‘Sunken Treasure’ - Christiaan Du Buson 148 ‘The Walls that Talked’ - Tanush Patel 151 ‘The Hidden Cave’ - Ollie Caldeweyher 155 ‘The Royal Crown’s Last Voyage’ - Tristan Jones 160 ‘The Recruit (First Mission)’ - Nik Bell 168 ‘Murder on the Ship’ - Lucas Jenkinson-Rock
‘An Old Book, a New Mystery’ - Hemish Patel
Term 1 Writers’ Circle Program
Mr Will Duffield - Writers’ Circle Coordinator
In keeping with our Arts motto for the year, “To strive and thrive in ‘25”, we have sought new ways to enhance our Writers’ Circle program and provide even greater opportunities for our young writers Special appreciation goes to our wonderful seniors who assisted
at various points throughout the term: Will Condon, Bill Deeran, Gage Dittmann, Roan McNamara, and Tanush Patel. This term, we were privileged to have Ms Melissa Bates (former CEO of the Brisbane Writers’ Festival) share her insights with our
students Her experience, expertise, and practical guidance proved to be very useful for students when completing their narratives.
Well done to Chayse Marshall (Year 6) and Bill Deeran (Year 12) for contributing to the second edition of ‘From the Writers’ Circle
Pictured: Melissa Bates speaking with Writers’ Circle students.
Desk’ in Behind the Stripes
Alongside Ms Kat Ellis, we held a Photography Competition, aligning with our Term 1 theme: “Power of Secrets.”
Congratulations to Jake Linde, whose submission was selected for the cover of our Term 1 Booklet!
As a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice tradition, we seek to "liberate hearts and minds" through various social justice initiatives. At the end of term, students read their completed stories to the residents of Viridian. This experience was incredibly meaningful for both students and
residents
Thank you to the many staff for their support of our program As we look ahead to Term 2, we remain excited for the creative journeys yet to come If you have any inquiries about our program, please contact Mr Duffield.
Pictured: Writers’ Circle session
Introduction to our 2025 Senior Helpers
We asked our Senior Leaders some questions about what motivates them in their role. Read their responses below!
How long have you been a student at Nudgee? 5 years (onto 6th)
What are you looking forward to in Writers’ Circle this year?
Building bonds with the younger lads, hopefully shaping their writing ability and mindset around text.
Do you have a favourite quote from a book or writer? "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear- not absence of fear " - Mark Twain
Favourite book and why? Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck. Hearty story covering themes of brotherhood, discrimination, and controversial mercy. Steinbeck also paints a vivid picture, transporting the reader to his world- rather it be of beauty or anguish.
Why should students join Writers' Circle? Get to know some seniors, get some more friends. Get better at writing, and gain more confidence in your academic ability
How long have you been a student at Nudgee? 5 years (onto 6th)
What are you looking forward to in Writers’ Circle this year? The termly Viridian visits where Writers' Circle student read to the residents and explain their thoughts while writing their stories
Do you have a favourite quote from a book or writer? “The thing isfear can't hurt you any more than a dream ” - William Golding
Favourite book and why? Lord of the Flies because of how it encapsulates societal dilemmas.
Why should students join Writers' Circle? I encourage all students to join Writers' Circle as it is a inclusive environment to creatively write stories and express raw emotions
Will Condon
Bill Deeran
How long have you been a student at Nudgee? 5 years (onto 6th)
What are you looking forward to in Writers’ Circle this year? To watch people grow and fruition in the world of literature and writing. This brings immense joy and provides students the opportunity to learn new skills while being creative
Do you have a favourite quote from a book or writer? “The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately ” - Seneca Favourite book and why? The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.
Teaches you the true essence of life and the principles you should live by, being simple and effective
Why should students join Writers' Circle? Writers' Circle is a great way for boys to develop their writing skills and soft skills By understanding the nuances of texts and crafting your own, students can learn so much.
Tanush Patel
MRSMILLER
MSKINGSFORD
MRSWHITE
Librarians' Top Picks Term 1
This term, we asked Mrs Miller, Ms Kingsford, and Mrs White some of their top picks for the term!
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien (Yr 5 - 12)
Tolkien creates an incredible world of fantastical creatures and beings, which might inspire some o our writers to consider what other-worldly creatu they might be able to create or build a world for their stories.
My top reading recommendation is Detention by Trist Bancks. It has action packed cliff hanger chapters th leave you wanting more The book covers current affa about asylum seekers, told through the eyes of teenagers It really does touch on the hard reality face by so many in a relatable action packed narrative. Honestly anything written by Tristan Bancks is fabulous
"When Friendship Followed Me Home" by Pau
young boy's chance encounter with a scruffy do friendship in this deeply moving story about life, meaning of family. Ben Coffin has never felt like A former foster kid, he keeps his head down at s avoid bullies and spends afternoons reading sci books at the library. All that changes when Ben a scruffy abandoned dog named Flip and befrie librarian's daughter, Halley. For the first time, Be belongs in his own life Then everything changes than ever This book is a rollercoaster ride of emotions - joy, laughter, loss and belonging - that begs the reader to strap themselves in for the ride.
WRITING STIMULUS
Through the selection of "setting," "theme," “dialogue”, and "word parameter" stimulus, we have encouraged our young writers to explore their creative boundaries and craft engaging stories.
"This isn’t the end - it's just where we start."
"You
DIALOGUE
"If
THEME PROMPT
“We’re
WILL CONDON
This story explores themes of fear, responsibility, and the unknown. Through the protagonist’s frantic search for Sarah, the narrative builds suspense, weaving together personal history, unsettling surroundings, and a shifting reality that challenges perception. The library, an otherwise ordinary place, transforms into a maze of deception, reflecting the character’s own uncertainty and self-doubt.
Knowledge Condemn Thee
“SARAH!” Echoes flooded the spruce hallways with empty returns, a reflection of my despair returning as the sound of my voice ricocheted off the bookshelves–seemingly interminable–reminding me of my failing navigation. Why split up, have you read a book? Ironic considering our capturer, taunting us of knowledge we wish we possessed. Inala State School taught
me a few things, use the stalls when you go to the bathroom, and try not to make contact with anyone– what it didn't teach me was how to read; how to write The letters I attempt to string together on these books–piling on the dark oak floor beneath me– seemingly unhelpful, a taunt targeted to me, making me wonder if this library so grand yet arbitrary was created for me.
Created for my friend Sarah, enticed by the outside sign, “First time customer, one free book!” The walk home just like every other day of winter was supposed to be no longer than twenty minutes, Aunty Elis waiting for us on the porch holding her broomstick, kindly ready for any potential assailants. A compassionate woman
no larger than 5’2 and with bones as thick as paper, paper now surrounding me as she likely ravages the streets looking for me and Sarah Aunty Elis always told me “You take care of that girl, she’s as smart as Newton that girl, but when her nose leaves her book all people see is an easy target–a young lady absent of confidence, that's what ” Now, she could be in the grasps of some person I’ll never find–a person who may capitalise on her palpable insecurity.
My stomach clenches as the turns of these never ending hallways introduce me to
corridors as long as the streets of my home town, Sarah seems more out of reach than ever. I was supposed to look after her after Uncle Rino left I was supposed to ensure her wellbeing. Hope seeps out of my eyes, a fact reinforced by my reflection in the overhead chandeliers, glistening clean– until I hear a distant hum. A tune striking chords of nostalgia and minuteness; the hum of a young lady. Sarah! My cautious step transforms into a stride, a smile carving my face as books start falling off shelves due to my heavy step, I can get her back. Each turn builds anticipation
within my body, the calling of her voice growing until finally “Sarah!” A small girl looking at the window out the window of a shop studies the movement of people walking the streets outside, seemingly unaware of what sits inside the library. Her head swivels in my direction, a book clenched in her hand
reading “Two Left, One Right” My head tries to pivot to its side, but I pick her up reassuring her safety, moving frantically towards the hallway to my left.
Chuckles leave the little girl leaving me confused Looking up, I’m distressed by the presence of shifting
shelves and closing walls– the street now merging with the window, the window converging on our location I look down to the now hysterical child; but this is no damsel in distress. This is not Sarah, this may be my demise. Placing her gently on the floor, I jog away in confusion, the hallways paths transforming before me Alas, I finally reached a solid wall– not one filled with books but with drywall Following its guidance, a petite hand reaches from the bookshelf to my right with such force it seems as if I’ve morphed through the
wall. Sarah holds her finger over her lips, a stern look on her face as I hear a loud slam behind me; a shelf not consistent with books but levers disguised in leather covers cased with paper. The questions I ask attempt to burn through the silence, but I acknowledge the possibility of a life or death situation, and why Sarah–whom I was supposed to protect–is now protecting me with such conviction.
OLIVER CLANCY
The Exploration of the Unknown is an adventure across the Pacific Ocean. This story follows Jeff Pezos, Fill Plate, and their group of friends as they set off on what should have been the trip of a lifetime. However, mystery and danger quickly take over as people begin to disappear, and an ancient secret lurking beneath the ocean ’ s surface is revealed.
Exploration of the Unknown
It’s a scorching night and Jeff Pezos and Fill Plate are out having a Trillionaire Friday Pub night After a long discussion they decide to buy a yacht. A beautiful, magnificent, and elegant yacht that costs $1.21 Trillion, but thankfully they split the cost $605 Billion each It is a 120 room yacht with a 625 square meter pool with the world’s biggest waterslide on it as well as GOLD’S GYM
KHALDA, a buffet so big it could be for the King. But the cherry on top has to be the World’s biggest Pub and Casino.
Jeff Pezos and Fill Plate decide to invite some of their friends and allow their friends to bring some friends around 700 people. Jeff Pezos decides to invite some of his favourite EMEZON friends and family and Fill Plate decides to
invite his friends from MICRASAFT and his family members. The trillionaires decide to do a vote between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, 350 choose Pacific and 350 choose Atlantic. But then it comes down to one person Reginald James Brown, considering Reginald
James Brown is the CFO for EMEZON and MICRASAFT so whoever he chooses he might be insulting but He
comes to the decision to go through the Pacific Ocean Everyone loads their things onto the Yacht and gets comfortable, some people testing the waterslides, some at the gym, and a lot at the casino. But regardless of what they are doing they are loving it, some people already are saying it is the greatest time of their lives Little did they know the Captain was hiding something. While everyone is enjoying the trip having the time of their lives there is one person who is not and in fact scared and worried the whole journey so far. Reginald!
Regardless of all of the certification Reginald got from his friends and family that everyone would be ok he still was upset like he could sense something bad was going to happen
Despite his distress he still wanted to enjoy this once in a lifetime trip with his family because they were really looking forward to the trip He put all of it aside and had some fun with family on the waterslide and park By the end of it he had completely forgotten about his worries. After a few weeks on the Yacht some people
start to go missing for no apparent reason, everyone just assumes they are sick but not Reginald. Everyone is going about their days as normal like nothing is happening but that is until over 40 people mysteriously go missing. So they begin an investigation, although there is no Police on the boat so they have to rely on the security team. Suspicions started going around a Murder Mystery, and a bunch of other weird ideas and theories to why everyone was going missing without a single trace. They could never get a definitive answer even
when over 100 people go missing, 350 people go missing No matter what happened or how many people had vanished they could never quite understand how it was happening and why. After this people kept dropping like flies. 400 people on the boat, 2 days later 300 people, 5 days, 175 people, and 9 days after that 50 people left on the boat Disappointingly, the Captain and Vice Captain were both taken from the boat so they were just drifting through the middle of the Pacific Ocean. All the Chefs and Maintenance workers are gone and they
have to search for food while watching their backs in case something comes up behind them.
Eventually the number of people widened down to 6 people
Reginald, his Wife Stephanie, Son Aidan, Daughter Daisy, Jeff Pezos, and finally Fill Plate. These are the only left to bring this ship back to safety.
“Hey where do you guys think the best place to stay is,”
Reginald asked.
“Probably the Helm because it has all the emergency supplies,” Bill Plate said.
the supplies they can and take it all to the Helm After a week of waiting for something to happen, finally they see something that looks like the kraken but that can’t be right because the kraken is only in movies
“What is that,” Aidan Questions.
“It's the Kraken, the real Kraken, I think I know why everyone is disappearing,”
Stephanie replies
“There are like a million different kinds of octopus behind the Kraken and the Loch Ness monster, this is bad,” Screams Daisy.
“HIDE,” Fill screeched
They all agreed that they should gather all
They had to make a
fort out of mattresses to make sure that the monsters could not see them and they would not have been eaten. So they stayed quiet for hours until it was dawn and the monsters started to flee the boat and they could search for a way to communicate with the rest of the world. First they found a transmitter to send a signal to the tower but the cord was snapped, second they found a phone but it was dead, and finally they found a flare gun The second they found it they shot it into the air and waited and waited and waited until for something to happen, after 1 week and a half
of waiting they saw someone swimming towards the yacht
It looks like someone from an old clan The clan member starts throwing spears at them and nearly hits Jeff they decide to trap him and lock him up in and ask him some questions. They lock him up and start to investigate to find out what these creatures are and why they are here “HEY, you what are those creatures doing here,” Reginald asks. “They are a secret to the rest of the world, we are the only people that know about them,” The man respondes.
“Ok and how are we going to be saved,” Daisy asks “You wait, I can sense a ship 4 days out from here, all I can ask is that you don’t tell anyone that my tribe exists,” The man says. They all agree and wait for someone to come and rescue them.
Unfortunately, when the people arrive to rescue them it is night time and they have to wait outside the zone to not be eaten. So first thing in the morning they get working on grabbing all of the important resources and rescuing them and bringing them to safety after months and months of
waiting. When everyone got back to shore they were interviewed and interviewed for hours until everyone got their answers and went home slightly scarred and upset with all of this
FREDDIE ORR
This story is an exciting mystery about a rich and powerful family gathering on a luxurious yacht. When their grandfather, Edmund Baskerville, arrives to announce his will, things take a shocking turn - he is suddenly murdered! With no clear clues and a killer still on the loose, the family must face the truth: one of them is responsible.
The Murder on the High Seas
On a calm cool night in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, the crystal glider yacht sailed calmly through the still lukewarm water. The yacht was like a mansion on the water The vessel, a massive 70 by 20 metre boat, glistened with elegance Within the walls of this great ship lied 7 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, a kitchen equipped with a private chef, a massive ball room and if not
enough already a study. Additionally, On the balcony there was a massive deck upon which lay a helipad that for most of the time stayed empty.
The owner of the yacht was the rich Duke Perry Wadsworth of England with his soon to be fiance Madelen Caroll who is the daughter of a rich English lord His cousin Alexander Butler, currently an architect in Paris, had
been close with Perry for years ever since their rich uncle Malcolm Butler died Alexander's girlfriend Ashley hatton was the valedictorian at oxford law and is the leading barrister in the United Kingdom. Perry also has a hated sister Bridget Hussain who is a star on the Hollywood stage and has won Oscars for her movies Daren Alderson the outcast of the family resents their British nature and
moved to Manhattan where he became one of the leading real estate agents in the manhattan region. Finally, somehow related to the rest of the family, Janice Blackburn is a round the clock sold out creative designer in the floral industry based in Prague.
Now this twisted and deviant family gathered on Perry’s yacht for the splitting of their grandfather Edmund Baskerville’s will He is the head and owner of the leading bank in the world Baskerville accounts based in almost every major and minor city in the world. Their dear, old, and despised grandfather will meet on the boat to announce the dividing up or cutting out of his billion dollar fortune
As Perry and Madeline left the dock they had know idea the journey or more so travesty they were about to endure. Once the yacht had hit the center of the Mediterranean, Alexander and Ashley joined them by helicopter. The helicopter's fresh custom paint resembled the million dollar yacht: beautiful, expensive, and eyecatching The white and gold exterior was jaw-dropping. One
after another helicopters like these came and went to drop off all the family members. All except one Edmund The old man had a notorious history of arriving in style whatever the cost As the temperature slowly decreased and the water became more turbulent you could hear the blades colliding with the air as Edmund’s chopper slowly descended onto the yacht's helipad. With all the guests gathered in the ballroom dressed for a black tie event you could hear the stomping of metal soled shoes colliding
with the wooden steps. The doors slammed open on either side As the wrinkly, old, billionaire took a step into the room it was like a freezing cold gust of wind had just hit the guests with force Eger eyed all the guests form a semicircle around him In his deep slow voice he stated, “ As you all know you are family to me and I love each and everyone of you so I have decided that each and every one of you will be immediately cut from my will no one will receive a single dollar or item ” Enraged, the guests shouted as he placed
the will on the table and picked up his pen. Alexander tried to remove the pen from his hand so he couldn't sign the will Edmunds personal security detail swept into action removing Alexander from the room Whilst this was unfolding Perry glanced up at the ceiling to see two men with guns up there waiting to make sure nobody came towards Edmund If they did they wouldn't have any time to reconsider their actions and that's for sure
power generator kicked in as Edmunds security guards came running in from all directions.
Encompassed in a pool of blood, Edmunds cold body lay still on the floor. “Quick,” did he sign it Perry asked The guests' pure hatred for the man started to radiate from each and everyone of them
Alexander took a long glance at the will and noticed not a single signature on the page “No, he didn't sign it,” Alexander stated in relife
“Bang,” a gunshot, the lights were out, screams erupted from across the room. Within seconds the emergency
All the guards were equipped with a firearm in case of emergency but not a single guest had a
chance of being the murderer for they were all free of weapons At least we thought. It was a straight shot to the bow which ruptured his appendix which assured death in almost seconds. The guards with snipers on the top of the ball room came down and joined the rest of the guests in the ballroom
All of Edmunds security team had been serving alongside him for almost 20 years, they had stopped countless attempts to kill Edmund and were sworn to protect Edmund at all costs. The only evidence they had was inconclusive and seemed to suggest no one was at fault for the murders.
As the boat docked in Monte Carlo the detectives surveyed the scene to find little evidence at all; they had no proof of anyone being responsible. Not even a single clue
Even though multiple guards were armed, all the guns they had did not match the bullets found in Edmunds chest. Despite their best efforts the Monaco and French police teams had no reason to continue the case Due to the mysterious murder all guests were still a part of the will and with no ability for it to be changed they were all walking away
billionaires. Whoever was the murderer they were still out there unchained and free to the world.
OLIVER SANDAVER
This story is about a boy named Tom who lives in the future with his dad, a former government agent. Tom's life is not easy because his dad is always busy, and his nanny, Agatha, is mean to him. One day, Tom falls into a hidden cyber city, and his dad must use his skills to find him.
The Abandoned Cyber City
The year was 2512 A boy called Tom lived with his dad, a former government agent. Their life was hard, and his dad always left for meetings. Tom always told his dad not to go, but he had to, and he always said, “I’ll be back before you know it,” and then he was gone.
Tom always hid from his wicked nanny, Agatha. Every time she came, she would say,
“Rub my feet,” in a wheezing voice. Every day, she would grab him by the hand and say, “I said rub my feet.” After days and days of "ol’ fungus feet," he snapped His dad came back, put his coat on the coat hanger, and said, “I’m home.” He was expecting Tom to come down, but it was silent “Tom, are you there?”
He ran into the lounge and saw the nanny with cucumbers on her eyes and a face mask on her face. The dad stormed downstairs, grabbed the keys from the bench, and she woke up, startled from a daydream of a face.
He pulled her by the collar of her shirt, which rather hurt.
“What are you doing?!”
“Ummm…”
“You're meant to be his nanny!”
“Let me explain-”
“I’m going to find my son Get out, you raisin,” said the dad.
The nanny ran out in shock. Meanwhile, the dad was thinking about what to do. Then he had an idea - "the tracker on Tom’s bag!"
He ran to his phone and opened the app
Find My Items He located Tom near the town square.
Tom's dad ran out the door, heading downtown to the town square Meanwhile, Tom was in the square, looking around. He
walked into an alley when suddenly, the ground gave out beneath him. Tom fell and landed in a river. He looked up - it was an abandoned cyber city.
He yelled, “Help!!” His voice echoed. His dad had reached the town square Meanwhile, Tom took in the hollow sensation of the city
His dad was catching up. Tom entered one of the twin towers and found technology like no other.
collapsed ground, and jumped down.
“Tom!!!”
Tom heard him, ran to him, and hugged him They climbed up the ladder, and Tom told his dad everything about his nanny. When they got back home, his dad told him, “She’s gone She’s bad ”
Tom went into his room and went to sleepready for another day of mystery.
His dad went down the alley, saw the
FRED WEHL
This story is based on real events from World War II. It tells the story of brave prisoners who tried to escape from a Nazi camp. They worked together, made secret tunnels, and took big risks to be free.
This story helps us remember them and the sacrifices they made.
The Escape from Bełżec
2 weeks ago
"Get into the truck, you filthy English pig!" shouted the German soldier, poking me with his rifle. I was shot down in my Spitfire and taken by force They would shoot me if I resisted, so I had to go into their filthy war camps
Ever since the Nazis captured me, on the first day I got here, I gathered a group, and we started planning to
escape We had to know everything about the guards - we needed to know their shifts, how many people were in the camp, and we needed multiple tunnels If one or two were discovered, they wouldn’t think of the prisoners making three Climbing wasn’t an option - there were two fences made of barbed wire, and the guards would probably shoot if you tried to
climb. You couldn’t dig under, as the fence went one metre underground, and even if you somehow got across, there was a 10metre gap before reaching the forest
The guards would shoot before you got that far
Later that night, we were put in cabins The beds were just pieces of wood and a dirty rag. I noticed sickness spreading around the
camp like wildfire, so I tried to keep my distance from the sick The three tunnels were called Tom, Dick, and Harry Harry was hidden under a stove
Rows of Death
It was going well
Everyone - except the Germans, of courseknew about the tunnels and was now helping to construct them. During the day, the guards normally let us walk around the camp, but there was one place where they kept prisoners It was at the back of the campsheds lined up in rows. I got suspicious, so I sneaked over there and peered through a window. What I saw
left a hole in me forever. Inside were dead, motionless peoplebut they hadn’t been shot There were no injuries on them, so I wondered how on earth they had died Then, a dreadful thought came to me. I looked at the bodies again, and I knew I was right. It was mustard gas - the worst gas of all They had used it in a previous battle, and the thought of it was dreadful. I remembered seeing the twisted, motionless bodies. The other prisoners said that if you went in there, you didn’t come out alive.
I sprinted back to the dirt oval where the other prisoners were I told them what I had seen, and we all knew we had to escape the next night
The Tunnels
Over the last few days, two of our tunnels had been discovered, and the Germans were planning to move us to a different camp. This meant all focus had to shift to Tom We worked all day, taking shifts to keep watch for guards. We took what little resources we could find or steal from them. Somehow, we managed to finish the tunnel by night exactly on time for the escape.
Escape
The prisoners who planned to escape packed what they needed for the journey. Some planned to go to Spain, others to Norway, America, or Britain. Someone hid in a bush outside the camp, signaling with a piece of string one tug meant " go, " two tugs meant "don’t go "
But disaster struck.
The tunnel ended one metre short of the forest - we were still in no man ' s land To make it worse, the door was jammed. It took an hour to loosen it, and by then, it was 3:00 a.m. We couldn’t waste any more time. Despite
everything, 73 people managed to escape.
Disaster
But one of the tugs on the string was mistaken, and someone got caught right in front of a German patrol The guards were alerted, and they realised an escape was in progress. Every man still in the tunnel was shot that very night103 people were killed.
The ones who escaped found it hard to stay undercover. 71 were caught and executed
Only two made it to Norway, and one to Spain. Everyone who participated in the escape was executedexcept for those three.
In total, 257 lives were lost in this tragic operation. We pay our respects to those who gave their lives so that we may have what we have today, remembering the devastating events of World War II.
ELLIOTT O’GORMAN
This story is about adventure and discovery. William and his dad find a secret cave and go on an exciting journey.
William is brave and curious, and he never gives up. In the end, he finds treasure, but he also learns that knowledge is just as important as gold.
William was exploring a new tunnel that he had found. Will and his dad were very poor, so if this place had something they could sell, it would be amazing There was a sign on the outside with some weird language that he could not understand Luckily, he had all the torches and picks that he needed to explore different tunnels in Malibu. He thought it might be a secret
Ancient Dungeon
tunnel used by the military in World War Two, but there was no armoury or food area, so maybe not, he thought. He went back to his dad, who was also a cave-exploring genius, and brought him to the special cave he had found. His dad said he had never seen it before, so he set up some lights and left to go to sleep
When he woke up, he met his dad, who said he had researched those types of caves during the night. Apparently, there was an area that usually got flooded but was believed to have treasure The area that stored the treasure was a cave that didn’t flood William quickly got his scuba diving gear, and his dad did the same They went deeper into the cave, laying torches along the way. Eventually, he and his dad reached
the underwater section and dived in. He immediately couldn’t see, so he turned on his light and swam deeper into the cave He found a cave area that didn’t flood, and it was full of chests.
Next to the chests was a big pile of gold. But when he asked his dad to examine it, his dad said it was fool’s gold. So he dived back down and found a second water cave, which seemed to have nothing. However, when he looked again, he realised he had missed a big roll of wood that was too hard to turn by himself He got his dad to follow him into the new
cave and help him turn the big wheel. His dad had a hard time turning the wheel, but with Will's help, he was able to turn it around The string behind the wheel was going up, so he went back up to the first room and found that a wall had been pulled down. He lifted a small grin as he discovered, inside the room, lots of gold coins and statues Will was elated and could not believe it. He and his dad didn’t have to be poor anymore They ended up using all the gold, which amounted to about 800,000 dollars enough to buy a better house, invest, and afford many
things. The first thing they did was buy a new house and invest in the stock market. After living in their new house for a while, Will decided he needed to go to school. It was a very new experience for him. Luckily, Will found friends and had a great time. He went to school every day and moved up through the years until he finished school and went to Harvard to follow his dream of becoming an architect.
At the end of university, he earned a degree in architecture because of his deep knowledge of ancient catacombs and his dedication to studying.
LUCAS BURNS
This story is about Tom, an expert swimmer, who loves to explore dangerous underwater caves. He faces many challenges, like navigating through the Fisherman’s Trench and the Deep Far Egypt Tunnel. Along the way, he encounters a wizard who tries to stop him, but Tom bravely defeats him.
Tom, the expert swimmer, was very talented and loved to go cave diving in the ocean, which is very dangerous. The first thing he wanted to do was map out the places he wanted to explore, such as the Volt Magma Tunnel and the Fisherman’s Trench
Wizards Dungeon
The Volt Magma Tunnel was filled with magma and lava, which was very dangerous, and no one wanted to enter it because of its extremely hazardous places. The Fisherman’s Trench had not been much explored, including the Crack of the Deep and the Far Tunnel of Egypt, which many had tried to explore After a week of planning, he decided to explore the Deep Far Egypt Tunnel, which had never been explored, of course So, the next plan was to get on a yacht, sail
to the middle of the ocean, and find a tunnel with a giant hole at the bottom of the ocean. After getting that information, they headed to the middle of the ocean. After five days of traveling, they finally made it Tom put on his gear, which consisted of four air tanks, goggles, and a swimsuit He dove in, found the tunnel, squeezed in, and laughed He had made
it to the Fisherman’s Trench. There were two tunnels: one was the Deep Far Egypt Tunnel, and the other was a death trap
Very luckily, he made it to the bottom of the chamber and found the Far Deep Egypt Tunnel. The passage ended, and Tom fell to the ground with a thud He blacked out. When Tom opened his eyes, he looked up and realized he was chained to the wall. He was scared and terrified until the wizard arrived and said, “Well, well, well, look who came to my laboratory and snatched my gear I had no way to get to the surface because I
was old and rusty.
Now, I can travel back up to the surface and rule the world,” said the wizard.
As the wizard spoke, Tom snatched the wizard’s staff (or wood stick) from his hand and stabbed him in the heart, ending his life in an instant. Tom grabbed his gear and swam to the surface. It was the most terrifying trip Tom had ever had, and he never returned to the tunnel again.
That was his most terrifying adventure yet.
TOBY WILSON
This story, Split in Half, is a thrilling adventure about survival, danger, and mystery.
It follows Pedro and his dad, Reece, as they try to escape a terrifying creature that attacks their ship. Along the way, they face many challenges, including bloodthirsty sharks, a secret laboratory, and dangerous enemies who don’t want them to uncover the truth.
Split in Half
“Is the asset ready?” a man in a white coat asked. “It's ready for release sir” a scientist exclaimed Suddenly a boat appeared on the horizon. “Scan that ship” Its profile came up on a screen The Getaway. It Holds 390 people and is traveling to Rio “Get the asset over there and test out its attack skills”. “Wait d do you mean ” - “Just do it!” the man with the white coat yelled. The scientist, who’s
real name was Joe, pushed a button and a barrier in front of the lab and released a black shadow Meanwhile, the passengers on the boat were partying and going nuts on the outdoor karaoke. A boy aged 12 Pedro and his dad Reece were sitting on lounge chairs enjoying the view. They were coming home from their holiday to Spain. Suddenly someone started
yelling, “What is that!” he was screaming. An enormous shadow was circling the ship It went under. “I think.. I think whatever that was is now long gone ” said a woman dressed in orange and white. “Crash!” giant, long, and very toothy jaws chomped the middle of the boat. Where the woman was standing Quickly, a lounge fell to the water with a man sleeping on it. “Arhhhhh!” he
screamed as he hit the water. The lounge flipped Then got thrown away from the crashing water. There was no man
chance. They started swimming. Sharks had been attracted from the blood in the water and started surrounding the wreck
Pedro and Reece quickly scrambled to the top of the ship There were blood stains everywhere. As the last of the boat fell into the red abby's Pedro and Reece jumped into the water away from the shadows The blood had attracted sharks quickly Pedro grabbed a piece of boat and yelled for his dad to get on it too. They peered over to an island they couldn't tell what it was but they knew it was their one
Reece yelled out to keep swimming and never stop.
A few minutes later
Pedro and his dad were almost at the shore when a fin appeared in the water. Reece screamed, and blood drifted in the water. They both kept swimming and swimming as the sharks followed. Suddenly, an enormous dark shadow appeared next to them All three sharks went under. They did not return. Finally,
after about ten minutes, the sea had disappeared behind them, and Pedro and Reece had just clambered onto the shore
On a hill above the beach, a building made of concrete and cobblestone loomed. They walked up and found a door leading into the structure
Walking in, the two found themselves in what looked to be a laboratory
Pedro wondered what it was used for when he heard voices
Reece rolled under a table and gestured for Pedro to follow him.
“That was an interesting tactic it used.”
“Yes, we designed it to split whatever its prey is in half ”
The figures stepped out of the room, leaving Pedro’s eyes locked on a door titled Coat Storeroom. He walked into the room to find coats that he thought scientists would use. Pedro picked two, then brought them back to Reece.
“Let's disguise ourselves as workers and sneak into their headquarters.”
Luckily, a corridor leading to a room full of seats and computers with a nice view was just at the end of it. They walked through but were stopped by a muscular man in a
black suit.
“Keycard, please,” he spoke in a mean voice
“And why are you dripping?”
“Umm we don't have them uhh, sir,” Reece said.
“Wait a second you don’t have a keycard, you ' re dripping wet, and I've never, ever seen you before.”
The man took out his radio.
“I've got two stragglers who need to be taken into custody ”
“Wait! There's no need to do that, please, sir we ' re part of the organization!”
Reece ran but was immediately knocked out by a different security guard’s fist.
“Please let us live,”
Pedro wept.
Ignoring his request, the security guard shot him with a taser.
Black, black, black
Pedro imagined he was back in Rio, enjoying a cold swim in the afternoon
He wished this could happen again.
Suddenly, air blew against his face “Arhh... what happened oh.”
He was tied to a chair on the edge of a boat, with a cage across from the railing.
“You should have stayed on that ship,”
the man in front of him said as he chucked a hunk of meat into the ocean.
“What are you going to
do to me?” Pedro yelled.
“Oh, we don’t have enough time to hurt you, so we’ll leave that to the sharks ”
A man walked over and pushed him over the side.
GEORGE BRAID
In Zero Part Two, Jake tries to escape from dangerous aliens, searching for safety in a harsh desert. With no water, no help, and no clear way out, Jake must rely on his instincts to survive.
But just when he thinks all hope is lost, he stumbles upon something unexpectedother humans.
Boom! Crash! Bang!
While ships struggle to keep up with Jake, he comes to the decision to outrun the aliens and find a place on the planet to hide from the brain-eating creatures
Jake grips his hands on the controls, turns one hundred and eighty degrees, and goes headfirst toward the squad of T-200s, destroying all four planes before going full speed into the desert storm - leaving
Zero Part II
no trace of where he may have gone.
Two hours later…
While Jake struggles to find a drop of water, the aliens patrol the perimeter, searching for even a single footprint or a fallen part of the ship to trace his location. As he continues his desperate search for shelter or any proof of life, he does his best to cover his tracks so he
can’t be followed. All Jake can think about is an all-American burger with extra chips and tomato sauce.
Just when all hope seems lost, Jake sees a small figure run past in the distance. He is in such shock that he can barely mutter a word
He thinks it must be a hallucination - but rather than ignore it, he decides to find out for himself.
Two hours later
“Almost there,” Jake exhales He slowly crawls under the massive rock shelterthe only shade he has had in the past 22 hours. Since it offers both shelter and shade, he sees no reason not to sleep there for the night. Before closing his eyes for the final time today, he takes a lap around the shelter before darkness fully sets in
seen another human in a very long time.
Two and a half hours later…
“Where am I?” Jake exhales. He is shocked to see so many people around him He feels both fear and relief at having run into a group of humans. The only question lingering in his mind is: How?
As he slowly walks into the corner, he suddenly finds a whole group of people - along with enough food to last for days! The group of strangers freezes, likely because they haven’t
JOSHUA KOLLE
Wumba, an immortal fighter, has spent his whole life at war, facing dangerous enemies like the Gortogs, Sorns, and even giant potatoes!
With the help of his allies, Wumba fights through impossible challenges using his stength to survive.
Hello, my name is Wumba. I am one of 20 people in Forn that are immortal. We can only die of a heart attack
We are, right now, in a war, trying to defeat the Gortogs We have been at war for 1 2 million years. I had to start when I was 3. That was when they found out that I was immortal and strong. We jumped out of the plane but landed on a bomb. Everyone died
Wumba Part 1
but me because I am immortal. Then I called Gyatias the Great, and he came and destroyed the city with Gyat Dragonator. Then the Sorns got us and put us in jail
Today, we found a lock on the door and used some wood to unlock it. We got our weapons and went out. Omard used his head taser and killed 10 guards While we were doing that, the potatoes
returned. Stickman knew he had to destroy them, but while doing that, the potatoes ate him. Then I shot all of them (that was not even 1/10,000 of the population)
Then Conlongortigofis came, and he brang
Docklongsofas, Sigmakonsad, and Foglofokrdes. Then we found the other bases of the enemies We told Fikerd to fire 10,000,000 bombs.
The End… or is it? Keep reading for more.
Then Dlink caught them and killed me, but I am immortal, so “haha haha haha haha haha haha.” But I busted out, then I made a mega ball with the energy I found and ended the war by killing all the enemies.
Now it is The End
FRED WEHL
Power Down is a thrilling story about a trip to Jurassic Park that takes a terrifying turn.
The main character starts off amazed by the incredible dinosaurs, but things quickly go wrong when the park's fences lose power. Suddenly, the dinosaurs are free, and chaos takes over.
Power Down
“Jurassic Park, the biggest, coolest park in the world.” I am flabbergasted. This is the coolest thing anyone can experience in their whole life. There are living dinosaurs all over the place, and not that they are eating everyone - they are behind fences. The people are watching them doing their daily life To be honest, I personally think that they should be free and walking around
But this is a supersonic science breakthrough, and these are real-life dinosaurs in the year 2023 - the dinosaurs that were extinct more than 50 million years ago!
Flickering lights
Welp, today is a new day and time to explore the theme park. I get up out of my bed, get changed, and get outside for my jog around the theme park I see the mosasaurus enclosure, the baby dinosaur enclosure,
I make it to the hotel and start scrolling through the dinosaur pictures that I took. One too many questions are flowing through my head right now and are being thrown around. I think it is time for me to have a nap and go back to thinking about these insane questions.
and the T-Rex enclosure. Then I start to see a light - a flickering one coming from a dark and eerie room I walk into the room with the flickering light and see something revolting - blood on the wall, chipped walls, and a broken light. I see something which says Fence Controls. I thought, Isn't that supposed to be on? I think of doing a big brain idea of just flicking on the switch, but there is a problem - the switch is jammed. I try to force it, but the switch snaps in half. I run out of the room, only to find chaos.
The Killer Dinosaur
People are getting devoured by the dinosaurs - raptors, pterodactyls, and the feared T-Rex I am soon one of the screaming flock of people, slowly dissolving. People are getting separated from parents, and parents separated from children.
I run into one of the houses with a few other people - safety for the meantime. But somebody is devoured by one of the flying beasts right beside me. I run outside, trying to think of something to do and somewhere to hide. I see some
bushes. I hide in them, and then there is a terrific thump! I turn around and then crash!…
TOBY WILSON
Captain Dave Trought and his crew sail the seas, risking everything to find the lost island of Pethalog.
But as they explore, they realise that something terrifying lurks in the shadows, picking off the crew one by one.
Plunders
Pirates filled the seas War was around every corner making bloodshed and bullets a horrid thing Captain Dave Trought, who was the rightful sailor of the Red Bullet, sailed the seas looking for the lost treasure of Pethalog. This was an ancient island in the middle of the ocean. No map had ever recorded it, so it was usually called a legend or a myth. Trout had looked everywhere
except one place In the middle of the pacific, he had spotted land through his eye glass and started moving toward it. Life was hard as a pirate. It was either murder or death on the sea and the land well that was just a bloodbath. Suddenly, the ship boarded; there wasn't another in sight.
“Perfect” he thought Trought’s crew was a hearty bunch, most were strong but one
man, Gelome, was as skinny as a bayonet. The one reason they didn’t throw him overboard was because he could tell the future In fact, he was the one who predicted this island and had led them to its shores
The crew all left the Red Bullet and started searching Gelome had said that there was a mystical waterfall and it would lead them to
great riches. They split up in two, Gelome went with the Captain as he needed a strong person to protect him. No one had ever ventured to this island before so there could be any crazy animals in this place The two walk into the jungle hopping over logs and wading through creeks.
Not an animal in sight “Arh!!” one of the crew screamed. His voice echoed around them Trout had a feeling they were being watched. “Creak” a monkey called out from the leaves looking around. “What is that, shoot it quick!”
Suddenly, a long tentacle stretched out and grabbed the poor
creature by its neck. Loud noises started coming from the bushes. A brown tail flew out and landed at Trout’s feet He picked it up “Monkey,” he whispered. They ran and ran following a body of water Gelome led the way when more screams were heard. The crew were being picked off one by one
“Ow” Gelome tripped and fell to the dust
Two giant tentacles reached out around his legs. They both pulled him from both sides, splitting him in half. Trout ran and ran. He stumbled across a beautiful waterfall He knew this was the place. Aware of the
danger, he jumped in and swam behind the water A tunnel was leading to a gold glow.
“The treasure of many riches” Trout thought to himself Five giant purple tentacles reached out behind him They grabbed his legs and arms. He was trapped.
ZACHARY ABOOD
This story, The Cruise, is an exciting adventure about a family who sets off on a dream holiday, only to face an unexpected disaster!
Introduction
Munching down on their delicious, crunchy fish and chips with a side of chicken wings, is a little family living in the town of Warwick, Queensland, Australia
They were going on a luxury deluxe cruise ship tomorrow, on Wednesday, but they forgot to pack everything they needed They used their last bit of money on this cruise so they could relax before
The Cruise
having to sell everything they own once again. Jessica, who is the mum, ordered everyone to hurry up to finish eating so they could begin the long, tiring process of packing nearly everything in the whole house. Jessica shouted, “John, help your little brother Timmy pack once you are done okay son?”
John groaned, “Fine, but only if I get to finish packing up first!”
Jessica screamed, “Yes you can John, but let Timmy know he needs to try and pack up at least one thing before you finish packing your stuff up ”
John said, “Yes mum, I will tell him now and just so you know don’t forget to pack your toothbrush and toothpaste like you did last time ”
Cruise Preparation
John held 4 suitcases, Jeff (the dad) held 3,
Jessica held 2, and Timmy held 1 suitcase, which was his own They pushed themselves toward the door where little Timmy opened it for the rest of the family. John was first at the boot of the limo, and shoved the suitcases farthest into it. Jeff came next and practically threw the suitcases into the boot, almost breaking them. Luckily, John grabbed them so they would be saved from breaking Jessica brought the 2 next suitcases, one being brand new and one being old and dirty. But at the time, they didn’t know what was in the old and dirty one, because it was a present from Timmy
and John’s great grandma. They had never opened it, because they thought it would be, “not the right thing to do ”
Timmy was the final, with his one spiderman suitcase. It had inside it, 5 long chapter books, a book of paper and a colouring set, a sheet for sleeping in his bed, a pillow, an iPad, and a single soft fluffy toy of his choice. Then, Jeff hopped into the driver's seat and waited for everyone to slowly creep into the other seats of the limo
The cruise left in 2 hours, which was 8:00 pm. Jeff drove at a slow, smooth, perfect pace and at the right speeds too. After an
hour-long drive to the dock, they finally arrived at the boat with 10 suitcases ready for a beautiful, long journey Surprisingly, they got on the ship just in time. They had exactly 60 minutes (1 hour) to board the cruise. Tickets
John struggled to hold all 4 of his suitcases, but he managed. But then, as soon as they arrived, the tickets were missing! They searched in the suitcases, looking up and down, left to right. Eventually, they just gave up and stopped. Sadly, since their family couldn’t find the tickets, they all jumped
into the car and started to drive back home As Jeff was carefully driving through the valleys, something started to glare There was no sun nearby, so he wondered what the heck it was Jeff stated, “Do any of you know what that glare is?” John shouted, “It's the tickets! It’s the tickets! I can see them through the reflection of the front windscreen I think they are on Timmy's ipad.” John leans over and looks at Timmy’s ipad screen. He sees 5 golden tickets, one for John, one for Jeff, one for Timmy, one for Jessica, and one for their dog (Tuffy). John
tells Jeff, “Dad turn around quickly, the 5 tickets are on Timmy’s ipad screen!
Boarding
As their car revved up and turned around, they were singing a joyful song on how the tickets were found. John used his phone to take a video of the buildings, and as they landed on the rocky shore, the boat was getting packed up Luckily, they managed to get all the suitcases in time and get on board John dropped ALL of his suitcases and took his phone out to take a photo of the ship The textures were so beautiful that his entire family could
never get bored of it. They walked up the wooden ramp with a joyful smile on their face. Tuffy was extra nervous, as he was only 11 months old He looked around and made a little crying noise, which sounded very sad and painful. The fences of the bridge weren’t very high, so little Timmy had to hold on to Tuffy to make sure he wouldn’t just jump off They were now inside the ship, with a tour guide there sitting on a seat waiting for them
The guide walked them to their apartment, while talking about each detail of the ship
When they got to their apartment, they all
thanked the guide and gave him a tip for a really good experience. All 4 of the people gave him a handshake, and Tuffy did a little bark to say, “Thank you!” The group of 5, all entered the apartment together, and were hoping for an apartment with a balcony. Luckily, they had one! Jessica, John, Jeff, and Timmy all worked together super hard to unpack and they got it done before evening.
Exploring
Since there was a wide range of opportunities to choose from, they thought they should have a vote. They gave Tuffy buttons and he
picked one. It was the “Caramel Cream Rider!” Jessica picked the same, so did John, and so did Jeff. Timmy was going to pick “Vanilla Cream Rider,” but he loves Tuffy so he just picks what Tuffy picks Since they all picked “Caramel cream rider,” they went on board. With the ride, they each got a free Caramel ice cream with 2 scoops! Since dogs can’t eat that sort of stuff, the server didn’t give Tuffy an actual ice cream, but Tuffy was delivered a squeaky toy caramel ice cream. The tv played and told them how to tighten their straps on the ride,
but they already knew. They were first on the ride, and Tuffy was placed in the “DOG ONLY SEAT.” Jessica tightened Tuffy’s strap and prepared for the ride to start.
“Hi! Welcome to the Caramel Cream Rider! The ride will shortly start but first i must advise you of a few rules and checks 1, at ALL times, you MUST make sure you are tightly buckled into the ride! 2, at ALL times make sure you have no items that could either fly away, or hit someone and hurt them! 3, at ALL times make sure you have no food or drink as this could be dangerous. It could cause throwing
up during the ride or a massive spill! 4, make sure that if you have shoes on, they are secured tightly onto your feet, and will not fly off If they are too loose, you can press the member button on your seat and a staff member will come and take them for you. They will be returned after we finish the ride
That's all, so have a great time!” Speaks the conductor as we start to move slowly
Sinking?
Tuffy was eating din dins, when suddenly, the family heard a loud bang! They quickly rushed to the balcony and when they were all out there, Timmy
noticed something that was odd. He saw a hole in the wall and glass that had shattered, so he immediately messaged Mum Jessica alerted the rest of the family, and they were all staring at it with widened eyes. Tuffy came to see what was going on, and even he was shocked! Tuffy was holding his toy caramel ice cream, and it dropped from his mouth They all ran inside and grabbed spare shopping bags. They filled them up with valuables, like blankets and food. They charged John’s phone as much as they could, and then put it in the bag. They sealed
the bag as tight as possible and started to exit into the hallways It looked like there were thousands of people, but that's just what it felt like
Eventually, they found their way to the boat deck where they stayed and hoped for the best. Over the loud ship's intercom, they heard the captain stating, “Ladies and Gentleman, a torpedo has just come hurtling toward us and crashed right into the ship. Please start to prepare, we will have more news on the incident in approximately 45 minutes If possible, pack all important items in bags and seal
it tightly. But at this time, we advise you to stay calm and just note that the ship may not sink. Be prepared, stay safe!” states the Captain “Woof Woof!” Tuffy barks.
“Oh Tuff Tuff, calm down! We will be safe soon!” replies Jeff.
45 MINUTES LATER
“All passengers, the ship is sinking at a rapid speed The lifeboats are quickly getting set up by our crew, and will be ready for you soon. Get in the line for lifeboats, and try to be first. No pushing in line, as this could sentence you to go to the back of the
line! So, please, be patient and wait for our crew to be ready The lifeboats are now ready, so board them as quickly as possible! Stay safe!” Notes the captain. As the 5 people in their group walked to the boat, they suddenly received a call on John’s phone. It was from Anthony, his friend John declined and messaged Anthony! The message said: “Hey Anthony I can’t talk right now because a torpedo hit the ship and we are sinking I’ll message when I get on the lifeboat, okay?”
“Sounds great John, I look forward to hearing your next status update! Oh yeah and
by the way, stay safe.”
“Thanks man, ” says John They were all on the lifeboat now, and when they looked outside, they saw the ship break into 2 pieces. They watched as the ship plunged down to the water, and before it sank, it rose one last time before fully submerging beneath the waves
Then, Jeff realised, where was Tuffy? They all looked up and down, left to right, but they couldn’t find him.
Then, even though they should have heard complete silence, they heard paddling! Timmy looked at the window and saw Tuffy swimming out there!
Jessica then shouted,
“Please open the door, that's our dog! We can’t live without our dog! Please he means the world to us! Anything! Please! Please!”
“Alright, I’ll open the door and you can grab him In 3, 2, 1!” said the conductor. After that night, they promised never to go on a cruise, ever, ever again! Tuffy got saved and was taken to the vet for a checkup when they got home They lived a happy little life back in Warwick forever after the tragedy.
FRED DOWS
Thomas, the mastermind, leads his team through the abandoned library, but things quickly take a dangerous turn. Mysterious books, secret codes, and a terrifying keeper with sharp teeth make their mission more difficult than they ever expected.
The story keeps the reader wondering - will they succeed in unlocking the archives, or will they be trapped forever?
The Library Archives
CHAPTER 1:
As he entered the library, he stepped on a ripped up sign. The sign said “DO NOT ENTER!”. There were big black and yellow danger fences surrounding the entry of the library.
Sneakerly, Thomas the mastermind of criminal heists in Scotland had found something. He showed all seven criminals what he had found; he found £532,000 GBP. In the
aftermath of the finding, they could not see anything that seemed to be helpful to opening the secret library archives. Until Archie had found something
CHAPTER 2: Slap! He placed the big fat dark blue purple book onto the wooden circular table that had mold growing on it Archie, who had just found a book that appeared to have a clue on it, curiously opened it and was shocked. It was a trick made by these mischievous librarians. “They’re tricking us!” whispered Archie to Thomas They couldn't get caught otherwise they would be locked up Carefully whispering and crouching around, the seven robbers were cautious and took every move with caution.
CHAPTER 3: Crunch! Thomas had stepped on a thick dark brown stick from a tree inside the library. “What was that?” said the librarian “It was probably just a crack in the ceiling because this building had never been renovated and it's around 70 years old” replied old man john librarian It was a close call; they almost got caught and absolutely destroyed by the federal police “Boss, you ' re going to get us caught, it is rumoured there are stashes of gold inside the room. At this point it was 8:00PM, rumour says the librarian keeper comes out at this time and he has combined
thick teeth sharper than the megalodon combined CHAPTER 4: ROAR! ; the keeper was awake and all lights went out but some flickered. Although the keeper was blind, his ears were as strong as a pure diamond. They had to find all six books but they already found one so only five total “OHH!” screamed one of the seven men EARUAH? ; the keeper heard them so he could track them Quietly, they snuck upstairs and leaped over onto one of the bookshelves. “PST!” screamed the small face behind them “I see you!”. “You won't
escape ” it yelled again. They hadn't done the best research and that was actually the giveaway. Small black ball Legends say that if you look at it you faint.
CHAPTER 5:
The keeper reached his arms up on the bookshelf. “PSTT!” yelled the giveaway behind them in a keeper voice. “AHHH!” yelled Archie as he looked back He fell to the floor, eyes closed and fainted. “Run, Run, Run!” whispered Thomas in a hurry. One of the men tripped. It was Eddie, he tripped and it opened something behind him. Quickly, he turned
around and ran over to it. It was the unknown book that had a random colour on it with the code inside.
“JACKPOT!” yelled Eddie way too loud “EARUAH?” screamed the keeper running in the direction of Eddie He reached his arm out on top of the bookshelf and grabbed him. The keeper took Eddie to the animatronic robot librarians that work 8PM to 7AM
CHAPTER 6: The rest of the crew heard they were being hunted. “RUN!” whispered Thomas as he noticed the final book “That's it, that's it!” yelled Alfred in a hurry when he saw the
unusual bookshelf that had treasure behind it. The group of now six split into one way. Three went for the book and searched for the page with the code. The other went to the bookshelf. Alfred opened the book On the first page there was the code. Alfred and his group of two returned to the bookshelf.
going to close it!” asked Alfred.
“EAUREYARIE” roared the keeper as he heard the alarm.
“EVERYBODY!” screamed Thomas “RUN!!”. The six ran into the library archive’s and the door shut behind them. “Yes we won!” cheered the six. “Well, you didn't” replied Eddie, smirking in the dark corner.
CHAPTER 7:
“We found it, we found it!” said Alfred “You wont believe it, code was on the first page ” Alfred typed all six codes and clicked enter. DUN DUN, an emergency alarm went off as the door was opening. “How are we
“Who’s that, turn the lights on!” screamed Thomas “It kind of sounds like Eddie,” replied Alfred. There was no light in the room.
CHAPTER 8:
Someone was drilling through the wall. There were two problems
emerging in this room. Unfortunately, they were most likely about to be caught. They will be in prison for a super long time if they are caught BZZZZ PUPUA the drill had dug through the wall. It was the police and they were caught. “What is this?” asked the police. “Were librarians” responded the robbers “No you ' re not!” viscously responded to the police with the lie “Show your identification then” yelled the policeman. They were caught red handed and took to prison for burglary and trespasing.
ETHAN DI FRANCESCO
In Restricted Secrets, the boundaries between fiction and reality blur as Tom and Jake stumble upon a hidden section of the library where literary legends come to life.
“C’mon, please tell us ” said Tom. He and Jake had been sneaking around the library when they heard the librarian talking about something. “I must keep it a secret ” they heard Now, they were nagging her to tell them so badly. They knew she couldn’t take it anymore. “Listen, if I tell you the truth, you’ll wish I hadn't ” “We won’t tell anyone Please!?” “Sorry boys. Just borrow some
Restricted Secrets
books, read a bit and go. ” “Yes miss.” they said. However, if you had a Guinness World Records with the top 50 people who cannot listen, Tom and Jake would be at the top They can NOT listen “We’re gonna go find out the secret, aren’t we?” said Jake “Yep ” Tom answered. They’d been waiting for the Librarian to come back to her desk and finally she came. “What
are you boys doing?”
“Nothing.” They said together. The librarian walked off The boys giggled. They followed her to a dead end. “What a waste of time ” Jake whispered
Then, the librarian just pushed a bookshelf and it was basically a door. “Wait, are those books fake? I never went there ” Asked Jake “Probably not ”
Said Tom. Quickly, the librarian walked through “Oh my G-O-
S-H!” said Tom. “Shut up and watch,” said Jake Then, she walked out. “Let's go!” Jake said as they rushed into an unknown section of the library
“Well, this was a great decision ” complained Tom. Suddenly, the door behind them slammed shut! “C’mon. Let's go!” said Jake They looked around, all the books were the same books that are in the regular part of the library. Tom was looking around. “Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter. Wait! Is that Wolf Girl? I hadn’t found number 12! How come it’s here?” “Thump, thump, thump!” They were not
alone. They walked back to each other when Jake caught a small glimpse of some kind of black cat when it leaped at them! Jake gasped in fear “Oh no!” “Is that Scourge?” asked Tom. Scourge was a major antagonist in Warrior Cats. “Oh no!”
When the boys thought death was upon them, Jake caught a small glimpse of something blue and partly grey rushing behind a bookshelf.
“What was that?!” said Jake in confusion. Then it disappeared. “Great, no help.” said Tom. “Wait, look!” exclaimed Jake. Tom looked up. It was Blue the
Velociraptor from the Jurassic World novel. She leaped at Scourge in bravery landing on the panther-like cat, her claws sinking into his flesh The cat screeched in pain and anger. “Gross.” said Tom in disgust
Scourge let out one of his front arms grabbing her by the neck, launching her out and smashing into a bookshelf. “C'mon let’s go!” yelled Tom Jake was about to run off ignoring the raptor when he looked back.
“She’s going to be mauled by Scourge!”
Jake ran back launching a book at Scourge throwing him backwards. Quickly, he grabbed the Raptor
and ran off into the abyss of the library.
“Alright guys, ” said Tom. ‘Guys’ referred to Jake and Blue “Welcome to our new home. For once we figure out how to get out of here ” and by home, he meant a pile of books just stacked into the shape of a fort Of course, Jake loved Jurassic World and obviously, he was holding onto Blue so tightly, she was probably choking. She just looked at him in confusion “Do you think this section is full of books that hold incredible characters and can make them come to life? Like night at the museum!” asked
Jake. “Are you just saying that because Blue the Velociraptor is sitting right next to you?”asked Tom. “No,” answered Jake in annoyance “I mean, don't you get it?
Scourge from Warrior Cats and Blue from Jurassic World? It kind of makes sense, and by the way, until we find a way out of here, she’s staying with us. ” Tom just sighed. “Whatever. But you two are not gonna make this awkward, alright?” “Fine.” said Jake.
Interlude
“This area ’ s too small for me, Scourge You’re a failure. You let kids escape you. I
always thought you were weak.” said Sauron “My lord, they had help,” said Scourge. “They had the assistance of that Raptor ” “And that’s a concern to us all? Is it Scourge?” “No, it’s just, I had them pinned down and….” “and you got outsmarted, is a simple explanation,” interrupted Sauron “It’s best I send someone who is hungrier than you Gollum! I've got a job for you. ” “and we eats them. Gollum, Gollum!” exclaimed Gollum in a creepy voice as he rushed out ready for the kill.
“Blue, save some for us!” said Tom. They’d
been cooking a dead rabbit. No, they didn't kill it, it was already dead. And Blue was into it. Tom was being cautious A bit too cautious “Keep an eye out for any trolls, giant snakes, any Golems, any living goosebumps, Petey the Cat, Scourge the Cat” “I think I get it!” says Jake. “Wait, did I miss dragons?” asks Tom. “Yes, why?” “Because there’s a DRAGON!!!” And he was right, it was Blister from Wings of Fire.
“Look out! Dodge the tail!” “Blue, jump!” yelled Jake. Good timing. Blue quickly leapt over Blister’s tail. “There’s gotta be a sword or something!” said Tom. he looked
around but all he saw was a sharp rock. “Well, you know what they say, anything is a weapon. ” In a flash, he launched the rock at Blister She shrieked in anger and turned her attention to Tom. He ran away in fear “Well, that was awesome and horrifying!” said Jake. “You definitely got Blue right?” asked Tom “Aww. You care about her. And yes I do.” Jake answered “Great Let’s move!” said Tom as they walked out to stay alive. Alone that is, save for the mysterious figure that’s been following wherever they’ve gone.
“Alright guys, Blue too, have a good night's
rest.” said Tom. However, he had one eye open After Blister attacked them, he had a feeling that they’ve been watched and still are It took Jake a few minutes to go to sleep. Blue however, simply slopped her head on the ground and shut her eyes in tiredness. Though the ground isn’t very comfortable and made out of wood, they could still sleep. Tom was just about to close his eyes too when he heard whispers in the dark. “We’s been given a job, precious We eats them. We hates them! Gollum, Gollum! We be quick. We mussstn't risssk our necksss, precious. We wait till the right time.
Gollum Gollum!” he heard as the whispers faded within the dark
The next morning, Jake was up early “Jake, what are you doing?” asked Tom. “Nothing.” “ C’mon! We gotta go. ” Replied Tom when Gollum leaped at them! “We killsss them now, precious!” he yelled In a flash, he leaped at them again but instead went crashing in a bookshelf and getting piled on by the books! “Run! Now!” yelled Tom. “Blue, wake up!” yelled Jake
Quickly, she leaped up back on her feet and started running with Tom and Jake Gollum crept out of the pile of books. Suddenly, a
string of web flew across the air, sticking Gollum to a shelf and Spider-Man appeared. “Hurry. I’ll hold off the big stink Go!” Gollum sliced through the web and leaped at SpiderMan and the fight was on! Tom, Jake and Blue ran through the library for escape.
Another hour wandering through the library and the three hadn’t seen a thing until Jake caught a small glimpse of a pig head. They turned around the corner and saw six figures wandering around the thought- to- be- lamelibrary One had a pig head, one was chicken, one was a duck, one
had a goat head and the last two were people The minute all six turned around Jake and Tom (not Blue) knew who they were looking at They were looking at the Z Team and Nelson and Kenny from Anh Do’s Ninja Kid and Pow Pow Pig!
“Darn! I was hoping I would see Wolf Girl too!” complained Tom “Shut up! You might offend them!” said Jake “Hey You guys lost? And how come it goes: Human, Human then Dinosaur? That’s just weird ” said Barry the Goat. “Hey, Barry! Knock it off! You know Kung Fu and I are Dinosaur descendants?” said Cha Cha Chicken. “You
guys here to help stop lord Sauron?” asked Nelson “Lord Sauron? As in Lord Sauron from the Lord of the Rings?” asked Tom “Why, the one and only ” replied Kung Fu Duck. “If it's a way to get home then sure ” said Jake “We will help you get home if you help us defeat Sauron.” offered Pow Pow “We’re in ” answered Jake. Now, they shall wander to the fortress of Sauron and save the world of stories. Interlude
need assistance!” complained Scourge. “I would reconsider,” said Sauron. “You have been given the assistance of Tigerstar I have defences but extra will be better.”
“I will give you one last chance, Scourge.” said Sauron “However, you will be given assistance.” “I won’t
“Tigerstar?! I am much more diabolical than him!” Said Scourge. “Just be happy I hadn't killed you already.” Tigerstar and multiple other antagonists appeared. So many, Scourge lost count There was Darth Maul, Voldemort, The Collector, Ultron, The Indoraptor, Thanos, The Shadow Lord, Dr Kane, Darth Revan, General Grievous and Tigerstar himself “They will not get past us now. ” said Tigerstar.
“Here we go guys. We’re here ” said Pow Pow pointing to the giant green doors of a mammoth fortress “Man, how big can the library get?” asked Tom. Blue made a whine in fear “Even Blue’s scared.” said Jake. The first thing at the entry was two cats. One was black, the other was dark brown.
“The black one ’ s Scourge but who’s the other?” asked Tom “Tigerstar,” answered Jake. “the main antagonist of Warrior Cats.” Tigerstar stood up. Scourge after. “By the order of Lord Sauron Go now or be decapitated.” he said. “What does
‘decapitated’ mean?” asked Jake. “No idea. But I’m not really in the mood to find out.” In a flash, Tigerstar and Scourge launched up into the air and struck!
Quickly, Pow Pow grabbed out his broom and crushed Scourge in the face. “Good one!” said Nelson. “Here, take these,” said Kung Fu holding two blades.
“But Kung Fu Duck doesn’t have swords ” Said Jake in confusion “Shut up and fight!” Scourge pounced at Barry right when Barry grabbed out his rake and smacked Scourge in the face. “Woah. Respect!” said Jake Blue leapt at Tigerstar.
The Maine Coon
swiped at the Raptor. She swiped her right leg down at Tigerstar, the giant claw on her foot sliced into his flesh Tigerstar fell in defeat “Imbecile! Get up, weakling!” yelled Scourge. In a flash, Jake, not intentionally, smashed the flat of his sword into Scourge’s face, knocking him out. “Well, that was unexpected,” said Jake. “If we keep on going, we should be able to get to the throne.” exclaimed Pow Pow A giant tentacle popped out of the ground! “It’s The Fear from Deltora Quest!” explained Jake. “How do we get across the pool of The
Fear?” asked Kenny. “There! A bridge!” yelled Nelson “That’s the Bridge of KhazadDum from The Lord of the Rings!” said Tom “Will there be the Balrog from the bridge?” asked Jake.
“Let's hope not!” “Hurry, run!” yelled Pow Pow. They ran past the bridge, through a door and the next thing they saw were 4 kayaks.
“Well, that’s weird.” said Jake Pow pow looked around “There's enough space for two of us on each boat. So maybe me and Nelson, Kenny and Barry, Cha Cha and Kung Fu and Tom and Jake and oh, wait there’s nine of us
So Blue will have to go on one of ours. ” “Can
she come with us?” asked Jake. “Sure.” said Pow Pow in agreement.
They’d been paddling for a while now and no sign of the throne room. “Alright Kung Fu, you have to agree with me, my feather’s look nicer than yours alright?” said Cha Cha. “No!” she replied There had been discussions on every boat except for Tom and Jake’s Until now Jake was not paddling, instead he was holding onto Blue. “Jake, can you please put down that overgrown lizard and pick up your paddle?!”
“I think Blue’s sea sick,” he said. “I think you need to paddle!” said
Tom in annoyance. “I think we both need to prepare for Dino vomit!” “Yep, this is the kayak I picked.” he said again in annoyance
Out of the kayak river and now they were staring at many major antagonists. “Darth Maul, Voldemort, The Collector, Ultron, Thanos, Dr Kane, The Shadow Lord, Darth Revan and General Grievous ” counted Jake “You guys go! We’ll handle them! Go!” yelled Pow Pow.
Now, Jake, Tom and Blue were the only ones going. They ran through giant doors and into a dinosaur museum. “Why does this museum look
awfully familiar?” asked Jake. “Blue, scout the area Good girl.” The next thing they heard was chomping And they see a black scaly creature. “The, the, the Indoraptor! Yelled Jake Immediately, they ran in separate directions. And Blue was missing! The Indoraptor chased Jake instead of Tom. “Oh, Tom isn’t good enough for you is he?!” He ran up to a bedroom and knew. “This is Lockwood estate!” said Jake Then he remembered how Blue killed it in the book. “Owen ran up to a glass roof and the Indoraptor got impaled by a Triceratops skull! I
just got to get to the roof!” And that’s what he did But no Blue He ran up to the roof and stood at the edge and Blue was on the other side! The Indoraptor looked back but not in enough time. She leaped at the beast as they fell through the glass and the Indo got impaled by the skull. ‘Just like in the book ’ he thought. “Jake! He heard “Are you okay?” “Yeah C’mon we ’ re almost there!” They were at the throne room and there was Sauron. “You have gotten too far! How can kids accomplish what many can not?” “I guess we just did!” said Tom. “No offence, but that catchphrase sucked.” said Jake. “Shut up!” said Tom All of sudden, two lightsabers shot to their hands “Cool!” they both said together as they leaped up to Sauron. Sauron swiped his staff Jake blocked it. Blue leapt at the Lord crashing into him. Sauron shoved her off. Tom stabbed his lightsaber through the air just missing him by a millimetre “Is that all you ’ ve got?!” yelled Sauron. He lifted up his staff. A blast of energy launched out of his staff. Jake and Tom held their lightsabers tightly and threw them like a spear Both landed straight into Sauron. He collapsed
in defeat. “Yeah!!!!!!” yelled Jake in victory. “Whoooo!!!!!!!” yelled Tom. “We did it!” they yelled together. They walked up to the doors of the restricted section. “Bye guys. It was great fighting with you. ” said Pow Pow. “I didn’t get to see Wolf Girl though.” said Tom in disappointment When he looked up to see a girl on a golden wolf Tom smiled Jake was looking at Blue and a tiny tear came out of his eye. Then he smiled He grabbed out his bag. And the next thing Tom noticed was that Blue was missing. “Weird ” he said They walked out of the door and saw the librarian
standing at the doorway. Her arms folded “Where have you two been?!” she said. “We got stuck borrowing books?” said Tom “Whatever, c ’ mon, I'll tell your parents you ’ re finally back. Tom looked at Jake but Jake looked a bit suspicious. Epilogue
Tom had finally finished his homework and went to put it in his room He remembered his journey through the library and remembered that Jake looked suspicious. “Eh.” he said to himself. He opened the door and saw two people in his room. But one person
wasn’t a person. It was Blue. That's why he was being suspicious! He had Blue in his bag! No wonder she went missing! “JAKE!!!!” he yelled “What?” he said.
CHAYSE MARSHALL
The Library of Lost Whispers is a story about curiosity, mystery, and the secrets that books can hold.
Libraries are filled with knowledge, but what if some books carried something moresomething hidden and powerful?
The library was oldolder than the town itself, some said. Dust clung to its shelves like a protective layer, shielding the secrets bound in its books. The lanterns that hung from iron chains swayed slightly, though no breeze passed through the aisles
The Library
he’d know it when he found it. Tonight, something felt different. A shiver ran through him as he stepped past the towering shelves, his fingers brushing the spines of books untouched for centuries. And then he saw it.
fracture in stone. There was no title, no markings - just a deep, unsettling blackness He hesitated, then pulled it free. The air grew thick, heavy, as if the library itself was holding its breath.
“Looking
for something?”
Elias had spent years here, sifting through brittle pages, searching. For what, he wasn’t sure - only that
A single volume, wedged between two enormous tombs, its cover cracked like a
Elias spun The voice belonged to a womana librarian he had never seen before. Her hair was silver, though
she was not old. Her eyes, dark and knowing
“I ” He faltered, gripping the book tighter
She sighed “You don’t want that one. ”
“Why not?”
She stepped closer
“Because if I tell you, you’ll wish I hadn’t.”
Elias swallowed. His curiosity warred with the warning in her voice. But the book was warm in his hands, pulsing, as if alive
“What’s inside?” he whispered.
She studied him for a long moment before answering.
“Secrets,” she said.
“Ones that don’t like to stay hidden.”
As if in response, the
book trembled. The air smelled of ashes, and Elias knew he had already made a mistake.
JOSHUA WADE
This story recounts the incredible bravery of Lieutenant Commander Gerard Roope and the crew of the HMS Glowworm during World War II. It captures the moment when a small British destroyer faced off against the German cruiser Admiral Hipper.
When the Enemy Requested a Medal for His Enemy
Waves thrashed and roared as the HMS Glowworm powered through hostile waters. The ocean of the North Atlantic was covered with enemy ships and U-boats What the crew of the HMS Glowworm didn’t know was that they were heading straight into danger.
On the 8th of April 1940, the HMS Glowworm was patrolling the
Norwegian Sea until a large warship emerged from the black - it was the feared Admiral Hipper, and it was heading right for them.
Two weeks ago, the HMS Glowworm was ordered by Winston Churchill to patrol the Norwegian Sea for any potential threat, with Lieutenant Commander Gerard Roope at the helm On the 2nd of April 1940, the conditions worsened.
By 9:00 PM, it was a full-on storm. By the 4th of April, the storm had finally passed - or so they thought. It turned out that the storm was just becoming stronger
Waves grew bigger, and the winds blew harder
On the 8th of April 1940, at 9:40 AM, a shape appeared through the thick rain. It wasn’t an Allied ship - it was the
battlecruiser Admiral Hipper.
“Aim torpedoes and deploy the smoke screen!” yelled Gerard Roope Torpedoes rocketed over the side of the ship, followed by a huge cloud of smoke
Onboard the Hipper, Captain Helmuth Heye yelled, “Zielen Sie auf die Mitte der Blase Spuren!” meaning "Aim for the middle of the bubble trails!" The Admiral Hipper, which was speeding toward the HMS Glowworm, dodged the torpedoes
Realizing that his ship couldn’t escape, Gerard Roope ordered, “Turn around and ram it!”
Plowing through the smoke, the badly damaged Glowworm headed straight for the Hipper. With a thud, the Glowworm collided with the Hipper, and its bow broke off on impact.
Quickly, the Glowworm sank to the bottom of the ocean. Acting fast, the captain of the Admiral Hipper ordered the ship to turn around and rescue the survivors In an instant, the Admiral Hipper was on the scene, picking up survivors
Meanwhile, Captain Gerard Roope tried his hardest to save his crew before clinging to one of the ropes.
However, he fell back into the water never to be seen again
Note: This story is to commemorate the ones who lost their lives in this battle. Any mistakes are completely mine.
CARTER DOVEY
This story recounts the incredible bravery of Lieutenant Commander Gerard Roope and the crew of the HMS Glowworm during World War II. It captures the moment when a small British destroyer faced off against the German cruiser Admiral Hipper.
A long, long time ago, there was a grand ship named The Liner. It was magnificent, carrying both cargo and passengers, with hotels on board where travelers could stay One morning, the ship was preparing for a grand voyage from California to the harbour of Sydney.
Excitement filled the air as passengers boarded, some thrilled for the journey, while others seemed less
The Dark Secret
enthusiastic Among them was a prince, traveling with his young son, Billy.
Two lucky individuals had won a special prize to board The Liner, and one of them had won the opportunity to sail on it three times They spent their time on board
enjoying the entertainment, including games, where one of them even won a second-class ticket.
In their excitement, they nearly missed the ship’s departure, rushing aboard just in time.
However, not everyone was pleased Louis, one of the passengers, grew jealous of Matis, the man who had won the prize three times.
Filled with resentment, Louis secretly plotted his revenge
Late one night, while most of the passengers
slept soundly, Louis crept out of his cabin and made his way toward the ship’s kitchen. He needed a weapon As he reached for a knife, a security guard spotted him. Louis panicked as he realised he was about to be caught. Thinking quickly, he dashed through the corridors and escaped
Still holding the stolen knife, Louis made his way to Matis’s cabin Without thinking, he committed a terrible act which was murdering his friend in cold blood. With the stolen tickets in his hand, Louis believed he had won, but little did he know that the ship
carried more secrets than just his own.
HENRY ROBERTSON
This mystery isn’t just about finding the murderer, but about uncovering hidden truths.
The Murder of Ben Shimmers
It was a stormy day in the city of Canberra and all seemed fine until, BANG! The sound of a shotgun went off in the distance. A week later, a funeral was held for the unfortunate victim, Ben Shimmers. The police have been working on this case since the body was found and reported. It wasn’t until today that they had a breakthrough Earlier that morning a new detective had joined
the CPD (Canberra Police Department) he went around saying that he was a psychic! The head detective was the only person who wouldn’t budge on this guy being ‘psychic’ The name of the psychic was Tom, Tom Anderson. When he was given the filed case he sniffed it and said he knew who the murderer was Shocked, the Chief of Police asked, “Who was it, Tom?”
“It was a guy named Eugene.”
The police worked on their computers to find all the information of all Eugenes’ in the city. After that, one by one each of them was interrogated and the police decided that it was Eugene Kong This however was completely wrong and something didn’t sit right with Tom so, the next day Tom invited Eugene Kong over to his office Tom’s
partner, Bruce Finder however was scared of everything and when he was reading the newspaper about a guy who looked exactly like the guy who walked in he asked, “Is his name Eugene?”
“Yes, Why?”
“He is a murderer! Read the newspaper. ” Replies Bruce “Buddy, buddy, buddy We are going to help him because I don’t think this guy would murder someone Don’t you think so?”
In a muffled disagreement, Bruce comes and helps out Psychic Detective Tom Anderson. The next day, when Tom and Bruce arrived
at the office, the tension was palpable. They had invited Eugene Kong back for further questioning, hoping to find a deeper truth beneath the surface.
"Okay, let’s keep this casual," Tom said, taking a seat across from Eugene. "I just want to chat a bit more, get to know you What were you doing on the day of the murder?"
Eugene looked nervous, tapping his fingers on the table. "I was at home, just watching TV. I didn’t go out much that week." Bruce, still uneasy, glanced at Tom "You believe him?"
Tom nodded slowly.
"His energy feels... troubled, but not murderous There’s something else here."
As they continued their discussion, Tom leaned in closer "Have you ever had issues with anyone named Ben?"
Eugene’s eyes widened. "Ben? We were friends... sort of. But we had a falling out about a month ago. He accused me of stealing some money from him " His voice cracked slightly Bruce's skepticism began to melt away as he observed the genuine fear in Eugene's expression. "What happened after that?" he probed "I tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t listen. I
swear, I would never hurt him," Eugene exclaimed, desperation creeping into his tone.
Tom exchanged a glance with Bruce "What if someone else was involved? Any enemies?"
Eugene hesitated, then spoke slowly, "There were some guys who didn’t like Ben. They had been in trouble with the law too. Maybe they did something to him "
Excited, Tom’s mind raced. "Do you have their names?"
Eugene nodded "Yeah, I think one of them is named Derek Matthews. He's... unstable "
With a newfound lead, Tom and Bruce knew
they had to investigate Derek Matthews. Tom’s psychic instincts were working their magic, guiding them toward the truth As they gathered their notes, Bruce chuckled nervously, "Who knew we’d be detectives chasing psychic hunches?“
"Sometimes, Bruce, the truth is stranger than fiction," Tom replied, flashing a confident smile as they ventured out to unearth the layers of this mystery.
LINCOLN DENNIS
This story follows Emberclan’s struggle against Lightclan, testing the strength and trust of its warriors.
Featherclaw and Fluffypelt must navigate fierce battles, dangerous discoveries, and the shocking betrayal of Heatherstream.
“Thud!” went Featherclaws body as he was smashed into the great oak.It made a loud echo
Emberclan had been battling Lightclan since sunhigh Bramblefur had been gathering herbs for the past moon. Cerrystar had been increasing border patrols. “Fall back!’ yowled Brightstar. The Emberclan cats yowled in triumph “Don’t think this is over Cerrystar!” Howled Brightstar.
The Darkest Truth
Featherclaw wandered over to Fluffypelt. They mewed to each other back to the hollow.
“May all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather below the high rock for a clan meeting ” It is an amazing sight.
“Today was an unfortunate day for Cinderclan as we lost duskpelt and snowclaw, from the Boulder. Littlepaw & Cloudpaw will be
mentored by Shadowheart.” The clan dismissed. “Lightclan!” howled Berryfur. Raging cats scared prey 700 000 mouse-lengths away
The Emberclan cats had been sharing tongues for a minute.
The border patrol had been on the Lightclan border. Featherclaw launched herself at a Pale white Tom
Once again the Emberclan cats drove
off the Light clan cats.
“Nothing was on the border?” exclaimed Mudpelt. Traumatised, the cats went to Bramblefur’s den Fluffypelt went with her on the dusk patrol on the Breezeclan border to hunt Careful not to step on a twig she pounced on the plump vole. “GREAT CATCH!” bellowed Heatherstream. The wandering apprentice fell into a bracken tunnel The patrol bombarded the hollow to investigate. Featherclaw and Fluffypelt crept cautiously while Heatherstream dashed ahead and almost rolled a paw. They all were suspicious about
the tunnel. “We should go back and tell Cerrystar about this.”echoed Fluffypelt. As they came back to the Lightclan border
Heatherstream said that she would collect the fresh kill. They returned to the hollow and shared tongues.
All the clan was asleep by moonrise. Through the night
Heatherstream crept with Lightclan to betray his kin “Reeeaaaow!” yowled Fuffypelt as a Lightclan cat piled on him The clan woke and lept into battle. In the midst of the fighting
Featherclaw found Heatherstream and said “Have you no
loyalty left.” The only reply was a growl. Claws raked down his side as he kicked Heatherstream. He pinned her down and knocked him out Immediately the Lightclan cats retreated and they banished Heatherstream.
Three moons later Fluffypelt had kits with Featherclaw and they served their clan
GRAYSON HORWOOD
The Adventurer’s Three is a thrilling and mysterious story about three brave friendsMarlie, John, and Matthew - who stumble upon a dark secret hidden beneath their city.
What starts as an exploration quickly turns into a dangerous mission as they uncover a hidden cave, mysterious statues, and a shocking plot to create monsters.
The Adventurer’s Three
Woosh! Woosh! Woosh!
The ‘Adventurer's Three’ - Mralie, John and Mathew - landed in a dark dusty cave A cloud of dust filled the cave.
“Wow! That was a rougher landing than I thought, hey look I knew that this wasn't a sewer ” Mathew exclaimed . “Now let's see what we have here” Mathew mumbled
“Look, it is two passages, ” Marlie
shouted
“Great, now what one should we choose?”
Matthew asked.
“Let's go down the first one look there are footprints in the dirt leading into it,” John said confidently
“Come on then let's go!” Marlie exclaimed.
“Ok“ Matthew agreed They walked into the darkness of the first cave passage, surprisingly the three saw a light in the distance. “What is that”
John asked.
“It's some sort of light,” Marlie confirmed.
“Lets keep going forwood to find out what's over there”
Matthew directed, they walked further into the cave, after a while they had reached the source of light “It's a torch,” John clarified.
“But how did it get here?” Marlie asked confused
“I Don't know but we will find out soon, ” Matthew said curiously
They kept walking further and further into the darkness, until it suddenly got brighter and brighter till they could see a large opening to a big cave, where the light was coming from. “Hu boom ha boom ha boom!” There was something in the cave. “What is that noise?” Marlie asked. “I don't know but be quiet,” Matthew whispered. They keep heading towards the bright cave They made it to the cave, and they stood against the wall about to peek Stomp! stomp! Stomp! There were some sort of humans marching past them They quickly but quietly tossed their heads back against the
wall. Once the marching humans went by, Marlie whispered “Who are those people and what are they doing here?”
They peaked again and there were people walking away down another tunnel “Should we follow them?” Mathew asked.
“Of course we should if we want to find out what sort of mischief they are up to.” John exclaimed They entered the large cave where lots of humans were gathering.
Justhen John spotted these weird statues. They looked terrifying. “These statues look terrifying! They are creeping me out!”
Marlie exclaimed. As
they kept walking they passed some other dark creepy stuff Then when they got to the cave carefully and quietly they entered Suddenly, it got dark as the torches blew out. “I can't see anything,” Marlie whispered. “Luckily I always have a pack of matches with me. ” John whispered John grabbed the pack of matches out of his old pockets Scratch! John lit up the match and grabbed a torch then lit up the big torch.
“That's better ” Marlie whispered. They kept walking further into the cave where they saw a large door Mathew tried to open it but it was locked. “It’s
locked.” Mathew whispered.
“Does anyone have a clip?” John asked. “I do.” Marlie exclaimed
“Can I borrow it for a second?” John asked.
“Sure.” Marlie told John John grabbed the clip from Marlie and started to pick the door lock. Click! The door opened slowly
“Its opening!” Mathew told John. John stood up and they entered the room It turns out that they're making monsters!
“Oh no we need to stop them from doing this!” Marlie exclaimed. They ran back to where the creepy status was and started heading towards where they
entered. Bang! Bang! Mathew grabbed the latter laying on the dirt wall. Quickly he placed the ladder beneath where they entered Marlie, John and Mathew climbed up the latter and excited the cave As soon as they got out of the dusty cave they ran as fast as they could to the police station “Quick guys!” John exclaimed. Bang bang bang bang bang there footsteps smashed on the ground. Suddenly the three made it to the police station and entered. “Help!” Marlie shouted.
“What do you need?” the cop asks “There are people making monsters in a
cave that's meant to be a sewer. ” Marlie yelled in her heavy breath.
“Can we get everyone to come to the front of the station please it’s an emergency. ” commanded the cop. Sirens started setting off and the whole cop team arrived in seconds.
“Boys, apparently there are people in this sewer that is actually a cave where people are making monsters ” The cop told the cop team.
“What sewer sir” one of the cops exclaimed
“These kids will show you!” the cop stated.
“It’s this way. ” John exclaimed They started to run to the sewer cave. Once they
all got there one by one they entered. When all of them entered they slowly made their way towards the big opening “This way. ” Marlie whispered. As soon as they got to where they found the stuff the cops looked in each other room and arrested all the people in the rooms. They took the hostages out and the remaining cops helped get all of the monster making things out to destroy. The next day Marlie, John and Mathew went to the police station to thank them for their help, but instead the cops say this city would have been
destroyed without your help.
But the question still remains: why were they creating monsters?
ARLO McGARRITY
This story takes readers on an exciting and dangerous adventure inside a high-security prison. The main character, determined to escape, faces terrifying challenges, including deadly traps, powerful enemies, and a final battle against the warden.
The Awesome Jail Escape
It was a pretty normal day in jail. It was cold, damp, and filled with the smell of stale food and sweat The prisoners sat in their cells, some trying to break out, others picking at their meals of corn, weird bread, and milk stew. The guards patrolled, confident that no one could escape. But all of a sudden, the power went out It turned out my plan actually worked. I
opened all the gates and created the jailbreak these people had been waiting for. But then I realised there were three levels of security before I could get out I would do anything to escape this hellhole.
The first level is called Hell Fortress. You get shot - not enough to kill you, but just enough to scare you forever I started quietly walking toward Hell Fortress, and now there were even more precautions, especially with the lights out Someone got shot right near my face. I was so glad it wasn't me I gathered some friends meaning everyone who had gotten out of their cages I made it out of Hell Fortress, but then I realised it only got harder
The next level, Flaming Torture, is basically hell But the thing is,
the warden is the only one who has the key to escape, and it has to be forged by the legendary smelterwho, conveniently, is on this level It took me three weeks of going between levels one, two, and three, but I finally gathered all five pieces and convinced the legendary welder to forge the key And then the fight started.
The warden had an Angel Vegetable that gave him acid stomach powers - he could throw up acid, but he always needed to go to the bathroom. So I needed to destroy the bathrooms Without them, he would die of dysentery. That’s
exactly what I did.
Then I stabbed him in the neck so I wouldn’t have to watch him suffer. I took his necklace, freed everyone, and finally escaped the prison.
But I didn’t know that I was about to go to war.
OLLIE CALDEWEYHER
This story follows Volga, a young warrior who embarks on a dangerous quest to retrieve the legendary Gem of Eternal Power.
The Gem of Eternal Power
“Please, it is about a vision I had!” Volga pleaded, and the chief froze, opened the door again and ushered Volga inside.
After Volga told the chief of his visions, the chief hosted a meeting at the village square “You have all come for me to tell you about something we all
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Volga’s head erupted in pain as something he never had before came to him, a vision. He saw someone step on a weak part on the edge of a volcano and the edge broke sending the person with it The image flashed and he saw himself lift a gem that was squirming with flashing lights When he came to, he ran to the chief of his village and begged to open the door. The chief told him to go away and closed the door.
thought was a myth, the gem of eternal power is real and has been used by our ancestors.” said the chief to all of the village “We shall have five brave warriors from our village to obtain the gem from the heart of Vevisus, in which the gem is hidden and they shall be the new chief of the village Volga was chosen with four warriors and
ventured out of the village and towards the dark forest After walking for half a day, the five stopped and made camp for a while After they were ready to continue, they packed up camp and started into the dark forest, with Volga shivering all over. They heard some rustling in the bushes and froze, looking around for a moment and moved on thinking it was just an animal But they were so wrong, because as they got closer to the centre of the woods two figures jumped down from the trees and attacked the five! Volga took a deep breath and got his swords ready to fight
for the first time in his life. Once they finished the battle and got out of the forest, they all were exhausted, but the most exhausted was Volga, who had never been in a battle before. They had lost two men and three survived, including Volga When Volga looked up, he realised he was right next to the volcano in which the gem was hidden He had gotten some sort of power when he defeated the enemies, so he easily flung himself up the mountain. But, when Volga reached the top, he got a big shock, as someone was waiting
there for him. The strange person didn’t seem to be the person to help him, but he seemed the person to attack Volga Volga was ready this time to fight so he got his swords ready to fight, just as the man leaped at him, with sharp claws extended. Volga rushed at him and got into a sword-claws fight. Volga pressed as hard as he could and pushed the crazy clawman away The man stepped back ready to leap again, but he stepped on a weak part on the edge of the volcano and the same thing happened to the man as in the vision Volga stepped up on
the edge of the volcano and braver than ever before leaped down onto an island in the middle of the volcano and prised the gem out of the stone. A searing light came out of the stone and when the two other warriors came to look for Volga, he and the stone were gone!
HENRY MACKAY
This story follows a prisoner named Bobby. After years of planning, he finally makes his escape, but his journey doesn’t end there. With the police hot on his trail, Bobby sets out on an even greater mission which is to reunite with the family he lost over a decade ago.
Bobby’s Jailbreak Escape
Bobby sat on the cold bed of his prison cell, staring at the small window above. Three years locked away, and tonight was his last chance to break free. He had spent months planning, watching the guards, learning their routines. He knew that at exactly 2:15 AM, one of the officer’s would take his usual break to go outside, leaving the security cameras with no one for three minutes.
He took a deep breath It was time. Using a stolen knife from the dinner halls, Bobby pried open the vent cover above his bed He had loosened the screws over the past few weeks, Bobby is making sure that he does not draw any attention. Crawling inside, he moved slowly through the narrow shaft The air was thick with dust, making him cough, but he bit his lip to stay silent. He reached the maintenance room and dropped down. His next move: the laundry carts He shoved himself into a cart filled with dirty uniforms and waited. Minutes later, a worker wheeled the cart toward the back door. The lock buzzed openBobby held his breath As soon as he was outside, he sprang up, knocking the worker
over.
Alarms blared "He is escaping!"
Bobby sprinted toward the fence, his muscles screaming He had one shot. He leaped onto the fence, climbing with all his strength Spotlights flashed onto him. Guards yelled. A gunshot rang out. Pain exploded in his leg, but he kept climbing. Hands shaking, he swung himself over, crashing to the ground. Ignoring the pain, he limped into the woods beyond, disappearing into the darkness. For the first time in years, Bobby was free But freedom came with a price, one he’d have
to pay for the rest of his life.
Bobby continued running until sunrise, he was puffed out, he felt like he couldn’t walk another step.But, Bobby was on the start of a new quest, a quest to find his family. He has 3 daughters and a lovely wife called Emma He only remembers a little bit of them because he hasn’t seen them In over 12 years, so he can hardly remember anything. He travelled for days, almost months. But eventually he could see his old house in the distance. He sprinted towards his house, but
then he thought that they might have moved But it didn’t matter because his family was waiting by the door with open arms for their father and husband to come home to them. Bobby had an awesome time with his family, but unluckily the police were still searching to find him and lock him away forever. The family had to act fast. So Bobby and the family decided to go on a vacation/getaway to Port Douglas.
Bobby’s old highschool friend Jim has a mega yacht with a bunch of bedrooms and a kitchen and will last until the cops give up. So along the ride they
see lots of police officers waiting to bounce into action, but luckily, they make the ride and finally arrive in Port Douglas The family waited on the boat for 6 months, and at this point, the officers had given up
So Bobby was officially safe, FOR NOW!!!
HUGO HEATH
This story follows Zane "Peregrine" Simmons, an elite agent of the Australian Spy Association, as he navigates a world of deception, high-stakes missions, and relentless pursuit.
The Falcon and the Rat
The black Porsche 911 clicked into gear and rolled out of the alleyway as Peregrine spotted his target Zane ‘Peregrine’ Simmons was a spy for the A S A (Australia Spy Association), and he was on a mission. He drove the car and silently started to follow the white Toyota Corolla in front of him.
The driver of the Toyota looked into his rear-view mirror, noticing the sports car
behind him and giving Peregrine a glimpse at his mask. The driver quickly pulled a right, heading toward Sydney’s inner city. Peregrine swerved the sports car and trailed behind Tall buildings boasted bright lights, illuminating the river beside them The Toyota started speeding up, realising it was being followed As Peregrine cranked into high gear, the Toyota took off and
Peregrine slammed on the accelerator. Both cars sped down the road beside the Sydney Harbour. The Porsche –obviously faster than the Toyota – blasted ahead to catch up with the white car. Previously that day, whoever was in that Toyota had robbed an armoured truck and hacked into the Australian Parliament’s safe codes. The money, codes and the thief were in that car,
making it incomprehensibly important that Peregrine captured it. Suddenly, the Toyota sped up dramatically, catching Peregrine off guard. The spy revved the Porsche 911 until it was almost its fastest, flying down the asphalt at 170 kilometres an hour Peregrine smelled the burning rubber one second too late, as the car exploded Flung back by the force of the explosion, the spy slammed into a nearby car Get up, thought Peregrine, heaving himself up. His slickedback blonde hair had completely undone itself, his blue tuxedo torn and grubby. His
tanned face was black with soot and he realised there was a shard of glass in the side of his calf. Blood staining his electric blue trousers, he pulled out a pistol and took aim at the escaping Toyota Corollas back tire. Direct hit. The tire popped and the car skidded to the side, ramming into the cement barrier of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Peregrine dashed over to the wreck, watching the driver get out. The driver, concealing his face with a black mask, pointed an oldfashioned revolver straight at Peregrine’s forehead Peregrine had his pistol aimed at the driver’s heart.
Stalemate. Neither could move or shoot. Abruptly, the masked driver leaped backward, off the bridge and plummeted toward the freezing water below, holding a silver suitcase. “No!” Peregrine exclaimed, staring at the water below. The driver had disappeared, and taken all the stolen objects with him. The spy had been outsmarted
The wreckage of the Porsche and Toyota were cleared up quickly by the A.S.A, not wanting to attract attention. But as Peregrine lingered around the scene of the chase, he noticed
something in the smouldering remains of the Toyota Another silver suitcase. Peregrine’s eyes widened, grabbing hold of the suitcase and checking what was inside. No codes. Just stacks and stacks of green hundred dollar bills rubber-banded together. Peregrine quickly jumped into an A.S.A helicopter and flew towards Headquarters
The A.S.A.H.Q is located in centre
Sydney A skyscraper the exact same height as it went underground, the revolutionary building was protected by a force field so strong
that if you tried to enter without an access card you were as dead as a Tasmanian Tiger. The spy landed the jet “Name ” beeped the helicopter’s screen upon landing. “Zane Simmons,” replied Peregrine. “Access granted.” beeped the chopper. Peregrine was known as ‘Zane’ or ‘Simmons’ by his colleagues and friends, Peregrine being his code name Zane tapped his card against a scanner, allowing him to enter the building. “Zane!” greeted a familiar voice as he tapped the floor into the elevator “Good morning, Rick.” Rick Laine, codenamed
‘Asphalt’, was Zane’s friend and colleague. “The boss wants you, you know. See you later!” Rick pocketed a taser from a weapons rack and walked off, leaving Zane to face the boss alone. He slid open the door “Zane Simmons! Please be seated!” barked the boss. Brian ‘Drake’ Smith was the leader of the A.S.A. He was almost shiny bald, with shaved grey hair on his sides and back He was wearing his General’s uniform from his time in the army, boasting shiny medals and ribbons. Zane took a seat, still intimidated by the powerful boss “You failed your mission, Simmons! Is
there anything else I need to know?!” Zane put the suitcase on Smith’s desk. “Yes, Sir. I found this in the wreckage of the car ” The boss opened the silver suitcase. “The money. ” He grumbled. “Well done, Simmons But there is still the more important package-""The codes, sir ” interrupted Peregrine. “Yes, Peregrine. Now, I have another mission for you We have found that the driver is boarding a yacht from Melbourne to Hawaii in t-minus 20 hours. You are going to get on that yacht with this suitcase-” the boss motioned to the case full of money, “ - and
catch the driver and the codes. The money will lure the thief straight into your clutches. Is this understood?” Zane wanted to make up for his failure. He needed his codename back. He was Peregrine “Yes, Sir.” The fighter jet zoomed down the runway, burning the asphalt and taking off steadily. Rick in the rear seat, the two spies soared through the sky. “Asphalt, I need the homing missile operative.” Peregrine said into his mouthpiece. “Roger that ” the crackly voice came back. Peregrine upped the speed. They
had one hour to get to Melbourne. “Oh no, ” Peregrine heard Asphalt say. “Behind us!” Peregrine rolled the jet to the side, narrowly avoiding the missile. “WE’RE UNDER ATTACK!” Yelled Asphalt through his mouthpiece. Peregrine pulled the jet straight up, now behind the attacker He locked a homing missile onto the opposing jet. The jet exploded, but no-one was in the plane “An autopilot,” gasped Peregrine, pushing the plane to Mach 8 Rattled, the two spies landed the jet on a Melbourne runway. They were immediately separated, Peregrine being taken to his
yacht and Asphalt driving off for a mission Peregrine sat in a black SUV, rolling across the dark streets of Melbourne He began to see the glimmering ocean and a fancy yacht with gold lettering on the side; The Manatee. It was docked on the port of Apollo Bay. Peregrine had examined 3D maps of the whole ship so he knew all the exits, vantage points and hiding places He was staying in Room 11, level Negative B, a level underwater The driver of the Toyota now had a code name if Peregrine needed to refer to him when calling base: Shadowfox. The SUV
parked in the car park next to the yacht. Peregrine got out of the car, slipping on some sunglasses that had voice control AI and screens on the inside, and surveyed his surroundings. The AI,
P E R E G R I N E S
G.A.L.E., noted the number plates of the surrounding cars and info on the street and yacht. Peregrine’s Gale was too long for Peregrine to say into his earpiece every time so he called it Gale. Peregrine heard an announcement come over the yacht’s P.A.: “All passengers boarding. All passengers boarding ” Peregrine glanced at his card again. His
disguise’s name was ‘Anders DeCaprio’. Peregrine, disguised as Anders, stepped aboard the multimillion dollar yacht with a multi-million dollar criminal aboard. Champagne glasses clinked and the smell of wine filled the dining hall on the first night of the cruise Gale quickly ran through databases of all the passengers in sight Peregrine took notes in his mind on all the diners that had even a hint of something worthy of suspicion. To not look suspicious himself he started to eat the rich steak on the table.
“Good evening, Mr
DeCaprio.” A skinny man in a black tuxedo and dark, tired loops under his eyes walked over to Peregrine, offering a glass of wine Peregrine took it, but before taking a sip he scanned the liquid for poison All clear “I heard you are from Sydney, DeCaprio. Don’t you own a fishing business in Manly?” The stranger said, drinking from his wine. Peregrine remembered his character doing something along the lines of that. “Yes, yes I do, Mr ” Peregrine said in his best posh accent, motioning for the stranger to reveal his name “Corbin Mackenna. Pleasure to meet you. ” Mackenna
said, shaking Peregrine’s hand. “Well, Mackenna, I must be going. Work business in my cabin, you know?” Excited to escape the conversation with Corbin Mackenna, Peregrine made his way back to his room He had some reports to do. On his laptop he filed down every interaction he had that day. He wrote about the behaviours, personalities and actions that he had picked up from all the crew members. There was Corbin Mackenna, a mega-rich technology developer. Archer Heat, famous millionaire NRL player
Many other rich men and women
accompanied Peregrine on the ship. He set up a file that put all the passengers and their face shots in a grid like a game of ‘Guess Who?’ Shadowfox was a man, so Peregrine put a line through all the women on the grid. The driver of the Toyota was skinny, so all the fat and large men were crossed out too. That left three suspects: Corbin Mackenna, Chayse Blaike, and Randy Burton.
The next day brought a new mission: narrow down the suspects even further. Peregrine was up and in a tuxedo before 3am, equipping his concealed gear. His
pilot sunglasses covered his eyes, giving him a hint of mystery. That morning at breakfast, after drinking some orange juice, Peregrine was greeted by Chayse Blaike and Archer Heat Blaike being one of his suspects, Peregrine followed the conversation closely.
“Good morning, gentlemen.” Peregrine said. Archer Heat, a strong rugby league player, reached forward to shake hands with Peregrine.
“Mornin’, mate! How’s the boat?” Heat poured himself a tea and put some bacon on his plate “Crackers, there’s no Vegemite!”
Heat moaned,
chomping on his bacon. Blaike seemed wholly unimpressed by the matter, rolling his eyes and typing something into his phone Peregrine smiled at Archer, walking behind Blaike and taking a peek at his phone screen. Blaike turned away, but it was too late. Gale had taken an image of the screen that Peregrine would review later
Next, Peregrine entered the Games Room, finding Randy Burton clicking four balls into the holes at a pool table. “Nice shot, Burton.” Peregrine acknowledged, handing the man some crackers and cheese.
“And who might you be?” Burton furrowed his brows, rolling down the sleeves of his shirt. Peregrine replied his disguise name - Anders DeCaprio - and Burton took another shot. It was a masterful move, hitting all of the remaining balls into holes. Peregrine asked Burton some casual questions, making him reveal some information Peregrine already knew from his files Randy Burton was innocent - so Peregrine excused himself and headed back to his cabin for his analysis. 2:01am. A passenger is moving about the dark ship, more silent than a whisper. He sneaks
with purpose, as his target will wake soon. Cabin 11’s lock was picked with relative ease. The man watches the spy sleep, almost laughing Zane Simmons thinks his identity is sealed, but he is wrong The man picks up his stolen suitcase and walks out the room, smiling to himself Restoring the lock he thinks: If all the spies were this easy to fool, he’s already won “NO!” Peregrine gasps, seeing the empty safe the suitcase was in He had checked Blaike’s messages last night, just some numbers. Probably a business thing. This. Was. Mackenna. Peregrine
pulled on his tux and gear and sprinted out of his room Blaike was in the hallway, walking toward the breakfast hall Desperate, Peregrine ran over to him. “Chayse! Chayse Blaike!” Peregrine yelled “You must help me! There is a dangerous criminal on this ship. He is disguised as Corbin Mackenna. You have to help me before he escapes!!” Blaike looks up, smiling at Peregrine. “You’re dumber than you look, Zane Simmons ” Blaike laughed, “You can’t comprehend how us criminals think. You’re not the only one in disguise. You are no spy, Simmons.” Blaike –
or whatever his real name was – ran off to the back of the ship The jetski deploy area. Peregrine unlatches the straps around the green jetski, sliding it off the rails and into the water The freezing spray soaks his suit, but he doesn’t care. His poor mistakes have led to this, and he had a big gap to close.
Revving the throttle, Peregrine zoomed across the water, spraying stinging droplets everywhere. The freezing water stung his skin, but Peregrine kept pushing. A cargo ship up ahead chugged toward Blaike and Peregrine, threatening to run
them over. Blaike pelted straight for the ship, flicking water into Peregrine’s eyes. “Too bad, Simmons!” Yelled Blaike, Shadowfox, the driver of the white Toyota Corolla.
Peregrine pushed the throttle as far as it would go. Blaike was almost at the ship, his escape. “Gale!” panted Peregrine, “Is there anything you can do?” Gale beeped with a thousand ways to catch up to Blaike Peregrine closed his eyes, shot the water in front of him with a rocket launcher. “You missed!” Blaike cackled, but Peregrine wasn’t aiming at him The water burst up in front of Peregrine,
making a ramp for the jetski. Blasting off the top of the jump, the spy soared through the air like a true peregrine falcon
Letting go of the jetski, Peregrine landed with a thump on top of Blaike Blaike’s skinny body flung itself in all different directions, being zapped with Peregrine’s taser Peregrine, thinking he’d won, turned to shut off the jetski Big mistake Blaike threw Peregrine off the marine vehicle and drove off.
tears in his eyes?
Blaike turned his jetski, racing back toward the yacht. Peregrine, in hot pursuit, couldn’t think. There was no time for hesitation as Blaike shot a pistol at Peregrine. Peregrine cocked his head to the side, narrowly missing the bullet. “Woah.”
The cargo ship, thinking that Blaike was captured, turned away “No!” Blaike yelled. Peregrine was confused. Were those
Peregrine was sweating His jetski slowed to a stop as it was out of petrol. Peregrine leaped forward, tucked into a dive and reached the boat. He scaled the wall and, out of the corner of his eye, spotted Blaike running across the front of the ship He was on the roof of the yacht. Gale activated its
emergency boost protocol, blasting Peregrine up with rockets, landing him on the roof. Blaike was cornered, any escape was death Blaike’s grip tightened around the silver case. “Hand over the codes, Blaike ”
Peregrine said calmly. “My real name isn’t Blaike, Simmons. It’s Redd John Redd And why do you think I’d hand this over?”
Peregrine reached for his taser, unsure if Redd would require force. “Why’d you steal it?” Redd lost any patience that was left.
“DO YOU THINK I HAD A CHOICE?!” He screamed, spit flying everywhere. Redd dropped the case,
swinging a punch at Peregrine. The spy dodged and grabbed the man ’ s wrist. “What do you mean?”
Peregrine said almost placidly John Redd stopped attacking and growled his answer. “Three years ago, I needed to borrow a lot of money from some dangerous people. I couldn’t pay them back so I ran away to Australia. They tracked me down and demanded their money Since I didn’t have it they forced me into robbing an armoured truck and sneaking into the Parliament House for vault codes. I’m on this yacht so I can deliver the loot to the people who forced me
into this.” Peregrine listened intently. “Who did you borrow the money from?”
Peregrine asked. “The reason your organisation codenamed me
Shadowfox - The Faction of Shadows
They watch over me every second of every day.” Peregrine grabbed the case
“You’re not off the hook yet, Redd.”
Peregrine said, looking at the sunset, “You’re coming with me. ”
Back at the A S A Prison Compound, John Redd got changed into his prison uniform. The blue overalls were itchy and he thought of his life before all this.
Simmons was coming today to take him to his cell The bell at the front rang. “John Redd, you have a visitor.”
Zane ‘Peregrine’ Simmons came in and through the security door. As they walked up the countless stairs to Redd’s cell, the prisoner asked a question. “What are you going to do about the Faction of Shadows? When will I be free?” Simmons looked Redd dead in the eye and nudged him into the cell. “You stay here for five years That is a lucky sentence considering your crimes.” John Redd’s face sank, but the spy continued.
“More if we haven’t
shut down the Faction of Shadows. You are safer in prison We will capture that criminal organisation.”
Peregrine’s face turned hard as steel as he left Redd in the cell. As hard as it was, a spy ’ s work is never done
HAMISH THOMPSON
This story is about Wilbur, a brave but unlucky character who gets trapped in a spooky house and comes face-to-face with a zombie!
The Zombie
SLAM! The door slammed shut behind Wilbur, locking him inside the strange room
Wilbur crept through the darkened space, slipping behind a bookcase as he thought about the dare his subscribers had set for him. He glanced at his phone to check the time “Uh-oh,” he whispered It was midnight.
He moved toward the stairs leading to the second floor, but as he began to climb, he tripped on his untied laces. The moment he hit the ground, he heard a sickening crack "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
nearby slowly opened. Wilbur’s eyes lit up with hope. Someone had come to rescue him! But his relief vanished instantly
Instead of a rescuer, a zombie hobbled down the stairs toward him
Wilbur screeched as pain surged through his body "Help! Help! Somebody!" Creeeeak! A door
Suddenly, Wilbur remembered the phone in his pocket With no other options, he whispered, "Goodbye, phone," and hurled the
device straight at the creature’s head.
The phone struck right between its eyes.
The zombie collapsed to the floor.
Seizing his chance, Wilbur hobbled toward the door.
As soon as he stepped outside, fresh air filled his lungs. Without looking back, he slammed the doors shut and ran, never to return again.
ARCHIE HADDEN
"Like Anchors to the Heavens" takes readers on a journey through the depths of Hell, where T1, a powerful machine, must navigate terrifying enemies.
Like Anchors to the Heavens
ACT 1: INFINITE HYPERDEATH
LIMBO
As the light of heaven fades away, T1 falls down the hellevator for the first time, but definitely not the last T1 is a hollow machine that runs on the blood of demons, husks, machines, and fallen angels. The first level of hell, LIMBO, is where T1’s long hellevator comes
to a stop As the doors open, T1 is surprised at how nice LIMBO looks.
T1 snaps back as a husk called a filth runs toward him.
“Hmm? Filth!” T1 says T1 pulls out a pistol and shoots the filth. In two shots, the husk falls to the ground with a thud T1 walks around, trying to piece together what level of hell he is on “Limbo, I think,” T1 says More demons comethis time, five filths and
two strays, a type of husk that throws a ball of energy. T1 kills the five filths and moves on to the strays. T1 gets damaged as a stray throws a ball of energy at him T1 parries the next ball that comes at him, killing them both. Parrying can deflect punches and many other things.
T1 makes his way through Limbo.
“No more blood in Limbo?” T1 says
T1 heads to the hellevator when crash! Something comes out of the window.
“I am T2. I was made by the Father to kill you, ” T2 says “What? I was made by the Father,” T1 responds
“Yes, but I am better than you, ” T2 replies.
T1 snaps, lunging at T2 and damaging him
“WHY DID THE FATHER MAKE ME?!” T1 yells while punching T2
“Hehe it’s a secret,” T2 laughs.
T1 rips off the arm of T2, called the Knuckle Blaster. Seeing this, T2 leaps away and runs.
“Hmm… an arm?” T1 thinks T1 jumps down the hellevator. After some
time, he arrives in Lust.
LUST
T1 gets blown back into the hellevator. As he steps back out, something spawns “Mmm? A greater husk?
Better strays…”
T1 realizes that these strays have gun arms and can fire four balls of hell’s energy. T1 parries all the husks and calls them soldiers.
T1 fights more enemies as he moves throughout Lust
Near the end of Lust, he finds a machine that can teleport and throw blue versions of the stray’s balls.
“WHAT IS THIS THING?!”
T1 says with anger
T1 checks the chassis of the machine it’s called
a Mind Flayer. T1 beats the machine and moves on
T1 can feel that he’s reaching the end of Lust He takes a cart to a courtroom that has a purple theme, like the rest of Lust.
“Hey, where’s the roof?”
T1 uses T2’s arm, the Knuckle Blaster, and gets ready for whatever did that.
With a yell, a giant figure emerges T1 has seen this human before he was this big. It is the corpse of King Minos
T1 fights desperately, using all the weapons he acquired in Lust, and defeats the corpse of Minos. T1 jumps down the hellevator,
which Minos’ giant head fell on.
GLUTTONY
T1 walks through the hellscape, at times hearing whispers He fights some enemies Mind Flayers, husks, and demons Then, he hears someone.
“Machine, what are you here for? The Father did not make you because Hell needed to be full. It was because the Father HATED YOU But Treachery was full, so the Father sent me to kill you before you get to him. SO, MACHINE, COME FORWARD AND DIE!”
T1 hears this but does not care. He kills all of the demons and husks
in Gluttony.
T1 finds himself at a gate
“What is this place ”
T1 is cut off as an angel yells, “BEHOLD THE POWER OF AN ANGEL!”
T1 fights relentlessly until, finally, he defeats the angel. His name was Gabriel, the Archangel.
T1 jumps down the hellevator once again.
P-1
As T1 falls down the hellevator, something happens. The colors on the walls change
Instead of red and black, they are now gold and gray.
T1 opens the door to see a flesh-covered room, like Gluttony.
Then, something spawns - it’s a flesh abomination
T1 fights relentlessly and defeats the abomination
“What is that orb?”
Something comes out of the orb.
“Ah free at last O Gabriel, now dawns thy reckoning, and thy gore shall glisten before the temples of man.
Creature of steel, thy gratitude upon thee for thy freedom But the crimes thy kind have committed against humanity are not forgotten, and thy punishment is… DEATH!”
T1 fights harder than ever before. He almost loses the Knuckle
Blaster arm. Somehow, he pushes through and wins Minos Prime says:
“Forgive my children for having failed to bring salvation to this cold… dark world…” Minos screams, and then dies
TATE HYDE
Jim Mackay thinks he has everything under control until his secrets are exposed. His most secure plans has fallen apart, showing how powerful information can be when used in the wrong hands.
Whisper of Secrets
One day a man called Jim Mackay was mowing the grass when he was about to receive the worst news of his life. Jim was a deranged criminal who had never been found out Jim grew up in a family of thieves. He had always wanted to live up to his dads glory and this was his chance. He had files that could end the whole world The files could activate the most deadly bomb
ever He was the 2nd best hacker in the world that could hack almost anything. But on this cold, rainy, gloomy morning, everything was about to come crashing down
A hacker, known only as Ron Pereira, somehow leaked a massive file containing Jim’s entire secrets. Ron was the world’s most skilled hacker He could expose the most hidden secrets. Jim was flabbergasted. How had Ron breached his amazing security? His files were protected by a password that was said to be uncrackable, that even the most advanced cyber people couldn’t crack it. Yet here they were, out in the open, and Jim could not fathom how it had happened His family, too, was in shock. For the first time in his life, Jim felt truly defeated
His court trial was scheduled for the 19 of April 1911 at 4:00 pm But there was a problem. Jim had requested it to be 30 days later at 4pm because being the criminal he is, he and his gang set up a heist next to the court. Jim knew they would get there at 4 and would get caught It was the day of the court his gang texted him “We’re on the way and we brought help” but Jim didn’t tell the gang he was in court. Suddenly, Jim was sweating from head to toe. He was disquited. “Bang!” The judge has started the court session With only a glimpse at him, the defendant Ron Pereira
started showing the files he had hacked. Before Jim could react, the judge turned to him. In a split second, the verdict was delivered "Life in prison." The words hit Jim like a ton of bricks. But just as the sentence was pronounced, the unthinkable happened.
Crash! The courtroom walls shattered as Jim’s gang burst through "What’s Jim in for?" they screamed, demanding answers. But Jim was no longer the man in control. He had finally been defeated.
BILL DEERAN
This story centres around the protagonist who returns to their hometown after many years away. They are coming back for their father’s funeral, but also to face the memories and feelings they have been running from. The story shows how hard it can be to let go of the past, especially when the past is full of things we don’t understand or wish had never happened.
Secrets of Longreach
Ah, Longreach - here we are again. You could always drag me back no matter how fast I run away from you. This return isn't exactly the joyous homecoming I had imagined - more like the sad, concluding chapter of a complex story you wish you had never read. All this way to pretend to cry at the funeral of a man whom I haven’t seen since I was 18. I yearned for something beyond the confines of this small town. But primarily to escape the gruesome conditions that were brought forth to my childhood. I hate you Paul, you knew what you were doing to me! My presence is only driven by the need for closure, I need to witness my father's final farewell and to lay to rest the unspoken questions that have dwelled within me for far too long.
It was during those tumultuous teenage years that I faced my first real test. I had always believed I was different from the people of Longreach, wanting to escape the cultural assumptions and values that bound me. Flee this town, leave the past behind, and start a new life in Perth On one sombre day, I received a phone call from my mother, bearing news of my
father's death, a reminder of the past I had hoped to leave behind. It was then that I realised that escaping the past was not that simple “I’m so sorry to tell you, but your father has passed ” , such diminutive words transport me into a world where my emotions fluctuate faster than lightning.
I remember it was the day I turned 18 With a single suitcase and a head full of dreams, I left this town behind The emotional ties that had tethered me to this place were left in the dust as I sped away
But my cultural baggage, that I
couldn't escape. It was part of me, woven into the fabric of my being
The past is a curious thing, isn't it? No matter how far we run, it always has a way of catching up. And it did, in the form of a phone call, bearing news of my father. And so, here I am, back in chaotic Longreach, and it feels like I never left. Yet the sense of being ‘at home' still eludes me Neglect and trauma are brought back to life in this town I return to see my father put in his grave, to get closure. I need to lay to rest the unspoken questions that keep me up every night. Life would be so
much easier if I had a happy family, a stable job, and a loving boyfriend. Maybe I’ll see Jake at the funeral. After all, the last time I saw him was when I was leaving Longreach; he was begging for me to stay because he told me he loved me. So maybe I should just take my final opportunity to have something good in life.
As I contemplate what is yet to come, I can't help but think about a time that is still far off in the distance: the gravesite, where the familiar and the unknown meet. Even the church, the streets, and my motel room.
They will be haunted by the echoes of memories and the quiet whispers of untold stories. Will the church resonate with the hymns of my joyous celebrations, or will it carry the weight of unspoken prayers and moments of despair? I can't believe that monster will now be known as a wonderful person just because he died. It's disgusting that his life is being celebrated; he ruined my life and everyone there knows it. But I see an epiphany in these meditations. I see that I have to welcome the upcoming visit to the graveyard, a voyage into the core of Longreach culture if
I am to fully understand who I am and my position going forth
Even if they initially felt restrictive, I have to come to terms with the ideals that will unavoidably mould who I am. I will never truly feel like I belong if I try to run away from what is unavoidable. Instead, I must face head-on the mysteries that lie ahead, especially the deep dive into my own past that will occur at the graveyard. I have no idea what will happen in those times, but I'm prepared to meet it head-on, to peel back the years and set my path forward Thus, I also will lay to
rest the animosity and hate that formerly possessed me I'll hopefully depart Longreach having gained a better grasp of who I am and a stronger respect for the identity and culture that have shaped me
Even if my route is unknown, I have the fortitude to overcome any obstacles that may come my way. You were my safe place and my imprisonment, Longreach The days I spent here felt like chapters in a book, with every character having a distinct backstory. These streets will always bring up memories of my own travels. I used to think of myself as
the outsider, the rebel, the person who would get out of this town's constraints. I thought my culture was somewhere else, that my identity was well beyond Longreach. But how stupid I was.
As I head back to my father's grave today, I know that the future isn't uncertain rather, it's just a blank canvas that has to be painted. I bring with me the knowledge from my childhood and the questions that never seemed to have a solution now give me courage. I may not know everything, but I do know who I am
JENSON PLOWRIGHT
The story is about four wrongly imprisoned inmates - John, Ben, Sam, and Adam - who decide to escape from a California federal prison. Using metal shovels made during a prison industry (PI) activity session, they dig their way under a cinder block wall. Just as they are about to break free, alarms sound...
Prison Break
At the California federal prison, a group of wrongly imprisoned inmates has had enough In the left wing, inmates John, Ben, Sam, and Adam decide to break out, so they plan to dig their way out using the shovels from a PI activity session where they make tools.
"Sam does PI. He can help us "
"Okay," Sam replies, "but you have to set them up and sneak out of the showers tomorrow."
During PI, they are making metal shovels as usual While Sam is working on his, he spots John, Ben, and Adam He quickly finishes up and steals three of the shovels.
"Alright, here we go, " Sam says with a sigh "Okay, let's start," Adam says.
For the next hour, they dig under the cinder block wall. Dig by dig, the hole eventually
reaches the other side. Suddenly, the sirens blare.
"Stop!" a police officer yells. Quickly, the gang hops out of the hole and runs for it
"They're getting closer!" Adam says. They take off, and after a short while, they lose their pursuers However, they have no other clothes besides their orange jumpsuits. Then, in the forest, they spot
four sets of clotheslittle T-shirts with the Lakers logo on them
Without thinking much of it, they put them on.
When they reach the city, they see news story after news story reporting that four men have escaped - and are now missing forever.
GAGE DITTMANN
The story follows a Vietnam War veteran whose seemingly peaceful afternoon with his wife is shattered by a flashback to the horrors of war. As the narrative shifts between his serene verandah and the brutal battlefield, the reader is drawn into the “secrets” of the battle and the psychological turmoil of a soldier who has never truly left the war behind.
Tea: The Lies that Ensued
“What a beautiful day, Barbra,” I said, exhaling. The last of the monsoon had just passed yesterday, leaving a distinct smell of ozone. “It’s quite lovely Would you like a cup of tea, love?” Barb's response, so angelic and caring.
I'm so lucky to have a wife that stayed with me “Yes please, dear.” I sit back, sinking into my
chair, peering through the balustrades that act as a barrier to my verandah. Sitting in a deck chair, it’s soft cotton clutches to my skin. Tendrils of an orange light pierce the tree canopy above, revealing an expansive valley that lay below the house The distant hum of the radio coming from the kitchen is playing Für Elise A newfound calmness instils in me; I haven't felt this way in
years. A cool breeze blows steadily, making the hair on my arms stand up My smooth silky shirt sticks to my back making me itch, my spine gets possessed by chills My wife's humming is melodic; her voice was sweet and drawing nearer. Enjoying the breeze, I lean back and close my eyes
Suddenly the BANG of an awful crash jolts me back in time. My hands desperately search my
face in a feverish attempt to calm myself Panic overwhelms me, my breathing rapidly increases I clench my fists and grumble inaudible moans. My eyes are so tightly shut, I can feel my head throbbing. I collapse onto the deck, clutching my head as the world around me begins to spin. I feel as if I was falling, falling through time and space, and then suddenly I was somewhere else. . . .
utter chaos. There was smoke, dust, and the deafening sound of explosions all around me. I struggle to stand up, and my legs give out beneath me, and I fall back to the ground. It was only then that I realised I wasn't on my modernday deck anymore. Instead, I was transported onto the battlefield I had fought on in the Vietnam war.
of lotuses. We trudge through the haunting jungle reminding ourselves why we are here. Why are we here? Ah yes, the great honour and duty of serving our country But why?
As I open my eyes, I realise that I am lying on a warm, damp ground, surrounded by
Trudging through the jungle, the bark of artillery disorientates me; men pleading for their mothers. An awful bang as a land mine detonates, violently shakes the soft earth beneath my feet, water splashes from a pond
The strong taste of burning rubber blows from the east, making my lungs tingle like a cough is about to ensue I can taste the spicy orange burning my tongue. My uniform –heavy, uncomfortable and ugly–suffocates my skin, mixed with the horrific, sweltering tropical heat… oh the insatiable itch Haphhazardly marching on, conscious of every
step, anticipating ambush. Conscious dusk was fast approaching.
Conscious of the life we left behind . . .
“JOHN WHAT ARE YOU DOING” I scream, in a desperate bid to reach John. John, charging ahead of the group, broke the silence of the eerie jungle. I notice a head poke out of the canopy above glaring down at us. Then another. Then another
forms in my stomach. I became so aware of my senses, blood rushing through my head, my heart galloping, knees, weak
This is it. And for what?
country. Not backed by the facetious fallacy of propaganda determined to coerce a nation to fight a war in which they didn’t belong
Why are we here?
An immense feeling of angst overcame me; a bottomless pit had
Gunfire erupts, a cacophony of gunfire forms all around. John fell as lifeless as a hessian sack; he lay bleeding. I retrieve my SLR and take cover behind a cluster of vines “Patience always pays. ” I remind myself. Without thought I shot. Viscous savagery at the epitome of my emotions. I gun down the insidious animals. People with mouths to feed. People who are fighting for their
Thump… thump… thump three monotonous thumps as three bodies fell out of the high tree. What a monster I am rushing over to John, the morbid gargle of him choking on his blood made me sick Rolling him over, he clutches my hand. “T-t-tell my w w wife I love her, give her my dog tags” John's ineffable, yet startling request concerns me
Something in his tone suggests envy if there
was any, or perhaps a loss of hope.
He can't just give up. Why are we here?
As I attempt to respond, his eyes flicker and a soft daring glaze replaces the awfully good John I knew. John's body goes limp in my arms, his blood soaking my clothes. Soaking my locket.
The light in the sky flickers, changing from the silver ceiling to an orange sunset
I jolt back into my body; I am violently shaking A strong grip is on my arms, glancing down I realise it’s
barbra’s soft hands. The cool, hard wooden floorboards beneath me have been soaked by sweat. Tears are staining my cheeks
CHRISTIAAN DU BUSON
Jack, an explorer, is investigating a sunken ship when he comes face-to-face with not one, but two deadly sharks. As he struggles to survive, he must find a way to escape before it's too late.
In the deep sea, covered by the kelp grove of the Pacific, lies the wreck of the Seawise Giant It has been there for many years, covered in rust and seaweed While on an expedition, Jack was exploring the wreck. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, a great white shark pops out of nowhere. Jack's face turned green of fright His heart pounds as he kicks his legs, trying to swim away. While
Sunken Treasure
swimming, he hit a shard of titanium and it broke his oxygen tank. The shark, nicknamed Jaws, starts circling him.
Jack feels trapped, but then, just as quickly as it appeared, the shark floats away. As Jack swims away, thankful that he didn’t get eaten, a red cloud spreads in the water Then, out of the cloud is a large shark-like figure slowly moving
closer and he makes out what's happening. He notices a narrow gap and he squeezes through. He starts swimming up to get oxygen and he can barely reach the fellow divers hand.
He realises rows of thousands of teeth and the fear fuels his body. But he needs air so he springs up and he makes it to the boat. Gasping for air, he takes a deep breath of
air and he vows to never return to the wreckage But then he realises another fin sticking out of the water! A huge, dark fin He stares in horror CRACK! The boat shudders. A giant bite has torn a hole in the side. Jack goes silent. The monster is still there and it is watching and waiting
TANUSH PATEL
The story follows a character trapped in an eerie, shifting space where reality bends and the past whispers through the walls. As they struggle to make sense of their surroundings, they are forced to confront unsettling truths about themselves.
The Walls that Talked
Eeriness captivated the walls which shivered in the dim scenery that surrounded. I was deeply entrenched in the darkness that shadowed across.
Confused, I trembled in a desperate attempt to reason with something, even in the lone environment I was enclosed in. This was something faintly recognisable and I called it just as a dog to its owner. "I’ve been here before… but it
wasn’t like this " No one answered and I expected this, despite my ambition to be heard I was in the thick of it and no one knew it.
strained to see, but the darkness recoiled as if toying with me. I reached out, my fingers grazing something cold, something familiar
The walls seemed to close in, whispering something I couldn't quite understand My heartbeat pounded like a drum in my ears, drowning out the silence that lurked behind the void. A figure? A shadow? I
The walls closed in, the air crackled with a hum, and the presence I had only sensed before now loomed before me Silence Then, a whisper that slithered through the air. A memory surged forward, fragmented
and distorted. I have been here before. But I wasn’t alone then and not now. The whispers grew, merging into a cacophony of voices mine among them. My own thoughts fought against the truth clawing at my mind. This place wasn’t just familiar, it was me A prison built from the remnants of something I refused to remember The walls weren’t closing in; they were revealing themselves.
OLLIE CALDEWEYHER
The Hidden Cave is a thrilling adventure story about three brave friends - Jack, Lucy, and Connor - who discover a mysterious and dangerous cave. Their journey is filled with excitement, challenges, and unexpected dangers as they uncover the secrets of the cave.
The Hidden Cave
Jack, Lucy and Conner screamed as they slid down the rocks. As they hit the ground, Lucy knew it was a mistake going past the warning barrier. The group stood up, feeling woozy They looked up and saw the edge of the cliff.
Jack, Lucy and Conner jumped over the warning banner They entered the dark cave and went as silent as the shadows. Jack
instantly went into survival mode and went running around, feeling the ground for items that can help them With his survival skills and some of the light from outside, he found six torches around the place and a tinderbox. In confusion, they headed outside and as they left, when they were 10 feet away from the exit, the small group heard a deep rumble. They looked up and saw a massive
flow of rocks heading towards the ground. They ran for their lives but didn’t make it on time…
Jack lit his torch and looked at his surroundings for the first time. He saw a small cavern and stepped closer to see more. His friends stepped forwards with him But they did not know that all three of them were too heavy for the ledge The
ledge split, and as the group noticed they turned and tried running but failed. They slid about 25 metres down and hit the ground hard Connor groaned as he slipped while standing up.
In the end, Jack and Lucy had to lift him up and help him regain his balance Jack looked up and saw the cliff he had been standing on just a few seconds before The torch lay 10 metres away and Jack noticed it had very little sparks left, that meant these torches are very valuable and won’t last long if they play with it Quickly, He ran towards it and fumbled with the tinder
box, but he finally got the torch ready again. The torch was flickering, so they couldn’t see more than last time They quickly ran into the next chamber which was a pit of acid. Lucy took the torch from Jack and quickly searched the cavern and found a crack in the roof that held a zipline handle in the middle of the crack. The crack went from the roof at the entrance of the cavern to darkness at the other end of the lake of acid Jack took the torch back and also found something else, a long stick that had a hook-like structure at the end of it. “That would be helpful for
getting the zipline handle to us. ” said Connor, to the others amazement. Lucy ran with the stick and leaped off the edge and angled the stick so that it would hit the zipline and her legs would swing up onto the roof so she could push with her legs to make the zipline come to where Jack and Connor were. She pushed the zipline to the edge and Jack and Connor jumped on and they zipped into darkness. They realised they had left the torch behind, they had to light another one. They entered the next chamber in darkness because they wanted
to save their light time from the torches but they didn’t need the torches for the next chamber as Jack saw a massive liquidy blob in the centre of the chamber. It gave them enough light to see around the cavern and make them see that there were many separate passageways exiting the massive chamber. The trio was lost in thought of which passage they should go into Connor leaned against the wall of the chamber and a chunk of the wall pushed back and slid downwards into the ground. There was a hidden chamber behind it. The cavern was lined with shelves full of
scrolls. Lucy searched for ‘ caves ’ in the ‘C’ section, while Jack looked in the ‘S’ section for his dad, Samuel, to try and find how he died mysteriously. Lucy rushed at a scroll on the wall and opened it and found the part she was looking for. “Jack, Connor, listen to this! ‘The living cave also known as Cave Monia,’
THIS CAVE, ‘is known to let people enter but cave in when they try to leave. It has a secret chamber near the heart of the cave and I mean the HEART of the cave and the chamber is filled with scrolls including this one. The cave also has a long pit of acid
which is the STOMACH of the cave. We warn you not to enter it as it is living.’ This is the key to what this cave is.” exclaimed Lucy in excitement They knew this was not the end, it was just the beginning.
TRISTAN JONES
This story is about a young boy named Jake who embarks on an exciting cruise with his family. Jake is thrilled about all the fun activities on board, especially the water slides, but things take a scary turn when the ship begins to sink.
The Royal Crown's Last Voyage
Once, in 1930, there was a huge cruise ship set to leave at 9:30 on April 8th. The ship was called the Royal Crown and was the best cruise ship ever made. The ship could hold 20,000 people and offered 5-star food and activities for the trip The cruise was going to leave from London, circle around Sydney Harbour, and then return to London
The trip would last 10 weeks. The ship was
fully booked, with no remaining spots after the first four hours of ticket sales.
Jake Jones was a 12year-old boy who was going on the ship with his mum, dad, and younger sister, Emily.
Jake was a very curious boy who had never been on a cruise before and was excited because he would be sleeping in a bunk bed. Jake’s sister, Emily, was 7, and Jake
hated her. She would always bug him and stop him from doing the things he loved Jake was on the drive to the harbour to board the Royal Crown and was very excited. He had nearly packed all of his drawers with clothes and socks, and he was ready. Jake was especially keen to go on the water slides and swim in the pools on the cruise. He loved swimming and playing
in water.
Jake arrived at the harbour after what felt like an eternity in the car, but it had only been twenty minutes from his house.
Unsurprisingly, Emily had annoyed him the whole car ride, making it even worse. Jake had to wait an hour because there were so many people boarding the ship, and it took a long time for everyone to get on and scan their tickets. Jake could see rich people dressed incredibly posh, and he could also see refugees who didn’t look very happy.
take an elevator to get to his room. Jake and his family had paid for a VIP experience and were staying at the very top of the cruise ship Jake was sharing a bunk bed with Emily, and his mum and dad had two separate kingsized beds. Jake and Emily had their own bathroom, but it was a mess for Jake because Emily could never keep her bench space tidy. She always managed to get toothpaste everywhere and would knock Jake’s things onto the ground
Jake finally got onto the ship and had to
Jake was keen to get into the activities and use as much time on the cruise as he could, so he suggested that
his family go to the pool first. Jake and his family had access to a pool on the roof of the cruise ship because they were VIPs Jake was excited but also scared because the top of the ship was very high up, and he wasn’t very happy with heights. Suddenly, Jake felt the boat start to move. He jolted forward for a second and then regained his balance Emily was in the water, annoying Jake by splashing water in his eyes and pushing him. Jake couldn’t fight back because Emily would go and tell their parents, and he would get into trouble when
really it was Emily who was being the nuisance
Jake then saw a huge water slide lower on the ship and ran straight to the elevator, leaving his parents behind He selected the level he was going to and then ran up the stairs to the top of the slide This slide was the biggest water slide the world had ever seen, and Jake would be one of the first people to go down it.
a water slide. Jake was waiting for the three people to go down when it was finally his turn. He jumped into the slide before the instructor had even said, “Go!” Jake had a great time going down the slide and screamed with joy the whole way down. He reached the bottom of the slide, went up a huge ramp, and did three front flips before landing back in the water Jake spotted his parents and ran over to them.
and time for dinner.
Jake and his family received an order menu and could choose from a variety of foods Jake chose fish and chips, and his sister chose the same.
Jake ate his food and went to bed
Jake was at the top with three people in front of him. The slide took three minutes to go down, the longest recorded time ever for
Jake thought his parents would be happy, but they were angry that he had run off and not told them where he was going. It was 4 in the afternoon,
Suddenly, in the dead of night, Jake woke up. He thought he had felt himself jolted for a second and then dosed back to sleep Then it happened again Jake flew out of his bed, landing on his parents and waking them up Jake was screaming, and his parents quickly jumped up and looked out the window They could see a huge boulder scraping
against the side of the cargo ship. The ship started to sink, and there was a loud emergency message over the speaker The captain yelled, “Abandon ship!” as loud as he could. Jake started screaming and yelling. His dream holiday had just turned into his worst nightmare
Jake and his family rushed outside to where they were handing out lifeboats. His family was very efficient and got to the lifeboat before anyone else. They quickly got on and were lowered into the sea They started to row away. They saw other people
getting onto lifeboats, but some were left behind Jake saw at least 500 people still on the sinking boat that had once been the best ship ever made
NIK BELL
This story is about a 13-year-old boy named James who is thrown into an unexpected and intense world of training after a tragic loss. He starts off living a normal life in London, but everything changes when he finds himself in an orphanage and is later introduced to Cherub, a secret organization that trains young recruits to become detectives.
The Recruit (First Mission)
The Cherub Recruit
James, an ordinary 13 year old boy living just outside the city of London Although his life seemed normal, little did he know it was about to change in an instant James lived with his mother and sister Lauren. His mother wasn’t extremely healthy and didn’t really care where or what James and Lauren were doing James didn’t mind a lot of things except for his
step dad Ron To James
Ron was a foul, rotten pig; Ron hated James just as much as James did James tended to get in quite a few fights at his school. On a weekly basis was at least sent home once or twice. Aside from his bad run-ins with fights, he was very smart especially when it came to mathematics.
One afternoon, whilst James was walking out of school, he got into a fight with a girl named
Sally Peterson and this fight wasn’t pretty. Sally tried to kick James in the stomach but James used his reflex to dodge her and punch her in the face This sent Sally smashing to the ground. As Sally looked up, blood was gushing down her nose as tears rolled down her cheeks and at this moment James needed to get out of here. He needed to get out of here before his brother
ended James’s life.
Today was Wednesday, normally his mother would be waiting for him and Lauren at the nearby tunnel After they get to the tunnel all 3 of them would normally go out to dinner. On this one night but James’s mum wasn’t there. Lauren also wasn’t there and although he thought this was strange he decided to just walk home On the way he tried calling his mum 6 times but he got no answer which made him very concerned as his mother always answers. Once James arrived home he found his mum sleeping on the couch holding a
bottle of tequila. “Oh no she got drunk again!” thought James In James's mind he knew exactly who forced his mum to drink, Ron As the night went on James realised that his mother was still in the same position and he started to become concerned.
Despite James’s worries he drifted off to sleep not knowing the deep sorrow he would soon face
The next morning
James woke up in a strange place which was not his bedroom. It was a white, bland room with only 2 unsteady beds with one of them decorated and bedded. At this point
James was very confused until a tall lady with pink hair walked into the room.
“Hello James, I am Miss Phoeberry, Head of Nebraska orphanage,” explained Miss Phoeberry. “Wait whatwhy am I in an orphanage?” questioned James.
“Well James you see, Last night your mother died of a heart attack” said Phoeberry. “The drugs and alcohol she drank yesterday caused this heart attack”. “But- wait where's Lauren?” cried James. Unfortunately your stepfather Ron wanted Lauren to stay with him but James he didn't want you!” stated Phoeberry. After
this news James wallowed into tears from the loss of his mother and how he wouldn’t even see his 9 year old sister Lauren Even worse, Lauren was forced to stay with Ron, the most repulsive person in the world
James thought his life was over but little did he know it was just beginning
Later that day, James met his new roommate named Kyle Kyle was the opposite of James as James was very messy but Kyle was the most clean and neat boy James had ever seen. “So, how did you end up here?” asked James. “Well my family was over for
thanksgiving and everyone died in a house fire” sighed Kyle “I had no family left!”. “Oh that's sad sorry for your loss, My mum died yesterday from a heart attack” quivered James. “My step dad took my sister with him and he doesn’t want me so that’s it for me ” cried James. “Well this is better than being homeless,” said Kyle.
James thought Kyle had a point but his story seemed a little off as the place he described the incident was only 2 minutes away from James’s old house.
James would’ve known about it but he still didn’t question Kyle's story. Sadly, Ron now lives in James’s old
house and apparently Ron doesn’t want James anywhere near the house meaning that James’s stuff was forever lost That night
James struggled to fall asleep. He couldn’t stop thinking about his mother and his sister He just missed them so much but after a while he fell instantly to sleep only remembering seeing a tall man in all black standing over him smiling
As the morning rose
James woke up in another different room
except this time it was modern, luxurious and was filled with electronics and even his own bathroom. This
was definitely not Nabraska Orphanage. As he stood up from his bed he noticed the same man standing in front of him “Hello James, I am Mr Mackintosh but you can Just call me Mack” proclaimed Mack “Wwhere am I?” questioned James. “Welcome to Cherub James you will now be staying here and not in that dreadful Nebraska house” explained Mack “Here at Cherub we pick kids like you and train to be detectives and go on missions to solve crimes”. “So you ' re telling me that I am certified as an actual detective,” said James excitedly. “Not exactly
yet” sighed Mack. “You need to complete the 100 days of basic training”. “If you don’t do that then you do not become a detective and you go back to Nebraska Orphanage”. “Choice is yours James” “I’ll do it but when do I start?” asked James. “The next basic training starts in 2 months so before then I would prepare especially as I know you can’t swim 50 m so if you can’t do it by basic training you ' re done” proclaimed
Mack After all this was established, James was set up with a swim coach called Amy and was given a list of things to do before basic training. James
wasn’t too keen on learning to swim 50m but it was better than living in the Nebraska Orphanage. The following Night James even found out that Kyle from Nebraska Orphanage was at Cherub and that he was only at Nebraska for a mission. James knew something was off and despite his surprise he had better things to worry about.
For the next few months Mack assigned James a coach and that coach built James up like a brick. James was forced to run 5km everyday and although this was tough for James, he was just happy they hadn’t
moved onto swimming yet. For the first month James focused on running and strength and for the second month he was made to learn how to swim 50m. “Oh get in there you woss ” yelled James’s coach “You’ll be fine, it's only 50m and I will keep throwing you in there until you complete 50 metres. James curled his feet on the diving board He was about to dive until “splash” The coach shoved James into the cold, icy waters which were not shallow. James went to about 15 m and gave up. For the next week James’s coach kept throwing James in the pool as he hadn’t
completed it yet. He kept swimming 20-30 m until he gave out but this is when it hit James. If James kept fighting and just kept swimming instead of stopping, it would all be over. So as soon as he hit the freezing waters he kept swimming and swimming no matter the pain until he finally completed 50 metres of the pool. “Well James, It looks like you ’ re ready for basic training next week” said Coach as he reached out to shake James hand. “I’m very surprised to say this but you quite impressed me with a great job!”. “ Thank you sir, '' blurted James as
he was still trying to catch his breath. “Here I come basic training!”
Thought James not knowing what pain he was in for
Finally, it was time for the brutal 100 days of basic training James’s alarm was set for a 5:00 am wakeup and James had to be at basic training by 7:00 am. At about 6:45 James woke up. “Why didn’t my alarm go off!!” shouted James “I'm going to have to wait another 2 months!!” James chucked his basic training uniform and started running down the stairs to the basic training centre. Upon arrival at 7:30, James
barged the doors open to see about 8 kids sitting on the end of dirty, wobbly beds. “Well, well James finally you arrived, my Name is Amox but you call me sir” said Amox with an unhappy tone in his voice “Now GO sit at the end of your bed James!”. Slowly, James crept over to his bed in the far right corner as everyone gave him death stares like they were all about to be punished “Now James, since you were so late I think I owe you AND everyone else here a punishment” proclaimed Amox. “Everyone has 100 pushups, 50 burpees, 100 situps and 60 v sits,” said Amox while
smirking. “GO”. So James started off his ruthless set of strength Sweat was running down James’s cheek and it took him 3 minutes longer than all the other kids there.
“Now that's over, I will assign your teammates” claimed Amox. “Nicole and Dinesh, Connor and Matthew, Isaac and Isabella and Kerry plus James”. To James Kerry looked the strongest out of everyone but he noticed her knee had some bandaging underneath her cargo pants. He just hoped that they would get along and make it to the end of these horrific 100 days.
Throughout the first week, James learned that basic training wasn’t as easy as he envisioned. Kerry, James' partner, also taught James what to do and what not to do as this was Kerry’s second time as she had to pull out due to a knee injury the first time. Realistically, it still wasn’t healed but she wanted to go on missions so bad that she couldn’t give up Every day all of the kids at basic training would have to face a nasty unforgiving obstacle workout. This obstacle consisted of swings and tight ropes with mud surrounding the landing. “Hurry up James unless you want
no dinner tonight” screamed Kerry. “I am trying but it’s just too hard” puffed james. “Oh womp womp I don’t care get a move on ” cried Kerry “I have a bad knee and even I can complete this better than you ” Throughout the next 90 days James and all the others had suffered things such as sleeping outside, sometimes getting less food for mistakes and much more Although this was hard they knew it was to toughen them up so they could beat anything. For the last 10 days of training they were forced to sail across rocky rivers to complete checkpoints to make it to the end
of these ruthless days of basic training. Although cherub was difficult, James quite liked their ways and was eager to see where his Cherub journey would take him after the unforgettable basic training
LUCAS JENKINSON-ROCK
This story is a mystery story about a cruise that turns into an adventure when something terrible happens. A murder takes place on the ship, and Captain Rourke has to find out who did it before anyone else gets hurt. The story is about how secrets can be hidden in surprising ways, and how important it is to stay calm and think carefully when there is danger.
Murder on the Ship
The Ocean Majesty sailed smoothly under a moonlit sky, cutting through the dark waves with a gentle hum It was supposed to be a luxurious voyage, a week-long cruise through the Caribbean, filled with laughter, music, and indulgence. But by the third night, laughter had turned into whispers, and music into eerie silence Captain William
Rourke, a seasoned sailor with twenty years at sea, was awoken by a frantic knock at his cabin door It was his first officer, Henry Clark, his face pale as the sheets of the bed he had just left
"Sir, we have a situation "
Rourke’s stomach twisted with unease as he threw on his uniform and followed Henry to Cabin 312. Inside, the
air was heavy with the metallic scent of blood. A man lay sprawled on the floor, his once crisp white shirt now stained deep red It was Charles Davenport, a wealthy businessman traveling alone. His throat had been slit, and a playing card the Ace of Spades was tucked neatly into his breast pocket
The captain exhaled sharply, his mind
already racing. "Lock down the deck. No one leaves their cabins until we figure out what happened."
The guests awoke to hushed rumors of murder. The ship’s security team combed through Davenport’s belongings, searching for clues. He had received an anonymous note the night before, found crumpled in the wastebasket It read: Your sins will catch up to you. By morning, the captain assembled the ship’s key staff in the main lounge. The passengers were restless, and fear hung thick in the air.
"We are dealing with a murderer on board," Rourke announced gravely. "Until we find out who, no one is safe "
A thorough investigation uncovered a tangled web of secrets. Davenport had been involved in shady business deals, leaving a trail of enemies. Three passengers stood out as prime suspects: Eleanor Blackwood, a mysterious woman who had dined with him the night before; Peter Langley, an exemployee who had been ruined by Davenport’s company; and Victor Moreno, a
professional gambler who had lost a fortune to Davenport in a highstakes poker game just two nights prior. As the day wore on, tensions mounted. That night, another discovery chilled the crew to the bone Eleanor Blackwood was missing. Her cabin was empty, but smeared across her mirror in red lipstick were the words: One down More to go Panic erupted. The ship’s security scoured every inch, but Eleanor was nowhere to be found. Had she been murdered as well, or was she the killer? The next morning, the
answer surfaced literally. Her lifeless body was found floating near the stern, her wrists bound, her lips twisted in a silent scream The killer was growing bolder, and time was running out. Rourke called for an emergency lockdown
Passengers were interrogated one by one As the pieces fell into place, an unsettling realization dawned upon him. The key to the murders lay in the playing card specifically, the Ace of Spades. It was a gambler’s calling card, a message of doom.
Confronting Victor Moreno in the casino, Rourke watched the man ’ s hands tremble as he shuffled a deck of cards
"You thought no one would notice," Rourke said "But you made a mistake. Eleanor found out. And you killed her to keep your secret."
Moreno’s face darkened. "She should’ve stayed out of it " Security restrained him as he lunged, a knife hidden in his sleeve. The ship's passengers erupted in relief as the murderer was finally unmasked.
As the Ocean Majesty continued its voyage, Rourke gazed out at the endless sea. He had seen many dangers in his years at sea, but nothing quite as chilling as the darkness that lurked in the hearts of men The voyage would continue, but for those aboard, the ship would never feel the same again.
HEMISH PATEL
Lena is a curious and brave girl who discovers something hidden deep within the library - something that could change everything. But with secrets come big decisions. Should she uncover the truth, or is it too dangerous?
An Old Book, a New Mystery
Lena traced her fingers along the dusty bookshelf, her heart pounding. The old library smelled of ancient paper and secrets long forgotten. She had always suspected there was more to this place than met the eye. And now, she had proof It had taken weeks of research - whispers of hidden passages, odd symbols in the library’s architecture, and the strange way the head
librarian always avoided this particular corner. But Lena had finally found it. The secret door At first, it looked like just another bookshelf, filled with leather-bound books that hadn’t been touched in decades. But as she pressed her palm against a small engraving of an owl, something clicked. Like clockwork, the shelf groaned and swung inward, revealing a dark passageway. She
took a deep breath. She had come this far. There was no turning back now The air was thick with dust, and dim lighting flickered as if warning her to leave. Rows upon rows of cabinets lined the walls, each labeled with a single word: “Confidential,” “Top Secret,” “Restricted ” These weren’t just old library records. They were something much
bigger. Government secrets. Lena reached for a drawer labeled “Project Eclipse.” Her fingers trembled as she pulled out a thick file The papers inside were filled with blacked-out text, dates, and locations She caught a glimpse of a map with red markings scattered across it. What is this? she whispered to herself. Before she could read further, the sound of footsteps sent a jolt of panic through her. Someone else was here
Quickly, she shoved the file back into the drawer and pressed herself against the shelves. A beam of
light swept across the room as a flashlight clicked on “Who’s there?” a voice called out. Lena held her breath A figure stepped into view Mr Grayson, the head librarian. But something about him was different. The usual kind, bookish expression was gone, replaced by something… calculating. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said, eyes narrowing Lena tried to keep her voice steady. “I just I got lost ” Mr Grayson sighed. “You don’t understand what you ’ ve stumbled upon. ” He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “This library is more
than just books. It holds the truths the world isn’t ready for ” Lena swallowed hard.
“Then why hide them?”
“Because knowledge is power, ” he said simply.
“And power in the wrong hands can destroy everything.”
Lena thought about the documents, the secrecy, the locked drawers. Was keeping these things hidden truly protecting people? Or was it just a way to control them?
She glanced at the door If she ran, would she ever make it out?
Mr. Grayson studied her for a long moment before he spoke again
“This isn’t the end - it’s just where we start.”
He handed her a single, unmarked envelope “If you ’ re brave enough to seek the truth, then you’ll know what to do with this ” Lena hesitated, then took the envelope. It felt heavier than it should have, as if the weight of the world was inside. As she slipped out of the library, she knew one thing for certain Secrets had power And now, she held one in her hands.
