Words a Plenty

Yes, yes I've been a neglectful for a while - but school holiday for Toby is just coming to an end and so I'm just getting back into the swing of things... having said that I have no words so as Toby is here I've decided he can speak instead.

Have you had a nice holiday Toby?
Yes I did it was very fun.

Do anything exciting?
Yes I went to Disneyland Paris IT WAS AMAZING (do that in capitals) I'm eating my dinner you can write my story instead.

OK, this is Toby's Story (he wrote it for the BBC 500 Words Competition)

The Mountain 

Climbing, climbing is all I could do.

I had to climb desperate, tired, weary were all I could say.

Rocks, rocks everywhere.

From the darkness, into the darkness.

Cold, cold freezing cold. Everlasting, heart piercing.

Dark, dark gloomy dark covering the mountain like a blanket.

Fear, fear all around.

Flowing through me in the air, fear, fear everywhere.

Tired, tired my only feeling.

Never ending, never resting.

Murky, murky everything is murky.

Gloominess and darkness is all I could see. 

Dull, dull everything is dull. 

Rocks stones even me all dull, just dull.

I failed. I couldn’t return home.

I had to stay here, but I can’t stay here it’s a mountain.

I would die of starvation.

I have to go back.

I can’t. I have to.

I shook off the thought but some of it remained. Home is on the other side of the mountain. I was tiredly walking back to my failure but if I turned back I’d still walk to my downfall. I still would keep on walking even if it took me my life I would still keep walking, walking. Even if I had to go round the world I would still keep walking and walking. Even if I died I would still keep walking and walking, then I would stop.

I can’t fail, they’ll laugh at me and throw it back in my face the words I said. The boasting I did if only I could take it all back but I can’t. The past is the past only the future can be written. I still can write the future, well, I can’t write it it’s up to fate to decide. I think I should rest. As the crackling of the fire died down I prepared myself for the journey ahead.

I woke in the morning, still tired but there was no time to loose. I walked without stopping for three whole hours until I saw the break of dawn which meant I had reached the top of the mountain where the dark and light side met.

I could have a picnic! I could make a daisy chain! The light has come to me and filled me positivity. I’m free! I never want to leave this place.

I still have to walk the distance between here and the light side I’m not quite there yet it’s so long I can’t make it. The rocks are closing in on me, what’s happening? What’s happening? My mind is being pulled apart. The light side is running away from me. I have to make it.

The branch of positivity reached back to me

I can I can make it and I leapt, and collapsed.

I’ve done it I’ve out run the dark side but it’s chasing me. I’m still on the run but I’m in the lead but not for long.

THREE YEARS LATER

I have my own house on the light side of the mountain and I’m still running. The dark side will catch me some day.

Toby Crawford Wednesday 24^th February 2016

It felt like I was the character, but I wasn't - but I've felt what she has gone through and it was in my mind. I find it amazing I wrote it.

Do you think you'll write anything like it again?

Yes, but not this soon.

What do you like to read? 

I like Harry Potter and I'm reading The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman - I love this trilogy nearly as much!

And now you can finish eating... Toby is 8 and his dinner has been pasta in a bacon, cheese sauce (and no he didn't get anywhere in the 500 Words Competition)