To celebrate World Book Day 2014, Jump! Mag is sending a story around the world. In fact, we are sending TWO stories around the world. This is STORY A, and next week STORY B starts in Canada. We will publish the entire stories on a special page on the site, so you can read it in one place.
UK teacher Grainne Hallahan set a task for 14 schools around the world – to write 200 words of a story then pass it on to the next school, in a different country, on a different continent. We will publish a chapter every week on Jump! Mag.
Along with their story, we are asking the pupils to share information and photos of their school, their town and their country, which we will post on Instagram and Pinterest. What is it like to grow up in Ghana? Do you really see bears in Canadian cities? Do all kids go surfing in Australia? If you have a question to ask the pupils, please share in the comments or ask on Twitter or Facebook and we will pass on to the school.
We start our journey in the home country of Jump! Mag – United Kingdom.
St Martin’s School, Brentwood, Essex.
We’re a school of 2000 students aged 11-18. Brentwood is near London, and our students are mostly British born and English speaking. Our school was originally a boys’ school and a girls’ school, which merged to form one large school. Essex is a beautiful place, with many parks and a coastline with lovely beaches.
Part One
Rubbing my eyes, waking up slowly, adjusting to the bright light, I realised I was no longer in London. Cautiously, I stood up and looked to my left and then my right. Was this just a dream? I had to acclimatise to my new surroundings. Instead of city streets, the ground appeared to be soil, rough and dry as tinder.
Shafts of sunbeams, silver as a pencil’s lead, glimpsed through the trees. Ahead of me, was a dilapidated, derelict hut with a silhouette in the window– it seemed to be some sort of mysterious creature. A strange hint of something – musty, damp and smoky – filled my nostrils.
Then it struck me: a snaky, shadowy and slippery shape was slowly emerging from the rotting door, encased by twisting vines.
I bolted. As I ran I heard an insistent voice behind me, crying ‘Stop! Don’t leave. Do you come from the civilised world?’ Slowly, I turned. I realised it was some sort of man. He seemed to be dressed in tattered clothes.
Shocked and afraid, I stepped backwards, ‘Who are you?’ Tentatively, I edged towards him, only to realise that I still appeared to be in London – only it was different.
If you enjoyed the story from the pupils of St Martin’s School, please pass it on to your friends. Check out our #sendastory Pinterest board and our Instagram account for pictures and info about the country featured this week on #sendastory