Name | Contact Email Address | Age Group | Title of your Entry | Your Entry (up to 500 words) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Catherine Jackson | cathyhelenj@yahoo.co.uk | Adults: over 18 | Eilean | She laid the things she had collected on the flat pebbles. A pair of razor shells, a mermaid’s purse, a bladder as big as the grouse’s eggs they’d found earlier, a pure white shell, a piece of sea urchin, a tiny grey-flecked red stone. One piece per pebble.
‘Look mummy, come and see!’
There was no reply. She looked up. There was the patch of grass and the twists of heather beside the flat grey boulder where they’d been sitting. But her mother wasn’t there.
She ran up the bank to where the track led away across the muir. There was the glimmer of the lochans and the silhouette of the dark mountain looming into the sea. Earlier she had felt she could reach out and clasp it, but now it was huge and seemed to glower.
At the far end of the beach were the jagged rocks she’d scrambled over and hurt her hand on. The thrum in her ears was like the pricking of the sharp rushes they had walked through for what seemed like miles and miles. She set off through the thick myrtle towards the headland.
‘Mummy?’
A curlew’s cry sounded above her head. She watched it swoop down onto the shoreline beyond the black line of the seaweed. There was nothing else.
The rocks were further away than she had thought and when she reached them the sun was already going down. From here she could see all across the bay to the black arch on the promontory of the island and the waves building against it. The sea was otherwise silent; a flat grey curve. Leaning her head against the stone she nestled her back into it; it comforted her. She unfurled her fingers and with her left hand traced the web of lines through the rock: the dark grey, the pink, she felt both the hard crystals and the smooth warmth beneath her fingertips.
Foinaven, Arkle, Stac Pollaidh
Her mother had named them as they had travelled north.
Quinag, Suilven, Stac Pollaidh.
She tried to remember the order and their shape.
Foinaven, Arkle…
The white sand, the purple thrift, the tiny eyebright.
High above her, on the horizon the line of mountains seemed to have moved closer. They glowed pink.
Her mother came down the hillside.
‘Hey, treasure lamb, are you asleep?‘
She sat down beside her daughter and reached her arm around her.
‘Look what I’ve found,’ she said and in her palm was a collection of small stones. ‘On the mountain tops there are jewels,’ she said and leaned her head against her small child. |
Catherine Jackson | cathyhelenj@yahoo.co.uk | Adults: over 18 | Eilean | She laid the things she had collected on the flat pebbles. A pair of razor shells, a mermaid’s purse, a bladder as big as the grouse’s eggs they’d found earlier, a pure white shell, a piece of sea urchin, a tiny grey-flecked red stone. One piece per pebble.
‘Look mummy, come and see!’
There was no reply. She looked up. There was the patch of grass and the twists of heather beside the flat grey boulder where they’d been sitting. But her mother wasn’t there.
She ran up the bank to where the track led away across the muir. There was the glimmer of the lochans and the silhouette of the dark mountain looming into the sea. Earlier she had felt she could reach out and clasp it, but now it was huge and seemed to glower.
At the far end of the beach were the jagged rocks she’d scrambled over and hurt her hand on. The thrum in her ears was like the pricking of the sharp rushes they had walked through for what seemed like miles and miles. She set off through the thick myrtle towards the headland.
‘Mummy?’
A curlew’s cry sounded above her head. She watched it swoop down onto the shoreline beyond the black line of the seaweed. There was nothing else.
The rocks were further away than she had thought and when she reached them the sun was already going down. From here she could see all across the bay to the black arch on the promontory of the island and the waves building against it. The sea was otherwise silent; a flat grey curve. Leaning her head against the stone she nestled her back into it; it comforted her. She unfurled her fingers and with her left hand traced the web of lines through the rock: the dark grey, the pink, she felt both the hard crystals and the smooth warmth beneath her fingertips.
Foinaven, Arkle, Stac Pollaidh
Her mother had named them as they had travelled north.
Quinag, Suilven, Stac Pollaidh.
She tried to remember the order and their shape.
Foinaven, Arkle…
The white sand, the purple thrift, the tiny eyebright.
High above her, on the horizon the line of mountains seemed to have moved closer. They glowed pink.
Her mother came down the hillside.
‘Hey, treasure lamb, are you asleep?‘
She sat down beside her daughter and reached her arm around her.
‘Look what I’ve found,’ she said and in her palm was a collection of small stones. ‘On the mountain tops there are jewels,’ she said and leaned her head against her small child. |
luke | luke.keating@ullapoolhigh.org.uk | Third/Fourth Level: S1-3 | the regretiviator | The regretivator
In a faraway land, there was a kingdom called Kinlochbervie, known for its wealth and prosperity. In this land, there were at least 65,402 houses and shops selling clothes, food, and other things, as well as blacksmiths making weapons like crossbows and longswords. Over 43,048 people lived in the kingdom.
It was a normal day for us—not sure if it’s normal for you people reading this—the kingdom was in flames, as always, because of Greguria, the inferno dragon. So, life went on. Nothing new was happening; everything was fine. No one’s dying… yet.
Anyways, I was in my hut, looking at the flames, wondering what could happen next. Then I heard buzzing, and a red light illuminated the floor of my hut. Everything started to levitate—my cups, my tables, my chairs, everything. Then, I saw the top of an elevator. It arose from the ground, and the elevator door opened slowly. Inside, there was a sign saying “The Regretivator.”
I walked inside, wondering what would happen. The door closed, and it sank into the ground. When the elevator door opened, there was this room, revealing a bug. Playful music was playing as he asked for stones. He said it was pointless until he found the purpose for it—to win this minigame.
So, I had to run as fast as I could, gathering all the stones I could find. I spotted one behind a tree, and others were scattered all over the room. I saw a stand that said “Stones” on the top panel. I looked behind it and saw two stones. Five minutes were left, and I had eighteen more stones to find.
I ran to the other side of the room and found more stones laid out in a broken line, leading to something. It counted up to eight stones, guiding me into a dimly lit hallway. The only
The light in the hallway was a scorched torch. I saw A little red dot shimmered in the far distance. My footsteps echoed along the hall, nothing but my thoughts filling my head, blocking out all other noise i lost myself in thought my footsteps felt louder and more invasive to my mind my ears were ringing it started hurting grows stronger barely move my hand i forced it up to my ear i then brought it back down to realise my ears were bleeding i collapsed barely being able to see anything i saw a blurred outline of something it disappeared before i could try makeout what it was.
i heard a loud crack just before the floor gave way and i feel into an inky abyss falling endlessly i couldn’t tell if i was falling or just floating there |
Rachel Paterson (Venture North – Friend of Geopark) | rpat2702@gmail.com | Adults: over 18 | Walk Up Ben Stack – A Raven in Flight | “Come away, come away,” he cries, voice harsh with croaking calls and feet nimble as he hops along the wall. “Come away, to the hills and the skies.” His bright, beady eyes hold glimmers of sunlight as he bends and leaps. “Come away, come away and fly!” Dark wings catch on a twist of wind, and he soars into the air.
Bound to earth, she latches the gate with weather-worn hands, rich dirt clinging to her touch under fingernails and in the crevasses of her skin. Her solid steps ring down the lane with the creak of old leather boots, and her heartbeat goes thud, thud in her ears as her lungs fill and expand. The mountain rises before her.
Overhead he spirals and turns while she zigzags below, pushing through peaty bog with grasses and insects clinging like a web. Her feet strike the hard bones of earth pushed through mossy skin, sparkling veins dazzling and glinting in the light. Sprays of white bog-cotton bob like the tufts of long-legged deer that bounce away as she approaches, caught with the fear of all hunted things, that they must not be too slow, too trusting, too tame.
On and on she climbs as her guardian dips and twists in the sky, a bright blue endless expanse of hazy horizon baring naked hills scrubbed clean of earthy things. Ancient stony peaks remembering days when they were tall enough to reach that brilliant blue, a land birthed from fire and the clash of rock and ice. Sweat drips sharp and tangy down her face, running in pools and rivulets, leaving a salty trace to bless the ground below.
And at the summit, above all things and with a feeling so clear that there exists nothing else in this world but her own self, he dances and loops in the wind, freed from any shackles of the earth as he croaks his delight and flips over again and again to show his fearless freedom against the world below.
So, she sits, and she watches. And just for a moment she feels kindred spirit in soul, so far above the world that troubles and memory are far away, and she too is a raven in flight, dancing in the wind. |
Angus Curley | sian.curley@highland.gov.uk | Second Level: P5-7 | The Quest of Quell | One day there was a Chief the Chiefs name is Carl And Carl lived in a lovely Village called Elphin. It is a nice village because it has lots of good prices on the sheep sales.
It has Lots of blacksmiths and othr stuff and shepherd’s. But one day the animals told them that there was a massive dragon coming. They said that the dragons name was Gaida. Gaida is the powarfulest dragon in the hole entire world.
So what chief Carl did is he got all of his Men and all of his blacksmith and said this “there’s a massive dragon coming called gaida. So who’s gonna fight this beast?” Silence. Then this little boy called Quell said “I’ll do it I’ll defeat the Dragon”. Carl chief just laughed and said “do you you’re just a little boy how can you defeated dragon as big as gaida?” “Just wait and see. I’ll figure it out one way or another but I dare say I’m gonna need some help so does anyone want to help me please?” Another person called Paul he said “I’ll help you I’ll help defeat the Dragon”. Now Paul was a big and I mean big muscly man so Quell was like “oh yeah I’ll take you” and then he picked this other guy called Mickdoo. Handsome.
Anyways they set off on a quest and they got all of their materials. See what they had planned this dragon first before it had any time to tag them. So they got all the good armor and they got on their horses. They got all the wood creatures because their friends are the wood creatures.
They set off and they met quite a lot of problems on the way but that I will tell you that on the way. So the first problem was they when they got as far as one mile they reached this river and it was already a day. So they set up camp near a nice little river where they all took lovely baths and caught fish but it turns out there were no fish in this river so food was very hard to get. They had to get berries and stuff because they did not have any food and it was very Very hard night. Eventually it was morning time and then I just said “yawn yawning Let’s Go finish the quest” so then they got on their horses packed all the stuff and went galloping galloping and galloping some more.
when Quell stop the horses he slowly got off his horse grabbed his bow and arrow. just before he fired “damn it back of the head” and a really hard stone hit him and then he couldn’t remember anything more. Quell woke up he was in this dark dark place he shouted “teammates where are you” and he heard “over here beside you” and he could feel it was a stone floor of some sort.He didn’t have his weapons or his armor so he couldn’t get free. I guess was very annoyed by this but luckily still One of his teammates was really strong so they managed to break through the ropes. Bang and then they managed to slowly crawl across the floor. Then he heard a thod thod and then someone’s coming through the door. They ran back and pretended that they were still tied up. The door opened there was a massive massive ogre. “I hate” spit “What you doing in my forest”
“I’m really sorry” and “he’s gonna cook you up and a stew”. “oh but I don’t want to be cooked up”. “look you are”. Then he locked the door and thumped away.
They quickly took all the stuff and they were searching around frantically then they saw it sunlight! Ther was a door really high up and the ceiling and just they manage to just barely climb up the wall and squeeze through the door and then climb back down. Then they were in a massive cave and they could see their horses all tied up and then they grabbed the horses and galloped away galit gallip gallop and then they were finally on the path again and then they were galloping galloping galloping through the days none of them knew how long it been really it has been two days and they were locked up and there they were meant to get there in four days time so they really when we had one more day to do this so they were galloping galloping galloping galloping.
Then they run into an another problem that was a massive body of water. The only way to cross it was really far far up water so it has it to go through with the horses but unluckily one of the horses got swept away. Luckily the person jump off the horse just in time and jumped on to land and then all the rest of them got on and sadly they didn’t know this at time two horses died the ogres ate one of the horses and they only had five horses and also one of the horses fell down the river so they only have three horses left so some of them had to walk.
“Stop just right ahead there is some mythical Griffins!” “Griffins” Quell said. “yes Griffins and they’re coming to eat you and they trapp travelers. Stay really careful and maybe shoot them with your bow and arrow.” “okay”. So Quell took out his bow and arrow and then it was a fight.
Then they heard it. The Dragon was there. Quell said “we don’t have any time to camp. Gallop and gallop some more”. Finally they stopped. there was a dragon in all of its glory. Massive. Breathing out fire on some poor travellers. Fire what is red its eye. It’s body was so scary and hard. Quell took a shot it didn’t work and then took another shot didn’t work. They reigned fire in it all the but when the arrows hit it it just splinted and fell down so the Dragon was roaring roaring and grieving fire. Then Quell had one one more arrow that his dad gave him. A special arrow of the clan. He took it put in his bow and hit the Dragon because it was so big in its tummy. The Dragon was falling down splat. Then they killed it.
But how are they going to get back home? What they did when they did the quest so then they sent one of the animals to go message the chief Carl to say that the killed the Dragon. So then when they went back. They had a little encounter with the the ogre but it was fine they killed him. Then when they came back they had a good supper tea and breakfast and lots of a massive massive massive feest that was food drinks everything so lovely. |
Alfie Beveridge | sian.curley@highland.gov.uk | First Level: P2-4 | The two little elves | Once upon a time in 1969 there were two little elves And their names were Ciel and Perl.ther mother lived in the tree but they had to move as soon as they could The next day they set off for their adventure.with their friends following them all the way.
The time they got there was a free cave but It was over gron it was a bit wide but it would fit them perfectly .But it didn’t at all so they didn’t get any sleep. They finally got Some sleep. They woke by the sound of falling trees everywhere they looked out and Saw no trees anywhere but a high cliff on another mountain.
The next day they found a beach and they decided to have a swim little did they now that summon was watching them.two hours later they found that summon was watching them, Ciel screamed”run! And they ran and ran till they were Out of site. They finaly got to the foot of the mountain .they started the climb.
Perl got to the top ferst she didn’t no were ciel was. “where are you “ sead perl
“I am down here!” shouted ciel. But ciel didn’t here a reply it was a 10% Chans of a reply. ciel was tired she tried to get some sleep she could not Get any at all. The next day there was no light at all what had happened?
“Ahhhhhhhhh !” screamed ciel as she slid of the side of the rock” help Me please, “Ciel shouted. Sumwon came and helped her.
The mystery helper was ciel’s mum.ciel was surprised to see her mum. Ciel fainted in delit.her mother had saved her. But they were not alone . Her mother still had her iphone with her. But she didn’t remember her .
“Hi” sead ciel” where,s perl” asct ciel she wondered where she was.
“Where am i”wondered ciel she looked down at her feet “ahhhhhhhhhh! Screamed ciel. Because she didn’t have feet she had paws she was in transformation… |
Ellie Macdonald | sian.curley@highland.gov.uk | Second Level: P5-7 | The Fairies of Scourie Woods | This story starts in Scourie Woods and a family is having a picnic in the woods. There is a mum and a dad and a little girl called Emma.
It was time for them to go But Emma wanted to play hide and seek. But her mum and dad did not know So Emma went and hid behind the tree. And her mum and dad Were all ready going back to Holland Emma was shouting “come and find me”. Then she looked and she saw that her mum and dad were gone.
Then she saw a light sparkle and when it went past there was a adder. Emma was only 5 so she is very scared the adder slowly slivered Towards emma.it got closer and closer to emma.but emma did not know That sparkle was a fairy called buttercup. So as the adder got closer Buttercup magiced the adder away.
“My name is buttercup” in a very High voice.
”My name is Emma” she mumbled. The fairy introduced Emma to Scourie wood. came and see my friends Emma followed buttercup And she saw a portal so she walked into the portal. And When she went in it she saw a big fairy world.emma thought that she was small But now she feels big. but still she loved the fairies she was so excited to tell her mum then she remembered my mum is gone.so she just curfelly walked into the fairy world.Emma asked what are you anyway.
Buttercup hesitated “do not tell anyone that you saw a fairy”.emma promest that She would not tell anyone that she saw a fairy.”so you are a fairy”.”yes i am a fairy i thought that was obvious by now”.”sorry” emma said checkaly ok said buttercup. Emma stormed into the fairy world be the “curfell of my best friend cindy” said Buttercup.
“Sorry” said Emma, it is hard to see the fairies from a height that tall. Emma was so amazed that she saw a fairey. Then an adder the adder was slowly slivering past. All the Little fairies ran away. Emma found a stick it was one of those sticks that you could Catch a snake with. Emma quickly caught the snake and saved the whole village.
Then her mum found out that Emma was gone! Mum and dad drove to all the places they stopped at to see if they left her then mum and dad went to the woods mum shouted !” “emma. Emma shouted “mum” Emma ran over to see her mum. And dad Emma said that she saw a fairy.her mum said how about we go to the shop
Then go back to holland yeah shouted emma and dad so they all went to the shop and then to holland and they happily ever after. |
Emelia Beveridge | sian.curley@highland.gov.uk | Second Level: P5-7 | Chipan and the rock faces | A couple years ago, the people of Duartbeg believed in the people of the rocks who watched over them.
But on a special occasion the rock faces (rock faces are what the people call them) would move for them and the people thought it gave them luck.
After that day something terrible happened. The village was overrun by a mysterious creature.The villagers named it a chipan and it was a cross with a mouse and a bird.
The villagers where very happy because they thought that the rock faces would let them move in and they did.
But the next day it was a villager’s birthday and the people of Duartbeg went to find the chipans to ask them to tell the rock faces to very kindly move to start the birthday party.
So a couple of hours later the people ask the chipan if the message had been delivered and the chipan squiked “ when i went to deliver the message the rock would not let me in and wouldn’t listen to me and said that if i showed my face in the cave he would kick the hole tribe out ” “oh don’t worry dear i will go to the cave and ask the rock faces to let you in!”
So the next day the brave villager who is called Aurther set off to climb the high mountain that the rock faces lived on.
After a long journey Aurther reached the top of the mountain and he saw a horrific sight,the rock faces had kicked the chipan tribe out! So Aurther set off to the chipan tribe and said to the chief “ can I help you?”
“ Yes you can, we have lost our home!” said the tribe chief. Then Aurther had an idea.
“Your tribe can live in our town” “what a great idea” the tribe exclaimed “ but only if you behave!” “ Okay well behave” sighed the tribe.
So Aurther and the chipans set off to the village but on the way Aurther heard crying sounds and gos to investigate and he found that the noise was coming from the rock faces! So he ask the chipan to translate it for him and then he realised that they were sad because the chipans were messy and thay had left the place all messy so Auther said “why dont you tidy up and then you can live with them” so they alllived happily ever after THE END or is it…
Once again the village was over run with lost mythical creature who made his home the rock faces but then one day the rock faces got so crowded that the chipan moved in to the city of Duartbeg and the people were scared that they would hurt their children so king of the relm Aurther said that the chief of the chipan tribe could have the land and that is DUHN DUHN
THE END is this the real end????
“So.” “Will you stop!!!” “OKAY!!!!!!!!!!!” |
Dylan Harvey | sian.curley@highland.gov.uk | First Level: P2-4 | The Death of the Elemental | Ons every 5000000000000000000 years 2 elemental dragon wod come to earth and there’s another dragon just as powerful that lives in Bone Cave it only come out for Fresh meat.
An army of 50 gryphons wearing armour Came and attacked the dragon 1 slash and ol 50 gryphons were gon
The dragon destroyed everything in its path day and night until the Elemental dragon smasht him into the ground. |
Jules Lewis | sian.curley@highland.gov.uk | First Level: P2-4 | The Two Brave Gnomes | Once upon a time there were two gnomes.
One was Tim and the other was Fifi.
They lived in a mushroom with pretty dots.
One day they heard shouting and they went outside.
And they saw another village that wanted to move in but their village didn’t so there was a fight.
So they ran away.Soon they were far enough so they stopped.
Fifi said “where are we?” For a moment they looked around.
Then Tim said “I dont no?” So they walked soon they came to a clearing in
The forest so they stopped. Then Fifi said do you hear something ?
So they looked around and they sore a snake! AAAA! “Run for your life!” They ran but soon they ran out of breath so they had to stop.Well well well to lite gnomes for lunch I can’t believe my luck so the snake took to them his lair. “What do we do now?”Said Fifi.So they thought.
Then Tim said “I know, let’s call the gods!”So they called the gods then the gods came and said “what’s the matter?” and the gnomes told the gods what had happened then one of them said “we need to fix this” so one of them clicked there fingers and everything disappeared and they were back in their village.and the other village had a new village and they lived happily ever after. |
Mirren Montgomery | sian.curley@highland.gov.uk | Second Level: P5-7 | Toys | Hi i am Jim and these are my BFFS L la la la laaaa and this is Jes. And we live in this little girl’s room called Ruby. Ruby Is Awesome cuz she lets us have tea parties. But she doesn’t know we spy on her where just in the house because her mom dropped us off for Christmas. We’ve been spying on her ever since she was 3. We spy on her in their sleep. Shes getting older but we don’t want to grow up. We are her best friends and her only friends. So we’re going to try and get her to keep us because we need her and Ruby needs us. Ruby’s getting into makeup and putting it on Jess and me and all of our friends. We don’t like her growing up, we want her to stay with us we’re very sad that she’s growing up we want her to stay little forever. We don’t like anything about it cuz she’s wearing black and not pink is the best color ever. But she put us in the bin yesterday. we didn’t like at all so we keep on moving and you back in your room everything she goes to sleep but they’re moving house so we’re we’re here we’re gonna find the house so we’re just gonna tell them was real because we talked during the day she got us from the problem that shop and here so we just really want yeah beautiful nice stuff first usThe age is turning is fourteen we always come back to Ruby because she’s awesome And while we say it we’ve never met any other girl like Ruby she is amazing kind nice to us and she doesn’t pull our eyeballs out But there’s one problem she’s growing up and she doesn’t need us anymore so hey where are we gonna She’s turning 14 Says Jess So we’re going to try and find the flower to make Ruby little again and my mums okey with that so we try and do our journey so we have to go through this Portal and we go for the portal and we see the magica latom and it’s all bunch of toys and They’re trying to get the flower we run and Run and we go and there is a big big scary hairy monster we’re gonna die he says just so all the knowledge toys run back but we stay there and face the monster and we try and try first sticks the monster isn’t that big but it’s very scary it’s like sizes with us but very very scary so we try and try it with Peter we bit up and they’re when we kill it a bunch of witches come out and tried to kill us again beat the witch yeah with her magic because we’re toys that remind magic so there’s and there is a door behind it We go through the door very scared and then we see a note it says if you’re trying to make your person young again you can’t close you always grow up every day you grow just a little bit and you need to face that. |
Ruby Foley Bentley | sian.curley@highland.gov.uk | Second Level: P5-7 | THE MUSHROOM MEN MYISTORY | I wake up to the sound of birds chirping at my window, another day as a mushroom man…the only…mushroom man, *sigh* i get a bit lonely with no friends at all. I get out of bed and look at myself in the mirror …
I look just like i do any other day with my stick and mushroom head, i walk outside and go for another walk….on my own…i sat down on my favorote wood stump, i hear a noise coming from the bushes, i get up and walk towards the bush .. it was just a little chick!
Or atleast i think it was… he smelt very familiar. “Why are you so sad?” he asked me, i was surprised that he even noticed, “well…Sometimes its just quite sad that that im the only one left.” i reply. “The only on left of what?” he askes me. Well…isnt it obvious? Mushroom men! “Mushroom men of course!” and then he starts laughing at me as if i sead something funny. “No! There’s Millions of you!” i was shocked, but.. Maby hes just delusional…only one way to find out, i was about to ask him where thay are but he was already running. I quickly ran after him far through the forest “hey, wait for me!” i kept running, i wavent really done a lot of running in my life so this was quite challenging. Eventually i caught up to his speed (HOW CAN YOU RUN THAT FAST WITH SUCH SMALL LEGS?!) We kept running until i was in a massive meadow with many many huts full with mushroom men, all different kinds! Mushroom men, mushroom woman, mushrooms dogs, badgers, cats, rabbits and even sloths! Everything that you could ever imagine or maby even more, thay all laughing and playing. Straight away i felt like i was part of i and included because i was emedently noteced and they all asked for me to join in there run, crafting, playing, board games, meditation and even bungy jumping! But i didn’t have to choose between people because they where all doing it together, it was grate! I dived into all the fun with everyone else and i even introduced some of the games and activities that i know from where i live, soon i figured out what there rutene was, they call it “DO ABSOLUTELY WHAT EVER YOU WANT!!!!!” so basically you wake up at 279:67 clock,O and do whatever you want all day until 369:937 Clock,O, its grate fun, never endless fun! |
Liz Cotton | lizcotton92@yahoo.com | Adults: over 18 | Beginning again | And they came, creeping, scuttling, wriggling, shuffling, plodding, in time with the dancing lights above. Green and red. Stop and go. Up and down. The celestial glow awakening all that came in its path and tempting them northwards.
Knockan Crag, Suilven, Quinag, creaking, cracking, swaying and quaking. The rocks releasing tiny triolobites, giant millipedes, arachnids and reptiles from their eternal slumber.
In their path were husks of metal on useless wheels. Once, they too had scurried over the landscape carrying passengers in awe of the vista around each bend. But now slowly, bit by bit, millennia by millennia they and their drivers would become another layer, another story to be uncovered by fossil hunters of the future.
The current travellers had been integral markers for finding the oil that had driven these machines. Alerting hunters to its presence down deep drill holes. The oil formed from their relatives, crushed and squashed deep in the ground.
To the East the Flowlands were rolling and writhing, ancient forests sprouting from the peat. Green and lush and the antithesis of the black rock their kind had become. Rock that had been mined and burned relentlessly for 300 years.
To the West the sea bubbled with ancient fish, while to the south the thudding of dinosaur footsteps vibrated through the ground.
Traversing the peninsular of Cape Wrath they came upon a man, his long beard and makeshift clothing indicating that he had long since opted out of society. Taking to a tent, eating what he found, communing with creatures and plants, he knew the changes of the sky and this current scene appeared to be no surprise, indeed he seemed to be expecting it. Expecting the crawling, creeping, seething crowd that kept coming, passing him by, wending their way north.
As they passed him he was aware of faint voices of his compatriots flowing through him from ages before. Tales around the coal and oil that had been used to ease their lives. Women emancipated from the drudgery of household chores, gaining educations and thriving. Men released from physical exhaustion, retiring and enjoying family time. Children transported to school, no longer having to walk miles in all weathers, thus having time and energy to play, study and grow. He felt a surge of gladness for the comfort and joy that was felt. Warm houses, lights, jobs, holidays and travel.
But usefulness and hope had been overtaken by greed, the pursuit of personal gain and a treadmill leading to sure destruction that few had had the courage or desire to leave. The dormancy of 300 plus million years being agitated over the last 300. A mere, yet catastrophic, sentence in the book of time.
Borne on the wings of these sentiments the man joined the throng moving ever northwards, gathering at the lighthouse which reflected the lights above like an oversized kaleidoscope. As one body their dancing continued to the music of the sky.
A new dawn, a reawakening, an ever revolving circle of life. |
Cara Smith | cara.smith@ullapoolhigh.org.uk | Third/Fourth Level: S1-3 | The Mysterious Murderer | Hello my name is Linda and this is the story of how me and my siblings hunt down a mysterious murderer.
It was a dark and stormy night in Kinlochbervie. I was attempting to get to sleep but my neighbour’s dog wouldn’t stop barking. But about 2 hours later when I finally got to sleep I heard a deafening scream from downstairs.
Then I jumped out of bed like a rabbit and ran downstairs but then no one was there. I looked everywhere in my house but there was nobody there until I looked in the kitchen and there I saw my parents dead! Lying there with their heads nowhere to be found!
I felt like spewing but then I thought my siblings could be next. I ran up the stairs as fast as I could, when I got up the stairs into my baby sister Conny’s room and saw her curled up in a blanket. I walked over to it and saw my younger brother Jeff too. I told them “Mum and dad are dead.” (But I left out the no heads part.) “Now go and get dressed, we’re going to hunt down whoever killed our parents!” I said fiercely.
We all got dressed then we searched the house no one was there besides us. Jeff and Conny were horrified to see what happened to our parents.
Then we searched the garden and no one was there either. We all went into the street and saw a car dash off into the sunrise. We saw the neighbour’s car door open. “ Quickly get in the car before the neighbours see us!” said Jeff.
We got in the car and drove off. Then Jeff screamed “STOP THERE’S SHEEP IN THE ROAD!”
Sadly I hit one.
It would have taken us 24 minutes to get to Scourie but I was stopped by the police on the way there and the sheep thing, so then it took 35 minutes.
We stopped at the beach in Scourie when I saw my old friend Rebecca from school. “Rebecca” I screamed trying to get her attention. Rebecca happily replied. “Linda, it’s been too long since I’ve seen you. I’ve missed you so much.”
“Rebecca I have missed you too but something tragic has happened our parents have been murdered. We stole our neighbour’s car and drove here following them but now we’ve lost the trail.”
“Was the murderer in a black Audi?” asked Rebecca.
“Yes. Did you see where it went?” Jeff asked excitedly.
“Head up the road where the caravan park is, then keep going up to the Greenhill B&B.”
“Thank you Rebecca.” “ Ok, let’s go!”
We drove to the B&B and kicked down the door like a bull and saw Rebecca!
“Why did you kill our parents?” Conny asked.
“Because you have a secret family fortune!” Rebecca said dramatically.
On the chair I saw a gun and shot Rebecca in the chest.
“Now what” Jeff asked.
“I have no clue?” |
MURDO NEIL MACASKILL | Murdo.Macaskill@ullapoolhigh.org.uk | Third/Fourth Level: S1-3 | the missing girl | The missing girl…
One summer, April morning the sun was blaring in Inverkirkaig and Ricky was out on his croft, he was dozing the sheep for a worm, when he got a mysterious call from his daughter.
It was silent for the first few seconds and then he heard indication of a struggle.He could hear tossing turning and then he heard a snap then a scream that sounded like his daughters. By then he was on the road driving about not knowing what to do. It went silent and the phone hung up.
He went to the police station in lochinver and they said they will send out a missing report.but they couldn’t do much else.so he set himself a mission he said to the police officer that he’s gonna go hunting for his daughter so he did he went to Clatoll and begun there. got his Collie dog and set for any old abandoned buildings but found nothing.
But suddenly his dog started Barking and ran for the hills. He saw it go over the rolling hills. it looked like it would never come back, so it did it never came back but he wasn’t sad about it he was puzzled by it.that dog never left his side. he said to himself quietly “something strange is going on here…”he Went back to his house and found a note on his door it said” solve the puzzle to find your daughter,come on Ricky it’s not that hard”. Now he was mad so suddenly he got a call from the police officer someone recognized as daughter and said they saw her running up in the hills by Badedarich on her own. They thought it was a bit weird but went on with her day.but now they think of it it looked like she was running to get away from something,so I went to the spot where she was last spotted and there was her shoe lying up and a rock the note inside of it said” if you found this Ricky then you’re getting closer but yet so far if you want to see your daughter again you’re gonna have to work very hard Good luck Ricky”.
he began to lose hope. but then he found another note on the steering wheel of his car. He thought to himself how could they get in?But then suddenly he heard a bang in his shed he thought it might be a rat but then a scream! He went into the shed and to his horror his dead daughter lied on the hay bales in the shed then he saw someone run out so he ran after him and tackled him and called the police and they took him away after that he always had his wits about him. |
maverick mackay | maverick.mackay@ullapoolhigh.org.uk | Third/Fourth Level: S1-3 | the petrifying overworld | A 15 year old called Rick was exploring outside of the bone caves where terrifying accidents happened, like when a group of 4 teenage boys went missing and knowone knew how this happened. Rick saw an opening where the tape wasn’t blocking it; it looked like it had been ripped open by something that Rick didn’t know of. He slowly walked in and then heard a scream he slowly walked around the caves but found nothing. He heard someone shout “help! Please its coming”, Rick screams “what, what is it, what is coming”. “Hello!” Screamed Rick then Rick ran to where he last heard the voice and then he heard another scream but then he froze in fear. Is that blood Rick looked along the cave to see a blood trail then he looked up but then… Rick woke up somewhere he didn’t know about, he ran and tried to find a way out of this dark place, Rick could hardly see. He ran and then as he was about to give up he saw light a really shiny light coming from a tiny gap in a hard rock wall with extremely wobbly rocks he grabbed and tossed and dug and then he finally got out and saw a beautiful jungle with flowers and lovely looking trees. Rick started walking through the jungle until he saw what looked like a little shack on the other side of a river but the river was moving quit fast, Rick managed to cross the river and opened the door to see a family so he said hi can you help me im lost i need directions the man said “shush” rick said “rude”.
“Shuuuuushs” everyone said and then Rick realised that the family had sound proof walls he asked why he had to be so quiet and then Billy the man in the house said there’s a monster that lives around here and is slowly taking over the world. The creature likes to kill whoever they hear because they’re blind and don’t have eyes. Jance the mum, the two kids Tim and Jim were sitting on a couch in the corner of the shack with headphones on listening to a movie on one little tv with a couple plugs for the headphones. Billy the dad heard something and checked out the door to see the tall dog like creature strike faster than light at a deer, Billy dashed inside and they all got in a little underground bunker when the creature went away Rick got out and ran into the jungle making no noise leaving no trail and then found the cave he was at before, when he got out he sprant with a torch in his hand through the caves and then he found a ladder randomly on the cave wall and he could just reach it he found his way out and ran out of the bone caves and drove his motorbike back to stoer and lived happily in his house. |
Lucy smith | Lucy.smith@Ullapoolhigh.org.uk | Third/Fourth Level: S1-3 | The mysterious cave | The Mysterious Cave
Set in Unapool
On a dark, rainy night there was a glow from the cave in the hillside,I have always wondered what the cave was like on the inside but it is said that once you enter… you never return.
About 100 years ago, my great uncle went into the cave to try and find the ‘hidden treasure’ but never returned. Years later, his son went in and didn’t return. Legend says something haunts you when you enter.
Anyway, back to the cave. While sitting in my bedroom and looking out of my foggy window at the dark, mysterious cave, I couldn’t wait any longer. I should investigate. Sprinting down the stairs, I told my Mum I was going on a walk. She told me to be back for dinner.
I ran out the door, dashed up the hill, excited but nervous. After clambering over bushes, squeezing through thorns, I was there. There it was. The mysterious cave.
It took me a minute to make sure I was ready, and I stepped in.It was enormous! It smelled and tasted damp. The walls were dripping wet and it sounded creepy.
I carried on tip-toeing, I froze in terror. A giant, gruesome monster was lying there, asleep. I managed to sneak past, and then I saw the treasure. A huge, shiny chest was underneath strange pieces of clothing. Wait a minute… I recognized that jumper. my great uncle! I recognised all of the other clothes too!! It was like I had gone back in time.
I snuck forwards, shaking, terrified that the ‘thing’ would waken. I froze in terror as the ‘thing’ started to stir. It gazed at me as if still asleep. It pounced towards me. I screamed, hiding my face in my hands. But then… when it didn’t strike, I peeked and saw it sitting over a massive nest, full of baby yetis! So that’s what it was! A Yeti!!!
I slowly backed away.The Yeti spoke to me!? “ I will cause you no harm if you leave my babies alone.” I realised, ‘Everyone who came must’ve tried to harm them’
“ I would never hurt your babies” I said kindly, without letting my nerves take over.
I headed to leave when the yeti said “Please help me. Everyone that enters this cave tries to kill me. I don’t know why. Please save me. What should I do?”
“ Um okay… how can I help?”
“ Tell people I’m nice and wouldn’t hurt anyone if they leave me alone.”
“ Certainly,” I said. I got home, snuck the treasure inside my room and excitedly opened it. I marvelled at what was inside. The gold markings from when my Great-great- grandma was born. It would be worth MILLIONS. A few months later, I sold the gold and put the money to a charity for the Yetis to have a better, safer life. In the end, no one ever bothered the yetis again. |
Abigail Gourlay | Abigail.gourlay@ullapoolhigh.org.uk | Third/Fourth Level: S1-3 | who was it | One day 3 friends Emma, Emily and Holly decide to stay the night in the wreck of Ardvreck castle . They got there an hour before sunset, to have time to set up their tents and make some food. They were all setting up their tents. Emily Couldn’t set up her tent Emma offered to help but
“ You wouldn’t even be any help look at your tent looks like you’re going to be sleeping outside the whole night” said Holly. They were always fighting . It was getting dark. They sat outside for a bit watching the stars .
“Look there’s a shooting star,” said Emma.
“I wish You weren’t here, “ said Holly .
Nobody said anything, they were just sitting in an awkward silence.
“I’m getting quite tired. I’m going to my tent” said Emily.
Holly and Emma went to their tents too. Emma sat there thinking why Holly would say that . Emma could Never take a joke normally. It was around 1am and everyone else was fast asleep. Emma no still sat there thinking about why Holly would say such a thing. Emma had enough of everyone being mean to her, even her best friend Emily, not even standing up for her.
Was Emily even a good best friend Emma thought to herself?
Emma grabbed something from her bag. She slowly unzipped her tent door slow as sloth and slowly opened Holly’s tent .
“Was just the right thing to do, oh well”, Emma said to herself. “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH” Screamed Holly. Emma had stabbed her in the stomach 6 times.
The blood was a pool. Her thoughts got the best of her. She ran out of Emma’s tent and back into hers and pretended to fake sleep . Emily was a very deep sleeper so she didn’t hear Holly scream as she died slowly. Emma didn’t sleep that night thinking was that the right thing to do, it’s not like she could change it now. She sat up for hours. Just as she slowly fell asleep Emily burst into her tent in tears screaming “Holly is dead there’s blood everywhere call the police do something! “ said Emily . Emma tried to call the Police but there was no service. Emily and Emma both went through Holly’s tent. Holly’s dead body lay there Emma Started to fake Cry .Emily decided to try and get the police off her phone to see if she could get any signal. She finally got a signal she reported the murder of Holly . The police showed up. They filed an investigation. It took over two weeks to figure out who murdered Holly. In the meantime Holly’s family had a funeral Emma felt like the coffin was talking to her “why would you do such a thing . The next day the police showed up at Emma’s door and arrested her for murder . Everyone was shocked.
She had to serve the rest of her life in jail . |
Niall Fearchar Macleod | niall.macleod@ullapoolhigh.org.uk | Third/Fourth Level: S1-3 | The bone caves | It was 2013. Ali, a veteran detective, had been transferred from a busy city police station to a quiet, rural office in the Highlands of Scotland. His first case, the mysterious disappearance of five young people in The Bone Caves. He read in the file that local superstition told that whoever goes into the caves never comes out. He didn’t believe in fairy tales so the next day he walked out into the hills, towards the caves. A split second after he stepped foot into the mouth of the cave, he heard rumbling come from behind him. He turned around. Where the entrance to the cave once was, there was now just a pile of rocks. He ran over to try to move some of the rocks but they were all big and heavy rocks. He walked over and heard footsteps as if someone was walking to him
“Who’s there?” he said. He walked over to the dark tunnel and suddenly, the whole cave lit up full of torches. Under him he felt the ground shake and he fell into a dark and deep pit.
“Where am I?” He looked around and saw trees and.. A sky? Did he leave the cave? Surely not! He walked around the cave or.. wherever he was and found a tree that looked like it had a weird fruit. He threw a stick up at the tree to knock the fruit down. After a while he was able to hit it and it fell. He walked up to it and saw
bugs flying out of it, he cracked it open with a nearby rock and the inside of the fruit oozed out a thick glowing green substance that smelled strangely sweet. As he crouched to examine it closer, the bugs swirled around him forming strange patterns in the air before they scattered. Alis heart raced, but his instincts told him there was more to this place that met the eye. He could feel it, the air was different, almost like it was watching him. Suddenly, he heard the footsteps again, echoing through the
trees. This time they were closer, deliberate. Ali stood up, gripping the rock in his hand as his only defence.
“Whoevers there,
show yourself!” he called out his voice firm but edged with caution. The footsteps paused, followed by a soft chuckle. “Detective Ali isn’t it?”
A low voice answered from the darkness. Alis eyes darted in the direction of the
sound. Emerging from behind a large tree was a figure cloaked in darkness, though faint torchlight seemed to flicker at its edges. “How do you know my name?” Ali asked, stepping back naturally.
“Oh, I know more than just your name ” the figure said. “I know why you’re here. The five missing people? They’re not missing… not anymore.” A chill ran down Alis spine. His mind raced as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing and hearing. Was this all a hallucination, or had he stumbled into something far more sinister? |
Amber Smith | Caroline.Mason@highland.gov.uk | Second Level: P5-7 | Trapped In The Map | “Don’t open that box!”I screamed.It all started at the sleepover at Molly’s house.I’ve been to Molly’s house multiple times before and I’ve always been told not to open the box in the attic.Normily Molly only invites me to her house, but this time was different she invited me,Sophie,Polly,,Oliveia,Sam,Pixy and Daisy.
We went up to the attic to find some games to play.Then Pixy opened the box, me and Molly screamed.It was the north west highland geopark map the map looked slightly tea staind.It was also ripped had a little rip in it.Soon we all got sucked up into the map!“Where are we?” cried Polly.“We are in the map” I replied.“We are going to have to walk through the map” said Molly. “Hello” said a man named William. “To escape the map you have to find three puzzle pieces which you will find in the bone caves and in Ullapool and on top of Suilven good luck.” shouted William happly.We all sighed but we all knew we had to start walking or we would be stuck there forever.
We got to the bone caves first. “It looks like we’ve gone back in time” said Sam.There were huge bones, mostly sculls, which was very disturbing.The sculls looked like they belonged to deer and mammoths. We heard a loud slow growl!We sprinted out of the pitch black cave with Oliveia on Daisy’s back and Sophie had the first of three puzzle pieces in her hand.
It was a long walk to Ullapool,when we got there we were all super tired so we sat down for a bit.When we got up we immediately started looking for the second puzzle piece.We checked the school,Church and the graveyard.We eventually found the second puzzle piece. “only one pies left”Daisy shouted.
“Last stop Suilven.“Pixy said joyfully.Me,Molly and Sam were very tired but we had to push on.So we started walking to Suilven.Suilven was the hardest yet, it was cold,dark and windy.None of us wanted to do the steep climb but when we got to the top I found the third and final puzzle piece. “YES” we all cried.Now all we had to do was walk back to the very beginning but that took us along time.When we finally got back we spoke to William again, he congratulated us all for finding the three puzzle pieces.He told us to put them together in a stone block and we would get sent back.Sophie,Pixe and I put the pieces on the stone block then we all shut our eyes…“ are we back” asked Olivea. “Yes” I cried. “We are never opening that box again!” shouted Molly. |
Lewis Quist | Caroline.Mason@highland.gov.uk | Second Level: P5-7 | Big Friendly Monster (BFM) | “Fetch!” shouted Angus. Angus was an 11 year old who lived on the coast of Achiltibuie. Him and his dog Kobe were playing fetch. Kobe ran and retrieved the stick that had been thrown by Angus. Kobe had lovely long fur which Angus loved. He was a German shepherd/Husky cross breed which meant he was a unique breed. He is a cream-coloured white with black splotches all over him like a cow. Angus has medium hair which is very messy like a mop. Kobe whimpered and looked up to the sky, Angus looked too and then they heard a loud muffled roar. “I wonder what that could have been,” said Angus.” Raw” said Kobe, a bit puzzled with what he had heard. Let’s go check it out, shouted Angus. “We have to tell mom first”, Angus said nervously. The two ran inside to tell mum what they had seen. Mum said that they had to pack some supplies before they set off. So the pair packed some supplies like bread, cheese, chocolate for a treat( don’t worry dog treats for Kobe),a map ,a tent and lots of water. So Angus and Kobe set off on their journey to find out what the roar was about. Kobe looked tired so Angus thought they would take a break and have something to eat. Angus took out the bread and cheese. They enjoyed their food like it was the last meal they would ever have. They had finished eating and had started walking again. They had now been walking through the damp marsh land for ages; it felt like a treadmill because it felt like it never ended. Finally they got to Suilven(a mountain) and started climbing it to get a better view of the land. But suddenly the roar came up again, this time shaking the ground. It had come from the bone cave. The rumble was so strong that it almost knocked Kobe off the mountain. “Kobe!” screamed Angus, as he launched himself at Kobe and pulled him up. “Let’s get going”, this time they started to run. Finally they had got to the bone caves. There was an even bigger shake in the ground and a huge beast came out of the cave. Its teeth were as sharp as a million swords, its feet were as big as a lorry. Its scales were as rough as sandpaper. But most of all its face was so menacingly scary it could scare the toughest lions away.” What are you” said Angus. Roooooooaaarrrrrrr!!.. Kobe noticed that the monster wasn’t roaring, its stomach was rumbling. “It’s hungry”, said Angus. “Let’s find some food”. so they picked the finest fruits and meat they could and gave it to the monster. It made a slightly softer noise and fell asleep. “I am sure it won’t hurt anyone”, said Angus. so they went home and told mum everything and went to bed dreaming of big possibilities. |
Willow Rogers | Caroline.Mason@highland.gov.uk | Second Level: P5-7 | The Fire Demon | A fireball whizzed through the air, missing her by an inch, as she jumped from branch to branch, her wild black hair flying out behind her in the wind of the oncoming storm.
The people chasing her could hardly be described as human, they had long ragged manes of hair and small piggish eyes narrowed down to slits.
“You dirty thieving rat”, her pursuers had gone too far, she drew her long-bow and shot an arrow tipped with the juice of a powerful sleeping herb straight at one of them.
All 5 of them turned and ran, leaving their fallen companion behind in the leaves of late autumn.
There was war between the 7 tribes and she had this one memory,she didn’t know where she had heard it of a scroll that talked about how one person would put a special map on a rock near Ardvreck castle and a golden dragon from the map would bring peace.
The girl they had been chasing was called Jade.
She was only 12 years old and had been raised by wolves since she was roughly 3 days old,
When one of the wolves had found her and brought her back to live with the pack.Jade had strange purpley eyes that,if you looked long enough, seemed to change colour.
“We will need to travel there but we would have to go through the mountains”. Whimpered her wolf.”That would take too long,”she replied. She loved to be able to communicate with her mind to her wolf. She was one of the last elemental-riders ; her element was shadow/ice or as some people called it,necromansy.She had a soul bond with a wolf called sirocco,the name of a sahara desert wind.
“Maybe we could try to ask one of the 7 dragons for help, the map marks their dens.”
“Let’s go!” said Jade.
{After travelling for days}
They reached the cave/den of one of the seven dragons.The dragon looked a small sun,it lay on a mat of bamboo reeds.Its scales shone as if each one had a miniscule fire burning inside litting it up.the dragon looked down at them thoughtfully.”You are an elemental rider aren’t you?” Observed the dragon.
“Yes,” she replied.”I sense you wish to ride me to the aluinn waterfall.” “You have an important task so you may ride me, ” said the dragon.
The land streaked by as they flew over the mountain tops.Her mottled purple cloak ripped out behind her.
{After 2 hours of flying they reached the waterfall }
They lay down the map on the sacred rock and instantly a blinding light burst free from the rock and flew up into the air. It twisted itself and the grow dimer until there in the sky hovered a magnificent dragon its scales pure gold and its eyes twinkling like diamonds.the golden dragon flew up through the clouds.the cloud grew steadily pinker. |
Finlay McGregor | finlay.mcgregor@ullapoolhigh.org.uk | Third/Fourth Level: S1-3 | The Tunnel | “I dare you to crawl down that tunnel” Mathew said. Robert began to crawl down one of the tunnels connected to the main cave where Matthew and Joseph were standing. The 2 boys were patiently waiting for Robert to come back up. 10 minutes pass.
“Rob !?” Joseph shouted “You there”.
No answer. Suddenly a scream of terror like the type of scream out of a horror film echoes out from the tunnels.
“Robert!” Joseph repeats.
A deep growl replies followed by another scream and then silence. The two boys ran in fear. Joseph instantly called the police. The two boys, still trembling, told the story to the police. The policeman laughed. He didn’t believe them.
“I’ll call out an investigation, I’m sure your friend is just stuck”.
The police couldn’t find anything..
Robert is pronounced dead…
******
Robert wakes up and looks around. All he can see is rot and decay. The air tastes disgusting and it smells like dead animals “Joseph!” he shouts in despair. He noticed he’s not in the real world yet an alternative universe something has dragged him into.
******
“I know he’s alive” Mathew said “how could he just disappear like that?” ,
******
Robert walks over to the caves but nobody’s there he tries crawling like a baby down the tunnel. Dead end. He turns around and a red mist forms a blanket over the mountain. Robert squints his eyes and can faintly make out a tall shady figure walking his way. He suddenly realised that that’s the thing that took him into this world. Robert runs screaming for his friends as the creature chases after him on all fours.
******
“But how do we get to him?” Mathew said “Why don’t we go there ourselves? Joseph replied.
******
The creature starts catching up with Robert. He can’t run anymore. As he thinks it’s all about to end he tries to cheer himself up he begins to sing his favourite song and shuts his eyes.
*****
Joseph and Mathew begin their trek back up to the bone caves.
******
Robert keeps singing when he notices it made the creature go away. Robert smiles “music makes it go away” he said to himself.
******
The other two boys finally make it to the caves and start their
descent into the tunnel.
*******
Robert is thinking. If music scares away the creature could it get me out of here. Robert runs to his house but when he arrives there his door it’s covered in decaying vines he pulls on the slimy vines but then. The red mist slowly creeps in like a wild animal hunting its prey. Then the monster appears.
*******
Joseph and Mathew are banging on the wall with rocks trying to get in the cave.
*****
Robert keeps trying to get in the door but it’s too late the monster pounced on his back and started feasting on his now lifeless body.
*****
Minutes pass. The two boys give up and return home. They still wait at the bone caves for Robert not knowing that he’ll never return. |
jeanette mccarthy | jcm1701@aol.com | Adults: over 18 | Calling the dragon | It was a long walk to the dragon, and hard going over the rough terrain.
Reiff followed the map as best she could. It had been drawn by her grandfather the chieftain, who in his youth had travelled as far north as there was land to walk on. He had spoken to the dragon, and had returned with the map, and the wisdom to bring prosperity to his people.
But now raiders from the south had come. There was talk of war. He had need of the dragon’s wisdom again, and his grand-daughter’s young legs to fetch it.
“You must go and speak to the dragon, and he will show you what we need,” he told her.
“But I don’t know the way.”
“Take the map, it will show you all the lands to the north. It will take you to the dragon.”
So now here she stood in the heather. On the map was a drawing of the Hill of the Pool, while before her was the loch her grandfather had called Sionascaig, and above her the dragon slept in the autumn sunshine.
How would she wake it? And how was she supposed to speak to it?
As the afternoon wore on, she began the long climb up to the summit, reaching it just as the last light was leaving the sky. From here she could see the patchwork of lochs and hills and sea, and she felt as though she was riding on the back of the great beast, as he proudly surveyed his domain.
As darkness fell, she lay down and let the soft breeze whisper over her face. “Will you speak to me, dragon?” she whispered.
It wasn’t long before she slept, and then the dream came.
There was a thundering roar, and a gigantic fiery rock arced through the sky above her, and landed in the east with a devastating explosion.
But that wasn’t the end of it, for suddenly the air was filled with the roaring and shrieking of hundreds of spears of molten rock as the massive impact threw them back towards the west. They hissed and screamed as they hit the sea, and the earth itself trembled as they slammed deep into the ancient coastal rocks.
Reiff woke with a start. Above her, the sky was as full of stars as the beach was full of sand. She looked over to the east, but there was only darkness, and in the west, where the arrows of fire had landed, there was only silence.
“What are you telling me, dragon?” she whispered. “What have I seen?”
She tried to make sense of it. “Unexpected consequences,” she mused.
Then she thought again.
“Or maybe: that which hurts the right hand, also pains the left?”
She stood up. It would be dawn soon, time to head home. She pulled the map out of her pocket.
“But what am I to tell my grandfather?”
“You will know,” said the dragon, “you will know.” |
Christina Sott | sottchristina1@gmail.com | Adults: over 18 | The Byre – A Little Christmas Tale | Once more winter had returned into the little village and had claimed his hostages which were but set free by a warm wind, as it always is for Christmas at the westcoast of Alba.
A few days before Christmas Eve a little woman went along the small road to the only supermarket to finally do her Christmas shoppings. But she sighed and seemed to be quite sad. It was very early dark now and the lanterns were switched on already in the early afternoon to the sky darkening and the cold wind blowing in gusts.
She had tried what she could but couldn’t find out where her elder lived now who she wanted to invite for Christmas. And she didn’t yet receive a confirmation about her love being able to visit her.
– 2 –
She walked slowly not to miss a single bit of that which Mother Nature wanted to tell her. Therefore she stopped quite often to look into windprotected gardens and admired the trees and plants surviving there. Sometimes with luck the deer came visiting. Every time when the blizzards raged upon the mountains. She often looked out to see one reminding her on her past, when they were her companions and friends, before the council drove her out of her cottage, which was but by full right, because it was quite broken down with almost no heating and huge holes in the walls and the ice winds howled through them and through the fireplace. – 3 –
She had almost frozen to death there and had severe frostbite injuries on fingers and hands and had to spent her days by standing tall next to the only electric heater in a very small but insulated room. But she stayed for her animals, her cats, sheep and all the deer around, especially one who was so tame that she could hug him and had thought about opening up a cafe to let children ride on his back. But one winter in one blizzard he didn’t come back from the rut. They shot him.
Now she had to live in this one room apartment but nature still close by. – 4 –
All this was weary on her mind but was actually overcome, coz she knew her loved ones were safe. She had this great hope for the future and there she walked down the small road, stopping every now and then.
As she stopped at this one apple tree along the road she was in awe because she could still spot a few very tiny apples which didn’t want to let go.
In that moment she was harshly grabbed from behind and someone put his hand over her mouth to do not scream and told her to be quiet and stand still. – 5 –
In no time he had blindfolded her with a scarf and dragged her into his car, ordering her to sit down and to remain silent.
She should have been afraid but she wasn’t, like all these many times when she had to get through dangerous situations. Fear is no help for those on need.
She knew the direction she was walking in and knew how he must have parked for the way he dragged her into his vehicle. So she was able to figure out which direction they were heading. – 6 –
He didn’t say a word and she didn’t talk either. Only the humming of the engine with a few cars passing opposite and every now and then she could hear the wind blowing through the vents and gaps of the car.
They drove quite some time and it must have been dark now when she smelled an almost familiar smell. Not a smell of a perfum or that of a man. It was for sure the scent of an animal from the boot of the car.
Their journey continued and she was a bit shaken for the road must have changed. – 7 –
The car went many times around sharp corners and that guy had obviously no clue how to drive them. It was hammering and banging all the time when some stone or other must have hit something of the car’s body from underneath with a big bang and that was when he was cursing.
Now they had to cope with another but constant noise on top of all the others:
The exhaust pipe must have been hit and hung sort of loose and made a dragging noise all of the time which made the man curse some more every now and then when they met a hole on the road. – 8 –
All that made her come to the conclusion that they would drive on a so called single track road.
Again, time went by, and she got sleepy and her sprained ankle said hello because this decades old injury didn’t like to sit still for too long. But she knew she had to stay awake to be alert, whatever this guy wanted from her and whoever that was.
She didn’t bother with contemplating how many perverts there are in this world, even in her village such cases were known. – 9 –
Plus it was holiday season and at peak times all hotels and bed and breakfasts were booked out by visitors from other countries.
He drove more slowly now but the wind got up again strongly. The journey didn’t seem to end when all of a sudden the car stopped running. She had no idea anymore where they could be.
He was constantly cursing now, commanded her to stay where she was and she was belted anyway. He locked the doors and stepped out. – 10 –
As if she couldn’t have gotten out if she wanted to. Was he a fool? She stayed to find out. For she didn’t know when he was back and what exactly he was doing she didn’t move her scarf.
She could gather from the noises that he took something out the boot and got busy at the side of the car, so he refilled petrol.
He stepped back in and the heavy wind made it hard for him and pushed him into his seat and banged the door to be closed. – 11 –
” Watch out for the deer jumping in from the side!”, she said, but no reply.
Again minutes passed and nothing seemed to change until he finally stopped and sighed.
He stepped out, opened her door and urged her to step out, too. He helped her and guided her to walk. The ice-cold heavy wind made it hard for them to walk, coz he blew in the direction they were walking.
“Now it goes a little downhill, okay? I help you.”, he said and she was wondering. – 12 –
Soon after the road flattened out and they walked windsheltered.
They seemed to have arrived where he wanted to bring her. He opened a door and they went inside. At some point he made her stop and took off her scarf. She looked but it was all dark. Then someone switched on the light and she couldn’t believe it. There in front of her stood her elder and embraced her only to give way for the man she loved to take her in her arms and kiss her. And after that she saw her whole family was there. Plus: A doberman!!!
“Let’s make some music!!!” |
