This term, our Year 8 students have been studying the topic ‘Out of this World’! This unit of work has taken them on a multi-genre journey from the dark world of dystopian fiction, through the starry skies of science-fiction, and now through the wardrobe into fantasy fiction (and Narnia!).
Recently, our classes have been working on creating their own pieces of creative writing, inspired by the texts they have been studying below in class.
Please enjoy reading this small selection of work by our creative and imaginative students:
A Dystopian Planet – Descriptive Writing
Shattered remains of an attempt of civilisation surround me. A constant reminder that we – the last survivors left on this horror of a place – have no hope of recreating what was once here. We are just a world left behind, an irrelevant waste of supplies in this void of darkness that surrounds us.
The sun’s blazing heat reflects against the last remains of glass, sending rays of light into the abyss. The torn down buildings, once grand visions of the future, cast shadows as da rans hopeless as our suture days to come.
Inside our last place of sanctuary, we are imprisoned, isolated in our own chambers. Rarely ever seeing any other form of life. Our population decreases rapidly each day, just like the starts we see burning into flames out in the void of the cosmos.
Anya L
Tangler
As you enter the abyss, you get swallowed by the unknown void of the cosmos. Once you enter, there is no escape; you get silenced forever. You get trapped. There is nothing past the abyss, but the deafening silence of space, and a settlement. It’s unusual and is in the shape of a sphere (which is the only normal thing about it). When you look at it, your last hopes and dreams get destroyed. Rocks plummet down, breaking off the planet and eventually crash on the earth. Its tangled looking shape soaks up all light and happiness.
It used to be along, straight path of rock (which floated round the atmosphere, however, after many years of research, we have discovered that over time, the straight rock has bent and squished itself into a tangled spherical shape. We have named it the Tangler. On it, it’s like a maze, but not a fun maze you may do for entertainment, if you can’t make your way out into the open, your life will be ended! You will be dead! When you fall through a gap in between the deadly paths, you will end up in the centre of planted Tangler. We don’t know what happens there. We have never seen anyone since they fell. Anyone.
Aliens. We have seen them a few times too. They are slimy, purple creatures, or should I say beasts? They leave a slimy trail wherever they do, but no-one has ever touched them, we believe they are cursed. The starts around the planet have lost their shimmer. They’re just full dots waiting to be revived – not like that will ever happen. The ground is dimly lit, by the two suns, submerged by death and smoke. Fear that this trap will take over the world isn’t unusual. It gets larger by around a meter each year, to drown life.
Never enter an abyss, now you know why. You will discover nothing more than a once in a lifetime experience: death.
Jenya Z
Science-Fiction Narrative Writing
22nd May 2022. It was the day my parents flight vanished. No one knew how it happened. With them, 200 other passengers were gone. It was a mystery. Were they dead? Were they alive? We never knew. We had to wait for the investigations to tell us.
This was my parent’s vacation. Me and my brothers all forced them, as we felt they needed it more than we did. Reluctantly, they agreed. They set off on the morning of the 22nd of May at 8:10 am. Everything went well, or so we thought. At exactly 9:30 am, we received a call from the airline, Auroair 505, confronting us with the news about our parent’s disappearance. We were baffled. How did this happen? What caused this?
Finally, after 10 years, the lead investigator called us up, asking one of us to risk our life and take a journey to Jupiter. Apparently, they had a suspicion that the plane that disappeared had been dropped somehow on the grounds of Jupiter, with layers of strata bordering the tops. Both of my brothers were scared, so I had to say “yes!”.
I spent months training, physically and mentally, for this mission. I was working very closely with some fellow scientists and a team of engineers to construct a spacecraft, capable of withstanding the conditions of Jupiter. We had to keep our main focus on the planet’s intense gravity, radiation, and the harsh environment awaiting us. It was extremely complicated and difficult, but I was determined to unlock the truths of the plane’s disappearance and find my parents.
Eventually, the day arrived. I was ready to embark on my historical journey. As I boarded the spacecraft, I couldn’t help but feel excitement gushing through my veins. However, I did feel a sense of anxiety. This mission was live on TV, meaning that the whole world was watching and the weight of my parent’s disappearance rested on my shoulders. Even through it was risky, I had to do it.
After tiring days and nights, I finally reached Jupiter. With the help of modern technology, it only took me 7 months. Usually, it would have taken at least 6 and a half years. Wow! I faced many challenges in this journey: from navigating through asteroid belts, to travelling through the jet-black skies of space. But, the commitment I had and support from my brother’s encouraged me to keep going.
I was prepared to face anything.
Sahasra V
Miss Starkie
English Department
