The Storyboard

I’m jake and I’ve got a story for you. Once when I was walking along the peaceful shores of Torquay beach with my sister, Laura and mum and dad. As I was walking something broke that homey sort of feeling. A shell, I know that sounds weird and impossible like “oh but shells are so pretty and calm.” But not this one. When I walked over, I lifted it to my ear... Instead of the ocean, I heard, A VOICE. It sounded oddly familiar but distorted. Then I realised the voice wasn’t coming from the shell. “LAURA!” I yelled, rapidly spinning to face her she gave me that stupid grin she gave me every time she pulled a “funny” prank. But it doesn’t end there. Instead of coming home with us Laura got a ride with her friend Mia. Laura is older than me by 5 years, so she gets to do more stuff with her friends. When we got home, I pressed the shell to my ear. “362 autumn street.” Came a voice calling at me. You might think that’s just an address but THAT’S MY ADDRRESS! I pressed it to my ear again “underground” I tried speaking back to it, “what does that mean?” I asked it but no reply came back. About a minute later I gave up all hope on that shell talking to me. It had to be an hour after when I heard a low huuuummm. it was coming from my room. So of course, I went to the sound and there it was the shell, glowing and vibrating to the point that it began to levitate? Then in the blink of an eye it stopped and fell back to my bedside table. “What the...” and then it whispering to me again “underground.” “WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!?!?!?” I screamed, but that brought my parents’ attention to my room. “Jake, why are you yelling?” came my dad’s voice from outside my door. “Nothing.” I replied, “just doing riddles.” And then I remembered... See, my house was built in a war, so we had this bunker sort of thing in our backyard. So, I thought that’s what it meant by underground. So, I went outside into the hot summers day with the sun beating down on my back as I bent down to open the hatch to the bunker. Locked. I tried again, not that it would make any difference. Still locked. I go back to my room and stare at my shell. It hums a bit, so I pick it up and something shiny and silver falls out of it, a key. I grabbed the key and sprinted to the bunker and unlocked it. I heard a deafening screech as I opened the door. One foot in, I paused. What is that? I thought to myself. A massive and I mean MASSIVE, cube like thing then I realised it. Was. a. portal. Then I saw the lever and the shell started floating over to it. I tried to stop it, but I was too late, it had already pulled the lever, and the ground started shaking, knocking me of my feet until... It stopped and a bright purple swirling thing filled up the portal. “Wha—" I was interrupted by an ear piercing “RRRRRROOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRR” That was followed by not 1 not 2 but 8 HUGE tentacles shooting out and I recognized the beast. It was, THE KRAKEN Thank you Jake, age 9 for 'The Shell' your story really kept me on the edge of my seat!

Home alone again, mum working yet another late shift at the hospital to make ends meet. And I was just sitting on my bed reading, I love reading, just escaping to a whole new world, whether it’s a zombie apocalypse or a story about an adventurer, I love reading. Anyways… face buried in the book I heard an unfamiliar ticking tick, tick, tick. So, acting like a dumb horror movie character, I went to investigate the strange noise. And when I saw what was producing the noise my blood turn to ice. A grandfather clock that neither me nor my mum had put there. But this was no ordinary grandfather clock (which are scary enough already) this one had a glowy, bright yellowish gold ring of buzzing electricity. And the pendulum wasn’t a normal one, it was a hand. So, acting like a stupid teenager from a horror movie I inched closer to inspect it further until the point where I could help it and I extended my arm slowly towards it and… CRACKLE! From the ring a column of no doubt lethal electricity shot towards my hand knocking me down ‘putting me to sleep’ in a way I do not recommend to anyone reading this. When I woke something was different, first off, I was at, a bus station? And not only that the cars and people clothes were different. Men were wearing bright pink polos and neon tracksuits. Then I realised… I. WAS. IN. THE. 80’S. chills went down my spine when I started contemplating what might have happened. Had I somehow travelled back in time, or was this just some wacky concussion induced dream from after I most likely hit my head? The questions kept rushing through my brain making me more paranoid, after all getting sent to the 80’s was not on the top of my to do list... But I realised had to stop sitting there and do something about it. I wasn’t sure what, but I still had to do something. So, I decided to walk, but then I stumbled across a shop that seemed unfamiliar, yet so familiar. So I went in to discover products I know for a fact are banned in the present time of my normal life, hubba bubba soda, Mr. t cereal. And more. I had 20 bucks in my pocket that I wasn’t 100% would work because they were the modern dollar but still worth a shot. Long story short my money didn’t work, I am starving and got knocked out by a thug. Definitely not my best visit. But then it came to me, if I got here by touching the clock… maybe, just maybe I could get back the same way… To be continued… This month's winner is 'Keeping Time' written by...Chris P. Bacon ('Chris' I laughed so hard I snorted tea out of my nose!). This story is absolutely fantastically written. I am so impressed 'Chris'. (Don't worry, your secret identity is safe with me!)

The bell rang for lunch as I sprinted to my bag, eager to get my lunch before the rest of the class. I cracked open my lunch box and a smell of curry hit me in the face. “Hey Sheelpa.” Claire mocks. “It’s pronounced Shilpa” I say stretching out the ‘I’ “and that’s not how I talk”. “I don’t care what your name is, I just wanted to say,” she stops mid-sentence and peers into my lunchbox, “Ew, what is that”? Claire said. “It’s just a curry” I mumbled, closing my lunchbox. “Why do you even take that to school, it’s not normal food you know.” She said in her ‘I’m better than you’ voice. I wish I could stand up for myself because then Claires echo as I like to call her, Frankie crept in, looking like she smelt the most disgusting smell- as usual. “What are we talking about?” “Just Shilpa’s gross lunch”. Frankie snatches my lunchbox and opens it. She scrunches her nose up and says “wow, my maid would never let me take something so, so…” “Gross?” Claire finishes “Yeah”. My face goes red when Claire tells me not to tell Ms Wilkins or there will be big trouble. “Oh, and by the way you’re not better than the rest of us because you bring special lunches.” Claire says walking off. “She so annoying” I heard Frankie scoff. As I stand up from my desk I wonder if I should tell on her and risk her bringing more friends to bully me. I sit back down thinking it’s not worth it because in Ms Wilkins eyes Claire is an angel sent down to earth and I’m just an average human being. Besides, last time I complained about Claire being racist she said, ‘we don’t throw around the words discrimination and racism, we call it exclusion and she wouldn’t do that.’. On the bus, a girl in my class, Ava walks up to me. “This seat taken?” I shake my head then I move my bag, and she sits down while saying “Hey, I heard those girls talking to you and I think you should tell Ms W. It’s not fair how they treat you and it’s not the first time they’ve done it, either.” I think back to the comments about my name and my lunch and anger bubbles inside me. I also feel a pang of guilt when I remember not eating my lunch and it just sitting in my bag. Ava looks at me for a while, waiting for an answer. “Yeah, well it’s not the first time I’ve told on them, but Ms W did nothing about it” she looks shocked but doesn’t say anything- for about three seconds. “So” she pauses. “Would you like to come over to my house one day? School holidays are tomorrow.” My face lights up. “I’d love that. You’re the first friend I’ve made since moving. Thanks” I feel my face going red. Why did I have to sound so eager? I’ve probably scared her off now, great going Shilpa. “Great” she says “here’s my phone number, text me when you can” she hands me a sticky note neatly folded and I place it in my bag. I eventually get to my house. “Bye Shil.” Ava yells sticking her head out the window. I give her a little wave and shrug my bag onto my shoulder. I open the door and put my bag down on my bedroom floor. A smell of incense wafts through the house. “Namaste mama” I yell down the hallway. “Namaste Bittu, I’m in the living room” I love the nickname, Bittu. It means little one, tiny one or cute one. In the living room there is a fort of pillows and inside is my mum, doing yoga. She jumps when she sees me towing over Mount Pillow and asked me how school was. “It was ok” I reply, “And how was lunch?” my heart drops when I remember her exited face as she passed me my lunch this morning. “Yeah, it was delicious, thanks mama.” I go to my room and check my phone, then I put in Ava’s number. Hey this is Shil. oh, hey Shil!! Ava here if u didn’t already know lol Lol so, when do you wanna hang out, im free anyday. I don’t mind im free as well lol K well I gtg but how about tomorrow? first day of the holidays. be at my place at 11 if that works 4 u. heres my address___________ __ byeee! Yep, im free ok byee! I race down the hall calling for mum. “Mama, Mama!” I yell. I peek into Mount pillow again and realise she’s sleeping. “Oh sorry.” I whisper, putting a blanket over her. “BOO!” she yells at me launching her arms around me. “Aww my sweet little Bittu, looking out for her mama.” She says in a baby voice. I scoff. “Anyways” I say sitting up. “This girl named Ava wants to hang out with me tomorrow, that ok with you?” she nods. “Thanks mama.” I say kissing her forehead. After watching an episode of Cake, Cake, Cake with mum, I go to bed. I look forward to not having to wake up early tomorrow, so I turn my alarm off. That was a mistake. Three loud knocks on my door, then two more. “Bittu. Wake up its twenty past ten! Shilpa!” I jolt up like in those movies where a cartoon character gets a nightmare. “Twenty past?” I yell. “I’m going to be late!” I put on my favourite t-shirt, my converse and some ripped cargo jeans. “Mama, I’m going to Avas house now!” I yell. “Come back before dinner.” I don’t bother riding my bike since Ava doesn’t live too far away. But then my overthinker-ness kicks in. What if she wants to go for a bike ride? What if its dark when I get back and not safe to walk home? So, then I turned back and got my bike from out front. I peddled as fast I could and when I got there, I checked and made sure it was the right address, and to text my mum I got there safe. Before I could even knock on the door, it bursted open. “Hi!” Ava yelled wrapping me in a hug. “Hi!” I yell back with a genuine smile. “Love the outfit. Come in, come in.” “Erm my mum made these for your mum there Gulab Jamun. They are suuuper sweet and sticky like sponge dough balls dipped in syrup. They are amazing.” “Mums at work but she’ll be back in a few hours. Just pop ‘em in the fridge please.” We sit down on her bed and gossip for a little bit when she brings up Claire and Frankie. “Oh yeah. they just make snarky, racist comments about me, my food the way I talk and even dress sometimes.” “That’s horrible. And it’s even worse because they get away with it too. We should tell the principle and get them expelled!” she says holding up her fist and talking like a wizard. “Anyways we could go to the shops if you like, not to buy groceries but to Westfield or something.” “Sure” I say. “But first… DANCE PARTY!” she presses play on her speaker and we dance wildly but abruptly stop when we hear a voice yell. “Ava, open the door!” “Coming mum” she replies. I have a moment to myself and think about me not having a friend like Ava since my last school. I’ve barely spoken to her except from yesterday, but we just clicked. Ava comes back into her room holding a helmet. “I’ve got a spare bike if you need- oh I forgot you brought yours” she says slapping her forehead. We started to crack up laughing and when Ava’s mum, Stevie came in she saw us on the ground hardly breathing with red faces and clutching our stomachs. “Ok well girls when your done with whatever this is” she says looking at us curiously us, still on the ground. “Just text me when you get there alright?” she says chuckling. Me and Ava let out a small ‘yep’ then yelled out jinx and started laughing again. Once we finished our laugh attack, we jumped on our bikes and cycled along the narrow path to the shops. “Why did the cookie go to the doctor?” Ava said. “I don’t know, why did the cookie go to the doctor?” “Because it was feeling very crummy!” “That is the worst joke I’ve ever heard” I said laughing. When we get there the first shop, we see is K-Mart, and we shoot each other a look. I drag ava over to the party section and start putting on those big, coloured sunglasses and saying stuff like ‘ooh try these ones on, they really sculpt your face, really enhancing your cheekbones’ after out third laugh attack in three hours, we see Claire and Frankie wearing cakey makeup, ugly, fancy clothes and the snootiest, I’m better than you laugh. Then they see us, still wheezing and wearing the fake glasses. Claire pulls out her phone and starts recording us. “And here she is in her natural habitat, ‘Sheelpa’ the monkey.” “Looks like she just rolled out of bed” Frankie scoffs “And why do they laugh like that? Its sooo obnoxious.” I motion Ava to come with me and as Claire walks past, I can tell she expects me to react but instead I say to Ava “You know, two days ago that would’ve really bothered me, but now you’ve shown me what real friendship is and it’s not,” I wave my hands over Claire and her minion and say “real friendship, it’s not that, it’s this” I say pointing to us. Thank you, Grace age 11, for writing "The Day My Life Changed." I really enjoyed it Your story is inspiring and well-written. Great job!

One night I was in bed but I wasn’t sleepy. I looked out my window and saw a green light. Then ZOOM!!!!!!! a spaceship landed in my backyard! I ran outside in my pj’s. The spaceship was big and round with blue lights. A door opened and three aliens came out. They were small with big eyes and purple skin. One waved and said "Blorp bloop?" I waved back. "Hi! I’m Tommy!"I say. The little alien pressed a button on his arm. "Hello, Tommy! We are the Zibzabs!" "Wow!" I said "Where are you from?" I ask "Planet Giggle! Everything is funny there! Even the trees tell jokes!" They showed me their spaceship. It had lots of buttons and a chair that spun in circles. I spun and spun until I got dizzy. The aliens laughed and laughed. "Want pancakes?" one asked. He pressed a button, and a robot made pancakes with smiley faces. I ate one. It tasted like strawberries!!!! "YUM!" I said. The Zibzabs had to go home but they gave me a glowing rock. "This is a Giggle Stone," one said. "If you're sad, hold it, and it will make you laugh!" I held it and I started giggling!!! The aliens giggled too. Then they got in their spaceship."Goodbye, Tommy!" they said. The spaceship went WHOOSH!!! into the sky. I went back to bed holding my Giggle Stone. Maybe one day I will visit Planet Giggle! Thank you to Molly for my favourite story this month. I knew when I saw the title I would love this one! Planet Giggle, I just knew this story was going to be so much fun (and it was!).