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Congratulations to Olivia and Louisa- the Carr Hill winners of the We are Reading short story competition. Please see below for their stories. 

The Monster That Haunts My Slumber By Louisa Armer

I am running through the shopping centre sweating. My head is pounding as I dart through crowds of busy shoppers. A creature covered in an unpleasantly thick and slippery liquid substance is chasing me. He is getting close. He is catching me. He is grabbing for me.

I wake up with sweat streaming down my face, a terrible shriek can be heard and then I realise, it is me! It was the nightmare again. The monster that haunts my slumber every night has returned. My mum rushes into the room looking worried, but when she sees my face she understands that it was him again. She tip-toes downstairs and comes back up a minute later with a mug of creamy milk and a warm, loving smile.

Apprehensively, I lie back down again, willing him to stay away. Secretly, I know that he won’t; he never does! He never will. Smelling a vile stench, I creep downstairs and see something in the kitchen. The moving object is sat on the stool. I become jittery and tense. The object turns around and I see the repugnant blob that is the monster once again. Pinching myself I am aware that I am not dreaming. It really is here; the repulsive, spine-chilling, revolting thing.

I look around for my mum and realise that I am sweating yet again, unable to stop. The brute turns around and suddenly I am petrified. All my fears have been rolled into one night! This shouldn’t be happening. Beastly groans begin to escape from the fiend as it gets closer towards me. I step backwards as a shiver runs down my spine. Its fiercely bloodshot eyes terrify me, but I daren’t step back again. It reaches out and pulls me into a warm embrace. I close my eyes again and feel my dad holding me; he died three years ago, how is he here again?

“Dad?” I whisper as tears begin to seep from my eyes. They roll down my cheeks. When they reach dad’s shoulders, he disappears. I gasp and step back, once again feeling the cold and slimy skin of the ogre.

Suddenly, it pulls me close and I am hugging my sister Ashley. But, Ashley is in Spain studying for her A Levels; she can’t be here, can she? This has to be a trick. Or is it real? Is she really here? No! I push her away and then see the creature again.

Screaming, I pummel my fists into its colossal belly. The beast doesn’t even flinch! It grabs hold of my fists and holds them above my head.

“I can show you your close earthlings if you follow me. They can all be with you.” It grumbles tugging me into a large hole in the centre of the room. I weigh out my options; get my dad and sister back or stay here with my mum. I can’t leave her…alone. But then, the thought of being with my dad makes me break into a wide grin, so I step forward and wait to be pulled through by this unknown brute.

 

The Escaping Fairy By Olivia Smith

She flew around flashing her sequin purse in all the other fairies’ eyes. Arlette was an obnoxious fairy who lived in Pearlpeak in the East of Earthsgate where the population was approximately 200 (fairies). Despite the amiable and innocent looks, Arlette was a loathsome, insufferable and an abhorrent part of existence. All the other fairies absolutely despised her and no-one ever asked her to participate in any training or activities.

Arlette lived alone inside her flower on top the floating discuss pushed away into the corner near Earthgate’s end where it lead into human life.

Every day Arlette would try to fly out into the human world yet she always failed because of the plucky guards there to stop trespassers.

Every attempts had failed…so far. This time, she decided, she would do it. Today she would do it.

Flying at 400mph, heading straight towards the gateway she was aiming to escape into the land that she had never ventured into before. Flying faster by the second, she turned into a blur.

She was getting closer. She was 1km away from the gate, speeding as fast as she could just to get away from this land that is ruled by what humans believe are “fantasy creatures”.

She was 100 metres away now and the anticipation was swiftly building!

5 metres away.

She did it! She reached the gateway, but as she did Arlette instantly felt a force pulling her back through. Before she knew it, Arlette was suddenly on down on the floor starting to lose consciousness.

“Arlette, are you awake yet?” A soft voice whispered gently. Solana, her childhood friend, her only friend, was looking over her.

“Solana, what are you doing? I thought you didn’t care for me now? I though you hated me and my obnoxious characteristics.”

“Well that was then. Now I see good inside of you. I finally understand that you are just a curious fairy and are a little different from the others.”

“Ok. I truly thought that no-one would ever care for me again!”

“I see the look in your eyes every time that you head to that gate. I see you every time. I am one of the guards and have been for many years.”

“Thank you for looking out for me. But, why did you bring me here?”

“I see inside that you could be a kind fairy and be with the rest of us in training. I can teach you the ways of the good fairies as long as you promise that you will be dedicated.”

“I will. I now see what you mean. I do know that I can be a little obnoxious at times and that I should tone it down a little.”

“Training starts tomorrow at 8am. Be there and be ready!”

The next morning Arlette stayed true to her promise and continued to do so for the next ten months. She was dedicated and learned from Solana and how to be like the others. Finally, after a year, Arlette became a kind, joyful fairy who never showed obnoxious looks or any other unpleasant characteristics. She eventually became a guard on the gate and could fufill her curiosity by looking into the human world.

 

 

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