The winners have been announced for the ghost story competition run for young writers as part of Kirkcudbright Book Week and organised by event organisers the Kirkcudbright Book Week Society and Kirkcudbright Library.
The judges, Lesley Garbutt, from the library, and John Dean, from the Society, said: “We thoroughly enjoyed reading all the stories and were struck by the energy and gusto with which the stories were told. We would happily have given everyone a prize.”
The winners and highly commended stories received book tokens donated by the library as well as certificates. They were presented by Society volunteer Sandie Gay during an event at the library on World Book Day on March 7.
The successful writers were:
9-10 years old category Winner The Book Lexie Patterson
Highly commended The Green Lady By Lucy Mitchell
Highly commended Fiona Arnold Neil Secrets of the Fiddle
11-12 year old category Winner Portals of Fate Conor Kelly
Highly commended The Ghost Town of St Elmo by Dawson Minaudo
13-15 years old category Winner Lachlan Macarthur The Night Of October 31st
9-10 years old category Winner The Book Lexie Patterson
On a dark day, I was walking through the woods. Behind me I could hear leaves crunching, the noise getting louder and louder ….and closer and closer. Nervously, I looked behind me and noticed a figure coming out from the shadows of the trees. At first, I thought it was someone new in town, but then as the figure stopped and was fully emerged from the shadows, I suddenly realised it was NOT. It was a girl that I didn’t know. I rubbed my eyes. Was I imagining things?
She was covered in blood, and she had a knife in her hand, which she dropped. Her mouth opened wider and wider, until her jaw dropped to the ground. Then she let out a horrible, horrifying scream, which made me stumble as I was shaking with fear. I then realised SHE HAD NO LEGS!! WHAT! SHE WAS FLOATING! Her hair was black, and it was so long it covered her eyes.
She let out another loud shriek, even louder than the last. I turned around and started to run as fast as my legs could take me, but she was floating faster and faster. Her horrible mouth was full of white, spiky teeth, splattered with blood. As soon as I reached town, I got into my house. I could see her flying across town shrieking. Suddenly, the sky turned red and there was a big, dark purple hole spinning in the dark blood red sky.
Then, as I was looking at the hole, the floating figure went out of sight. Suddenly, with its mouth even wider, it came out of nowhere and shrieked so loud that all the glasses in the shop close by broke. I could see people running to their houses in terror.
Just then I remembered this had happened to every young lady in my family in the past and that is why we have a book – not just any book, a special book. When you open the page about the creature that you are dealing with it will suck them back in. But if that creature is not on the loose and you open its page it is like opening its cage because it will set it free. As I went down to the basement to get the book I could hear blood curdling, spine shivering shrieks and loud banging. As soon as I had the book I went back upstairs. Then I ran as fast as I could outside and hid behind a house trying not to be seen. I could see her terrorising the town.
I suddenly jumped out, opened the book, and watched all the disgusting scene go into the book and then it was all gone, back to normal. We all cheered YIPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEE. I ran as fast as I could and put the book in a chest and the key in my diary but the very next day the key and the book were gone! BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Highly commended
The Green Lady
By Lucy Mitchell
It was bonfire night and the sky was as clear as I have ever seen it, as my friends, Willow and Molly and I travelled to the Cally Palace Hotel for a swim, we could see the green aurora over the Gatehouse hills. Apart from the amazing sky it was very normal night and we went to get changed ready for our swim. We had a great time as we splashed each other and had races but soon we heard a strange noise and realised we were not alone! We quickly got out of the pool and then heard a voice, we decided to look around to see what it was but we didn’t find anything, as we were about to leave, we suddenly saw a ghost like figure in green maid’s dress walking towards us, we were quite scared and ran in to the changing rooms and locked the door, we sighed in relief but as we turned around the green lady was following us, we all jumped back and Willow almost fainted. I eventually found the courage to speak, “what do you want, please don’t hurt us” she said “I’m not trying to hurt You I need your help.” We all starred at each other and sighed in relief, “What do you need us to do?” I asked. “Will you help me find out why I am still here?” she said. We all knew we had to help, the green lady appeared to be very sad and actually not so scary now we had spoken to her. We all agreed to help her and although we were all still a little nervous, we started making a plan. Molly asked the green lady how long ago she was killed and she told us over 100 years ago! I suddenly had an idea! The hotel had a library with lots of old books and I thought one of them must hold the answers to the green ladies’ question.
The three of us with the green lady following made our way through the hotel hall trying not to be seen by the guests and staff, we passed the dining room through to the library and shut the door behind us. Molly, Willow and I started looking through all the old book and reading about the history of the hotel. Eventually Molly found a story about a maid who used to live in the hotel and was killed by falling out of the top floor window, the green lady suddenly spoke, “I remember now, I didn’t fall, I was pushed by the head housekeeper”. We were all in shock but the green lady now seemed to know what needed to be done. “For my spirit to be set free, I need you all to make sure everyone knows the truth about what happened to me”.
We all agreed that we would help the green lady and make sure the story about what really happened to her was told. The green lady thanked us and told us she would no longer have to walk the halls of the hotel looking for help.
Highly commended
Fiona Arnold Neil
Secrets of the Fiddle
Chloe had just moved to Galloway. She felt quite like an outcast in this new community even if everyone was very friendly and welcoming, she still didn’t fit in. On top of that, the weather was much rougher than she was used to. Her mother had assured her in summer it got better but in winter, some nights, were so cold and damp Chloe felt her fingers freezing and often winced in pain.
One bitter, cold night Chloe’s mother had sent her for bread and eggs. Chloe had assured herself with the use of her map she would be back in no time, with the supplies and even a better knowledge of the area. But that hadn’t happened; Chloe was completely lost, and her map had long since blown away in the harsh winds.
And when she became so cold, and miserable she felt herself giving up, she spotted lights coming from a little cottage not too far off the track. Chloe, who was hungry, cold, and longing for home drew closer; ‘maybe’ she thought; ‘these people can help’.
She reached the cottage ten minutes later; her fingers by this time were bright blue and throbbed horribly. Oh, how she longed for a warm fire and familiar faces in that moment!
Chloe was so desperate she would’ve given anything to be home. Knocking firmly on the door, the wood felt old, and hollow and Chloe realized the cottage was close to ruins.
The door flung open and a women, with raven black hair and dressed in scorched rags, looked wildly around. Upon spotting Chloe, she smiled.
‘Dexter! We have a visitor.’ She chuckled. ‘Hello, dear. How about you come inside and tell us all about yourself.’
Chloe was too tired and cold to answer so followed the woman inside, thinking how warm and nice the cottage was. The woman led Chloe into a small, snug sitting room with a warm fire and three armchairs.
‘Have a seat dear.’ The woman gestured to one of the beaten-up armchairs and Chloe sat. ‘My name is Clarence. Now, how’d you get here, dear?’
‘I got lost.’
‘Oh, dear!’ Dexter exclaimed taking an armchair. ‘How come?’
And Chloe explained everything. About moving, about not fitting in, about getting lost.
When she had finished, she added. ‘Can I go to the loo?’
Chloe walked down the dark, dusty hallway. She was just thinking how friendly the couple were when she spotted a newspaper clipping.
Dexter and Clarence Wolfblood burned alive for witchcraft. 1695.
Chloe looked around wildly. She had to go. But then she heard footsteps behind her, and the sound of music. It was a sad, eery fiddle tune.
Thinking she shouldn’t like to die; Chloe clumsily leapt from the window and ran home.
A few days later when she was safe in bed, she heard it. The sad, eery fiddle tune. With a shaky hand she drew back her curtains… there stood Dexter and Clarence smiling at her…
11-12 year old category
Winner Portals of Fate Conor Kelly
I can hear a voice from the outside. It begins to fade away, and I can’t quite make out what it is, but it reminds me of my little sister. I can just barely see very blurry patches. As the voices grow clearer the blurry patches become areas, and the areas becomes one big field. “Martin! Is it really you? Am I hallucinating?”
“Huh? What? What’s happening? What’s going on?” I asked, baffled.
“You are… alive! I thought you would never have woken up! You have been in a coma for seventy-five years! We’re currently in the year 2132! The doctors have found a cure for cancer, and the common cold! They managed to keep you 19 years old, so you have only aged about half a year!” my mother said concerned and amazed simultaneously.
“Marty! I missed you!” my sister said. “Whoa, big purple portal pretty!” I get drawn into the portal…
“Huh? W-where am I?” I would say sleepily. At first glance, it looks like heaven. White, beautiful clouds, flowing rivers, a massive golden gate. I only need to climb a steep, winding staircase! I hear a sort of gravelly voice.
“I’ll tell you the story of where you are, it all starts from very, very far. From the depths of hell, a demon arose, He was born a leader, but he wanted to be more that, he chose. Now he’s the god of the underworld, his dastardly tricks take inhabitants for a whirl, now onwards, upwards, fate entwined, ascend the heavens, destiny defined.”
Alongside still recovering from my coma, I slowly pull myself up the stairs. After what felt like five minutes, the atmosphere and my surroundings quickly change. It looked as though I was inside of the Teleportation Realm I had read about in a book. I was circled by different portals I looked through one and it was World War II.
“Commander! What will we do?”
“There’s nothing we can do now! Germany has taken around 90% or our land!” I walk away from the portal. There appears to be a pitch-black portal and I felt like exploring it so that is exactly what I did.
I saw some strange creatures. “Greegle gorp nop bopik.” The creatures said. “Pinkle gort oragul- oh! We didn’t expect an Earthling here… did we?”
“So, our puny and pathetic trap DID work after all. Well, um, I didn’t expect this… welcome, I… guess. I am Freek, the leader of this trio we call ‘The Alienators’. Freek says, as it points its blue and purple tentacle towards one of its kind. “This is Scair, it’s second in charge… and this is Mydnyt!”
“The dumb one…” Scair whispered loudly.
“We’re ghosts!” Freek said.
“I’m-a very hungr-”
“Mydnyt, you’re always hungry.” At this point, I was very confused. Why am I here? Where am I? Who are these people? It’s also strange, because the feeling of the coma recovery had completely vanished the nanosecond I got into this realm.
11-12 years old category
Highly commended
The Ghost Town of St Elmo by Dawson Minaudo
A long time ago there was a town filled with people. It was used for mining and finding different ores. It was used in the eighteen fifties and got abandoned in the eighteen nineties. But nowadays it’s all gone with just some run down wooden shacks with theories saying there is an evil ghost haunting the town. But if you really met him you would say he’s pretty nice that’s because when I was young I met him.
I was a about twenty-four and it was the nineteen sixties I was traveling around Colorado, and I see some old wood shacks and cactuses. I was told if u see anything abandoned, then just go past it but I was feeling brave. So I got out of my blue Chevrolet and approached a ruined shack the inside was so dirty and broken. I went into a room that I think was the living room there was a broken stool and a torn up seat. There was a cold breeze and I got goose bumps I heard a voice say ‘Hello partner,’ in a southern accent.
I screamed and left the old wooden shack wondering what I just heard. I got back in my car and went to a different shack. It was much larger but still had pieces of wood missing. So I entered the shack and the same feeling when I was in the other shack happened. I went into a bedroom there was a broken bed frame and a shattered mirror.
I heard noises then someone whispered in my ear, ‘What are you doing here,’ it said with a southern woman accent.
I screamed. ‘What? How is this happening?’ I yelled.
Then she answered back, ‘Well I’m a ghost, a human. Just like you. Just because ya can’t see me. I’m still alive so is Gerald Johana and Fred.’
‘I think I just met Gerald,’ I said. ‘He scared the living daylights out of me but I have not met Johana and Fred. Wait what’s your name?’
‘I could just ask you the same question,’ replied the woman ghost.
‘Okay I’ll tell you but you tell me yours. I am Ben.’ I said.
‘Well hi ben I’m Dorothy.’
‘ Well Dorothy can you show me around.’
‘ Of course I can. Which shack do you want to go to next?
‘Which one is Fred’s shack?’ I said to Dorothy.
‘It is the one with the tree next to it.’
‘Thanks for telling me. Do you want to come with me?’ ‘Oh dear I can’t. Us ghosts can’t leave our shacks.’
‘Is that a curse?’ I asked her.
‘Yes it’s pretty bad but we can still talk to everyone. Just before you visit Fred he is old and a bit grumpy.’
As I walk across the street and enter his little shack he says ‘What do you want?’ with an old southern accent. ‘Well I’m not talking to you I don’t like strangers so go home.’
‘Fine I will go home but I’ll come back for a visit.’ Well that’s my story grandkids.
13-15 Winner Lachlan Macarthur
The Night Of October 31st
Edward walked through the Dalbeattie woods. He was on his way back home after guising all evening with his friends. He was supposed to follow the road but decided to take a short-cut through the woods instead. A thick fog was rolling in off the sea and even with a torch Edward was finding it difficult to avoid the roots and animal burrows and stay on the dirt and mud path. His fake beard was itchy, so he took it off and stuffed it into one of his many coat pockets. He had gone as Rubeus Hagrid from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter franchise, which he was a fan of, having read all the books and watched all the movies. He was almost out of the forest now, but suddenly he heard a low guttural screech.
The creature that stood before him was gaunt, and its eyes pushed back deep into their sockets. It was like a living skeleton. A skeleton in a smart jacket! Its head looked like it had been shot then kicked multiple times. Edward recognised it from his book of Dalbeatien Folklore. It was a ghost. Probably a rich businessman attacked and killed by bandits.
He screamed. Then, realising that screaming generally doesn’t do much, he ran.
Now he could hear whispers, singing, and the terrifying sound of a tyre deflating!
He came to a clearing with a cairn in the centre. Then he realised he was lost.
“Oh, no.” He groaned. “Oh, no, no, no.”
He looked around. Their where 7 paths and he didn’t know which he had come down. Then he heard a roar, and the ghost came flying out of one of the paths. Well at least he knew which way to go now. Edward ran. His torch light bouncing up and down.
Running.
A growl.
TRIP!
ROLL!
SMACK!
He lay there. In a ditch at the side of the path holding his breath lest it should hear him. After a while he got up and groped for his torch and groaned when he found out it had broken in the fall, and it wasn’t working.
Then he heard a high pitched sigh. He spun on the spot and saw a small sphere of blue light.
“Will o’ the Wisp.” He breathed.
He stumbled forward and the Wisp disappeared and another one appeared a bit further along the path. This sequence was repeated 29 times until the wisp disappeared for the last time. He looked round and saw, not far off, the lights of his house. He smiled. Then He grinned. Then he tripped and smacked his nose on a tree.
“Hi.” Edward said as he entered through the back door. “sorry for being late. I fell into a bush.”
“Hullo, Ed.” Said his dad. “what’s the haul this year?”
“56 chocolates, a toffee apple, 2 oranges, a pack of monkey nuts, and some home-baked fudge.”
“Blimey, let’s have a look then.”
Edward hid his terror underneath a smile. He was sure this night would haunt him in his Nightmares. No: probably his Nightmare’s Nightmares.
Kirkcudbright Book Week 