Dripping Tap...

My Nan who I loved dearly was considered to have a bizarre mind. She absolutely feared the sound of dripping tap, but why?

One day when I was young around 7 or 8 I left the tap running intentionally to see what she does. The bathroom tap started dripping slow and steady, drip, drip. Nan eventually rose from her armchair and head directly for the bathroom door. I held my breath but didn't wait for long. Nan absolutely freaked, she went berserk. She dashed out of the bathroom emotionally, darting around like a kite in a high wind.

It took ages for mum and dad to calm her down as she shrieked with horror. When we got home they both raged at me for a good hour even after apologising for a millionth time. They even made me write an apology letter to Nan, and they stopped my pocket money for 2 whole months ! Ever since this day, I never experimented again and I even avoided Nan most of the time, as I thought this was best.

A few years later, as I got much older, I started re-visiting nan. After playing a few favourites of hers I plucked the courage to question her about her fear. 

"Nan. Why don't you like dripping tap?" Nan opened her mouth but then her mouth snapped shut again.  She was silent for a long time and took small deep breaths. I wondered if she'd thought better of telling me. Then she turned towards me,

"Kyle, look. I am going to tell you something...something, I have never told anyone before. When I was young, I .. I used to attend Lammas secondary school where I had lots of friends. It was a great school. One day my teacher Mrs Clarke arranged a trip for our class to see the local pantomime  as a small treat. She said we were extra special as we will have the opportunity to see the actors and actresses. Everyone was obviously looking forward to is, because most of us have never even been the theatre before," Nan too her glasses of before continuing. 

"That day, I ran home with excitement. When I handed my mum the letter, she deliberately lowered her head. I glanced at my sister who was glaring at me, sparks flying form her eyes. I realised that I should know better thank to ask, but... I .. I always believed 'don't ask,don't get."

"I'm sorry, Amy," Mum said firmly. "I can't spare the money to let you go on a treat. We haven't yet paid the electricity let alone the gas bills. I'm .. I'm afraid we really can't afford it."

"Was life very difficult for you Nan ? " questioned Kyle. Nan looked down and replied quietly,

"Well after my dad di-died mum had to work for extra hours to cover up, but... it still wasn't enough for our family." 

She continued, " I pleaded my mum. I even said I will get a job to pay back even though I knew I was making an impossible promise. I yearned for this, a trip.. a trip with my friends, all I ever wanted was some fun but I knew the answer. When I returned to school the next day, Mrs Clarke asked for my consent form but I replied in a low voice that I wasn't going.It was worse, when my friends found out. How could I tell them I couldn't afford it ... so instead my friends thought I wasn't interested."

"When the day of the trip came, I bunked of school. I was infuriated at everyone, my mum, my sister.. everyone.I was enraged and just hated everyone, something I always regret now. So I decided to spend the day in the library and wondered around the park. The next morning I went into school and as I was walking across the corridor I noticed some people hanging around. They seemed very disturbed about something. I left them and walked into my class room where I noticed all my mates sitting in the places already, including Adam... the boy who is always late. I knew, something was very wrong," Nan paused for a while. Then she began hesitantly,

"Everyone sat dead silent, no one was laughing or chatting or even whispering. The hairs on the back of my neck began to prickle. Ms Wells told me to leave instantly, but I couldn't, I belonged to them. The whole class chanted, 'She belongs with us ! '. They all looked at me in the same way, the exact same way. My stomach churned and rose within me. The prickling sensation on my back grew. Suddenly  the door opened, I jumped out of my skin. The headteacher entered,s he looked shocked while I was confused. I didn't know the loss of my friends until she explained", she said now in tears.

"The coach they were travelling in was overturned on the way back and.. and they all ended up in the river" She sobbed, then slowly continued again...

" When Adam told me this, everyone in the class began to drip, drip, drip. I just screamed and screamed..."

"Is that why you hate the sound of dripping... because it reminds you of what happened?", I managed to gasp out.

"Partly. When a tap drips, it's as if my friends, my class and my teacher appear before me. They stare at me silently while their clothes just drip, drip,drip ... onto my carpet. Even though nothing gets wet. It's as if they want me to join them. I'm so tired or this..." 

Out in the kitchen, we both heard the sudden sound of a tap beginning to drip... I sprinted to the kitchen to turn it off but it was too tight. I turned and twisted but nothing happened.

Nan stared, her eyes wide and then she started to scream. Then the screaming stopped which made it worse. I ran into the living room, nan was still sitting in her chair, her eyes wide open.  But she wasn't breathing. The thing that will now haunt me until I'm old and grey is that her clothes are soaking wet... dripping, dripping, dripping onto her armchair and the carpet.

Baby-sister wanted...

Alice grinned as she put her phone down. Mrs Wilkinson had put on advertisement in the newsagent's window two weeks back, "Reliable baby-sitter wanted". She was excited about having her first baby-sitting job as she finally she would have the money to buy the phone she wanted.


The car drew up in front of the Wilkinson's house.Alice climbed the steps to the front door and rang the bell. It made a harsh, electronical noise. After a moment the door opened and a tall thin man with thick glasses appeared.


"Come in please", he said smiling. He lowered his voice as she stepped into the hall.


"Mrs Wilkinson is just putting Ralph to sleep", he said pressing a finger to his lips.


"Ok and don't worry Ralph wont wake up unless you make a noise because he is a light sleeper but under no circumstances are you to go upstairs. Understood ?"


The Wilkinson  left the house at eight o'clock due to be back at about 11:30. Alice buried herself into her book, when she heard crying and froze. All Alice wanted to do was get out quickly but she couldn't abandon a crying baby. She thought and thought for a while clueless, should she go upstairs or should she leave the baby... Minutes later, she decided to phone her close friend but there phone didnt work. Alice had left her mobile phone at home and thought its best to check on the baby as the crying continued piercing louder as time passes.


Alice ran upstairs fiercly into the darkness and quickly along to the bedroom. She reached over to Ralph and stroked his head but what she touched felt soft and squashy. Alice pulled her arm away in disbelief by the inhuman of the babies' head. The head fell side ways and rolled off the pillow, it was an old, plastic doll.The bed covers hid a machine with a tape recorded.


Suddenly, Alice noticed a shadow behind her, she spun around and saw Mrs Wilkinson coming. Mrs Wilkinson lifted her arm, reaching out like claws towards Alice.


"I warned you didn't I ? "

Gaza Diary

Saturday 15^th December 2008

On a lovely spring morning me and Ahmed were having our breakfast with our parents. After we finished we got ready to go to the park, since it was a lovely day with the sun out.

In the park I loved playing on the swing, even though it did make me feel quite sick.  While I played on the swing my brother played football with his mates. We were happily playing in the park for an hour when suddenly I heard a noise. I turned around and saw the old factory bombed down. It happened so quickly that I hardly managed to catch a glimpse of the action.

I screamed with fear and ran towards my parents. When I walked home I just couldn’t believe my eyes. At home I was really terrified that I couldn’t open my mouth. It was as if my mouth were sealed together, forever.

Sunday 16^th December 2008

The next morning I woke up screaming for my life. Then I realised that it was only a dream. While I was eating my breakfast, I just couldn’t believe stop thinking about yesterday. My mind just won’t stop imagining the bombing, the factory ripped apart, the people and all the bloodshed. I felt it would be safe to stay at home but yet I was terrified.

At home I was thinking about school. How would I go to school? What if my school gets bombed? What if I die? All the questions just won’t stop whizzing around my head. Then at last I fell asleep.

Monday 17^th December 2008

The next day I woke up early in the morning and got dressed for school. At breakfast I felt my brain was much cooler after 2 days of the bombing. While I walked to school I notice the old factory ripped up.

When I arrived at school I heard my friends chattering on about the factory that was bombed on Saturday. I screamed to them,

“No! Please don’t talk about that. I’ve had enough. I can’t take it no more! My friends turned around and were surprised to see me, but they took no notice of what I said and just continued on the conversation.  Later on my whole body felt much better, cooler, safer and relaxed.

Wednesday 19^th December 2008

The next day I woke up extremely late thinking it was Saturday but when my brother Ahmed was shaking me and screaming that I was late for school. That’s when I realised that it’s only Wednesday.

At school for me it was another disaster because I realised that I didn’t pack my back last night and I forget my P.E kit. What bad start to the day? But no it doesn’t stop there because in my first 2 lessons I got a detention for not bringing my homework and in my lesson three I earned  another detention for forgetting my P.E it again. What an awful morning?

Then at lunch time while I was playing hide and seek with my friends the teachers were telling everyone to go outside. Everyone was screaming and running out for the life, but luckily I was already outside. Then I realised why everyone was running but some were too late. It was all over, our school was bombed.

Thursday 20^th December

Today was one of the quietest day since no one spoke unless it was highly important. I just ate my breakfast miserably and then went off to study. While I did my study I just couldn’t stop thinking about yesterday my friends, classmates, teacher and the building itself.

It was such a miserable day with no school for a while. I already was missing my school even though a full day hasn’t gone yet, after the incident. Every second my mind will just flash back to yesterday.

Again questions just won’t stop whizzing around my head like: What if I have to move school? What if my house gets bombed next? Why are they doing this? But one thing I did realise is that all these would depend on what Allah decides to do.

Friday 21 December 2008

Today was one of the toughest day I have ever been through. Actually I think it was the toughest.  All I day I have just been doing my study playing games and relaxing while my brother had to go the school.

At about 1:00 a phone rang and my mum received it.  After the call I saw my mother was in shock and upset with tears down her eyes. I told her

“What’s wrong mum? Tell me. Please. But a single word just wouldn’t come out of her mouth. I knew she was really really upset when she received the call. But why? Then at last she told me that my brother’s was bombed and he was in there. Which means he-he is de-dead...

The Cat Lady

The Cat Lady

Mr's Tibbalt was an old dressed woman known as the cat lady in a blouse and a skirt. She wore an odd headscarf and her usual bulky, threadbare coat. She leaned on her stick as she peered down at chloe. Chloe who had come to apoligise her for killing one of her cat in a dare game, looked terrified.

As Mrs Tibbalt was leaning over Chloe, from the wrinkled old force, the bright yellow eyes of a cat were staring at her. Chloe awoke. A cold draught was blowing over her face. Mrs Tibbalt was gone. Chloe blinked wondering what had happened and yawned widely. She tried to get home as it was getting very late but her body didnt seem to ovey her. 

To be continued... 

The Mysterious Caretaker

The old man in dungarees, his body bent, his face cruel and hard shuffled along a corridor, pushing his way through a stream of students. It was break time at school and most students ignored the old man but a few were imitating his moves or mimicking his words. Two boys scowled at the caretaker as he passed by.

“He’s pathetic,” said one of the boys glaring at the caretaker.

“Yeah!”  He’s pathetic but harmless,” said the other boy dismissively.

In the lesson the teacher sent two boys to get new exercise books from the store cupboard which looked the inside of a wobbly cardboard. Suddenly the caretaker loomed out of the darkness, behind the two victims. He grabbed the boys putting one large hand over the mouths and dragging them off in the dark.

More pupils began to go missing, one by one. All of them who had tormented the caretaker. Some remaining kids realised their mistakes of their victims. Once it was clear to the caretaker that the heroes were starting to suspect something, they became the next targets. The children urgently needed help but a private conversation with any of the teachers was impossible. Without any help all the heroes were picked off except one.

He was walking down the main corridors confidently but realising that he was alone made him more anxious. He stopped when he heard a faint cry and realised he was standing next to the door of the basement. Then he began to walk slowly down the stairs, making little noise. The boy forgot his cautions and ran forward, falling on his knees. His face was filled with horror and tears rolled down his cheeks. The bodies at the top of the pile were his friends.

“Seen enough boy?” the boy spun round to face him.

“You killed them,” he gasped.

“Did I?”

The violins screeched to a final and the words ‘THE END’ appeared in the middle of the television screen.