Michael's Diary by Kaci-Shaye

Dear Diary,

Today I got home from school and dad was packing up all our belongings and then putting it in a blue, small van. I wasn’t happy at all I loved my home, my school and all my friends. My dad asked me to help him take my mattress into the van. I asked dad why we are moving. He replied because ‘We live in a tiny flat and we have a baby coming, also we have a lot of neighbours that will complain about the baby.’ We all got buckled up and set off.

As we was travelling to our new house I saw a lot of starlings (well I think it was starlings) flying above in the grey sky. I moved side to side to get comfy in the dusty, old van. We drove into a little street called Falconer Road.

I jumped out of the van in excitement when I looked up my feelings fell into the ground. It was a disaster; it looked like Spiderman decorated it for his 5th birthday. It looked like it was built in the 1800's. Dad thought it was amazing, mum was impressed but not that much, anyway the house looked it was a dump.

Michael's Diary by Harry

Dear Diary,

My day has been rubbish! I’ve moved from a two star flat to a zero star house which someone’s died in. If you step on the carpet a mist of dust comes up in your face and anywhere you go cobwebs are all over you.

We started moving about 6:30 in the morning and my arms are still aching from moving my heavy lamp down three flights of stairs. I’m sick and tired about everyone going on about the baby.
 “Can we go and get that football I wanted from the store today Mum?.” 
“No because we are going equipment shopping for the baby.” 
SEE!!

Finally, we were all ready to go so we got in the hire van. I really miss that place but Mum said you can still see your friends and go to the same school but we just live in a different place.

It was a 20 minute drive from our flat so it would take a while to get to school. Dad pulled up near the new house and he was ....

Michael's Diary by Anesha

Dear Diary,

I woke up this morning feeling good, until my mum and dad told me that we were moving houses because my mum was pregnant and was having a baby soon and the flat was not big enough so we need a house.

So we had to take all our stuff down the stairs and because mum couldn’t do it I had to do everything that dad asked me to do. Getting down the stairs felt like 14 hours but really it wasn’t. When we got it all downstairs we put it in the van and I put my seat belt on and off we went. When we got there the name of the road was Falconer Road. It was like half an hour away from my friends and my school.

We get out of the van and I was nervous to see what the house looked like. Hopefully it was nice maybe it was a mansion you never know. We got out the van and I was ready to see my new house I saw it and I was shocked how they can have picked this awful house it looked like it was going to fall down it was disgusting what kind of person would have lived in this house.

My dad asked me if I like it. I didn’t answer...

Michael's Diary by Isabelle

Dear Diary,

Horrible. Just horrible. I can’t that this actually happened to me. It’s all because of this baby as well, the baby is not even here yet and I’m already annoyed with it.

So today was as usual. I went to school, I had lessons, and I had a math test today. Then I went home after that (again as usual) but when I got home my parents had a ‘huge surprise’ for me. At first I had my usual thought of when Dad says it’s a ‘huge surprise’ it’s not that big of a deal but little did I know that this surprise was more like bad news. “We know we’ve told you this a bit late but…” Dad paused, “We’re moving house!” 

I was speechless, and not in a good way. This was the worst ‘huge surprise’ Dad has ever given me. 

A few seconds later, Mum said, “Don’t worry you’ll have you own room at least.” 

I replied “But when are we moving?” 

They looked at each other then back at me. “Now!”

About half an hour later, all of our stuff was in the van and Mum was still trying to convince me that moving is going to be better for me. “You’ll still get to see your friends; you’re not moving school remember.” she explained  but I ignored her and climbed into the van. Car journeys are fun but when the place you’re going to is the place you’re staying they end up being so boring.

The journey seemed to go on forever but then we finally arrived. I know I shouldn’t really say this but this baby has ruined my life. If it wasn’t for this baby I would still have been living at the apartment with my family, happily. We all got out of the van and of course the first thing that Mum picks out is her beloved plant and plant pot that her grandmother had given her when she was my age. Anyway about the house. “Tardar!” Dad shouted and trust me the house was nothing to be proud of.

Skellig (opening) by Jessica

I got beaten last night by my dad again. He only beats me when he drinks at the pub across the road. When he started, I used to cry for days and days and the marks were terrible. He usually only does it on Fridays so that it will heal over the weekend. When the beatings were really bad they would last until Monday. I know it’s hard to believe that my body heals so fast but I have got special powers.

Whenever I have time, I try to see what else I can do. I go to school and do lots of clubs to stay away from home as much as possible. My mum is starting to beat me too so there is really no point in staying home. I hate them and I want to see what I can do about it. Maybe these powers could teach them a lesson but I don’t know.

My parents really don’t care about me but I have realised that if I run away then that would be teaching them a lesson because they cannot use me as a punch bag. I forgot to mention that my dad is giving my mum lessons to learn how to give me scars. My mum can’t give me scars yet but she soon will be able to.

I don’t cry anymore because I realised that they like it when I cry. I try to make them find no joy in beating me but it is hard. My powers could help me run away and I could start a new life. I was thinking of Florida as they would never be able to afford going there but I don’t really like the pictures I’ve seen.

I would have to have powers to fly but I don’t know. There have been signs that I can fly but I’d have to try it out.

I have decided to try jumping off the cliff near our school. After all, I’ve got nothing to lose. If I fall then I would die but it wouldn’t matter. If it worked then that would be a bonus.

Skellig (opening) by Cloud

The evening started off with a harmless game of Truth or Dare, or so I thought it was. The dares were mediocre but soon things started to get very dangerous, quickly. 

Why am I playing this game? What am I doing with these people? Were the thoughts that kept popping into my mind, I could be at home playing with my baby sister. I always seem to find trouble I just can’t help it; it’s in my nature. Why did I have to intervene when one very frightened kid was dared (more like forced) to jump off Skellig Cliff? There was a reason it was called ‘Skellig Cliff’ it was because so many people had died by jumping off it, the sea beneath was full of skeletons; some jumped for dares others to commit suicide. I went up to the kid who dared her and started arguing with them. Stupid, stupid me! That was mistake number one. I ended up getting beaten and thrown to the floor that was when I cut my eyebrow. Warm, fresh blood was running down from my nose. My head hurt so much that I felt dizzy. Why did I decide to do the dare for her? I just can’t mind my own business. Mistake number two.

I couldn’t believe I was standing near the edge of Skellig Cliff about to jump into the cold sea beneath me. Just looking down makes me feel sick. If I jump it will probably be the impact that kills me or I will crack open my head on a rock. I wonder which would be a better way to die. Oh no! I can hear them shouting “Jump!”.

Skellig (opening) by Rhianna

I looked down at the mysterious murky-blue water below. I am literally the unluckiest boy on the planet. All my ancestors are suicidal. I was born to a hippie dad who does bad jokes all of the time, and my mother embarrasses me 24/7. Both of them met here, considering jumping off this ancient, abandoned turret. It brings peace to me now, knowing that they met here, and now I’m alive.

I am not usually this depressed. It’s just that we’ve moved house, and I now have the neighbour from hell: my future self. Nobody actually knows this, of course, except me. I am his splitting image. He has my grey eyes and a sense of trouble about him. I happen to like trouble.

I can’t help but doing bad things. Getting into a ‘heated discussion’ about racism with my PHSE teacher may not have been one of my smartest moves (I sort of got him kicked out of school because I annoyed him so much that he slapped me), but hey, I had a lot to learn since yesterday. Yes. That happened yesterday.

Anyway. The reason I am here is because my family have announced some news. I’m having a new baby sibling. Great. Now my life isn’t even worth living. I have always told myself that I wouldn’t let myself be like my relatives, that I wouldn’t jump off the turret, like all my ancestors did. This house has been in the family for ages. We only moved here because my last relative jumped down. I don’t even know how he managed to jump. He was ninety.

I might jump off here. Why am I living anyway? I’m going to die anyway, so I have nothing to lose. My whole family tree is heaped down there, generation after generation of hysterical people; suicidal cases.

Wait, should I? 

Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes. No. 

As the feathers from the starling murmuration fall down, I make my final decision.

SPLASH!

Skellig Diary Entry by Tyler W

Dear Diary,
Today was a mix up of all emotions; it felt like someone had grabbed: fear ,sadness, happiness and my dad’s lame jokes into a blender; blended everything. Then fed it to me as the worst day of my life.

It all started when we began leaving our old flat, flat 984D Crimson House, Gullig Avenue in my town, we had to lug a lot of furniture down all eight flights of stairs so we were very tired. We dragged everything from my mattress to mum's old plant.
My dad said that the move was for the best and that the flat was too small especially now we are having the baby. Of course we couldn’t have a single conversation without dragging that stupid baby in to it. Honestly that boring baby has been in the lime-light for the last five months and it will be in it for the rest of my life. Every inch of that ride to the new house felt like a mile, all I could think of is how much I would miss all my friends and the area I lived in. I knew it would be hard but that really proved it.
When we finally arrived on Falconer Road my dad was all excited. Which kind of passed it on to me and mum but for the way dad was, anyone would have thought he had bought the house Jamie Lavolorala lived in. Me and my mum were ready to see the house of our lives but what we did see, is what we didn’t see coming.

Stood before our eyes was a run-down terrible old structure, Stig of the Dump lived in a nicer dump than it. There was an old rickety fence hanging on by one hinge. Just beyond the fence was an overgrown garden that had longer grass than the Amazon jungle. The house its self was covered in mould and moss. There were windows missing and bricks crumbling and we couldn’t see the rest of the house due to the overgrown leaves, branches, bushes and trees. I said that it looks like the house was about to fall down (and it did look like it was).
When we had climbed through the dirty garden and arrived inside, I started to explore. The whole house was tatty and disgusting. There was a toilet in the lounge and I asked dad and that was an opportunity for him to use one of his jokes. Dad said that the old man couldn’t move and needed a toilet near him (that part is true) but then he had to say that he died on it as well (that part was false and not funny) Mum did say that he died in the kitchen though. I wasn’t sure how to reply to that. I asked if I could have the room next to the bathroom but the baby had to have that room mum said. Stupid thing! After that I came to the rickety room dad said was mine and came to write this.
 My dad needs me to help him with some more furniture now so that’s it for today.
 Bye diary

Skellig story by Finley

A boy named Michael had been having a terrible day. There had been men watching him at school, when he noticed them, he started running but they were chasing after him because he did something that made them despise him.

Michael had been running in and out of very dark forests. When he stopped to catch a breath, he turned around to see them a few metres away; he sprinted to another forest and started meandering through the old, rotten trees until he came to a halt.

Michael had found a huge crater in the ground with mass of water at the bottom. He walked over to a strange abandoned tower and just looked down. When he turned around to see where they were, he saw them aiming a gun at him, at that moment he heard a gunshot.

One of the men fell to the ground but it made the boy so scared that he jumped off.
Mid-fall he felt his back deforming. 
When he was about to hit the water, he stopped falling and floated back up to ground level.
He looked at his back and noticed that there where wings on his back. When he was flying home he started going very quickly and then he realised that he had super speed as well.
When he got home, he landed and his wings disappeared. When he ran inside he told his parents and they were amazed.

Skellig (opening) by Kirsten

The boy raced past me, barging through the many people in the Friday night rush. He looked lonely and lost, so I decided to follow him: just to make sure he was alright. Whether this was the right idea or not, I don’t know?

I crept up closer to him every time he slowed down to see if he was alright, but as soon as he slowed down he raced off again; each time quicker than the last.

One time I heard him murmuring about him being bullied at school. I felt sympathetic for him. Everyone feels the pain of a school bully. Anyway, he kept running on and on, not stopping once unless he had to.

The one time he did stop was when a paving slab slipped down when he stood on it and he tripped. He hit his nose: it started bleeding immediately after. I bent down to ask him if he was alright, but he got straight up and rushed away.

Obviously I followed him, and that’s how I ended up here. On the castle ruins that overlook the sea.

I stood behind the crumbling ruins, peeping beside them to see his every action.

I gasped. He was positioning himself as if he was going to dive off the edge. Surely he wouldn’t jump off, would he?

He had family at home didn’t he? My brain flashed back to when he was running. He mumbled something about a bully. The bully hadn’t made him want to commit suicide and jump off the edge and kill himself, had it? He stumbled around and prepared himself to jump. I called out for him to stop, but he didn’t listen. Was he going to jump? The question reoccurred every second in my mind. Was he going to die?

But then my questions ended. He jumped off the edge, into the silky, blue water…

He was gone. I felt so guilty. 

Why hadn’t I saved him? 

Why did I let him go?