Page 86 - The Bellfort - Summer 2015

Year 12 English - Creative Writing GCSE English Language away from the track Controlled Assessment any minute now? Surely they weren’t Write an ending to the short still holding each oth- story ‘Chicken’. This is a story er to the dare? about a gang of children who Slithering down the engage in a series of dares steep slope I plunged that escalate in terms of risk. beside the railway track. Alfe’s words The fnal dare is to play turned my heart to ‘Chicken’ on a railway track. lead. “Pathetic! You want eve- ryone to think you’re chicken?” pending dare. The rain was a heavy down- Dylan’s eyes were black pits of pour of tears fooding the land fear. He knew the danger. Then it announced its pres- with sorrow. Surely Dylan How many assemblies had we ence. It was here. It could de- wouldn’t be so naïve, so had since that eight year old stroy everyone’s future: forev- selfsh, to risk his future? I have had been killed two years ago er. The darkness blinded the to help him - Dylan is on self- because he’d placed on the driver of any sign of life on the destruct and I’m the key to track? How could Alfe and tracks so how was he to know save him. Dylan forget the grief that had we were there? Dylan contin- Heavy dark clouds were brew- torn through our street? Sud- ued to stand still, fghting a ing and a sickening crack denly rage surged through my war against his common sense ripped through the silence; a body – why would anyone to move towards safety. I storm was close. I thundered want to take the risk of putting heard the train’s roar over the down the alley that ran along their family through that tor- sound of the wind. It was ap- the back of our houses to- ture? proaching...fast. It ripped wards the train track. It was through the air and all of a sud- only a mile away - I could make “DON’T DO IT!” I yelled and den two intense eyes glared at it in time! I raced past aban- shattered the deathly silence. us and lunged closer. Suddenly doned cider tins crushed by Dylan shuddered, and slowly a burst of movement caught the older boys in the street turned to face me. He was sick- my attention just in time to see and hurdled the mesh fence ly pale. I knew then that I had Alfe scrambling back up the that was supposed to keep us seconds to change his mind – I embankment. Alfe had pan- from the embankment where hoped even the slightest per- icked and fed from the scene teenagers could meet free suasion would convince him to without saying a word. Cow- from the prying, anxious eyes step away and go home.“ This ard . Why was Dylan still intent of parents. My breath caught isn’t going to end well. If you on staying put? “Come on,” I painfully in my throat and my don’t move out of the way of yelled frantically. But he did leg muscles burned with the that train, say goodbye to your not respond. He was hypno- efort but I knew I’d waited life.” tised by the lights of the train. too long to act. I had to get there before the train. Finally The encroaching darkness The train lights scattered the the train tracks were in made the trees along the far darkness and threw the silhou- sight...and so were Alfe and side of the embankment look ettes of the trees into ghastly Dylan. like demonic hands reaching monsters that danced wildly in out for life to steal. The tem- the battering wind and lashing They stood with hunched perature had plummeted and a raid. I had to act now. Dylan shoulders to protect them- ghostly wraith of mist had was like a statue. I darted to- selves from the cold. Their started to creep in. The icy wards him, unsure of what I hoods covered their faces and breath of the cold winter’s would do and too quickly my I couldn’t tell what they were evening chilled me just as bravery began to subside. saying. Surely they’d walk much as my horror at the im- 86