Note from the editor: What follows is a fascinating short story by S2 pupil Penny

The person reading this knows this story well. Not you, of course, I mean the person reading this at the time of its writing.

See once there was a kind young woman. She was the most beautiful in the kingdom and the kindest in the land. She lived with her daughter Marcela, her husband Juan and her stepson.

The woman loved her family dearly but something always concerned her, her stepson. He was an odd boy and seemed to be obsessed with his step-sister, so I hear.

The woman knew she had to do something to protect her daughter, who seemed to already succumbing to her brothers manipulation. So she sat herself and the step-son down to try and talk.

The conversation started as most of their conversations did. Badly. The woman tried to explain to the boy about how strange his obsession with his sister was but he didn’t want to hear it. He got so mad at her that he tried to attack her! He grabbed at her dress and she pushed him into an empty trunk as retaliation. But when his neck fell into the trunk it closed quickly with a SNAP. And…well you could guess what happened.

The woman, so distraught with guilt and sadness, buried the boys corpse beneath the old juniper tree that his true mother planted. After the boy was buried a bird appeared at the tree every day afterwards. It doesn’t speak or move just looks sadly through the kitchen window. Never breaking eye contact with the woman.

…But that isn’t the story, right? This is just what you told them.

The real boy wasn’t pushed into the trunk by accident, the real boy wasn’t buried with his flesh still on his body, the real boy was simply friends with Marcela. But you couldn’t handle that, could you?

Stop lying. I know what you did. Marcela knows what you did. Soon my father and the rest of the town.

Marcela talks to me every day. We have a plan. Of course I’m not going to say it I’m not an idiot but we know what we’re doing.

What I wonder is: why? I never hurt you. I simply existed. I wish I could have had a mother like the one my father told me about.

Maybe you used to be good and nice. Maybe something happened to you. The death of someone you love. A possesion like the stories Marcela told me…I doubt it though.

I’d like to say I’m sorry. But I’m not. And I never will be sorry for what happens to you.

When you go out tomorrow, watch your head.

Yours sincerly,

Nicolàs Romero.

“A Life of Stories”

Chapter 1

Lily was supposed to be normal. She wished she could be. After a long day of normal school the constant reminder that she wasn’t normal hung in the air around her.

She had powers, powers from an ancient line of magic users that the world had barely knew of, of course meaning that she always had to be careful of such a secret. Ever since she was little life just seemed bad for her, her dad and mom had divorced and all they do is argue , her older sister simply ignores her and now she had to go to a school that barely noticed her existence.

So what was Lily Amber going to do? ….

She had to find a way to make her better, through the most powerful magic of all…

Friendship? She didnt have friends, Love? no , didnt have much that.

Storytelling? Definitely, it was her talent and the thing that made her happy,so she was gonna use it in the real world.

Challenges would come, yes, but she was determined to turn her life around. And so, like pokémon, our  journey begins.

“LUI SCARLET GET YOUR LAZY BUTT OUTTA THAT BED RIGHT NOW”,  screamed my sister, Poppy,  right into my left ear. It’s the first day back to school, so Poppy being Poppy expects us to be ready to leave like an hour before school. It means more free time, but it also means getting up way earlier than necessary. “ go away Poppy, no one likes the morning”. “I think that by ‘ everyone’, you mean everyone except you. Everyone else is ready, so just get up already”. “Fine”.

My parents died in a house fire when I was 5, so ever since Poppy has been taking care of us. That is me, Lucas and susie. Lucas and me have been like best friends since ever since we could talk. We’re twins. Susie, the youngest, is still learning how to talk, but I have a feeling her and Poppy will get in just fine.
Once I’m ready to leave, I put on my headphones and the newest album of my favourite band, The Mayhem, and head off for school. First thing I have is music, the only thing I enjoy about school. I’m currently learning the trumpet. Once I sit down, the teacher announces that there are gonna be a few changes in how the class is gonna work. For one, we are getting a new teacher, and I’m not even sure if they are human. His name is Dave, and he looks like the teacher from assassination classroom but with horns and a party hat thing on. Also quite a lot more humanoid and also wearing a navy blue suit. Most of the other kids are complaining at this, but I don’t mind so long as we get the same work as before.”you will also have to attend assembly third period today, as Dave has some things to discuss to you”, the teacher says. Everyone starts asking questions immediately and I fined the noise quite overwhelming, so in go the headphones.

We practice our instruments for the rest of the period, and then Dave comes in right before the bell. The first thought I have is how short he is. He’s gotta be at most 4.6. “Hello class. As you know, my name is Dave, and it is lovely to see you all”. “Bit nice for the first day”, I whisper to Lucas. He giggled a bit but I can tell he’s worried. Dave seems to give off weird vibes. I tell him it’s gonna be fine and he gives me a light smile. But he still looks worried. Honestly so do I.

“The Curse of the Cauldron”

Chapter 1

I stare at my surroundings. Where am I? This place looks nothing like home. Home for me is where the trees grow on lush, green fields and where flowers dance, propelled by a cool summer breeze. That is the place I know and love. This barren grey wasteland is as far away from my home as one could find.

Even I look different here. I catch sight of my reflection in a jagged piece of glass, and discover I barely recognise the person staring at me. I look hollow and tired, a weak shell of who I used to be. I am sure of nothing now. I am not sure of who I can trust. I am not sure how, or why, I am here. I am not sure how to get home.

My final memory of home is the cauldron. There are more stories of the cauldron than I can count. Some say it is a myth, some say it is a blessing and some say it is a curse. The only thing I know for sure is that if the cauldron exists, it is guarded by the oldest woman in the world, the only woman who will live forever. She decides who is worthy of the cauldron’s powers. She has not deemed anyone worthy for over a hundred years. Not until yesterday. Not until me.

I was in the middle of finishing the last page of a book when I was suddenly transported to a huge hollow oak tree. Inside the tree, a warm light glowed, and I found myself being dragged towards it. I was pulled along an intricate winding path to reach the light. I discovered the light was from the cauldron. The cauldron I had scarcely believed existed. The cauldron glowed green as I tiptoed towards it, holding my breath. A voice spouted from it, booming the words I had sensed were coming the past weeks. The words I had dreaded and hoped for at the same time and the words that would determine my whole existence…

Comfort Person by Lucy Kelly

“Shower ” by Lucy Kelly