Simone. “What harm can it really do though ?”. Simone picked up the toy “See nothing happened” sighed Simone.The soldier had a green uniform and brown hair.
    “This one is rubbish” said Rafi taking it of Simone and throwing it on the bed. The boys bent down and before they touch the 3rd and final toy a voice spoke.
    “RUBBISH,RUBBISH I am not rubbish !” Exclaimed the voice “I am a sergeant Smith one of the best soldiers in Britain”. As the voice spoke they both slowly turned around and stood up. On the bed was a soldier about 15cm long he stood on the post of the bed. “Giants what are you doing in my house!” Exclaimed Smith.
    “No this is our house” said Rafi edging forward. “Our parents bought it yesterday were brothers”.
    “No no no!” Screamed the soldier “My wife and two kids where are they what year is it ?” Asked the soldier
    “It’s 2020” replied Simone. Smith jumped down and landed on the light grey carpet with a thud “What do you remember last ?” Asked Simone
    “I was in battle against the Nazi gun shots ringing in my ears and then darkness” whispered Smith.
    “Were you famous?” Asked Rafi
    “Was I yes I was” said Smith uncertain. Rafi pulled out his phone. “Don’t shoot me!” Screamed Smith darting behind the bed post.
    “This is a phone it won’t hurt you” said Simone
    “Oh my” said Rafi “You died September 5 1944”.
    No answer came “Smith?” Asked Simone. It was over as quick as it had started. A small tin soldier stood behind the leg. Rafi reached over and picked up the toy. They walked over to the suitcase. “Touch three and you will meet me!” They chanted together. Simone picked up the doll and instead of it coming to life it shone a bright light. As quick as a flash , Simone threw it on the floor. A white figure floated in mid air. Rafi and Simone his for cover under the bed there bodies trembling and their hearts pounding.
    “You have just witnessed the past” said the spirit pointing to the soldier “The present me and the future the bird”. They both crawled out there was something soothing about its voice.
    “How?” Squeaked Rafi
    “Well the soldier was a fraction of the past and the significant events in it, the bird was unexpected like the future and I am here now” he explained.
    “What about the riddle ?” Asked Simone still shaking.
    “We’ll touch the future and nothing will affect you right now but will later on , touch the past and the world will change you and your life” whispered the spirit “And finally I am here now. The light faded and Rafi and Simone were alone in the room like before, them and the three toys. Past, present and the future. By Mia cotillard age 11 year 7 purbrook park school

  46. Eva
    Purbrook Park school
    Kneeling on the floor of what they supposed was the old playroom, they stared at the three toys lying innocently in the battered suitcase, puzzled. Outside, the wind howled as it battered the dilapidated Victorian house and the rain pelted the ground like bullets from a machine gun. The house stood on the edge of the town, separated from all the other houses. It was tall and the paintwork was crumbling, but it was clear it used to be a magnificent and proud building. Simone and Rafi had always wanted to explore the house, and the rainy day had given them the perfect opportunity. Unnoticed by their parents, they had snuck out to explore and found this strange suitcase.
    Rafi wondered how long the toys had been there. They looked very old and worn.
    “I don’t think we should touch them” said Simone, who was the cautious one. But Rafi so badly wanted to try them out and see what would happen. So, when Simone left the room to go and search for the bedrooms, he stayed behind and gazed longingly at the toys on the floor. Curiously, he picked up the little tin soldier and moved its rusty joints along the floor. He checked to see if anything had happened. When he realised nothing had, he smiled happily and continued to play with the soldier. Then Simone walked back in.
    “Rafi!” she yelled furiously “I told you not to touch the toys!”
    “But nothing happens” he whined “Look!” He picked up the other 2 toys and shoved them in Simone’s face. Then the room began to shake. It was only a tremor at first, but slowly it got bigger and bigger, until the whole room was shaking wildly. Rafi nearly jumped out of his skin as every single window and door slammed closed. Just as suddenly as the shaking had started, it stopped. Simone ran to the door and tried to open it.
    “Its locked!” she said, starting to get scared “Rafi, what have you done?”
    “Nothing!” He protested “I touched the first one and it was fine!”
    “Well now we’re trapped” Simone snapped “And it’s all your fault.”
    In a rage, Rafi slammed the suitcase shut and threw it into the wardrobe. But there was no thud as it hit the back. Rafi peered into the wardrobe and saw that the back was glowing faintly. He stepped into the wardrobe and discovered there was no back. He stepped out into a room with blinding white walls. He could see the suitcase on the floor. Simone tumbled out a second later.
    “What is this place?” she asked Rafi. A shiver ran down her spine. There was something creepy about all this.
    “Good question” The low, hoarse voice made the children jump out of their skins. It laughed a cruel, evil laugh. Rafi trembled. Without warning, one of the walls slid open. Dark smoke poured out from behind it, engulfing the room in its dark embrace. Rafi and Simone stood close. Their breaths seemed louder than a clap of thunder in the deafening silence. Then, they heard a sinister hissing sound. There was something else in the room with them.
    The whole town heard the screams of the children and after, the screams of their mums as they discovered their children weren’t safely tucked up in bed. Rafi and Simone were never seen again, and no one dared to go near the old Victorian house, for at night, it was said the missing children could be heard moaning about corn dolls and clockwork birds.

  47. They sat there for a while, pondering what to do, eventually they decided the best thing to do was to leave it and carry on their day. While they walked out the door to go to the park, Simone spotted something very odd. It was the clockwork bird!

    “Did you bring the clockwork bird outside Rafi?” She asked, with a puzzled look on her face.

    “No, but did you put the weird doll in my bag?” Rafi looked just as confused as Simone at that point. Simone shook her head.

    After that they thought nothing of it, after all they could easily just of made a mistake and accidentally packed it.

    It was the next day when something extraordinary happened! Rafi had just woken up and was brushing his teeth when he looked in the mirror and saw someone, not Rafi the doll. It was him but with a completely different face and body!

    “Ahhhhh!” he screamed, “what happened to me!?”

    Immediately he called up Simone and explained the situation and they both thought the best thing to do was to meet up at the old house where it all started and sort the mess up!

    30 minutes later they were back the house and, in the cupboard, with the clockwork bird and the doll.

    “we have to find the tin solider, it might be the only way” Simone explained.

    However, they didn’t need to find the tin solider. It found them…

    Year 7

  48. They both looked at each other, waiting for the other to break the silence… After a few moments they both burst into laughter and the tension broke.
    “What a funny joke! I wonder who made it?” Rafi asked. Simone pulled the suitcase closer to her and picked up the objects one at a time turning them over in her hands.
    “There might be a name or some initials to give us a cl….’ Simone disappeared!
    One moment she was there, object in hand, the next nothing. Rafi sat up straight. “Simone” he called, “Simone!” a note of desperation entered his voice. He stood up. “Simeone” he called turning in circles. “Simone!” he shouted, frantic.
    There was nothing: no noise and no sign of Simone. He backed away from the suitcase now sitting in the middle of the floor. The lid slowly lifted up and slammed shut. Rafi turned and fled. He ran through the door slamming it shut behind him. He ran along the corridor to the stairs, stumbling down two at a time in his haste, tripping over the last and laying still sprawled at the bottom. He lay panting on his back, staring back up the stairs too scared to move. Slowly his breathing began to slow. The only sound was the clock ticking in the hall way until it chimed the hour, and Rafi flinched at the noise. He draw his legs under himself and slowly stood up. He turned towards the kitchen catching sight of himself in the hall mirror. He was pale, eyes wide, mouth slightly open. He hickuped a nervous half laugh, half sob. His eyes moved from his reflection to the ancient photos on its right. A family heirloom, a permanent fixture on the hallway wall. He had spent hours looking at the faces staring back at him, looking for similarities in his own features, admiring their old fashioned clothes, and wondering what they were thinking when the photo was taken.
    He stopped. He stared at the picture and moved closer. There in the middle row, right at the front stood Simone! There was no doubt, she was staring right back at him. Looking slightly older, her clothes in stark contrast to the rest of the people. One hand clasping that of a little girl, Simone’s head held high, a bright smile filling her face.

  49. Simone cradled the bedraggled corn doll, feeling a sort of warmth in its eyes, though it was falling apart as she held it. ‘Simone, t-that’s the third one! Please be careful!’ Rafi’s eyes were wide and afraid. Usually it was him who was up for adventure, but this time he felt ill just looking at Simone and the doll. ‘Oh, shush. What’s the worst that could happen?’
    ‘But- I just thought-‘ The doll flew into the air, becoming a twirling mass of exploding light. ‘Rafi! Rafi, where are you?!’ No reply. A hand, small and fragile, reached out to Simone in the never-ending white abyss, calling her name, singing her favourite song. She grabbed it, becoming more desperate as she was dragged further and further into an ocean of death. Just as she felt herself give up, no longer choking for air, the hand yanked her into a place that she had never seen before, not once.

    ‘Hello?’ Rafi’s voice echoed around th dimly lit clearing, forcing Simone to reply. ‘Rafi? Is that you?’ Simone heard nothing back, and became more and more anxious as time ticked by. Eventually, she dared to put one foot in front of the other, despite every muscle in her body screaming at her to stop. Slowly but surely, her pace increased, until she came to a stop at an old and seemingly abandoned cottage.

    The ivy had long since covered its outer walls, turning it into a dark-green mess. Tiles were missing from the rain-worn roof, and the door hung open, half off of its hinges. The little cottage looked as if it may have once been a beautiful holiday home, as Simone could see dead flowers littering the front and the odd splash of pastel-yellow paint that hadn’t been washed off the walls by many seasons of weathering. Footsteps clacked against tiles, almost causing Simone to jump into the air with fright. She ran as quickly and quietly as possible to the side of the house, peeping round the corner to see who the footsteps belonged to.

    Long, blonde hair fell in a somewhat messy sheen down to her back, covering her paper-white skin. An old, pink dress hung loosely off her starved body, torn and ripped. Simone decided quickly that she didn’t seem a threat and stepped cautiously out of the shadows, awkwardly smiling at the girl. ‘You saved me.’ The girl’s eyes, once sunken and grey, now turned a brilliant blue, shining brightly with hope. ‘What?’ Simone stepped back, evidently confused. ‘You saved me. You saw warmth and life in me where others didn’t.’ Slowly, the girl stepped forward, a soft glow warming the air around her. Simone stood in shock, paralyzed by the girl’s bedraggled state. ‘I.. Don’t know what to say..’ The girl looked at her, tilting her head. ‘You don’t have to say anything, I’m here.’
    ‘Okay.’

    Simone stepped forward, suddenly overcome with sadness. ‘What happened to you? You seem so..’ She stopped, realisation falling onto her like ice cold water. ‘You-You’re the doll! The one I picked up!’ But the girl only smiled, almost seeming to fade as Simone spoke. Nevermind seeming to fade. She WAS fading. ‘Wait! I have so many questions, please don’t go yet! What about the other toys? Where did you even come from in the first place? Who are you?!’ But the girl had faded away already, leaving Simone to question things alone. Hours were spent pacing the cottage, the garden, until she couldn’t even stand anymore. Forcing herself awake, Simone tried to get up, but it was no use.. Her eyes were already shut, halfway into a deep sleep.

    A day later, Simone awoke, not on the grass outside the cottage but back in her own bed, tucked in and far away from the attic where the three toys were discovered. She got up, slid on her slippers and walked out into the halway. Rafi was standing outside his room, dazed and sleepy. ‘Rafi! There you are! I’ve been looking for you since we got taken to that clearing!’ Rafi looked back at her in confusion. ‘What do you mean, sis? I was in bed the whole night! We headed back home as soon as you touched the doll!’
    ‘But.. No we didn’t!’
    ‘I’m telling you we did or my name isn’t Rafi.’
    ‘But- the girl- the clearing- don’t you remember?’
    ‘Sorry sis, you must have dreamed the whole thing.’ Rafi pushed past her, heading downstairs for breakfast.

    Simone wasn’t wrong though.

    The simple answer to everything that happened?

    Well, I guess you’ve got to figure that out yourself.

    Lilja Y7 St Clement Danes School

  50. It was the bird that caught their eye, it was just too perfect. There was no rust or dust anywhere on it and when you turned the key it moved soundlessly, flapping its wings and moving its beak. Rafi turned and started to play with the bird for a while, suddenly the beak began to open, wider and wider and wider. Something fell out of it, a second note in thin spidery writing, it read ‘once there were two but now there are one’. Rafi turned to Simon to ask what the note meant but he was gone! In horror Rafi looked at where he had been sitting because in his place there were the tin soldier and the strange old doll holding hands. The lid of the suitcase snapped shut and thin spidery lines began to form on the lid showing the three toys united and behind them a man holding a cage, and in that cage was Simon. The room began to glow with a strange, eerie light that seemed to pulse with life, the suitcase swung open once more and inside there were not the three toys but the strange eerie light swirling in a slow vortex. Rafi stepped inside. A warm light enveloped his body and he felt as if he was travelling backwards really fast. The world around him changed and now what stood before him was a grand hall as tall as the Eiffel tower and as wide as a football pitch. A cold, high voice spoke from above “The Challenge Is To Begin”.

    Oliver Goodenough,
    Age: 12
    School: Purbrook Park School, Hampshire

  51. The two children sat there for a few moments just pondering over what they had just read, when suddenly, the door that they had crept through banged shut,
    ‘Who’s there?’, asked Simone shakily, trying to look out for his younger brother who was slowly edging his hand closer to the toys…
    ‘Don’t touch that!’, exclaimed Simone in the efforts of trying to throw his little brother off from touching it, but instead it made Rafi jump out of his skin, as they were both huddling together shivering in a cold, dark, damp, abandoned attic of their next door neighbors home.
    In the urge of getting his balance back again Rafi tried to grab hold of anything, but there was nothing apart from the suitcase and a whole lot of dust.
    One finger planted flat on the chest; everything around them came to life, color was dancing around them bouncing on and off the dark stone walls, the 2 boys joined in the old tin soldier became young again and the rust vanished right before their young innocent eyes.
    Rafi touched it again as he wasn’t quite as grown up as Simone and didn’t quite understand what was going on and just wanted some excitement, however what happened next was by definitely the strangest of all; the boys stomachs started to bubble then it was like something from inside of them reached out into one another. Everything went silent…
    The 2 boys looked at each other, realising what had just happened; their bodies had basically flipped, but not only that their personalities as well, Simone became a very bubbly excited little boy who just wanted to play and Rafi became a highly protective older brother.
    With that going on now, Simone seemed very confused and didn’t understand why he had the urge to touch the old chest for the very last time and why Rafi suddenly kicked in his overprotective mode and went all out to try to direct the pair of them out of the building and home.
    However, it wasn’t enough for Simone, he had to touch if it was the last thing, he did and quite literally was the last thing that he did; after a few seconds of touching nothing happened,
    ‘Nothing happened, why don’t you try Rafi?’, Simone asked, slightly down in the dumps that nothing happened
    ‘let me try’, Rafi answered, but even then, nothing happened…
    ‘why don’t we both touch it together, like at the same time’, suggested Simone.
    Together, they both put their hands together and clasped onto the chest soon after the magic started to happen, right in front of their eyes a whirl of wind began to form.
    ‘good day young boys I have been watching you come here every day for a couple of years now, yet you have never ventured far enough to find me!’, echoed a loud voice from out of nowhere, the boys stood their starstruck looking around to try and see something,
    ‘You must stay quiet about me and not tell anything or anybody about my visit, for the rest of your lives’, continued the echoing voice. Freya from Woodroffe

  52. “I don’t know!” shivered Simone.

    Rafi’s eyes brightened, “I know, let’s take them all home and we can decide tomorrow”.

    As the two boys were sleeping, they had no idea how their lives were about to change. The lighting still shone brightly even when the night was at its pitch blackness.

    The sun was rising as Simone woke up; he couldn’t smell the diesel or petrol fragrance in the air anymore. In his house, Rafi was puzzled too – he didn’t know what had happened either. He rushed to the phone on his desk to call his friend.

    “What did we do?” he whispered down the telephone.

    “Beats me!” the words from Simone’s mouth suggested that he was thrilled but curious at the same time.

    “Ok, I think I know what did this. Meet me at the creepy, old house, with the suitcase, in ten minutes!” Rafi yelled.

    Ten minutes later, with the lightning bolts deconstructing nearly every tree in its path, the two boys stood outside the eerie opened gate not moving one inch. The expression on Rafi’s face showed that he was absolutely terrified. But his best pal didn’t look so worried.

    “Cheer up!” Simone gestured, patting Rafi on the back.

    “How could you say that,” Rafi exclaimed through gritted teeth “We are standing outside a house that is known all over England to be haunted!”

    “Well, when you put it like that…”

    Rafi placed his finger to his lips, “Be quiet! Now, have you got the torches?” his voice sounding now slightly less shaky, slightly less terrified.

    His friend held them both up and they walked up the long, winding pathway. A flash of light lit up the house which sat on top of the hill. Big and black, it was just like any ‘scary house’, but the fact that this house made people move away as far as they could, even to the other side of the world, was because it was dead quiet. Silent and still. Not even a mouse could be heard. The story goes that one day the man who was an estate agent (who sold houses to people looking to move into the neighbourhood), went into the house with a young couple and was the only one to come out. He was the only one to survive. The house had stood empty ever since that night. Until tonight.

    Suitcase in hand, the boys had made their way slowly and carefully upstairs back to the bedroom where, out of the dust-covered window, they could see blackness meeting light as the ferocious bolts continued to light up the night sky. The bedroom looked the same as it did the night before – but they still had strong telepathic thoughts about entering it again, communicated only through their darting eyes. Rafi started to mutter under his breathe, trying to convince himself that what had happened the night before was not real, when the piercing sound an old telephone broke the silence…

    Josh (aged 12) Purbrook Park School

  53. “Well, I don’t know if touching them is a good idea…” said Simone cautiously.
    “Yes, but it could be fun!” Rafi whispered excitedly, before Simone’s matter-of-fact gaze smothered his enthusiasm.
    “But, firstly, touching someone’s property without their permission is, quite frankly, rude! Secondly, I’m older than you so I am in charge -” She started –
    “Only by two minutes!!” Protested Rafi incredulously.
    “- and thirdly, who knows what might happen…” her eyes glittered darkly and the walls of the room seemed to crouch nearer and nearer. Rafi’s toes curled at the thoughts that rushed through his mind…curious children went missing when they did bad things. Or they simply lived their lives holding terrible secrets, secrets that saturated them of hope and joy. Rafi gulped. Maybe Simone was right.
    “We’d better put this away and forget about it,” concluded Simone. “and remember not to go looking in creepy old suitcases!” But Rafi did not laugh, and his expression remained stony.
    That night Rafi tossed and turned in his rusty old trundle bed. The pillows were too scratchy and the mattress was gravelly. He hated this stupid new house – why on earth had Mum and Dad chosen it?
    He glanced grumpily at the sleeping silhouette of his dreaming sister. His annoyance was replaced with longing…
    “She’s so perfect…” he thought. “I wish I were more like her. Sensible, smart, popular…” His eyes sparkled with tears. He’d never be like her. Never. Because he was plain, strange, unwanted Rafi.
    And suddenly, from out of the darkness, the trill of a bird tweeted out to him. Rafi sat up and strained his ears… yes… definitely a bird…
    Rafi’s inquisitivity burned brighter than it had ever done before, and he slipped out of the trundle bed and into the lurking shadows.
    Before he knew it, he was facing the suitcase cupboard and was reaching out for the handle. He turned it, unafraid. He took the suitcase. Soon, it was open, and the reflections of the clockwork bird, the tin soldier and Victorian dolly gleamed in his deep, hazel eyes.
    He was adamant that the clockwork bird had been calling him, but how could it have been? It wasn’t as if it were alive, just cogs and wheels and oily old springs!
    He looked closely at the toys and noticed that each had a word embossed onto their chests. ‘Innocence’ – the bird. ‘Freedom’ – the soldier. ‘Passion’ – the doll. An unfamiliar feeling slithered into his mind and urged him to speak:
    “Touch one just for fun…” Rafi whispered, and with a flick of his wrist, he had the metal bird in his grasp. An audible ticking rang in his ears, and his heart ticked in time with it. His mind wandered into oblivion and he forgot all about his slumbering sister, whom he had always admired and loved…
    “Touch two, that will change you…” He found the tin soldier and clasped it to his torso. He said it clearer than before and his eyes blazed with ferocity… and to his utmost horror he felt his heart stop beating and something bang angrily at his chest, as if a prisoner was trying to break through his chest. He didn’t want to say it, but an invisible force kindled his wonder…
    “Touch three, to come and see me.” Rafi grasped the doll and screamed in torment, as all his happy memories were ripped from him, the passion, the innocence, the freedom…

    So when a dark, shadowed figure knelt beside his ragged body, Rafi seized the skeletal hand that emerged from the cloak and welcomed the stranger gladly.
    Rafi didn’t care what would happen to him. He felt… well, nothing. He didn’t have a fierce desire to live any more. He wasn’t full of life. Or love.
    He was not Rafi any more.

    By Ethel, The Woodroffe School.

    1. Hi Ella,

      Scroll through and see if you can see your entry. If not I’m afraid you’ll have to repost it.

  55. “Oh go on Rafi, touch all three!” Said Simone.
    “Why me!” Whimpered Rafi.
    “Because its my plan,” said Simone.
    “Ok” whispered Rafi begrudgingly.
    First Rafi touched the clockwork bird with a key which was sticking out of its back but nothing happened. “It’s your turn now Simone,” said Rafi.
    “No you need to touch the second one,” said Simone.
    “Ok, but the note said touch two, that will change you,” Rafi said in fear.
    Rafi touched the tin soldier with a brightly painted uniform that was beginning to rust. All of a sudden a wave of fear came over Rafi, his knees started to tremble and his tummy flipped.
    “She’s watching us, she says touch the third toy” Said Rafi who appeared to be in a zombie like trance.
    “Oh Rafi don’t be silly!” Simone said.
    “She wants you to touch the last toy,” mumbled Rafi.
    “Ok Rafi, I get that you don’t want to touch the last toy so I will do it” said Simone. Simone reached out and touched the funny looking old corn doll. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder, it was her! – The corn doll! She raised her arms and mumbled in another language, she was casting a spell. The room was getting bigger, however Simone noticed that she was getting smaller. The corn doll nodded its head and the children were transported into the suitcase, changed forever into corn dolls.

  56. Chloe Middleton
    Age 11
    Handsworth Grange Community Sports College
    Sheffield

  57. “Let’s touch one of them, just to be on the safe side,” Simone pointed out as her trembling hand reluctantly approached the tin soldier.
    “What’s the matter, Simone? Scared?” teased Rafi. “D’you know what? Move aside – it’s obvious that you’re a scaredy-cat! I’ll touch it.” Simone folded her arms crossly, but couldn’t deny that.

    Rafi pushed back mop of ebony-black hair; rolled up his sleeves; and his hand then advanced to the soldier – whose metal was majorly tarnished. Beads of unforgiving sweat mercilessly trickled down his face; there was a glassy reflection of the neglected toy in his liquid-brown eyes. Gulping down the nervous lump in his throat, Rafi took a deep breath and poked the soldier around the tissue paper. Nothing happened.
    “Nothing happened. Shall we touch two?” Simone asked, slightly disappointed.
    “We might as well.”
    Simone stroked the funny-looking doll lovingly, as if she were caressing her younger sister’s head.
    The two children waited for a while, in anticipation for a mind-boggling event to appear out of nowhere.
    “Nothing? Seriously?” complained Rafi.
    “Why don’t we touch the third one, perhaps that’ll –” and before Simone could complete her sentence, Rafi chimed in.
    “Forget it, Simone. Maybe this person wrote those words just to fool whoever dared to open this old, dusty suitcase. Face it: these toys are old-fashioned and lame.”
    “But –”
    “These toys are LAME. Let’s go, Simone. I can finally get to level seventy-three on my video game,” he mentioned.
    “Fine! Go! I don’t care what you think: I’m staying. I know something is bound to happen. And I’m gonna be the first one to see it!”
    “What-evs. I’ going to go explore this house. Let me know when something happens,” Rafi [very helpfully] added.
    “Thanks, Rafi.”
    And with that, he vanished into the eerie darkness of the background. The floorboards creaked uncannily; cobwebs upon cobwebs upon cobwebs filled every corner of the house; strange portraits of what looked like some very snobbish and fancy people were hung up on the corridor – it was ever-so terrifying the way those intimidating eyes followed you as you dawdled down the hallway; there was an abundance of cracks encrusted in those walls; and finally, to complement the horror of the accommodation: an unpitying chill to the wind that meandered and danced around you uselessly with every step you foolishly took. This building was no home; it was some sort of… wreckage…

    I don’t care what Rafi thinks: I know that these toys’ll do something, thought Simone as she lingered patiently in front of the suitcase with glistening, hopeful eyes.
    “Touch two, that will change you,” Simone read again from the old piece of parchment.

    And without warning, Simone spontaneously transformed into… a… an animal? Drenched in jet-black velvety fur, emerald eyes greener than the Aegean Sea, claws that could effortlessly dig into iron: this appearance was nothing like a normal girl.
    Another piece of paper enigmatically appeared. Could she have read this sooner and avoided punishment?

    Whoever is foolish enough to touch the toys,
    Kept mysteriously in the house.
    Consequences are bound to occur,
    The time has come for the terror to arouse…

    Touch one, just for fun.
    Touch two, that will change you.
    Touch three, to come and see me.

    Aman Sadiq
    Burnt Mill Academy

  58. It was while they were exploring the old house that Rafi and Simone found the suitcase, stuffed into the back of a cupboard.

    “This looks old,” said Rafi, trying to find a way to open the lock.

    “There’s something inside,” said Simone. “It rattles when you move it.”

    They laid the case down on the floor, and eventually Simon discovered that if you pressed the clasp softly, the suitcase clicked open, the lid rising into the air. A sudden cloud of dust made the children cough, but once they had waved it away, they saw what was inside. There were three very old looking toys, lying on a bed of crumpled tissue paper. A clockwork bird, with a key sticking out of the back. A tin soldier, with a brightly painted uniform, beginning to rust. And a funny old doll, made of corn tied together with ribbon.

    “Hey!” said Rafi. “Someone’s left a note on top.”

    It was as old as the suitcase, if not older. In spidery ink, on yellowing parchment, it read:

    Touch one, just for fun.
    Touch two, that will change you.
    Touch three, to come and see me.

    “Who do you think wrote that?” said Simone.
    “What shall we do?” said Rafi.

    But before an inch of realisation came to Simone’s mind of the negative scenarios, a cloud of childish enthusiasm and curiosity rose, and his fingers had already wrapped around the old clockwork toy, and…

    “huh?” confusion flew out of both their mouths, as the old toy fell apart into a glistening dust.

    “I knew this wouldn’t do anything in the first place, and then you had to carelessly go and… and break it!” Rafi argued

    It was then that a silent howl of wind picked up the dust, and threw it towards a wall, uncovering a hidden lever…

    Simones mouth gaped open in confused excitement, with plans to prove Rafi’s argument to be obsolete.

    A gratifying sunbeam rose to life as it emerged in the room over Rafi’s eyes, temporarily blinding him. It bounced elegantly off of an old looking glass, and shone on the lever. Simone slapped rafi with a gaze of controversy, and pointed to the lever, and rafi was left with a perplexed look on his face. The lever was easy to spot as it’s old look and cobwebs left it incongruous from the room, and concluded the fact that it was mysterious.

    Simone had already gotten back to his feet, and went to the lever, he wanted to use it, but his conscience (and rafi) were holding him back. Simone had always been very childish and drastically stupid and optimistic, and rafi was always there to balance it out with pessimism, but simone couldn’t control himself, he threw his arm out of Rafi’s grip, and flicked the lever, but his arm went right through it, in fact, his entire shoulder went though it, and his momentum swung him around, and slapped rafi in the face. Simone tripped on rafi, who was on the ground holding his cheek, with expletives echoing in his mouth. Unable to keep his balance, Simone fell inside the wall, and hit a plate, which opened up the wall, and lit a torch.
    Still on the floor, yet frozen in disbelief, rafi stood up, and walked into the hole, to grab the torch.

    At the end of the path, there was a chest, with a lock on it.

    Simone knew immediately what to do. He ran back to the suitcase, and grabbed the key from what used to be the old clockwork toy, and ran back to put the key in the chest. Inside the chest was a flare gun, a couple of flares, a golden coin, some green boots with a feather on it, and some bombs. They ran back in excitement, and before Rafi could say anything, the tin soldier was in Simones grasp, and it destroyed the floor. Everything fell, including the suitcase. The two landed in a cave, and so did everything else, immediately breaking into pieces. Last to fall was the corn doll, which then became the worst case scenario, as it landed in rafi’s hands. The ground turned dark purple, and three giant purple orbs rose, and radiated a horrifying glow. Rafi threw the bombs at the orbs and they broke, the first one to break sent a chill down their spines, the second to break made horrible screams, and as the third one broke, a massive purple worm, with massive fangs, and thousands of segments, each with a large eye burst through the floor, and swallowed rafi…

    Jody Cave
    Age 11
    Debden Park High School

  59. Simone being the older sister decided to take control.” Rafi, we need to focus and think about this,” said Simone.
    “ok your right,” said Rafi.
    “wait I know mum said before moving to this house that it used to be an orphanage!” suspiciously said Simone, “it’s got to be an orphan kid who left the letter and the suitcase there.”
    “this is getting so creepy!” scarily said Rafi. Now both brother and sister were excited looking at each other with a somewhat frightened but determined look on their faces. Rafi gulped as he stared into the doll’s eyes.
    As Rafi picked up the doll, he felt something around its neck,” Simone what’s this Key! “Shouted Rafi in a squeaky high-pitched voice. Where did you find that,” said Simone.
    “Around the doll’s neck look there’s SOMETHING ETCHED ON THE KEY”, whispered Rafi. “read it, “said Simone.”
    It says “Attic” replied Rafi.
    Again, looking into each other’s glazed eyes understanding exactly what each other were thinking, they both turned in to the direction of the attic stairs.
    Slowly they both got up and headed in the direction of the attic stairs, Rafi holding on to the key tightly and muttering “let’s check this out”. One by one up they went, each step they took had its own creek. Simone pushed the door leading into the attic. OMG cobwebs, dust and an overwhelming musty smell, the attic certainly hasn’t been aired for a long time.
    They both scoured the attic as robotic lasers would scanning for the something, anything where this key would fit.
    Bed frames, boxes, rocking horse and bags cluttered the attic as both Simone & Rafi tiptoed in looking for the ultimate keyhole.
    After minutes of looking they finely found a knee-high chimney door which had a keyhole. Simone slotted the key in, as the door creaked opened sticking due to the flooring and needing a rigid push. As the door fully opened Simone was on her knees crouching on all fours, head and body in the chimney closet and Rafi on the floor trying to peek through around his sister.
    “WHAT CAN YOU SEE TELL ME, TELL ME” excitedly repeated Rafi.
    “Shush, shush” Simone gently whispered, as she withdrew herself backwards, and sat with a total blank expression on her face looking all confused.
    “what is it Simone, tell me, tell me” the unknown was becoming to much for Rafi as he pushed himself past his sister trying to get a glimpse of what his sister had seen and what had made her speechless.
    “oh my god Simone, how can that be” said Rafi as his voice deflated turning to look at Simone, more worried than ever, totally confused and shocked taking shallow breath trying not to show the confusion to his sister.
    Once again both stared into each other’s eyes, each waiting for the other to explain what they had just seen ……….
    THE END
    Aamira Yasin – Year 7 Purbrook Park School

  60. “I wonder what we should do,” Said Rafi, inspecting the tin soldier.
    “We could try it and see what happens,” Suggests Simon. The doors locked behind them.
    The light seemed to change, Simon thought he saw something moving in the corner.
    Rafi reached out and touched it; “This is fun!” He said. Cautiously Simon followed.
    “Should we try again?” asked Rafi.
    “But I–,” Said Simon cut off by Rafi. He thought he saw the movement again.
    “It’ll be fun,” said Rafi. He reached out to touch it.
    Simon grabbed Rafi’s hand. “Stop,” Simon pleaded.
    “Scaredy cat,” taunted Rafi as he touched the clockwork bird.
    “I feel a bit strange,” muttered Rafi. He reached out and touched the doll.
    “Hello boys,” Said an eerie voice behind them “I see you’ve read the note,”
    The floor collapsed beneath them. “Aaaaargh,” they screamed as they fell down into the abyss. . .

    “Where are we,” asked Rafi looking around “I didn’t know we had a cellar,” The room they were in had no windows or doors and was lowly lit by a hidden light source. Neither of the boys really noticed that they were standing on a bed of tissue paper.
    “It’s all your fault,” shouted Simon shoving Rafi against the wall “If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be down here, you’re always messing things up,” Simon shouted
    “Stop,” Rafi tried to object but it was no use” Can’t you see? He’s turning us against each other,”
    Simon looked around “Sorry,” Simon apologised. The boys looked up as the ceiling opened like a case and they started to feel stiff. They fell over, unable to move, first noticing the teddy in the corner, then the faces staring down at the note beside them.

    Sebastian James
    St Clement Danes
    Y7

  61. precious okeowo
    Mayfield grammar school y7w

    “Well I think we shouldn’t touch it at all” said simone “I have watched too many horror films and I know exactly how this will end.”
    “how?” asked Raffi, he had backed away from the trunk as he watch horror films as well and knew that this wouldn’t end well.
    “well touch one for fun could NOT be very fun and could make that toy come alive or something”
    “ooh that is so cool”
    “no wait!” simone cried but it was too late, Raffi had already leaped towards the trunk and reached out to touch the corn doll.
    “let me out” a voice whispered as Raffi’s fingers wrapped around the doll.
    “what? who was that!” simone gasped
    “please let me out” the voice whispered, louder this time as Raffi lifted the doll closer to his face.
    “I think it’s the doll” Raffi whimpered.
    “break my bones and set me free” the voice chanted
    “what does that mean” simone asked confused.
    “I think we have to break the doll to set whatever it is free, I’ll go get some scissors so we can cut it open” Raffi replied
    “wait? Do we really want to set it free; I mean it could be anything”?
    “I guess we will never know if we don’t try” s
    Snip snip snip and the doll was cut open…

  62. Rafi and Simon always liked to go onto a little adventure. They decide to play with the toys and see the consequences.

    “Ah brother, i told you that there was nothing to be scared of!” exclaimed Simon.

    And being convinced Rafi accepted into playing with the toys. Neither of them knew however the massive danger that they had gotten themselves into.

    The boys continued playing with such happy expressions on their faces. Nevertheless, a moment later their joy and happiness was turned into being frightened and scared. They immediately stood up and saw a hooded figure coming towards them from the distance (they were within the mist of danger) and decided that the only way out of the situation was to- RUN!

    They ran the opposite direction as fast as possible and how lucky they were to escape the room, but… to where.

    Later on, the boys realized that they had entered the living room because they had touched the TV and never again visited ‘The Forbidden room.’

  63. Please Mia, I am from St. Joachim’s catholic primary school and i am in Year 6.
    Thank you.

  64. This is my entry.

    ‘I think we should find out what number three means and who it is ‘ said Simone ‘It would be… life changing.’ ‘I…I…I don’t know maybe we should tell someone or not touch it at all.’ Rafi explained.
    Simone takes a silver rattle (looking like it was meant for a baby) she falls unconscious.
    ‘What Simone? Simone wake up! Is, is she dead? I have to take it off of her.’ exclaimed Rafi.

    Simone woke up with no toy in her hand. Wondering where Rafi is.
    Rafi shouts in a worried tone ‘What happened to you? Are you okay? Why would you touch a toy? Are you insane?!’

    Simone starts to tear up ‘I am sorry, I went to a place to have fun,’
    Rafi interrupted ‘Did you even think about how I would feel, how uncle would feel.’
    Simone cried out loud ‘ I saw mother.’
    Rafi said ‘Mother passed when we were six we are now living with our Uncle Arthur.’
    A lightbulb went of in Simone’s brain ‘ We should touch the third toy’
    Rafi said ‘Okay’.

  65. ’What shall we do?’’ said Rafi…
    …There was a short pause, and a look of confusion struck both Rafi and Simone.
    ‘’Ummm, I’m not so sure Rafi,’’ stuttered Simone.
    ‘’But it says touch one, just for fun, maybe that means we can touch one without no harm.’’ Rafi replied not so sure.
    ‘’Well…’’ Simone started in a doubtful tone.
    ‘’Well, let’s do it!’’ Rafi exclaimed confidently.
    But then Rafi saw the expressions on Simone’s face as her eyebrows raised and her eyes squinted, he started to get worried.
    ‘’Are you alright? You don’t seem alright,’’ Rafi whispered.
    ‘’Well…I saw a similar horror film in which all this had happened but when the case was opened, it ended with a note inside the case…’’ Said Simone in deep thought of what was to happen.
    ‘’That’s where we are! We just opened the case Simone, and about the note, yeah did you seem to capture what it said?’’ Rafi asked in shock.
    ‘’It was written in spider ink, and said something like touch one for, but then I couldn’t read the rest because it was hidden under the bed of tissues,’’ answered Simone.
    ‘’NO, NO, it can’t be, that’s almost the same as what’s written if it was to say fun at the end BUT, maybe it did!’’ Rafi was confused but at the same time anxious as to how it was possible.
    The pair of them took a glance at the box then a glance at each other.
    Rafi and Simone both agreed to pick up one toy, the rusty tin soldier, Rafi decided to pick up one cracked and crooked hand and Simone, well Simone was still debating whether to do it or not but she ended up picking up the other hand.
    All of sudden they both felt dizzy and were soon down on the floor. Several minutes later, they both woke up and went straight to the case and stopped, looked at the doll, and the doll had moved it’s arm and was now pointing towards the clockwork bird, with a key sticking out of the back. Rafi laughed and then so did Simone. They touched the key and chuckled a bit, and then were almost attached to it. As they picked it up, this time they immediately fell to floor and didn’t wake up until it was 8pm so that was 1 whole hour.
    Nevertheless when they DID wake up they were like puppets attached to string being pulled at the same time. Soon after, they were copying the corroded tin soldier, WHICH MEANT…the soldier was MOVING! The soldier lifted one arm slowly and in sequence surprisingly Rafi and Simone did the same. The last toy was left and it was the funny old doll, made of corn, tied together with ribbon. Simone and Rafi picked up the crinkled dolls hands and this time they didn’t fall to the ground but they were acting as though they could hear the doll, they were HYPNOTISED…
    Simone and Rafi tuned clockwise and stopped. The doll came alive and tapped them both with it’s bony fingers and said
    ‘’This is where the story ends, HAHAHAAA!’’
    The end

    Zoobia Saleem
    Debden Park High School, year 7

  66. “I think we should just go, it’s a bit creepy.” Said Simone.
    “Come on don’t be such a wimp.” Said Rafi.
    “Oh ok, but if anything happens, I’m blaming you!” Whimpered Simone.

    Rafi picked up the clockwork bird and said “But like what even is this?”
    He put it down, then he picked up the doll and said, “Simone I don’t think a doll made out of corn is going to hurt us.”

    Simone started backing away from Rafi. Simone looked as pale as a sheet, like he was going to throw up. You could tell from one short glance he was absolutely terrified. “What is happening?” Rafi asked confused.

    “Your, your turning into a were, werewolf.” Stuttered Simone.
    “Don’t be so silly.” Laughed Rafi.
    Simone picked up a fragment of a shattered mirror, and held it up to Rafi’s face. Rafi screamed. Big, fluffy ears started growing on the top of his head, fur started growing all over his body. His teeth were like razors. He started to howl, he was ready to kill. He darted over to Simone, but luckily Simone dodged him.

    Simone ran out of the room and shouted, “I’m your friend remember, please don’t hurt me!”
    This time Rafi howled even louder than before, he for sure woke up everyone in the village.

    Simone accidentally ran into the table and the suitcase fell to the floor, the toy soldier rolled out and hit Rafi’s foot. Slowly the werewolf features were going away, the howl turned into a scream.

    Rafi was human again. Simone under his breath said, “Touch three, to come and see me,” then he said it louder, “ Touch three, to come and see me.”
    “What?” Rafi asked looking worried.
    “That’s what the paper said.” Said Simone.
    “That’s just stupid, nothing has happened.” Rafi Said still looking worried.
    “You turned into a werewolf!” Simone said loudly.

    They both just stared at each other. Rafi dropped to the floor, Simone ran over. Rafi wasn’t breathing. He was rushed to hospital and pronounced dead.

    Two weeks after Rafi died was the funeral. It turns out the suitcase belonged to a witch who use to live in our village. The witch has been dead for many years, that’s what it meant, touch three, to come and see me. You would die.

    So remember, don’t joke around about strange things.

  67. ‘We should touch three!’ said Simone.
    ‘Are you sure?’ said Rafi nervously.
    ‘Absolutely because then we can see who wrote the note…I wonder who we will meet…’ thought Simone and with that both the sisters touched all three toys gently. As they did so they suddenly heard somebody say ‘don’t you dare’ in a mysterious voice. Both sisters looked around them quickly shivering with fear.
    ‘Who said that?’ whispered Simone
    ‘I don’t know ‘ whispered Rafi back. Rafi was the younger of the two sisters but just as courageous and determined as her older sister. Rafi loved her older sister more than anything and now with the war going on she only felt safe with Simone. Suddenly the mysterious voice spoke again ‘Why are you tampering with my suitcase?’ and there with a puff of rainbow coloured smoke appeared a little creature that looked very much like a Koala and panda but had a reptile tail which curled in a spiral behind him, a bit like a cinnamon swirl. Simone had this thought and suddenly her tummy growled for hunger.
    ‘I beg your pardon sir’ said Simone when she found her voice, ‘ we weren’t tampering, we found this note and we just thought that maybe we would like to see who it belonged to..’
    ‘very well’ said the small creature. He was actually friendly and very cute and cuddly but his voice was very serious, like a Doctor. ‘My name is Rupert. I am a time travelling scientist. I have come very far from future but there is a time in history that we need someone to help us with. It is a sad time where no one is allowed out of their house’.
    ‘You mean like the war? We are not allowed out now either’ said Rafi sadly.
    ‘Yes just like the war’ said Rupert ‘but this time in history needs your help to save people from a virus. Will you help us?’
    ‘the sisters looked at each other for a moment. Simone knew that her little sister wished her parents were with them now. But the war had taken them. Maybe they could help others. Afterall they were only playing with toys now. Simone and Rafi said ‘yes’ together holding each other’s hands tightly. Suddenly with a puff of smoke they were in the time of dinosaurs!

    ‘erm I think I am a little bit scared right now’ said Rafi when a gigantic diplodocus plodded past.
    ‘WOOPS! We have gone too far back in time. We need to go to the year 2020’ then Rupert pressed two toys and together they all pressed three of the mysterious toys. So off they went travelling speedily through colourful lights and landed with a bump on grass under a big blue sky. and soon they saw something they hadn’t seen before, a little girl playing on some sort of jumpy thing with a younger child. They were laughing and jumping high. Rupert looked at Simone and Rafi and said ‘let’s meet her’.
    ‘What?!’ said Rafi shocked and confused.
    But Simone and Rupert had already started to walk to the girl and the younger child on the jumpy thing.
    ‘Hello. ‘Said Simone smiling. Simone was the smiley type. Rafi wasn’t. ‘We are here from the past to-’
    suddenly she felt an elbow plonk her. It was Rupert ‘you can’t say that she won’t believe you!’
    The girl and little boy stopped jumping and looked in amazement at Simone and Rafi. They could not see Rupert. ‘Where did you come from?’ asked the girl who had curly dark hair and was dressed in a vest and shorts. Beside her the smaller boy said ‘hello ‘I’m Arjan’.
    ‘This is my baby brother . I am Leila. You are not allowed to stand this close because of the coronavirus. You have to stand two metres away’.
    ‘She can’t see me’ said Rupert. I have a magical shield that makes me invisible. Tell her that you are here to help everyone.’
    So Simone said what Rupert told her to say and Leila and Arjan looked shocked.

    My name is Leila KALSI- Razaq
    I am 8 years
    Middle Park Primary School

  68. By Lahari.W from St Clement Danes.

    “Touch it. Obviously !” Simone said pulling a face. “But I’m still wondering who wrote the note.”
    “Whoever it was. They sound pretty underhand” remarked Rafi. The suitcase that the note was found in was very classical, a collector’s masterpiece, however, it had an uncomfortable air around it that nobody could touch. It almost seemed as if the suitcase was a person. A person who regarded themselves as the most important. A person who had many characters trapped inside and was constantly laughing up their sleeve at you behind your back. The suitcase was haunted by spirits of the past and the children shuffled around it apprehensively.

    Picking up the letter Simone reread the the note carefully, turning it over to see whether there was anything on the opposite side. But there wasn’t. After sitting in silence pondering over the message for a few more minutes, Simone could stand it no longer.
    “Oh come on let’s stop staring at these toys and twiddling our thumbs and touch one of them.” she blurted out loudly. And with that said, she lunged forwards towards the open suitcase and seized the first thing that happened to touch her fingertips: “Ah, I’ve got it” she said as she pulled out the disintegrating straw doll.
    “No,” yelled Rafi, his voice breaking off mid-word, having seen what Simone was holding. “Of all the ones you could have chosen, why that one ?” he cried waving his arms wildly in the air like a magician. Simone only laughed and said “ Look, nothing even happened the whole letter thing, it’s all bamboozle. It’s a fake a hoodwink. Whoever wrote that letter must be dangerously unhinged and crazy I mean…” As the words she spoke gushed out of her moth like a waterfall Rafi had taken the time to notice their surrounding changing.
    “ Hey Simone, what do you class as ‘Fun’ ” said Rafi in an uneasy whisper.
    “What me?” completely oblivious to Rafi’s change of tone, she continued on noisily “Well, surfing on a hot, sunny beach while eating ice cream and chocolate.”
    She lay down onto her back and closed her eyes: “ You know Rafi I feel like it’s almost like we are there.”
    “ That’s because we are.” Rafi hissed.

    “ Very funny Rafi.” replied Simone lazily. For Rafi that was the final straw. He slapped her. She sat bolt upright her face already purple with rage. “What on earth did you do that for?” she seethed. Only then did she realise that they were both bobbing on surfboards a mile away from a pristine beach that was dotted with tourists. Not only were there surfboards, but also an ice cream and chocolate machine attached to the end of them, that were producing a lot of it per minute. Her eyes protruded of her head and her jaw was left swinging on its hinges as she tried to speak, “ What, I mean How, I mean…” she stuttered.
    “Remember the first line ‘Touch one just for Fun’ well this is your idea of fun isn’t it ? So the letter was right and now we are stuck in the middle of the sea on surf boards though we don’t even know how to surf. We have endless amount of chocolate and ice cream, yet no water. Brilliant.” fired Rafi angrily.
    Simone, who had by this time recovered from her shock and dismay, was now thinking of how to get themselves back.
    “ I knew going into that house was a bad idea from the start. I said I did’t want to know what had happened to our friends when they went in there and never came out. I said that ‘The Baby’ still haunts the house. I said that we will probably get trapped ourselves and that is exactly what we have done.” continued Rafi.
    “ Listen.”
    “ I said …”
    “ Listen”
    “ Ok,Ok”
    “ So. I realise that I didn’t listen to the note but honestly how was I to know that it would be true ? Anyway, I think that is that is the suitcase over there,” she pointed to a brown case roughly five meters from them. “ If we manage to get that then maybe we can get back. What was the second sentence again? ”
    “ Touch two, that will change you.” replied Rafi promptly.
    “ Well if we ‘Touch two’ then we will have to go back home to ‘change’ otherwise what’s the point of it if no one sees the change. Look, when we ‘touched one’ it was bad right ? So when we ‘touch two’ it will probably be bad as well and the only way for it to be really bad is by showing other people the ‘change’. So all we have to do is well ‘touch two’ if you get what I mean.”
    They both looked out towards the suitcase and before Simone could stop him Rafi dived head first into the warm ocean water and began to swim.
    “RAFI! I thought we were going to make a plan or something !” screamed Simone, trying very hard to get her voice over the noise of the waves and nearly plunging into the water herself.
    “ We have. This is the plan” he shrieked back. Simone realising that she could do nothing sat down on her surfboard, put her head in her hands and peered through her fingers to see what was going on. Rafi had made it very close to the suitcase and was in touching distance when he disappeared. Simone looked frantically all around but could find nothing in sight. Finally after what felt like an age but was probably no longer than a minute, his head popped out of the water as he gulped huge amounts of air in at a time. He may have almost drowned, but Rafi continued swimming until he reached the suitcase at which point he grabbed the clockwork bird and swam vigorously over to his surfboard that Simone had until then been managing.
    “ You gave me a shock out there you know. I thought you’d drowned or something” said Simone anxiously
    “ Nah I don’t die that easily” replied Ravi clambering aboard. “ I might have breathed in some water but I still got the prize were after” he said pulling the rusting clockwork bird out of his jacket pocket.
    “Well done! I can’t believe we actually got it. Now all we have to do is wait.” declared Simone victoriously. So the children waited and they waited but nothing happened. After another five minutes Rafi had had enough.
    “What’s wrong with this thing ?” exclaimed Rafi in annoyance
    “Do you think we broke it by putting it into the water ?” asked Simone
    “Nonsense I’m sure it has been drenched in water plenty of times” said Rafi confidently though he himself had his doubts. Rafi picked up the fragile clockwork bird and inspected it meticulously looking at all of the cogs, nuts and bolts. “There doesn’t seem anything wrong with it but …” just as he was about to finish his sentence both the children felt a breeze and before they could do anything they where whisked away by an unknown gale force a wind.

    For a few moments they felt like they were flying and whilst they were they heard a sound that made their blood run cold. The sound that that echoed all around them, that rippled the water of lakes, that engulfed them and spooked them and that was the distinct sound of ‘The Baby’. It howled and screamed and cried and shrieked but as the children flew they could see nothing but darkness in-front of them.

    “Wow! What just happened ? One second we’re there the next over here. It must be magic. And did you hear that atrocious sound ? I’m sure that was ‘The Baby. Nothing else could have made it. What do you think Rafi ? ” Simone turned around to find Rafi standing tall on his hands! “Um, are you alright down there ?” she asked apprehensively.
    “Well yes actually it’s just my hands are starting to ache and I feel sick of ice-cream. Apart from that I’m fine.” he answered “ Now, how are we going to get me down?”
    “What do you mean ‘Get you down’? You know how to get down from a handstand perfectly I’ve seen you.” only then did the penny drop for Simone. “Oh, no! I didn’t realise you could’t get down because of the magic.” she groaned. “Can you move your hands at all?” Simone asked hopefully.
    “Yes, I can lift them up but I can’t move them forwards or backwards though.” said Rafi. “Why don’t you go and get help and I’ll stay here.” he suggested but Simone only said that it wasn’t worth it because nobody would want to come into the house and they would think it was all a trap.
    “Anyway I couldn’t leave you here alone because you might get kidnapped or something. After all, the house is haunted. Everyone knows that.” she also disagreed.
    “So what are we going to do then ?” said Rafi
    “So you know that whenever someone touches one of the toys then something always happens to them. So what if we touch the last object together so we both need to go to meet whoever it is writing the note and tell them to stop. You would have to come out of the handstand then.We don’t really have much choice. It’s either that or I leave you here.” said Simone
    “I vote for option two.” responded Rafi.
    “Fine. Now where’s the suitcase?” queried Simone “Don’t tell me we left it back there.”
    “We left it back there.” said Rafi at once “Though I thought it left the sea when we did. I mean last time we went it came too without us taking u it so maybe it did the same this time .”
    “Which means, that if it’s not in this room…”
    “Then it must be somewhere else in this house.” finished off Rafi.
    “That also means that I need to go and find it.” muttered Simone.
    “Well.What are you waiting for ? Go and find the suitcase we have no time to lose. I will be fine it’s not like a ghost can pick me up and carry me away is it ? So go.”

    Simone might only have been ten years old, but she mature and courageous as we as always up for a challenge so going to look for the suitcase started off as an enjoyable experience.
    All her life she had never been scared of anything apart from ghosts. That was the one thing that got to her. The white, translucent, human-like apparitions that would haunt houses and people till their end.The wispy, sorrowful and mysterious spectres which could scare the living day-lights out of you and then turn you into a ghost yourself. This is what Simone was afraid of. The undisciplined and uncontrollable life of ghosts. The fact that she could not prevent them from coming to her. That is what she was most scared off.
    Tiptoeing delicately down the ancient corridor, Simone looked around herself. She could see the years of dirt and grime on the once opulent pieces of furniture. The huge oil paintings that hung far above her sprinkled dust as she disturbed it. She shivered but continued. She knew she was in too deep to turn back now. Simone carried on walking down hallway until she reached a bedroom in which she looked inside.
    A loud bell rang breaking the eerie silence and making her jumped strenuously into the air with fright. For a few seconds she stood there letting the shock sink in and allowing her eyes to adjust to the even dimmer light of the room. Simone then walked calmly in, her footsteps echoing on the faded mosaic tiles that lay beneath the central carpet which partially hid the blood-like pattern hand-painted onto it. Out of curiosity, her eyes drifted up to admire the intricately carved ornaments that sat forlornly on thick oak shelves four feet above her. Now uncared for, they looked down on to her a bit like ghosts, each more sketchy than the next. Simone shook herself and then said, “I need to get on.” and she was quite right too.

    While Simone roamed the forgotten passages of the mansion, Rafi was having a somewhat different time. Not long after she had left, Rafi began to feel the strain on his arms very badly but there was nothing he could do. All he could do was wait. And that was when he thought he saw a ghost. Rafi, unlike Simone, never had believed the stories and legends around ghosts and whenever anyone said anything to do with them he only laughed and said that they were crazy.

    However, when he thought he saw one he definitely wasn’t laughing. The boy breathed hard and fast not quite sure what the saw was real. He just saw what Simone had been describing to him for the past decade. A pale, shadowy figure that was hovering above the floor only two meters from his face. Rafi had never been so petrified in his life but he didn’t scream because for one: that would scare Simone and for two: that is just not what he did. He wasn’t a screamer. So instead he trembled helplessly in his handstand trying to convince himself that too much blood had gone to his head. Rafi closed his eyes and counted to thirteen which ironically was his favourite number. Once he opened his eyes again, there was nothing. He must have been dreaming. He talked himself into thinking that what he saw wasn’t real yet he knew somewhere deep down that he wasn’t imagining anything and that this whole nightmare was completely true.

    Simultaneously, Simone was now in the third room of the house, which happened to be a large drawing room. She peered around the large pieces of furniture that was a large feature of the house but found nothing at all. Just as she was about to turn around and leave the room she noticed something that caught her eye. It was an ancient and decoratively painted box. It had queer patterns and drawings all over it and it was of a considerable size. She didn’t know what drew her to it but for some whatever reason it was she felt the need to go and explore it. Why was it there? and what was the harm in opening it? She thought curiously herself. So she walked over to it and lifted up the crumbling wooden lid and gazed over the top.
    “BANG!”
    Simone almost screamed out in fright for the box wasn’t normal. It was a Jack-in-the-box and when she opened the top its came out to greet her. Shaking off her worries she looked past the unnerving face of the clown and squinted into the deep crate. Why was the box so well oiled? Surely if it was that old it would be rusty. She thought but almost instantaneously forgot. The sight that met her eyes was so surprising that she jumped back in astonishment for in the Jack-in-the-box there also was hidden the suitcase! It was wedged into the back of it and looked slightly crushed. She couldn’t believe her luck and instantly got to work gently easing the trunk out of the box. As soon as it was it was fully free, Simone ran as fast as her legs would carry her back to the room in which she had left Rafi, now accompanied by the suitcase.

    “Thank goodness you’re here” said Rafi in relief, “I thought you were never coming”
    “It wasn’t easy to find this old thing.” said Simone proudly holding up the suitcase in-front of him.
    “Well done for finding it. But can you open it now?” asked Rafi
    “You know, the rest of this house is pretty freaky” commented Simone, “You won’t believe what hidden horrors live here.”
    “Actually I think I can because whilst you were treasure hunting I thought I saw a ghost.” said Rafi half-smugly “A real one you know. And I’m not making that up.”
    Simone stopped unbuckling the suitcase and stared at Rafi her face as white as the ghost Rafi thought he saw.
    “Are you really serious or are you just trying to scare me?” said Simone her hands already on her hips and her expression pinched.
    “No I’m not making anything up it’s all true. Honestly.” replied Rafi.
    “What did it look like?” inquired Simone who was still battling with the buckles.
    “Just like you always describe them me. You know, hazy, supernatural and corpselike” said Rafi lightly as if he was talking about flowers.
    “Yeah but I mean was it a man or woman or a child?” said Simone finally undoing the first buckle.
    “How long does it take you?” said Rafi craning his neck to look at her. “But anyway I think it was a baby though I can’t be sure.” Then the frightening truth dawned on him “If it was a baby do you think it was ‘The Baby’.”
    “I have it.”
    “Took you a while.”
    And so Simone carefully opened the suitcase and untaped the tissue paper to reveal the tin soldier. Looking at it now, the children thought it seemed even more despondent than before.
    “Probably missing it’s friends.” whispered Simone partly to herself
    Rafi only scoffed.
    “Will you hurry and pick it up because I feel like my hands are dying here!” said Rafi
    Making sure not to break it, Simone tenderly picked up the toy and moved swiftly to where Rafi was standing upside down on his hands.
    “Ready?” she said
    “Born ready.” he answered
    Rafi lifted his hand upwards so that Simone could give part of the Soldier to him and she did. It wasn’t long before the two of them felt the almost familiar feel of getting blown away. Like last time, they heard the blood-curdling sound of ‘The Baby’ but this time it was getting ever closer and much loader every second they were there.The children could feel themselves being placed down on to the ground in complete darkness. They saw nothing in-front of them except the black-hole which seemed to have consumed them. Having landed they didn’t hear anything, only their own breathing that could compare to being as load as a storm.

    “I see you have come to ‘see’ me.” boomed a low and sarcastic voice. “Well then you’re in for a disappointment my dears for you will never see me. I am what some call ‘The Baby’ what others call ‘The Ghost’ and what I call myself as ‘The Destroyer’. Whoever I am,” the voice went on. “ I will make those who took my life pay for what they have done. Before I do, do you have anything to say fo yourselves?”
    Rafi who was feeling brave after his arms recovering decided it would be him to speak first.
    “We did nothing wrong you’ve got the wrong people and the murderers for your death have been in jail their whole life. We have done nothing wrong.” he announced confidently however any initial bravery that he had felt seemed to have deserted him and vanished into the dark.The voice answered immediately.
    “Ha, ha, ha.” it laughed. “They might be locked up but you must pay. You will join your friends that disappeared all those years ago. Do you still remember them? because I certainly do.”
    There was a sharp intake of breath and then Simone’s voice could be heard piercing through the blackness.
    “How dare you kill our friends!” she snarled menacingly “How dare you murder poor innocent children despite they have done noting wrong.” she cried loudly “You are an evil, ghost who cares about no-one but himself. You are…”
    With a large explosion of golden dust the children’s memories washed over them like water as they transferred into their toy versions of themselves.They could hear the dreadful sound of ‘The Baby’ ringing in their ears as they flew through the air for the final time.Opening their, eyes they saw the peeling wallpaper of the ceiling above them.
    “Click, Click, Click,” their eyes moved round to see that they were almost exactly where they started off. Before, they were looking into the box but now they were looking out.
    Two new members had joined the club. A teddy-bear and a princess. They stood out at first but soon they blended in. Becoming a whole set of toys. And the mysterious note changed too.
    Touch one, just for fun
    Touch two, that will change you
    Touch three, to come and see me
    Touch four, to get some more
    Touch five, to make it out alive.
    And the two new toys thought to themselves “I wonder who the next children could be?”

    By Lahari.W from St Clement Danes school, Yr 7

  69. It was while they were exploring the old, derelict house that Rafi and Simone found an ancient suitcase stuffed into the back of a dusty, cob-webbed cupboard.
    “This looks very old,” said Rafi, trying to open the rusty lock.
    “There’s something inside,” said Simone, curiously, “it rattles when you move it.”
    They lay it down on the floor, and eventually Simone discovered that if you pressed on the rusty clasp softly, the lid would open exploding a cloud of dust into the air. It made the two children cough but once it went away, they discovered 3 old toys and an old piece of yellow parchment with spidery writing on it. They stared at the toys in the suitcase, a clockwork mouse with a rusty key, a dusty, tin soldier and an old doll.
    The writing on the ancient piece of parchment read:
    Touch one just for fun . . .
    Touch two to change you . . .
    Touch three to come and see me . . .
    “What does it mean?” asked Simone.
    “Do you think its cursed?” wondered Rafi.
    “I don’t know,” replied Simone, anxiously, “but how could it be cursed, it’s not as if this or . . .is . . .it . . .”
    “I wonder if anyone else is here, HELLO!” shouted Rafi.
    “Hello,” said a strange spooky voice.
    A dark, shadowy figure appeared and started to walk towards them, towering above them. The two children screamed and without thinking they grabbed the suitcase and ran out of the room.
    “Where are we running to,” panted Simone.
    “I don’t know,” replied Rafi, panting as well.
    “Let’s stop in this room,” said Simone, anxiously as they walked towards the door of the room.
    Hesitating, they put their hands on the rotten oak wood handle and opened the door but there was nothing there except an old, murky table, inside. They put the ancient suitcase on the murky table – opened it and took out the three old toys and the piece of yellow parchment with spidery writing.
    “So, what should we do now?” asked Rafi.
    “Maybe we should touch the toys, like the old note says,” wondered Simone.
    “Okay, let’s do it,” replied Rafi, nervously.
    “Three, two, one,” they counted.
    As they touched the toys something strange started to happen – eeire shadows appeared
    everywhere. Suddenly, everything went black.
    “R Rafi are y you there?” asked Simone, shivering with fear.
    “S Simone h help m me I I’m t trapped in the old suitcase!” shouted Rafi, feeling absolutely terrified.
    Suddenly, the dark shadowy figure appeared again out of nowhere.
    “Ha ha, foolish children, what were you thinking touching the toys,” the dark, shadowy figure spluttered, wickedly.
    “What have we done?” murmured Simone, sadly, “How are we going to get out of here?”
    Just then, a deep dark portal opened up – ready to swallow up anything and everything near it.
    “Uh oh,” said the two children, panicking a lot.
    Suddenly, the portal sucked up Rafi and Simone.
    “Aaaaaah,” they screamed.
    Then, the portal disappeared into thin air.
    The dark, shadowy figure muttered, “now I’ve got them.”
    He clapped his hands and vanished . . .

    Name: Holly
    Age: 12
    School: St Clement Danes
    Year 7

  70. Hello! Here is my entry:
    Their hearts pounded like a poorly-played drum, minds buzzing with endless thoughts. Neither had expected to be in this situation, not at all. They had merely been exploring. This derelict, abandoned house had the peculiar power to lure people inside, the sense that adventure was lurking.
    “I guess…” Rafi whispered, “We do what the parchment says?”
    Simone bit her lip. Her hands were clammy with sweat and her body shook slightly.
    ‘Why am I SCARED of toys?’ She thought.
    Simone glanced at the suitcase with the chipped, silver paint. She stared at the toys that had clearly suffered years of abandonment and neglect. She nodded slowly- curiosity had got the better of her.
    Rafi smiled reassuringly at the pale face of Simone. She did not smile back.
    Rafi, holding his breath in anticipation, reached for the tin soldier. He gingerly clasped his fingers around the soldier’s cold, tin back, before hurriedly holding it at arm’s length.
    Nothing.
    Rafi inspected the chipped, colourful uniform before making the soldier march around in circles. Surprised, he found he was enjoying himself.
    Simone let out a sigh of relief, the usual flush of colour rising back in her cheeks.
    “You looked so scared!” laughed Rafi.
    Simone scowled. “I did NOT! Ok… Maybe a little. But, seriously, why would I be scared of some ancient, rusting toys?” Determined to not let him see how terrified she really had been, Simone grabbed the rough, scratchy corn leg of the strange doll.
    “About time!” the doll exclaimed, “You have no idea how cramped it is in there!” the doll wearily shook her head whilst brushing down her lacy dress.
    “You‘re too right Millie, too right.” agreed the soldier.
    Both Rafi and Simone squealed in fright and flung the toys across the room, where they landed with an almighty clatter.
    Like a crab, Simone scuttled backwards, while Rafi’s eyes bulged.
    The doll stood up, walking to the petrified children. Consequently, they shuffled back. This carried on for a while, but before long, Rafi and Simone were hunched against the cobweb-strewn, rotting, wooden wall, the doll closing in on them.
    She eyed them beadily. “How would YOU like it if you were hurled across the room?” she demanded in a motherly fashion.
    Simone, understandably overwhelmed, tried to stammer a reply but no sound came out of her mouth. Instead, a small river of tears slid down her cheeks.
    “Ah, dear. Don’t cry, now. There, there pet.” The doll clambered onto Simone’s lap and tried to hug her. This eventually proved difficult, due to the fact that the doll’s arms were not long enough to reach fully around Simone.
    Meanwhile, the rusting tin soldier had marched over to Rafi. “It is understandable,” began the soldier in his creaky voice, “If you do not wish to. But shouldn’t you let out Coocoo?” he indicated to the clockwork bird lying on the bed of crumpled tissue paper. “I must say, it is rather cramped in there- not an enjoyable experience, not at all.”
    Rafi laughed. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined he would be sitting on floorboards with a thick pile of dust gathering upon them. He, Rafi had never imagined a soldier, made out of rusting tin, would be urging him to do something.
    “This. This has changed me.” Rafi thought.
    “Yes, yes well… what did you expect?” the soldier said impatiently. Rafi blinked, not realising he had said it out loud. The soldier fumbled in his trouser pocket and withdrew the parchment, wrinkled and yellowed with age.
    “2. This will change you.” the soldier read, glaring at Rafi. “Now we’ve gotten over the fact that what the parchment says happens, happens- are you going to let out Coocoo or not?” the soldier blasted out, all in one breath.
    Rafi scrambled to his feet and made his way towards the lifeless bird. Simone and the doll followed, watching as though it was the beginning of an entertaining movie.
    Rafi cupped his hands beneath the bird. As soon as he did so, it became considerably heavier, warmer, a gentle heartbeat thumping in it’s chest. The bird ruffled its feathers before spreading out its colourful wings, then bursting into beautiful song.
    “For years I’ve been trapped,
    Not able to fly,
    But now I am able to see the sky!”
    The bird flew to the broken window, sighing happily.
    “And who am I to thank for this great thing?
    Who allowed me to break free and sing?
    I remember years ago,
    When our dear poor Hannah died,
    Us three wept and cried,
    But we did not know…
    We were whisked away,
    Never again to see the light of day,
    For toys are toys,
    And toys,
    Need the love,
    of happy girls and boys…
    But who would want, let alone touch,
    Abandoned toys,
    Not cared for much?
    So it was then,
    After decades, centuries more,
    We were left,
    Rusty.
    Dusty.
    Poor.
    But now to our great joy,
    Here stands before me a girl,
    And a boy!
    Hello my dear Millie,
    And ah,
    There is Constable Billy…
    But now it is time,
    I shall end my rhyme,
    For our dear Hannah shall rise again!
    Our dear Hannah…
    Shall rise…
    Again.”
    The smiles were quickly wiped away off Simone’s and Rafi’s faces.
    “Who’s Hannah?” Simone whispered to the doll, Millie.
    “Our old owner,” Millie replied. “She… died. She also wrote the instructions on the parchment. And, thanks to you, our Hannah’s coming back!”
    Lime-green, toxic-looking smoke burst out from the suitcase. It stunk of mould, rot. Or perhaps that was merely the stench of the rest of the house.
    The smoke was whizzing in a crazy frenzy of circles, like a green tornado. It made the children’s eyes water, choke as they inhaled. The toys, however, looked perfectly calm.
    The swirling slowed; the vibrant green became dull. A pearly-white figure rose from the centre of the mist. She had a messy ponytail at the back of her head. The girl had wide, blinking eyes and her lips in a grumpy pout. She wore a frilly night dress, reaching down to her ankles. She was strangely magnified, towering over the relaxed toys and quivering children.
    Simone grasped Millie so hard that the poor doll’s sandy coloured face went an alarming shade of purple.
    “Hannah!” spluttered Millie once Simone’s grip had loosened.
    Hannah’s eyes swivelled down towards Millie.
    “You woke me up.” Hannah hissed. Millie blinked. This was not the welcome she’d been expecting.
    “Well… my apologies, love. But surely you have had enough sleep to last a lifetime?”
    Without warning clear, chalky-white tears erupted from Hannah’s eyes. Her nose wrinkled and mouth screaming, her pretty appearance quickly becoming rather ugly.
    Coocoo stopped flying joyous, continuous circles around Hannah’s head and simply stared, shocked. The tin soldier, however, wore an angry expression, fists clenched.
    “No ‘hello’ then Hannah? Just a usual tantrum. It is to be expected, isn’t it? From an ungrateful child like you anyway.”
    Hannah’s cries were deafening, growing louder still. Millie shook her head warningly, but the soldier ignored her.
    “Look! You are my owner! Now we’re re-united, I would’ve hoped for something more than this!”
    Hannah screamed, louder, louder, as Simone and Rafi clasped their hands around their ringing ears. Coocoo shot a concerned look at the furious toy, whispering “Billy, don’t!”
    The paint seemed to peel off the soldier’s body at rapid speed in anger, although it may have been the children’s imaginations.
    The fuming soldier however, took no notice.
    “Not even a thank you, no? These generous children-” he gestured to the pale faced Rafi and Simone, “Have followed your instructions which you have wrote, and NOW you are crying? WHY ARE YOU CRYING?” he yelled after no response came.
    Millie blinked. “Both of you! Billy, how DARE you shout at her! And Hannah, young lady, Billy is actually perfectly right!”
    “L- l- life!” Hannah stammered through her tears, “YOU! You said ‘lifetime!’ And-” She took a deep breath, “Well, i don’t have a life, do I? So don’t act alike you’re the nice, fair one because YOU started it!”
    Hannah resumed her screeching, looking rather like an overgrown baby. Millie meanwhile had red patches forming on her face, eyes shining with tears.
    “Don’t cry!” Simone said, shocked.
    It was at that moment when Hannah looked down at Simone and Rafi, as if seeing them for the first time. Her wailing came to an abrupt halt, eyes widening.
    Hannah swiped at Millie, tugging the struggling doll out of Simone’s grip. She then whisked up Billy the soldier who had been in deep conversation with Rafi. The disgruntled Billy and the dumbfounded, weeping Millie were locked in Hannah’s arms as she clasped her hand around Coocoo and tugged him down despite the desperate flapping of his wings.
    Simone closed her eyes, breathing
    In
    And
    Out
    In
    And
    Out.
    Here she was, feet glued to the floor, watching the most insane scene she’d ever seen.
    Rafi on the other hand, was focusing on the fact that he was he was in the presence of a ghost. A ghost that was eying walking, talking toys suspiciously. He imagined excitedly telling his friends about this… but then disappointment filled him… who would believe something this bazar?

    Hannah was holding Coocoo by the neck, screaming, “YOU PREFER THEM, DON’T YOU?”
    Coocoo let out a strangled cry. “What? No! Didn’t you hear my song? For years I’ve been-” The bird was thrown across the room where he lay in a heap, massaging his painful neck with his wing.
    Hannah’s eyes were swivelling madly in all directions before they came to a rest on Simone and Rafi.
    “You!” she whispered, her voice gruff from yelling, “Get out! NOW!”
    Rafi and Simone stumbled backwards. There was no way they would leave! But it seemed they had no choice.
    This time, cherry-red smoke burst from the battered suitcase that Rafi and Simone had long forgotten was there. Through the blur of red, Simone watched Millie wriggle out of Hannah’s grasp and fall instead towards Simone, as the doll desperately clung on to Simone’s little finger. The smoke swirled, whizzed and whooshed in the miniature red tornado, the children and Millie stuck in between. The smoke did a final twirl before Millie, Simone and Rafi fell suddenly, the musty rotting room and the glaring ghost disappearing out of view.
    *****
    Sunlight tiptoed across the carpet through the curtains that stood slightly ajar. The birds twittered and chattered in the early morning. A breeze gently swept through the open window, crisp and fresh. The grass outside was illuminated with liquid diamonds, shining in the light of the sun.
    It was then Rafi woke with a jolt. He had had the strangest dream- or was it a nightmare? It had seemed so real… the cold tin of a toy on his hands, the stench of decay…
    Simone rolled over, breathing in the welcome smell of freshly washed sheets.
    “Simone! Simone!” Rafi shook her impatiently.
    “W- what?” she sleepily croaked. Rafi gasped and pulled a ragged figure out of Simone’s arms. It was a strange doll made out of corn and tied together with ribbon wearing a frilly, dainty dress. Its hair was short, tangled, dirty blonde.
    Simone stared.
    Rafi stared.
    Neither spoke.
    “Oh my. It wasn’t a dre-” Simone whispered.
    “No. No it wasn’t.” finished Rafi, eyes transfixed on the smiling doll.

    By Tamsyn Sayles
    Four Marks Primary School, Year 6, Age 11.

  71. “I don’t think we should touch any Rafi” replied Simone.
    “Well, it says touch one for fun…so maybe we can touch one?” Said Rafi.
    “But which toy shall we play with?” Simone replied.
    Looking into the suitcase they leaned forward reaching out for the tin soldier, all of a sudden Simone picks up the clockwork bird as Rafi picks the tin soldier. Rafi looks at Simone and gasps.
    “Simone! What are you doing? Shouted Rafi.
    “I thought we were choosing the bird” said Simone.
    Standing in the room of the old house, the floor begins to tremble below their feet and the furniture shakes. It’s like an earthquake is happening all around them.
    In a scared voice Simone says “what’s happening, what have we done!”
    “I don’t know” said Rafi.
    The earthquake lasted less than a minute but it felt a lot longer as if the world was coming to an end. When it stopped there was a sigh of relief, both the children stood still and quiet to scared to move just starting at each other and looking around them.
    “Simone, why do you look like me?” asked Rafi in a confused voice.
    “Why do you look me?” replied Simone.
    In the corner of the room was a very old long mirror, covered in dust and cobwebs. They walked towards it and brushed away the dust and cobwebs. They looked in the mirror shocked and began to touch their faces.
    “Did the note say touch two that will change you? Because I think we have changed….into each other!!!” said Rafi.

  72. Seeking through the ancient yellow paper was a note on the back, But this one was different. The words were unique pictures.
    “I remember this from history class”, said Simone.
    “Do you actually?”asked Rafi.
    “What do they say?”asked Rafi.
    “I don’t remember. It was ages ago when I had the lesson,” Simone said.
    In the distance, Rafi had spotted something shining in the sunlight. It was gold and very vibrant. It was in a box and many books surrounded it.
    “I think I see something,” explained Rafe.
    “Wait what is it, hand it to me,” said Simone.
    It was coated in dust and very cold. Spiders and all kinds of creatures were attracted by it because of how bright it was.
    ‘Rafe handed the book to Simone’.
    “Here’s the book.” Explained Rafi.
    He blew the soot and dust into Simone’s face. Simone choked and coughed until all the air around him was clear.
    “Excuse me,” said Simone.
    “Sorry it was funny,”explained Rafi.
    Simone flicked through every page of the book, But there was no sign of any egyptian writing. He threw the book onto the floor and started to rummage through the other books. There were books of all languages in the box, But finally he found the Egyptian book.
    “Have you found it?”asked Rafi.
    “Yes I think so,”explained Simone
    He flicked right to the back of the page and there he found the egyptian alphabet.
    “I found the alphabet in the language of the code,”explained Simone.
    “Yay Let’s decode it,”Said Rafi.
    “Ok ok hold on!” shouted Simone.
    Both kids tried to figure out what the code was trying to say. Many minutes later, they knew what it said.
    “OMG,” shouted Simone and Rafi.
    It said’ You have one chance, choose wisely.”
    “Choose wisely? What does that mean?” asked Rafi.
    “It means choose your choice carefully,”explained Simone.
    The children didn’t understand what the choices were, so they investigated further.
    They found something else.
    They found that the choices were:
    Touch one just for fun
    Touch two that will change you
    Touch three to come and see me
    “I have found the choices,”explained Simone.
    “Look they are there”.
    “Number 3 let’s do number 3”shouted Rafi.
    “Ok ok ok we will do number 3 please”.
    “Your wish is my command,”shouted a mysterious voice.
    Both of the boys were teleported to an enormous pyramid, located in Egypt.
    There was a mummy who jumped out of her tomb and started chasing the boys.
    “Do you know a spell to get back home?”Rafi said nervously.
    “I think I do,”Simone said,”Stand next to me and make a wish to go home.”
    “Ok boss,”Rafi said.
    “3 2 1 go make your wish,” said Simone.
    “I have done it,” explained Rafi.
    The boys had arrived home and were now safe from every creature.

  73. “I don’t think we should touch any Rafi” replied Simone.
    “Well, it says touch one for fun…so maybe we can touch one?” Said Rafi.
    “But which toy shall we play with?” Simone replied.
    Looking into the suitcase they leaned forward reaching out for the tin soldier, all of a sudden Simone picks up the clockwork bird as Rafi picks the tin soldier. Rafi looks at Simone and gasps.
    “Simone! What are you doing? Shouted Rafi.
    “I thought we were choosing the bird” said Simone.
    Standing in the room of the old house, the floor begins to tremble below their feet and the furniture shakes. It’s like an earthquake is happening all around them.
    In a scared voice Simone says “what’s happening, what have we done!”
    “I don’t know” said Rafi.
    The earthquake lasted less than a minute but it felt a lot longer as if the world was coming to an end. When it stopped there was a sigh of relief, both the children stood still and quiet to scared to move just starting at each other and looking around them.
    “Simone, why do you look like me?” asked Rafi in a confused voice.
    “Why do you look me?” replied Simone.
    In the corner of the room was a very old long mirror, covered in dust and cobwebs. They walked towards it and brushed away the dust and cobwebs. They looked in the mirror shocked and began to touch their faces.
    “Did the note say touch two that will change you? Because I think we have changed….into each other!!!” said Rafi.

    Alfie
    Yr 6
    St. Joachim’s Primary School

  74. “I don’t think we should touch these,” whispered Simon
    “Quite being such a baby. This is now my house so it’s mine.” Rafi snarled.
    “That’s not how it works. Just because you found an abandoned house or a suitcase doesn’t mean it’s yours. I mean what if something comes for us.”
    Simon began too back away slowly shaking his head side to side whilst heading back to the rusty wooden door. Rafi laughed in disbelief.
    “I can’t believe I’m related to such a wimp. I am going to play with these and there is nothing you can do to stop me, so just go and play with mum and your baby toys.”
    As a wet tear dripped down Simon’s face he walked out of the crusty house and under his breath too quite for Rafi to hear
    “I can’t believe I’m related to such a selfish jerk. I hope something does come for you.”
    Simon examined his four objects more closely now the clocks hinges were rusted still and golden engravings were scared onto the top. The words were covered I a thick black substance which made in unreadable. Lying above it was a little blue work bird; the bird was the only thing in the suite case that looks almost happy. The solider was on the other side of the suitcase away from all of the other toys. The solider had bullet holes in his chest and the face of a man who had been broken by years of suffering. But despite all this nothing could compare to the menacing doll that sat at the bottom of the suitcase. The ugly doll had a twisted frown and black holes for eyes. Her straw hair was falling out in chucks with red stains that spread across her body. But worst of all the more Rafi stared the more it felt like someone was slowly pushing a dagger into his heart. Rafi stood up to get out of there but he was drawn to the tiny clock. He repeated ‘touch one just for fun’ over and over in his head to stop his inhibitions from taking control. Beginning to sweat he carefully picked up the clock. Rafi grasped the clock and walked back to his house. He couldn’t take his eyes of the precious object in his hand and that’s when he noticed a Latin inscription on the back. It read in neat handwriting
    ‘When the clock ticks its final tock, she will there’
    His mind began to race it was as if he was a tiny shadow chained inside his head. Unable to scream… Unable to recite the temptation of the old suet case. He didn’t say a word to anybody when he arrived home so alone in his mind he lay in bed until morning came. In Rafi’s pocket lay the watch that made it’s first tick. One. Rafi’s eyes were black, lips dry and skin frail, from a singly glance it were as if something was sucking the life out of him. He kept downstairs hunched over the watch that he now cradled like an animal.
    “Brother? Are you ok?”
    Simon said to break the ire silence. Rafi said nothing but glared at Simon in such a way that Simon cowered in fear. Rafi’s vision began to blur as he wandered out of the house until his eyes shut closed. The bright sunlight darkened as Rafi opened his burning eyes; he had reached the old house once again. Nothing could stop him as voices began to torment his mind screaming, shouting, and pleading. Crash! He burst through what remained of the door and to the suitcase. Crashing to his knees, he began pleading for silence. That’s when he grabbed the blue toy bird out of instanced and twisted its golden stick round and round and round. A sweet, calming melody began to play which silenced the ever so loud voices. Realizing he was safe for now, Rafi noticed everything about the suitcase was the same except for a tag that read:
    Property of Isabelle, Hilton
    He ripped the tag off and headed back to his house in fear that his mother was upset. Rafi didn’t realised that he was still carrying the bird and the clock in each of his hands. Touch two that will change you. Tick, two.
    “Hello Rafi. Did you pop out for a quick walk? The weather is beautiful today.”
    His mother chuckled as she cooked breakfast. Rafi nodded clutching the tiny bird harder. Up the stairs he pondered and to his room, where he shut the door and stared out the window. It was quite for a while in Rafi’’s mind the birds song had worked but for how long would its silence last. Then he heard a second voice that came from inside of him. A Childs playful toan whispered in his empty mind…
    “ Tweet, tweet goes the bird. I am a woman of my word.”
    The boy reached for the bird to play its sweet melody but the more he twist the louder the voices began to shriek. The bird did not sing nor move. The helpless boy twisted the tiny stick violently until, snap. The toy bird would never sing another song again. Tears began to fall from Rafi’s eyes as he cupped the remains of the broken golden sticks. The voices were louder than ever taunting hi every move. His eyes gased around the room for something, anything. From the other side of the room stood a small little blue bird. A real one, its graceful wings stopped it from flying away. The bird looked just like a replica of the toy the Rafi so disparity longed for.
    “Sing.”
    He said approaching the innocent bird. He yelled it again and picked up the bird gripping its feebly body tight. The bird screamed and struggled to loosen Rafi’s grip. Moving his face inches from the bird he said it a final time.
    “Sing.”
    The bird couldn’t nor understand the human child. Rafi grabbed the bird’s leg and whispered into the bird’s ear.
    “Sorry, but it’s the only way ill be free.”
    Squawks of agonizing pain came from the bird as Rafi twisted its leg round and round like a toy waiting for the bird to sing. Rafi could hear snaps from the bird’s leg and its screams began to stop as the bird’s life drifted away. The voices stopped. Rafi was free in his mind again and it sounded like the things in his mind weren’t coming back again. Tick, three.
    “Hay Rafi, I know you’re busy but mum says… Rafi? What? What are you doing! Oh my gosh you monster!”
    Simon pointed to the bird’s corpse in Rafi hand and began to scream.
    “How could you do such a thing? See this is what I talking about.”
    Simon continued to yell in between cries. Rafi stared blankly at his little brother as if he wasn’t there.
    “Ever since that stupid old house you, you changed.”
    Simon ran out of the room into his own leave Rafi and the bird body. The bird crashed to the ground as Rafi relisted it from his hand. Rafi eyes winded and began to stare at his hands in disbelief. Rafi’s fear sunk in, he had huge wake up call so he grabbed the toy bird and ran to the old house once more. The watch lay in his pocket and bird in hand. The suitcase was, different. The doll and solider had moved together and the doll was smiling. She looked creepier smiling that she did frowning. He placed the bird and watch down in the suitcase. He was leaving, when he noticed the solider look exactly like…
    “Daddy?”
    Rafi picked up the solider carefully. He then threw it to the ground smashing it into tiny pieces.
    “Goodbye dad. Rest in pieces, I still hate you.”
    Touch three to come and see me… tick four. Rafi was done with this stupid house, done with everything. He was going to go home and never come back. Step by step he wandered until he resised he couldn’t remember how to get home. It didn’t make any sense he had gone done the say path over and over again yet his mind was blank. With near to no options he decided to follow a random path neck to an old tree. The sun began to fade as Rafi reached his final destination. A dark, foggy graveyard. Tick 5. He wanted to go back but there was no use in sleeping in that unstable house next to the suitcase. Maybe if continue to wonder ill find someone he thought. Grave after grave with no sigh of anything alive Rafi was ready to give up but he noticed a very familiar name.
    ‘Here lays Isabelle Hilton. Age 8. Death 6 stab wounds.’
    Tick 6. Frozen in fear he felt a drift of cold wind against his neck followed by a voice from behind.
    “You found my grave. Your flesh is what I crave.”
    Tick 7. Rafi turned around… there was a little girl. 6 stab wounds, black holes for eyes and hair falling out in clumps. Rafi began to run, sprinting in the opposite direction of the girl hoping to escape his grasp. He could here giggling and laughing until there was nothing. He kept running until he was past the graveyard and to his house.
    “Since when was there a grave yard by our house.”
    He murmured to himself. Creeping inside no body was there… tick 8. He wandered upstairs for his brother or mother but still empty the house was. That’s when he heard the front door crash open. Tick 9. Crying silently he entered his bedroom and shut the door slightly too loud. All four objects laid on his bed, the pieces of the solider, the broken toy bird, the watch that read 9 o clock. And the doll, blood tears flowed from her eyes and her smile reached to her cheeks reviling pointed fangs. Rafi picked up the doll and threw it out the window in hopes of killing it. But the watch ticked to 10 and the blurred inscription became visible. Tick 11.
    ‘Touch all four and ill come knocking at your door.’
    Tick 12. At the door Rafi hear a strange but deathly nosie.
    KNOCK, KNOCK.

    by Bella Powell, age 12 from Woodroffe

  75. They stared at the toys for a bit longer, mesmerised by the pasty face of the doll, the rusty key of the clockwork bird and the regal pose of the soldier.

    Simone and Rafi were known throughout town as the ‘troublemakers’. Everywhere they went they seemed to break or ruin something. Almost every child was afraid of them. People would shut their shops when they walked past, poking their heads out of the window to see if they were gone. People would clasp their children close and hide them behind their backs. Rafi and Simone had all the fame they wanted, until a new gang moved in that was. They challenged Rafi to a race, he lost and the gang gave them a dare – that’s how they ended up in the house. The derelict, skinny, worthless house that had been left abandoned for years. They called it ‘the cursed house’ as the last couple to live there had gone missing and with every step the children shivered, with both excitement and fear.

    Rafi picked up the toy soldier and tossed the note aside. He threw the bird to Simone and plucked the doll out of the suitcase. Whilst they were happily playing catch, their insides turned to jelly as a ringing sound filled their ears. It got louder and louder until it stopped altogether.

    “Weird?” sniffed Simone, subtly placing the bird back into the suitcase.

    The door swung open and a man strode in. He had a brown leather jacket on which pinched him at the waist. A tool belt hung limply on his hips, full of spanners and hammers. He had a pointy beard and small, beady eyes – spectacles placed wonkily on his crooked nose.

    “Come along,” he said grabbing Rafi’s arm. “Wandering off in the night again I see?.”

    “What? “questioned Simone “ What year is this?”

    “1839. Are you alright? Need another visit to matron?”

    “No!” said Simone aghast.

    “Come on you two!” he said snapping his fingers and pointing to Rafi. He lead them down a hallway and into a room. Grubby hand marks stained the windows and greasy lines traced down the walls. The room was filled with snoring children. Forcing the squirming teenagers into a bunkbed, the man bid them goodnight and slammed the door shut. Midnight. The tip tapping of the drainpipe, the grumble of the children, the creak of the beds. Rafi couldn’t get to sleep. Discreetly dropping down onto the tiled floor, he nudged Simone awake. Together they tiptoed down the winding staircase and through the unforgiving maze of corridors. Slipping a tall oak door ajar, they slid in, hoping that no one was there. They turned around. Simone screamed and Rafi’s head felt faint. The man that lead them to the dormitory was slumped at the table, swimming in a pool of scarlet liquid. Blood.

    A maid tottered in just at that moment.

    “You murdered the toy maker!” she raged “ Thy toys are cursed, thy toys are cursed.” She repeated and she ran, screaming, out of the door. “
    Rafi looked at Simone, a look of worry plastered onto his face.
    “Run!”.

  77. ‘Not sure’, was Simone’s unsatisfactory reply.
    Rafi knelt down and leaned over the case, peering at the contents curiously.
    ‘Just look like toys to me’ he said bluntly turning his head to look at Simone, who had joined him on the floor. Simone thought for a minute, as she examined the note, creasing her forehead in a way that signalled to Rafi that she was in deep contemplation, and would not have an answer any time soon.
    ‘Do you reckon its some kinda joke?’ said Rafi, finally accepting that he would have to be the first to speak. Despite being only six, Rafi was quite aware of the world around him, and was excellent at taking note of all the little things people did that he could use to decipher their emotions when needed. He was especially good at picking up on all of Simone’s habits and faces and always knew exactly how to mind her. In this case, he knew that if he didn’t say something soon, Simone would sit there thinking so long she would forget why she was thinking at all and lose any interest she had in the toys.
    ‘Uh, maybe,’ said Simone with a somewhat shocked expression, as though she had forgotten Rafi was there, ‘though it seems too old for that.’
    ‘Maybe it’s a fake’ exclaimed Rafi, swiping the air as he tried to snatch the note from Simone’s grasp, narrowly missing due to her fast reactions.
    ‘How do you mean?’ asked Simone, deciding that now was not the time to pick Rafi up for his bad behaviours.
    ‘We done it in school once, you stain the paper with tea bags to make it look all old and stuff!’ Rafi said, feeling rather clever.
    ‘Did, Rafi. You did it in school once.’ Simone scowled, apparently believing that this was just too dreadful a crime to let go.
    She placed the note by her side and looked back the toys. Her eyes locked on the clockwork bird, as she was desperate to know if it still functioned as it should. Though much of the paint had faded, the art of the large eyes remained. A rising sun and lush green meadow painted in one, and a deep blue sky with a crescent moon in the other. She imagined a time when toys were made with such care, and thought of her toys with a sudden distain, realising now that that they were just a collection of different pieces of pink plastic. Assembled lovelessly by some machine on the other side of the world. This toy was beautiful, made even more so by all the little things that were clearly not intended, such as tiny, lopsided flowers and stars that were too close together, all signs that someone, some real person had made it, laboured over it with such care that their hands grew tired and mistakes started to appear, but it didn’t matter because they cared for it too much to see it be thrown away. Oh, how Simone longed to have lived in such a time and how Simone longed to play with such a toy.
    Rafi sat patiently, recognising the solemn look on his sisters face as one of intense love and knowing that disturbing her at this moment would awaken an unconquerable beast, for she had a dreadful temper.
    ‘Right,’ said Simone, starting up again, ‘I’ll tell you what. I’m going to go and ask Nan about them and see if she will allow us to play with them’.
    ‘And I’ll wait here!’ said Rafi decidedly.
    ‘Now don’t you go playing with these while I’m gone, we must ask Nan’s permission first, okay?’ Simone said in the most authoritative tone she could muster, whilst shaking her finger at Rafi with one hand, with her other placed on her hip in a rather excellent imitation of their mother. Rafi pulled a face at her as she sauntered towards the door.
    ‘Don’t forget the note!’ Rafi called after her, waving the small paper above his head. Simone turned back to grab it from him. She had forgotten all about the note and just then decided that Rafi must have been right, it was most likely just her cousin’s idea of a joke.
    Simone tried not to consider it to be anything that would have spoilt her master plan, for Simone had been unusually cunning in that moment and was quite pleased with herself as quick wit had never been her strong suit. You see, Simone knew her brother almost as well as he knew her and, being four year his senior, could easily manipulate him. She knew that he was almost guaranteed to disobey her and play with the toys. For as smart as he was, he was still a six-year-old and found it difficult to control himself sometimes. This way, if their Nan declared they couldn’t play with the toys Rafi would have already discovered if they worked or not, so Simone’s questions would be answered without her getting in trouble for it, as she had been good and asked permission. For even if she did not get the play with the glorious bird herself, at least she could be contended with knowing it worked as well as she hopped it would. She walked along with a large smile as she basked in the genius of her plan, taking care to walk very slowly, as to give Rafi time to get bored of each toy and move on to the next. Tough she doubted he would pay the old doll any attention.
    Simone’s assumptions were soon proven right as back in the room, on the floor, in front of the case, sat Rafi, walking the soldiers a cross the floor. Sternly instructing him as any good lieutenant would ‘Left, right, left right left!’ Rafi really had tried his hardest to restrain himself but the temptation was too strong and the toys too exciting to wait a moment longer. Suddenly, he swung the soldier up from the ground and stared directly into it’s eyes. ‘You’re a disgrace!’ He bellowed, channelling characters from all his fathers favourite films. Rafi placed the ‘disgrace’ back on the ground, giggling innocently at the shock of his own sternness. ‘I’m only playing,’ he said to the solider as it lay lifelessly on the ground, ‘you’re a fine solider really and I’m glad to have you as a part of my army! Even if your coat is rusted.’ He giggled again as he shuffled closer to the case to choose his next toy, not bothering to replace the solider to its home.
    As he peered into it however, he was confused. The old doll partially lay on top of the owl, though Rafi was sure it had originally been on the other side of the solider. Shrugging his shoulders Rafi grabbed the owl by the one wing left exposed and carefully placed it on its feet. Bouncing with excitement, Rafi went to turn the key, but found it would not move for it was coated with rust. Picking it up and staring at it with a lowered brow and pouted lips that expressed the most severe of disappointment.
    He rolled back on the ground he felt an agonising pain in his hand.
    He brought his hand to his eyes, shaking in horror as feathers sprouted from his fingers, tearing his delicate skin and then pushed themselves outward, desperate to see the sun. Rafi closed his eyes tight and told himself it wasn’t real and when he opened them again the feathers were gone. But there was no reason to celebrate as he looked up from his hand he saw darkness. It had turned to night and he was sitting in the middle of nowhere staring up at a crescent moon. He threw himself backward on the cold grass that now lay below him, curling into a tight ball. Suddenly he felt a burning heat on his check, he sat up to find himself by surrounded by misshapen cows, who’s ugly faces looked at him with malice and who groaned at him in a chorus of anger. Tears began to stream down his face when he felt his hand touch something on the ground. Picking it up he found himself back in the safety of grandmother’s house and staring into the face of the old doll. It was vey odd and unpleasing to eye with a smug smirk that Rafi had not noticed before. It was even more unpleasing to the touch as Rafi soon found out as he held its check to his, thanking it for saving him! Then he hears the cupboard door swing open behind him and felt something wrapping around his ankle pulling him backwards as he screamed for his sister.
    ‘Oh, thank you so much!’ cried Simone as she threw her arms around her grandmother. ‘We’ll be careful I promise.’ Grinning widely Simone went to race her way back upstairs when she remembered the note that had once again slipped her mind. ‘Oh and…’ she began holding up the note to read it aloud. But she was stopped, as it had changed. The first two lines had disappeared and the third had turned a vibrant shade of red that made her feel inexplicably on edge. Then suddenly it began to fade as she heard her brothers muffled screams from above. Without a seconds thought, Simone ran upstairs, nearly tripping in her haste, and turned into the room with her heart pounding in her throat. Her brother was nowhere to be seen and the cupboard stood with its door shut. Trembling, she walked slowly to its doors and pulled on them, but they didn’t budge. She pulled harder but got the same result. And as cliché as it may sound, she really did pull with all her mite, for she loved her brother and knew he was in there and that she had to get him out.
    ‘Stop that’ came a voice from inside the cupboard. Not Rafi’s but that of a woman. It had a regalness to it that almost hid its overtly sinister tone.
    ‘Give me back my brother!’ Simone exclaimed, beating her fists against the door.
    ‘No! he is ungrateful and careless! He played with all these toys with no appreciation for them! Discarding them within moments of picking them up!’ hissed the voice in way that made Simone’s hair stand up.
    Simone backed away from the door and staggered around the room, scanning the floor through tearful eyes, trying to recapture some of her deviousness from earlier as she desperately tried to concoct a plan to free her poor little Rafi. As she attempted to calm herself for long enough to do so, she saw the doll sprawled out on the floor. She blinked away her tears and raced to its side, it struck her as odd that Rafi would have taken it so far from the case, she had not expected him to take a second look at it. It was now that she noticed the expression on its face, that had not been there originally, as her kind expression had been her one saving grace. Regaining her confidence and dignity, Simone grabbed the doll and held it out towards the cupboard.
    ‘I know for a fact that my brother would never play with this,’ Simone chose to exaggerate her confidence in the fact, hoping to be more persuasive, ‘so I wonder if the reason for this smirk is that she had tricked him!’ Simone was rather impressed with how well she was able to pretend she understood anything about the situation, even if she did feel a bit foolish once she had said it, realising that just because the cupboard could talk didn’t man the doll could move. Just as this thought had entered her head the door or cupboard opened and the doll had been removed from her hand. Being held high in the air by a tentacle of variously coloured string entangled with each other, the doll sprung to life as its eyes looked wide with fear.
    ‘Is this true?’ came the voice again, sounding as though it wasn’t sure whether to be hurt or angry.
    Simone looked down as she heard the sound of metal scraping along the floor and saw two other toys move slowly towards the case with eyes low to the ground. The suspended doll nodded its head solemnly and was quickly dropped to the floor to make her own way to her place. Once all exactly how they had been when first discovered, the case slammed shut and it was pulled back into the cupboard within an instant. Rafi came crawling out with bloodshot eyes and a quivering lip. He reached out his arms and Simone went to comfort him.
    ‘I’m sorry I didn’t listen.’ He said with an earnestness that could not be mistaken.
    ‘I know.’ returned Simone as she slowly let go of him and walked to the cupboard, opening its door and reaching to the back.
    ‘Be careful!’ Rafi squealed as Simone felt around for the case.
    ‘It’s gone!’ she said, turning to face her sorry state of a brother. ‘Well, did the clockwork owl work at least.’ Rafi only shook his head and Simone decided that had to be the worst part of it all.

    Mia Bundy
    Burnt Mill Academy

  78. “I think we should try and find out what it means first” Simone replied.
    “Touch one, just for fun. Touch two, that will change you. Touch three, to come and see me” they both chanted.
    “I think I’ve got it” Rafi shouted.
    “Wait really!” Simone responded.
    “Yes, we just have to shake three people’s hands” Rafi explained.
    “Ok, let’s go” Simone exclaimed while standing up.
    Rafi and Simone went out and shook 3 people hands.
    “What happens now?” Simone questioned
    “Let’s just come back tomorrow and see if anything has happened” reassured Rafi.
    “Ok bye!” they jinxed
    The next day Rafi and Simone went back to the old house but another note was on the other side of the paper. It read
    You are close,
    But if you want to know me,
    Then you will see.
    “I think I know” Rafi stammered.
    “Wait, what is it”? wondered Simone.
    “Well, if there are 3 old toys then I think we should pick all of them up” explained Rafi.
    “Oh yes” replied Simone.
    “Ok, on 3, 3 2 1 now” Rafi yelled
    They picked up the 3 old toys and the room filled with dust, they ran towards a half shattered window and opened it, the room cleared. Then they saw it, there was a figure of a person.
    “Um hello, who are you?” Simone blurted.
    “You know exactly who I am” Replied the figure slowly.
    “RUN” Rafi shouted.
    Both Rafi and Simone ran out of the house, but something was different.
    They have gone into the past.

  79. “Well, surely that can’t be true, right?” questioned Simone.
    “I guess we will find out” said Rafi, already reaching out for one of the toys.
    His fingers soon grasped the first toy; the tin soldier. Rafi held it with delicacy as he traced the lines of the soldier’s figure, chips of paint falling and leaving a silver rust behind. He studied it with intense eyes as did Simone mostly in confusion. Why would someone leave this behind? The soldier was quite heavy but was an antique and was ageing as half his paint had disappeared, leaving the face bare and vulnerable.
    Nothing seemed to be happening.
    “M.. Maybe this is not true. We should probably just go” Simone said, obviously afraid.
    “C’mon Simone, you’re not afraid, are you?” said Rafi provocatively. His eyes were glinting with triumph.
    “N.. n no” stuttered Simone.
    “Good!” said Rafi
    Placing down the soldier Rafi’s eyes quickly looked at Simone in panic, but he was quick to hid it with a smirk. He reached out for the second toy; the clockwork bird. He grabbed it with hesitation and squinted, thinking that something bad was going to happen. Nothing. The room was the same, everything was the same? They both looked at each other in pure confusion. They decided that taking a closer look at the bird was the best idea. The detail was immaculate. Each piece was carefully placed and made with precision. A clock built into a tiny bird, all put to work with one spin. The pieces all sketched and built by one person; each piece carefully placed.
    Simone still displayed worry whereas Rafi wore the signs of victory and confidence.
    “What should we do?” Simone said, walking around frantically with panic.
    “Simone, chill. Nothing’s happened. Someone has played a prank on us and we fell for it. Let’s just go.” Rafi said, already heading towards the door.
    As he turned to walk out of the door it suddenly slammed in his face, leaving a thick cloud of dust in its place. They both looked at each other in fright and Rafi ran towards Simone in a flee of terror. Their eyes darted all around the room and fixed on the cloud of dust that seemed not to be going away. But instead of running away from it, they seemed to be walking closer, almost mesmerised by it. A glint appeared in the eyes of Simone and Rafi, like they were in a trance, walking like zombies to this unnatural cloud of uncertainty in this place of uncertainty. They only came here to prove to people that they were brave, to prove that they didn’t need to be constantly bullied and to prove their worth. Rafi puts up a façade to encourage Simone and to show him how to try and be brave. Rafi is like the brother that Simone never had, always there for him whether he wanted him to be or not. They are only 13 and now walking into something that could result them to death.
    The cloud filtered around them and they both broke out of whatever trance they were in, but it was too late. They both started shaking rapidly and a light so blinding fell around them. But then everything was gone. They seemed to be ok. So why were they looking at themselves in confusion? Rafi, or what seemed to be Rafi looked scared. Rafi rarely showed his fright. However, as Simone looked up a smirk appeared on his face. It can’t be, can it? The note didn’t lie after all.
    “How did this happen? W.. why am I like this?” Rafi stuttered, almost unsure of himself.
    “The note was true? Cool.” Simone replied
    “Maybe if we touch the third toy it will change us back?” Rafi said, squirming and wriggling with fear.
    Simone shrugged.
    Rafi, or what seemed to be him, reached for the doll. Its ribbon frayed, the doll falling apart in Rafi’s hand. The doll looked handmade. Its delicate features and unique figure in Rafi’s hand. Close up it almost looked angelic. Rafi decided to gently place it down so that he didn’t do any more damage. So why hasn’t anything happened? Simone and Rafi looked at each other in panic. What if this cannot be undone? What if they have to stay like this forever? Fear was all around them.
    It felt like even if they got out of this alive, would it be worth it? They felt unnatural and not themselves. Even if everything were to be undone, would it be worth it? Simone’s smirk had dropped since earlier but had been replaced with anger. He raged around the room but it still didn’t help the fact that they were stuck and didn’t know what to do. All of sudden the presence of someone other than the children was clear. The door suddenly burst open.
    Light flooded through the door and a figure appeared.
    “I warned you not to touch them”.

    Charlotte Crick
    Burnt Mill Academy

  80. There were footsteps outside, someone was humming (completely out of tune). The boys looked at each other in annoyance, there great aunt Maud (who owned the manor) had had her nap and was ready to start “singing” again. They had to hide, and QUICK!

    Simone looked around, there was nowhere to hide! In urgency he grabbed the doll and told Rafi to get the soldier and hold his hand. They could here Maud getting closer and closer! Just as there great aunt opened the door, Simone scooped up the clockwork bird! They were away from the music, or so they thought…

    They woke up to the sound of Maud bursting into a terrible racket. But they were no longer in the room with the toys they were outdoors. With the doll sitting, fiddling her hair, the soldier polishing his gun and the bird trying to wind herself with her wings but failing miserably.

  81. Simone started anxiously cracking her knuckles, “Don’t do that! You know it makes me feel sick!”
    “Sorry, habit.” The two looked at the case and the array of unlikely objects inside and then again at each other. They often did things like that; it was like twin telepathy. The case was old and frail and looked as if it would fall apart at any moment, a rather similar style to the house they were in, Grandpa’s house. The toys inside were in no better state. The doll’s paintwork was chipped in every place possible except for her face which looked up at the kids as if it were egging them to touch her fragile, pink cheeks. She was all lumpy from the corn which made her look misshapen in some places and she was missing her right arm. The tin soldier looked as if it had once been the greatest fighter of all the land. He was sturdy and still with a look of pride on his face however, brown rust crept up his right leg and his neck seemed to have disappeared into his shoulders altogether! The clockwork bird, however, was the most beautiful thing either of the children had ever seen. Her wings were encrusted with tiny stones, each a pool of hope and adventure and her beak seemed to sing a silent song of joy to the young children. Her eyes blinked up- wait, no- looked up, clockwork birds couldn’t blink, and her tail dragged along the floor behind her, like a majestic peacock.
    “What do you think happens if you touch them? Where do you go?”
    “My moneys on a dragons lair, with an evil warlock that tames the dragon to eat children…” Rafi laughed mischievously.
    “What? No way! It’s probably just a prank. One of uncle Lewis’ jokes.”
    “You don’t sound to sure!” quipped the young boy.
    “Actually no.” Simone’s expression suddenly changed to one of realisation, “I was reading a book the other day that I picked out the library downstairs about evil happenings that lost souls play to those that deceived them in their living days,”
    “Obviously.” Simone gave Rafi a stern glare.
    “There was a section on bewitched toys, but the pages were ripped out.”
    “So, we need to find someone who has read the book!” Rafi smiled as if he had made the revelation that could save them.
    “I know. Let’s take it to mum; she might know what it is, it was her house after all. Their might have been a secret we don’t know about. If we hurry, we could make the next train to London and be back before Grandpa wakes up!” Simone stood up and headed for the door.
    “No way! You know what she’s like! She’ll take it off us, sell it to some old guy at the school fair and that’ll be the end of it! No, I have a much better idea.” Rafi smiled that smile you see toddlers do when they’ve got away with something they shouldn’t have.
    “Here we go…”
    “Madame Calypso, that fortune teller, she’s at the fair in the town hall right now! Maybe we could get her to tell us what these are and what they do.”
    “You really believe those people can actually tell the future? Your mad.” Simone shook her head at the utter stupidity of her brother.
    “Well, maybe she can’t tell the future but think of all the time she must spend with magical objects! Maybe she has seen something like this before, or would you rather take your chances on these toys with a strange note that we’re pretty sure no one has seen before?” Rafi hurried to the door. But Simone, eyes glassy and fixed, was ever so slowly reaching out her hand to the clockwork bird…

    Ava Burdett 12
    The Grey Coat Hospital, London

  83. Let’s tell an adult, or maybe even hand it in to the police,” replied Simone, “my dad says finding and keeping is the same as stealing. Maybe someone could have left it here.”
    “That seems pretty unlikely, Simone, anyways, no ones going to mind if we just touch it,” said Rafi confidently.
    “Ok then… touch it,” mumbled Simone uncertainly.
    Rafi leapt forward and grabbed one of the toys….

    Nothing happened. He was holding the old tin soldier. The metal was rusted like it was a hundred years old however the clothes with bright blues, greens and reds, and looked fresh as though the paint had just dried that morning. Neither of the children paid any attention to this though.
    Rafi chucked it over his shoulder and declared, “See Simone just some old toys that the people who used to live here didn’t want anymore.”
    “Well I guess it wouldn’t hurt to touch one more then,” she answered.

    Rafi picked up the strange corn doll.
    “How about that one then Rafi, The face looks quite peculiar,” Simone chuckled.
    Rafi didn’t respond. The doll with its pale face and abyss-like eyes seemed to stare straight into him. A whispering voice swirled around his head like the doll was speaking.
    “Just one more, Rafi, just one more.”

    Slowly, the voice began to get louder and higher, until it erupted into a screech as shrill as a banshee. Immediately, Rafi launched towards the last toy and clasped the beady-eyed clockwork bird.

    Slowly but surely, the ramshackle house around them, with the ramshackle walls, began to fade into darkness until the world was cast into utter black.
    Suddenly, from behind the young boy came the despairing screams of Simone, “Help! Rafi! Help!”
    She was slowly being dragged away by the clockwork bird, who was squawking
    ear-piercingly. Before Rafi could answer her, his arms were grabbed. He looked down at them and saw, horrified, a pair of corn hands gripping them tightly.
    The doll.
    “I’ve got you now Rafi,” it said in a scratchy voice, giggling manically at pauses “now I can use your body to get my revenge on this earth.”

  85. It was while they were exploring the old house that Rafi and Simone found the suitcase, stuffed into the back of a cupboard.

    “This looks old,” said Rafi, trying to find a way to open the lock.

    “There’s something inside,” said Simone. “It rattles when you move it.”

    They laid the case down on the floor, and eventually Simon discovered that if you pressed the clasp softly, the suitcase clicked open, the lid rising into the air. A sudden cloud of dust made the children cough, but once they had waved it away with, they saw what was inside. There were three very old looking toys, lying on a bed of crumpled tissue paper. A clockwork bird, with a key sticking out of the back. A tin soldier, with a brightly painted uniform, beginning to rust. And a funny old doll, made of corn tied together with ribbon.

    “Hey!” said Rafi. “Someone’s left a note on top.”

    It was as old as the suitcase, if not older. In spidery ink, on yellowing parchment, it read:

    Touch one, just for fun.
    Touch two, that will change you.
    Touch three, to come and see me.

    “Who do you think wrote that?” said Simone.
    “What shall we do?” said Rafi.

    Simone was a boy who was not very popular in school. He was always bullied about what he wears and the intelligence he has at school. No one would be friends with him, and no one would ever talk to him as they called him the nerd.

    Rafi was the opposite of Simone. He had the strength that all the bigger boys had, and everybody liked him even the girls in school. The boys would always cheer for him if he accomplished something in class for example the highest mark in the assessment. Rafi was also smart as well and never got into trouble in school even though his friends were always getting into trouble and insist him joining in.

    Any way back to the story of the astrological toys

    “it said touch one just for fun so something must present itself, so I choose the bird.” Simone hypothesized. “Wait but what if this is a voodooed or something” Rafi exclaimed “it can lead you to some t-terrible consequences if you touch it” Slowly Simone touched the bird. Suddenly the bird’s key started to turn by itself. It then flapped its wings and started to fly, it chirped a happy tune and fled back to the suitcase with its new flying colors then returned to its original place.

    “whoa! That was prodigious how the bird flew and chirped by its very nature!” Said Rafi “I wonder what the other lines on the note do?”

    “I have another hypothesize, what if we both touch one?” Simone said investigating at the note. Both were scared but was interested as well to what would happen if they did, Simone chose the bird again and Rafi chose the soldier. Swirls of dust started to circle around them and in a dazzle, there was darkness. Slowly both of our friends gaze out of their eyes to find that they had changed.

    “Simone look at yourself!” Rafi vociferated

    Simone was the bird that he touched. He was a metal and had a Metalico body with the key on his back turning endlessly. Rafi was a soldier and had some troops at the back in formation and ready for an order.

    “THIS…IS… MINDBLOWING!” Rafi shouted

    “I know! I can now fly!” Simone said. He still had the note in his wings and at the back it said that it will only last until sunset until this world disappears in this world. “Rafi, we have only until sunset until we go back to our normal selves again” Simone said to Rafi who was giving orders to build them a house already. All set to work and the building was finished. Rafi and Simone hosted a party with the soldiers and the had a great time. The sun was coming down as they said goodbye to their fellow comrades at the house and return to normal.

    “Simone” Rafi said

    “yes” replied Simone

    “I wonder who the possessor of these toys was?”

    “Well we haven’t done the third one yet lets both touch the toys”

    Both touch all the toys together and closed their eyes to find that they were back home with the toys. Mum was there cooking some food in the house and it was pancakes for lunch with unclouded, candy coated, sticky syrup on top Mum turned around to the boys.

    “Hello boys what have you got there?” mum oddly asked

    “They are toys that we found in the old house over there” both boys said

    “Well I see that you have the toys that I stored in the cupboard in there. That was the house I used to play in with your dad and we stored the magic toys of imaginations in the suitcase and left a note for any kids who found it”

    “So, these are your toys then mum?” Simone replied

    “Yes, yes they are sweetie and my two beautiful boys found them for me”

    All three of them laugh and just in time dad was home early. They all had a great lunch of pancakes and syrup with a glass of water to wash the sugar down their throats.

    That was thirty years ago from now and I tell the tale as well as my brother does to our children to one day find these toys in the same house and the same suitcase. I have a well-paid job as a computer designer and is very rich so is Rafi my brother working as a scientist on new robotic inventions. We also see that our school friends were not so successful to what they wanted to be and worked in an office for long hours and were not getting that much money than us.

    I wonder will my kids, anybody else or you find these enchanted toys?

    Name: Glennon lee
    Age: 14
    School: Burntmill academy
    Year 8

  86. By Alexandra (age 11) and Samantha Cummings (Age 9)

    Without thinking, Simone picked up the clockwork bird and slowly turned the key.
    “It’s rather stiff “, moaned Simone.

    But Rafi wasn’t happy about what his sister had done.

    “You could have broken it. Don’t be so careless!. These things could be worth a fortune”.

    Neglecting her brothers words, Simone picked up the next item (The tin soldier) with no hesitation.

    “Stop it!”, yelled Rafi.

    Glancing at her brother she could tell he was getting irritated!

    Simone placed the soldier back on the suitcase. As Rafi began walking to his room Simone stayed behind. She was inquisitive and she had loads of thoughts racing through her mind. As soon as her brother was out of sight she quickly grabbed the doll and ran to her room.

    The next morning, Simone heard her mum and dad talking to someone. She lived in a small cottage many hours away from the busy city so she knew it had to be important. The cottage used to belong to their great great great grandfather and it had been passed down through the generations.

    Trying not to make a sound, she snuck down stairs to witness the police at her front door! Beside her father was her mother almost drowning in her tears. Not knowing what was going on she walked upstairs to tell Rafi. But to her surprise he was gone. Confused and upset she went back into her room where the doll was not in the same place she left it. Scared about what was going on, Simone picked up the doll to see she herself was disappearing.

    Before she could say a word, Simone found herself standing next to her brother in the attic. But for some reason it was different. The Attic was so much cleaner than it had been the day before and the suitcase was gone! Suddenly an old man walked in with a terrified look on his face.

    “Hey, what are you doing in our house?” yelled Simone in anger. To her astonishment he paid no attention to her.

    Suddenly, he picked up a piece of paper and quickly wrote a letter. Then he put down the suitcase and one by one, he placed the clockwork bird, tin soldier and old doll on it. He closed his eyes. Then he himself was gone.

    Shortly afterward, Simone found herself sat next to her brother in her bedroom. She couldn’t stop thinking about the old man so she ran up into the attic with Rafi close behind.

    She opened the suitcase and inside was a book she had never seen before!

    Simone and Rafi were very curious. They opened it up and started reading.
    Reading carefully, Rafi and Simone found that this book was a part of their family history and had been passed down through generations like the house. It said if someone is in possession of the book then they are the ‘protector’ and must keep the items safe!

    Now they knew what everything meant. They took their job as protectors very seriously, but always had fun as well. They lived great lives and they made sure that the suitcase, the book and the three objects continued getting passed down through their family.

    The end

    1. Thank you Alexandra and Samantha. Please let us know what school you attend.

  87. This is my edited entry,

    Rafi felt uneasy, as if somebody had left it there deliberately, as a trap.

    “Creak,” went the rusty floorboards.

    Rafi nearly jumped out of his skin! He didn’t know what, but there was something mysterious about this house, and he didn’t want to find out. Suddenly, a cold shiver crawled up his back.

    “Simone, maybe we should just leave, after all, this doesn’t belong to us!” he said worryingly, almost pleading.

    Simone laughed, “Come on, where’s your sense of adventure. ”

    Rafi knew this would happen, Simone was great, but he could sometimes be a bit stubborn.

    Rafi felt uneasy, as if someone had left it there deliberately, as a trap. “Creakkk,” went the floorboards. Rafi nearly jumped out of his skin, he didn’t exactly know what, but there was something mysterious about this house, and he didn’t want to find out. “Simone, maybe we should just leave,” he said worryingly, almost pleading. Simone laughed, “Come on, where’s your sense of adventure. ”

    Rafi knew this would happen, Simone was great, but he could sometimes be a bit stubborn.

    “My sense of adventure is in my house, safe,” Rafi replied sarcastically.

    “All right” said Simone, “you don’t have to touch it, I will, you just close your eyes,” Simone said, feeling sorry for Rafi.

    “Ok, if you’re sure,” and he shut his eyes.

    He heard one knock, then two and finally three. He curled up tightly, waiting for something to happen, but nothing did. He opened his eyes, expecting ,Simone to brag about how he was right, but Simone wasn’t there!

    “Simone, Simone where are you, if this is one of your silly pranks I’m not falling for it,” he cried desperately.

    But there was no reply, Rafi suddenly hated himself, why was he such a scaredy cat? Why hadn’t he been looking when Simone disappeared? He took a deep breath and went up to the old suitcase. He tapped each toy in turn one time and nothing happened. But when he did it the second time, everything grew. Or.. he was shrinking.

    “Aaargh!” he screamed, “Help!”

    What was happening, would he stay like this forever? Suddenly, he heard a deafening sound that cut him off his thoughts. It was the chime of a cuckoo clock. He turned around and saw a Bird, THE toy bird, alive. Next to him were the ragged doll and the Tinman. He screamed the loudest scream ever.

    “Calm down, we’re not going to hurt you,” the Bird said comfortingly.

    “Speak for yourself, I haven’t eaten in donkey’s years,” the Tinman said grumpily, patting his tummy.

    The Tinman was looking at Rafi with so much dislike, it was a wonder he could move his face!

    “Don’t mind him,” the Doll squeaked.

    Rafi needed time to digest everything. Once he got over the shock, he asked the Tinman angrily, “Is that what you’ve done, have you eaten Simone?”

    The Tinman smiled maliciously.

    Bird, seeing the smile, said “ Simone, the little girl, of course not, we’re not monsters, well me and Doll aren’t, I don’t know about Tinman, Simone’s over here.”

    Rafi followed her and saw Simone sitting in a corner of the suitcase sobbing. It felt weird, he’d never seen Simone cry, she was always so tough, it was always him who cried. Rafi didn’t have any friends other than Simone. He ran over to comfort her.

    “Simone it’s OK, we’re going to find a way back home.” he sympathized.

    Simone looked at him as if he just realized he was there.

    “I’m sorry, I should’ve listened to you, I suppose you want to brag now.” Simone said thickly.

    “No, I’ll leave the bragging to you,”Rafi replied.

    They both laughed.

    “Let’s go and ask the toys how to go back,” Rafi said, thinking of a plan.

    “No point, I already asked, Tinman is the only person who knows how but he won’t tell us,” she sighed.

    “Well then we’ll just have to convince him,” said Rafi, confidently.

    They walked over to Tinman.

    “I know what you’re going to say and the answers no!” he shouted annoyed.

    “But why? We’ll be off your back, just let us go home,” they both pleaded.

    “If you don’t we’ll constantly annoy you,”said Rafi, and he knew he had won the argument.

    “Okay, but you’ll need Bird and Doll,” he agreed reluctantly.

    “We’re here, what do you want with us?” Doll asked curiously.

    “Well… because you had to touch us three times for us to come alive, you have to do the same thing again,” Tinman explained.

    “So you guys will go back to being toys again?” Rafi asked sadly.

    “Yes, that’s why there’s a catch,” said Tinman, “you have to take us to your homes, I’m tired of living in the suitcase.”

    “ Okay, thank you so much,” Rafi said, and Simone nodded his appreciation .

    “Mind you don’t do it so hard,” Tinman mumbled, but he was pleased for them.

    Once they had all said their goodbyes, Tinman, Doll and Bird stood in a line.

    “In three, two, one, now!”

    They landed with a thud on the floor, back to their normal size.

    “Wow, that was quite an adventure,” said Simone.

    “I know, but if you ask me, I’ve had quite enough adventure to last me a whole lifetime.” Rafi replied.

    And so they took the toys then went back home.

    – Farida, Pakeman Primary, Year Six

  88. After opening the suitcase they heard a creaking from the stairs and slowly they heard someone tiptoeing down the stairs. They decided to turn around and look at what was walking behind them. They turned very slowly once they had turned 180 degrees they realised It wasn’t a tiptoe they heard, it was a violin playing a sorrowful song. They looked into the suitcase and found a flute, a violin and a guitar, each of them picking up an instrument. Micheal decided to strum the guitar “Stop that,” Rafi said,”you’re going to make so much noise and awaken the house.”They didn’t talk much of Michael as he was the annoying little brother of the group. The house groaned and groaned and after all the groaning had stopped they heard a note they heard a violin stroking, then a flute tooting, then a guitar making a serenading song. Simone recognised the notes and decided to play on the violin then Rafi joined in and Micheal joined in as they were playing their way around the house. Suddenly, these musical notes shaded in ,blue and outline the black, were floating around the house. The children followed them as they played a song around the house. When the notes had stopped they were in a jet black room Rafi found the light switch and what looked at them was horrific they all screamed at a shadow only to know it was a mouse making all that racket.

    This is my story.
    Name: Ike
    Age:11
    St Helen’s Catholic Primary School

  89. Ella Rouse – Debden Park High School – year 8: this is my entry 🙂

    “What do you mean, what should we do? Do what it says, touch them!” yelled Simone with excitement. Rafi was hesitant, “are you sure?” he said.

    “What if, what if something bad happens?” Simone’s lips quivered, it was clear that she was trying to hold in laughter. Her face turned bright red and she could not hold it in any longer “Ha ha ha ha ha ha” Simone snorted, her voice echoing through the hollow walls of the ancient house. “Really Rafi, something bad?! Nothing is going to happen you big baby”

    Rafi’s big eyes looked up from the suitcase, his pupils filled with anxiety.
    “Oh, I’ll do it” groaned Simone. She pushed Rafi aside and blew dust off of the toys. She looked at them. She began thinking that they looked pretty creepy, but she could not back away now, especially after how much she had laughed at Rafi, just a minute ago for being so scared.

    Simone took a deep breath, her shacking finger gently touched the old clockwork bird, forcing the key to make a rattling sound. She pulled her finger away quickly, nothing happened.

    She went to look back at Rafi, who she thought was sat behind her but he was right next to her now. Without exchanging words the children looked at each other and back at the toys, Rafi reached out and touched the tin solder. Simone was surprised by her friends actions but continued to watch in silence as Rafi’s skin touched the gold button painted on to the soldier, they both looked terrified. Yet, nothing happened. Nothing changed.

    Simone put her fake confident face back on. “ha! Seeeeeee”. She said, mockingly. “Nothing happened”. Rafi watched he and nodded, but stayed quiet. He felt different. Very different. Without warning, Simone poked the old doll (the last of the three toys). She poked at it very roughly and with much more force than she had used on the clockwork bird. She sighed, secretly grateful that nothing had happened. Simone turned her back to the suitcase and the toys and faced Rafi, she started rambling the, “I told you so” speech. However, Rafi wasn’t listening, he was paying attention.

    The young boy was staring, with huge eyes at the suitcase. His daze drifted up and his mesmerised pupils came to halt above Simone’s head. “What are you staring at?”, asked Simone. She followed Rafi’s eyes and looked up. Her jaw dropped, however that was the only part of her that moved – she was frozen to the spot. An enormous algae-green hand with long fingers like knitting needles was towering above her head. The arm it was connected to was emerging out of the haunted suitcase. The children stayed still – like statues – frozen, in shock horror.

    Before either of them could do anything (they couldn’t even move let alone try and help this situation), the hand travelled down, it looked like one of those claw grabby thingy majigys from those games in arcades that you can never , ever win, and wrapped its slimy fingers around Simone’s long, blonde hair. Out of nowhere, the arm rapidly pulled the hand back into the case , and the hell-like land within, taking the girl with it. The suitcase snapped shut and vanished. Rafi stood there. Still. Frozen, not even shaking. He fell. He fainted.

  90. This is my edited entry,

    Rafi felt uneasy, as if somebody had left the suitcase there deliberately, as a trap.

    “Creak,” went the rusty floorboards.

    Rafi nearly jumped out of his skin! He didn’t know what, but there was something mysterious about this house, and he didn’t want to find out. Suddenly, a cold shiver crawled up his back.

    “Simone, maybe we should just leave, after all, this doesn’t belong to us!” he said worryingly, almost pleading.

    Simone laughed, “Come on, where’s your sense of adventure. ”

    Rafi knew this would happen, Simone was great, but she could sometimes be a bit stubborn.“My sense of adventure is in my house, safe,” Rafi replied sarcastically.

    “All right” said Simone, “you don’t have to touch it, I will, you just close your eyes,” Simone said, feeling sorry for Rafi.

    “Ok, if you’re sure,” and he shut his eyes.

    He heard one knock, then two and finally three. He curled up tightly, waiting for something to happen, but nothing did. He opened his eyes, expecting ,Simone to brag about how she was right, but Simone wasn’t there!

    “Simone, Simone where are you, if this is one of your silly pranks I’m not falling for it,” he cried desperately.

    But there was no reply, Rafi suddenly hated himself, why was he such a scaredy cat? Why hadn’t he been looking when Simone disappeared? He took a deep breath and went up to the old suitcase. He tapped each toy in turn one time and nothing happened. But when he did it the second time, everything grew. Or.. he was shrinking.

    “Aaargh!” he screamed, “Help!”

    What was happening, would he stay like this forever? Suddenly, he heard a deafening sound that cut him off his thoughts. It was the chime of a cuckoo clock. He turned around and saw a Bird, THE toy bird, alive. Next to him were the ragged doll and the Tinman. He screamed the loudest scream ever.

    “Calm down, we’re not going to hurt you,” the Bird said comfortingly.

    “Speak for yourself, I haven’t eaten in donkey’s years,” the Tinman said grumpily, patting his tummy.

    The Tinman was looking at Rafi with so much dislike, it was a wonder he could move his face!

    “Don’t mind him,” the Doll squeaked.

    Rafi needed time to digest everything. Once he got over the shock, he asked the Tinman angrily, “Is that what you’ve done, have you eaten Simone?”

    The Tinman smiled maliciously.

    Bird, seeing the smile, said “ Simone, the little girl, of course not, we’re not monsters, well me and Doll aren’t, I don’t know about Tinman, Simone’s over here.”

    Rafi followed her and saw Simone sitting in a corner of the suitcase sobbing. It felt weird, he’d never seen Simone cry, she was always so tough, it was always him who cried. Rafi didn’t have any friends other than Simone. Lots of people bullied him for being friends with a girl, but he didn’t care. He ran over to comfort her.

    “Simone it’s OK, we’re going to find a way back home.” he sympathised.

    Simone looked at him as if she just realised he was there.

    “I’m sorry, I should’ve listened to you, I suppose you want to boast now.” Simone said
    in a high-pitched voice

    “No, I’ll leave the bragging to you,”Rafi replied.

    They both laughed.

    “Let’s go and ask the toys how to go back,” Rafi said, thinking of a plan.

    “No point, I already asked, Tinman is the only person who knows how but he won’t tell us,” she sighed.

    “Well then we’ll just have to convince him,” said Rafi, confidently.

    They walked over to Tinman.

    “I know what you’re going to say and the answers no!” he shouted annoyed.

    “But why? We’ll be off your back, just let us go home,” they both pleaded.

    “If you don’t we’ll constantly annoy you,”said Rafi, and he knew he had won the argument.

    “Okay, but you’ll need Bird and Doll,” he agreed reluctantly.

    “We’re here, what do you want with us?” Doll asked curiously.

    “Well… because you had to touch us three times for us to come alive, you have to do the same thing again,” Tinman explained.

    “So you guys will go back to being toys again?” Rafi asked sadly.

    “Yes, that’s why there’s a catch,” said Tinman, “you have to take us to your homes, I’m tired of living in the suitcase and bring us back to life every week.”

    “ Okay, thank you so much,” Rafi said, and Simone nodded his appreciation .

    “Mind you don’t do it so hard,” Tinman mumbled, but he was pleased for them.

    Once they had all said their goodbyes, Tinman, Doll and Bird stood in a line.

    “In three, two, one, now!”

    They landed with a thud on the floor, back to their normal size.

    “Wow, that was quite an adventure,” said Simone, relieved.

    “I know, but if you ask me, I’ve had quite enough adventure to last me a whole lifetime.” Rafi replied.

    And so they took the toys and went back home, forever grateful, fulfilling their promise every single week.

    – Farida, Pakeman Primary, Year Six

  92. ‘Let’s touch it!’ cried Simone excitedly. As she said that, she reached for the clockwork bird. Nothing. ‘I’m scared’ said Rafi nervously. ‘Everything is fine!’ reassured Simone,
    ‘I bet nothing will happen anyway.’ Rafi smiled feeling safe and touched the tin soldier. All of a sudden, the little soldier opens its mouth. Rafi was being sucked in! ‘ HELP!’ screamed Rafi, desperately holding on to Simone. He got sucked into the toy in the end. The toy began to move. Simone screamed. ‘Whoa Whoa Whoa Whoa! It’s just me!’ said the toy. ‘Rafi?’ questioned Simone, confused. She went to grad him but he suddenly moved and she touched the doll. A flash of green light. They closed their eyes. Once they opened it again, standing in front of them was a little ghost. A little ghost of a girl.

    By Jamie

  93. After they found the doll, they were so surprised because the doll looked so familiar, because they had a similar doll at school.All of a sudden, the doll spoke out randomly
    and they were so scared so they ran.The next morning,when they went to school they were freaked out because their teacher turned into a talking creepy doll overnight, which was teaching pupils how to be a doll.At break time, they saw the leader of all dolls which was the ragged doll from the suitcase! They were trying to fight her but they got poisoned. When they went inside,they were crying there heads off, because they couldn’t even eat, they were the ugliest creatures of all everyone was super duper scared .Simon said “YOU GET OF MY FRIENDS OR ELSE I WILL KILL RAGGED DOLL!!!!!!!!!”
    “Sure about that, you will never beat me, but if you do your friends will get poisoned even more then die.””I’m not scared I’m sure you can’t beat me and I know it’s true.”said Simon
    After, they realised the ragged doll was called Peacock short for bird and her best friend is called Rafi but they hated everyone apart from each other.When they all went to bed they had very bad nightmares and they couldn’t go to sleep at all and they were tiered the rest of the day. But they killed Peacock and Rafi and they had the best rest life ever no dolls creeping them , poisoned people,they also had good dreams and best of all there was no people dying or crying .Two days after, everything was back to normal.

  95. Meeting Mr. Helot
    ‘What should we pick then?’ Simone babbled. ‘What about number 2, I wanna change into a superhero!’
    ‘Simone, come on be serious, who would write something like this.’ Rafi said out of confusion.
    ‘Only that old man that lived here, I think his name was..’
    ‘Mr. Helot,’ Rafi answered him. ‘His name was Mr. Helot.’
    ‘Yeah, that’s the name! But he died a couple of months ago and no one ever bought this house, people say that he walks through his back garden at 3am; watering his plants.’
    ‘Nah, that’s not true. We both know ghosts aren’t real.’ Rafi laughed.
    ‘Fine then, just because your 12.’
    Simone folded his arms and sat on a rusty chair in the corner of the room. Rafi examined the strange toys, trying to figure out any answers to who put this here.
    ‘Whoa, look at that!’ Simone exclaimed excitedly.
    It was a golden sphere that had all the countries in the world! (Well, most)
    ‘Simone don’t touch!’
    But it was too late Simone had already twisted it enough, for a secret door opened and there was a casket in the middle.
    ‘Simone!’ Rafi yelled frustratedly. ‘What have I told you about touching things you don’t know?’
    ‘Oops.’
    ‘Anyway let’s check this out, maybe it will give us more clues.’
    So Simone and Rafi explored the cold, dark tunnel with only the light from Simone’s McDonald’s toy torch. The secret part of the basement was quite small and stank of when you go to the toilet right after someone’s done their, you know what I mean. Anyway, going back to the story, Rafi started his search on the casket.
    ‘I think there’s someone in there Rafi..’
    ‘No, It can’t be because Mr. Helot wasn’t some kind of killer nor was he buried here.’
    Rafi opened it slightly..
    The smell got worse…
    Rafi opened it even more..
    Until he opened it all the way and closed his eyes. He peaked down inside
    ‘AHHHHH!’ Rafi screamed in fear.
    ‘Haha, you sound like a little girl!’ Simone mocked at him.
    ‘There’s nothing even in there.’
    ‘Really?’
    ‘Mhm, open your eyes.’
    Rafi opened his eyes and saw nothing there.
    He sighed in relief. ‘Thank God.’
    Simone walked back into the part of the basement they were in before.
    ‘And look who said I was a baby,’ He muttered.
    Simone started thinking.
    ‘Well put it like this,’ He said ‘What about if we touch three toys which said we’ll meet him?’
    ‘Well, that is kind of smart..’ Rafi said not believing the words that came out of his mouth.
    ‘No Rafi, It is smart.’
    ‘Whatever.’
    ‘Anyway, let’s see if I’m right.’ He grabbed all three and shook it up and down. ‘And let there be light!’ He screamed.
    And indeed there was light. A bright figure was standing in front of them.
    ‘Mr. Helot? Is that you?’
    ‘Yes Rafi, It is me.’
    ‘B-But I thought you were dead?’
    ‘You didn’t know..’
    Simone laughed.
    ‘Ghosts are real. I thought Simone told you?’
    ‘Oh I most definitely did, but you know 12 year olds..’
    ‘Wait, what? What’s going on here Simone? You just saw a dead man rise from the dead and your laughing?’
    ‘Yes..?’
    THUD!
    Rafi had fainted from shock.
    ‘He sure doesn’t act like 12!’ Mr. Helot laughed.
    ‘Yeah, wait you’re alive aren’t you?’
    ‘Yes..?’
    THUD!
    ‘Another pair who discovered me, oh well.’
    He floated back into his coffin and from that day onwards Mr. Helot never came out again (He missed his beauty sleep)
    THE END
    Eliahav Ogunbameru
    English Martyrs Catholic School

  96. I am from Handsworth Grange Community Sports Collage and this is my entry:

    Writing from : “What shall we do?” said Rafi.
    “We should leave it alone,” said Simone , cautious from the eerie message. “Perhaps my Gran might know something about it.”
    “Yea she’s been here forever.” exclaimed Rafi, longing for Simone’s Gran’s pancakes, already smelling the syrup.
    Quickly and cautiously, they slid the ancient case back into place, accidentally not closing the lid, and what a mistake that was! They then left the creaky old house, jumping over dusty old boxes and dodging long forgotten cobwebs. They ventured out into the swamp-like garden, stepping cautiously over puddles over fear of collapsing or of their depth. The pavement near the house was riddled with cracks and ants sipping on long left cans of unknown liquids. Leaving the house’s tainted aura behind, the children began the long, peaceful journey to the elderly woman’s house.
    Upon their arrival the kids were greeted by the sweet, indulgent smell of pancakes of which, thanks to Rafi’s acquired sense of smell, were 1.25 minutes away from burning point. Wishing not for burnt pancakes, Rafi scrambled for the kitchen, whizzing past the ancient one upon the porch and leaping to the pan! Whilst the eager Rafi ran to the kitchen, the loving Simone came to steady his Grandmother and carefully guide her into the house.
    “Simone,” wearily began the matriarch, “Look how big you’ve grown.”
    “Nice to see you too Gran”, replied Simone.
    After this sudden jolt of excitement Simone ushered his Grandma inside and then they awaited Rafi’s arrival. When they entered the dining room, Simone took in his surroundings: perfectly polished blue tiles with a white wall, porcelain dishes held up by a number of wooden shelves, wooden flooring accompanied with a knitted (made by Simone’s Gran) rug of a myriad of flowers. Sitting down on a wooden chair, Simone then gave Grandma a couple of questions to jolt her memory.
    “Gran, do you know anything about the old house across town?” he questioned.
    “Do you want some syrup?” she asked unknowing of the question at hand.
    “Gran, the old house? Know anything about it?”
    “Oh yes, that one has a story and a half” she answered, whilst helping Rafi down onto the table. “Listen well now as I shan’t repeat it.”
    Utter silence came upon the table as all were eager to hear.
    “Now let us begin. Many a decade ago when I was just a girl, I knew of a charming, young and apparently twisted toy maker. He had no family or friends and no one knew were he came from and when he arrived here he had nought but his clothes, tools and a suitcase. His shop was called ,” she paused for thought “Ogel’s Workshop. He was very quiet so much that people made jokes about that! “He’s more toy than man” or “Lego of your life kid”! I never found them funny. In fact I told them to stop but they didn’t listen. These daily jokes infuriated the toy maker and when no one bought his toys, after only one year, he declared bankruptcy. He then spent the remainder of his time here in his house making toys for no reason. Then one day in a whirlwind of green light he disappeared.
    There are many hypotheses of how he disappeared, but I believe it was dark magic to curse those whom mock and joke.”
    Simone’s grandmother had then finished the story and then it all made sense. Yet despite this, Rafi and Simone spewed forth a flurry of questions.
    “So he was a magician too?” questioned Simone.
    “His name was Ogel?” interrogated Rafi.
    “All in good time.” replied the elder, foreshadowing what was to come.
    After this confrontation, the children decided to go home and go to bed. Then they said their goodbyes and began the trek home. Suddenly, a thundery green whirlpool of inky black souls came upon them and dragged them back, screaming, to the house. It was then that the children realised their mistake.
    “The case,” screamed Rafi, her arms flailing in the wind. “We have to close it now!”
    “What touched the toys though? What does ‘change you’ mean?” yelled Simone.
    A gargantuan clicking noise came in response to the question. It was a queen ant who had touched the toys and was now stood in front of them! The Queen buzzed around Rafi and Simone and signalled her colony to resist intruders. The colony ran rampant throughout the house and the garden and they all answered to the Queen. And the Queen herself answered to Ogel! Their bond though was not without flaws however, and the colony began to wander, leaving Simone unattended and able to fall into one of the puddle-ponds littered around the garden. Upon getting out of the puddle-pond, Simone gazed upon Rafi, caught in a ghoul’s grasp and he knew exactly who it was… It was Ogel!
    To evade Ogel’s sight, Simone ran and hid behind the outside wall which was covered with moss as dank as a sewer. Warp lightning bolts came from the house as Ogel gained more power and began to gain control of the world around him. Suddenly, clumps of earth came straight up from the ground and were flung every which way, some hit walls, others hit people and one hit Simone’s grandmother. The tyrannical Ogel laughed in glee and mocked the same way others did to him.
    Whilst he was distracted however, Rafi reached for the case and touched it slightly and once again gained Ogel’s attention. He screamed at her with an uncontrollable vigour which allowed Simone to close the case, whilst Ogel was distracted.
    “NNNNNNOOOOOOO,” yelled Ogel in a paranormal voice “I am dissipating back into nothingness!!!”
    Then a giant explosion encased them all and Ogel was no more.
    Fin

  98. Isabel Boddington, 11 years old, Purbrook Park School

    Since the age of four years old, Simone had loved history. When her parents were taken away from her, finding anything that could have possibly belonged to them made her feel as if though she would understand her past. She couldn’t resist stroking the pastel pink bow on the corn doll and feeling the cold tin soldier’s khaki jacket with its bright brass buttons, secretly taking in every detail in case there was any possibility of her parents and the toys having a connection. Whilst Simone was absorbed in examining the soldier and corn doll, Rafi’s fingers reached out, longing for the rusty key of the pure white clockwork bird. Suddenly, the little handle on the clockwork toy turned around, forcing the key to fall out onto the floor. It span around until only the screams of them both remained in the world they were from…
    Startled and with their stomachs churning like washing machines, Rafi and Simone gazed round in wonder at the farm in front of their bewildered eyes. It looked as if it was straight from a storybook. The beautiful brick farmhouse with succulent flowers and fields of every crop you could think of bordered the wooden animal pens containing pigs, cows, sheep and chickens making contented mooing and snorting sounds. While peacefully in a tree, a dove cooed. After looking around in awe, they remembered reality.
    “What did you do Rafi?” Simone scolded.
    “Nothing… Fine I touched the little bird but that was it. I promise!” Rafi exclaimed.
    With her eyes glued to the floor remorsefully, Simone admitted to Rafi that maybe they should have considered the warning note.
    There was no time for Rafi to respond as a young woman in her early twenties came up to the girls urgently. She had a muddied cream white full length dress on with pink accents, matching with her pastel pink bow in her hair. Simone and Rafi immediately exchanged stunned glances as they remembered the pink bow from the toy in the suitcase: it was the corn doll, but in real life!
    “Please help, my baby is in trouble!” sobbed the woman. Confused, Rafi rushed with her unquestioningly and Simone followed towards the farmhouse. Rafi’s ears were drawn to a baby wailing and the unmistakable cough that Rafi recognised from the younger ones in her care home. It was croup.
    Transfixed by the surroundings, Simone’s ears were immediately filled with the woman’s voice rising in panic, almost as loud as the thudding footsteps that were coming up behind her… Simone had no time to shout out as a hand covered her mouth. Instantly, she started kicking and attempting to scream, but it wasn’t much use – she had been overpowered by a strong man. Panicking, her eyes darted around, searching for help. Rocks on the ground. Trees looming over them. A dove perched on a fence. She could feel the scratchy, wool sleeve on her face. Adjusting her gaze she saw the khaki coloured arm that was the barrier to her freedom: she realised that he had to be a soldier. His arms dropped. Simone stumbled and turned to escape. Thoughts rushed through her mind as if they were competing in a marathon. Unable to resist the temptation, she looked back and to her surprise, he was just standing there with a confused expression. She could feel the scars inside him bleeding with grief and knew what that was like. Looking down in shame on herself, she slowly made her way up to him. Not able to quite look him in the eye, she stared at his thick khaki wool trousers, and square leather boots.
    Rafi chewed her lip anxiously- Simone should have been following them. ‘Never mind, she is probably just figuring out what we are doing here and how to get back’ she told herself firmly.
    “This way.” Urged the woman. “My baby is sick, and I am worried that she might die because I don’t know how to help her. It breaks my heart to leave the little darling, but I won’t have enough money or food to survive if I don’t look after the crops. Will you help?” the corn doll begged. Rafi nodded and started to gently rock the baby.
    “She needs steam to clear her airways. Can you boil the kettle while I calm her down?” Instructed Rafi. Smiling, she started to sing a lullaby that her mother used to sing to her before her life in the care home.
    “Rock a bye baby, on the tree top,
    When the wind blows the cradle will rock…”
    She rocked the baby above the steam. Fortunately the cough eased. The corn doll gazed at her gratefully, sighing in relief.
    Meanwhile, overwhelmed with confusion Simone stared at the soldier and examined him carefully. He looked like his heart had shattered into a million pieces, then had been put back together, only to have been shattered repeatedly. Simone instinctively tiptoed back to him with an apple held out in her hand. Hesitating slightly, the soldier took the apple with his trembling hands.
    “What are you doing here?” Simone questioned.
    “I’m looking for my wife and daughter. I’ve returned from the war. Would you happen to know where they are?” Murmured the man weakly.
    Simone’s heart softened as she realised he was just a man who had suffered in the war and needed looking after.
    As Rafi passed the baby back to the corn doll she heard the rustling of paper. Distracted by footsteps she looked up and saw Simone leading a solider towards them. The woman, who was cradling the baby, ran towards the soldier.
    Simone and Rafi left the united family embracing happily. After telling each other about their encounters, Rafi looked in her pocket at the paper she had heard rustling earlier. It was a letter that the woman had slipped in Rafi’s pocket. In spidery writing, it read:
    You have proved yourselves to have the kindness of your family members and created peace. To get back to your normal lives you have to find the dove (you may know it as the clockwork bird) to fly you back in time.
    The girls’ eyes were drawn to flapping wings in front of them. The white feathers of the dove’s wings circled them. In a matter of seconds, they were back in the care home with the open suitcase.

  99. I am from Handsworth grange community sports college.
    Simone reached into the suitcase and as he did the whole house shook like an earthquake and from the corner of the room came a whisper “ Don’t touch it” it sounded like a child.
    Rafi says “Don’t do it”
    Still ignoring the warning, he touches the soldier and the house shakes again and this time dark cracks appear in the ground and both boys are dragged down. Its like a wormhole everything is spinning round and round and as it spun around items flew by there heads mainly toys that they had at home. After at least a moment they realised they were in there world but everything had been turned topsy-turvy They walked all around the house searching for the toys and every time they got close the house would change so they would walk through a doorway and they would end up back there again.
    They grab each one of the toys, the tin soldier and the clockwork bird, and put them in the suitcase and finally they were back and so they thought. Everything seemed normal but something inside told the boys this wasn’t right and for the rest of their lives they were wondering what was wrong.
    The doll has been seen wondering the halls of the house and they have never been seen again neither has anyone who has gone there and the case has 2 more dolls, a bear and a monkey…

  100. “I think we should just touch it again, after all it is just an old suitcase.” Replied Simone bravely.
    “NO, WE SHOULD NOT TOUCH IT AGAIN!” shouted Rafi at Simone.
    “Why what is the worst that could even happen its not like we are going to turn into a creature or something.” said Simone sarcastically.
    “We’ll never know because we are not going to touch any of it again OK. Just get it out of your head, come on let’s just go back down stairs and get a snack come on lets go.” Said Rafi
    “No, just stop being a big baby and touch it with me nothing is actually going to happen to us you know, just come on.” told Simone to Rafi.
    Rafi didn’t want to touch anything inside the suitcase because he knew that it would be very dangerous. However, he knew that Simone was going to touch something anyway, Rafi couldn’t let him touch anything on his own as he could end up in great danger.
    “Fine I will touch something inside the suitcase with you but how do we know what to do because the rest of the writing, all across the suitcase is in a completely different language. And we don’t know what language that is.” Explained Rafi nervously.
    “OH NO what is happening to me” screamed Simone in fear.
    “WHAT DID YOU DO SIMONE WHAT DID YOU TOUCH YOU WASN’T MEANT TO TOUCH ANYTHING IN THE SUITCASE JUST YET!” shouted Rafi at Simone.
    “Sorry but can you at least help me I am turning into a creature here, HELP ME!” screamed Simone at the top of his lungs.
    But by the time Rafi had stopped tell Simone off for touching the suitcase it was too late Simone had disappear and a pile of dust was left on the floor.
    “OH NO this is all my fault what am I going to do!” cried out Rafi
    “Come into the box, the magical, deadly box I took your little friend and now he is trapped here. Crack the code or get in the box in TEN MINUTES or you friend will …….” Said the unknown voice.
    The creepy, hidden voice finished its sentence half way through what it was saying. Rafi didn’t know what the last word was or know what to do. Little did Rafi know that Simone fate was left in his hands….

  101. Rafi and Simone sat there with thoughts running through their young, naive minds. What happens if you play with different toys? Because they had been told not to it made them want to play with the toys to get rid of the ambiguity surrounding the subject. They were also wondering who left them there, well there’s only one way to find out. Ignore the note.

    Rafi and Simone looked down to the overused leather case with fraying stitches around the perimeter of it and tears in random spots of the rich wealthy material. Then they looked back up to each other still in shock and confusion about who had wrote the note. Rafi was an adventurous young boy who was willing to take risks meaning that things like this excited him. He was ten years old with bright green eyes and light freckles dotted around his small nose and cubby cheeks. Simone was his sister, she was 9 years old, she had long blonde hair and the same green eyes as her brother. Sadly, that was the only thing they had in common, Simone was shy, an introvert and a worrier so thigs like this terrified her.

    “It is probably just a joke Simone, please don’t worry! It can’t be true but just to be sure I’m going to see what happens, I’m going to play with the toys.” Said Rafi excitedly.

    “It won’t lead to anything positive!” explained Simone in a worried tone.

    “Well I want to do it, and I will! You can’t stop me! So, will you join me instead?” asked Rafi.

    “No, you are risking your life and I want nothing to do with it” answered Simone stubbornly.

    So, Rafi started to play with the toy soldier. Nothing happened. He then began to turn the bird clock. Nothing happened… at first. But out of nowhere Rafi could not talk and every time he tried all that came out was “tick tock”. The time hit 4 in the afternoon and he rang and vibrated like a clock.
    “See I told you so” said Simone acting like any other sibling would but deep down she was panicking.
    Rafi couldn’t respond because he was slowly turning into a clock and they had a feeling I would end up being permanent. Simone wanted to know who did this so she persuaded Rafi to play with the doll so he did. He tugged on the blonde plaits and all of a sudden, the floor collapsed and they fell down, their stomachs were churning so they closed their eyes but when they opened them, they weren’t in their living room. Instead they were in a graveyard and standing on top of one of the graves was a tall man in a black cloak and black boots. He had a ghoulish figure, it turned around and had a creepy smile on its face that would haunt any child.
    Out of nowhere Simone screamed “Father, it was you?!”

    Lois Vaculin
    Burnt Mill Academy

  102. Simone leaned over the case and tripped over the handle. The case closed on top of her. As
    soon as Rafi opened the case, Simone was gone. Rafi immediately grabbed the old note and
    re-read it, pacing the floor, repeating after the letter over and over again. It finally made
    sense. Rafi took a deep breath and climbed into the case. He felt the weirdest and most unusual
    sensations as the longitude and latitude constantly changed before him. It reminded Rafi of
    Alice falling down the rabbit hole. That was Rafi’s favourite book. Feeling of excitement and
    curiosity rushed through him whilst feeling scared about entering the unknown. Puffs and
    clouds of dust and dirt blurred his vision of the surroundings, whilst continuing to go down,
    down, down.

    That’s when everything clicked, Rafi touched all three toys.
    ‘Touch three, to come and see
    me’ . Rafi was on his way to see someone. When the dust clouds had moved, he could see
    all three toys floating beside him. Rafi no longer felt too scared. Questions flew around his
    mind like a carousel.
    Where is Simone? Who is he going to meet? Why are the toys here?
    Why has the case sent him and Simone here?

    All of a sudden, Rafi reached the end of the fall. His body thumped against the floor. He got
    up slowly, picking up all three toys. He approached the light. Rafi’s heart began to race and
    pump against his chest…

  103. ‘Let us go back Simone, we do not have the right to touch it. It does not belong to us’
    ‘Oh I am sure who ever left it here would not mind us looking at it and possibly playing with it, it’s a toy Rafi, don’t you remember why we came here, we wanted to find something decent and comical to brighten our holidays’
    ‘Ok, if the owner cared about it so much, they wouldn’t have left it, why don’t we take it home and show mother’ exclaimed Rafi
    ‘Ok sure but I’m taking the doll, you can take the tin soldier and why don’t we give the clock-work bird to mother, I’m sure she would be delighted’ spoke Simone
    The two grabbed the aged objects and carefully shut the suitcase and headed out of the ancient house which was in the quiet neighbourhood near their home. As they reached home, they saw a lady moving in next to them. The lady was old, but rather pretty, doll like. She had an alluring face but was wrinkled with age and sadness. Her frail hands were barely able to move the suitcases she had brought with her. So, Simone ran out to help the woman, Simone took a piece of a yellow ribbon that had fallen out of the suitcase and handed it to the lady.
    ‘I’m sorry ma’am but you dropped your ribbon, it looks very pretty and rather gem like. Where did you get it from. I will request for one from mother so she can get me one like this as soon as possible. You might want to look after that and not make it dirty, it looks far too valuable to lose’ spoke a rather pleased Simone
    ‘Didn’t your mother tell you not to touch things you can’t afford young lady. This ‘ribbon’ is not an object that has a price on it or that can be brought from the shop. If you must know I did not get it for much but the way it has stuck to me and the meaning it has to me, makes it absolutely priceless. Now would you be able to help me with this suitcase’ ordered the old lady
    A near apologetic Simone gave the ribbon back to the lady and reached out to grab the suitcase. As she took it, she realised that it was the same suitcase her and her brother saw back at the old house. Brown, leathery and incredibly old. Her face lit up in astonishment but a sense of bewilderness tingled her. However, Simone closed her mouth and did not ask the old lady about her involvement with the suitcase, she shrugged it off and thought to herself that it was a similar suitcase. Suitcases like that were common, the old brown ones. No colour and no meaning why chose such a dull colour when you can have suitcases with meaning and excitement. Simone thought this to herself and believed that the lady’s age had an effect on the things she chose. Quietly after putting down the suitcase on the floor in the house, Simone noticed how vague and simple the lady’s house was. Although she has just moved in, there was no wallpapers being brought or colourful paint ready to splash the walls. It was bleak, cold, and boring. The only colour in the house was the small yellow ribbon that was in the lady’s pale hand. Simone calmly headed out, but a small sense of interest was in the lady. She was pretty but old, she looked stern and unfriendly but the thought of the Simone in the possession of the ribbon brought the young girl to enlightenment. Simone had already cherished the lemony object and it intrigued her. It was small but beautiful, filled with shining gems that stayed on. It looked new, as if the old lady had just bought it. Simone decided that she was going to come back the next day and fight for the ribbon. Even if it meant that she had pay the lady back in money. She wanted it and was going to get it.
    Later on, in the day, Rafi had gone out to the park to play out with his friends. He laid the toys down on his bed and headed straight out with his friends. As he headed out, he saw a man, elderly but had a face that was pleased with life. He was smiling to himself and singing a song that would attract birds and all the beautiful wonders of nature. Rafi was surprised at how a person so old had the energy to be so delighted with his own presence. Even Rafi, a young boy did not have that much bubbly energy inside of him. Rafi sat down next to the old man, as a break from all the games he was playing.
    ‘Sorry sir but is there something wrong, your singing is beautiful, but you look quite elderly and fragile, shouldn’t you be resting inside’
    ‘Don’t worry about me boy, I’m doing simply fine. Worry about yourself first and ask yourself why it is so strange to see a man like me enjoying the last years of his life.’ Exclaimed the old man.
    The old man exchanged meaningful words to Rafi, telling him about his life and why he was filled with so much elation. He was a soldier, served in the second world war and lived his life a proud man defending his country. He simply told Rafi to live life happily but carefully and not take things for granted. Rafi looked baffled at the advice, not fully understanding what the man meant by his words but all he knew is that he aspired to be that content at that age. Colourful and cheerful.
    The sky turned to an apricot glow and Rafi said goodbye to the man and headed home. He confided to his sister Simone about what had happened. Their mother questioned them about where they had obtained the seemingly playful objects. They told her that they found in the old house in the quiet neighbourhood. The house had been abandoned for years and there had been no sight of people moving in or out, the two siblings were bored and simply wanted to find something playful in the house. They also explained about the note they saw and how they believed it was just to scare people off and for them not to touch the toys. It was harmless and they looked forward to looking after the toys. Their infuriated mother ordered them to go and take the toys back and not to touch things that did not belong to them even if it seemed like it was free. They did not have the authority to take things that did not belong to them. The two disheartened children agreed and decided to return the toys. However, Simone had her mind on something else. The ribbon.
    Later in the evening, Simone told her brother about the ribbon and how it had an uncanny resemblance to the ribbon tied to the doll they had taken. The sun rose from its deep sleep and Simone headed to the old lady next door. The lady at first had a grudge at allowing young people in her house for ‘company’ but Simone persisted to help the old lady. She allowed her in eventually and Simone assisted her. Simone’s eyes were on the ribbon, the object was stored low in a cupboard, a place where the young girl could easily reach. The old lady did not take much notice of it but rather always talked about how an object like that was the only good thing in her life. It had brough colour to her life and she got it when she was a young girl. It meant a lot to the old lady and believed it was what kept her together or ‘tied’ her together. Simone did not even acknowledge the worth the ribbon had to the lady but was busy dreaming of how a beautiful ribbon like that would look on her. The only thing she noticed of the lady was how funny she was, she had a peculiar sense of humour that always had an amusing touch. She was from Central America and moved here at an old age, originally being a corn farmer. Simone had no interest in the lady’s life and wanted to get what her eyes was on. She taught that an object like that would not have any meaning on an old lady. After time passed, Simone cunningly took the ribbon when the old lady went upstairs, Simone was pleased with herself and told herself that she would instead show it to her mother and give back the ribbon when her mother knew what type it was. She did not want to steal it due to her feeling sympathy for the lady and deciding she would only borrow it for some time. The old lady certainly would not have allowed her to do so, so Simone had to implement action and realised that the lady would not even know the ribbon was not there. She took the ribbon and said farewell to the old lady and headed out of the house.
    Meanwhile Rafi had often seen the old man at the park, still cheerful and bright but getting older and ‘rustier’ every day. Rafi just thought it was a man who would always be there, giving advice he did not understand. It never once hit Rafi to talk to the man and asked him by what he meant by his advice. He simply adored him for his physical appearance and how he acted but not on what he said. Rafi and Simone later on took the toys back to the house to return them. The house was damp, murky, and dark and the children had no idea who left the toys or the house to be. Simone quickly rushed back home to ask her mum if she knew what type the ribbon, she had taken, was. It was then that her mum had told her the news that there was no lady next door. It seemed strange and odd, so Simone checked herself and witnessed that there was nobody in the house. It was as if she was going mad, empty silence filled the rooms of the house and there was no sign of the lady. She was gone. Rafi later on went to the park as usual and failed to see the man. He asked the locals if they had seen him and they replied that he had died some time ago. A heartbroken Rafi wept and went back home sobbing at what he did not do. Whilst a completely puzzled Simone was upset on what she just did. Rafi had realised he chose the soldier due to its colourfulness and to be like that but not on what the actual soldier possessed and what its meaning was, similar to how he treated the man. Simone loved the doll due to the ribbon that tied it up, if she took the ribbon the doll fell apart and did not exist also what she did to the lady. The two young siblings sat in disappointment and grief and then saw the clock bird, that was placed on the counter, staring at them.

    Sandra Mensah
    Burnt Mill Academy

  104. 10%
    It was while they were exploring the old house that Rafi and Simone found the suitcase, stuffed into the back of a cupboard.
    “This looks old,” said Rafi, trying to find a way to open the lock.
    “There’s something inside,” said Simone. “It rattles when you move it.”
    They laid the case down on the floor, and eventually Simone discovered that if you pressed the clasp softly, the suitcase clicked open, the lid rising into the air. A sudden cloud of dust made the children cough, but once they had waved it away with, they saw what was inside. There were three very old looking toys, lying on a bed of crumpled tissue paper. A clockwork bird, with a key sticking out of the back. A tin soldier, with a brightly painted uniform, beginning to rust. And a funny old doll, made of corn tied together with ribbon.
    “Hey!” said Rafi. “Someone’s left a note on top.”
    It was as old as the suitcase, if not older. In spidery ink, on yellowing parchment, it read:
    Touch one, just for fun. Touch two, that will change you. Touch three, to come and see me.
    “Who do you think wrote that?” said Simone.
    “What shall we do?” said Rafi.
    “Well, maybe we should play with one of the toys. It couldn’t hurt, the first is ‘just for fun’,” Simone replied, shrugging. Immediately, Rafi reached for the tin soldier. It was as big as his hand, in a vivid red uniform, and it held a brass trumpet; despite the rust on the rest of it, the trumpet was pristine and polished. While he inspected the soldier, Simone admired the attic. When they had first arrived, they had been in a hurry, hiding from the school matron. They knew they were surely in trouble after they snuck an extra cookie from the kitchens.
    Rafi and Simone attended Lavray Boarding School. This school was inside an abandoned old house, and some parts of it were unstable, such as the stairs to the library, or the West Corridor. The uniform was in black and white, with all students wearing ivory tops (long- or short-sleeved polo shirts) and ebony bottoms (a skirt or trousers). The rules were strict, and the teachers were stricter.
    The attic was large but clustered, with boxes strewn across the floor and a blanket of dust coating every surface. Spread evenly across the slanted roof were six windows, three on each side. Not much light reached the room, as it was filtered through several layers of grime and dirt. Most boxes had a label, which ranged from the possessions of past alumni, to awards and certificates, to Christmas decorations. As Simone wandered through the tight passages, she noticed that the dates on the awards were getting older and older, reaching centuries ago.
    In her peripherals, a flash of gold glinted, attracting her to graduation photo. ‘Class of 1990’. Contrary to the rest of the relics, this photo had not a speck of dust or dirt, as if it had been cleaned not ten minutes ago. A bit like the soldier’s trumpet, Simone pondered absentmindedly. Inside the gleaming frame, the picture depicted three students, not much older than her and Rafi, throwing their graduation caps in the air. One, a girl, had pale skin, freckles, auburn hair, and turquoise eyes; the next, a boy, had cocoa skin, chocolate hair, and scarlet eyes; the last girl had caramel skin, chestnut hair, and amber eyes. All three wore the standard graduation uniform: a white polo shirt, along with matching sneakers. The boy black trousers, the girls black knee-length skirts.
    I wonder who they are. They look so happy, her mind whispered jealously. She had always wished to have a small group of close friends, similar to the ones she read about in so many books. She had Rafi, but having friends was different to sticking to your twin brother all the time. Looking at the two of them, one would never guess that they were related, never mind twins. Where Simone had ginger hair, Rafi had sandy blonde; Rafi’s tan complexion differed greatly to Simone’s vampire-like pallid skin; even their builds were opposite, Rafi being tall and strong, and Simone being short and lean. The only similarities were their green eyes, although Rafi’s emerald never seemed to match Simone’s mint-green. With his charm, skill, and good looks, Rafi had been immediately welcomed into the school, whereas Simone was an outcast. And yet, they were a team, fitting seamlessly. If only Simone didn’t want for more…
    
    Rafi stared at the tin soldier in his hand, envying its fearless expression and courageous stance. He stroked the chips and scuffs carefully, with a steady hand. The toy had stirred up a part of him that he had almost forgotten, the childish wish to be brave and popular and out there. The moment he had set eyes on the tiny figure, he knew: this was who he wanted to be. He didn’t want to be a soldier, that was unnecessary. He wanted that part of him which held him back, which caused him to stop at the line of common sense, to disappear, vanish, overcome by his wild, untameable will.
    Rafi heard the footsteps of his twin echo through the room, muffled by years of dust. He sighed. Rafi knew Simone had trouble adapting to the harsh social life of boarding school, but he also knew that she would have trouble anywhere, as she was permanently hidden, tucked in the cold embrace of his shadow. No matter how hard she tried, she would never be adequate socially, as he was always better – the sporty one, the charming one, the handsome one. Of course, she was miles ahead academically, her grades shooting for the sky. But it wasn’t enough.
    Rafi lowered his gaze once more to the small toy wrapped in his hand, and once more he felt a tugging in his chest, like something yearning to be free, but not quite having enough power. Gently, Rafi slid the brass trumpet out of the little soldier’s hands, fingering it with admiration. How had it been made so precisely, with such detail, and yet at such a small scale?
    Looking around, Rafi noticed that he was in the area of the 1940s, a time which had interested him. He began rummaging around the nearest box, pulling out a drawing of three students. In the drawing it was winter, according to the date on the back, and the three figures were gathered around a fireplace, each in their own clothes but joined by the school colours: white and black. The first was a girl with vivid turquoise eyes and auburn hair; she wore a white cardigan, a black skirt, and short black heels. The second was a boy, the copper tips of his chocolate hair contrasting his scarlet eyes; over his black turtleneck, he wore a white blazer, black trousers, and matching shoes. The last student was a girl, seemingly the youngest, who bore amber eyes and caramel skin; she was wearing a white trench coat-dress, black brogues, and a black beret. Along with the date (29th November 1940), their names: Sapphire, Nugget, and Emily.
    Rafi settled the drawing back in the box, not seeing any historical value in the scene. And yet, the scene stuck with him, confusing him. Nugget wasn’t a name from that time period. Maybe his parents wanted to be unique?
    When they were younger, Simone and Rafi would play lots of ‘psychic twins’ games, in which they discovered that they could do something unordinary. If one person had seen a picture, but the other hadn’t, both of them would still be able to realise that the other one of them recognised it. That was how Rafi knew that Simone had seen those people before, although they were in a different picture. Where would my sister see a bunch of students from the 1940s except here? She’s not even anywhere near me! In fact, judging from the distance of the shuffling, I’d say she’s near the 2000s…
    Still, Rafi decided not to interrogate her just yet, opting to inspect the tin soldier one more time. That’s when he realised: Nugget had the same one in his pocket! Abruptly, he stood, tucking both the picture and the soldier in his pocket, before cautiously making his way through the precariously stacked towers of boxes.
    
    “How much longer will it take?” groaned Sapphire as she finished tying her auburn hair into a plait. She was sat on an ornate bench in a flowering meadow, sitting still so as not to crease her azure summer dress. She decided to create a flower crown out of the sweet-scented buds scattered all around. Her friend Nugget did not care quite as much about his yellow T-shirt and jeans, instead choosing to lay strewn across the ticklish grass. The final member of the trio was sat cross-legged on the grass, focusing on the orb of light hovering in front of her. The sphere cast a blue tint on her white T-shirt, which bore the inscription ‘I believe in unicorns’ in mint green swirly writing. Like Nugget, Emily wore jeans, with mint green converse.
    “Yeah, you’d think these kids would touch all three and just be done with it,” added Nugget, sitting up to tie the laces of his black sneakers. The three of them could get very impatient.
    “They might have… found our pictures. From the 1940s and the 1990s,” Emily replied with a worried frown. “Put on your shoes Sapphire, we need to attract them back to the suitcase.” As Sapphire slipped on her indigo strap-ons, the three of them muttered a hastily concocted plan, then disappeared in a flash of light.
    
    Simone was nearing the newest awards, curious to see if either her or Rafi had a certificate, when a blinding light made her stop in her tracks. Whipping her head around, she tried to find the source, settling on the suitcase of earlier. The light was reflecting off its sleek metal, right into her eyes. As she neared it, she realised that it wasn’t reflecting off the bird, but from the copper key in its back, sticking out like a thorn.
    The bird was beautiful. With its weathered silver feathers and shining amethyst eyes, it was a masterpiece, the pride of any artist, engineer, or sculptor. The claws were a glistening gold, the beak a shimmering bronze. Hesitating, she stretched her hand, touching the nightingale just before her brother saw her, warning her to stop…
    And then, there was pain. Only pain, and nothing but pain. It pulsed behind her eyes, and ached under her skin, it boiled in her forehead and stretched her back. Then, slowly, the pain receded, leaving room for her brother, her memories, the attic, the nightingale. Simone realised that there was a hand resting on each temple, emanating a warmth of such strength that the ache had no choice but to flee. When the tingling had faded to a tolerable level, she ripped her eyes open, desperate to catch a glimpse of her saviour.
    In front of her, through blurry eyes, she saw one of the girls from the photo, the one with the chestnut hair. The girl bent down, looking at her with a concerned face, not seeing that Simone was awake and conscious.
    “Come on Nugget, we need to go,” called another voice from where she thought her brother might be. Glancing over, she noticed the other two people from the photo. “You too, Emily.”
    “I’m coming, Sapphire,” Emily sighed in reply, climbing back up to her feet. After one last glance, they disappeared. Could it really be the people from the pictures? Nah, I’m hallucinating. Then she passed out.
    
    When Rafi awoke, he immediately sprinted to check on his twin, worried about her wellbeing. He too had felt the pain of touching the toy, albeit at a smaller scale. However, before he could reach her, he froze in his tracks. Something was wrong, he could feel it…
    It was then that he realised: How can I hear Simone’s pulse? How can I smell the curry from the bottom floor? How can I feel the warmth of the radiator a floor below, taste the muskiness of the attic, and see individual grains of wood? Rafi racked his brains, trying to think of a viable explanation. For some unknown reason, he thought back to the science lesson of two weeks ago.
    
    “Let’s recall what we learned last week: how many senses do humans have?”
    “It’s unknown, but more than five.”
    “What five do we know about?”
    “Hearing, smell, feeling, taste, and sight.”
    “And how much of the brain do we use?”
    “About 10%.”
    “So, what does that mean for our senses?”
    “We have the potential to have much more acute senses, and we might be able to use other senses.”
    “And, finally, what is the legend I taught you?”
    “Those who use more parts of their brain are said to have the ability to jump through time.”
    
    Rafi exhaled shakily, breathing deeply for a few seconds. If that was true, then something must have caused him to use a higher percentage of his brain. Behind him, he heard rustling, then a groan. Swivelling on his heel, Rafi sighed in relief as he saw his sister beginning to regain consciousness.
    “Simone, are you ok?” Rafi questioned, rushing to her side. She clung to his extended hand like a lifeline, cutting off his blood circulation with a white-knuckled grip.
    “Why is everything so… bright, and loud, and strong?” she whispered, squeezing her eyes tight, as if that could stop the bombardment on her senses. Rafi looked her up and down, before realising that something else was clutched in her other hand. The bird.
    “Touch two, that will change you,” the words were muttered breathlessly, as if they had sucked the air out of his lungs. He stared at the little bird, whose silver feathers fluttered in a non-existent breeze, whose amethyst eyes bore into his very soul, whose golden claws and bronze beak looked like deadly blades. Simone, more awake, shot him a questioning look, but Rafi shook his head disbelievingly. “Touch one, just for fun. Touch two, that will change you. You touched the second, and it changed us. I think we’re using a higher percentage of our brains.”
    “The potential for more acute senses,” she quoted, still registering the odd occurrence. They both looked down at the bird once more, like it held the answer to all their problems. All of a sudden, Rafi remembered why he had been so eager to reach her.
    “Have you ever seen these three people?” he asked, pulling the drawing out of his pocket. Despite the hasty manner in which he had shoved it out of sight, the paper was not folded, nor was it crumpled. Simone stared at the students, drinking in the details. The drawing was made on thick sketching paper, the colours faded and the pencil smudged. However, the artist had still managed to portray their expressions perfectly: those of pure bliss, ecstasy, and exuberance.
    “Yeah, I did; they’re from the Class of 1990. Why? Where did you find this?”
    “Are you sure you didn’t read the date wrong?” Rafi had donned a frown, a stark contrast to his ever-optimistic grin. Shock danced in his eyes.
    “Uh, no. They were definitely the Class of 1990. Why did you think so?” Simone was getting worried by the strange behaviour of her brother. Rafi watched as she rummaged in her own jacket pocket, extracting a small frame, about as big as his hand. In swirling, black writing, ‘Class of 1990’, embellished the top. The picture was beautiful, but that was not what caught Rafi’s eye; oh no, instead, the sliver of silver, the glint of gold, the burst of bronze, drew him to the middle figure. Emily, was it? On a chain around her neck, the miniscule bird sat, linked into a never-ending circle of interlocking ovals.
    “Because this drawing is from the 29th November 1940,” he emphasised, pulling his sister close.
    “But- but that’s impossible! Maybe the artist is having a laugh,” she stuttered, rambling into an excuse to force the strange phenomenon to make sense. To Rafi’s shock, Simone stopped abruptly, then whispered, “I saw them.”
    “Yes, I know, they’re right in this picture,” he gently assured her. Unfortunately, his kind words had no effect.
    “No, I actually saw them. They were right here before I passed out. I think their names are Nugget, Emily, and Sapphire.”
    “Are their names on the graduation photo?”
    “No, why?”
    “Have you seen the back of this drawing?”
    “No, why?”
    “Well, what a sugary delight,” Rafi replied, very close to cursing.
    “Not really, why?”
    “You’re starting to sound like Olaf,” he noted, rolling his eyes.
    “WHY? Don’t make me take out the slipper!” She warned, gesturing threateningly.
    “Because those actually are their names, and if you know them, that means they actually were here, and that means that they actually exist, and that means that either they’re time-travellers, or they’re immortal.” At least he looked suitably terrified of the slipper.
    “Anything else that you seem to be hiding?” Simone glared. If looks could kill, Rafi would be six- no, twelve – feet under.
    “Well…” he gulped. “The tin soldier belongs to Nugget, and the nightingale belongs to Emily. That probably means that the doll is Sapphire’s, so touching it will probably take us to the three of them.”
    “Well then, we have two things to do! First, we find the picture of them where Sapphire has the doll, then we touch it and go meet the people, solving the mystery like good protagonists!”
    
    “Huh.”
    “’Huh’, what?” asked Nugget, looking at Emily. The three of them were back in the meadow, in the same positions as before.
    “’Huh’, these kids are smart. They’ve lowered it down to us either being immortal or time-travellers; they know that the toys are ours – specifically that yours is the tin soldier, mine is the nightingale, and Sapphire’s is the doll; they’re looking for the final picture, of Sapphire with her doll; they know that if they touch the doll, it’ll bring them to us.”
    “They’re good,” agreed Sapphire. Then they turned toward the floating orb of blue light…
    
    “I think I’ve found it!” Simone called out, randomly guessing at the direction of her brother. Of course, when he popped out of the cardboard towers, he was behind her, coming from the opposite side that she had guessed. Mentally rolling her eyes, she glanced at the picture. “Oh, wait no, this is from our year. We would have recognised them if they went to school with us,” she corrected herself.
    “We’re never gonna find it! There are centuries worth of pictures, awards, and trophies here, and we don’t even know their surnames!” Rafi groaned, running one hand down his face in frustration. Suddenly, Simone marched towards the centre of the attic, where they had cleared out a little bit of space. Next, she turned around and hollered to nobody in particular,
    “If you’re out there, help us! We’re not coming unless we find that picture!”
    “That’s not gonna wo-” Rafi’s voice trailed off as both turned their eyes toward a soft light, the thumping of a box, and a floating frame, about as big as one of the footstools. First, they saw the date: 9th September, 1899. Next, they saw the clothes. Once more, each one wore different clothes, but in the standard black and white of Lavray Boarding School. Emily wore a simple black smock dress and white ankle boots (Rafi was sure he had seen this in hot pink as an example of a smocked frock in history); Nugget wore a sailor style suit; Sapphire wore a white Greenaway dress. For each their own, but unified by black and white. Unified by everything and nothing. Despite wearing the school colours, they weren’t old enough to attend any school, never mind one for the ages of 14-18.
    Clutched by a tiny hand, a red-headed ragdoll with dull brown button-eyes hung limp. Little Sapphire held it tightly, but confidently. The doll was barely recognisable as one, as it was made of cobs of corn, tied together with a platinum ribbon of wire. It wore a strange patchwork dress, made of a rainbow of materials, colours, and shapes. Its fiery hair was made of strips of cloth. The face had two button-eyes, but no other distinguished features, such as a nose or mouth.
    The three were staring, starry-eyed, at a magician who was peering through a crystal ball. The children’s eyes were as wide as plates, in awe of the man in the posh suit who was determining their future. Behind them, the exit provided the only light in the dark tent. The crystal ball was embedded in a mystical, crystalline base, which was in turn perched on a frail-looking table. The trio were sat on rickety stools, similar to that of the magician.
    Rafi turned to Simone, smirked, and raced to the suitcase. Next, he swooped to grab the doll by the tip of the arm and… nothing happened. “What? But- but that was supposed to work!”
    “Maybe the doll isn’t the third? Or there’s something else that we’ve been accidentally touching on each toy?” Both looked at the tin soldier and the clockwork bird respectively. Unfortunately, the only things that stood out were the brass trumpet and the copper key, similar to… the platinum wire! “The wire, touch the wire!” Simone gasped, gesturing frantically. This time, when he reached out to touch the wire, they felt a whirling sensation, then their feet were lifted off the ground, and when they were set back down, it was in another place entirely.
    
    Opening their eyes, they saw a magical forest, with looming trees (in grey, bearing purple leaves); floating lights (a myriad of colours, like purple, blue, and yellow); stones covered in moss (red stones, orange glowing moss); and wisps and tendrils of mist. Not very far, an ornate wooden bench was positioned in a meadow, full of blooming flowers and buds. Barely visible through the fog were three silhouettes, which seemed to be chasing each other.
    Simone and Rafi stepped into the clearing, and all of a sudden, Emily, Nugget, and Sapphire were in front of them. “We want answers.”
    “We thought as much,” replied Sapphire, rolling her eyes. “Well, ask away!”
    
    “So, what are you?” asked Rafi, quick on the bat.
    “Whippersnappers,” Nugget deadpanned. Emily and Sapphire giggled.
    “We’re not really whippersnappers- well we are, but- what I’m trying to say is: our species is human, we just use more of our brains than others,” added Sapphire, rolling her eyes.
    “Did you do that to us?”
    “Kind of. We just gave your brains the choice to engage more of itself. You can turn it off if you want,” replied Nugget, as though he knew they were struggling with their heightened senses. Simone and Rafi glanced at each other, but they chose not to give them up just yet.
    “Why did you pick us?” Simone interrogated suspiciously.
    “You kind of… picked yourselves. Your curiosity and problem-solving way of thinking led you to discover us before meeting us, and brought you to engaging more of your brain,” admitted Emily.
    “What else can you- we- do?”
    “Well, we can jump through time. We are not able to change the future drastically, and people have no recollection of ever meeting us, but, apart from ‘fixed points’ that we can’t change, we can be remembered by animals and we can do small acts of kindness to help someone. Just for fun, we can be captured by pictures and drawings. The other thing we can do is riddle our charms.”
    “How does that work?”
    “First, you choose a charm, then you set a riddle to it. Nugget didn’t have to charm his to do anything; I charmed mine to engage a greater percentage of your brains; Sapphire charmed hers to teleport you here.”
    The twins looked at each other before asking, “What’s next?”
    “That’s up to you, but we wanted to ask: will you join us, jumping from time to time, helping people and documenting our experiences for future research?”
    
    The twins looked at each other, weighing up the pros and cons without speaking. They were already orphans, and had no living family. Rafi had a few friends, though none of them particularly close. There was the possibility to help make people’s lives better. However, that would include trusting their lives to these three semi-strangers. A small show of trust to improve all those lives.
    “We’re coming.”
    And as the night arrived and the floating lights shone, the twins felt that they were home.
    Jodie, 8R5, Handsworth Grange Community Sports College

  105. It was while they were exploring the old house that Rafi and Simone found the suitcase, stuffed into the back of a cupboard.

    “This looks old,” said Rafi, trying to find a way to open the lock.

    “There’s something inside,” said Simone. “It rattles when you move it.”

    They laid the case down on the floor, and eventually Simon discovered that if you pressed the clasp softly, the suitcase clicked open, the lid rising into the air. A sudden cloud of dust made the children cough, but once they had waved it away with, they saw what was inside. There were three very old looking toys, lying on a bed of crumpled tissue paper. A clockwork bird, with a key sticking out of the back. A tin soldier, with a brightly painted uniform, beginning to rust. And a funny old doll, made of corn tied together with ribbon.

    “Hey!” said Rafi. “Someone’s left a note on top.”

    It was as old as the suitcase, if not older. In spidery ink, on yellowing parchment, it read:

    Touch one, just for fun.
    Touch two, that will change you.
    Touch three, to come and see me.

    “Who do you think wrote that?” said Simone.
    “What shall we do?” said Rafi.

    “Let’s do what it tells us to do!” exclaimed Simone.
    “No, that’s a terrible idea” said Rafi.

    Simone persisted and touched the clockwork bird. He tried to pull the key out of the back but it was stuck there. Cautiously, they silently sat and watched for a while but nothing had happened.

    “Look, see nothing happened. Let’s do it again!” said Simone excitedly.

    Rafi stood back and far away this time whilst Simone eagerly touched the tin soldier. Yet again, nothing had happened.

    “We might as well just do it again. What’s actually going to happen?” yelled Simone.

    Rafi tried to exit the room but before he could do so, Simone pressed the third toy, the funny old doll, made of corn. The door slammed in his face. Slowly, the doll which was tied together with ribbon started to get bigger and bigger until it was double the size of them. Shivering in fear, the boys crouched and tried to hide from the monster they had created. Their lips quivered and trembled while their hands remained shaking.

    “AHHHH” Rafi screamed.

    Rafi’s mother rushed into the room as he sighed in relief.

    “Phew, it was just a dream” sighed Rafi.

    Many hours had passed that day and Simone and Rafi had decided to go on a walk to calm Rafi down. They walked by a house that seemed extremely familiar to Rafi. Quickly, Simone rushed into the house and looked around before Rafi could say anything. It was pitch black with a dim light that flickered occasionally. Simone found a cupboard and searched through it. He found a suitcase stuffed into the back of the cupboard and blew off all of the dust. As he opened it, he found three toys on a sheet of crinkly paper. He read the note and did what it said. Rafi had waited outside for a long time and finally decided to come in. The door creaked open and no one was inside. Simone was no where to be seen and had completely disappeared.

    “Hello?” asked Rafi.
    “HELPP, I don’t know where I am!” exclaimed Simone.

    Rafi heard a faint giggle in the distance and watched as a shadow walked towards him.

    Millie Tsang
    Burnt Mill Academy

  106. It was while they were exploring the old house that Rafi and Simone found the suitcase, stuffed into the back of a cupboard.
    “This looks old,” said Rafi, trying to find a way to open the lock.
    “There’s something inside,” said Simone. “It rattles when you move it.”
    They laid the case down on the floor, and eventually Simon discovered that if you pressed the clasp softly, the suitcase clicked open, the lid rising into the air. A sudden cloud of dust made the children cough, but once they had waved it away with, they saw what was inside. There were three very old looking toys, lying on a bed of crumpled tissue paper. A clockwork bird, with a key sticking out of the back. A tin soldier, with a brightly painted uniform, beginning to rust. And a funny old doll, made of corn tied together with ribbon.
    “Hey!” said Rafi. “Someone’s left a note on top.”
    It was as old as the suitcase, if not older. In spidery ink, on yellowing parchment, it read:
    Touch one, just for fun.
    Touch two, that will change you.
    Touch three, to come and see me.
    “Who do you think wrote that?” said Simone.
    “What shall we do?” said Rafi.
    “Well, it could just be a prank.” Simone stated.
    “Then it will be fine if we touch them?” asked Rafi.
    “Touch one, just for fun” said Simone, re-reading the mysterious note,”I don’t see the harm in that, but the toys and suitcase look like they’re withering away. I don’t know why you’d want to touch them anyways”. Rafi examined the suitcase containing the three toys. The battered leather sides were peeling, the metal clasps were rusting. The toys inside however, looked even weirder.
    “I wonder what it means when it says ‘that will change you’” Rafi wondered. “We should test it!”
    “Don’t be daft Rafi, nothing will happen.” Simone touched the doll. It had a chipped face and long matted hair. “See? Nothing happened.”
    Rafi thought for a while. “It says to touch two of the toys” he finally responded. Simone rolled his eyes, before touching the tin soldier. The colour of the soldier’s uniform was covered by rust, and its eyes seemed to stare right back at the two boys. Rafi waited, but nothing seemed to have happened.
    “Let’s just go Simone” Rafi said with a hint of disappointment in his voice. It was in that moment that Rafi realised Simone was no longer next to him. The boy was alone with the three toys. “Simone?” He stood up in panic. “This isn’t funny Simone!” he cried. He reached down and picked up the note. His eyes skimmed over the note multiple times. “Simone, this isn’t funny. I know you’re just trying to fool me!”
    “Rafi” came a voice. He blinked, before everything went black. “Rafi!” said the same voice. The dazzled boy opened his eyes to find out he was back in his own bed. “It’s about time you got up Rafi! Breakfast is ready!” Rafi blinked at his mother. Wasn’t he just at an abandoned house with his brother? How was he now back home? Was it all a dream? It couldn’t have been a dream, it felt too real. He brushed all his questions aside, of course it was a dream, he was being ridiculous. But he couldn’t help feeling like something was wrong. He walked into his brother’s room.
    “Simone, I had the strangest dream!” he looked up to see his brother wasn’t there. “Simone?” Rafi called. He ran downstairs and looked around, ignoring his mothers calls for breakfast. He ran back into Simone’s room and ran over to his bed. He pulled down the covers to reveal the tin soldier from his ‘dream’.

    Elizabeth Wooten
    Burnt Mill Academy

  107. “Who do you think wrote that?” said Simone.
    “What shall we do?” said Rafi.
    They sat, dumbfounded, both staring at the suitcase. They slowly forgot about the writing and instead focused on the suitcase and its contents instead. It was very well put together, the rich leather, the delicate moving straps, and harsh steel clasps all came together to make an indifferent piece of luggage. Only for its contents to mean anything to the owner.
    Simone was the first to break the silence, “We should come back to it tomorrow”, he said.
    The next day, the boys were stood in front of the house, they had just finished their breakfast and walked out to the dilapidated house that nested the suitcase. Simone casually opened the front door which was already severed in half. They travelled up the stairs and towards where they had left the ominous suitcase yesterday. Rafi gently pushed open the door in anticipation, only to find out that the suitcase was nowhere to be found.
    “We should check the other rooms.”, said Simone
    Rafi agreed and they began to move through the house, searching for any sign of the suitcase. They found nothing, no suitcase, no toys and no yellowing parchment. However they soon forgot about it completely, and instead moved on to their other adventures.
    16 years later, Simone had returned back to his childhood home to visit his parents. After a long day of reminiscing and reuniting, Simone walked into his bedroom, which somehow seemed to be just as he had remembered it. He then remembered something and instantly got down onto his knees to check under his bed, it was still there. He reached in and pulled out a decrepit suitcase. He pressed the clasp softly, and the suitcase clicked open. Inside were three very old looking toys, lying on a bed of crumpled tissue paper. A clockwork bird, with a key sticking out of the back. A tin soldier, with a brightly painted uniform, beginning to rust. And a funny old doll, made of corn tied together with ribbon.
    There was a note written in spidery ink, on yellowing parchment, it read:
    Do not touch any of the toys.
    -Rafi

    Alex Rozumov
    Burnt Mill Academy

  108. “Let’s touch them like the note read and find out! ” said Simone.
    “I don’t really think we should…’ said Rafi.
    “Oh come on, what’s the worst that can happen? ” exclaimed Simone.

    The pair touched the rusted and chipped clockwork bird once and then touched the cobweb-covered doll. Suddenly, the world around them began to turn animated and cartoonish.

    ‘Oh, I do not like this!’ shouted Rafi as the sounds turned to a mix of the theme tunes of Grange Hill and Art Attack.

    ‘Quick, we need to touch the last item!’ Simone gushed.

    And so the two touched the last item, a toy soldier, again beginning to rust.

    Suddenly, Rafi and Simone were pulled into a colourful portal, the size of an electric kettle. The portal whirled them back in time to 1993, but instead of Bill Clinton and oversized clothes, it was a British cartoon land.

    As the two began to recollect themselves, the quiet suburban streets turned to film studios. One each for Byker Grove, Chucklevision, Grange Hill, Sooty, Art Attack and many more, filling an area larger than London.

    And then something intrigued Rafi and Simone. A small shop lying there alone in a former shopping parade. The two travelled to the shop by means of trolleybus and walked inside.

    And then it hit them. These were their toys, back home in a Kent village. Abruptly, the toys awoke and began chasing after the pair.

    Rafi exclaimed ‘Our toys are alive!’. But Simone didn’t respond.

    Kyle Grimwood
    Burnt Mill Academy

  109. “Who do you think wrote that?” said Simone.
    “What shall we do?” said Rafi. Simone didn’t reply, he was gazing at the old doll and began to reach for it. Delicately, his hand gripped the back and chest and raised the doll for futher inspection. “What did the note say again?” said Simone.
    “Touch one.. just for fun, Touch two, that will change you, touch three, to come and see me…” replied Rafi, “I don’t understand what it means…”.
    “Well how are we going to find out if we don’t try touching it?” said Simone putting down the doll. “Yeah, but what if it’s not good, what if these toys were put away for a reason? We should leave it alone.” said Rafi. Simone seemed to ignore her and reached for the second toy, the tin soldier which he lifted with ease, it was light, empty, and very, very brittle. He stared at the face of the toy, smiling, his mind drifted away, imagining the toys he used to play with when he was young, how it his life transformed from playing with such innocence to his horrible violent games he plays on a electrical machine. A tear creeps from his eyes to slide down his face, Rafi realises and asks “Oh! Are you okay?” but no response, he continues to dream away of his past, his childhood friends and toys, he’s transforming. “Simone? Sim-…” realises Rafi, “Touch two, that will change you…”. The doll, just for fun, it made no difference to him, he just gazed but the tin soldier, it changed him, at least, for this moment. But, the clockwork bird, to come and see me, Rafi picked up the clockwork bird and turned it around in her hand, twisted the key, still holding the key she looks around. Peaking from beneath the case, was a small bird foot painted on the floor. She pushes the case over to reveal the painted feet on the ground. She settles the clockwork bird on the footprints and releases the key. It begins to slowly walk, step by step, towards a corner and it magically turns the corner as if it was programmed to… she follows the metal bird, and looks at where it’s stopped. It pointed towards a small hole in the wall, not too small, big enough for someone like Rafi and Simone to fit in, no adult however, and she peaked her head down to find a ladder, “How did I not notice this when I walked in?” whispered Rafi. “Simone! You done yet?” She waits for a reply, to eventually hear.
    “Wait where did you go?! Wait for me!” shouts Simone after he studies the footprints on the floor for a brief second. He jumps up and jogs towards Rafi’s position. “Whoa… what’s in there?” asked Simone.
    “A ladder so far, I can’t see any further” replied Rafi.
    “Wanna go in?” smirks Simone.
    “As long as you go first” smiles Rafi.

    Atikan To
    Burnt Mill Academy

  113. Hi Michael I didn’t realise the deadline was the 13th May. On my school website it said the 15th. Please consider my entry.

    Many thanks
    Cassidy 13
    Purbrook Park Senior School

    Simone spoke almost in a whisper, “Do you think it might be haunted?”
    “Of course not,” Rafi giggled, “Do you really believe in ghosts?”
    Simone was quick to answer, “No!”
    Leaning down Rafi reached his arm out to touch the clockwork bird. Simone tried to whack his hand out of the way- she did not want him to touch anything but instead Rafi’s hand brushed against two toys. The clockwork bird and the tin soldier to be precise. Rafi groaned and doubled over. Something seemed to be emerging from the back of his top. As it grew more prominent the material on Rafi’s top strained and began to tear. Out of the huge hole formed on his clothes was a wind up key. Rafi stood up and Simone cried out.
    “Rafi you’re turnig into the bird! Soon you’ll be nothing but clockwork!”
    She was so alarmed because Rafi had developed beady black eyes, rusted skin and a small beak where his nose should have been. He had also shrunk down to the size of a shoe. Rafi opened his beak to speak but out came a pitchy squeak. He tried again but alas he could only peep. Simone walked briskly several times round the room. She knew that both the children were only there for an adventure. Simone could only think about how worried their parents would be if Rafi didn’t return from his new form. Looking around, Simone caught sight of the suitcase. She didn’t want to touch the toys but had another look at the note on top. She muttered the words under her breath and felt realisation appear in her head.
    “Rafi, Rafi,” she called excitedly.
    He couldn’t answer but he looked up sharply.
    “Touch two, that will change you! You touched two toys and turned into one!”
    Simone had never looked prouder but frowned suddenly.
    “Maybe if you touch two more toys than you will change back,”
    Rafi nodded his minature head and realised that he no longer had hands. Simone picked him up and carefuly cupped him in her hands. Walking over to the suitcase she then placed him down and Rafi stretched out his wings to touch two more toys. This time he touched the doll but as soon as he did so he disappeared. Simone cried out, “Rafi! Rafi where are you?!”
    Rafi was nowhere to be seen. Simone looked again at the suitcase. She knew it must mean something. Even though she was the only person there she read the message on the note aloud.
    She said,” Touch one, just for fun.
    Touch two, that will change you.
    Touch three, to come and see me. Touch three, to come and see me. Touch three to come and see me!”
    She called out the last line with enthusiasm because she had finally figured out the riddle. Rafi had not managed to touch two toys before vanishing and touch three meant to come and see me.
    “But who is ‘me’,” Simone asked herself. The only way to find out was to go herself, so holding her breath she stroked her hand along the three toys and closed her eyes.
    When her eyes opened she squinted. The sun was bright and beaming down on her face.
    “Rafi! Rafi!” she called out. It looked as if she were outside of the same house they had been in at the start except it couldn’t be. The house Simone and Rafi had explored was tired and old whereas this house was new with fresh wood. Simone dared to step inside.
    Rich red rugs lay on the smooth wooden floor. To her right Simone could see a large table with happy faces gathered around it. Sitting on the table was a mouth-watering cake and a small child attempting to blow out the candles. Simone could not see Rafi so she kept looking. Not in the warm living room, not in the ice-cold porch and not in the sunny garden. A small narrow staircase led to another level in the house and as Simone walked up the stairs she could hear a whimpering sound. It was almost like a puppy crying. Simone walked further and saw that Rafi was his normal self but sat on the floor with his head on his knees.
    “Rafi!” she called, “What’s wrong?”
    “Simone” he exclaimed and leaped up excitedly, “I thought I would be stuck here. And the people downstairs cannot see us. We are like ghosts to them.”
    Just then the small child walked into the room. He was carrying all of the toys they had seen. The clockwork bird was painted equisite colours, the tin soldier had no signs of rusts and the doll looked happy and colourful. The children had no time to stand up but the little child walked straight through them. It felt strange. Like you knew you were there at first but then started to question your whole existance. Rafi started to look dazed. Shaking him vigorously, Simone watched Rafi struggle but gain a sense of knowing. The little child had a suitcase and began to pack it with the toys and some clothes. Loud footsteps came closer and the child jumped up to greet the father.
    “What are you doing Charles?” he asked looking down at the small boy.
    “Father I shall come with you,” Charles exclaimed in a chirpy voice.
    “No Charles you are just five today you cannot come with me!” the father boomed.
    The boy still seemed as happy as ever.
    “Don’t worry father I will come to look after you. I am very strong really.”
    “Charles come on you know you cannot fight with me,” the father said suddenly comforting, “Even if I wanted you to come you wouldn’t be allowed. Now I must leave or I will miss the train. Charles! Charles! It will be a short while then I will come home. Right as rain.”
    Charles stood up and hugged his father as tight as possible wishing that he wouldn’t go. As soon as he had left the room Charles sunk to his knees. Large tears rolled down his pink cheeks and Charles began to cry hysterically.
    Simone could not bear it anymore. Grabbing hold of Rafi’s hand she brushed her own against all three of the toys closed her eyes and disappeared. When her eyes reopened her and Rafi were sitting on the dirty floorboards of the old house. As they stood up the boards creaked but they were relieved to be back.
    They did not want to go home so they carried on poking around in the old house. Neither of them spoke of Charles or the toys they just looked. Cardboard boxes were strewn round the room and Simone and Rafi looked carefully in each of them. Stumbling among a crumpled piece of paper on it was printed:
    The secretary of war desires me to express that your husband Mr John Blakes has been missing in action since 3 April 1915 in Germany. You will be informed immediately if anymore information has been uncovered.
    Both children hung their heads and trailed home sadly. They wanted an adventure not the bitter truth.

  114. “Let’s touch it…like what it said… on the note” said Simone
    “I don’t think we should do it” replied Rafi
    “…Yeah it’s probably cursed…plus why would it be in this type of house?” wondered Simone
    Rafi didn’t reply for a while and there was dead silence, all he was doing it just repeating what it said on the note in his mind.
    “What does this mean?” wondered Rafi
    “I dunno?”replied Simone
    “On the note it’s says…touch one, just for fun, touch two, that will change you, touch three, to come and see me…” said Rafi
    There was another dead silence until for a while but Simone said something after…
    “Touch one, just for fun means it’s for fun right?” said Simone
    “Then touch two, that will change you means it will change you…does that mean it will change your appearance?” asked Rafi
    “Maybe… but for the last one it’s says touch three, to come and see me…”Simone said
    “Hmmm to come and see me… if we both touch the last one then we might go and see the person who made these.”
    Then they both agree on something…they both agree on touching the third doll
    “Okay ready”Mumbled Rafi
    “Ready”replied Simone
    “3,2,1…go!”shouted Rafi
    They both touch it…they suddenly hear a crack on a floor and they fall in it
    “AHH”they both screamed
    Then they land on a soft cushion which was placed in the middles of nowhere…then they both get up and see a weird looking man standing in front of them…
    “Well well well I guess you guys are the people who said it” said the unknown man
    “Err yeah..” replied Rafi
    Then they all start to make a conversation and try to explain some stuff to what happened.The unknown man said that those toys had belonged to him and his sister but they never played with it…then there was cracking noises coming from the ceiling…then three people fell down and landed on the cushion but all of them had the dolls and gave it to the unknown man.
    “It seems like they know what they are doing.”said Rafi
    “Well we saw a letter on the floor and it says to give the dolls back to him…and we did!”
    one of the three people said.
    “Wow well done guys and thank you” said the unknown person.
    “No problem” a person replied.

    -Scarlett from St. Helen’s Catholic Primary School

  115. It was while they were exploring the old house that Rafi and Simone found the suitcase, stuffed into the back of a cupboard.

    “This looks old,” said Rafi, trying to find a way to open the lock.

    “There’s something inside,” said Simone. “It rattles when you move it.”

    They laid the case down on the floor, and eventually Simon discovered that if you pressed the clasp softly, the suitcase clicked open, the lid rising into the air. A sudden cloud of dust made the children cough, but once they had waved it away, they saw what was inside. There were three very old looking toys, lying on a bed of crumpled tissue paper. A clockwork bird, with a key sticking out of the back. A tin soldier, with a brightly painted uniform, beginning to rust. And a funny old doll, made of corn tied together with ribbon.

    “Hey!” said Rafi. “Someone’s left a note on top.”

    It was as old as the suitcase, if not older. In spidery ink, on yellowing parchment, it read:

    Touch one, just for fun.
    Touch two, that will change you.
    Touch three, to come and see me.

    “Who do you think wrote that?” said Simone.
    “What shall we do?” said Rafi.

    The two best friends sat down in the old abandoned house which had been empty for years since the previous owner mysteriously disappeared. The house was as old as the toys themselves and was falling apart , it looked as though a bomb had hit it . Rafi and Simone discussed what they should do next . Rafi said “I’d rather be on my xbox than play with toys”
    Rafi touches the clockwork bird but nothing happens. He then touched the second one, the Toy Soldier he had picked up began to slowly rise up into the air and spun around several times . Suddenly both of the children began to shrink very slowly towards the old wooden floor. Simon cried aloud when he noticed both of them were shrinking . Rafi also gave a high pitched shriek. After about 2 minutes they had finally reached the ground. They both wandered around until they reached the suitcase. They both climbed up into the old brown dusty suitcase . When they got in , the floor beneath them disappeared and they fell silently into the blackness . As they got further down they both fainted. When they awoke, they were surrounded by old buildings and old-fashioned shops . They looked at each other and Rafi asked, “where are we ?” .
    Simon looked around, “I don’t know” he replied.
    People were dressed in old clothes that looked as though they were 100 years old. Some of them were smartly dressed in suits, dresses and wearing hats. Children were playing in the street with wooden toys. Simone and Rafi started to walk in the direction of an old shop named ‘Toys of the Year’ they looked in from the big window and saw the three battered toys: the doll, the soldier and the clockwork bird. The two boys creeped into the shop to explore . Inside it was dimly lit, quiet with no sign of anybody else. They quietly tiptoed around. Rafi , the bravest of the two , reached out and touched the doll , which was shabby looking and falling apart .The doll slowly rose up into the air and spun, getting faster with each turn .Then a mysterious figure appeared where the doll had been, it wasn’t quite human, more ghost-like . It was a man, he had a black beard, flecked with wisps of grey. He was wearing a black suit and smart black shoes. His body was transparent like glass .
    Rafi eventually managed to say, “who are you?”
    “My name is Alfred Parker” , the mysterious man replied in a soft eloquent English accent
    “I lived on 5th Street”
    “You must be the man that disappeared many years ago?” said Simone
    “What year is it” replied Alfred
    “2020” said Rafi
    “It can’t be, I left my house in 1914 at the start of a horrific war,” said Alfred.
    “That must be the start of world war 1”, said Rafi
    “ Where are we?” asked Simone .
    “You have travelled back in time to the year 1864 when the time when queen victoria is ruling”,
    “How did you get here?”, asked Rafi .
    “ I found two toys that had been left in a suitcase in my attic. It had a note on them which said touch one just for fun, touch two it will change you,I touched the toy doll and the toy soldier and I shrunk“ said Alfred.
    “ That’s odd we got three toys with three notes. The last one was touch three to come and see me . That must have been you !
    “How can we get home” , said Simone .
    “I don’t know”, said Alfred
    Simone started to cry so Alfred and Rafi put their arms around him to comfort him ; suddenly the toys in their hand made a magical connection with the three of them and they disappeared into thin air

    When they looked up they were back in the old and eerie house except it didn’t look so eerie any more .

    the suitcase was in front of them
    “ We have to destroy it” said Alfred
    Yes, we can’t leave it here agreed both of the friends .
    The three of them light a fire and burn the suitcase along with the three toys .

    FIVE YEARS LATER

    DAILY NEWS

    Two teenage computer game addicts reported missing were last seen at an old abandoned house…

    READ MORE PAGE 5 .

    The end

    Keiran prior Purbrook park school

  116. Simone sat there aimlessly, as Rafi took a careful look at the clue and the toys. “This place is so rusty and dirty, maybe that other clue in your house was a lie to trick us?” Simone asked. Rafi wasn’t paying attention at all, it was like there was something special about the toys.

    “This has to mean something, get over here and help me!” Rafi commanded.

    “Fine, but I hope you realize we could be doing something way more fun.” Simone declared. They both held it up and looked at it for any other clues. “Maybe we hold them and chant those words out,” Rafi stated.

    “It could work.” Simone doubted. As they held it and chanted the words, Simone started to breathe heavily. He dropped the toys and had teardrops running down his face. “Simone, speak!”

    Simone stopped and sat back up, he was traumatized. “I feel something, it’s strange, and it’s in the house.” The key popped out the clockwork bird, Simone told Rafi to follow him, Rafi took the key with him. Simone took Rafi to a room with a keyhole, Rafi put the key in and it opened. They gazed into the room and couldn’t believe what they saw…

  117. Simone shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what to say.
    They both took one last look at the quaint portmanteau they had in front of them,
    the longer they looked at it, the more tempted they were to find out if the mystifying myth would turn out to be accurate.
    “We came here just to prove to everyone that what we are saying is true… the last time we came here we didn’t find anything, we should touch the toys as an experiment, it is obvious that these foolish playthings are not haunted, there is no such thing as possessed toys… right?” asked Simone.
    “ Yea…exactly!” responded Rafi, with an unsure look, as they began to grasp the first fun-sized object: the doll, it had eyes made with a mucky string that formed an ‘x’ on both of the doll’s eyes, its hair, which you could barely make out what it was made out of.
    It was wearing a torn off handmade red and black dress, then, they noticed a stitched heart in the middle of the model, just about to fall off, it followed with that creepy stamped smile on her face.

    They stood in silence.

    Nothing.

    They started laughing uncontrollably… as if they were controlled by someone.
    “Touch one, just for fun.” They repeated, continuing to laugh.
    After what seemed forever, they stopped laughing.
    “Uh… onto the next one,” said Rafi, insecure of what would happen.
    They continued to explore it and they snatched the mouldy soldier, which looked like it had fought in a real battle, with a medal pending on his uniform that looked like it had never been touched before.
    Nothing happened, at least they thought.
    “ Hahaha!” they both cried, “ I knew the letter would’ve been a sham!” shouted Simone.
    “ I can’t believe I was scared at first! haha, let’s get deeper into the house, Simone!”
    exclaimed Rafi.

    The house had a quarter of a wallpaper because of how old and abandoned that place was, it barely had any furniture. The entrance looked like it had been bitten off by a gigantic animal, everything seemed to have been burned down in the past. The only weird thing about the house: a portrait, it had a black and white picture of a family of four.
    Rafi and Simone stared in wonder, was it an optical illusion?
    It was almost believable that the picture was speaking to them, “Touch three, to come and see me.” it mouthed.
    “Can you hear that?” Simone trembled.
    “I thought it was a hallucination… but now that we know it’s not fiction! I feel that we are in danger.”
    The last object was the clock bird, as soon as they took the item they were sucked into a black hole that had the colours of a faded fire.

    The police had started an investigation to find them, their parents were petrified.
    Rafi and Simone were in an unknown store, they couldn’t move, they saw a lot of toys laying on the floor, the only thing they could move was their eyes, they looked at their lost selves, only yet to be surprised that they turned into a miniature statue. All that was left for them was silence.

    Ainhoa, from St. Joachim’s Catholic Primary School.

  118. It was while they were exploring the old house that Rafi and Simone found the suitcase, stuffed into the back of a cupboard.
    “This looks old,” said Rafi, trying to find a way to open the lock.
    “There’s something inside,” said Simone. “It rattles when you move it.”
    They laid the case down on the floor, and eventually Simon discovered that if you pressed the clasp softly, the suitcase clicked open, the lid rising into the air. A sudden cloud of dust made the children cough, but once they had waved it away with, they saw what was inside. There were three very old looking toys, lying on a bed of crumpled tissue paper. A clockwork bird, with a key sticking out of the back. A tin soldier, with a brightly painted uniform, beginning to rust. And a funny old doll, made of corn tied together with ribbon.
    “Hey!” said Rafi. “Someone’s left a note on top.”
    It was as old as the suitcase, if not older. In spidery ink, on yellowing parchment, it read:
    Touch one, just for fun. Touch two, that will change you. Touch three, to come and see me.
    “Who do you think wrote that?” said Simone. “What shall we do?” said Rafi. “Should we play with them?” said Simone. “No Simone this is as old as the case. The case is I’m guessing is over 100 and it says come and see me which means you could die.” Said Rafi.

  119. “I think we should examine them more closely.” said Simone picking up the old clockwork bird. “I wonder if it still works,” Just as he said it, the bird opened its beak and a magical melody flew into the boys’ ears.

    “Oh WOW! I’ve never heard anything like that before,” Rafi exclaimed, “Can I see it?”
    Simone handed over the bird to Rafi and it immediately stopped sinning.

    Rafi laughed, “I guess it doesn’t like me.”

    “No silly, you have to twist the key. Look. I’ll do it.” Simone grabbed the silver bird from Rafi and twisted the key. Suddenly, a loud “SKREEEK” escaped from the bird’s beak making the boys jump and drop the antique toy.

    “OUCH! It burnt my hand, look!” Simone cradled his hand, blowing on the red sore patch where the bird previously lay.

    “Hey, I’m talking to you,” Simone looked over to Rafi annoyed that he didn’t seem to care about his new injury. To the boy’s surprise Rafi was gawking at the evil bird laying on the floor, only instead of seeing the toy’s silvery-brown skin this time it was glowing a bright orange colour as if it was molten lava. Amazed by its sudden transformation Simone walked towards it, carefully making his way around the broken floorboards of his grandmother’s house.

    “It’s such a shame that she had to move away to a care home,” he thought to himself, “She always kept this place nice and tidy.”

    Now his mum sent him and his best friend Rafi to take what they wanted from the Victorian house because it was about to be sold off at an auction. Tears came to his eyes from just thinking about someone else painting over his gran’s floral wallpaper or throwing out all her wooden furniture or her collection of porcelain figurines which he remembers playing with when he was five. Not to mention that he hadn’t even had the chance to see what was behind the locked white door which his grandmother promised to show him a day before she had her seizure.

    All these memories filled his mind as he gently pocked the golden creature with the tip of his shoe. Straight away the bird lost its orange glow and turned back to its original silvery-brown colour.

    Turning his head to face Simone, Rafi’s face slowly changed into a shocked expression as he exclaimed “Wha, what just happened? Am I seeing things? Tell me that clockwork thing, which just sung us a nice song, didn’t just try to burn your hand of and make me deaf! Not to forget it changed colours.”

    “I’m sure it’s nothing” Simone reassured him, laughing nervously he added, “Let’s see what other things are in the suitcase.”

    Rafi nodded and crouched down to see what else he could pull out of the brown leather case. He made sure to be careful not to tug on the handle too hard because the stitches seemed to be coming loose. Moving the tatted note – the color of a tea stain – he reached down to grab the colourful tin soldier.

    “I think it’s handmade, just look at all the little details.” Rafi said, clearly impressed by how the tin soldier’s red coat and back trousers had gold details and patterns all over them.

    “Since when do you pay attention to detail or even care about how things look?” Simone joked “I’ve never seen you so fascinated by something other than video games before.”

    “Oh, shup up! You sound just like my mum.” Rafi laughed.

    “No, seriously. If you spent the same amount of time on schoolwork instead of on all those useless games you play, you would do so much better in school” Simone pointed out, his voice turning serious.

    “As if you could talk, I’m doing better in school than you. Anyway, why are we talking about school, these brush strokes are so much more interesting. Just look!”
    Simone pulled the tin man away from Rafi and looked at the paint work.

    “It’s just an old toy, you can’t even see most of the paint because of the rust slowly eating it away. I don’t know why you are getting so excited.”

    “Whatever, you clearly don’t understand art.” Rafi sighed and took the tin soldier away from Simone, “I’ll take this with me, it will look nice on my shelf.”

    “Sure. I’ll take this doll thing with me,” Simone said while reaching down and taking the corn doll. It was completely white with a red ribbon wrapped around its middle and a drawn on smiley face. “Do you think my sister will like it?” He turned the doll around and found a key.

    “Hey, look what I found!” Simone exclaimed, “I think this is the key to the locked door I was telling you about, you know the one gran wanted to show me before she went to hospital?”

    “You should try it out,” said Rafi, standing up and brushing of the dust from his trousers. “I’ll come with you.”

    The two boys made their way up the creaky stairs, through many corridors and past all the family photos framed on the walls, until they finally reached the white door. It was hidden way at the back of the house, the lights didn’t seem to work and there were no windows. Simone took out his phone and put on the flashlight. Every step they took made a sound. The floorboards yelled out screams every time the boys moved closer, until they finally reached the door. It was much bigger than all the other doors that led to the bedrooms or one of the bathrooms.

    “What do you think is behind it?” asked Rafi in an uneasy voice.

    “I don’t know, but it must be important seeing as gran waited all this time to show me and she also kept it locked at all times.”

    Simone slid the key into the lock but before he could turn it, the door burst open and the same melody that the clockwork bird sang started to play. Without another word the two boys stepped inside the room, mesmerized by the tune, and the door shut behind them. As smoothly as the door closed the boys disappeared.

    One week later.

    The old Victorian house burnt down and didn’t make it to the auction. Simone and Rafi were never seen again. However, legends say that someone found the old leather case but found five toys inside instead of two.

    By Karolina Zarczynska
    Year 8Cl
    English Martyrs’ Catholic School

  120. Lana Portman – Handsworth Grange Community Sports College – 7R4

    “I say we should touch one, then two, then three,” Simone replied.
    “Are you ok Simone?” I don’t want to though,” Rafi said shaking with nerves.
    “Yes, let’s do it,” Simone said showing more excitement. With no holding back, Simone touched the doll, then the soldier and finally the bird. Suddenly the bird started jumping up and down. The soldier stepped out of her hands; the doll started to blink. The room started to spin around.
    Then it stopped. They were in the room again, but everything looked brand new even the toys. The tin man soldier shimmered in the light, the doll had lovely braids tied by red ribbons in her brunette hair, and a red button up dress with a white collar around her neck. The wind-up bird had a beautiful golden key and sky-blue feather. They heard children running up the stairs. As they came up into the room, they noticed their outfits were outdated, Simone and Rafi estimated the outfits were in fashion over 100 years ago. They walked right through Simone and Rafi. The children saw a large brown suitcase with shiny gold rims at the end of the long room, they decided to open it. The girl found a doll, soldier and a wind-up bird. Her brother ran away because he was scared. She got angry and thought to put him inside the doll to teach him a lesson. The next minute, he was flying up the stairs and straight inside the doll.
    Soon after her parents shouted it was time to go home, she wanted to stay but once again her anger got the best of her. Immediately her parents were inside the soldier. She grabbed a pen and a piece of parchment paper and wrote a note. She got even more angry because of what had happened she felt like she was getting pulled to the bird,
    The kids arrived back in present day. Rafi realised that he hadn’t read the note on the back.
    “There is something on the back of the paper,” Rafi said.
    “It’s a prank,” Simone replies “It’s got to be.”
    “There’s only one way to find out,” Rafi exclaimed.
    The kids turned over the paper and to their shock it said…

  121. It was then that Rafi realised there were two pieces of parchment, moulded together with a thin layer of green wax.
    “Wow, you have to be pretty rich to get that stuff,” Rafi breathed, prising the pages apart.
    “Don’t,” Simone said, “We’ve already come in here without telling Matron, so don’t you dare pinch anything.”
    “Okay,” Rafi said reluctantly, and placed the cracking parchment back into the suitcase. He glanced at the clock. 2:05.
    “But you do make a point,” she remarked, “Emerald wax is no cheap price.”
    She spoke again. “Who would have this sort of money? No toymaker would have this kind of wealth.”
    Rafi retried prising the pages apart.
    “Don’t!” Simone said, this time louder.
    “Fine.” He restarted the conversation. “Like you said, emerald wax doesn’t come cheap. No toymaker could afford it.” He thought for a moment. “No usual toymaker, anyway.”
    They studied the second sheet of parchment.
    “See anything?”
    “No.”
    They looked at the paper again but found nothing of interest.
    “Well, there’s still a first.”
    Rafi read the text out loud.
    “Okay, well, we’d better not jump to conclusions,” Simone decided. “But one jump can’t hurt.”
    The two lowered their shaking hands ever closer to the case; they glanced at each other, then at the rusting soldier that lay before them. Rafi closed his eyes and, quite suddenly, snatched up the cold metal in one hand. He opened his eyes and looked around.
    “Well, it did say, ‘just for fun.’,” he said, and shrugged. “It’s not like anything was really going to happen. I’m not completely shocked.”
    And it is true, he was not.
    Simone stared at the once-blank parchment.
    “Well, you will be…”
    The two glared at the parchment in bewilderment; what was once blank was now a somewhat eerie colouring page, portraying a strange shop window with disturbingly lifelike statues of young boys and girls behind the glass.
    The two were pulled out of their daze when a small boy came running into the room.
    “Freddie!” Simone whispered angrily; eyes wide. “My brother,” she told Rafi.
    Freddie ran across the room and swept the colouring sheet into his hands, running back out again and laughing.
    “Oh no,” Rafi said, terrified. “What could we have done?”
    “Enough damage to last a lifetime, that’s what.” She hung her head. “He’ll be back any minute.”
    In barely any time Freddie was once again present in the room, holding the sheet aloft. He had coloured the entirety of it in- or out, rather. Dark scribbles covered the intricately drawn page.
    “Lovely, Freddie.” Simone stifled a laugh.
    “Well, it’s quite sinister if you ask me.”
    “Rafi!” she glared at him. He simply jolted his head towards the parchment.
    She sighed and turned around, about to speak, but froze when her eyes met the page. The pictures were shifting, the children on the paper moved and spread their pale fingers across polished glass. Crystals were growing into their matted hair, their mouths screaming without a noise and eyes crying silently. This was the effect which Simone from then on called: ‘loud silence’.
    She leant forward to take hold of the paper, but it was all too late. She and Rafi were frozen in their stance, and could only watch in horror as her brother swirled in a flurry of strong winds and then disappeared into what was the Other World.
    Simone was going to scream, but then thought against it; they were not to be heard. She looked back down at where Freddie was and noticed a piece of small parchment in his place, again stamped with green wax. She lifted it in her palm and read out the message in its spidery lettering:

    “One more choice is all you are given,
    Choose wisely whichever way you are driven.
    Touch two for change, and three for me,
    But it’ll cost you what you dearly need.”

    “Well, two or three?” Rafi asked.
    “Or none.”
    “Not an option.”
    “Okay, three.”
    “Fair enough. I don’t like the sound of being ‘changed’.”
    They looked at each other, then at the three toys. Their breath was held.
    “Three, two, one.”
    At once they felt the pull. The magic (or something very like it) pulled them in, led them. They saw the flurry of pinks and blues, the whirlwinds and flashes of other worlds, until, quite suddenly, they were released. They were no longer kneeling in the attic of the old house, but lying on the ground of a large cave covered in pink stalactites and violet crystals. They quickly brushed themselves off and hid behind a large stone.
    “Where are we?” Simone said.
    “The Other World,” said Rafi. “Somewhere in it, anyway. We have to be careful. The note said it’d cost us.
    “How do you know this?”
    “Don’t ask,” he replied. “You won’t remember.”
    Simone racked her brain and thought. It was two years ago they had found an old board game which was also a portal to the Other World.
    “Oh, that. Yeah, I remember now.”
    They stayed put, crouching behind the stone and listening for footsteps and, as they had expected, somebody came. He was a tall, thin man, wearing a shining sapphire jacket and a crisp white shirt. His black trousers and a purple tie were perfectly ironed, his dark brogues polished and spotless, his expression blank and empty as he strode briskly by them. The children stared at each other.
    “Do you think he was the toymaker?” Simone asked.
    “Probably,” Rafi replied, “He looks just about the only person here.”
    “Where did he come from?”
    “There’s only one way to find out in these places,” Rafi started. But Simone already knew.
    They looked at each other in confirmation.
    “Let’s go.”
    The pair crept along the stone hall silently, their feet padding without noise along the rich purple carpet. They did not speak, as to leave no echo. They could still hear the toymaker’s footsteps.
    Once they had walked the hall, they met a high wooden door.
    “Should we go through?”
    “I should think so.”
    They opened the door and met a small room which contained a single glass vial, filled with pink liquid, a shade matching the crystals. Rafi held it in his palm, then slid it into his pocket.
    “Sure?” Simone did not like the idea of stealing.
    “Well, we can’t just leave it here.”
    She sighed.
    “Good point.”
    They carried on. On the other side of the room was another door, which supplied the same question.
    “Well, in for a penny, in for a pound, I suppose.” Simone twisted the brass knob and pushed the door gently away from her, sliding through the gap she had made. After she had completely entered, she beckoned to Rafi.
    “Right.”
    He slipped through, closing the door and its round handle behind him. Simone turned around and froze.
    For, instead of anything like toys or sheets and boxes, there were the children from the colouring sheet. Except there was one difference- Freddie was with them.
    “Freddie!” Simone tried to keep her voice as quiet as she could manage.
    “Who are you?” the other children asked.
    “We’re going to help you get out of here.” Rafi said proudly.
    “How?”
    “Well, what’s ever stopped you?” He said.
    The children pointed to their feet. They were rooted to the spot with the crystals Simone and Rafi had seen hanging in the hallway.
    The pair thought hard. Suddenly, Rafi’s face lit up.
    “The liquid!”
    “Rafi, you’re a genius!”
    Rafi poured the liquid onto the children’s feet and the crystal dissolved like magic, which it was.
    “That wasn’t too hard,” Rafi said.
    “Wasn’t? Is now.”
    The children whipped round to see who it was and, in shock, stopped dead in their tracks.
    “Things are about to get a little harder.” The toymaker spoke.
    “Oh no.”

    The toymaker pushed his hand outwards and a handful of crystals shattered against the wall. Rafi dived against the stone wall and lay down, letting another cascade of crystals shatter above his back. Simone ran behind the toymaker and charged towards the door, but he struck his long staff against the ground and she was swept off her feet onto her back. The other children dived towards the Toymaker, but he again struck his staff against the floor and the children fell against the walls. Simone sprinted across the room towards the door and the Toymaker pointed his staff towards her. Rafi ran as the Toymaker drew his arm backwards and, in a flurry of movement, he grabbed the staff. The magician whirled round in shock, but the others and Simone had already run out of the door.
    Rafi and the Toymaker were the last left in the room. Rafi raised the staff and struck; the Toymaker was pushed to the wall.
    Rafi sprinted out of the room and tapped the door with the Toymaker’s staff. The lock clicked.
    Simone, Freddie and the other children had already run ahead. Rafi followed, going as fast as he could to catch up.
    “I’m okay!” He yelled.
    The others cheered.
    As they turned a corner, they met the stone they had hidden behind before they had entered the chamber.
    “Here we are. I think it was about here,” Rafi said, now beside Simone.
    “It was,” Simone replied.
    “There.” Rafi pointed to a twisted circle beside them, sucking dislodged crystals in and dropping leaves and dust.
    “We’d better get through before the portal closes, and too many crystals drop into the attic.” Rafi said.
    “Good plan.”
    “Okay,” Simone spoke. “Is everybody ready?”
    The children nodded; so did Rafi.
    “Let’s go.” She stared towards the portal and furrowed her brows. “3,2,1.”

    They were lying back down on the attic floor. Simone walked over to the case, picked up the toys with the bottom of her shirt, and threw them into the portal. The portal blew out one final gust of wind and, with that, vanished.
    Simone counted the children. They were all sitting down on the wooden floor.
    “What’ll we do now?” she said. “Where’ll you go?”
    “I live in p-ar-i-s.’’ The child sounded out the word carefully.
    Another child spoke. “l-on-don.”
    Simone gulped.
    “Help…” she asked Rafi.
    Rafi held the black staff in his hand, twirling the golden handle between his fingers. He twisted the staff and tapped the floor. Six coloured portals opened, each with a nameplate hanging above it.
    “Go on,” Simone encouraged the other children. They looked at her in awe.
    “Is this ok?” one asked.
    “Just find your nameplate and go through the portal.” Simone said.
    They looked at her again, then at the glowing circles. And, one by one, the children went through the portals and left.
    “Wow.” Rafi said. “That was truly something else, but what’re we to do with this?”
    Simone looked around. She took the staff from Rafi’s hands and placed it next to the suitcase, pushed it to the back of the cupboard, then leant the staff against the shelves.
    Rafi glanced at the clock.
    “Simone?”
    She turned to him.
    “Look at the clock,” he said.
    She looked at the time. 2:05.

    The Other World is still, time does not travel forwards. Time simply flows like an ocean, to and fro, but never truly advancing, it flies without moving, every second, every minute, every hour still and unmoving. The Other World is still, and never truly visible, we drift between worlds without intention and can stand in the Other World for hours without seeing where we are. We are submerged in the space between the Other World and Earth, we are anchored to Earth but we fly between worlds like birds and retrieve the most wonderful stories and ideas from the Other World, but can rarely bring these ideas to Earth. But it is when we do succeed, and do bring these ideas back, that these stories flow from the heart so freely that it is almost impossible to catch these flowing stories and put them down onto paper.

    Collette, Age 11, Owslebury Primary School, Winchester

  122. Can you please let me know if you received my story?

    Collette, aged 11, Owslebury School

  123. It was then that Rafi realised there were two pieces of parchment, moulded together with a thin layer of green wax.
    “Wow, you have to be pretty rich to get that stuff,” Rafi breathed, prising the pages apart.
    “Don’t,” Simone said, “We’ve already come in here without telling Matron, so don’t you dare pinch anything.”
    “Okay,” Rafi said reluctantly, and placed the cracking parchment back into the suitcase. He glanced at the clock. 2:05.
    “But you do make a point,” she remarked, “Emerald wax is no cheap price.”
    She spoke again. “Who would have this sort of money? No toymaker would have this kind of wealth.”
    Rafi retried prising the pages apart.
    “Don’t!” Simone said, this time louder.
    “Fine.” He restarted the conversation. “Like you said, emerald wax doesn’t come cheap. No toymaker could afford it.” He thought for a moment. “No usual toymaker, anyway.”
    They studied the second sheet of parchment.
    “See anything?”
    “No.”
    They looked at the paper again but found nothing of interest.
    “Well, there’s still a first.”
    Rafi read the text out loud.
    “Okay, well, we’d better not jump to conclusions,” Simone decided. “But one jump can’t hurt.”
    The two lowered their shaking hands ever closer to the case; they glanced at each other, then at the rusting soldier that lay before them. Rafi closed his eyes and, quite suddenly, snatched up the cold metal in one hand. He opened his eyes and looked around.
    “Well, it did say, ‘just for fun.’,” he said, and shrugged. “It’s not like anything was really going to happen. I’m not completely shocked.”
    And it is true, he was not.
    Simone stared at the once-blank parchment.
    “Well, you will be…”
    The two glared at the parchment in bewilderment; what was once blank was now a somewhat eerie colouring page, portraying a strange shop window with disturbingly lifelike statues of young boys and girls behind the glass.
    The two were pulled out of their daze when a small boy came running into the room.
    “Freddie!” Simone whispered angrily; eyes wide. “My brother,” she told Rafi.
    Freddie ran across the room and swept the colouring sheet into his hands, running back out again and laughing.
    “Oh no,” Rafi said, terrified. “What could we have done?”
    “Enough damage to last a lifetime, that’s what.” She hung her head. “He’ll be back any minute.”
    In barely any time Freddie was once again present in the room, holding the sheet aloft. He had coloured the entirety of it in- or out, rather. Dark scribbles covered the intricately drawn page.
    “Lovely, Freddie.” Simone stifled a laugh.
    “Well, it’s quite sinister if you ask me.”
    “Rafi!” she glared at him. He simply jolted his head towards the parchment.
    She sighed and turned around, about to speak, but froze when her eyes met the page. The pictures were shifting, the children on the paper moved and spread their pale fingers across polished glass. Crystals were growing into their matted hair, their mouths screaming without a noise and eyes crying silently. This was the effect which Simone from then on called: ‘loud silence’.
    She leant forward to take hold of the paper, but it was all too late. She and Rafi were frozen in their stance, and could only watch in horror as her brother swirled in a flurry of strong winds and then disappeared into what was the Other World.
    Simone was going to scream, but then thought against it; they were not to be heard. She looked back down at where Freddie was and noticed a piece of small parchment in his place, again stamped with green wax. She lifted it in her palm and read out the message in its spidery lettering:

    “One more choice is all you are given,
    Choose wisely whichever way you are driven.
    Touch two for change, and three for me,
    But it’ll cost you what you dearly need.”

    “Well, two or three?” Rafi asked.
    “Or none.”
    “Not an option.”
    “Okay, three.”
    “Fair enough. I don’t like the sound of being ‘changed’.”
    They looked at each other, then at the three toys. Their breath was held.
    “Three, two, one.”
    At once they felt the pull. The magic (or something very like it) pulled them in, led them. They saw the flurry of pinks and blues, the whirlwinds and flashes of other worlds, until, quite suddenly, they were released. They were no longer kneeling in the attic of the old house, but lying on the ground of a large cave covered in pink stalactites and violet crystals. They quickly brushed themselves off and hid behind a large stone.
    “Where are we?” Simone said.
    “The Other World,” said Rafi. “Somewhere in it, anyway. We have to be careful. The note said it’d cost us.
    “How do you know this?”
    “Don’t ask,” he replied. “You won’t remember.”
    Simone racked her brain and thought. It was two years ago they had found an old board game which was also a portal to the Other World.
    “Oh, that. Yeah, I remember now.”
    They stayed put, crouching behind the stone and listening for footsteps and, as they had expected, somebody came. He was a tall, thin man, wearing a shining sapphire jacket and a crisp white shirt. His black trousers and a purple tie were perfectly ironed, his dark brogues polished and spotless, his expression blank and empty as he strode briskly by them. The children stared at each other.
    “Do you think he was the toymaker?” Simone asked.
    “Probably,” Rafi replied, “He looks just about the only person here.”
    “Where did he come from?”
    “There’s only one way to find out in these places,” Rafi started. But Simone already knew.
    They looked at each other in confirmation.
    “Let’s go.”
    The pair crept along the stone hall silently, their feet padding without noise along the rich purple carpet. They did not speak, as to leave no echo. They could still hear the toymaker’s footsteps.
    Once they had walked the hall, they met a high wooden door.
    “Should we go through?”
    “I should think so.”
    They opened the door and met a small room which contained a single glass vial, filled with pink liquid, a shade matching the crystals. Rafi held it in his palm, then slid it into his pocket.
    “Sure?” Simone did not like the idea of stealing.
    “Well, we can’t just leave it here.”
    She sighed.
    “Good point.”
    They carried on. On the other side of the room was another door, which supplied the same question.
    “Well, in for a penny, in for a pound, I suppose.” Simone twisted the brass knob and pushed the door gently away from her, sliding through the gap she had made. After she had completely entered, she beckoned to Rafi.
    “Right.”
    He slipped through, closing the door and its round handle behind him. Simone turned around and froze.
    For, instead of anything like toys or sheets and boxes, there were the children from the colouring sheet. Except there was one difference- Freddie was with them.
    “Freddie!” Simone tried to keep her voice as quiet as she could manage.
    “Who are you?” the other children asked.
    “We’re going to help you get out of here.” Rafi said proudly.
    “How?”
    “Well, what’s ever stopped you?” He said.
    The children pointed to their feet. They were rooted to the spot with the crystals Simone and Rafi had seen hanging in the hallway.
    The pair thought hard. Suddenly, Rafi’s face lit up.
    “The liquid!”
    “Rafi, you’re a genius!”
    Rafi poured the liquid onto the children’s feet and the crystal dissolved like magic, which it was.
    “That wasn’t too hard,” Rafi said.
    “Wasn’t? Is now.”
    The children whipped round to see who it was and, in shock, stopped dead in their tracks.
    “Things are about to get a little harder.” The toymaker spoke.
    “Oh no.”

    The toymaker pushed his hand outwards and a handful of crystals shattered against the wall. Rafi dived against the stone wall and lay down, letting another cascade of crystals shatter above his back. Simone ran behind the toymaker and charged towards the door, but he struck his long staff against the ground and she was swept off her feet onto her back. The other children dived towards the Toymaker, but he again struck his staff against the floor and the children fell against the walls. Simone sprinted across the room towards the door and the Toymaker pointed his staff towards her. Rafi ran as the Toymaker drew his arm backwards and, in a flurry of movement, he grabbed the staff. The magician whirled round in shock, but the others and Simone had already run out of the door.
    Rafi and the Toymaker were the last left in the room. Rafi raised the staff and struck; the Toymaker was pushed to the wall.
    Rafi sprinted out of the room and tapped the door with the Toymaker’s staff. The lock clicked.
    Simone, Freddie and the other children had already run ahead. Rafi followed, going as fast as he could to catch up.
    “I’m okay!” He yelled.
    The others cheered.
    As they turned a corner, they met the stone they had hidden behind before they had entered the chamber.
    “Here we are. I think it was about here,” Rafi said, now beside Simone.
    “It was,” Simone replied.
    “There.” Rafi pointed to a twisted circle beside them, sucking dislodged crystals in and dropping leaves and dust.
    “We’d better get through before the portal closes, and too many crystals drop into the attic.” Rafi said.
    “Good plan.”
    “Okay,” Simone spoke. “Is everybody ready?”
    The children nodded; so did Rafi.
    “Let’s go.” She stared towards the portal and furrowed her brows. “3,2,1.”

    They were lying back down on the attic floor. Simone walked over to the case, picked up the toys with the bottom of her shirt, and threw them into the portal. The portal blew out one final gust of wind and, with that, vanished.
    Simone counted the children. They were all sitting down on the wooden floor.
    “What’ll we do now?” she said. “Where’ll you go?”
    “I live in p-ar-i-s.’’ The child sounded out the word carefully.
    Another child spoke. “l-on-don.”
    Simone gulped.
    “Help…” she asked Rafi.
    Rafi held the black staff in his hand, twirling the golden handle between his fingers. He twisted the staff and tapped the floor. Six coloured portals opened, each with a nameplate hanging above it.
    “Go on,” Simone encouraged the other children. They looked at her in awe.
    “Is this ok?” one asked.
    “Just find your nameplate and go through the portal.” Simone said.
    They looked at her again, then at the glowing circles. And, one by one, the children went through the portals and left.
    “Wow.” Rafi said. “That was truly something else, but what’re we to do with this?”
    Simone looked around. She took the staff from Rafi’s hands and placed it next to the suitcase, pushed it to the back of the cupboard, then leant the staff against the shelves.
    Rafi glanced at the clock.
    “Simone?”
    She turned to him.
    “Look at the clock,” he said.
    She looked at the time. 2:05.

    The Other World is still, time does not travel forwards. Time simply flows like an ocean, to and fro, but never truly advancing, it flies without moving, every second, every minute, every hour still and unmoving. The Other World is still, and never truly visible, we drift between worlds without intention and can stand in the Other World for hours without seeing where we are. We are submerged in the space between the Other World and Earth, we are anchored to Earth but we fly between worlds like birds and retrieve the most wonderful stories and ideas from the Other World, but can rarely bring these ideas to Earth. But it is when we do succeed, and do bring these ideas back, that these stories flow from the heart so freely that it is almost impossible to catch these flowing stories and put them down onto paper.

    Collette, aged 11, Owslebury School

  124. “I don’t know, perhaps we should do what it says,” replied Simone with a spark of curiosity in her voice.
    “Who would say that, I mean, finding an old house with an old suitcase stuffed into the back of an old cupboard is weird but do you know what is weirder?” questioned Rafi.
    “What? Doing exactly what it…”
    “Shush! No, doing exactly what it says on the note! I mean.” interrupted Rafi.
    “I was just about to say that.” mumbled Simone with an agitated tone in her voice.

    “Ok, ok. We are stuck in an old house in a room which has an old and dusty suitcase squeezed into the back of an old cupboard. My idea is that we do exactly what the note says. Think about it, think about all the amazing things that could happen if we do what it says,” exclaimed Simone a bit too loud that she was too embarrassed to speak for about 5 seconds.
    “Or all the bad things that could happen,” replied Rafi with such a negative energy that it made Simone shiver.
    “Since you keep opposing my idea, well, maybe you have a better one than mine,” snapped Simone.
    “Well, in that case, Simone, my idea is that we should leave this monstrosity of a house and we could go back home and enjoy the rest of our lives knowing that we made the right decision, just think about it. Please.” Said Rafi.
    “I have thought about it and I have decided to do my idea.” said Simone smugly.
    “Look, just look. You do the first step ok, touch the first item, the clockwork bird, with a key sticking out of the back.” Said Simone.
    “No way, you came up with the idea, so you do it.” replied Rafi harshly.
    “Fine. Let’s play ‘What Are The Odds’. We both think of a number between 1 and 10 and if I say the same number as you, you need to touch that wretched toy first. “Deal?” Said Simone.
    “Deal.” Replied Rafi hesitantly yet firmly.
    “Ok, say your number in 3 … 2 … 1 …” started Simone.
    “7!” shouted Simone and Rafi at the same time.
    “Yesss, you need to touch it first.” exclaimed Simone with a burst of excitement and feeling overwhelmed that it wasn’t her although she knew there wasn’t nothing to fear about.

    “Dang it! Fine. Here goes nothing.” whispers Rafi unwillingly as his bendy and crusty finger leaned in towards the suitcase, closer and closer, inches away from touching the clockwork bird. He was seconds away from reaching the side of the clockwork when …
    “Done, I touched it, and strangely enough, nothing happened. Phew!” Said a relieved Rafi.
    “Told you. Now, let me do the next step, I’ll touch the tin soldier. Ok, here goes nothing, 3 … 2… 1…”
    “Done, you see nothing happened… Wait, what’s that noise, can you hear that?” Enquired Simone.
    “Yeah, what is it?”
    “I don’t know. Wait I feel something, I feel something in my bones. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. It just bit me!” Squealed Simone so scared that she was begging for someone to help her and rescue her from this nightmare of pain.
    “I feel that exact feeling as well! It is almost like a spider is crawling up your spine. Ouch!” Yelped Rafi as something also bit him like multiple quick but painful stabs. Then, after a few suspense moments, the painful sensations stopped, the crawling sensation came to a halt but one thing didn’t stop, their bodies started to feel like they were slightly expanding by the second. Only did they realise after two seconds that their bodies were as elongated and stretchy as some spaghetti. Although, if they look on the bright side, they were pretty flexible.

    “What do we do now?” Whined Rafi.
    “Well, since we have touched the two other items, it would be deluded not to touch the last item (the funny old doll, which was made of corn, tied together with ribbon) .” said Simone.
    “Wait, hold on, hold on, hold on… let me catch my breath. So your saying, after walking into somewhat of a haunted house and finding a mysterious suitcase with a creepy note and after doing two of the commands on the note, we should still carry on. Are you serious? You know what, perfect, what a perfect idea!” reasoned Rafi trying to bring Simone back to her sense.
    “Exactly, it is a perfect idea,” replied Simone, not understanding what the meaning of sarcasm was.

    “Right, I don’t think you want to touch the scary doll, therefore, I will do it. Ok for …”
    “Wait,” interrupted Rafi. “What if … if when you touch it and … and I might never … never see you … again.” stuttered Rafi with a tear lurking and swelling up in his eye.
    “We will,” replied Simone as she gently smiled a warm smile to cheer Rafi up.
    “But what if we don’t?” Asked Rafi with a concerned look on his face.
    “Well, in that case, promise me you will always remember me and I will forever be in your heart.” whispered Simone, laying her fist on Rafi’s chest emotionally.
    “Promise.” Replied Rafi hesitantly.
    “Ok, maybe for the last time ever, here goes nothing,” said Simone as she gently stroked the dusty, faded yellow strands of the doll’s hair. As she did this, she and Rafi felt a tickle, then a pull. Next came a yank and before they knew it, in the blink of an eye, they were witnessing themselves getting sucked into a ginormous whirlpool. Suddenly, their skin was itchy, their hands were growing (although their body was shrinking back to its normal size). Soon after, their hands went back to ordinary, and the itchy skin behaved itself and uncrusted itself again. After that unprecedented time in the whirlpool, they finally reached the end of it and they both fell out with a colossal thud.

    “What in the world is this place?” questioned Simone. Both Rafi and Simone stood astounded. They had just been sucked into a whirlpool with striking colours that they had never seen before and now they are in this strange place. Both children’s faces were awe-struck.
    “This is cool!” exclaimed Rafi running rapidly ahead of Simone.
    “Wait for me!” cried Simone as she ran as fast as her little legs could carry her until she saw Rafi sitting on a floating table.
    “Pull me up! Quick” shouted Simone as Rafi hoisted her up onto the table his bottom had already half-occupied.
    “So, Rafi. What do we do now?”enquired Simone slightly concerned about their new surroundings whilst swinging her dangling legs off the mysteriously floating table.
    “I guess, we are either dreaming or we are actually, physically in this alternative universe.” said Rafi with a bored expression.
    “Ok. Wait. Dude, Rafi. We must find the creepy doll, remember.” said Simone while her face lit up, literally.
    “First of all, how did you do that? You know, with your face. And second of all, how do you know we have to find that freaky doll.” Asked Rafi, wanting to know the answers to all of his questions so he could be as cool as Simone.
    “Unfortunately Rafi, I do not know how I did that, hence I cannot tell you how I did that. But, I know we must visit the doll because on the note it mentioned that when you touch the doll, you must come and see her.
    “Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s hop to it! Get it. Hop.” teased Rafi.
    “No I don’t get it.” giggled Simone.
    “Bet you can’t catch me!” Shouted Rafi, pleased to have his best friend by his side.
    “I bet I can!” Squealed Simone as she sprinted across, trying to catch her cheeky and chaotic friend.

    Rafi and Simone now set themselves a mission: to find and talk to the doll. Their journey was tough and challenging. Their first challenge in which they had to face while they were on their journey was to cross a bridge. But oh no, not any sort of ordinary bridge, no, it was a bridge filled with orangutans ready to kidnap them and feast on them for lunch. The second challenge they had to face while they were on their journey was to climb a floating cliff which was super windy, so windy that you could have easily been blown off and you could have fallen to your death. The third challenge they had to face was to cross a desert full of ghastly creatures and which was also infested with creepy crawlies such as pythons, wasps, tarantulas and eagles, ready and waiting for the right moment for them to strike and attack you, while you just stand there, not knowing you are their next victim. Their fourth and last challenge was to fly sky high in a hot air balloon and to land on the other side on an island where the doll lived whilst avoiding a swarm of angry birds which were flying around them ready to pop the hot air balloon at any moment. Luckily they made it alive through this all (do you think you could have done that)!

    Now Rafi and Simone had landed safely on the island. Legend says that one who enters the island must expect the unexpected if they want to get out of there alive! While they were on the island, Rafi realised something. He noticed that there was a lonesome hut standing in the middle of the island whilst the palm trees danced in the breeze.
    “Simone, look, there is a lonesome hut. I think the doll lives here.” yelled Rafi whilst waving his arms to try and grab Simone’s attention.
    “Really, ok then. Let’s knock on the door together.” replied Simone, panting as she was running back to Rafi so she could knock on the door with him. After Simone caught up, Rafi and her knocked on the door together and someone opened up the door. It was a figure in which you could tell it was worn out by its face. Its hair was grey and filled with dust and mould. The skirt and t-shirt of this figure wasn’t exactly what you would call ideal. Their shoes were filled with holes in the most unusual ways. In fact, this figure was indeed, the doll.

    “Sweet! Let’s go!” Said Rafi, whilst high-fiving Simone at the same time.
    “What do you want?” Questioned the doll, irritated to see them.
    “Well, we were wondering if you could, well, send us back home?” Asked both Rafi and Simone, scared at what the response may be.
    “Well, I don’t do nothing for no one for nothing.” sneered the doll.
    “Huh?” Replied Simone confused.
    “Let her speak.” Said Rafi.
    “I’m a him.” Replied the doll.
    “Huh? Now I’m confused.” Mumbled Rafi, hoping his brain won’t explode with all the confusing information he was being told.

    “Anyways, if you want me to send you back home, then solve this riddle correctly. You have 3 chances and no discussing or conferring with each other. The riddle is: What stays in one corner, but travels all around the world? Good luck finding the answer to that one, kids!” sniggered the doll mischievously, not caring the slightest if she or perhaps he, was being rude.
    “We are not kids!” Shouted Rafi back at the doll. He hated it when people called him and Simone kids because he didn’t want people to treat them like babies.
    “Leave it!” Replied Simone reassuringly whilst holding Rafi back, which helped stop him from fighting with the doll.
    “I don’t like that doll.” Mumbled Rafi.
    “It better not mess with us.”
    “I said no conferring.” Snapped the doll arrogantly.

    “Ok, back to the subject of the riddle. I think the answer is a human?” responded Simone with an anxious sensation in her stomach.
    “Nope.” Said the doll as a huge grin started to grow and spread across its face, from ear to ear.
    “Is the answer a box?” Questioned Rafi, desperate to know the answer.
    “No. You only have one chance left!” giggled the doll.
    “Shush! Stop being annoying dummy.” Yelled Rafi at the doll.
    “I can make you stay here permanently if you want.” Warned the doll exchanging glances at them both.
    “Wait, is the answer to the riddle, umm, a stamp?” Guessed Simone as she really wanted this nightmare to end.
    “What did you say?” Questioned the doll who thought his ears deceived it.
    “She said a stamp.” Said Rafi, clarifying what Simone had said.
    “What?” Said the doll in disbelief.
    “For the last time, she said a stamp. Now say if it is right or not!” Commanded Rafi as if he was somewhat more superior than the doll in this situation.
    “Fine. Yes she is right you will be back home in 3 … 2… 1…” said the doll, distraught that she had got beaten by a kid.

    After Simone and Rafi beat the doll they woke up with a start.
    “What in the name.” Said both Rafi and Simone at the same time. They had just realised, someone had splashed them with a bottle of cold freezing water.
    “What have you two been doing?” Enquired Simone’s Mum.
    “What happened?” Asked Simone.
    “Well, since you two didn’t come back from this place for a while, I decided to call you. Neither of you picked up your phone so I drove over and now here I am. Splashing you with cold, freezing, icy water.” Said Simone’s Mum.
    “How did you know where we were though? We didn’t tell you where we were going.” Questioned Rafi.
    “I used my location tracking app and it led me here! Another situation where mum saves the day, again!” Said Simone’s Mum, standing in her awkward superhero pose, embarrassing both her daughter and her daughter’s best friend.
    “Mum.” Moaned Simone as she was so embarrassed that she just wanted the ground to swallow her up whole. But then she didn’t want that to happen because she didn’t want to get stranded there too.

    “Rafi, your mum is at work doing a night shift so you will be staying in our house for the night but your mum will pick you up tomorrow afternoon, ok?” Said Simone’s Mum.
    “Yes Miss Sapphire.” Replied Rafi kindly.
    “Come on now. It’s getting late and the car is outside, let’s go.” Said Miss Sapphire.
    “Ok, coming!” said Rafi.
    “Simone, Wait.” Whispered Rafi, trying to get Simone to hear him.
    “Yes.” Answered Simone.
    “So, you know that doll dilemma.” Asked Rafi.
    “Yeah.” Said Simone.
    “What about it?” Responded Simone.
    “Well, was it just a dream? Enquired Rafi.
    “You bet!” Said Simone.
    “Ok, just checking. Right let’s hurry up before your mum gets mad at us!” Laughed Rafi.
    “Ok.” Said Simone giggling silently to herself.

    So Simone and Rafi ran to catch up with Miss Sapphire. They thought that the whole doll experience was fake but little did they know that the doll came right out of the whirlpool as soon as they left and was now following Rafi and Simone. Let’s hope they are safe, right? What’s the worst that can happen to them both!

    Name: Salina Tekeste
    Age: 11 years old.
    School: St. Helen’s Catholic Primary School

  125. “I don’t know, perhaps we should do what it says,” replied Simone with a spark of curiosity in her voice.
    “Who would say that, I mean, finding an old house with an old suitcase stuffed into the back of an old cupboard is weird but do you know what is weirder?” questioned Rafi.
    “What? Doing exactly what it…”
    “Shush! No, doing exactly what it says on the note! I mean.” interrupted Rafi.
    “I was just about to say that.” mumbled Simone with an agitated tone in her voice.

    “Ok, ok. We are stuck in an old house in a room which has an old and dusty suitcase squeezed into the back of an old cupboard. My idea is that we do exactly what the note says. Think about it, think about all the amazing things that could happen if we do what it says,” exclaimed Simone a bit too loud that she was too embarrassed to speak for about 5 seconds.
    “Or all the bad things that could happen,” replied Rafi with such a negative energy that it made Simone shiver.
    “Since you keep opposing my idea, well, maybe you have a better one than mine,” snapped Simone.
    “Well, in that case, Simone, my idea is that we should leave this monstrosity of a house and we could go back home and enjoy the rest of our lives knowing that we made the right decision, just think about it. Please.” Said Rafi.
    “I have thought about it and I have decided to do my idea.” said Simone smugly.
    “Look, just look. You do the first step ok, touch the first item, the clockwork bird, with a key sticking out of the back.” Said Simone.
    “No way, you came up with the idea, so you do it.” replied Rafi harshly.
    “Fine. Let’s play ‘What Are The Odds’. We both think of a number between 1 and 10 and if I say the same number as you, you need to touch that wretched toy first. “Deal?” Said Simone.
    “Deal.” Replied Rafi hesitantly yet firmly.
    “Ok, say your number in 3 … 2 … 1 …” started Simone.
    “7!” shouted Simone and Rafi at the same time.
    “Yesss, you need to touch it first.” exclaimed Simone with a burst of excitement and feeling overwhelmed that it wasn’t her although she knew there wasn’t nothing to fear about.

    “Dang it! Fine. Here goes nothing.” whispers Rafi unwillingly as his bendy and crusty finger leaned in towards the suitcase, closer and closer, inches away from touching the clockwork bird. He was seconds away from reaching the side of the clockwork when …
    “Done, I touched it, and strangely enough, nothing happened. Phew!” Said a relieved Rafi.
    “Told you. Now, let me do the next step, I’ll touch the tin soldier. Ok, here goes nothing, 3 … 2… 1…”
    “Done, you see nothing happened… Wait, what’s that noise, can you hear that?” Enquired Simone.
    “Yeah, what is it?”
    “I don’t know. Wait I feel something, I feel something in my bones. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. It just bit me!” Squealed Simone so scared that she was begging for someone to help her and rescue her from this nightmare of pain.
    “I feel that exact feeling as well! It is almost like a spider is crawling up your spine. Ouch!” Yelped Rafi as something also bit him like multiple quick but painful stabs. Then, after a few suspense moments, the painful sensations stopped, the crawling sensation came to a halt but one thing didn’t stop, their bodies started to feel like they were slightly expanding by the second. Only did they realise after two seconds that their bodies were as elongated and stretchy as some spaghetti. Although, if they look on the bright side, they were pretty flexible.

    “What do we do now?” Whined Rafi.
    “Well, since we have touched the two other items, it would be deluded not to touch the last item (the funny old doll, which was made of corn, tied together with ribbon) .” said Simone.
    “Wait, hold on, hold on, hold on… let me catch my breath. So your saying, after walking into somewhat of a haunted house and finding a mysterious suitcase with a creepy note and after doing two of the commands on the note, we should still carry on. Are you serious? You know what, perfect, what a perfect idea!” reasoned Rafi trying to bring Simone back to her sense.
    “Exactly, it is a perfect idea,” replied Simone, not understanding what the meaning of sarcasm was.

    “Right, I don’t think you want to touch the scary doll, therefore, I will do it. Ok for …”
    “Wait,” interrupted Rafi. “What if … if when you touch it and … and I might never … never see you … again.” stuttered Rafi with a tear lurking and swelling up in his eye.
    “We will,” replied Simone as she gently smiled a warm smile to cheer Rafi up.
    “But what if we don’t?” Asked Rafi with a concerned look on his face.
    “Well, in that case, promise me you will always remember me and I will forever be in your heart.” whispered Simone, laying her fist on Rafi’s chest emotionally.
    “Promise.” Replied Rafi hesitantly.
    “Ok, maybe for the last time ever, here goes nothing,” said Simone as she gently stroked the dusty, faded yellow strands of the doll’s hair. As she did this, she and Rafi felt a tickle, then a pull. Next came a yank and before they knew it, in the blink of an eye, they were witnessing themselves getting sucked into a ginormous whirlpool. Suddenly, their skin was itchy, their hands were growing (although their body was shrinking back to its normal size). Soon after, their hands went back to ordinary, and the itchy skin behaved itself and uncrusted itself again. After that unprecedented time in the whirlpool, they finally reached the end of it and they both fell out with a colossal thud.

    “What in the world is this place?” questioned Simone. Both Rafi and Simone stood astounded. They had just been sucked into a whirlpool with striking colours that they had never seen before and now they are in this strange place. Both children’s faces were awe-struck.
    “This is cool!” exclaimed Rafi running rapidly ahead of Simone.
    “Wait for me!” cried Simone as she ran as fast as her little legs could carry her until she saw Rafi sitting on a floating table.
    “Pull me up! Quick” shouted Simone as Rafi hoisted her up onto the table his bottom had already half-occupied.
    “So, Rafi. What do we do now?”enquired Simone slightly concerned about their new surroundings whilst swinging her dangling legs off the mysteriously floating table.
    “I guess, we are either dreaming or we are actually, physically in this alternative universe.” said Rafi with a bored expression.
    “Ok. Wait. Dude, Rafi. We must find the creepy doll, remember.” said Simone while her face lit up, literally.
    “First of all, how did you do that? You know, with your face. And second of all, how do you know we have to find that freaky doll.” Asked Rafi, wanting to know the answers to all of his questions so he could be as cool as Simone.
    “Unfortunately Rafi, I do not know how I did that, hence I cannot tell you how I did that. But, I know we must visit the doll because on the note it mentioned that when you touch the doll, you must come and see her.
    “Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s hop to it! Get it. Hop.” teased Rafi.
    “No I don’t get it.” giggled Simone.
    “Bet you can’t catch me!” Shouted Rafi, pleased to have his best friend by his side.
    “I bet I can!” Squealed Simone as she sprinted across, trying to catch her cheeky and chaotic friend.

    Rafi and Simone now set themselves a mission: to find and talk to the doll. Their journey was tough and challenging. Their first challenge in which they had to face while they were on their journey was to cross a bridge. But oh no, not any sort of ordinary bridge, no, it was a bridge filled with orangutans ready to kidnap them and feast on them for lunch. The second challenge they had to face while they were on their journey was to climb a floating cliff which was super windy, so windy that you could have easily been blown off and you could have fallen to your death. The third challenge they had to face was to cross a desert full of ghastly creatures and which was also infested with creepy crawlies such as pythons, wasps, tarantulas and eagles, ready and waiting for the right moment for them to strike and attack you, while you just stand there, not knowing you are their next victim. Their fourth and last challenge was to fly sky high in a hot air balloon and to land on the other side on an island where the doll lived whilst avoiding a swarm of angry birds which were flying around them ready to pop the hot air balloon at any moment. Luckily they made it alive through this all (do you think you could have done that)!

    Now Rafi and Simone had landed safely on the island. Legend says that one who enters the island must expect the unexpected if they want to get out of there alive! While they were on the island, Rafi realised something. He noticed that there was a lonesome hut standing in the middle of the island whilst the palm trees danced in the breeze.
    “Simone, look, there is a lonesome hut. I think the doll lives here.” yelled Rafi whilst waving his arms to try and grab Simone’s attention.
    “Really, ok then. Let’s knock on the door together.” replied Simone, panting as she was running back to Rafi so she could knock on the door with him. After Simone caught up, Rafi and her knocked on the door together and someone opened up the door. It was a figure in which you could tell it was worn out by its face. Its hair was grey and filled with dust and mould. The skirt and t-shirt of this figure wasn’t exactly what you would call ideal. Their shoes were filled with holes in the most unusual ways. In fact, this figure was indeed, the doll.

    “Sweet! Let’s go!” Said Rafi, whilst high-fiving Simone at the same time.
    “What do you want?” Questioned the doll, irritated to see them.
    “Well, we were wondering if you could, well, send us back home?” Asked both Rafi and Simone, scared at what the response may be.
    “Well, I don’t do nothing for no one for nothing.” sneered the doll.
    “Huh?” Replied Simone confused.
    “Let her speak.” Said Rafi.
    “I’m a him.” Replied the doll.
    “Huh? Now I’m confused.” Mumbled Rafi, hoping his brain won’t explode with all the confusing information he was being told.

    “Anyways, if you want me to send you back home, then solve this riddle correctly. You have 3 chances and no discussing or conferring with each other. The riddle is: What stays in one corner, but travels all around the world? Good luck finding the answer to that one, kids!” sniggered the doll mischievously, not caring the slightest if she or perhaps he, was being rude.
    “We are not kids!” Shouted Rafi back at the doll. He hated it when people called him and Simone kids because he didn’t want people to treat them like babies.
    “Leave it!” Replied Simone reassuringly whilst holding Rafi back, which helped stop him from fighting with the doll.
    “I don’t like that doll.” Mumbled Rafi.
    “It better not mess with us.”
    “I said no conferring.” Snapped the doll arrogantly.

    “Ok, back to the subject of the riddle. I think the answer is a human?” responded Simone with an anxious sensation in her stomach.
    “Nope.” Said the doll as a huge grin started to grow and spread across its face, from ear to ear.
    “Is the answer a box?” Questioned Rafi, desperate to know the answer.
    “No. You only have one chance left!” giggled the doll.
    “Shush! Stop being annoying dummy.” Yelled Rafi at the doll.
    “I can make you stay here permanently if you want.” Warned the doll exchanging glances at them both.
    “Wait, is the answer to the riddle, umm, a stamp?” Guessed Simone as she really wanted this nightmare to end.
    “What did you say?” Questioned the doll who thought his ears deceived it.
    “She said a stamp.” Said Rafi, clarifying what Simone had said.
    “What?” Said the doll in disbelief.
    “For the last time, she said a stamp. Now say if it is right or not!” Commanded Rafi as if he was somewhat more superior than the doll in this situation.
    “Fine. Yes she is right you will be back home in 3 … 2… 1…” said the doll, distraught that she had got beaten by a kid.

    After Simone and Rafi beat the doll they woke up with a start.
    “What in the name.” Said both Rafi and Simone at the same time. They had just realised, someone had splashed them with a bottle of cold freezing water.
    “What have you two been doing?” Enquired Simone’s Mum.
    “What happened?” Asked Simone.
    “Well, since you two didn’t come back from this place for a while, I decided to call you. Neither of you picked up your phone so I drove over and now here I am. Splashing you with cold, freezing, icy water.” Said Simone’s Mum.
    “How did you know where we were though? We didn’t tell you where we were going.” Questioned Rafi.
    “I used my location tracking app and it led me here! Another situation where mum saves the day, again!” Said Simone’s Mum, standing in her awkward superhero pose, embarrassing both her daughter and her daughter’s best friend.
    “Mum.” Moaned Simone as she was so embarrassed that she just wanted the ground to swallow her up whole. But then she didn’t want that to happen because she didn’t want to get stranded there too.

    “Rafi, your mum is at work doing a night shift so you will be staying in our house for the night but your mum will pick you up tomorrow afternoon, ok?” Said Simone’s Mum.
    “Yes Miss Sapphire.” Replied Rafi kindly.
    “Come on now. It’s getting late and the car is outside, let’s go.” Said Miss Sapphire.
    “Ok, coming!” said Rafi.
    “Simone, Wait.” Whispered Rafi, trying to get Simone to hear him.
    “Yes.” Answered Simone.
    “So, you know that doll dilemma.” Asked Rafi.
    “Yeah.” Said Simone.
    “What about it?” Responded Simone.
    “Well, was it just a dream? Enquired Rafi.
    “You bet!” Said Simone.
    “Ok, just checking. Right let’s hurry up before your mum gets mad at us!” Laughed Rafi.
    “Ok.” Said Simone giggling silently to herself.

    So Simone and Rafi ran to catch up with Miss Sapphire. They thought that the whole doll experience was fake but little did they know that the doll came right out of the whirlpool as soon as they left and was now following Rafi and Simone. Let’s hope they are safe, right? What’s the worst that can happen to them both!

  126. Rafi reached out to touch the object; Simone hastily stuck out her hand to stop him. “Did you not read what was on the paper?” She said with just a hint of irony in her voice. Despite her warning, he foolishly snatched up the old soldier. ” See!” He said with a tone of ‘I told you’ in his voice. ” Nothing happ-”
    “Give an old soldier a rest” someone croaked. A look of panic arose, almost simultaneously, on their faces. Rafi, his voice wavering, said ” Who’s there?”
    “My dears…” Said a voice “I am the cat”. The two children looked down, intrigued but puzzled. Standing there, was a yellow and purple polka-dotted toy cat. Its whiskers were oddly grey – for a manufactured cat. Its slightly bent posture made it seem old and wise, yet agile. Simone managed to stutter “but-but-b- y–ou’re- a toy c-cat” Simone suddenly went very pale. Her vision blurred. She collapsed.

    When she woke up, her face was wet and the cat rested on her stomach. She looked around desperately for Rafi. “My Dear. My Dear. Settle Down.” the cat purred. “That was a nasty fall.”
    At that moment, the tin soldier pointed a finger at her and croaked” Who are you” Suddenly, Simone remembered why she was here. In an equally demanding tone, she shouted “NO, WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE IS RAFI!?” She managed to spot him but he seemed to be playing, together with a patch work doll. She blinked. The doll stopped and turned to face her “Ah, honey. You’re finally awake.” Her head pounded. The cat pressed down on her chest, just as Rafi said” How are you?”
    Frustrated and very confused she muttered “I have just seen a talking cat, a very loud soldier and a playing doll but don’t worry, I am completely fine”. The cat pressed even harder on her chest. Reluctantly, she rested her head and listened to the old soldier scowl and the cat whisper” Thomas, they are just kids. “
    Still scowling, he retorted “If I was part dead {which I am} I would like to know.”
    Then, the only sound from Simone was soft breathing…

    By Euan Rolfe Hook Junior School

  127. It was a dark and stormy night two people mia and collette, were in a car… a white van.They both heard some noises but they that it was nothing. It was a loud sound getting louder, then with a quick turn the white van fell down. Mia and Collette we cramped to the floor pain…sorrow but they had a little air a… tiny air a pain dream but it was not a dream it was fright was on top of them but a little bit of air was there but before they die Mia said “The one thing I wanted to do is go Prom I had a nice Prom date he was a youtuber very famous and i was, his biggest fan I say but that will not happen it was two minutes before they… die.But Mia remembered that she had her Phone 10% before for the phone died Collette stopped talking so there could be more air so Mia can make the phone call she called her prom date, Cris Knight she said that she was trapped with Mia in a car can you save us the phone is 1% Cris says yes but the air is gone they are trapped but cris comes with the ambulance. They get Mia and Collette out but it was still death…pain and sorrow Cris was mad at himself, saying i should of been with you the whole way you going to the tea-party and you coming back but i was too busy filming my youtube channel it my fault you and Mia have blood all over your head side.3 weeks later the hospital help both the girls get back on their feet…they both missed prom it was sorrow Cris watch Mia but one night Mia was trying to sneak out but she down the stairs Cris heard a loud noise, he went to go and check it out it was Mia on the floor it looked like she passed out.But Cris saw that her leg was twisted so he took Mia back to the ER this bad luck will not stop un least Mia and Collette go to Prom so will.So cris made homemade prom for them and it was a wonderful night.
    THE END

  128. “Let’s try to touch one of them. I think we should touch the clockwork bird first. What do you think?” asked Simone, facing Rafi.
    “Okay,” replied Rafi, “At least were just touching it just for fun – just like what the note said.”
    Simone touched the clockwork bird. However, nothing happened.
    “Maybe we should touch a different toy,” Simone suggested.
    “I’ll touch the tin man.” insisted Rafi.
    Rafi touched the tin man. Although, nothing happened.
    “Nothing seems to be happening!” shouted Rafi, just as he was about to give up.
    Simone decided to touch the last old toy (which was a doll made out of corn tied with ribbon). Still, nothing happened.
    Simone wondered why nothing happened. Thinking hard of why nothing happened, Simone realised that they were touching each toy just for fun. Then, she thought of a theory.
    “Maybe if we touch two of the toys, it might cause us to change just like what the note said. On the other hand, I don’t want to change!”
    “Me neither.” responded Rafi.
    Simone continued to explain her theory,
    “If we touch all three of these toys, we get to see this mystery person – like it said on the note. I wonder who this person would be…”
    Intrigued to see this unknown person, Simone decided to touch all three toys. As she reached her hand towards the toys, Rafi stopped her.
    “Wait!” Rafi blurted, just as Simone was about to touch the toys.
    “I think we shouldn’t touch it! Who knows what will happen if we touch all three of the toys; it could be cursed!”
    “You’re just paranoid Rafi,”answered Simone, “And besides, I’m not scared. Maybe you shouldn’t of came with me to explore this old house when we found it.”
    “But we do everything together Simone. You’re my only friend and I don’t want to be left out and lonely like I always do.” said Rafi.
    “You’re right. We should go home: it’s getting late and dark outside. Let’s come back here tomorrow after school! Do you want to come?” asked Simone.
    Rafi looked down anxiously.
    “Rafi, I know you’re worried that we could be cursed by touching these toys but at least I’m with you and were doing this together!” consoled Simone.
    “Okay then. I’ll come.” Rafi sighed, feeling brave.
    Simone and Rafi tidied up the suitcase and hid it back in the cupboard – where the suitcase was originally – and they went home.

    The next day, Simone and Rafi met up with each other after school. They walked together to the old house. Simone and Rafi took out the suitcase from the cupboard and unpacked it.
    “I’ll put the note in my pocket just in case if we might need it.” Simone said.
    “Let’s touch the toys at the same time,” declared Rafi.
    “Three…two…one…” they counted, as they reached their hand to the old toys.
    When Simone and Rafi touched the toys, they disappeared.

    “AHH!” they screamed, as they were falling down from the sky. Luckily, someone used their magic to prevent Simone and Rafi from falling. She lowered them onto the ground slowly. Who is this is person?
    “Are you okay? Also, are you humans?” she asked curiously.
    “Were okay,” Simone answered, “and thank you for saving us! And yes, we are humans. My name is Simone and this is Rafi – my friend. Nice to meet you!”
    “Are you a fairy? Also, can you tell us where we are?” questioned Rafi.
    The fairy introduced herself,
    “My name is Aria. I’m indeed a fairy. This is Fairyland. If you can tell by the name of our land, fairies live here.”
    Aria, who was a fairy from fairyland, had lengthy, blonde hair; ocean eyes; a rose dress and boots.
    “Aria, we touched these three old toys that we found in an old suitcase which were: a clockwork bird, a tin man and a doll. I think that was how we ended up here.” Simone recalled.
    “That isn’t good,” gasped Aria, “Right now, Fairyland is under a curse that was created by the Witch of Curses.”
    “Who is the Witch of Curses?” asked Simone and Rafi.
    “The Witch of Curses,” explained Aria, “is a witch who creates curses; she is very powerful. Those toys you found are a curse. When you discovered these cursed toys, it caused our land to be cursed and the witch to rule the land . I overheard the witch saying that if any human beings end up here and are unable to break the curse within a week, they will be trapped here forever,”
    “Forever?!” exclaimed Simone and Rafi.
    “Don’t worry,” Aria reassured, “I saw the witch’s note on how to break the curse but only humans can. You need to break the toys at the same time you defeat the witch using her weakness,”
    “What is her weakness?” asked Rafi.
    “Her weakness is light,” she responded, “Anything that is very bright and strong will affect her.”
    “But why can’t you defeat her?” Simone asked.
    “We can’t make a portal to get the toys: The witch used her power to prevent us from using it to escape our land. Also, if you don’t break the curse the right way, us and our land will be cursed forever.”
    “That isn’t good,” mumbled Rafi.
    “Aria, can you please help us break the curse?” Simone pleaded.
    “Okay then,” she replied, “but she can’t know that you’re here and that I’m helping you or else I’m going to be in big trouble.”
    “Don’t worry Aria. At least were in this together!” reassured Rafi.
    “Alright then, ” Aria declared, “were going to have a bit of a long journey. Are you guys ready?”
    “Yes, we are!” Simone and Rafi exclaimed.
    “Let’s go!” insisted Aria.
    They started their journey to travel to the Witch of Curses’ castle.

    By Ciara
    St Helen’s Catholic Primary School
    Year 6

  129. Lucas (Year 7) English Martyrs’ School Leicester

    It was while they were exploring the old house that Rafi and Simone found the suitcase, stuffed into the back of an cupboard.

    “This looks old,” said Rafi, trying to find a way to open the lock.

    “There’s something inside,” said Simone. “It rattles when you move it.”

    They laid the case down on the floor, and eventually Simon discovered that if you pressed the clasp softly, the suitcase clicked open, the lid rising into the air. A sudden cloud of dust made the children cough, but once they had waved it away with, they saw what was inside. There were three very old looking toys, lying on a bed of crumpled tissue paper. A clockwork bird, with a key sticking out of the back. A tin soldier, with a brightly painted uniform, beginning to rust. And a funny old doll, made of corn tied together with ribbon.

    “Hey!” said Rafi. “Someone’s left a note on top.”

    It was as old as the suitcase, if not older. In spidery ink, on yellowing parchment, it read:

    Touch one, just for fun.
    Touch two, that will change you.
    Touch three, to come and see me.

    “Who do you think wrote that?” said Simone.
    “What shall we do?” said Rafi.

    There was a loud noise coming from the ceiling. It was sucking up everything in its path. Rafi and Simone panicked whilst thinking what the message meant. Where were they going? What does the message mean? Questions filled their heads but before you knew it, they were sucked up, into a long-lost world far away.

    Loud noises like trumpets played whilst Simone and Rafi tried to find out why they were here. Rafi was just standing up and he heard a deep voice beam “Do you know why you are here?” Simone and Rafi both took no hesitation to say “Yes.” The loud voice replied with, “You are here because you have awakened us and maybe if you had never opened this case, you all wouldn’t be in this mess but tough luck. The only way to escape is if you do as we say for a long time but there is a catch, you will be split up!” Simone and Rafi still don’t know where they were but they wanted to work it out together, not be slaved and be split.

    Rafi worked and worked and saw a key. He collected it and saw a door and it said ‘2020’ this was where he needed to go. He was really considering going but he could never forget his friend Simone. Rafi asked his leader for a break, he agreed. Rafi looked everywhere and nearly gave up until by a shop he was doing trades. “Simone, Simone I’m here, my name is Rafi remember, right?” He had no clue of him and Rafi had to walk away or else he’d be thrown.

    ‘’He was probably brain-washed,’’ thought Rafi on his way to his Leader. But then a thought got to him. Maybe if he sold the whole suitcase he would have enough to get an undo- brainwasher. So that’s what he did, he sold it and had more than enough to get one. All he needed to do is persuade him to come and do it. He had to give some of his money to his owners to act like he wanted to buy him.

    Luckily, it worked but cost him all the rest of his money. He guided Simone to the entrance and put the undo pill in his water. He drank it and everything came clear to him again. He thanked him. All they needed to do was run which they did and never let theIr curiosity do this to them ever again.

  130. Touch them obviously, said simone
    No I dont think we shou…, said rafi
    Simone leant in an touch all the toys
    Simone! Said rafi
    Whoops, said simone
    Well know what, said rafi
    The wall infront of them seemed to crack
    Uhh simone, said rafi as he poked simone to get him to look away from what he was doing
    Oh my gu…, said simone
    The boys were snatched by two alien like hand that flung through the cracks in the wall and snatched them and slithered back through the cracks and then poked an arm to close the case and put it back in cupboard to attract its next victims
    The cracks in the walls slowly filled back up leaving a normal looking room.

  131. ‘’ Hey let’s go to this abandoned house!’’ shouted Rafi . ok,” said Simone. While Rafi and Simone was exploring the old house it looked very creepy and the house lives as if under constant shadow, as if the sun keeps reaching for those walls that shrink away. And so it’s windows stay black without the rippling effect of the light. When they were walking, they saw this old rusty suitcase trying to find a way to open the lock. It was so dusty they couldn’t see anything in front of them. Eventually Rafi hit it with a rock and it opened, they saw so many stuffed toys, they wondered who put them there. They saw a note, probably older than the suitcase, it said. Touch one , just for fun. Touch two, that will change you.
    They felt a chill. ” I’m getting out of here,” said Simone. ” I’m not, I’m going to touch the toys and see what happens, said Rafi. He touched one toy, then three, and in a flash he disappeared into thin air. Simone tried to get out but he couldn’t open the door, many black bats came flying through the window, he was scared but somehow found a way to escape. He escaped through the window and put all the stuffed toys in the suitcase carefully and took that with him. He went to the cemetery at midnight, it was freezing cold his body was shivering as if he was about to turn into ice. He stuck mud on the suitcase and start burying it . It took him hours to do but finally did it. He hoped no one would ever take it and ever go to the abandoned house. May God have mercy!

    Adhya
    Handsworth grange school

  132. “Touch one because I’m bored?” said Simone.
    “No,no,no,no whatever you do, do not touch any of them,” said Rafi.
    “But Dad said I need to change if I want to go out on my own,” said Simone.
    “But still Simone, listen to your older brother,” said Rafi.

    But Simone wasn’t listening, he went and touched one. He then felt that he wanted to do it again. Rafi turned around and shouted “Nooo!”

    Simone had touched the tin soldier and the clockwork bird so he had been changed but not in the way he wanted. He started as a mischievous silly lazy boy who always got up to no good and ended up as a lazy flat 2 dimensional figure.

    Horrified at what had become of his younger brother, Rafi shrieked. He had only 2 choices, run away and be grounded for life for flattening his younger brother, or touch all of the 3 toys so he could see who had done this to his brother. He was about to choose the first option when he heard a whispery voice saying “ touch three touch three.” Rafi’s face turned pale, he became frozen in fear. His legs wouldn’t obey him as he moved towards the old box.His arms reached out and picked up the 3rd and final toy, the old doll.

    A figure descended. It was a woman who looked very much like the old doll. Rafi instantly bombarded her with a ton of questions
    “ Who are you?, what did you do to my brother?, why do you look so much like that doll?, are you evil?, do you eat children?” asked Rafi.
    The woman said “ Surely you must have heard of the Cursed Queen, I was a star back in the early 1000s when I was cursed by an old hag named Dauce Wayne. She said “If you don’t kill 3, you will die for a 1000 years and forced to look like a doll and be trapped for all eternity. If you wake, you have to kill 3 in 3 minutes.” I now need to kill 3 in 10 seconds before help!!!!

    Rafi asked “How do I save Simone?” Just then, in a flash of smoke, Dauce appeared. Rafi mumbled “ This is really not my day today.” Dauce said “Break 3, then I’ll set everyone free.” But Rafi had Simone’s hammer in his pocket (Simone snuck it in there to destroy his enemy’s house.)He broke all 3 toys in 3 seconds thus saving his brother, the cursed queen and himself from being grounded for his whole life, but little did he know, he set Dauce and every criminal in the world to wreak havoc on everyone…
    Ayman Y6 Pakeman primary

  133. With a puzzled expression.

    “ Is there anything else in there?” Murmured Simone leaning in for a closer look.

    “ No, nothing under the tissue, it is completely empty.” Groaned Rafi making sure he didn’t touch the toys.

    “ Should we touch them?” Added Simone “ I mean like, it tells us to but it doesn’t seem right. It’s probably an idiotic prank or something. I bet that’s why they dared us to come in here.”

    “ We could, take the toys and the suitcase home. I know it sounds crazy but it’s better figuring it out at home then in this decaying place.” Cautioned Rafi.

    They scanned the room around them, the room was perfectly preserved with mouldy furniture, forever crumbling wallpaper and a lonely rocking chair.

    “I think you’re right.” Simone answered prompting Rafi’s idea.” Grab the suitcase.” She said in a hasten tone.

    Rafi took the suitcase in hand, and they edged towards the door. Simone frantically whispered the haunting message which was written on the parchment. Simone stepped forward placing her clammy hand upon the door knob and twisted it.

    The door loomed towards them revealing a darkened abyss with little clue as to what was inside.

    “ Is this the way out?” Rafi asked when a lump caught his throat.

    They both stepped through the door not knowing the outcome.

    A unshakable chill crawled down their spine, one question remained, where were they?

    Rafi turned around as the door shut, but Simone did not move she was frozen as if fear himself was right beside her. Rafi started yelling trying to unlock the door, but it wouldn’t budge.

    Then the lights above them started to flicker, the room was coming to life. Suddenly the lights stopped to reveal an abandoned carnival mirror room. Simone, took some valiant paces forward to get a better look whilst Rafi searched the suitcase for an idea or way out.

    “Rafi look at the wall!” Simone hollered in fear and curiosity. Rafi got closer to see a small sign on a mirror which said:

    “ROOM 1: NOW RUN”

    At that precise moment creepy circus music boomed through the speakers, the ground shook and the mirror room elongated and grew. The door that was behind them was now long gone, but the suitcase remained by their side.

    “How, I…I, don’t understand.” Rafi mumbled looking startled. “ We have to get out but-”

    “ Run.” Simone blurted out interrupting Rafi. “Look Rafi, the mirrors.” Rafi looked up to see every mirror had one simple but horrifying word written on it ’RUN.’

    Adding to the chaos, the light dimmed and started to flicker as a baleful cackle broke the silence. The children gazed at each other with fear and pure shock, and turned to run. Rafi took five paces before he realised Simone wasn’t following. She had frozen in terror.

    “ Simone move…” he said trying to lead her away. “ WE HAVE TO GO!” He hollered at her to see any reaction. Rafi knelt down in despair, as the cackle grew closer and closer.

    He turned to the suitcase, his last hope and opened it.

    Rafi now sweating and eyes becoming foggier by the second for there was no help to be found in the raggedy suitcase.

    “What do I do?” Rafi shouted. He looked back at the note ‘touch one, just for fun’ what did this mean he thought to himself, what would happen if I did touch it?

    He looked at his options: a tin solider, clockwork bird or a voodoo doll. Wait, he thought a Voodoo doll, but who for? Maybe, it clicked in his head, I could use it against the figure.

    He held up the voodoo doll and detached a pin nesting in the dolls corn hand. Rafi took a breath in and stood up, just in time, and plunged the tip of the needle into the corn dolls heart. A sudden thud, the sound of a body hitting the floor.

    “ Rafi?” asked Simone in a shaken voice.

    “ Yes Simone, I am here, can you see me?”

    “Yes I can see you, what happened?” Murmured Simone.

    “I used the Voodoo doll against what was trying to catch us.” He looked to his hand to show the voodoo doll but it was gone, disintegrated.

    They packed up the suitcase and began to walk, the horrid music still playing on a loop. The mirrors still painted with ‘run’ even the ones which were cracked, they used mainly their hands to navigate around the mirrors.

    Rafi froze and patted Simone on the shoulder to signal for her to turn around.

    “ What is wr-“ Simone turned around, only barely finishing her sentence to see, three porcelain dolls just sitting there. The devilled things sat there with missing limbs and cracked faces and the worse thing of all, their eyes were watching the children. The lights started to flicker, every time a light went out another doll would appear, one after one until all the lights went out. A disturbing sight appeared when the lights turned on to show a circle of dolls around them.

    “Simone, what do we do?” Whispered Rafi.

    “ Rafi I don’t know about you but I have never been cornered by PORCELAIN DOLLS, so you think of something!” Whispered Simone in an aggressive tone. Rafi slowly made his way down to the suitcase.

    “ Good idea, but do it slowly they’re watching you.” Whispered Simone.

    Rafi looked up to see Simone was right, all of the dolls ( the ones with eyes) were staring at him. He closed his eyes and reached into the suitcase and grabbed what first touched his hand, the tin solider.

    “I got the tin solider what do I do?” Whimpered Rafi. He then reached the note as Simone didn’t reply, “touch two to change” you he read.

    “Rafi look, they want the tin solider!”

    Rafi looked to see, clutching the tin solider in his sweaty palm. The porcelain dolls were dragging themselves towards the solider, they wanted it for themselves. Rafi moved it around in the air to see if their eyes followed it and they did. He stood up slowly and threw the tin solider back were they had came, the porcelain dolls froze then followed after the solider.

    “Run!” Shouted Simone as Rafi and Simone edged away from the dolls. They took the suitcase and walked through the once again abandoned maze.

    “ Do you think we will ever get out of here ?” Asked Simone sounding a bit defeated.

    “ Of course we will .” Said Rafi unsure if he was right or not.

    The light started to flicker again till they all went out, Simone and Rafi froze prepared to see a horrifying monster but nothing showed.

    “ What is happening, why hasn’t anything appeared ?” Said Simone curiously.

    “ I am not sure, how are we suppose to get out if we can’t see ?” Rafi mumbled.

    “ Wait, we can use the bird, remember it said on the note ‘touch three to come and see me,’ so get it out quick!” Simone said.

    Rafi put his hand in the suitcase and pulled out a mechanical bird with flashing lights. He wound up the bird and it hopped off his palm and led the way. Simone and Rafi shared a smile and followed the bird. They managed to guide themselves through the dark, till they came to a door.

    “ A door look, I told you we where going to get out of here!” Rafi said excitedly and somewhat relieved. He opened the door and the bird flew in followed by Rafi and Simone. The door shut again leaving the suitcase outside, the bird clattered against the wall.

    ” What is the bird doing?” asked Simone suspiciously.

    ” Look there is a message underneath the wallpaper, the bird is trying to show us something.” Rafi added

    Simone and Rafi pulled down the old flowered wallpaper, it took them a while to see as there was no light in the room. After their eyes adjusted to the gloom, they saw a terrifying message: ” GOOD BYE !!”

    By Olivia Scott, Age 12
    Purbrook Park School

  134. “RAFI AND SIMONE!!!” shouted their mum, interrupting them. “Dinner’s ready and I’m going to work.” Their mum never told them what she did for a living and they always wondered.
    “Ok,” they both said.
    A few minutes later, they were downstairs stuffing their face with food on the old, antique table but they both knew that they were in no rush. As soon as they were finished, they marched up the creaky, wooden stairs.
    Simone stated, “I’ve got it. I know what to do.” “What, tell me,” demanded Rafi. “It said one for fun so let’s pick up the clockwork bird,” Simone said.
    Picking this up, changed their life. How, u ask? Well, Rafi being clumsy dropped it and it broke into a million pieces; inside was a note which read: Upstairs there is a small, fake birch, Look around it to help your search.
    They took all the toys when in a blink of an eye Rafi’s hand turned into metal like the soldier. They soon realised the second part of the riddle ‘touch two and you will change’. But they were also holding three so what happened? The funny, old doll spoke in a way that soothed them saying, “Find all the clues to reach your destination.” The thing was it didn’t match up with what the last part of the riddle was saying.
    About ten minutes later, Rafi’s hand had gotten back to normal and they had found the birch. “What a coincidence!” exclaimed Simone in her high-pitched voice. “Let’s continue looking for the next clue,” commanded Rafi in a rude way. Something was bothering him. Was it his missing dad or the fact his mum was acting different?
    Simone asked him, “What’s wrong?” He answered, “I just can’t do this anymore- our life’s messed up and you know it. Dad’s missing and mum has been acting so secretive.” They broke down into tears for ages until at the corner of his eye, Rafi noticed the next note and grabbed it.
    I see you have found it Look for me in a bit Follow the traces and Don’t forget to tie your laces
    Sprinting as fast as they could, they followed the footsteps and it led all the way to a place that they were forbidden to go to- the attic. When they tried to open the door, it wouldn’t budge because it was locked, so they decided to take a few steps back and break it, which they did. “Three. Two. One.!” they both screeched in unison. Rafi and Simone went flying into the room. Someone unexpected was in there. Someone no one had thought to be in there. Someone who they missed. Their mum with a gun and their dad tied up to a chair with tape on his mouth. Their own mother was about to kill Rafi and Simone’s biological father…

    Mercy, 11, Horn Park Primary

  135. “I dunno but we gotta do something with this,” declared Simone

    “Maybe we should take it back home?” Simone answered

    “I mean it was only a note, but, maybe it has something to do with it?” Rafi, answering curiously.

    “Touch one.. Just for fun. Touch two that will change you.. Touch three, to come and see me.” Both of them mouthed.

    Tapping three times. A figure appeared.

    “Woah!” they both shrieked.

    The doll instantly disappeared and turned into dust. It was like it exited the doll.

    “I shall grant you one wish!” demanded the figure.

    Both, Simone and Rafi shivered in horror.

    So they both think of one thing, and the next day…
    It came true.

    Dovas, 11, Horn Park Primary

  136. They sat in silence for a few moments, what to do? What did come and see me mean? Would it lead them into danger, would it be fun, would they go back in time?

    “Let’s find out who they are!” exclaimed Simone. Excitement and fear both in her voice. She didn’t wait for Rafi to reply. She grabbed all three of the ancient toys in her arms, looking for clues. Seconds later Rafi’s jaw dropped as he realised that Simone’s foot was fading. Within seconds Simone realises it to. Her piercing screams of terror were almost enough to shatter the window in the house. As her long legs were swallowed Rafi decided to join her in the hope that they would find a better world. He did not think about the consequences. He did not know they were being engulfed by an invincible enemy.

    They thought they must have fallen asleep as they were in the room with the suitcase but the toys were gone. They went downstairs to tell their parents. They searched the kitchen, the bathroom and finally the living room. With petrified faces they saw their father with a frown on his face.

    “You’ve found me!” he exclaimed with a frog in his throat.

    “Hello father,” they mumbled. “W W Where are we?” whispered Simone.

    He gave them a smile and then explained how he had read about an ancient Mayan legend that could double a world for a person and their close family. He went on about how you could split the entrance into three things. A clockwork bird. A tin soldier. A corn doll.

    He went onto explain that you create the world. “Look outside,” said Dad pointing through the window.

    Simone and Rafi gazed out, but all they could see was white. White just like a blank canvas.

    “How do you create it?” enquired Simone.

    “You imagine it!”, answered Dad He said, “Try it. Imagine your favourite things, your best friends, your family and create your own story. What would you like the world you live in to be like? What would you like to do? Do you want to travel, see the oceans and the forests? Do you want to be a scientist and help cure disease?”

    As dad spoke, Rafi and Simone realised what the letter meant, one thing is easy to play with but we need more imagination to play together, to make everything fit into our story.

    Daniel, 11, Horn Park Primary

  137. “Let’s just touch once,” replied Simone.

    Obeying Simone, Rafi touched once.Silence.
    Nothing happened.The two children were
    tempted to touch it again therefore touched it
    again.

    “Simone what is happening,why are you
    growing a tail?” questioned Rafi.

    “And why are you growing a horn?” whispered
    Simone anxiously.

    The idea of running away approached them
    but as they we’re leaving but Simone
    accidentally tapped the box and
    suddenly a portal appeared in front of
    the students and sucked them in.

    The disappearance of Simone and Rafi
    is yet to be detected.

    Sajika, 11, Horn Park Primary

  138. ‘ I don’t really know, but I think we don’t need to touch these toys.’ said Simone
    ‘But why will someone leave some toys here for such a long time?’ said Rafi
    ‘Maybe those who put this suitcase here know that we will come.’ said Simone
    ‘how could they know we were coming?’said Rafi
    Boys readed the note again and thinked what that might mean
    ‘Here is said that if you touch two toys it will change you.’said Rafi
    ‘So?’said Simone
    ‘So .. this means that i can’t touch two toys and you can’t touch two toys but only one for fun.’ said Rafi
    ‘You are sure that nothing will happen?’ said Simone
    ‘ I am sure.’
    Rafi takes the soldier , and Simone takes the old doll .
    ‘See , I said that nothing will happen.’ said Rafi
    But then Rafi saw how Simone’s hair turned in a dark yellow colour.
    ‘Aaaaaaaaaaa!!!!’ shouted Rafi
    ‘What happened ?’ said Simone scared
    ‘Yo-your hair is blond.’ said Rafi
    ‘ What are you talking about?’ said Simone
    Simone saw a mirror and ran to it.
    ‘H-how it happened?’ said Simone
    ‘The toys….. ‘
    ‘But you don’t touch two toys . How can it happen?’
    Both boys were shocked. Then Rafi decided to took the ast toy from suitcase and the toy from Simone’s hand
    ‘What are you doing?!’
    “On the note it said if you touch three toy I will go to see him.’ Then Rafi filed a strange, cold wind , and thunders were heard louder and louder. Then a strange man appeared in front of the boys .
    ‘Dad?! ‘ said Rafi

    Anastasia,11 Horn Park Primary

  139. Amelie Year 6 Ambler
    “What do you think the note means Rafi?”Simone said with a puzzled and intrigued look on her face.
    “I want to touch them Simone.Oh do let me touch them” Rafi said excitedly. “I think the toys are magical. I really do Simone.Oh let’s touch them”. He could hardly contain himself jumping up and down
    “Rafi, do calm down.They are only a bunch of old toys. The note could mean anything.Anyway we’ve got the rest of the house to explore”.Simone was trying to calm him down.
    Rafi looked at the toys again then he glared at the note.He gently touched the clockwork bird. Nothing happened then he touched the tin soldier, still nothing.Simone was growing weary, she rolled back her eyes but had a rye smile.Then finally he touched the corn doll.
    Immediately there was a thick cloud of smoke covering the whole area. Rafi and Simone had frozen still. The toys were in the case but the cloud of smoke was so thick it was hard to see.
    Then slowly the cloud of smoke cleared. a faint noise could be heard. The children were in a state of bewilderment.They seemed to be in a daze for what seemed to be an eternity.Rafi and Simone both stared at each other, unsure as to what was happening.Rafi rubbed his eyes and to his amazement he saw a beautiful bird, a gleaming life size tin soldier and a life sized ragged corn doll.But they weren’t toys. They were real. Simone was gobsmacked.She just stood there with her jaw dropping, completely and utterly speechless.Neither of them had seen a real life full size tin soldier and ragged corn doll.The bird though was beautiful.It wasn’t clockwork anymore it was magical. Truely magical.They were real not just a bunch of old toys anymore.
    “See Simone I told you! I said they were magical toys” Rafi shouted.
    “I…I….I can see that”Simone stuttered,still staring in awe.
    “Thank you my dear friends” a beautiful voice said. It was the bird.
    “You have brought us back to life,after a 100 years. The curse has finally been broken. How can we ever repay you my dear friends” the bird added.
    “An evil witch put a curse on us, a long long time ago in a land far far away.She turned us into toys and then we were left in this suitcase for all this time.Only the touch of a kind hearted, gentle, caring soul would set us free.”said the doll.She has the most softest, sweetest, beautiful voice.
    “We…we..we” Rafi stuttered. “ We just moved into the house own the lane.I’ m Rafi, this is my sister Simone. We just wanted to explore this old empty house”.
    “Well my dears, you do not realise what you have done.You have saved us.But now the time has come for us to go home.We shall meet again. This is just the beginning.Your adventures have just begun my friends.”said the bird.
    And with that a massive cloud of smoke engulfed them again.Then the toys, well the magical toys, were gone.They had vanished just like that.

  140. My Competition Entry
    It was while they were exploring the old house that Rafi and Simone found a suitcase, stuffed into the back of a cupboard.

    “This looks old,”said Rafi, trying to find a way to open the lock.

    “There’s something inside,”said Simone. “It rattles when you move it.”

    They laid the case down on the floor, and eventually Simone discovered that if you pressed the clasp softly, the suitcase clicked open, the lid rising into the air. A sudden cloud of dust made the children cough, but once they had waved it away, they saw what was inside. There were three very old looking toys, lying on a bed of crumpled tissue paper. A clockwork bird, with a key sticking out of the back. A tin soldier, with brightly colored uniform, beginning to rust. And a funny old doll, made of corn tied together with ribbon.

    “Hey!” said Rafi. “someone’s left a note on top.”

    It was as old as the suitcase, if not older. In spidery ink, on yellow parchment, it read:
    Touch one, just for fun.
    Touch two, that will change you.
    Touch three, come and see me.

    “Who do you think wrote that?” said Simone.
    “What shall we do?” said Rafi.

    “I know we will destroy it!” shouted Simone.

    “We can’t, not yet , we have to investigate further.” “ I am going to touch it,” said Rafi.

    So he went casually (as if he wasn’t terrified) towards the suitcase and touched the first toy, the clockwork bird. Then a voice wailed:

    “Touch one, just for fun.”

    Simone could hear it but the person touching it (which was Rafi) didn’t hear a thing. This was because Simone tried to talk to him but got no response. Suddenly he began to laugh in a very creepy, trance like state. Simone was terrified!

    Then he thought to himself why would this happen; he only touched it once. Simone assumed that he was in a trance or spell.
    “Just for fun!” exclaimed Simone, “when you laugh you’re having fun!”

    “I know how to break the spell.” “I have to say the chant again.”

    “Just for fun”

    Then the spell broke and Rufi was free, but to Simone’s surprise his deluded friend had already touched the second and third toys . Then, he transcended into a toy that looked like him. He was now cursed forever to be a slave of the toy maker.

    Simone remained petrified as he had to watch his best friend perish blaming himself for his untimely demise.

    “TIK,TOK,TIK,TOK,TIK,TOK”

    Then he figured out the mystery of the missing people in his neighbourhood. He was speechless; there were no words to describe how petrified he was. He went home that night trying to pretend that none of that had happened but it was impossible his best friend and many others had perished.

    He took the case with him and he went to bed and in his dream his friend warned him about touching the items and the consequences. Simone was sweating and his heart was racing but he didn’t listen to his friend because he blamed himself too much.

    So Simone did the same thing that Rufi did and touched all three items and he to along with all the others perished ; was cursed to forever be the toy maker’s slave as a doll.

    “TIK,TOK,TIK,TOK,TIK,TOK”

    “ARE YOU NEXT?”

  141. They stared into each other’s eyes with distress. They were children, after all. Children who had discovered something unusual, interesting, yet frightening. Simone had begun to shiver, a bead of cold sweat on her brow, her eyes searching the room, afraid someone would be watching. It was Rafi, the bravest, who broke the oppressive silence.
    „Let’s play with the toys. Someone must have written the note as a joke. After all, it’s just a tattered, old suitcase with tattered, old toys“.

    „All right, but be careful“, whispered Simone.
    Rafi ignored her friend’s warning and reached for the clockwork bird.
    „Ouch!“ she whimpered, when a shard of chipped paint scraped against her thumb. Already a droplet of blood had escaped from the cut.
    „I don’t think this is a good idea…“ said Simone hesitantely.
    „So you’re scared“, replied Rafi.
    „Well…“,
    „Come on, don’t be. It’s just a cut.“

    Simone, to show she wasn’t scared, thrust her hand into the suitcase and grabbed the tin soldier with force. Once the toy had been placed in her hand, she realised how small it was compared to the others. It fit snugly between her index finger and thumb. She observed it more closely, still wary. Its eyes were made of spherical blue beads, and one was missing. The soldier’s hair was unevenly short, with longer wisps towards the back. The paint on his uniform was a faded crimson colour, and when she felt for the sides of the object, she discovered that a thin line divided its torso in two.
    „Rafi, look!“ Rafi leaned towards the toy, curious. She saw what Simone was pointing at, and was suddenly not so fearless anymore. „There must be something inside.“
    Simone inserted the end of her fingernail between the two wooden sides, and with a sharp twist of her finger managed to open the soldier. Inside was another crumpled note, even more puzzling than the first. Simone read the text aloud:
    „What lies beneath this note here will make you sweat with even more fear“.
    „What does it mean?“ asked Rafi.
    „I don’t know“

    Simone lifted the note, and saw that there was another object lying beneath the thick layer of dust that lined the soldier’s interiors. Rafi brushed it off with her fingers, and discovered a ring. It must have been a copper colour once, but it had now tarnished and was of a bright green colour. It was of an unusual size: too small for a human’s finger, but perhaps… she took the doll from the suitcase, and tried to place the ring on its only finger. The others appeared to have been ripped off with force, for there was stuffing where a set of five fingers once was. But the ring had stuck to her finger, she couldn’t get it off, no matter how hard she or Simone pulled. In a last attempt to free Rafi from the small object, Simone pulled one last time, stronger than before. This force sent her back and against another wardrobe on the opposite wall. The gargantuan, wooden doors opened with a click, and Simone was swallowed by the dust. Rafi rushed to her friend, but she never managed to save her, for when she stood up, a scream echoed in the room, the light bulb cracked and both girls were engulfed by the thick, palpable darkness that left no space to breathe.

    Alice Gelosi, Year 9, 14 years old.
    The Grey Coat Hospital Secondary School

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