Young Storykeeper Volume III

144 | STORYKEEPERS VOLUME III AGE TEN | 145
SARAH’S SECRET
One warm evening, Jack and Sarah were playing in
their room when Dad came in.
“Jack, it’s time to go outside, your friends are
waiting to play,” he said.
Sarah looked at Jack and asked him with a
smile on her face, “Jack, can you take a picture of
the sea?”
“Of course I can,” he replied. So Jack and Dad
walked down the stairs of the big, tall lighthouse.
Jack was curious. “Dad, why can’t Sarah go
outside and play with me and our friends?”
Dad looked furious. His face scrunched up in
a frown and his eyes were beady. It made Jack feel
scared. “Jack, don’t ever ask that question again!”
Jack carried on walking outside; he thought it
was best not to ask his any more questions. A warm
breeze blew over the grasses growing by the beach,
making them whistle.
He played with his friends by the rocks near the
lighthouse. There were starfish lying on the beach,
crabs scuttling into their shells, little fish racing round
the rock pools and the sound of dogs barking in the
distance as they paddled in the waves.
Jack forgot about Sarah for a while, but the
wind got a little stronger so he decided to go back
home. When Jack got upstairs to his bedroom, near
the top of the lighthouse, he noticed the window was
open. A rope was hanging from it and SARAH WAS
NOT THERE! He was shocked and afraid for her.
Meanwhile Sarah was on the beach, using
magical powers! Jack could see her from the window.
She was making the wind stronger and the waves
in the sea higher by just blowing on them! Now he
knew what his father had been keeping from him all
these years. Sarah was half human, half fairy.
Suddenly a figure rose out of the water. It was
Jack and Sarah’s mother! She was a sea-fairy. She
looked after all the creatures of the sea. Jack called
out for his dad and they ran out of the lighthouse,
over the rocks and sand, to get to Sarah. Dad had
always known that Sarah was magic, but had been
afraid and embarrassed to tell anyone. Dad was
worried that their mum wanted to take Jack and
Sarah away to live with her. But she didn’t! She just
wanted to visit them.
Their mum said she had to go, as she needed
to take care of all the sea creatures. Everybody was a
little bit sad, but it was ok, as they knew it was where
she belonged.
So Dad promised Sarah she could go outside,
take pictures and play whenever she wanted to, as he
was no longer scared.
And they all lived happily ever after!
Alice Clarke
Co Wicklow
HAUNTED
It was Halloween night in Wexford town.
Everyone had gone home after trick or treating,
but bullies Alex and Senin were out, bullying kids
called Deirdre, David, Anna and Tom, all aged eleven.
The bullies dared them enter Hook Head
Lighthouse, which was over eight hundred years old
and stay there for two hours until midnight. They had
to bring evidence they had been there or else! Fearing
the bullies, the four had no choice to do what they said
or else! They were afraid to think what the ‘or else’
might be.
They planned to meet after nine, making beds to
look like they were asleep under the covers.
Walking uphill, Deirdre asked if the lighthouse
was haunted.
Silence.
Looking up David said, “I thought this place was
abandoned. Why is the light on?”
“Maybe it is just a rumour the lighthouse is
abandoned and a really sweet guy lives there,” said
Deirdre hopefully.
“Love how you are trying to stay positive”, said
Anna. “If we go in there, I might pee myself.”
“Eew!” they said.
Slowly, carefully, pushing against the red door, it
creaked opened. A cat jumped out, scratching Tom.
“Ow!” Tom cried in pain.
“That lighthouse dude must have had that cat a
long time,” said Anna, trying hard not to pee herself
with the fright the cat had given her.
“I don’t like it here,” said Deirdre, looking around.
“Me neither,” said David, shaking.
They were afraid but knew the bullies waited for
them. They slowly linked arms, making their way down
the dark hall. Tom opened a door carefully and shone
his torch inside. It was a broom cupboard.
They hid inside. It was dark, creepy, smelly and
cold inside.
They lasted fifteen minutes. One hour and forty
five minutes were left. Too long to stay in a smelly
broom cupboard. They decided to split up. The girls
climbed the winding staircase , the boys went down a
lower staircase, maybe to a basement.
“Can we can hide somewhere?” said Anna.
“Okay,” said Deirdre, hoping they would not
meet anything frightening.
The boys went down the scariest winding
staircase, which led to a basement smelling of salty
seawater. It was cold, dark, wet, and smelly. They
tried to be brave and laughed.
“This is going to be easy. Wait until we tell
the girls,” they said in unison. They played I Spy,
shining torches but that made everything more scary.
Shadows were everywhere.
They decided to find the girls, not realising that
the girls had the same idea. Footsteps were heard
on the staircases as they bumped into each other,
laughing loudly, happily reunited. Their laughter hid
different sounds.
A black, wet, sharp- toothed creature approached
and devoured them at midnight. Their laughter had
awoken the creature.
The gang were never seen again. Only their
torches and Tom’s hat remained. It is said the sound
of children’s laughter can be heard on Halloween
nights.
The bullies have never been outside on a
Halloween night again.
Alannah White
Co Dublin