27 July 2022, Week 1: Where to?

Lightning Storm is an always smiling six year old girl with a shaky tooth. She has smooth black hair with a fringe covering her forehead. She wears a dress with lots of pockets and an electric arm with pockets on the side of both her knees that catches anything she may drop. She wears a hat with a torch and can see behind her. It has a magical ballon connected to the top of her hat ( but it can't fly off). The magical balloon looks like a regular ballon with spiky feathery wings and takes the weight of the person away from the body so that she can fly. She wants to be the first six year old to have travelled around Australia all by herself. She has a Boston terrier called Calculus, who is the best dog on earth and loved playing board games and puzzles with Lightning Storm. To go on her trip, Lightning Storm has packed her bag with games like puzzles, sticker books and board games like Sushi Go. The bag also has a little fridge that is big when you open it and has lots of goodies likes Sushi.

Sunny was looking for bamboo sticks to get the pandas to come out. An old man caught Sunny’s attention by shouting “I can tell you a secret if you give me anything that is important”. Sunny was surprised when the old man asked her the question. She pulls out the contents from her pouch “u”. “Pouch “u” was where she kept her rare Brazilian red slug because poiser makers usually liked them. She also took out her russsian blue tulip plant from her pouch 7.8 and she placed them on the little table she carried. The old man looked at the portable tulip and the slug and sand. “Do you have any bamboo?” she said yes but it is very old and she took it out from her back pack T1 and he said, “That is enough – I will tell you the secret; I am called the travelling trades man and I will give you a map. Just follow it and it will take you to a magical place. At that moment her animals came over to her. Her wandering albatross bonked her on the head with a bag. She said “Ow”. She has a worm for the paragon falcon but she dropped it when the albatross bonked her. The travelling tradesman gave her the map and said “Good Bye” and I will see you in six months, just wait at Falcon’s lake shown in the map”. He went away. Sunny moved around in a foldable boat that she packs away in her T7 backpack.

Mac Galbakkii, the world’s most daring and courageous 11-year-old explorer ventured off to the edge of what was known. Beyond uncharted mountains and across a thousand rivers, he trekked across the land… “Mac Galbakkii!” screams Mum from the other half of the house, cutting short my daring narrative. “You’d better be in the shower already!!” “Yes, Mum!” I say, sarcastically. I get undressed and hop into the shower. As I do, I wonder why Mum just can’t appreciate that I want to be an explorer, not some famous rockstar. Wait just a minute! I’ve just had an idea! But I’m gonna need the help of my li’l bro, Stevie. ……… I exit the bathroom dramatically in a cloud of steam. I pretend I’m a real-life explorer, narrowly escaping the deadly Yetis of the Icy Mountains. I head to my room and get dressed and then knock on my 9 year-old brother Stevie’s bedroom door. I open the pure white door and Aretha Franklin’s ‘Respect’ reaches my eardrums. “Hey, Stevie!” I yell over the blaring soul music. Stevie presses pause. “Yeah?” “Ya wanna go exploring the unknown?” I ask. “Like, yeah!” he says. “Although I don’t think Mum’ll let us go.” “Ha! Don’t you worry Steve! You just start packing your bags! We leave in 2 weeks!” “Sure! Can Cornelius come?” (Cornelius is our cat). “You bet! You know what they say...the more the merrier!” And with that, I exit Stevie’s room. “Hey Mum!” I say, entering the kitchen. Mum’s busy cooking bacon and eggs for brekkie. “Yes darrrrrrling?” she says without looking up. “Uh, music camp’s in two weeks, and what’s more – it’s only 50 bucks!” I say. “Music camp? With Ms. Jones?” she replies. “Yeah, the money’s due in on the 22nd, the day before we leave.” “Sure! I’ll pay tomorrow sweetie pie!” “Thanks!” I exit the room, feeling bad about lying to Mum, but feeling sort of excited at the same time. *** 2 weeks later *** Our bags have been packed. Mum’s wasted $50 and Cornelius is tagging along, feeling just as excited as we are. I’ve packed a cassette player, a photo of our family, a map, water, tools, BOOKS, and everything else we need to survive. All Stevie’s bringing is his teddy bear – Coco – and …FOOOOOOD!!! “Ready?” I ask Stevie. “Ready!” he says. And with that, we’re off!

Warning: Fantasy Alcohol, Drunkeness “Oh, come oooon, let’s ask,” a voice said, piercing through the fog of Voyage’s brain like sunshine through thick clouds. “Are you sure we should?” another answered, skeptical. “We need a spellcaster,” a deep, gravelly voice argued, “And it’s not every day you find a whole adventuring party in a single tavern,” “If you’re sure,” the second voice sighed. Voyage’s tankard was slammed onto the table by a small, tanned hand and they shot up in their seat. “I’MSORRYIDIDN’TMEANTOTAKeyour- oh,” Voyage blinked and rubbed their eyes. In front of them were four humanoids who looked the adventuring sort. A halfling in a peacock blue tunic with little multicoloured pockets sewn onto it wherever there was room was holding the handle of Voyage’s tankard. They were smiling, pleased, so Voyage assumed that they were the one who woke them up. A half-orc with the greyish skin of their non-human parent towered behind the halfling. They wore a pale dress embroidered with fruit and a green shawl over their shoulders. An elf in a fine purple vest and leggings was idly tightening the bandages around their wrists. Voyage couldn’t see any blood, so they assumed the bandages were to prevent injury rather than to heal it. The last humanoid towered above the rest, even the half-orc. Their skin was covered by gleaming scales. Each one looked like it was polished by hand until they shone and shimmered in the sun. The flickering firelight danced across them. Voyage was so mesmerised by them that they almost didn’t hear the dragonborn speak. “We are on a quest to explore the Cloudcry Rainforest. Would you like to accompany us?” they asked, tilting their head to the side. “What do I get?” Voyage quirked an eyebrow. “One fifth of any treasure we find,” they answered, “and the experience of this adventure,” Voyage nodded, biting their lip in thought. “There’s just one thing…” Voyage said, “Why do you want me on this adventure? How do I know you didn’t just go up to the first drunk dwarf you could find and trick them into an ambush?” “You’re paranoid,” the dragonborn observed. Voyage shrugged. “It’s the kind of thing I’d do,” “How about this,” the halfling butted in, “Let’s wait until midday to make a decision. You can go, sober up and think about it and we can pack and make arrangements or something. We’ll meet back here after,” Voyage nodded, then frowned. “Midday tomorrow?” “Midday today…?” the halfling mirrored their expression. “But it’s-” Voyage looked out the window, “MORADIN’S INEXPRESSIBLES! It’s morning already!?” Voyage stumbled off their chair and started shoving everything into their bag with shaking hands that they glared at, futilely commanding them to be still. Then they stopped and looked up. “Why me?” they asked again. “We could do with another spellcaster,” the dragonborn explained. “How’d you know that I…?” “Your Arcane Focus is sticking out of your pocket,” they nodded at it. Voyage attempted to subtly nudge their crystal back in. The adventurers kindly didn’t mention the weird spasm the movement turned into. “We’ll leave you be for now,” the halfling grinned, “See you at midday!” The adventurers left Voyage to grumble at their bag underneath the table. They scooped up Kindling the stick insect and put him on their shoulder. Kindling brushed Voyage’s neck soothingly with his antennae as they yawned and got up. { I passed out because I drank too much Silver’s Ale. Have you ever done that, Feelia? Drank till you dropped? Maybe if you stayed on the Material Plane as a humanoid more often you would’ve. I was woken up by a bunch of adventurers who wanted me to explore the Cloudcry Rainforest with them. I have until midday to decide whether to go or not. Is that even a decision? I’d worry that the ale is stopping me from thinking properly, but my hands are steady enough to write and I’m pretty sure I’d choose to go anyway. I’ve got my questing pack and daggers, so I’m prepared. If I need to eat I’m sure I can scrounge something. You can thank Kindling for getting me away from town. I probably would’ve stumbled into a thieves’ den and you would’ve lost your favourite disciple. For that, I’ve decided not to burn him this week. Until I write again! All the best, Voyage }

For the third time that evening, Avril Rosseau rechecked her suitcase. The navy, wheeled contraption had three large, zippered pockets, and every one was kept as controlled and tidy as her well-organised mind. In the first pocket were her clothes - thick and warm to protect from the extreme cold, and with fluorescent or reflective stripes in case of an avalanche, snowstorm or other disaster. The second pocket contained an eclectic combination of a small two-person tent, a sleeping bag, a lantern, a torch, two spare batteries (they both used AA, which wasn’t a coincidence), and various other useful items - like night-vision goggles and other utilities. The third pocket… well, hopefully she would never need to use what was in the third pocket. Was Avril an overpacker? You could say that. Sighing, she left her preparations and went to ensure that the rest of the household were packed. Properly packed. She couldn’t trust them not to leave something behind. And you never knew when that something could be crucial. “Maurice!” Avril called as she walked down the hallway to his room, “I’m just going to check what Maman has packed for you.” “M’kay Avi,” he murmured, in the process of stuffing yet another teddy bear into his bag. The rest of his preparations she deemed “good enough,” the same as their parents’. She wrote an inventory of their packings in her journal, before finishing with the worry that had been plaguing her all day. Cher journal intime, There are twenty-four avalanche-related fatalities in the Alps every year. And we will be there all the way from France to Switzerland. Will my family be some of that number? She paused, then made up her mind. No, she wrote. Because I won’t let them.

Into the wilderness There is a land known as Tropicana. It has beautiful fauna and breath-taking sights but it is also dangerous. Untold dangers lurk at every corner. Until, Queen Eugenie Kingston of Tropicana banished them to the wilderness and ordered a wall of immense power and height to be built. But what if Tropicana could live in a different way? To live with the beasts in harmony and peace than fear them? Charlotte Elizabeth Smith closed the book and warmed her hands against a dancing fire. She sighed deeply and watched the glowing embers. Her black hair swayed gently. She watched the endless scene of mountains. They had made it past the wall and had trekked 6km north. The bitter North wind slapped her face. Her friend Elian Iwadael Tyak was setting up camp and his falcon was dutifully guarding them. She felt fur underneath her tired feet. It was Stormeye, her loyal snow cat. She was a large cat with fur like snow leopard ones. There was something wrong. Charlotte's grandma had given them a locket. Will there be a time she’ll need it?

White. White, and More White. The sky was laced with white the mountains blanketed in white and the floor, white. She was lost. Never to be seen again by a living human, Kitty ventured into the white wonderland spread out for miles around her. Her cheeks grew red with cold and she regretted ever wishing for adventure. And then and there, Kitty crumpled down towards the snow and spoke her last words, “Why?” * * * * * * I’ve begun with the end, so you are prepared for what will happen. You see, I want you to know what happened to dear Katherine Whittle, or Kitty as everyone called her, before the end of this story. The reason why, because I want you to read what I’ve written, what I, the person who told Kitty to venture into that white wonderland and followed her in the shape of a bat, a bat she called Bee. I will now start from the beginning from where Kitty lived in an Orphanage just across the road from where I was a young witch named Olive. * * * * * * From the journal of Kitty Whittle: 2nd of August, 1979 I woke this morning thinking that Papa and Mama would be waiting for me in the kitchen with a wonderful home baked breakfast already made, on the table for me to eat. But instead I was in the orphanage dormitory, with no Mama and Papa. I went down to the orphanage dining room where a frowning cook poured me lumpy grey porridge. After breakfast I tried to make friends with the other orphans. But all of them wanted nothing to do with me. So I decided to go exploring. I tied my rust-coloured hair into a plait, it wasn’t a good plait, as Mama used to do my hair in the mornings. Then I left and walked across the street, that’s when I saw a big grey wooden house. It looked abandoned so I slipped through the front door. But after a few minutes I realised the house wasn’t abandoned and a girl lived there. I avoided all contact with her grey eyes and I left the house as soon as possible. That was why I left, but tomorrow I will come back. And I will find out who that girl is and who her family are. 16th of August, 1979 The girl is a witch, and she asked me to go on an adventure for her, I obviously said “YES!!!”. I would do anything to get away from the orphanage, literally anything. I have just packed my bag full of clothes, books and Mama’s photo album. I am sooo excited!!!!!!!! The witch girl says that I will have a bat companion coming with me. * * * * * * She was such a kind girl, Kitty, I wish she’d stayed around for longer. And I feel that I should’ve gone with my original plan. The plan where I went on the adventure. The plan where I would perish and Kitty would survive. But, even with all my magic, I can’t turn time.

Task 1: Alexandra could hear her heart racing. Excitement coursing through her veins. Her clothes had been taken to the boat but she was not going to wear a tunic and have her hair prettily braided. No, this was an expedition! This was a new beginning. She was going to Egypt; she would no longer be ruled by Julias Cesar. Alexadra crept into her brother Lucius' room; his old tunics were in there and they fit her perfectly. Alexandra crept past the moonlit pond. She stared at her pale white long tunic and a pale blue cloth over it, it was embedded with jewels. Her hair, dressed in plaits and curls with flowers sprinkled all over them. It sickened her, this look. It was dangerous for a woman to be loud and bossy and Alexadra knew that, but this was her expedition no one else’s! Alexandra was bossy, she was loud and she was proud. Her hate for the boundaries for women was vicious, but not as vicious as her hate of tunics, hair and so on. Alexandra had hand-packed her own clothes, no servants allowed, tucking in a dagger and a scroll, which the servants would never have packed. Rome was once beautiful but now it was nothing but dangerous for those against Julius Cesar. Alexandra walked through the humongous villa, her plaited hair swaying. She walked with pride. Diary entry: 1 day left We have only one day left until our boat leaves. Papa says this is a scary experience but I disagree. This is an expedition, we are looking for a place in Egypt. This is our goal, but the hardships on the way is what makes it truly an expedition. Diana is going to be foolish enough to wear her long dress tunic on ship!! But I shall wear a man’s tunic. It will be much easier to move on the ship. Marcus, Leo and Lucius will all laugh and Papa and Mama wil scowl but there is nothing they can do when we are set sail and my tunics are supposedly missing! I do hope that this expedition does go forward because the dangers of the sea are nothing compared to our ruler. Alexandra Bonus: “Jewel” Alexadra yelled, “you're such a frighty cat, it;s just water”. Nothing compared to Julius Cesar. Paws padded the tiles and a growl erupted. Alexadra rolled her eyes. “For an exotic pet you're quite dainty”. A large leopard with emerald green eyes stared at her. Alexandra wrapped her arms around her neck. It was soft, her pale yellow fur and black swirls were beautiful. “Thanks for coming, girl” she whispered. Then with one swift movement Alexandra wrapped a rope around her neck tying it not too tightly. “Sorry Jewels Papa won't let you on the boat unbounded. Between you and me I’m certainly untying you!’ “Alexandra, hurry, Papa needs us!” Diana sweetly called. Always trying to be perfect, Alexandra’s thoughts muttered. “Come on Jewel, I hear the boat will have your favorite meat!” With that the pair strode after Diana.

Breeze’s Quest Breeze stared up into the sky, her ashy blonde hair blowing in the wind. Her eyes were wide with curiosity, the full moon glowing brightly behind her. She let out a wistful sigh and floated deeper into dreamland. “Breeze! Dinner!” The loud call broke her train of thought. Blinking fast in shock, the girl strode back out of the woods into her house. “How long were you back, Ma?” she asked as she entered. “At least forty minutes,” the elder woman replied, setting a clay bowl of lentil soup in front of Breeze. “I tried calling you, but you were in too much of a daze.” Breeze giggled bashfully. All her life she had been called “a dreamer” by everyone in her village, and it was true. A dusky brown barn owl came swooping in through the open window, and landed on a perch near the table. “Welcome home, Lyre.” Breeze greeted the fowl, stroking her speckled feathers. Lyre chirped happily and began gnawing on the raw mouse meat that was placed in front of her. Just as the maker of the meal sat down, a knock on the door interrupted her. She rose to her feet and opened it. “Good evening, Myrrh,” said a stout man in a silk scarf. “Thank you again for your delightful catering at my daughter’s wedding.” “It’s my pleasure,” Myrrh replied politely. “I have just come to inform you that a new shipment of plantains has arrived at my shop. They are in high demand, so I thought I’d let you know if you wanted to purchase some.” “Ah, yes. Thank you, Basil. I’ll have a look in the morning.” smiled Myrrh. The woman sat back down at the table to accompany Breeze and Lyre. They ate in silence for a few minutes. “Find anything interesting today, honey?” she asked with a tired smile. Breeze laughed softly and swirled her spoon around in her soup. “You always ask me that,” she said, “but nothing ever happens around here, you know? Why is it like that?” She fiddled with the pendant around her neck, waiting for a reply. Myrrh ran her hand over her scalp, too exhausted to answer deep questions. “It’s a tiny village,” she shrugged. “And honestly, there are a lot of old farts living in these parts who want a simple life with no drama.” Breeze scoffed at this. Lyre let out an exasperated twitter, echoing the girl’s annoyance. Breeze said nothing more, and continued mindlessly eating her dinner. *** “Breeze! Look a’ this!” called a voice. Breeze whipped around, her silky hair swishing behind her. There stood Clover Toad, his round cheeks flushed with joy. “It’s my brilliant creation!” he exclaimed. His plump mother waddled up next to him, with a wide smile. “I’m so proud of my genius boy!” she gushed. “Can you believe that he’s only eleven and already making such masterpieces?” She placed a chubby hand on her son’s shoulder. They both grinned broadly, their walnut-hued eyes shining in synchrony. Breeze stared at them in jealousy. She knew that Myrrh was not her birth mother; her fair sandy locks were nothing like her ma’s thick, ebony head of hair, their skin several shades apart, and their eyes both enticing yet very different. When she had been handed into Myrrh’s custody, no-one had mentioned anything about the child’s past. Breeze wondered if her real parents were out there, if they were even alive. She barely noticed Clover showing her the scales he’d built, her head whirling with thoughts. Breeze gazed off far into the horizon, agony written on her face. She felt a soft brush of wings as Lyre landed on her shoulder. The fowl crooned comfortingly at the girl’s ear. “Hey, beautiful.” sighed Breeze, instantly comforted by her companion’s presence. She pulled a lizard’s tail out of her satchel and gave it to Lyre. She gobbled it up gratefully. “I wish I knew who my real parents were,” Breeze said sadly, holding her pendant in her hands. It was the only thing that remained of her past. Then she laughed at herself, running her fingers over the delicate rose quartz wrapped in shining silver. “It’s not like you would know. You aren’t any less of a mystery than me.” It was true, the origin of her feathered friend was unknown, but the second they had met they knew that they would be best friends. Breeze pulled her journal out from her satchel and began to write in it: Dear Journal, Why don’t I know my parents? Where do they live? Are they dead? I love Myrrh but she’ll never be the same as my real ma and pa. And besides, I… She stopped and shook her head. She could write a thousand words and still the dull ache in her heart would continue to bother her. A tear slipped out of her eye. “Come on Lyre,” she said, her voice full of determination. “We can’t stick around. I need to know who I really am.” Lyre chirped in question. Without saying a word more, the girl marched into her house, thankful that her ma wasn’t there. She tucked a few jars of preserves into her satchel, and picked up a cotton dress and rabbit-skin coat from her wardrobe. As she did this, she spotted a clay ocarina lying on her bedside table. Even though it wasn’t essential, Breeze loved music and couldn’t help but pack it in her satchel with the rest of her supplies. Lyre flew off Breeze’s shoulder, her wings beating silently. She returned moments later with a small machete between her talons. “Ah-ha!” Breeze cried triumphantly, taking the machete and tucking it in her bag. “Thanks, Lyre. That’ll come in handy.” She looked around, making sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. “Okay,” she breathed, clutching her pendant. “Let’s head off.” Her boots pounding on the hard ground, Breeze ran and ran until she passed the village borders, adventuring into the unknown.

This is the full writing piece; I cut it short earlier. I opened my eyes. My heart was pounding so loudly that even Jackson could hear it. I was 17 years old and in high school. My class had been offered the opportunity to go hiking, which, for me, was one hour of torture. I had already embarrassed myself twice, once when I’d tripped on a tree stump and sprawled awkwardly on the ground and second when Mrs Baron had to lift me off a highrock because I was too scared to jump. Halfway through, I was so exhausted I had to ask Mrs Baron if I could lie down. She told Jackson to stay with me. But she’d forgotten to pick us. Are you alright?" he asked, startling me slightly. "Where's Mrs Baron and the rest of the class?"I asked, feeling nauseated at the thought of being lost. Jackson hesitated for a moment and then his face was streaked with fear. He finally realized our situation. "I...I...I don't know." I think we might be... I mean I don't know..." 'Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it!' I thought to myself. "...lost." He said it. All of a sudden I felt dizzy. And then I was on the ground with Jackson shaking me awake. "Gemma! Wake up!" he said, sounding hysterical. I didn't blame him. Getting lost in the woods is bad enough with someone, but alone? I shuddered at the thought. "It's OK, I'm awake." I told him. "Ok so what do you have in the backpack Gemma? I've got a water bottle, some snacks, sunscreen, a hat and a first aid kit." he spoke quickly, as though we were running out of time, which we probably were. "I've basically got the same stuff along with...a...hedgehog." I said 'hedgehog' quietly hoping he wouldn't notice. He noticed. "Lemme get this straight, you brought a hedgehog? Why?!" asked Jackson, clearly surprised. I found Cactus, my hedgehog, scared and alone in the middle of the road so I took care of her and she’s been my pet ever since. My parents never knew how to take care of her but I know what she needs. “Well… she’s kinda like my pet and I’m the only one who knows what she needs and since, well since Mrs Baron didn’t allow pets to come on an hour long hike, I sorta had to sneak her in. ” I bit my lip waiting for him to stare at me like I was a weirdo for bringing my pet hedgehog on an hour long hiking trip. But instead, he roared with laughter, shaking the entire forest. “And how exactly do you take care of her? In the middle of nowhere?” he managed to choke out, between gasps. “Well…” I began. I knew that I would have to speak soon. Jackson was not a very patient person. “I sorta poured soapy water into my water bottle and I pour it on the ground so the worms come out. They hate soapy water. Then I have to pick out the worms and Cactus eat’s them. Yeah I know what you’re thinking. Weird, right?” I asked, looking at the floor, so as not to meet his eyes. I could tell he was deeply amused. “That explains why you never drink water.” He muttered under his breath. “Tell me this, why do you sneeze so much? I mean, you don’t look sick.” he asked, curious now. “Oh.. about that, I’m not actually sneezing. That’s just Cactus, she makes a weird noise when she’s angry; she doesn’t like the dark.” He chuckled quietly and then his face became serious. “It’s almost dark; we won’t have time to go on further. I think we need to start making a shelter.” he said, then his hand locked around my waist and pulled me while walking deeper into the forest. ”C’mon, I need to show you something.” I would never have imagined enjoying being dragged through the forest, but with Jackson I had a strange feeling, almost pleasure,

Fred rushed around to an old shack surrounded by trees. He walked in. Small bones lined the ground. ‘Harrier,’ Fred called softly. An answering shriek cut through the air like a knife, and a golden-brown blur raced past him, and alighted on a branch in an old oak. It was a hawk. His wings stretched out he looked a magnificent sight. He was tall and menacing, and his beak was curved and deadly. His talons gripped the branch with a death grip, and were as sharp as knifes. And in Fred’s mind, he was the most beautiful hawk he’d ever seen. Harrier hopped down to Fred’s shoulder, gripping on just enough so he wouldn’t fall off. Fred had met Harrier one day, because a lightning bolt had struck a tree where a nest of hawks was. Everyone had died, except Harrier. Later on, Fred went to see what the tree looked like, seen Harrier, and fed it small pieces of rabbit and mouse. From then on, they were fast friends. now I skipped forward to when the expedition starts When they got to the docks, they saw Valiant in all its glory, red sails flapping, green sides blazing out, the words, Valiant scrawled in fancy silver writing on the sides. All the crew was assembled in front of the gangplank. There was Silver Jack, his silver coat gleaming, his guns in his holsters. He was the best shooter in all the islands of Tandek. Next was Massie Karn, tall and forbidding. Her sword skills were some of the best in the known world. There were also the Lemoroy triplets, Nate 1, Nate 2 and Nate 3. They were identical in their cheeky grins, childlike faces, and knack for causing trouble. However, they knew how to get out of any tricky situation (since they’d been in a lot of them), and were handy if you were held at gunpoint, dropped into a sea writhing with sharks, or attacked by a 1 veep tall, three headed, rampaging dagger-mouse. Gary Crunch stood near the front, his huge hands waving at the crowd. His famous 100 kg hammer was slung over his back. Leena Ramble was fidgeting nervously. She didn’t fight with anything but her bare hands, which she did well. Shirly slice’n’dice was closest to the gangplank. It was rumoured that she had 100 blades with her at always. But the daggers you could see were strapped on her belt, running down her arms and legs, on her back, and in her hands. Fred’s brother Paul went to stand beside the Lemoroy triplets. He was first mate in the ship Valiant, and a good one at that. Finally, there was Captain Ryhander, both legs chopped off in a swordfight and replaced by wooden ones, both hands eaten by a Sharkopus and replaced by metal hooks, one eye gored out by a dagger-mouse. Paul chatted with Captain Ryhander for a bit, then they came over to Fred. ‘So, you’re the new recruit?’ Captain Ryhander asked. ‘Yessir, I’m the new recruit,’ Fred said. Captain Ryhander had a laugh at this. ‘We’ll make an explorer of you yet,’ Captain Ryhander said, ‘welcome to the crew.’ Suddenly, a voice bellowed out. It said, ‘Hello citizens of Halvington. It is I, the Emperor. We are here today, to see the crew of the Valiant set off on their quest to Ember Jungle. If they make it back alive, I will give them 4000 gold grambles. Now it is time to set off. Go, Valiant! Make us proud!’ With that, the crew all leaped up the gangplank, hoisted up the sails, and they were off, to new discovery’s, and a deadly adventure.

BEASTS OF BERMUDA (Disclaimer: Elements of this story are not based on real history.) Prologue In 1967, the first satellite was launched into orbit of the earth. It then took the first picture of the world. The picture became ridiculously famous, and by the next year, almost everyone on earth knew about it. It continued to fly around the earth, snapping pictures wherever it went. But one day, somebody noticed something. Around a certain area of the Atlantic ocean was a group of middle-sized islands. But not just any area of the Atlantic ocean. The Bermuda Triangle. The government decided to send a team combo of scientists, explorers, and military personnel to the islands to explore and discover them. What they did not know was that only a small lucky handful would return alive… Chapter 1 Andrew Ospengance sighed as he turned the key in the doorknob. How would he explain this to her? The second business trip this month. She would not be happy. Andrew heard the lock click and pushed the door open. “Kelly? I’m home!” He called as he kicked off his shoes. “So you are now?” Kelly called back. “I’ve been waiting for ages. What kept you away?” Andrew breathed into his hand and sniffed his breath to make sure it wouldn’t… give anything away. “Umm, traffic jam.” He said quickly. Too quickly. Kelly from the other room laughed. Even though it was a sign that she didn’t believe him, it still made him smile. “That is such a heap of steaming cowpat. What were you really doing, Dad?” Andrew began knotting his fingers. He knew he was on a diet, but he couldn’t help himself… “I told you, I was in a traffic jam.” Kelly poked her head out of the kitchen and down the hallway to where her father was standing. She was 13 years old, but could already cook and clean and do things for herself all day while her father was at work. She had dark skin, but bright green eyes, that seemed to twinkle whenever she smiled. She took one look at Andrew and burst into peals of laughter. “What?” Andrew asked. “G… g… g…” She could hardly say it, she was laughing so much. “Go look it the mirror!” She squeezed out before laughing again. So Andrew did. His skin, unlike his daughter, was fair, and he had messy, raven hair. But smeared around his mouth was the brown, sweet truth of what he had been doing. Eating chocolate. He had just began to lick it off when Kelly had appeared to snatch another look. She was happy, but Andrew wasn’t. Not because of her laughing. Whenever she was happy, he was happy. But this was different. He sighed and turned around. He had to tell Kelly now. “Kelly…” He said. “Hmm? What?” She replied. Andrew sighed. “I have to go…on another business trip.” Kelly’s playful smile slowly disappeared. It was replaced with such a stare that it could have sliced through solid metal. “Good for you.” She said. She spun on her heels and retreated to the kitchen to continue cooking dinner. About 30 minutes later, while the two were having dinner, Kelly spoke up. “So. Tell me about this new business trip you’re suddenly going on.” Andrew thought back to what his boss told him when he saw the flyer looking for volunteers. “Look, Andy!” He had cried, waving his arms around energetically. “The government wants volunteer scientists to go explore these islands in the North Atlantic! I reckon that would be an adventure for you!” So Andrew signed up for the trip, and now it was official. He was going. When Andrew told this to Kelly, she put down her sausage and thought for a moment. “I’ll come with you.” Andrew scoffed. “No. Kelly, you can’t come. It’s too dangerous. I don’t want you to get hurt.” Kelly shook her head. “Nothing you say will make me stay here.” Andrew sighed and looked at his watch. 9:26pm. “I’m going to bed.” He said, standing up. Kelly was incredulous. “At this early hour?! Dad, you normally fall asleep at midnight in front of the TV amidst a snowstorm of chip crumbs!” “Well, I’m waking up super early tomorrow, so I can get ready and go.” “Oh. OK. Well, goodnight.” “Goodnight, my heart.” At 6:50 in the morning, Andrew stumbled bleary-eyed into the military facility, searching for somebody named “Wanda Wye.” His daughter, Kelly, was tagging along just to see her father leave. Eventually, Andrew found her. Wanda Wye had short, blonde hair, pinkish-red glasses and a lab coat that stretched down to her knees, and was clutching a clipboard as if her life depended on it. “Oh!” She said on seeing Andrew. “You’re just on time. Follow me, we’ll meet the others.” It turned out that “The others” were just a handful of other scientist and a few explorers. The rest were soldiers and military personnel. The scientists were Wanda Wye herself, A man called Harvey, who looked like a mechanic as he was wearing a black, sea shepherd shirt with grease stains all over it. He had blackish-brown hair, and his chin looked freshly shaved. Then there was Hayley and Harry, who were twins. They both had brown hair, and light freckles over their nose. They were constantly arguing. Hmmm, thought Andrew. This isn’t a very good team. While her dad was talking to Wanda about something to do with leaving soon, Kelly decided to explore. The place was almost entirely made of metal; and it looked quite old and weathered. There were lots of different vehicles. They all had the classic military camouflage pattern, and there were soldiers marching around with their legs flying all over the place with every step. Kelly couldn’t help but giggle at them. Even some of the most serious, no-nonsense people in the world could still look stupid. Kelly hopped into a very long military vehicle. It was like a bus-but had tools and weaponry that you would definitely not find on a normal bus. She walked deeper in the van. Suddenly, she heard a soldier’s voice from outside. “That door’s open!” Said the voice. Another voice spoke. “So what? It’s meant to be open! It literally has a sign on it that says, “Please keep this door open!”” Kelly heard a dull whack. Probably a hand connecting with the back of someone’s head. “Not that one, Nigel! That one! The door to the troop carrier!” “Oh. Ok. Yes. It’s an open door. What about it?” There was an irritated groan. “Close it!” “ALRIGHT YOU DON’T HAVE TO SHOUT AT ME!!” Kelly heard footsteps approaching the vehicle, and then the door was slammed shut, and Kelly was plunged into blackness.

FOREWORD: “Have you seen my description book?”I asked Spiky not expecting a helpful answer (from my helpful as much as she can be echidna). Description of Spiky: My echidna is young, wild and free with no intention to hurt anyone in this country intentionally. My echidna, Spiky goes through a range of emotions each day but tries her best to stay bubbly and positive! She is like all the innocent animals in the world put into one undersized echidna!! Me: I’m Layla. You can call me Libi! I love animals, especially echidnas. I have medium-brown skin and black hair with dark brown tips. ‘Now honestly, where is my description book?’ I thought, pausing for a second, trying not to make it obvious that I was anxious about where my private description book could be. Sometimes, it can be tiring to look after an energetic echidna but I have to admit, I wouldn’t trade anything for Spiky! Libi’s chocolate brown tips wiggled around her shoulders. “If I were a description book, where would I hide?” I questioned myself as if I were one. It’s impossible for something I look after extremely well to go missing instantly!! I have a legendary idea on what I should describe next. I should call it ‘Magic highlighter and the power of the Amythest Gem’! Now, back to my description book. Where could it be? “Oh, Goodness me! I better go check that Spiky is alright.” I sighed as I ambled via the rose bushes and palm trees into the front garden with the smell of the next door neighbour’s burnt chicken sausages drifting in the air, I found Spiky lounging on top of my description book! If only Spiky could speak English then I would have found my book ages ago! Now, I better go and get started on my next description ‘Magic highlighter and the power of the Amythest Gem’…

I opened my eyes. My heart was pounding so loudly that even Jackson could hear it. I was 17 years old and in high school. My class had been offered the opportunity to go hiking, which, for me, was one hour of torture. I had already embarrassed myself twice, once when I’d tripped on a tree stump and sprawled awkwardly on the ground and second when Mrs Baron had to lift me off a rock because I was too scared to jump. Halfway through, I was so exhausted I had to ask Mrs Baron if I could lie down. She told Jackson to stay with me. But she’d forgotten to pick us. Are you alright?" he asked, startling me slightly. "Where's Mrs Baron and the rest of the class?"I asked, feeling nauseated at the thought of being lost. Jackson hesitated for a moment and then his face was streaked with fear. He finally realized our situation. "I...I...I don't know." I think we might be... I mean I don't know..." 'Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it!' I thought to myself. "...lost."

This isn't the full writing task but here is what I have come up with so far: My character is called Zoey, she is 9 years old. She wears a blue skirt and pink t-shirt, her eyes are purple and she has long brown hair. She is brave and kind. She is going on a picnic and wants to collect berries and explore. She has unique pet which is funny, the pet is called Crumble, which is 10cm tall. Crumble has spots, sticks as ears and tea leaves on the sticks. Zoey has with her: -purse -water bottle -a tent -a sleeping bag -a basket -food Her unexpected item is a shiny purple gem. Her transport is a bike with a basket and the colour of the bike is aqua. At the back of her bike are small straps to hold her luggage.

Everybody cheered as Wilson put on his helmet. It made a faint click noise as he secured the air holes. He bent down and put on this Labrador retrievers, Peanuts, helmet. They turned around and walked the steel ramp. “This is it!” He said to Peanut who replied with “Bark!” Wilson and peanut we're going to Venus to see if tis suitable for human life. Wilson sat down un the cockpit while Peanut sat in his doggy bed. Wilson flicked a few switches and a touch screen came down. “Ground control we are ready for take off” Wilson announced. “Alright, starting count down!” Ground Control replied. “10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1” The Space X ship counted. “Take off!”