CREATIVEWRITING The ShyGirl › bitstream › ... · CREATIVEWRITING CONTINUEDNEXTWEEK... ‘ I sat...
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www.ntnews.com.au Northern Territory News, Monday, December 7, 2009 — 31 PUB: NT NE- WS- DA TE: 7-DE GE: 31 C LO- R: C M Y K •art •youth •comics •reviews •gadgets Got something to say? We want to hear it! [email protected] CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Sunset, taken over the cliff on Larrakeyah Barracks; guitar and Connies, two of my fav items; rain at The Jetty restaurant; bottles at The Jetty restaurant. — Photographs by SARAH-TERESE SCOTT The Shy Girl By CINDY MU Year 7 Darwin Middle School CREATIVE WRITING CONTINUED NEXT WEEK ... ‘ I sat alone as usual, speaking to no one ’ T O SAY that I was shy at 10 years of age was an understatement. I was a girl basically scared of people. Kids, adults, pretty much everyone made me nervous. I was also what most teachers and parents would call a ‘‘good kid’’. I followed the rules, got good grades and never questioned authority. But then one day, one single bus ride changed all of that. The school bus that day was crowded, hot, humid and smelly. The windows were rolled up — bus driver’s orders, it was simply raining too hard to have them down. Only a few of my classmates were looking through the windows at the torrents of water filling the street. Most of the other kids were engaged in animated conversations, arguments and games. I sat alone as usual, speaking to no one. I thought that the road outside looked like a flooded stream. I could make out tree limbs, bags, even an umbrella washing down the boulevard. People raced here and there, gripping umbrellas or covering their heads with their bunched-up jackets and papers. Over and over I wiped a small circle through the cloud on my window so that I could see the water outside. The bus stopped, waiting for an accident to clear. The driver was particularly tense that day, and had snapped at several kids who had been messing around. As I sat quietly, waiting and watching, I saw a kitty across the street on the other side of the road. Poor cat, I thought. He was all wet and didn’t seem to know where to go to get out of the rain. I wanted to go get the kitty, but I knew our bus driver, Mrs Foster, would never allow me off the bus. It was against the rules to stand up, so I knew I would get into big trouble for trying to rescue a cat across the busy, rainy street. I also thought that if I pointed out the miserable cat, the other kids would probably think I was weird. Maybe even weirder than they thought I already was. I was sure that some other kids would laugh at the soaked dripping animal; they would see his misery as entertainment. I couldn’t bear that; I didn’t want things to get any worse than they already were. My window was hazy again, and when I wiped the window clear, I could see the kitty was now struggling in what seemed to be a surging, grimy river. He was up to his neck in cold water, grasping at the slippery metal bars covering the storm drain in the street. Twigs and other debris rushed past him and down into the black hole. His body had already been sucked into the dark opening of the storm drain, but his little front paws were clinging to the bars. I could see him shaking. He swallowed water and gasped for air as he fought the current with all his strength. His movements revealed a level of fear that I had never witnessed before. I saw absolute terror in his dark, round eyes. My heart was racing. MOVIE REVIEW FREAKY: A scene from Paranormal Activity Paranormal Activity packs a genuinely scary punch — EMILY HEARN Paranormal Activity ★★★★ WHEN it comes to horror movies I consider myself a bit of a connoisseur. True, after watching The Ring I avoided flickering television sets, and after seeing IT I had a healthy aversion to drains, and clowns ... and balloons. But all those pale in comparison to Paranormal Activity and I know it may sound like I’m talking it up a bit here but with a tag line of ‘What happens when you sleep?’ There’s something unnerving about the prospect of being at your most vulnerable while having a ghostly apparition attack you. The movie is based around a couple having recently moved in together, but features more on the woman who has been experiencing paranormal activity from a young age. Cleverly, the partner decides to set up a camera to capture the paranormal goings on. What sets this movie apart from other horror films of this year is that it is set more like a reality show/doco really drawing you in and making it hard to not pee your pants just a little when the unexpected happens. As the movie progresses so does the intensity, definitely making you want to check under the bed twice. Considering this film was made on a budget of $10,000 it definitely packs a punch and is not one to see alone or late at night. It’s been a while since a horror movie of this calibre has come along. Paranormal Activity is at cinemas now. CHECK IT OUT ■ WATCH Darwin’s best dance crews battle it out for their chance to win $500 at Breakdown’s Dance Competition. The hip hop, street funk and breakdancing competition is an alcohol-free event and will be held on Friday, December 18, at 7.30pm at Brown’s Mart in Darwin. Cost is a gold coin donation. For more information, email [email protected] or call 0432 663 496. ■ DO YOU pride yourself on your smooth moves? Or would you like to learn some? Morganics Hip Hop Workshop will teach you how to breakdance, beatbox and rhyme, from December 14 to 18, at Chambers Cres Theatre, Malak. Call Darwin Community Arts to book on 8945 7347. WE WANT YOUR INPUT! Are you aged under 18 and have any artwork, reviews, creative writing, comics, articles or photos you would like to share with our Y readers? Email your submissions to [email protected]
Transcript of CREATIVEWRITING The ShyGirl › bitstream › ... · CREATIVEWRITING CONTINUEDNEXTWEEK... ‘ I sat...
www.ntnews.com.au Northern Territory News, Monday, December 7, 2009 — 31
PU
B:
NTNE-WS-DA-TE:7-DEGE:31 CO-LO-R: C-M Y-K
•art•youth
•comics•reviews
•gadgets
Got something to say?We want to hear [email protected]
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Sunset, taken overthe cliff on Larrakeyah Barracks; guitar andConnies, two of my fav items; rain at The Jettyrestaurant; bottles at The Jetty restaurant.
— Photographs by SARAH-TERESE SCOTT
TheShy Girl
ByCINDYMUYear 7
DarwinMiddle School
CREATIVE WRITING
CONTINUED NEXTWEEK ...
‘I sat alone as usual, speaking to no one
’
TOSAY that I wasshy at 10 years ofagewas an
understatement. I was agirl basically scared ofpeople. Kids, adults, prettymuch everyonemademenervous. I was also whatmost teachers and parentswould call a ‘‘good kid’’.
I followed the rules, gotgood grades and neverquestioned authority.
But then one day, onesingle bus ride changed allof that.
The school bus that daywas crowded, hot, humid andsmelly. Thewindowswererolled up— bus driver’sorders, it was simply rainingtoo hard to have themdown.
Only a few ofmyclassmateswere lookingthrough thewindows at the
torrents of water filling thestreet. Most of the other kidswere engaged in animatedconversations, argumentsand games.
I sat alone as usual,speaking to no one.
I thought that the roadoutside looked like a floodedstream. I couldmake out treelimbs, bags, even anumbrella washing down theboulevard. People raced hereand there, grippingumbrellas or covering theirheadswith their bunched-upjackets and papers.
Over and over I wiped asmall circle through thecloud onmywindow so that Icould see thewater outside.
The bus stopped, waitingfor an accident to clear. Thedriver was particularly tensethat day, and had snapped atseveral kids who had beenmessing around.
As I sat quietly, waitingandwatching, I saw a kitty
across the street on theother side of the road. Poorcat, I thought. Hewas all wetand didn’t seem to knowwhere to go to get out ofthe rain.
I wanted to go get the kitty,but I knew our bus driver,Mrs Foster, would neverallowme off the bus. It wasagainst the rules to standup, so I knew I would get intobig trouble for trying torescue a cat across the busy,rainy street.
I also thought that if Ipointed out themiserablecat, the other kids wouldprobably think I wasweird.Maybe evenweirder thanthey thought I alreadywas.
I was sure that some otherkids would laugh at thesoaked dripping animal; theywould see hismisery asentertainment. I couldn’tbear that; I didn’t wantthings to get anyworse thanthey alreadywere.
Mywindowwas hazyagain, andwhen I wiped thewindow clear, I could see thekitty was now struggling inwhat seemed to be a surging,grimy river. Hewas up to hisneck in cold water, graspingat the slipperymetal barscovering the stormdrain inthe street. Twigs and otherdebris rushed past him anddown into the black hole.
His body had already beensucked into the dark openingof the stormdrain, but hislittle front pawswereclinging to the bars. I couldsee him shaking. Heswallowedwater and gaspedfor air as he fought thecurrent with all his strength.
Hismovements revealed alevel of fear that I had neverwitnessed before.
I saw absolute terror in hisdark, round eyes.
My heart was racing.
MOVIE REVIEW
FREAKY: A scene from Paranormal Activity
Paranormal Activity packs a genuinely scary punch
—EMILYHEARN
Paranormal ActivityHHHH
WHEN it comes to horrormovies Iconsidermyself a bit of aconnoisseur. True, after watchingThe Ring I avoided flickeringtelevision sets, and after seeing ITI had a healthy aversion to drains,and clowns ... and balloons.
But all those pale in comparisontoParanormal Activity and I know it
may sound like I’m talking it up abit here but with a tag line of ‘Whathappenswhen you sleep?’
There’s something unnervingabout the prospect of being atyourmost vulnerable while havinga ghostly apparition attack you.
Themovie is based around acouple having recentlymoved intogether, but featuresmore on thewomanwho has been experiencingparanormal activity from a young
age. Cleverly, the partner decidesto set up a camera to capture theparanormal goings on.
What sets thismovie apart fromother horror films of this year isthat it is setmore like a realityshow/doco really drawing you inandmaking it hard to not pee yourpants just a little when theunexpected happens.
As themovie progresses sodoes the intensity, definitely
making youwant to check underthe bed twice.
Considering this filmwasmadeon a budget of $10,000 itdefinitely packs a punch and is notone to see alone or late at night.
It’s been awhile since a horrormovie of this calibre has comealong.Paranormal Activity is atcinemas now.
CHECK IT OUTnWATCHDarwin’s best dancecrews battle it out for theirchance to win $500 atBreakdown’s DanceCompetition.The hip hop, street funk and
breakdancing competition is analcohol-free event andwill be heldon Friday, December 18, at7.30pmat Brown’sMartin Darwin.Cost is a gold coin donation.
Formore information, [email protected] or call0432 663 496.
nDOYOUpride yourself on yoursmoothmoves?Orwould you liketo learn some?
Morganics Hip HopWorkshopwill teach you how to breakdance,beatbox and rhyme, fromDecember 14 to 18, at ChambersCres Theatre,Malak.
Call Darwin Community Arts tobook on 8945 7347.
WEWANTYOUR INPUT!Are you aged under 18 and haveany artwork, reviews, creative
writing, comics, articles or photosyouwould like to sharewith our Y
readers? Email your submissions [email protected]
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