Students at Chatham Grammar School for Girls have been hard at work on their writing and have produced a fantastic anthology of Quest stories. They launched their book on the 14th February to much excitement (and cake) in school. We are very pleased to begin a series on this blog sharing their fantastic stories with you.First up it’s an extract from A Siren’s Secret by Grace.
”SILVIA, SILVIA!” Oh my gosh, will she just give it a break for once! It feels like ever since it happened Mum has been a complete freak mess. I know that I seem to be keeping a secret from you well that is only because I feel that if I tell you then … well I will tell you. I have had a pretty depressing time lately my Dad, the old king of this place, and Lara, my sister, well ok I have kind of got over it so I will put it straight…. exploded!
So right now Mum is calling me because we have a guest. She has been so harsh on me lately so I have given up so I just call my BFF Grace! We arrange to meet up in our hideout which is in Victory Wood. It is basically called that because a load of boring battles were fought there blah blah blah blah. I don’t listen at school and get as good grades as I used to that is another reason why my Mum is so annoyed at me. Anyway I sneak down through the back door and race through Victory Wood. I used to be really freaked out by that place when I was a kid, but now it has almost become my home. Eventually I make my way there and find the door of the shack slightly open, but Grace never usually leaves it open, does she?
I hold the door slightly open and peek my head in. “Hello?” I shiver timidly for all I knew it could be some crazy burglar dude who has stolen all our special friend stuff like photo frames. I then noticed a long wave snake of hair slithering down someone’s back, oh don’t worry it was just her she forgot to close the door. So I say in a pretty angry voice, “what are you doing woman YOU FREAKED THE LIFE OUT OF ME!!”
Then my face breaks into a smile and we fall over in giggles. We share stories from last night and eat, because we have a fridge and a cupboard and just enjoy spending time together. Our shack is like a house really it has a sofa and a table, a fridge and a lot of other stuff you might find at home. There’s a scrap yard just half a mile away where people throw away valuable, useable stuff so we just take it and bring it here. Suddenly my phone buzzes. It’s my Mum.
I pick up. “Silvia where are you?” And then I hang up! “Is everything ok?” Grace questions kindly. I tell her I have to leave so I rush out and run down to the church graveyard because I wanted to see my sister and Dad’s grave I did love them quite a lot! So I go a different route to normal and I go through the grave and across Diamond Beach. Where I spent a lot of time with my family and when Lara and Mum were having boring “Girl Time” I would hang out there with my Dad.
I rushed as quickly as I could to the graveyard because if anyone saw me… I would be dead! I finally got there and took a deep breath. I always found this hard. I stood still letting the wind sweep my long blonde (with blue streaks I had done it just to annoy Mum) hair whip around my pale face. I was huddled up in my sky blue coat wearing black leggings underneath. The sun was slowly setting in the sky like a dramatic ending of a film. It was orange and pink, as I stared at it I glowed with warmth. I loved days like these. I looked over the graves and read the descriptions. Tears swelled in my eyes as I stared down at them. “I miss you so much!” I murmured as hot tears rolled down my cheeks. I looked away to calm myself. Then I see the sea for Diamond Beach. Reminding me that if I had any chance of survival I would have to hurry up.
I laid down the colourful flowers that I had stolen from my Mum’s vase and hurried on along the beach. As I strolled along all I could think about was how much Mum was going to kill me and how much she really hates me. I know I know… parents don’t hate their children,
7
well this one really does! I decided this time to go really close to the edge of the water. I let the water bush up against me. Suddenly my legs snapped together and I couldn’t feel or see them anymore. What was going on? Then I noticed a glimmering golden tail with beautiful silver stars plastered all over it in a wonderful pattern that (not counting the fact that I didn’t know what was going on) made me smile was looking at my tail.. Yes I had a tail! It was just like one of the ones you would find in story books, but well… 100% cooler, so not exactly like the ones in story books! After I had finished gazing at my glorious tail I heard footsteps and cries. I knew exactly who it was. Amelia James. Her daughter goes to Crystal School and she is a reporter. Amelia is tall slim and has beautify golden locks. She looks like a soft person and has an amazing personality, but if she sees something worth reporting she will! Even if it is on the daughter of the queen. Lily is as bad as she is. At school she is such a gossiper and it gets at me so bad. I hate gossip! What was I going to do as soon as she found me I would find myself in a scary science lab! So I slipped into the water just in time to see her sassy reporter boots clamber over the hill of golden san. I was a mermaid!
When I got in the water I managed, somehow, to find my way into an underwater world. I swam into a glorious castle decked with gold. All the guards stared at me as if was a weirdo! Then I made my way into a golden throne room where a woman sat.
“Silvia, I have been expecting you.” I was totally confused.
“Your Mother she is the reason for your family’s death and you, you are banished. For being a siren!”
“What – I’m a Siren?”
