A Starter for ten.The perfect place for story starters and writing inspiration. Check out the latest pictures and story starters below. Click on the picture of your choice for a full screen image. Click on the pdf link to go straight to the downloadable comprehension, - ideal for guided reading sessions.Over 11,000
downloads from TES ! - and counting.
Check out the latest pictures and story starters below.
Click on the picture of your choice for a full screen image.
Click on the pdf link to go straight to the downloadable comprehension,
- ideal for guided reading sessions.
Over 11,000
downloads from TES ! - and counting.
If you'd like your writing published then submit your next 100 words on the
'100 word challenge page'. Need the webpage in a different language? Use the translator tool below !
As a teacher I've spent too long searching for story starters to inspire those reluctant writers in the class. I wrote many a story opener, or ending that lived no longer than the lesson it was written for.
So I decided to put the ideas in one place to save others the time. For those who have ever struggled for story writing inspiration. Just waiting for the spark to arrive. Well help is just one click away - simply choose an image and see where it leads you...
It's simple - either:
- Choose an image from the GALLERY page, or the images below, and imagine where it could take you.
- Check out the 100 word story starters linked through the PDF and continue the story.
- Download and use the ready prepared pdf comprehension / guided reading and research activities.
- Send in your next 100 words and have it published on the YOUR WORK page.
The boathouse
Thomas had been here countless times as he grew up. The old boathouse stood as a reminder that this had once been a proud fishing village sadly forgotten by time. When he was old enough he would leave and get as far away as possible. There was nothing here that could make him stay.
A look of disbelief filled his face as the boat house door was open. Temptation overtook him. He crept forward, stepped inside and waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.
Silently, the door closed behind him. A booming voice asked, “Can I help you?”
Squirrel
My son is an animal. To be more precise, I have a son who is a squirrel!
I couldn’t believe he’d disappeared again. One minute we’re enjoying ourselves in the park, the next he’s gone, exploring, racing off and climbing trees, maybe he was meant to be a squirrel after all.
I heard my daughter squeal, a squeal of excitement. “Look at the cute squirrel dad. He looks so friendly.” I looked closely, those sad eyes, full of confusion staring at me, like it was trying to talk to me.
That’s when I realised I was looking at my son!
Signs and symbols
Susan stared.
Nothing made sense, but some of these symbols reminded her of something, stuck deep in her tortured brain of an earlier time, before she woke up in this unfamiliar world. She closed her eyes and tried desperately to remember.
Was one of the images a bird, a rabbit, a flower? The symbols looked familiar, but none of these things existed where she found herself…a world without colour, without people, without anyone to help her.
She paused and looked around her. Why was she here? How did she get back? She reached forwards and touched a symbol. Susan smiled.
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The School Trip
So there’s Jonesy, Froggy and me (bored to death) on a trip to the museum, staring at this Greek vase of these blokes fighting.
“Even the vases are having more fun than us!” laughed Froggy.
We even zoned out as the tour guide waffled on about battles, swords and Sparta. However, we soon jumped as the battle on the vase erupted all around us.
At first we thought it was some amazing virtual reality stuff, until an actual spear landed between my feet.
I snatched it from the ground and we ran for cover. The trip had just got interesting!
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The Clockwork Spyder.
The monotonous, yet relaxing, ticking of the clock continued unnoticed in the background. Strangely though the ticking seemed to be growing louder.
Curious, the group stopped their discussion and carefully scanned the room. The ticking returned to normal. Maybe it had all been their imagination, however they lowered their voices…just in case.
Slowly, the clockwork spider crept from the shadows it had quickly scuttled into. Inconspicuous, concealed, secretive.
Eventually, silence filled the room. Lights dimmed. The clockwork spy scurried away, it had gathered all the evidence it needed. Spinning a metallic web it descended to the floor and raced away.
Big thanks to Peter Szucsy for allowing me to use the image of his amazing clockwork creation. These can be seen at: https://www.steampunk.gallery/ http://peterszucsy.com/
Trapped
The rock was split perfectly in two - like it had been sliced with a knife, or sword. Maybe a legendary King had drawn a stone from here, just like King Arthur. The temptation to climb on it was too great, I wanted to stand on the top like a conquering hero.
Loose stones crunched under my feet as I raced my brother. I wanted to be first. Leaping like a mountain goat, I scrambled up the shiny surface. Then I slipped. My foot wedged deep in the gap.
My brother screamed. The gap was closing, the stone was alive!
Christmas elves
Sneaking into the building. Silently sliding down the wire, the elves began their secret mission. One was bad enough, but when they got together who knew what could happen.
Quickly, they separated. Hunting down resources. Piling them together. Planning and plotting.
Finally, the elves began to gather. The final one arrived dragging things behind it, laughing as it entered the room.
They climbed to the top of the pile and put their heads together. Quick whispers, laughs and jokes echoed around the room.
Their plans were hatched. They grabbed what they needed, leaving the room for the fun to begin.
The Alley
The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. The sudden downpour had chased everyone inside. Alice was practically invisible – no one saw where she came from - as far as she knew – and no one was looking out to see her chosen destination. She gazed into the puddle below her, seeing an impish face smiling brightly back at her.
Darting gracefully between the puddles, Alice skipped from doorway to doorway until she reached number 21. She paused, caught her breath, before peeking quickly around the gatepost.
Flying, like a ballerina, Alice reached the door of number 21 – turning the door handle.
Metro
Sweat dripped from Lucy’s brow, she glanced uneasily behind her. She was safe – for now. If only the Metro would arrive she was free.
“Come on, come on.” she muttered under her breath, “Hurry up.”
Furious shouts echoed, muffled and distant, they were coming closer.
The woosh of air told her safety was drawing nearer. Any second now the Metro would be here. Lucy willed it to arrive, pressing herself tightly against the wall – trying to evaporate.
Finally, it arrived, the doors opened, Lucy tumbled on board as the doors closed. Safety…or so she thought.
The doors re-opened.
The Rainbow
As the friends stepped into the deserted factory, Leandro felt a strange pain in his chest. High above him he noticed the rainbow on the dingy wall. Everywhere else was mouldy, damp and looked like it had been completely abandoned, but the rainbow was different. It was bright, vibrant and reminded Leandro of the stories his grandfather used to tell him about when the town was bright, when happiness and joy were still allowed.
While the others ran around the derelict factory, Leandro stopped, and thought back to what his grandfather said, imagining what life used to be like.
Stone Circle
Scanning the sand for that one special stone, Millie passed hours on the beach. She had picked up enough stones to build a small mountain, but rejected them all. Too big, too small, too flat...
Just as she was about to call it a day, Millie saw what she had been looking for. She rolled it over in her hands.
The stone was placed into the ring, it fitted perfectly. Millie smiled. The smile turned to shock as the lines began to glow, the centre of the stones flickered from a blinding light to jet black.
An opening had appeared!
No. 13
No one ever went in, no one ever came out. At least while Emma was there
anyway. And who would let weeds grow in front of their door? Were they trying
to hide something? Or was someone trapped inside? After all, it was number 13!
Emma decided she wanted to find out, without looking suspicious, obviously, so
she sat on the bench opposite and waited - for hours. Nothing.
The sunset was beautiful, but the air was growing cold. She was about to go, when the door
handle moved.
The door opened, just a crack – the tension inside her grew.
The Gardener's Door.
It was just as Haifa had described. The door to an old gardener’s room down some mossy, stone stairs. A big, black door with a small hole at the bottom (for his cat).
“Remember the special knock I showed you. It’s your only way in.” were the words now ringing in her head.
Hesitantly, Kaya knocked on the door. Silence. As she lifted her hand to knock again, a lamp above her flickered, the door split in two and opened inwards. Out of the darkness boomed a deep voice.
“Welcome Kaya. Your journey into the world of magic starts here.”
Clocks (The Power of Dreams)
Some moments you would give anything to live over again, others you would happily erase from your mind. But, what if you had a choice? Imagine being able to choose to relive your most precious memories…but at a cost. Your best day in exchange for having no recall of another day. However, you don’t select this second day, it’s chosen for you. Everything about that day is gone. Forever.
Would you take the risk?
I did.
I bought ‘The Power of Dreams’ straight away: everybody did. Not one of my best decisions though. If only I could turn back time!
Pumpkins.
Bird song was the only sound that broke the silence as we walked through the autumn woods. Leaves spiralled to the forest floor, landing softly to create a colourful carpet to walk on. The day was perfect.
Suddenly, a flash of orange caught my eye. It was too large to be a leaf, so filled with curiosity we crept closer.
A wide-mouthed, carved pumpkin grinned up at us from the floor. Who could have placed it there, and why?
Looking up there were more in the trees, multiplying before our eyes.
A twig snapped. The bird song stopped. Silence fell.
Castle Siege
The troops had been massing for days. The castle was surrounded. Gigantic siege engines had been rolled just out of arrow shot. Trebuchets were readied to bombard the castle, rocks and dead animals piled at its side.
Now was the calm before the storm. Troops either slept or talked quietly around camp fires. The sky was red, tomorrow would be a good day.
Inside the castle walls, lookouts anxiously patrolled the ramparts, waiting for the attack.
Far below the ramparts, a wooden door clicked open. Dressed in black, two figures emerged and crept towards the enemy camp.
Dad
Just a few steps, that's all it was, but those few steps seemed impossible. Sam couldn't imagine taking them.
"Just knock on the door, get it over and done with. We haven't travelled two hours, on three buses, just to stand out here on the street." said Alex.
"Easy for you to say." replied Sam, sadly. "You know your dad."
"Here's your chance to know yours!" answered Alex, growing increasingly annoyed.
"I can't do it. We're going home." said Sam forcefully. He started to walk away.
The door opened. "Can I help you?" asked a man... It was Sam's dad.
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A race against time.
We had to move quickly, time was tight, the tide was turning, racing towards us – an unstoppable force. Below, on the rocks the casualty was lying, still and silent, his dog whimpering miserably by his side. Above us the thrum of the coastguard helicopter filled our ears.
We had raced to the scene. A dog had slipped down the cliff face, its owner had attempted to rescue it. Now we were rescuing them both. A race against time.
Checking the harness, Sam slowly started the descent, loose stones and soil slipping under her feet. The menacing waves growing ever closer.
The Secret Room
I hated my parents. What was wrong with our old
house? Why did we have to move and leave all of my
friends behind? They don’t understand, it’s just not fair!
Who cares if it’s, “Big and full of history?”
I’d read all about priest holes, secret rooms, books that
you move and a door opens, but they were all in ancient
houses and spy films, full of intrigue, mystery and
adventure. So when I was exploring the ‘new’ house,
pushed gently on the patterned wall and it opened up…
my heart started fluttering.
I just had to see inside.
Child Pie
We had a good laugh at the sign on the way in; mum and dad thought they were hilarious telling us to be on our best behaviour! Of course we would be…we always are!
The pub was packed, so it took us ages to find a seat: we ended up crammed into a corner, next to a woman and her son. He threw his food around, she shouted (a lot!)
While we were eating, she screamed, “Harry, where are you? Come back here NOW!”
No answer…
Amelia and I looked at each other and gulped!
Surely the sign wasn’t real?
Perfect friend or perfect enemy
Caty felt the heat of the blast as it flew past her. Did they miss on purpose, or was this another lucky escape?
Since meeting Josie, life had become more lively, full of excitement and drama. Was she a blessing, or a curse?
There was no time to see just how many were hunting her down, only parents and the government were supposed to be able to track your location – so how had they found her? Josie?
The blast had created a hole in front of them, a perfect circle, Josie was already through and frantically beckoning Caty to follow.
The Headmaster's Office
I had to be quick, I was out of bounds, scanning frantically around
the Headmaster’s office. No-one knew I was here; they couldn’t find
out…
My heart was pounding, the sweat pouring from my head dripped
into the shaggy carpet. I opened drawers, cupboards, cabinets,
looked under piles of papers – nothing! Everywhere had to be
searched. I was running out of time.
Just one cupboard left to go. The key was hanging just above it.
Fumbling with the lock, trembling, I turned the key. The door
wouldn’t open! I pulled harder, falling backwards as it opened. Time
was running out.
evacuees
Pushing through the crowds on the platform, small suitcase and sandwiches in our hands, labels tied to our clothes, we boarded the train. Mum thrust a postcard into my hand.
“Write as soon as you arrive. Let me know where you are.” she said, tears appearing in the corner of her eyes. “Remember our code – one kiss after your message means it’s terrible, two it’s alright and three, well it’s almost as good as home!”
We hugged, before Rose and I found a seat, near a window so that we could wave. Our journey, as ‘vackies’, to safety was beginning.
Bobby's Statue (words of wisdom)
Although I’d walked past his statue countless times I still stopped and stared into the face of Bobby, Sir Bobby Robson, one of the greatest managers ever! There was something about it, towering over me, smiling, gazing into the distance – the future.
He’d inspired me to do better, to want to be the best. My parents told me what he’d achieved, from humble beginnings – “If he can do it, you can too.”
Today was different. Today he moved! Bobby spoke to me! I know you won’t believe me, no one does. This is what he told me…and what happened next.
Love Street
Michelle floated along the street. Joe was the warm wind that had swept her off her feet. She couldn’t wait to see him again, as far as she was concerned, this was the perfect place to meet – Love Street!
Waiting, with a bunch of flowers in his hand, was Joe. Her heart skipped a beat. Was he the man to glue her broken heart back together? Michelle already knew the answer.
A smile crept across his face. Had he seen her?
Joe turned to talk to a tall, stunning goddess. Who was she?
The bubble burst - What should she do?
Emptiness
The handbag didn't matter, the £250 for the rest of her holiday would eventually be forgotten, but the photos of Jenny’s late husband could never be replaced. Those precious crumbled, faded pieces of paper were now disappearing into the distance, faster than she could ever move. She tried to shout, but a mere whimper came out, no one heard her pleas, emptiness surrounded her, just as her life was now empty without Jack.
Who could you trust these days? Where was a police officer when you needed one? Would they drop her bag and her memories? Jenny watched them run.
On the horizon
14th June 1984
I had to rub my eyes when I saw two figures standing on the horizon (I hadn’t seen anyone for days). This desert had played tricks on my dehydrated mind, now I was convinced my marbles had finally rolled away.
My attempts to shout failed in my dry throat, just a painful rasp.
They looked like children.
Why would children be in the middle of a desert? By themselves!
Were they real?
They stood like statues – staring.
Then they appeared to multiply, my head was swimming.
No, they weren’t multiplying they were joined by others… many others!
The Red Lighthouse
We had sailed for days, running for our lives, searching for a safe haven and finally we had arrived.
The red lighthouse was heard about in whispers. Everyone lived in fear, everyone lived with hunger, everyone lived with desperation – the red lighthouse was like a myth, a children’s bedtime story, but it was a sign of hope.
So when I discovered the yacht that day, unguarded, a plan quickly began to form in my mind. Creeping anxiously, under cover of darkness, fearing for our lives, we frantically untied the ropes and silently set sail – to what we hoped was freedom.
Mamba
Lungs burning, they paused momentarily. Their bodies couldn’t run any further. They gasped for every ounce of breath they could inhale. Surely they must be safe by now. Without warning, the air above them darkened and buzzed, a black dot appeared before growing insanely fast… moulding itself into a human shape…Mamba!
They squashed themselves against the walls of the building, trying to become invisible, it was pointless. No one crossed Mamba, now they knew why. A grinding, metallic sound filled the air. The actual building began to twist, what chance did they have? The time for running was over.
Big thanks to www.ryanmamba.com
for the use of the image.
Burnt Dreams
Devastated, Maria wiped back the tears. The memories, her photos, her life – vanished and gone forever.
Charred wood crunched, disintegrating beneath her feet, as she walked through the wreckage of what was once her home – now just a darkened, wooden frame like prison bars around her.
Entering her ‘bedroom’ something caught the sunlight. Maria leant down to pick it up – a necklace - the locket her mother had given her on her 13th birthday. She opened it. By some miracle, the photo of them both was still intact: clutching it tight, she smiled and walked away to her new life.
The fire in the photo is actually of an abandoned shed, rather than a house fire from February 2020. No one was harmed.
Cheshire Fire & Rescue
are still looking for information if anyone has any.
Deal with a dragon.
“This is as far as I take you.” declared Kamali, “That was the deal.”
“But…the way back?” asked Kupe.
“You won’t need it !” smiled Kamali, and with that he vanished.
The caustic scent of sulphur drifted up to Kupe and Marco, they knew they were close. A low rumbling tremor shook the floor around them. Despite the dread that instantly overcame them, they grasped the overhanging roots and began to climb down.
Even the legend of Ryoko did not do her justice. Transfixed by her glowing eyes, burning like molten metal, they knelt before her, heads bowed… and waited.
Big thanks to Artur Mosca
for the use of his art work.
Keeping the faith
Seeking the sanctuary of the darkness, huddled together as bombed shattered the silence, Karina hushed her brothers and sisters, waiting for the bombardment to cease.
The underground tunnels, beneath the shattered city above, overflowed with people. A few familiar ‘inhabitants’ – some they purposefully avoided, mixed with countless unfamiliar faces all seeking the safety of the depths.
An eerie peace filled the tunnels as they moved further, Karina knew that few people travelled this far - they could be alone. They sat down. Karina prayed to the crucifix on the wall for this war to end - before they tried to sleep.
Turned to stone
How was this possible? A mysterious dust, like a sandstorm, had swept across towns and cities neighboring the world’s deserts - everything within its path had been turned to stone: solid. People, as well as objects, were frozen like statues where they had been caught out by this unfamiliar dust which had vanished as quickly as it had arrived.
Scientists had no ideas, or explanations of what this was, or if it would happen again, but people checked the skies before venturing out.
Bizarrely, the dust had completely vanished, nothing was left to analyse. Together, the world watched and waited.
How was this possible? I was cursed. No one was safe. I had to hide away from my family - from everyone. I was a threat to anyone who came too close. A life of solitude and sadness stretched out in front of me, unless…
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If only I could discover how this happened, maybe I could find a way to return to normal. One moment, everything was typical, nothing out of the ordinary. Suddenly, everything I touched turned to stone: the Midas touch!
My mind whirred. Who was near me? What did I touch? I had to find the answer.
Flying free
I often escaped here, my head flooded with the dream of escaping, flying away, leaving all cares and worries behind me. It lifted my spirits…if only for a few moments.
The power of imagination.
Suddenly my shoulders slumped as I felt the wings attach: become one with me. I was a bird, an angel, free. The clouds above beckoned me towards them, but the weight of the world seemed to be placed upon my shoulders.
Flapping involuntarily, MY wings almost knocked me off balance. I stood tall, head raised to the sky as my feet lifted, leaving the ground below.
original artwork - 'For all Liverpool's Liver Birds' by Paul Curtis.
The house on the hill.
It seemed like a lifetime since I had last visited the house on the hill, but I knew deep in my heart, that one day it would draw me back to it – like a magnet it both repelled and attracted me.
Grey, desolate and windswept, the house perched ominously in the gloom. Alone and miserable, I stood staring at it, not wanting to go back inside…but I had to, I had no choice.
Gradually, my feet dragging through the long, soaking grass, I climbed the hill, eventually reaching the front door. I stared… sighed… summoned the courage… before knocking loudly.
No. 21
Quickly, I checked the address again. This was definitely it, number 21. It certainly didn’t look like I expected it to! It didn’t look like anyone lived here, or had been living here for some time. Mossy, worn stairs, leading ominously to a battered, shabby door that looked like someone had already tried to get in – without a key!
I took a deep breath, before sending a couple of texts to let people know where I was. Walking on legs that didn’t feel like mine, I climbed the stairs. Hesitantly I knocked; hearing the sound echo through an empty hallway.
Letters
As hard as I stared at the letters, they refused to make any sense. They swam around my head like enchanted butterflies, impossible to catch, or comprehend. In order to solve this section of the challenge I HAD to decipher the message.
Forwards, backwards, diagonally, skipping letters, translating it to different languages, I tried everything I could think of: my brain hurt.
Exhausted, I leant my hand against the letters – a tingle ran through my hand as one by one they began to glow. Excitedly, I pressed more, a pattern began to appear, I might finally succeed and move on.
Under the Bridge -
Max was patient, he had to be. Nothing in this world moved quickly, however much he wished that it would. He’d learnt to wait.
Max knew his contact would meet him under the bridge, sometime before midnight.
The cry of a seagull, the splash of an oar cutting through the river, broke the silence. Max watched a boat drift serenely into the shore beside him.
A casual nod from the oarsman was all Max needed. Nonchalantly, he stepped on board. No words were exchanged. As the boat edged away, Max wrapped his coat tighter.
Silently, they disappeared into the mist
Big thanks to Mitch Miller @maxler6686 for the photo inspiration (link below).
The Haunted Cellar
Come on, it’ll be a laugh, you don’t believe in ghosts do you?” taunted Jane.
“No, course not!” chorused Katelyn and Millie together.
“But being creeped out, at night time is different.” said Katelyn nervously.
“Well, we’re in here now, let’s go and explore.” continued Jane walking off.
Their shoes crunched on the gritty floor. The sound echoed and amplified from the cold, stone walls. Everything else was silent.
“What was that?” whispered Katelyn, looking behind her.
“I don’t know.” Said Millie, staring into the darkness.
“Jane, did you hear that?” asked Katelyn turning to face her.
Jane wasn’t there…
What's in a name?
Have you ever thought about where your ancestors come from? Your history? What makes you…well you? Sarah did. She traced her family tree back to 1805 – Matilda and Jack Norris. It led her here – Kirknewton. Their graves were here somewhere, they would lead her back to the 1700s.
As she walked to the back of the graveyard, the stones became harder to read. Quickly, Sarah scanned the names and saw something odd. Her name! She was named after a long forgotten relative!
With her finger, she carefully traced the date that Sarah died. It couldn’t be true? It was tomorrow!
- The underpass
- The underpass
I checked my watch for the millionth time, we’d agreed to meet at 4:30, he was almost 15 minutes late, not even a text to say where he was.
There would be a groove in the concrete if I walked through the underpass many more times - just to see that he wasn’t waiting at the other side! He wasn’t…
Starting to panic, I began to type a text, before deleting it and phoning instead…nothing.
Full of disappointment, and inner rage, I stomped off towards home. My phone buzzed. I checked the screen. My jaw hit the floor. I ran!
CrAcKeD eArTh
Desperate for anything to quench their thirst, they looked longingly to the skies, hoping for any speck of cloud to break the endless blue above them – but there were no clouds to save them.
A world turned upside down, weather patterns that made no sense: floods that kept rising; crops that failed year on year; communities destroyed with no signs of change.
Despondent, despairing people trudged aimlessly across the cracked earth, dust trails climbed from the baked ground - towering monsters above them. There was no respite.
On the horizon, a city appeared. Would it be a blessing, or a curse.
A journey back in time.
The caves had always been a place for adventure, mysterious and intriguing. However, there were places that no one visited – not if you believed the stories passed down through the generations.
Elijah and Garrett weren’t from round here though, laughing off shouted warnings as they vanished into the gloom.
Their torches illuminated a small section, revealing nothing, until one wall turned black – someone had lit fires. They had also left etchings of prehistoric times.
As Garrett reached out to touch them, smoke rose from the floor engulfing them both. Strange figures appeared from the darkness – ancient eyes stared at them.
A walk in the woods
The last thing you expect to see in the middle of the woods is a gigantic head. Unless you’re careful it COULD be the last thing you’ll ever see…
We’d often walked these woods with the dog, next to the lake, tranquil – an escape from our normal hectic lifestyle. So, when a wooden sculpture appeared, we were excited to explore.
A spiral staircase led to its eyes – the perfect place to admire the view. Going back out to take a photo of Kelby and Hunter, I heard a creaking, groaning sound. I turned to see the mouth close… then silence.
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An unlikely hero.
An unlikely hero.
Being in the wrong place at the wrong time was a talent that Elias Cooper wished he didn’t possess.
The hovel where he grew up was squalid, flea-infested, cold. An underling, worth nothing: overlooked by the Medieval society he lived in.
So when Elias witnessed Wizard Ivras murder Bishop Jarin outside Five Victories Cathedral, he knew his life was over.
Even though Elias tried to hide, escape was impossible, Ivras transformed him into a gargoyle, frozen in time, destined to witness the crime scene.
Until…the rain began to change him, released to put things right - to become a hero.
Searching
New paragraph
A frantic search is underway after, Joseph Tucker, 15, disappeared at Cold Edge beach, just before sunset yesterday.
Joseph, who was distinctively tall at 6ft 2ins, was last seen with his friends, wearing a dark blue hoodie and grey tracksuit bottoms. He is described as a quiet, unassuming and friendly boy.
Hundreds of local people, including friends, family, specialist police divers and the lifeboat service have been diligently combing the beach and surrounding area.
It is unclear why Joseph disappeared, however his friends have reported that he had been arguing tempestuously with his parents for some time. The search continues.
Escape to where?
It may have been merely a small circle of light, but instantly I felt the energy rushing through my veins. After hours of crawling through thick, repulsive mud, fresh air flooded my lungs, hope began to blossom inside me – escape finally seemed possible.
I couldn’t tell how long I’d been missing for, each day blurred into another until finally I took my opportunity.
I had heard frantic, raised, muffled voices behind me, but now: silence – apart from what sounded like…the sea?
My eyes adjusted to the light, I blinked. Impatiently, I scanned for danger, uncurled my body and limped away.
Irony
The night had finally arrived: time for their first date. Jasmine had been waiting, starry-eyed, for their romantic stroll along the beach, their shared love for the sea made it the perfect location.
The pair soon reached their much-anticipated destination, however something seemed a bit off; there was a faint, but acrid, smell of smoke in the air. It grew stronger as they walked.
Turning a corner, hoping to see the MS Zenobia anchored nearby, they got their wish, but also discovered the smoke’s source. The irony of what should have been a beautiful sunset walk going up in flames.
The Rainbow
As the friends stepped into the old factory, Leandro felt a strange pain in his chest. It was then he noticed the rainbow on the dingy wall. Everywhere else was mouldy, damp and looked like it had been completely abandoned, but the rainbow was different. It was bright, vibrant and reminded Leandro of what his grandfather used to tell him about when the town was bright, when happiness and joy were still allowed.
The others ran around the derelict factory, shouting how good the night was going to be, but Leandro stopped, and thought back to what his grandfather said…
Time for a change.
The garden in our new house was vast compared to our previous one, so I didn’t mind helping my parents to tidy the ‘jungle’ - as we called it. However, the appeal of exploring was far more tempting. Every corner revealed concealed and mysterious delights – perfect for a child with a sense of adventure!
So, revealing a clock, its hands frozen in time, amongst the ivy captivated my imagination. Eagerly, I ripped back the surrounding ivy, uncovering an inconspicuous handle. Maybe it would restart the clock?
I pulled. The clock sprung open like a door… revealing a hidden world beyond.
Smuggler's Cove
As the tide finally turned, silent footsteps hurried tensely down the zigzagging path to the deserted beach. Oars pulled through the milky water, as the rowing boat followed the moonlight path to the ship anchored on the horizon.
Swiftly, barrels and boxes were unloaded: silks, tea, nankeens and wine - piled high. Money changed hands. A light flickered back from the cliff tops – on, off and on again: safe to return.
Just before their boat reached the shore, they sensed something was wrong. Their lookout was missing. A decision had to be made. Unload and hide, or stand and fight.
Journey into the Egyptian tomb.
Months of research, preparation and searching. Sweltering nights in tents covered in dust. Hour upon hour of excavation as the Egyptian sun beat down on us unabated.
After the excitement of revealing steps leading down, delicately the entrance was uncovered – revealing the symbol of Anubis.
Tension grew as a hole was drilled into the doorway. As equipment was cleared away a torch was brought, illuminating the centuries old darkness.
“What can you see? Are there treasures?” asked a multitude of voices.
“I see ushabti figurines and hieroglyphs…we’ll need a larger entrance to explore.
Within minutes the entrance finally beckoned.
The Cabinet of Curiosities.
Although we’d lived here all of our lives, none of us could remember seeing the Cabinet of Curiosities before. It was as if the shop had suddenly appeared overnight – but that isn’t possible, is it?
It was darker than the shops around it, as if it was trying to hide, disguise itself, but we were certainly drawn towards it.
Peering inside, everyone swore they could see different things, even though we looked in the same window. Whatever we thought of, it appeared – like the shop was reading our minds.
A bell tinkled as we entered…the door clicked shut…everything suddenly changed.
