Short Story The sudden, severe storm caught me totally unaware. I was walking down Peppers Road when the dark clouds started to build. I looked around as I huddled under a large, dead oak tree which offered me little or no protection from the razor–sharp rain. Almost all of the houses on this abandoned street were too badly damaged for me to take shelter in, except for one. The house loomed impressive and morbid in the greenish–black sky. A flash of lightning briefly illuminated the house and I saw that the windows were broken, but the structure seemed sound. I started to think what I should do; my options were to either stay under this great dead oak tree risking getting hit by lightning...show more content... There was a crash from upstairs. My heart began to race. Who was it? What was it? I could only hear my heart as I listened for another sound. The silence throbbed in my ears; I stood at the bottom of the staircase. The sounds had come from upstairs. My curiosity and swallowed my fears and nervously ascended the battered and dilapidated stairs, not knowing what I was going to encounter. On the second floor I found a bathroom furnished in an old murky green with scale on it, I left it undisturbed as the floor looked unsafe. I found several bedrooms laden with cloth–covered antiques, clothes that might have been beautiful at one time, and tarnished jewellery. The walls and floor where all wooden, they were illuminated by the constant stream of lightning flashes that came through the stained window that towered over me. At the end of the second floor, I found yet another stair well. This one was dark and coated with lacy spider webs. It led to what must have been the children's floor at one point. There was a play room that took up most of the space, along with two bedrooms with dainty furniture, and the nurse's room. What I mistook for a closet at first was really a narrow flight of stairs that lead into the attic. A giant rat scampered across my feet. Its beady eyes glowed red in the flicker of my lighter. It hissed at me. I
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Short Story The river was roaring past the children and their teacher, as the group of kids tried in vain to understand the teacher's inaudible mutterings. Not one of them could understand or comprehend what the teacher was saying, and being the lively, uncontrollable brats that they were, they didn't care anyway. When the teacher stopped talking, he motioned for the children to follow him along the steep, mud–covered banks of the river. The children understood this and scuttled after him, along the dangerous route that he had selected for them.
As the teacher and the mob of children following...show more content...
The three children got through the nettle patch and they sat down on the boulders bordering the river, which was now starting to break its banks. They searched around for dock leaves to soften the intense pain of the nettle stings. When they eventually found them they returned to the boulders and tended to their burning limbs. When they could no longer feel the stings theyrealisedthat they were bored, and looked for something to do. One of them, Harry, saw something sparkle amid the foam in the river, and started out to get it. The other two, Chris and Matthew, noticed what Harry was after and chased after him frantically. As Chris and Matthew drew closer to Harry, an immense, sudden gush of water knocked the three kids flat on their faces. Chris, who was quite tubby, and the worst swimmer, couldn't fight the current, and was swept downstream screaming in terror. Matthew and Harry however, fought their way back to the banks of the river, petrified at the thought of what might happen to their friend. While all of this was happening, the torrential rain persisted. So much so, that the teacher decided to take the class – as quickly as possible – to some form of shelter. They ran towards a small, deserted house about a hundred yards from the path, and waited there panting for the rain to stop. Still, no–onerealisedthat three of
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Original Writing: Short Story
It was the night of the year that few children can sleep. The night when everyone hopes that snow will fall and they will wake up to a garden of glistening diamonds grown by the morning sun. It was Christmas Eve.
As many had hoped, snow was falling. It slowly covered the houses and streets in a thick blanket. The moon shone her silver light down on the white world, and but for one, there was nobody to view the kind of beauty that things such as love and dreams are made of. The only one there to see the spectacle was a small boy of five, or six years.
This little boy possessed a beauty not of this earth, a beauty that surpassed even all that surrounded him. His...show more content... On the night that every other child wished for toys, and puppies, this little boy wished for love. And nothing more. Finally, the little boy came to a stop, not wanting to ever take another step again. He raised his downcast eyes, and in front of him stood a church. He remembered that he had been to church before, and the building that loomed above him stirred vague memories. The boy made himself stumble a few more steps, and pressed his face to the glass door he had arrived at. He looked in, and saw the church was lit up inside. There was light coming from behind a man on a big cross, and two huge Christmas trees shone in heavenly splendor. Looking at the man on the cross, he had a faint recollection. He half–remembered, a long time ago, that someone reading from a big book had said that the man on the cross would come on Christmas. That he came every Christmas.
The little boy supposed that if anyone would help him, it would be the man inside. He loved everyone. So, the little boy laid down in front of the church, and as he slipped off into sleep, a glimmer of hope, that the man would come and save him from the cold and loneliness, warmed his heart. The snow continued to fall, and bells jingled far in the distance. Presents were laid under trees, and visions of sugar plums danced in most children's heads. But not the little boy who slept on the church steps under the winter
The Spot
Taylor walked by this very spot every day. Taylor knew it like the back of her hand. Today, however, she noticed something that she had never seen before. On one of the trees,, there was a button. She walked towards it, every bone her body urging her to push it! Today her brother and sister joined her. She was about to push the button when her brother said "Do you know what that button will do?"
"No, but it can't be bad," said Taylor.
"What if something bad does happens Taylor," said Terrin. Terrin was very worried, and so was her brother Tyler.
Then we will fix it Taylor said!"
"Don't push it," Tyler said.
"Lets just go look around first for a little bit, okay Taylor," whispered Terrin.
"I guess," Taylor whispered...show more content...
"Fine, we'll go back" said Terrin. After, they talked they went to sleep. When they woke up that morning it was hazy outside. They all went down stairs and said their goodbyes to their mom. After, their mom left they went straight up to the spot.
When they got to the spot the sun was so brutal. There were still only two buttons there. Taylor said, "Iwant to push both of them, so I will start with the top one." She pushed the top one and nothing happened. Then she pushed the bottom one nothing happened again. She tried the first one one more time. There was a loud noise but they did not think anything happened. They looked around and there were holes in every section before the grave. This is not good" said Terrin. I want to see what is inside of them" said Taylor. She looked inside of her grandpa's. She stuck her head all the way in the hole. Then she fell right in and the holes closed up. "Taylor can you hear us said Terrin and Tyler. They got no response. We need to get her out" said Tyler.
"If the button opened the holes the first time then it will probably open again" said Terrin in a worried voice. So Terrin went over and pushed the top button. Nothing happened then she pushed the bottom one and the buttons vanished. This is is not good said Terrin. What happened asked Tyler. The buttons are not here anymore said Terrin. I am going to go get shovels said Tyler.
While Tyler was getting the shovels
A short–short is a peculiar literary piece. It creates a world, full of characters and wonder in under 2,000 words (roughly 7 pages). Most complete fiction stories are hundreds of pages filled with wonder and conflict. The characters are well developed, as are their back stories. The reader is sucked in and dropped in a world created in the mind of the author. In a short–short you must do just that, but instead of starting a reader in the beginning of the timeline you must drop them in the midst of the storyline. There are many do's and don'ts that must go into writing short–shorts. My first thought was that I would write my short–shorts as flashbacks, but that is nearly impossible to do with the limited word count. A flashback requires you to create the present and then recreate the past with enough detail to keep the reader engaged. Once I came to that conclusion I threw those ideas out. Sadly that left me without any ideas on the type of story that I should create. It wasn't until I was have a discussion with my significant other that he gave me the idea for my first short story presented in this portfolio. This is a unique story, because I brought in a theme from my poetry portfolio and conceptualized it from a different perspective. I decided that I would write a story about morals, but instead of taking it from the cliched right vs wrong point of view, I would take it from the perspective of someone who thought they were doing right even though the rest of the world
my initial thoughts of the short story were mixed. I was not sure of who or what the story was about, when the story was taking place or how it was relevant to the ten year old child. Once I read through the story and fitted the pieces together and got a basic understanding of the story, and I thought it was a sad, eye–opening stand of ideas.
2. This story fits the criteria of a short story best. It could also be a fictional story and a fable.
3. The exposition of the story begins when the author introduces the boy, Marvin. His father is taking him through the higher levels of the colony, to places he had never been before. They get into a scouting vehicle suitable for outdoor conditions, and they go far away from the colonies view. Marvin is amazed and overwhelmed with excitement. The rising action takes place when Marvin and his father drive past an abandoned crashed rocket. The surrounding area was dark and you could feel the coldness surrounding the gloomy area. Marvin's father tries to pay little attention, he put his head down and increased his speed through the departed forgotten stretch of land. The climax begins when Marvin catches his first glimpse of the earth and is astonished at the sight. He is overwhelmed with emotion when he sees the fullness of the world. He sees the torn ruins of the coasts and the darkest parts of the earth that were glowing with radiation. The falling action begins with Marvin's father's explanation of the world's condition, why it is
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HKDSE English Paper 2 Sample questions on Learning English through Short Stories Compiled by Melinda Lo I : Question types: A. on reading and appreciating short stories 1. A student at your school has posted this blog on the Intranet for your school: Write a letter in response to this, either agreeing or disagreeing with Keith. Do not give an address and sign your letter 'Billy Ho.' 2. 'The best way to improve one's English is to read short stories.' Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Write an article for your school magazine expressing your viewpoints on learning English through short stories. 3. Your English teacher, Miss Thomson, wants to...show more content... Write a fable based on the proverb: 'Look before you leap.' 16. An English newspaper in Hong Kong is organizing a short story competition for senior form students. The topic for this year's competition is as follows: The newspaper is accepting entries now and you would like to enter the competition. Write a short story based on the topic above. 17. An English newspaper in Hong Kong is organizing a short story competition for senior form students. The topic for this year's competition is as follows: The newspaper is accepting entries now and you want to enter the competition. Write a short story based on the topic above. 18. Your English teacher has asked your class to write a funny story based on your personal experience. Write the story. 19. Has anything happened to you, your family or your friends that would make a good short story? Write a short story about the event. You can tell the story either in the first person ('I') or the third person ('he/she') as you wish. 20. As part of the elective module, your teacher asked your class to read some short stories about ghosts and supernatural power. Write a letter to your best friend in the UK describing one of the ghost stories you have read. You may tell him what the story is about, why you like it and what other genres of stories you would like to read in the
English coursework
The End of the Road
It all started to go downhill when my boyfriend started speaking to another girl behind my back, sending text messages and meeting up with her for a 'chat' as he used to say. I never believed anything he said. Neither did my friends or family. Why should we have? Before we got together he was known as a player and someone who continuously flirted with girls even if he had a girlfriend, but after we got together he toned it down and I thought he had changed. I'm fed up with the way he is treating me, I know I deserve better. How did I know that the day I decided to confront him was the day I would never see him again?
I decided to go to Daniel's the morning after I had found out about the text...show more content... And that's when she told me. ''It's Daniel'' she said. ''He's been in an accident'' I fell to the floor, I hadn't spoken to him, I've been ignoring him, what have I done?!
''Is he hurt? What kind of accident?'' I asked her. She looked up at me through the tears in her eyes and I knew just from the look she gave me that it was more than a broken bone. He was dead.
After Daniel's death I didn't leave my room for about a week, I didn't want to face the world, I didn't want to talk to anyone, I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts. But all I could think about was 'what if?' What if I hadn't ignored him? What if we weren't arguing, would he have been at mine that night?
I went on my laptop about a week after, I didn't look at my phone or my laptop because I didn't want any sympathy comments as I knew it would only make me feel worse, but that night I just wanted to see what people had put on his Facebook wall, the moment I logged onto my account, I had thousands of notifications. I switched my laptop straight off; I knew I shouldn't have gone on in the first place.
The next day was his funeral, I didn't think I would be able to cope, but I knew I would have lots of people there to support me, but I knew it would be harder for his family than it would be for
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Short Stories and Poetry There are many different forms of writing that all fall under the name literature. These different ways to create literature are often categorized into specific genres. Some of the genres have more in common with each other than others. Two genres, theshort story and the poem, share many similar aspects. Both the short story and the poem can successfully send powerful messages or tell complex stories in a very short amount of words. Both genres contain carefully manipulated language that quickly yet effectively establishes the meaning of the short story or poem. Point of view is a prominent aspect in controlling short stories and poetry. The works are thus often told in the first...show more content...
Short literary works are confined to the boundaries on length according to their specific genre; they don't have time for lengthy or slow introductions.
William Faulkner's "A Rose of Emily" (p. 443) begins immediately with a startling statement about Miss Emily's death. Faulkner creates a first sentence that describes how "our whole town went to her funeral" (1), using of course the first person form of "we" (28, 43, 46, etc...) The narrator is most likely one of the townspeople who represents the point of view of the entire town. Through the use of plural first person narration, the author makes the reader feel as if though they are part of the story, grasping his or her interest more quickly. Faulkner employs this first person narration in the first sentence of his story, thus immediately capturing the reader's attention. The reader's engagement in the story also adds to its emotionality. By feeling as though he or she is a part of the story, the reader often feels sadness, joy and other emotions with the characters of the story. When the townspeople were "surprised when Homer Barron...was gone" (46), the use of "we" (46) forces the reader to feel the same confusion and shock that the townspeople do. The first person helps to enrich the variability and appeal of the short story. This use of first person to strengthen the feeling of the
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One thing that's great about short stories is how quickly they can ruin your life. Maybe you start reading one over your lunch break and, if it's the right one, before that peanut butter cup you brought for dessert even has a chance to finish its melting shape–shift into some kind of sugary cement, the whole world has been destroyed around you and then rebuilt, and nothing is quite the same again. This happens whether you like it or not. Great stories practice this violent beauty on you in a variety of ways: some by making an absurd world familiar (or vice versa), some with a slow burn, some with a voice that colonizes your thoughts. Some do it quietly, almost without you even noticing, and some do it with high wire acts of imagination or intellect that make you into a breathless witness. The trick, then, is finding the right story, one that is capable of such a thing. This is no easy task. Tastes differ, of course, and it can be confusing to spot the small boat of a great story on the wide sea of fiction. What any reader can offer you in terms of guidance is actually the same thing that any good writer can offer you with the story itself: a way of saying, This is what moved me and made me feel strange and alive in some way; here, why don't you give it a try? In that spirit and in no particular order, here are ten short stories you might've missed that ambushed me with their odd wonder: 1."The Zero Meter Diving Team" by Jim Shepard (BOMB Magazine) This curious, Get more content
The short story is told through a first person narrator, this is due to the narrator is a child called Elizabeth and that she uses words such as "I" and "We". We get a glimpse of Elizabeth's thoughts and actions through the quote "With the sun in my eyes, I couldn't see my mammy's face, not even squinting with both arms above my head and my head tilted". Everything we know about the story is something that Elisabeth has experienced and therefore our knowledge is limited by her view of the world.
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