Year 9 Set 2 have recently been developing their creative writing skills and here are a few of the openings which they have created.
Lost And Trapped. By Rachael Power 9v
There we were, stranded, my best friend and I, sat there waiting patiently for the taxi to arrive ready to depart on a tropical adventure in the blistering sun; getting away from work, parents and the horrific weather. The taxi finally arrived and it resembled an oasis in the desert to us. When we entered into the taxi, it was a strange looking man who greeted us. His hair was dishevelled, he looked like he had just been electrocuted and his whole demeanour was unfortunate. His breath smelt like the coffee-breath my old teacher relentlessly sent onto my nostrils during English lessons, his clothes were torn and ragged and we started to doubt that this would be the most thrilling start to our holiday. His taxi smelt like cigarettes, sick and fish. We tried to talk to him but the only response we got from him was a muttered “uh uh uh” before glancing at us through the rear mirror and regaining his focus on the horizon
We were 10 minutes away from the place and suddenly, unexpectedly he swung the car violently and took a right turn. Sarah and I was feeling uneasy and the silence which had been eating away at us now lead to a new fear as we were both shaking uncontrollably. We couldn’t feel our bones. I felt sick stirring in the pit of my stomach and nauseous through the experience as the car jolted over boulders and into potholes. He gave out this hearty, energetic laugh and abruptly stopped the cab and threw us out, sending dust clouds reaching into the sky.
We watched the foolish maniac drive off and leave us as his tyres screeched and made away along the road, and there we were isolated, standing, shaking, wondering why we were there and what would consume our fear next.
It was getting darker and dusk was beginning to settle in the sky, the wind was picking up and the vultures were circling, hunting for their evening delicacies. With each minute, my watch ticked; I could here it, the ticking in my head driving my patience to the limit. ‘Tick, tock, tick, tock it’ just wouldn’t go away and was haunting my every thought. Luckily, we had a tent and sleeping bags with us and in an attempt to ease our concerns, pretended it would be an adventure so we put up our tents, built a campfire and had our own little campsite. Unable to sleep, after eating our precious reserves of chocolate, It was now 12.30am; we were finally drifting off when suddenly, a heavy deafening bang brought us back to reality and sent animals screaming in terror in every direction.
The Night Assassin
In one of the many worlds we had conquered, there was a myth. The myth took place amongst the ruins of the planet Jupiter; it concerned a dark creature which lurked around a certain region which was not long named ‘The Dark Lair’. No one knows whether it was true or not but no one wanted the myth to hold any link to reality due to its dangerous nature.
Some people still don’t believe it but most don’t want to, for if it was true that might signal the end of the human race!
Technicians and scientists constructed the finest designed machinery and cameras which were to roam around Jupiter to examine its many mysteries, but more so, to try and unveil the hideous mythical beast.
Men dressed in white, clinically fashioned, were watching the cameras like a wolf eyeing its prey, awaiting a moment to treasure. None stopped watching, just to see what was on this never before fully explored planet. Finally, the robot arrived on Jupiter but for some unforeseen and unexplainable reason it had descended on the wrong location. The robot landed with a jolt straight into the wrath of the night assassin. It exited from the rocket carrying it to the planet and the observers noted a dark, mischievous figure moving at high speed toward the robot.
“Can you see that?” Came a question from an amazed expert analysing its pace and movement; its speed was incredible!
“We see it, but we don’t know a thing about this place; it might just be fumes or illuminations coming from the atmosphere’. The ‘fumes’ were indeed getting closer, and closer. As quick as a flash, the special examiner robot’s transmission back to earth was terminated and there was no more communication. Five years of research went into constructing that machine and now it was missing.
“What the hell just happened?” Came a concerned and bewildered response from one technician, his face red with fury.
“What did just happen?” repeated another, equally as annoyed.
After experiencing what just happened, the scientists forced the council to gather together highly experienced people who could embark on a mission to recover the product of their toil and hard work. As a consequence of much deliberation a team was assembled, consisting of: two trained assassins, a technician, a demolition expert and a skilled weapons’ expert who was to also act as captain for the mission.
Oliver Birtwistle
We were ever so delighted to see dry land on the horizon, the sun glistening on then coruscating yellow beach, the pure green leaves on the trees. The purity of the blue sky, and most of all, the fresh meat overhanging of all the animals that would be swarming in and out of trees on the island.
A gale of wind suddenly hit the ship with an enormous amount of force and we were lucky that it didn’t put us off track. The anchor was cautiously lowered down and the Ship’s crew stepped foot on to the golden sands.
“let’s split up, half of you will go and find a feast for a dinner, and half of you make camp for our stay on this exquisite island.” Came the demand from the officer in charge.
I was in the camp building assortment. We had little resources: hammers, nails, saws and plastic sheets. We went out into the woodland individually to get wood to build our camp but as the hours passed there was no sign of the other half of the party.
Suddenly, without warning, a man bolted out of the woodland gasping for air.
“ What happened?” We demanded to know.
“ …. W’ w’ w we….” He stuttered nervously before eventually saying, “ well there was something in the forest and it ate Robert, our main sailor. How we meant to get back now? , I’m lucky to evade whatever it was but there are 23 people still far afield and trapped by it!”
We sat still, glued to the sand, as a wave of fear swept over us all.
Jack Burke
It’s going to steal it!
But I need it!
He can’t take that away from me, not again!
Why? Why did I have to?
No, it doesn’t matter, it wasn’t on purpose… it just …happened. I had no other choice, she was begging and no…. Stop! It’s just not important now!
It warned me, it’s coming today! It will drag me to hell! Oh no, this can’t happen! It’s entirely his fault any way! I can taste my fear and it’s stuck in my throat!
That cursed demon it makes me sick! It’s been tormenting me ever since ….. Never mind…
When I’m in its sinful presence, it drains all the love and happiness from my weak soul! It’s devouring my life; why should I suffer for its loss? The misery it’s causing me, it’s unbearable. I’m just a pawn in this twisted game.
I can smell the rotting blood on its murderous hands; it’s very close, I know, but where? My ears are being tortured by its screeching laugh, it’s just like a screaming banshee that’s being strangled.
Satan! He’s dragged me from heaven! Where am I going, well falling? I am sinking into an abyss.
I hate it! If his son didn’t try to kill me, it wouldn’t have fallen from that cliff and…
Anyway, that was years ago; all of the people that the gremlin has murdered, tortured, kidnapped and committed a multitude of even worse sins for his own benefit and fun, he doesn’t care. He isn’t bothered that he’s sick and evil; he deserves to suffer like all of those families!
Now where is this shocked little angel falling …could it be….hell?
Katrina Urhegyi
Saturday night!
All alone, the biting rain battered at my skin. I didn’t know where to go, just carried on walking south, far away from disaster. The rain hardened and I couldn’t take the pain, it was like the rain was eating my face away bit by bit. Thinking of the memories, the good ones to erase the hurt, but all was ruined by the dreadful ones which kept re-entering my confused mind.
In the distance, a flicker of light emerged out of pure blackness; It looked like a bolt of lightning. As the rain poured down relentlessly, I got closer and noticed that it was shelter. With relief, I pounced to the warmth of the light in delight, but unexpectedly, the ground collapsed, dragging my whole body down. I yelled desperately to save my life…
I grabbed on to anything I could, fragments of dirt and rock crumbled away at the tips of my fingers. I crashed to the ground below, mud and stones surrounding me like elves wishing to take my life. Trying to drag myself up, through shock and pain, my body was throbbing in fear. I gripped on to the walls but it just crumbled away as they were spongy and damp from the rain; it was like when children play with clay and its moisture causes it to break effortlessly.
My eyes were burning in pain, unable to actually see much around me. I rubbed my eyes trying to ascertain my location; I glared around and could vaguely see an opening to a tunnel. A small, cramped, narrow tunnel dripping with water droplets causing an annoying sound to fill my mind with scary images of what lay beyond. Cobwebs were hanging from the rear top of the tunnel. I peered up to see if I could mount an ascent back up but it was too high. I continued to scream for help but no one was around at this time and is was too cold to stay there till break of dawn. The only way to go, I subsequently decided, was through the damp, deadly tunnel. All on my own and with the fear of all creatures beyond eating away at my mind.
Charlotte Moss
The Fog
Where am I?
What am I doing here?
The Freezing, winter winds brushed across my red cheeks. What was that? I started sprinting. As I was running, the sound was getting further and further away - luckily. I paused for a breath; my stomach was churning as nervous tension took over my body.
I looked up, all I could see around me was mud; creepy trees and bushes rose above me, I was terrified. That sound was coming back, returning to my ear drums, but nothing was there again: I thought I might just be hearing things yet again. I looked back up for the second time and I started seeing things; I thought I might just be hallucinating, but they were strange things entering my pupils...
Extremely strange things were coming towards me, I had never seen anything like them before and I have never heard anything like that noise either; this truly was a really odd place. I started running again trying to find my way out of this horrid place; it was like a never ending forest. I have never been anywhere like it at this moment in time couldn’t see any way out.
Tara Gerrard
The Mass Murder (opening) by Hannah Williams
A young blonde woman named Teresa, was walking down a dark alley way, when she heard a screeching, blood curdling noise, which had come from the gloomy warehouse behind her. She inquisitively turned and walked towards, and through, the dark opening of the warehouse and immediately felt an uneasy presence, which came along with a stale, alcoholic smell. She stepped back in fear, only to find that the door had been closed and locked. This caused mass panic and as she struggled to find an exit; she managed to fall over a collection of dusty boxes which crunched like bones upon her fall.
As she picked herself up she noticed a shadow lurking in the distance, which sent a shiver down her spine. This shadow stood out from the dull moonlight which flooded the warehouse. As she glared up at the enormous shadow, a hand grabbed her fragile neck and pushed her against the wall. She lost consciousness for a moment and as she came round, a bearded man with a scar on his right cheek appeared threateningly; he lunged a knife at her throat and slit her throat open. He dropped her violently onto the floor, she sat there crying cradling her neck and as she started to blackout, she heard sirens in the background, she thought she was saved…
The Opposite!
By Emma Hargreaves
I felt like I was trapped in one of those terrifying nightmares, the ones we have all experienced where you have to run, run till your lungs burst but you can’t make your body move fast enough.
Why would I want to run? I’m sure he cares and loves me more than any other person has felt. I remember when he first told me…
Gazing in to his romantic eyes, it was like we were made for each over; it was all so perfect. We were lying on a chequered quilt in the middle of an outstretched forest, with the blistering sun shining on our pale white faces. The air was so fresh, like the moist grass when it’s just been cut. I have never seen him act like this; he burst out into unstoppable tears. He would not stop, then he told me. I wanted to disappear into thin air and just get him away. I was so nervous and petrified but I loved him.
Knowing about this I couldn’t depart and leave him, it would fracture my heart, leave it in splinters unable to be repaired. I felt like we were in a fairytale, the creature what he had transformed into was so unbelievable. I should have figured it out. I trusted him, he would never harm anyone not even another creature; he was like a feather-soft, even though he was the most powerful predator in the universe.
There was only one word to describe him; the word would have to have the complete opposite meaning to the term ‘human race’; it would have to be opposite, whatever that would be.
We were lying still.
Falling in love with this beautiful beast was putting me in greater danger, the most peril I have ever been in before, but did I actually care? This is a question I can’t answer; all I know is that we were in love. We closed our eyes flawlessly and lay in each others arms.
The next morning I woke up with the blinding sun scorching my wintry face covered in fresh morning dew; I could see the shimmering blue sky way above blemished with clouds. Feeling for my rough, brightly coloured bag I eventually retrieved it, picking it up, looking round, not knowing where I was. I was so anxious.
I started to her voices coming from many places around me; I was spinning round internally, fear taking over me. What was happening? I turned round and he was there. I remember him whispering, "with ice in my heart". I watched him, prepared to defend me. His intense concentration betrayed no hint of doubt, though he was outnumbered...
I knew that we could expect no help-at this moment. Black eyes, wild with their fierce craving for my death, watched for the moment when my protector’s attention would be diverted. I stumbled to the ground and my eyes shut immediately. All I knew was that I was fainting and eventually darkness consumed me. I woke up and it was a battle field; I was desperately looking around for some clues to what was happening but as I did so something hit me with great force.
I woke up with a bite mark on my arm, blood was dripping profusely out, pouring I put my head down and thought of OPPOSITE…..
Saturday 10 October 2009
Thursday 1 October 2009
Yr 8 Creative Writing
As part of the Crime Unit of work, pupils have been creating crime stories.
What do you think of them?
The heavens opened leaving the soil heavy and difficult to traverse. The rain poured like an incessant tirade of arrows raining onto their faces causing them to bow their heads solemnly, like holy monks hiding their true personalities. The biting wind ate into their faces, ravaging the skin and causing agonising pain. The grit was forced upwards from the gusts, like a sandstorm in the desert, sending acidic tasting stone into the three men’s gasping mouths as they wandered along the isolated path, cursing and muttering with their loot.
The wind whistled and whined like a demoniac monster caged, ready to torment the world; from the depths of the monster’s stomach came a rumble before sparks flew across the sky lighting up the marshland and exposing the sea lashing upon the rocks. The monster spat upon the earth relentlessly and the pathway, eroded by years of saltwater smelt like it carried disease from long ago and the sludge brought up bubbles to the surface with each plunge of a foot.
The meeting place lay ahead, the light was flickering in the distance providing a warm beacon of security yet in between, lurking in the shadows, was a more frightening beast than they had ever encountered in all their years searching for adventure.
Anonymous.
He was walking home through the thick black night. It was not very light; the street light were as dim as a person who had lost a relative. He heard some one in the distance but he could see no one. He could taste and smell dry blood and suddenly a flash off light appeared so brightly it blinded him. The smell and taste of blood was much bigger, but now he could feel it on his chest . In the distance there was the sound of fainted sirens; then it was gone.
Hanibul Carcosky was a serial killer who kills for two reasons revenge and a meal . Hanibul is a cold harted Russian . he grew up in hard times when there was little food and as a result they would eat the oldest person in their family. he always wore black no other coulers. he was baled and had no faccal hair and was around 6ft . He rarley showed his face most of the time with his hood up and head down because when he was young everybody made fun off him. He dreamed that one day he would be famous and everybody would know his name. This made him angry and he wanted revenge.
For the rest off his school life he had no friends until he met a girl called Rachel . She was as beauiful as a thousand daffodils in the summer; they started to go out . The people who made fun off him got jealous. They told her to meet the lake and they told her it was hanibul who was going to meet her......
Matthew Heap.
It was late, I could hear the whistling of the trees as they swayed in the breeze. I could taste the stiffness of the air as it blew against my lips. I could smell the disguisting odour of dead, decaying animals. It was so cold that my fingers became numb. As the wind blew against my hands it was like glass piercing my skin. I could see the owls staring at me, watching my every move like a night guard. But suddenly I saw a light, I could hear the humming of car tyres on the road. As i walked towards the road, I saw a sign board reading 10 miles to Eccles. I thought, how would I get home? Suddenly a car came speeding towards me. It was a man speeding home from work. Then I pulled a gun out of my pocket, and I pointed it at the car. The man came out of the car and lay down on the floor. He had a black jacket and some blue jeans. My hands were so numb that as hard as I tried to pull the trigger I couldnt. So I told the man to remain down. I jumped straight in the car then as i drove forward, the man stood up and pulled out his phone. Before he could dial any number I aimed and shot him in the stomach and straightaway he collapsed. I then drove back to him and I saw him lying in a pool of his own blood....
Wande Akande.
The sky was as dark as coal and the only light in the sky was the shine off the moon. Nobody was around and all you could hear was the owl's 'toot'. You couldn't see anything in front of you , it was as if the world was ending right before your very eyes. You could taste the moisture in the air from when it has rained a few hours before. You could smell the freshly cut grass and the only thing you could touch was the air. A figure appeared out of the darkness as a squirell would emerge from it's heirbournation.
He was walking towards me and his hair was as bright as the sun, his eyes as blue as the sky and his skin as pale as the leaves in autumn. He had a green t-shirt on which was as green as the grass in spring. He had a brown, leather jacket on with black pants and shoes as red as blood. You could hear the sound of sirens all around you and the hum of the helicopters way above in the deep, dark blue sky. I walked on down the lifeless street and the street lamps were flickering on and off. The atmosphere was suffocating, I could hardly breath, It was as if all the happiness has gone from the world.
I arrived at my house in the morning and the police were there. I wondered what was going on. I walked pacefully over to the police officer and I asked him "What's happened here?"
He replied "There has been a murder!" As soon as I heard those excruciating words, I ran in the house to see the evidence for myself. There they were, my parents, lay there on the floor, drenched in their own blood. I fell to the floor and lurking inside me was a feeling of anger and revenge.
Karyn Tope.
A normal day was about to turn into the most terrifying few hours of my life. It was just an ordinary, draining Wednesday and I had just got home from work, I turned the T.V. and was flicking through the channel when the news came on, at that moment a small lead pipe came crashing through my window, my door flew off it’s hinges and in walked a tall, slim man wearing a stripy suit and a balaclava. He was as big as an elephant and as scary as a raging bull. He demanded that I gave him my money; he said we could form an unstoppable partnership and took me off to train. In two weeks we was robbing KFC for fun, but this wasn’t enough I wanted something bigger and better. I wanted to do something no one had ever attempted before I was going to assassinate the Queen.
The tension was building in my stomach, day by day I was ticking off the days on my calendar. It was the day before and I was trembling, it was like the earth was trembling before me. I was rehearsing with him and I was sure I was going mental as I was seeing double. We set off at 4:30am and set off for our 3-hour trip to London. When we arrived I set off sprinting towards the palace. When I got there I slipped in the back window and hide under a table in the main court. Outside I heard gunfire; then it stopped. A Ford Transit came smashing through the doors I used this chance, catching the guards off guard I hurled my self the queen, I picked her up and threw her into the van. We steamed off just as the Royal guard started to fire. There gunshots hit the back wheel punchering the back tire.
We drove all the way to Portsmouth before stopping and getting out our load; it was then when he took of his mask. He was a Russian called Michael and had a rough face with a deep slit under his right eye. He told me to finish her and with one sufficient blow she was dead, I just kept bashing her with the lead pipe just to check she was dead then I threw her into the cold frosty North Sea.
I had had done it, I had successfully assassinated the Queen. I was a criminal mastermind. Eventually we emigrated to Columbia and haven’t been bothered since.
Dillon Martin.
You could taste the bitterness of the night as the light got closer and closer ; like being dragged out of the world into heaven. the stench of the sewers was unbearable ; the fog made my sight limited. I heard the screech of car brakes as a car came round the corner at blinding speed ; it wasn't slowing down. I heard someone else breathing near me as I was knocked to the floor. I felt the coldness as the little life left in me was being drained out of my body. the car had stopped and a man was walking towards me ; he pulled out a gun, I could tell his finger was on the trigger. BANG!!!surly I was dead,surely he had pulled the trigger. Yes , I heard it . I was certain. I was dead.
I opened my eyes hoping that i was in heaven ,but no I was back in the old stinky dark street ; there was a dead body next to me , the car door still open. I tried to move but my legs were broken. There was nobody around ,no one I could see! I heard heavy footsteps getting louder and louder but I could still see nobody.
Ben Talbot.
The rain was pouring down and the sky was dark. I could feel the rain in my shoes and could smell the petrol from the cars. I could hear the rain bouncing off the floor as I was walking through the dark narrow road. As I got closer to home the rain got worse; the wind picked up. I started to feel lonely.
I saw the shadow of a young boy limping round the corner like a wounded soldier. He got clearer as he got closer; he had something in his hand, maybe a knife. I heard a screeching sound coming from him; he was crying “help, help”. I didn’t know what to do, I realised he had blood coming from his chest. I rang 911, but it was too late.
I rose from my bed the next morning, slowly walked down the stairs and made myself a cup of coffee. I said to myself slowly “what happened last night”. My mind went blank. I got up and whilst rubbing my eyes I checked the mail. “Bills, bills, bills and more bills, there was a wet crumpled up piece of paper. I took it into the front room and opened it up...
I read it; it was like a blackmail letter or something. It said I had to follow instructions, or else my family would be involved. They somehow knew about the boy’s death last night. What should I do go to the police or follow the instructions?
Daniel Bartos.
An Eternal Night
Walking home was a simple five minute journey, this time however it felt like an eternity. As well as my vision being limited by the fog, I could hear the plodding of another life. Increasing my speed crept to mind like a drop of water slithering down glass; however the small and silent steps just got quicker and quicker. I could start to smell a metal object, the smell was as clear as the fog before me. I started running. I fell, and struggled to turn my body; as a black figure came towards me. I could taste the rain trickle into my mouth, but by the time I: saw his face; smelt his breath; herd his voice it was too late….
He was tall with a devastating low voice, it chilled my bones as he whispered “sorry” in my ear his cold stale hand sunk the knife into my freezing cold stomach; as he torn it out of my flesh he whipped my blood on his face. My eye lids sank like sand bags were hooked to them.
The day of the crime…
8:15am again. Can’t believe I can wake up after a night like that. I could hear the TV in the front room. The news shouting out “Daily news and once again there is another murder,” nobody seemed to care any more; as there was a murder every day, the city was falling to pieces. All it was now was a battle field between us, the criminals, and them the, police; I was almost caught last night, can’t take another risky robbery like that again. Should have learnt by now that old Mrs. Patterson has a secrete alarm MUPET!
Usual morning, I think: woke up in whoever’s house; ate their breakfast; loaded my gun and set off. Walking down the street I noticed the work of us in the city. Laughed to myself I did, just walked on past police after police. They’d never know it was me, too busy working, or so they say; that day flew, flew like a bugatti with no speed limit. Before I knew it was 8:45pm. I was meant to be meeting JJ at 9 so I set off quick; got there about 9:15 “sorry lads, so any way are you ready?” I asked “come on then” replied JJ.
By Jacob Owens
The trees were rustling as if the were cold .I could see the hunting for a feast. The dark black night urged me towards the unwanting house. The owls were hooting and it was echoing around the house. I could smell Mrs.partridge burning left over food. I began to taste the leftover food burning in my mouth, when, a small petite figure emerged from behind a tree. A man strolled casually up to me as if he wasn’t in a rush, and began to speak. I couldn’t understand what he was saying as it was in Irish; his voice was as deep as the midnight sun. His hair was extremely spiky as if he had been electrocuted. He wore baggy clothes that made him look like a mop. He spoke with a deep voice he had deep set eyes as if they were going to pop.
Then he grabbed my hair; forced me towards the house. I was shaking like the trees .He pushed me into the living room and said in English “I have just killed my wife and you need to help me cover it up or I will kill you”
I sat there in shock I had to do it so I said “where is it, where is the body
I started shacking
“Upstairs” He grunted and handed me a bottle of bleach and a mop.
“Right ill go and dig a hole, you go mop it up and cover it in bleach and don’t to forget to bag the body up and throw it down the stairs to bruise it a bit” he grunted I was horrified by his gruesome tone.
I had no choice I had to do it so I trudged upstairs opened all the doors and in two of them I found his children sleeping this just became more horrific, how were they going to feel when they woke up and had no mother ? .
I had to concentrate and get on with the job; I opened the last door to find the dead body lying on the floor swamped in blood. I began by putting the body in the bag it smelt like a farm and was as cold as ice.
I threw it down stairs and cried as I did so. I mopped the floor and got the shower head and started to wash the blood away I bleached the floor and the knife. The bathroom looked new.
By Jessica Latham 8H.
The rain was as heavy as weights it poured down on his sweaty brow. You could smell the fear of the man alone in the alley. You could hear the scuttling of the man’s heavy brown shoes. He tasted a sour cup or coffee. His eyes darting from left to right. The dark sky covered what was once clear blue like a blanket. He licked his lips trying to form saliva. He heard a door slam as a dark silhouette stepped out. The figure walked closely to the man. Lightning shone as heavy rain fell. He could see half of the mysterious figures face. Of what he could see was a dark face with two scars on his cheeks. Lightning struck again; it was getting worse. The man walked closer to the opposing figure he wanted his feet to stop but the curiosity led him on like a spell. He was transfixed. The face of the figure was rough with deep wavy wrinkles set into his forehead. His eyes were a dark brown nearly black; his hair thinning at the top of his scalp.
As he carried on staring at his cold emotionless face. He stepped forward daring to carry on towards the criminal. The streets were empty except for the autumn leaves. The criminal started to charge forward like a bull. The young man tried to run away, he threw of his blazer and tie for less weight. The criminal stopped and slipped into the night. The young man gave a sigh of relief. He thought he was safe but what he didn’t know was that he was about to make the biggest mistake of his life...
The young man took a shortcut through the woods. He was getting worked up; the annoyance had just hit him. His eyes were twitching, he rubbed his eyes and while his sight was hidden he heard stumbling. He smelt in a smoky smell. “The criminal!” He stopped, his heart beating a 100 miles an hour.
His legs were like frozen ice blocks they wouldn’t move (even though he really wanted them to.)
His eyes turned right, a figure ran away from his sight. The sparkle in his eyes disappeared. He started to step back. He saw the figure run past him again but now with another body, he heard a woman screaming: “HELP ME HELP ME!” He had two options: Help the woman and risk his own life or leave now and save himself. He started to turn and run in the opposite direction. The guilt seeped through his head. “It wasn’t my fault, was it?” “No, no it wasn’t me; I didn’t hear or see anything.” “What was the first sign of madness again?”
He finally got back to his house. His hands were shaking as he got out his keys. He reached into his pocket rummaging for some pills. He searched and searched. As he finally got the pills a man shouted his name.
“It’s all in my head;” he thought...
By Holly Taylor 8V
The sky was as dark as coal with a foul odour lurking in the air. The trees were howling in the wind. Nothing was in sight except a car's dimmed headlights. The ground was filling with rain. It was as cold as ice and I didn't know why I was out. Suddenly, I saw a black daunting figure approaching closer to me. He beckoned me to come forward. I refused, but he persisted. I could smell and taste my own fear and I thought he could too. It was too dark to see what he was wearing but I could tell he wasn't going to a party. I could hear him mutter something but couldn't make a sentence out of it. He was a lot taller than me ,even from a distance. He had a cigarette in his mouth. All of a sudden, a lamppost flickered on like a flash of lightning. I could see he was wearing tracksuit bottoms with a sort of army style top. Many scars were visible on his face. He had a star tattoo on his neck. He didn't look friendly, not my type of guy.
Blood was dripping from his right hand. He met up with a hooded figure. Then handed over a jewellery bag with a necklace hanging out of it. Suddenly, I heard a voice ask,
" So how was the robbery? " Then I heard another voice answering,
" It went as smooth as a babies skin. No-one saw me at anytime during it. "
My heart missed a beat. I couldn't believe it. Just then, a police siren came whirring round the corner and as I turned to look at the figures, I could just see fleeing shadows.
By Matthew Jackson
The gas man , by adam corker 8m The sun was shining like the gates of heaven , opening to let me in . I could smell the stench of four week old body odour, then i saw this piercingly young man in the foot of my driveway! he tolled me he was from the gas company, coming to cheek my metre, so I opened my gates and let him walk right in .it was when i saw the blood dripping from down his arm .he told me he cut his self , but I new there wasn’t something quite right about him .i could taste his body odour in my mouth ! I heard a scream coming from his car ;he grabbed me and whispered "your about to die ".... I felt as if my heart ran out my throat and dived right in again! I stuttered, not knowing what to say or what to do .i remember every detail from that day, every little bit... He had piercingly blue eyes with brown short hair and a scar on his cheek. He was wearing grey overalls ,with a badge that read "Rolf Davies"! Then i realised, he was the Salford sicko .he was a murderer. he felt as soft as feathers and didn’t seem to be how i would imagine a murderer to be like . He tied me up with electric cord that he had punched from my wall . I could feel it ripping into my skin! I tied to my kitchen chair, he left me and walked upstairs to look around my 5 bedroom house .I could see the alarm button under my sink ,i fell of the chair trying to get to it ."BANG”, my chair went as I fell. Then the man come running down the stairs, he ran towards me and hit me with a gun! I blacked out! I woke around 26 minutes later to find my house had been ransack ,everything gone .I grabbed a near by knife and cut my self free .I ran as fast as I could to the nearby police station. 2 months on and still, nobody found or no explanation for what he did to me. All i was left with was the fear and nightmares I would get ,whenever I closed my eyes !
Adam Corker.
The sun had disappeared like it had been stolen, the clouds above were moist and all the sweet air had been blown into the distance. There was nobody to be seen when a dark gloomy figure set off towards me. It was like they where there all along. The howling wind stopped; there wasn't a sound to be heard. I felt the breath of somebody breathe on my neck but there was nobody in sight. I could see the crack of light in the distance, then the gloomy figure appeared in front of me but this time I could see his face. His skin looked liked as ruff as sand paper and he had giant bags under his eyes, he had these enormous white feathery wings that shined in the moon lit sky. He looked tired, as if he hadn't slept for a whole year or if he had been on a long air flight. The coldness crept in; the wind swirled round us, as we were static. I could see his warm breath being swallowed in the mid-night cold air. He was just stood there staring at me; it was if he was staring at his reflection in a shop window. His chin stuck out and curved at the end as if it was a hook. I knew that I wouldn't like to meet him on a cold dark winters night but I was too late. I could hear a dog barking, I turned back " I'm here, it's ok " he said reassuringly and his words swirled around us tighter and tighter. I knew I couldn't, and wouldn't trust him. I hated my life. I hated everything that I did I didn't know why I had got in so deep. This thing, human, man, monster dissolved into thin air. I walked down to the corner as rapidly as I could; he flew up behind me " BOO! You can't get rid of me that easily. Surly you didn't think that you could did you?" He glided across the road "Follow me." I didn't want to but I didn't want to face the consequences. He spotted an open window he dashed over to it.
"Your first time, is it?" he questioned.
" First time doing what? " I frowned.
" Once you have got rid of the blood it's easy, but don't leave any evidence" he said smiling. The thing that made it scarier was that he was being serious. He took a look through the window but didn't see anything; there were no lights on. He took a tremendous leap and swooped through the window. I sprinted over to the bin and knelt down behind it. I heard a little scream but I thought that it was just all my imagination but I wasn't too sure. Did he have the guts to go in a stranger’s house and commit a murder? The ground was damp as there had been a downpour earlier. I noticed his shadow projected against the brick wall. My heart pounded and it felt like I had just been struck with lightening. He swaggered over to me holding a knife covered in blood, unfortunately that wasn't the only thing covered in blood. He was covered head to toe in sticky red blood. I was shaking with fear; I panicked trembling to my feet. I had to go, I charged down the street like a tiger hunts down it's pray. I stopped, above there was a streetlight flickering, and I noticed there was a nasty horrible smell that lingered in the air. I didn't feel safe. I arrived at home; there were 4 police cars parked up on the drive. I walked in worried crying with horror. Why had I got in to deep? I had to tell them everything that happened. I was stupid.
Sarah Linney
His relaxed, arrogant, sickening swagger evolved into a sort of power walk, he began to crunch his face up as if he was in pane; His face began to turn red it was like watching a kettle boil. Sweat began to drip off his poorly tended mahogany brown hair; The night sky engulfed the sun. His evil heart was in his mouth he was nervous for some reason it didn't feel right he pondered and thought about what he was going to do; He had all of the vital equipment and he made up his mind he was going to do it he had his trusty Swiss army knife and on close range it was deadly; The sun was gone the only light was the moon and there wasn't much of that either. His broad dark figure was menacing his abnormal scar over his right eye made him look even more terrifying finally the psycho killer was born and the streets were his play ground.
As the Friday night was in full swing Thomas took refuge in the back alleys because there were police vans and squad teams on every corner but they weren't here too stop fights they were here to catch the Manchester killer and besides being a wanted vigilante all over Europe it isn't wise to be strolling the streets in plane sight as he would be arrested and charged with mass murder without a seconds hesitation. Time flew by and the first victims of the night arrived stumbling and wobbling like a knew born calf "better make it quick" thought Tom immediately the knife had entered the rather young and good looking women's neck she gave out a pitiful whimper as she plunged to the cobbled path the other person was a male he looked quite broad and healthy but Tom had the upper hand as the male could barely stand up let alone run so swiftly Thomas drove the knife into his victims chest as he twisted the blood stained Knife Thomas looked left and right there was no witnesses so now that Tom had satisfied his needs he scarped and disappeared into the night.
The next morning Tom was woken by the bellowing sound of the t.v he plodded into the living room and flopped onto the sofa when there was a sudden bang and a very eager police force charged in and arrested him Tom looked up as the sergeant gloated and walked away, Tom didn't notice; the girl in the window.
Dylan Barrett.
The ground was as cold as ice whereas the weather was as hot as the top of a fire i could see all around me i was in a wood, the woods of manchester i could taste the sweat dribble into my mouth i could feel the fear build up inside me as the dreaded manchester murderer appeared from the fog, i could hear children screaming my mummy's dead or my daddy's dead he was 10 feet away 9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...he was right infront of me i could see him he was as tall as a baby giraffe (7ft) i was sweating more than ever now i could feel it dripping down my face, i kept saying over and over in my head im going to die ,im going to die he was just about to sink the knife into my stomach but i woke up "thank god "i said. Me and my family had always felt safe because i am in the police force. In my dream i saw the manchester murderer clear but im awake now and his face i clearer than ever maybe just maybe its a deja vu i mean not everyone has a dream where they see something and then they see the same something when they wake up.
Thomas Hughes
The Unexpected Guest
3 Febuary 1999
"From the moment he saw the three tracks,he knew they'd been.The wind was ravenously biting at the tips of his fingers.He could taste the salt in the air,drifting from the sea.his nose picked up the overpowering smell of crime stifeled the air around him.Adrealine pumped vigourously throughout his body as he watched a silouette melted into his line of vision ; slowly like a predator on its prey,The figure edged towards me with uneasy steps.As his feaures appeared in frotn of my eyes i found i had an unnclear vision as he had such a deep complexion and was missing any distinguishing features.An unrecognisible person.As he watched me lazily lolling against the lampost he stood under using it like a support.His bleak and dull eyes bore into me like two screws into a plank.He walked with a slow amble, as if his own wait weighed him down.
Later on, in the next estate he observed a crime been comitted.The trio of criminals tentivley approached the door of the 2 bedroom house ;one placed his hand on the door handle and began to turn itas a sweat began to form underneath his mask.The couple inside were oblivious to this and carried on their coversation."Would you like a cup of tea ay love?"The husband asked.She replied witha sigh and a thank you.rubbing her hand protectivley over her baby.Her husban looked admirlingly at his son to be.Back outside the triangle of criminal masterminds had there ears pricked waiting for the man to leave the rom.His shadow passed and as planned, one knocked and they hid in three separate places as he opened the door.To reasure himself he wasn't missing anything he opened it again and took the impact of a blow big enough to wind him and knock him to the floor.Immediateley,the men were in like rats in a cupboard of cheese. His wife had heard this commotion and instinctivley hid and phoned the emergency numbers and was explaining in hushed whispers to the officer when her words were cut short by the third mugger taking the phone away ,he dragged her with her hands held protectivley over her child into her own bedroom shrieking "My child!My child!".Her husband sat at gun point while he listen to her pleading and trembeling.The thiefs left with no more than a car.
This was an extract from the diray of phil taylors counsillour showing a recount of a crime .Three days later it was found stuffed in a shoe and both bodies were fond out in the woods.
Asia Williams
The rain started, and she was as cold as ice. The sound of the rain was ear piercing as it trickled down the windows of the warehouse Stacy was in. Stacy could not hear or see anything but could feel something soggy on the floor, she could smell what she thought was a mouldy kebab, Stacy let out a big burp and could taste last nights garlic bread. It went quiet, and then tap tap BANG someone was coming but who, why and what did they want!?
Stacy lay still on the floor hoping that whoever this person was they would go away but they didn’t, Stacy could hear the footsteps getting closer and closer, until they stopped. Stacy lay there wondering what was going to happen next when all of a sudden BANG, SPLASH, AHHHHH, Stacy screamed as the body of what looked like a teenage girl fell on her. The girl had been stabbed in the back and the blade of the knife just missed her ribs.
Rikki Thompson.
My name is Becky Scarlot, i'm 12 years old yet still the class nerd. I have recently got a laptop and been into stuff like Msn, facebook and miniclip. I like to keep all personal stuff to my self, like this boy named Alex, he added me on facebook a while ago and now we're really close. His full name is outstanding! Alex Josh Beckham, i adored it. It was the 11th today; it dragged like it does when it's Christmas eve. I kept growling to myself. "Dog!" shouted my little sister Teagen trying to tease me."oo suppose your boyfriend Jack is to wit woo!" she gave me a dirty look yet growled. "dog" i began to say but laughed instead.Alex is off line i grumbled! It was already 11pm. I best of getting to bed before i snooze on the couch i thought as i sipped on my coffee and following up to my bedroom. 'BANG!' a shudder went through my house "HAHA!" Teagen laughed looking below her feet to see me fallen out of bed."Not again" i moaned still trying to wake up properly from the shock."i'll help you up sweetie pie." my mum answered me as she walked through the door. "Go down stairs and get your breakfast Teagen and do your sisters to.""Ha!" i laughed and she walked away with jealousy.I got ready to go out i wore; my favorite pants; my black top and my black comfy pumps. "Cya later mum." i shouted."Where you going doll?" She shouted back to me."Cinema with my friend bye." I shut the door then seen my bus outside my house, i ran and finally made it. "80p please." i held it over and sat down next to the window.I got off the bus near te cinema, i made it 2 minutes early with a man waiting besides me. The time had flown to fifteen minutes, but no one was here, i was gutted by him letting me down and slowly made my way back to the bus stop through a little forest. I heard footsteps behind me, they drew nearer, i turned around to find myself standing with the man that was at the cinema. He had a sharp object in his hand. I Began to walk again but fastly moving, the man trembled with fear but grabbed my shoulder and span me back around. The first thing that came to my mind was scream, so i did. He put his filthy hand around my mouth, i could taste the thick heavy smoke lying on them. The sharp object began to approach my arm it felt like i was being thrown about in a room full of spikes. I couldn't see anymore, my eyes began to go blury, then 2 minutes later, i was unconcious.I awoken to find myself in a cage, i tried to look around but it was too dark to see, the only thing shown was my phone light. I tried to get it out my pocket so i did a roly poly because my hands were tightly tied behind my back. It fell out. "Teagen calling.." I growled and screamed. "AHHH Where am i?" A door began to open i got my phone with my teeth and lunged it behind my back. It was the man at the cinema who appeared to be standing at the door. He had a large pointing object this time, but it was physically pointing straight at me.The filthy hands opened the cage to grab my body. He lay me on the floor running the knife along my body. The only way off saving was to fight back but my mother never told me to fight back but this time i had to. As i kicked him on his head he shot back with blood on his nose. I grabbed the knife and began to release myself free from the rope, i turned the light on to find a boy around my age sitting in another cage. I gasped "Are you okay?" I opened the cage with no key and cut his ropes to."Yes i'm Alex Josh Beckham thank you so much what is your name? i can't believe i'm out. What happened?" "You're Alex? I'm Becky Scarlot. I don't know what happened." We both looked at each other amazed. "How do we get out of here?" he exclaimed as he attempted to open the door."Theres a key in his pocket. i saw him putting it back in!" i ran to his pocket to find myself touching something sharp in there. I began to get dizzy and loose my speech.""Becky!" Called Alex. "What's wrong? it was in this pocket, come on!" Alex realized what had happened now, he looked around for help but he only saw a phone, he picked it up and carried me outside."999" he whispered to me. "Hello me and my friend are lost! We had been kidnapped and we are standing next to a stadium, it looks like united. We're on a field, beside a shed! I'm called Alex Josh Beckham and my friend is Becky Scarlot, she's unconscious though because she got stabbed by a needly! Come straight away thanks.""We'll be there in a minute." they answered.Alex ran to the ambulance and police man when they arrived. "Go in there." said the police women. Alex walked in with me still in his arms, he lay me down on the ambulance bed while they took my pulse and gave me oxygen. I arrived in hospital with the television on. "Becky Scarlot found alive with a boy aged 12.""Are you okay?" Alex asked me as he stood beside the bed."Yes thank you." i smiled at him and saw my mum running in. "Mum!" i cried and hugged her really tight."Becky it's been two weeks, i know everything what has happened it will be okay!" she turned to the boy. "Are you okay to and where is your family?""I'm alright thanks but i don't have a family." The boy put his head down."you can come and live with us?" She asked."I'd love to, but i'm much trouble and would rather not do any bother." He continued.Two years later i was walking to school with Alex. "What's for tea?" he asked me."Like i know? Why don't you ask my mum you do live there, and you can have anything you want now it's all sorted."We both laughed, he kissed me goodbye as we arrived at school. "Cya at the end off school" he laughed."You too." i shrieked and smiled.
Sian Protano.
The School Girl Mystery
I waited. The wind made the roundabout fall to pieces in front of eyes. I shivered. The wind howled in the dark night the moon pierced through the clouds at every chance it had. The trees stared at me like they’ve never seen s girl sat on the swing before. Dogs barked as thunder crashed lighting struck. Rain came tumbling down never ending. I looked up. There was nothing apart from the other swing swaying to and fro.
By Reagan Bowling 8 Marshall.
It’s dark. It’s cold, there’s nothing to be seen. I can taste the thick blinding smoke. I'm scared. The hearing of screaming is like the noise at a theme park; but I’m not at a theme park, I’m somewhere completely different. I can feel the sharp, needling stones on my rough fingers. I can smell burning its like when you burn food in the boiling hot oven and it turns black and crispy. I can’t see anything or anyone. Wait. I can see a figure shuffling across the street. His clothes are all in black like ashes his hands and face are covered in scars like he’s been attacked. His eyes are as blue as the sky on a beautiful summer’s day.I wonder what he’s done. He’s defiantly done something because he’s running away but what from? I can hear the defining police sirens in my ears; they’re getting closer and closer. I’m going to follow him, faster and faster I get, leaving a trail of fire behind me. I’m catching up; I reach a cheetah’s race track, the cars zooming so fast it’s like a rainbow road in space with all of the different coloured cars in the dark brushing past me.
Amy Rees.
What do you think of them?
The heavens opened leaving the soil heavy and difficult to traverse. The rain poured like an incessant tirade of arrows raining onto their faces causing them to bow their heads solemnly, like holy monks hiding their true personalities. The biting wind ate into their faces, ravaging the skin and causing agonising pain. The grit was forced upwards from the gusts, like a sandstorm in the desert, sending acidic tasting stone into the three men’s gasping mouths as they wandered along the isolated path, cursing and muttering with their loot.
The wind whistled and whined like a demoniac monster caged, ready to torment the world; from the depths of the monster’s stomach came a rumble before sparks flew across the sky lighting up the marshland and exposing the sea lashing upon the rocks. The monster spat upon the earth relentlessly and the pathway, eroded by years of saltwater smelt like it carried disease from long ago and the sludge brought up bubbles to the surface with each plunge of a foot.
The meeting place lay ahead, the light was flickering in the distance providing a warm beacon of security yet in between, lurking in the shadows, was a more frightening beast than they had ever encountered in all their years searching for adventure.
Anonymous.
He was walking home through the thick black night. It was not very light; the street light were as dim as a person who had lost a relative. He heard some one in the distance but he could see no one. He could taste and smell dry blood and suddenly a flash off light appeared so brightly it blinded him. The smell and taste of blood was much bigger, but now he could feel it on his chest . In the distance there was the sound of fainted sirens; then it was gone.
Hanibul Carcosky was a serial killer who kills for two reasons revenge and a meal . Hanibul is a cold harted Russian . he grew up in hard times when there was little food and as a result they would eat the oldest person in their family. he always wore black no other coulers. he was baled and had no faccal hair and was around 6ft . He rarley showed his face most of the time with his hood up and head down because when he was young everybody made fun off him. He dreamed that one day he would be famous and everybody would know his name. This made him angry and he wanted revenge.
For the rest off his school life he had no friends until he met a girl called Rachel . She was as beauiful as a thousand daffodils in the summer; they started to go out . The people who made fun off him got jealous. They told her to meet the lake and they told her it was hanibul who was going to meet her......
Matthew Heap.
It was late, I could hear the whistling of the trees as they swayed in the breeze. I could taste the stiffness of the air as it blew against my lips. I could smell the disguisting odour of dead, decaying animals. It was so cold that my fingers became numb. As the wind blew against my hands it was like glass piercing my skin. I could see the owls staring at me, watching my every move like a night guard. But suddenly I saw a light, I could hear the humming of car tyres on the road. As i walked towards the road, I saw a sign board reading 10 miles to Eccles. I thought, how would I get home? Suddenly a car came speeding towards me. It was a man speeding home from work. Then I pulled a gun out of my pocket, and I pointed it at the car. The man came out of the car and lay down on the floor. He had a black jacket and some blue jeans. My hands were so numb that as hard as I tried to pull the trigger I couldnt. So I told the man to remain down. I jumped straight in the car then as i drove forward, the man stood up and pulled out his phone. Before he could dial any number I aimed and shot him in the stomach and straightaway he collapsed. I then drove back to him and I saw him lying in a pool of his own blood....
Wande Akande.
The sky was as dark as coal and the only light in the sky was the shine off the moon. Nobody was around and all you could hear was the owl's 'toot'. You couldn't see anything in front of you , it was as if the world was ending right before your very eyes. You could taste the moisture in the air from when it has rained a few hours before. You could smell the freshly cut grass and the only thing you could touch was the air. A figure appeared out of the darkness as a squirell would emerge from it's heirbournation.
He was walking towards me and his hair was as bright as the sun, his eyes as blue as the sky and his skin as pale as the leaves in autumn. He had a green t-shirt on which was as green as the grass in spring. He had a brown, leather jacket on with black pants and shoes as red as blood. You could hear the sound of sirens all around you and the hum of the helicopters way above in the deep, dark blue sky. I walked on down the lifeless street and the street lamps were flickering on and off. The atmosphere was suffocating, I could hardly breath, It was as if all the happiness has gone from the world.
I arrived at my house in the morning and the police were there. I wondered what was going on. I walked pacefully over to the police officer and I asked him "What's happened here?"
He replied "There has been a murder!" As soon as I heard those excruciating words, I ran in the house to see the evidence for myself. There they were, my parents, lay there on the floor, drenched in their own blood. I fell to the floor and lurking inside me was a feeling of anger and revenge.
Karyn Tope.
A normal day was about to turn into the most terrifying few hours of my life. It was just an ordinary, draining Wednesday and I had just got home from work, I turned the T.V. and was flicking through the channel when the news came on, at that moment a small lead pipe came crashing through my window, my door flew off it’s hinges and in walked a tall, slim man wearing a stripy suit and a balaclava. He was as big as an elephant and as scary as a raging bull. He demanded that I gave him my money; he said we could form an unstoppable partnership and took me off to train. In two weeks we was robbing KFC for fun, but this wasn’t enough I wanted something bigger and better. I wanted to do something no one had ever attempted before I was going to assassinate the Queen.
The tension was building in my stomach, day by day I was ticking off the days on my calendar. It was the day before and I was trembling, it was like the earth was trembling before me. I was rehearsing with him and I was sure I was going mental as I was seeing double. We set off at 4:30am and set off for our 3-hour trip to London. When we arrived I set off sprinting towards the palace. When I got there I slipped in the back window and hide under a table in the main court. Outside I heard gunfire; then it stopped. A Ford Transit came smashing through the doors I used this chance, catching the guards off guard I hurled my self the queen, I picked her up and threw her into the van. We steamed off just as the Royal guard started to fire. There gunshots hit the back wheel punchering the back tire.
We drove all the way to Portsmouth before stopping and getting out our load; it was then when he took of his mask. He was a Russian called Michael and had a rough face with a deep slit under his right eye. He told me to finish her and with one sufficient blow she was dead, I just kept bashing her with the lead pipe just to check she was dead then I threw her into the cold frosty North Sea.
I had had done it, I had successfully assassinated the Queen. I was a criminal mastermind. Eventually we emigrated to Columbia and haven’t been bothered since.
Dillon Martin.
The sky was as dark as coal with a foul odour lurking in the air. The trees were howling in the wind. Nothing was in sight except a car's dimmed headlights. The ground was filling with rain. It was as cold as ice and I didn't know why I was out. Suddenly, I saw a black daunting figure approaching closer to me. He beckoned me to come forward. I refused, but he persisted. I could smell and taste my own fear and I thought he could too. It was too dark to see what he was wearing but I could tell he wasn't going to a party. I could hear him mutter something but couldn't make a sentence out of it. He was a lot taller than me ,even from a distance. He had a cigarette in his mouth. All of a sudden, a lamppost flickered on like a flash of lightning. I could see he was wearing tracksuit bottoms with a sort of army style top. Many scars were visible on his face. He had a star tattoo on his neck. He didn't look friendly, not my type of guy.
Blood was dripping from his right hand. He met up with a hooded figure. Then handed over a jewellery bag with a necklace hanging out of it. Suddenly, I heard a voice ask,
" So how was the robbery? " Then I heard another voice answering,
" It went as smooth as a babies skin. No-one saw me at anytime during it. "
My heart missed a beat. I couldn't believe it. Just then, a police siren came whirring round the corner and as I turned to look at the figures, I could just see fleeing shadows.
By Matthew JacksonYou could taste the bitterness of the night as the light got closer and closer ; like being dragged out of the world into heaven. the stench of the sewers was unbearable ; the fog made my sight limited. I heard the screech of car brakes as a car came round the corner at blinding speed ; it wasn't slowing down. I heard someone else breathing near me as I was knocked to the floor. I felt the coldness as the little life left in me was being drained out of my body. the car had stopped and a man was walking towards me ; he pulled out a gun, I could tell his finger was on the trigger. BANG!!!surly I was dead,surely he had pulled the trigger. Yes , I heard it . I was certain. I was dead.
I opened my eyes hoping that i was in heaven ,but no I was back in the old stinky dark street ; there was a dead body next to me , the car door still open. I tried to move but my legs were broken. There was nobody around ,no one I could see! I heard heavy footsteps getting louder and louder but I could still see nobody.
Ben Talbot.
The rain was pouring down and the sky was dark. I could feel the rain in my shoes and could smell the petrol from the cars. I could hear the rain bouncing off the floor as I was walking through the dark narrow road. As I got closer to home the rain got worse; the wind picked up. I started to feel lonely.
I saw the shadow of a young boy limping round the corner like a wounded soldier. He got clearer as he got closer; he had something in his hand, maybe a knife. I heard a screeching sound coming from him; he was crying “help, help”. I didn’t know what to do, I realised he had blood coming from his chest. I rang 911, but it was too late.
I rose from my bed the next morning, slowly walked down the stairs and made myself a cup of coffee. I said to myself slowly “what happened last night”. My mind went blank. I got up and whilst rubbing my eyes I checked the mail. “Bills, bills, bills and more bills, there was a wet crumpled up piece of paper. I took it into the front room and opened it up...
I read it; it was like a blackmail letter or something. It said I had to follow instructions, or else my family would be involved. They somehow knew about the boy’s death last night. What should I do go to the police or follow the instructions?
Daniel Bartos.
An Eternal Night
Walking home was a simple five minute journey, this time however it felt like an eternity. As well as my vision being limited by the fog, I could hear the plodding of another life. Increasing my speed crept to mind like a drop of water slithering down glass; however the small and silent steps just got quicker and quicker. I could start to smell a metal object, the smell was as clear as the fog before me. I started running. I fell, and struggled to turn my body; as a black figure came towards me. I could taste the rain trickle into my mouth, but by the time I: saw his face; smelt his breath; herd his voice it was too late….
He was tall with a devastating low voice, it chilled my bones as he whispered “sorry” in my ear his cold stale hand sunk the knife into my freezing cold stomach; as he torn it out of my flesh he whipped my blood on his face. My eye lids sank like sand bags were hooked to them.
The day of the crime…
8:15am again. Can’t believe I can wake up after a night like that. I could hear the TV in the front room. The news shouting out “Daily news and once again there is another murder,” nobody seemed to care any more; as there was a murder every day, the city was falling to pieces. All it was now was a battle field between us, the criminals, and them the, police; I was almost caught last night, can’t take another risky robbery like that again. Should have learnt by now that old Mrs. Patterson has a secrete alarm MUPET!
Usual morning, I think: woke up in whoever’s house; ate their breakfast; loaded my gun and set off. Walking down the street I noticed the work of us in the city. Laughed to myself I did, just walked on past police after police. They’d never know it was me, too busy working, or so they say; that day flew, flew like a bugatti with no speed limit. Before I knew it was 8:45pm. I was meant to be meeting JJ at 9 so I set off quick; got there about 9:15 “sorry lads, so any way are you ready?” I asked “come on then” replied JJ.
By Jacob Owens
The trees were rustling as if the were cold .I could see the hunting for a feast. The dark black night urged me towards the unwanting house. The owls were hooting and it was echoing around the house. I could smell Mrs.partridge burning left over food. I began to taste the leftover food burning in my mouth, when, a small petite figure emerged from behind a tree. A man strolled casually up to me as if he wasn’t in a rush, and began to speak. I couldn’t understand what he was saying as it was in Irish; his voice was as deep as the midnight sun. His hair was extremely spiky as if he had been electrocuted. He wore baggy clothes that made him look like a mop. He spoke with a deep voice he had deep set eyes as if they were going to pop.
Then he grabbed my hair; forced me towards the house. I was shaking like the trees .He pushed me into the living room and said in English “I have just killed my wife and you need to help me cover it up or I will kill you”
I sat there in shock I had to do it so I said “where is it, where is the body
I started shacking
“Upstairs” He grunted and handed me a bottle of bleach and a mop.
“Right ill go and dig a hole, you go mop it up and cover it in bleach and don’t to forget to bag the body up and throw it down the stairs to bruise it a bit” he grunted I was horrified by his gruesome tone.
I had no choice I had to do it so I trudged upstairs opened all the doors and in two of them I found his children sleeping this just became more horrific, how were they going to feel when they woke up and had no mother ? .
I had to concentrate and get on with the job; I opened the last door to find the dead body lying on the floor swamped in blood. I began by putting the body in the bag it smelt like a farm and was as cold as ice.
I threw it down stairs and cried as I did so. I mopped the floor and got the shower head and started to wash the blood away I bleached the floor and the knife. The bathroom looked new.
By Jessica Latham 8H.
The rain was as heavy as weights it poured down on his sweaty brow. You could smell the fear of the man alone in the alley. You could hear the scuttling of the man’s heavy brown shoes. He tasted a sour cup or coffee. His eyes darting from left to right. The dark sky covered what was once clear blue like a blanket. He licked his lips trying to form saliva. He heard a door slam as a dark silhouette stepped out. The figure walked closely to the man. Lightning shone as heavy rain fell. He could see half of the mysterious figures face. Of what he could see was a dark face with two scars on his cheeks. Lightning struck again; it was getting worse. The man walked closer to the opposing figure he wanted his feet to stop but the curiosity led him on like a spell. He was transfixed. The face of the figure was rough with deep wavy wrinkles set into his forehead. His eyes were a dark brown nearly black; his hair thinning at the top of his scalp.
As he carried on staring at his cold emotionless face. He stepped forward daring to carry on towards the criminal. The streets were empty except for the autumn leaves. The criminal started to charge forward like a bull. The young man tried to run away, he threw of his blazer and tie for less weight. The criminal stopped and slipped into the night. The young man gave a sigh of relief. He thought he was safe but what he didn’t know was that he was about to make the biggest mistake of his life...
The young man took a shortcut through the woods. He was getting worked up; the annoyance had just hit him. His eyes were twitching, he rubbed his eyes and while his sight was hidden he heard stumbling. He smelt in a smoky smell. “The criminal!” He stopped, his heart beating a 100 miles an hour.
His legs were like frozen ice blocks they wouldn’t move (even though he really wanted them to.)
His eyes turned right, a figure ran away from his sight. The sparkle in his eyes disappeared. He started to step back. He saw the figure run past him again but now with another body, he heard a woman screaming: “HELP ME HELP ME!” He had two options: Help the woman and risk his own life or leave now and save himself. He started to turn and run in the opposite direction. The guilt seeped through his head. “It wasn’t my fault, was it?” “No, no it wasn’t me; I didn’t hear or see anything.” “What was the first sign of madness again?”
He finally got back to his house. His hands were shaking as he got out his keys. He reached into his pocket rummaging for some pills. He searched and searched. As he finally got the pills a man shouted his name.
“It’s all in my head;” he thought...
By Holly Taylor 8V
The sky was as dark as coal with a foul odour lurking in the air. The trees were howling in the wind. Nothing was in sight except a car's dimmed headlights. The ground was filling with rain. It was as cold as ice and I didn't know why I was out. Suddenly, I saw a black daunting figure approaching closer to me. He beckoned me to come forward. I refused, but he persisted. I could smell and taste my own fear and I thought he could too. It was too dark to see what he was wearing but I could tell he wasn't going to a party. I could hear him mutter something but couldn't make a sentence out of it. He was a lot taller than me ,even from a distance. He had a cigarette in his mouth. All of a sudden, a lamppost flickered on like a flash of lightning. I could see he was wearing tracksuit bottoms with a sort of army style top. Many scars were visible on his face. He had a star tattoo on his neck. He didn't look friendly, not my type of guy.
Blood was dripping from his right hand. He met up with a hooded figure. Then handed over a jewellery bag with a necklace hanging out of it. Suddenly, I heard a voice ask,
" So how was the robbery? " Then I heard another voice answering,
" It went as smooth as a babies skin. No-one saw me at anytime during it. "
My heart missed a beat. I couldn't believe it. Just then, a police siren came whirring round the corner and as I turned to look at the figures, I could just see fleeing shadows.
By Matthew Jackson
The gas man , by adam corker 8m The sun was shining like the gates of heaven , opening to let me in . I could smell the stench of four week old body odour, then i saw this piercingly young man in the foot of my driveway! he tolled me he was from the gas company, coming to cheek my metre, so I opened my gates and let him walk right in .it was when i saw the blood dripping from down his arm .he told me he cut his self , but I new there wasn’t something quite right about him .i could taste his body odour in my mouth ! I heard a scream coming from his car ;he grabbed me and whispered "your about to die ".... I felt as if my heart ran out my throat and dived right in again! I stuttered, not knowing what to say or what to do .i remember every detail from that day, every little bit... He had piercingly blue eyes with brown short hair and a scar on his cheek. He was wearing grey overalls ,with a badge that read "Rolf Davies"! Then i realised, he was the Salford sicko .he was a murderer. he felt as soft as feathers and didn’t seem to be how i would imagine a murderer to be like . He tied me up with electric cord that he had punched from my wall . I could feel it ripping into my skin! I tied to my kitchen chair, he left me and walked upstairs to look around my 5 bedroom house .I could see the alarm button under my sink ,i fell of the chair trying to get to it ."BANG”, my chair went as I fell. Then the man come running down the stairs, he ran towards me and hit me with a gun! I blacked out! I woke around 26 minutes later to find my house had been ransack ,everything gone .I grabbed a near by knife and cut my self free .I ran as fast as I could to the nearby police station. 2 months on and still, nobody found or no explanation for what he did to me. All i was left with was the fear and nightmares I would get ,whenever I closed my eyes !
Adam Corker.
The sun had disappeared like it had been stolen, the clouds above were moist and all the sweet air had been blown into the distance. There was nobody to be seen when a dark gloomy figure set off towards me. It was like they where there all along. The howling wind stopped; there wasn't a sound to be heard. I felt the breath of somebody breathe on my neck but there was nobody in sight. I could see the crack of light in the distance, then the gloomy figure appeared in front of me but this time I could see his face. His skin looked liked as ruff as sand paper and he had giant bags under his eyes, he had these enormous white feathery wings that shined in the moon lit sky. He looked tired, as if he hadn't slept for a whole year or if he had been on a long air flight. The coldness crept in; the wind swirled round us, as we were static. I could see his warm breath being swallowed in the mid-night cold air. He was just stood there staring at me; it was if he was staring at his reflection in a shop window. His chin stuck out and curved at the end as if it was a hook. I knew that I wouldn't like to meet him on a cold dark winters night but I was too late. I could hear a dog barking, I turned back " I'm here, it's ok " he said reassuringly and his words swirled around us tighter and tighter. I knew I couldn't, and wouldn't trust him. I hated my life. I hated everything that I did I didn't know why I had got in so deep. This thing, human, man, monster dissolved into thin air. I walked down to the corner as rapidly as I could; he flew up behind me " BOO! You can't get rid of me that easily. Surly you didn't think that you could did you?" He glided across the road "Follow me." I didn't want to but I didn't want to face the consequences. He spotted an open window he dashed over to it.
"Your first time, is it?" he questioned.
" First time doing what? " I frowned.
" Once you have got rid of the blood it's easy, but don't leave any evidence" he said smiling. The thing that made it scarier was that he was being serious. He took a look through the window but didn't see anything; there were no lights on. He took a tremendous leap and swooped through the window. I sprinted over to the bin and knelt down behind it. I heard a little scream but I thought that it was just all my imagination but I wasn't too sure. Did he have the guts to go in a stranger’s house and commit a murder? The ground was damp as there had been a downpour earlier. I noticed his shadow projected against the brick wall. My heart pounded and it felt like I had just been struck with lightening. He swaggered over to me holding a knife covered in blood, unfortunately that wasn't the only thing covered in blood. He was covered head to toe in sticky red blood. I was shaking with fear; I panicked trembling to my feet. I had to go, I charged down the street like a tiger hunts down it's pray. I stopped, above there was a streetlight flickering, and I noticed there was a nasty horrible smell that lingered in the air. I didn't feel safe. I arrived at home; there were 4 police cars parked up on the drive. I walked in worried crying with horror. Why had I got in to deep? I had to tell them everything that happened. I was stupid.
Sarah Linney
It’s dark. It’s cold, there’s nothing to be seen. I can taste the thick blinding smoke. I'm scared. The hearing of screaming is like the noise at a theme park; but I’m not at a theme park, I’m somewhere completely different. I can feel the sharp, needling stones on my rough fingers. I can smell burning its like when you burn food in the boiling hot oven and it turns black and crispy. I can’t see anything or anyone. Wait. I can see a figure shuffling across the street. His clothes are all in black like ashes his hands and face are covered in scars like he’s been attacked. His eyes are as blue as the sky on a beautiful summer’s day.I wonder what he’s done. He’s defiantly done something because he’s running away but what from? I can hear the defining police sirens in my ears; they’re getting closer and closer. I’m going to follow him, faster and faster I get, leaving a trail of fire behind me. I’m catching up; I reach a cheetah’s race track, the cars zooming so fast it’s like a rainbow road in space with all of the different coloured cars in the dark brushing past me.
Amy Rees.
It was a wet humid night; The sun was descending quickly. Thomas Evens the notorious Manchester murderer began too give in to his burning rage. He felt like a rabid fire ready too unleash it's wrath upon an unsuspecting victim. As the constant sound of traffic began too dwindle, he could almost taste his rage in the back of his mouth; The time was coming some one was going too die.His relaxed, arrogant, sickening swagger evolved into a sort of power walk, he began to crunch his face up as if he was in pane; His face began to turn red it was like watching a kettle boil. Sweat began to drip off his poorly tended mahogany brown hair; The night sky engulfed the sun. His evil heart was in his mouth he was nervous for some reason it didn't feel right he pondered and thought about what he was going to do; He had all of the vital equipment and he made up his mind he was going to do it he had his trusty Swiss army knife and on close range it was deadly; The sun was gone the only light was the moon and there wasn't much of that either. His broad dark figure was menacing his abnormal scar over his right eye made him look even more terrifying finally the psycho killer was born and the streets were his play ground.
As the Friday night was in full swing Thomas took refuge in the back alleys because there were police vans and squad teams on every corner but they weren't here too stop fights they were here to catch the Manchester killer and besides being a wanted vigilante all over Europe it isn't wise to be strolling the streets in plane sight as he would be arrested and charged with mass murder without a seconds hesitation. Time flew by and the first victims of the night arrived stumbling and wobbling like a knew born calf "better make it quick" thought Tom immediately the knife had entered the rather young and good looking women's neck she gave out a pitiful whimper as she plunged to the cobbled path the other person was a male he looked quite broad and healthy but Tom had the upper hand as the male could barely stand up let alone run so swiftly Thomas drove the knife into his victims chest as he twisted the blood stained Knife Thomas looked left and right there was no witnesses so now that Tom had satisfied his needs he scarped and disappeared into the night.
The next morning Tom was woken by the bellowing sound of the t.v he plodded into the living room and flopped onto the sofa when there was a sudden bang and a very eager police force charged in and arrested him Tom looked up as the sergeant gloated and walked away, Tom didn't notice; the girl in the window.
Dylan Barrett.
The ground was as cold as ice whereas the weather was as hot as the top of a fire i could see all around me i was in a wood, the woods of manchester i could taste the sweat dribble into my mouth i could feel the fear build up inside me as the dreaded manchester murderer appeared from the fog, i could hear children screaming my mummy's dead or my daddy's dead he was 10 feet away 9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...he was right infront of me i could see him he was as tall as a baby giraffe (7ft) i was sweating more than ever now i could feel it dripping down my face, i kept saying over and over in my head im going to die ,im going to die he was just about to sink the knife into my stomach but i woke up "thank god "i said. Me and my family had always felt safe because i am in the police force. In my dream i saw the manchester murderer clear but im awake now and his face i clearer than ever maybe just maybe its a deja vu i mean not everyone has a dream where they see something and then they see the same something when they wake up.
Thomas Hughes
The Unexpected Guest
3 Febuary 1999
"From the moment he saw the three tracks,he knew they'd been.The wind was ravenously biting at the tips of his fingers.He could taste the salt in the air,drifting from the sea.his nose picked up the overpowering smell of crime stifeled the air around him.Adrealine pumped vigourously throughout his body as he watched a silouette melted into his line of vision ; slowly like a predator on its prey,The figure edged towards me with uneasy steps.As his feaures appeared in frotn of my eyes i found i had an unnclear vision as he had such a deep complexion and was missing any distinguishing features.An unrecognisible person.As he watched me lazily lolling against the lampost he stood under using it like a support.His bleak and dull eyes bore into me like two screws into a plank.He walked with a slow amble, as if his own wait weighed him down.
Later on, in the next estate he observed a crime been comitted.The trio of criminals tentivley approached the door of the 2 bedroom house ;one placed his hand on the door handle and began to turn itas a sweat began to form underneath his mask.The couple inside were oblivious to this and carried on their coversation."Would you like a cup of tea ay love?"The husband asked.She replied witha sigh and a thank you.rubbing her hand protectivley over her baby.Her husban looked admirlingly at his son to be.Back outside the triangle of criminal masterminds had there ears pricked waiting for the man to leave the rom.His shadow passed and as planned, one knocked and they hid in three separate places as he opened the door.To reasure himself he wasn't missing anything he opened it again and took the impact of a blow big enough to wind him and knock him to the floor.Immediateley,the men were in like rats in a cupboard of cheese. His wife had heard this commotion and instinctivley hid and phoned the emergency numbers and was explaining in hushed whispers to the officer when her words were cut short by the third mugger taking the phone away ,he dragged her with her hands held protectivley over her child into her own bedroom shrieking "My child!My child!".Her husband sat at gun point while he listen to her pleading and trembeling.The thiefs left with no more than a car.
This was an extract from the diray of phil taylors counsillour showing a recount of a crime .Three days later it was found stuffed in a shoe and both bodies were fond out in the woods.
Asia Williams
The rain started, and she was as cold as ice. The sound of the rain was ear piercing as it trickled down the windows of the warehouse Stacy was in. Stacy could not hear or see anything but could feel something soggy on the floor, she could smell what she thought was a mouldy kebab, Stacy let out a big burp and could taste last nights garlic bread. It went quiet, and then tap tap BANG someone was coming but who, why and what did they want!?
Stacy lay still on the floor hoping that whoever this person was they would go away but they didn’t, Stacy could hear the footsteps getting closer and closer, until they stopped. Stacy lay there wondering what was going to happen next when all of a sudden BANG, SPLASH, AHHHHH, Stacy screamed as the body of what looked like a teenage girl fell on her. The girl had been stabbed in the back and the blade of the knife just missed her ribs.
Rikki Thompson.
My name is Becky Scarlot, i'm 12 years old yet still the class nerd. I have recently got a laptop and been into stuff like Msn, facebook and miniclip. I like to keep all personal stuff to my self, like this boy named Alex, he added me on facebook a while ago and now we're really close. His full name is outstanding! Alex Josh Beckham, i adored it. It was the 11th today; it dragged like it does when it's Christmas eve. I kept growling to myself. "Dog!" shouted my little sister Teagen trying to tease me."oo suppose your boyfriend Jack is to wit woo!" she gave me a dirty look yet growled. "dog" i began to say but laughed instead.Alex is off line i grumbled! It was already 11pm. I best of getting to bed before i snooze on the couch i thought as i sipped on my coffee and following up to my bedroom. 'BANG!' a shudder went through my house "HAHA!" Teagen laughed looking below her feet to see me fallen out of bed."Not again" i moaned still trying to wake up properly from the shock."i'll help you up sweetie pie." my mum answered me as she walked through the door. "Go down stairs and get your breakfast Teagen and do your sisters to.""Ha!" i laughed and she walked away with jealousy.I got ready to go out i wore; my favorite pants; my black top and my black comfy pumps. "Cya later mum." i shouted."Where you going doll?" She shouted back to me."Cinema with my friend bye." I shut the door then seen my bus outside my house, i ran and finally made it. "80p please." i held it over and sat down next to the window.I got off the bus near te cinema, i made it 2 minutes early with a man waiting besides me. The time had flown to fifteen minutes, but no one was here, i was gutted by him letting me down and slowly made my way back to the bus stop through a little forest. I heard footsteps behind me, they drew nearer, i turned around to find myself standing with the man that was at the cinema. He had a sharp object in his hand. I Began to walk again but fastly moving, the man trembled with fear but grabbed my shoulder and span me back around. The first thing that came to my mind was scream, so i did. He put his filthy hand around my mouth, i could taste the thick heavy smoke lying on them. The sharp object began to approach my arm it felt like i was being thrown about in a room full of spikes. I couldn't see anymore, my eyes began to go blury, then 2 minutes later, i was unconcious.I awoken to find myself in a cage, i tried to look around but it was too dark to see, the only thing shown was my phone light. I tried to get it out my pocket so i did a roly poly because my hands were tightly tied behind my back. It fell out. "Teagen calling.." I growled and screamed. "AHHH Where am i?" A door began to open i got my phone with my teeth and lunged it behind my back. It was the man at the cinema who appeared to be standing at the door. He had a large pointing object this time, but it was physically pointing straight at me.The filthy hands opened the cage to grab my body. He lay me on the floor running the knife along my body. The only way off saving was to fight back but my mother never told me to fight back but this time i had to. As i kicked him on his head he shot back with blood on his nose. I grabbed the knife and began to release myself free from the rope, i turned the light on to find a boy around my age sitting in another cage. I gasped "Are you okay?" I opened the cage with no key and cut his ropes to."Yes i'm Alex Josh Beckham thank you so much what is your name? i can't believe i'm out. What happened?" "You're Alex? I'm Becky Scarlot. I don't know what happened." We both looked at each other amazed. "How do we get out of here?" he exclaimed as he attempted to open the door."Theres a key in his pocket. i saw him putting it back in!" i ran to his pocket to find myself touching something sharp in there. I began to get dizzy and loose my speech.""Becky!" Called Alex. "What's wrong? it was in this pocket, come on!" Alex realized what had happened now, he looked around for help but he only saw a phone, he picked it up and carried me outside."999" he whispered to me. "Hello me and my friend are lost! We had been kidnapped and we are standing next to a stadium, it looks like united. We're on a field, beside a shed! I'm called Alex Josh Beckham and my friend is Becky Scarlot, she's unconscious though because she got stabbed by a needly! Come straight away thanks.""We'll be there in a minute." they answered.Alex ran to the ambulance and police man when they arrived. "Go in there." said the police women. Alex walked in with me still in his arms, he lay me down on the ambulance bed while they took my pulse and gave me oxygen. I arrived in hospital with the television on. "Becky Scarlot found alive with a boy aged 12.""Are you okay?" Alex asked me as he stood beside the bed."Yes thank you." i smiled at him and saw my mum running in. "Mum!" i cried and hugged her really tight."Becky it's been two weeks, i know everything what has happened it will be okay!" she turned to the boy. "Are you okay to and where is your family?""I'm alright thanks but i don't have a family." The boy put his head down."you can come and live with us?" She asked."I'd love to, but i'm much trouble and would rather not do any bother." He continued.Two years later i was walking to school with Alex. "What's for tea?" he asked me."Like i know? Why don't you ask my mum you do live there, and you can have anything you want now it's all sorted."We both laughed, he kissed me goodbye as we arrived at school. "Cya at the end off school" he laughed."You too." i shrieked and smiled.
Sian Protano.
The School Girl Mystery
I waited. The wind made the roundabout fall to pieces in front of eyes. I shivered. The wind howled in the dark night the moon pierced through the clouds at every chance it had. The trees stared at me like they’ve never seen s girl sat on the swing before. Dogs barked as thunder crashed lighting struck. Rain came tumbling down never ending. I looked up. There was nothing apart from the other swing swaying to and fro.
By Reagan Bowling 8 Marshall.
It’s dark. It’s cold, there’s nothing to be seen. I can taste the thick blinding smoke. I'm scared. The hearing of screaming is like the noise at a theme park; but I’m not at a theme park, I’m somewhere completely different. I can feel the sharp, needling stones on my rough fingers. I can smell burning its like when you burn food in the boiling hot oven and it turns black and crispy. I can’t see anything or anyone. Wait. I can see a figure shuffling across the street. His clothes are all in black like ashes his hands and face are covered in scars like he’s been attacked. His eyes are as blue as the sky on a beautiful summer’s day.I wonder what he’s done. He’s defiantly done something because he’s running away but what from? I can hear the defining police sirens in my ears; they’re getting closer and closer. I’m going to follow him, faster and faster I get, leaving a trail of fire behind me. I’m catching up; I reach a cheetah’s race track, the cars zooming so fast it’s like a rainbow road in space with all of the different coloured cars in the dark brushing past me.
Amy Rees.
Monday 28 September 2009
To Kill A Mocking Bird - An Analysis of the Courtroom scene
Media Coursework: To Kill A Mockingbird
‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel which director Robert Mulligan transformed into a major award winning motion picture. Reviewers praised the movie and many believe Mulligan did an outstanding job in capturing the heart of the spectacular novel in a film which ranks twenty-fifth in a list of American cinema’s most celebrated movies. One reviewer made this statement about the movie: “What emerges from this evocative, exquisitely filmed drama is a pure distillation of the themes of Harper Lee’s enduring novel, a showcase for some of the finest American acting ever assembled in one film, a rare quality of humanitarian artistry.”
In this quote, the film’s target to communicate the themes of the novel is shown to have been achieved. The film managed to convey the central message in Harper Lee’s novel. The trial of Tom Robinson is at the very heart of the novel. Similarly, it is also at the heart of Mulligan’s film, making it the main focus of the two. The drama surrounding the trial leads most of the novel and this is also the case in Mulligan’s film. The essence of the drama conveyed in the book is matched with dramatic acting in the motion picture.
Robert Mulligan displays the excitement and central issues of the trial by using a number of camera angles and techniques. For example, before the trial starts, Harper Lee gives the reader a sense that the whole town is moving to one place, the courtroom, and so Mulligan has the audience watching everyone from one side of the road. With this technique you can see Jem, Scout and Dill looking anxious, while, at the same time, you would be watching groups of people walking by next to cars and wagons, all heading in the same direction occasionally covering up our view of the children. Up to this point we have only seen single cars. After this there is a long shot of the three of them and then the camera begins panning, following Jem jumping up and running along with the people heading in the direction of the court. You see him running off into the distance and then the view dissolves into the children arriving and sitting in the courtroom, this is so the audience does not have to see and irrelevant journey. In Harper Lee’s novel you really get the sense that the court is packed full of people, and so, in Mulligan’s movie a long shot is used showing many people walking into the court giving you the impression that the court is very full.
Scout does not think that they should be going to the trial and a medium shot is used to give the audience a sense the children should not be there as they enter with Reverend Sykes. The long shot used when the children are entering and sitting in the court highlights the obvious separation between white people and black people. When the three children enter onto the balcony to watch the trial, a long shot is also used to show that the balcony only contains black people and so the audience then gains an even stronger impression of the separation between the two groups of people. Immediately Mulligan is able to convey the biased attitude Tom will receive during the trial. As the viewer we can also see that the other people in the court have no hope for Tom as they know that in Maycomb County you only get a fair trial if you are white. In the novel, Harper Lee displays this ‘no hope’ attitude by describing the looks on people’s faces and the confidence Bob Ewell possesses in the lead up to the trial.
After this when the trial begins the viewer gets the feeling that they are on the balcony with Jem, Scout, Dill and the black people, by use of a high angled shot. This enables the audience to get a sense that they are very much involved with the movie and not feeling like they are in a separate world. We see Tom Robinson enter the courtroom under guard and in the background you can see the jury sitting down. This displays the seriousness of the trial in Maycomb. The camera angle then changes to the jury’s point of view showing Tom Robinson’s chains being removed while having a view of Atticus. We gain a new perspective of Tom at this point. There is a mid shot of Mayella and Bob Ewell; both are looking very serious and both looking as if the whole world is against them. Their facial expressions in the shot are exactly what you would expect they would be like while reading the novel. Heck Tate is shown sitting down looking nervous, he is the first to give his testimony and so this is why he is shown at this point. Just before Heck testifies, a low angle shot is used showing Tom and the balcony behind him which gives us the context of him and his people, the people who support him. There is then a shot of the whole court showing everybody rising for the judge; we then know the court is in session.
The camera shows the audience a close up of Jem and Reverend Sykes, Jem looking serious and Reverend Sykes looking very nervous. This conveys the drama of the book as we realise from the medium close up of the two at the beginning of Heck’s testimony, they both have their brows furrowed, looking confused and concerned. As the audience we then observe Heck Tate from Jem’s point of view, once again this is used to enable the viewer to watch things from the children’s and black people’s viewpoint, thus escaping the prejudice of the white people’s perspective. The angle then changes to focus on Atticus while he is questioning Heck which stresses to us that this is important. Atticus asks Heck which eye was bruised on Mayella and he answers with “Her right eye, Mr Finch”. Atticus sits and then, from the expression of his face, we know he is thinking carefully about the answer Heck gave him, it makes the viewer think about the question and answer too. Atticus then rises out of his seat and asks Heck Tate again which eye was bruised and he gives the same answer. All of this re-questioning is to emphasise the answer to the audience, you see the jury and judge in this shot both looking puzzled yet intrigued. The viewer then sees Atticus walk in front of the jury and we notice the judge deep in thought. Atticus sits down, and so the audience is then captured in deep thought wondering why there are such puzzling questions coming from Atticus. We get most of the drama conveyed by the expressions on the faces of the characters. However, as we see, Atticus was making a key point.
From this point in the courtroom scene, we see a number of strong performances, particularly from those giving testimonies in the trial as they are needed to play very challenging and demanding roles. Mulligan, the film’s director, described the courtroom scene as the most difficult to do, partly because it was so dependent on these powerful performances and it took two to three weeks to shoot. In Harper Lee’s novel, the trial is the focus of the drama of the novel and this is exactly the same case in the film. James Anderson, who plays Bob Ewell, conveyed Bob’s prejudice using expressions in his face and by having an arrogant look about him and he uses this to communicate a racist attitude.
Before Bob delivers his testimony, we notice that he is sat down with a look of arrogance on his face and this shows his whole attitude towards the trial and also towards Tom. The audience then watch Bob summoned to testify, and we see him swagger to go and take the oath. Between these two shots of Bob the viewer observes Jem looking intent, which shows Jem is really bothered about which way this trial will go. Bob sits down, looking relaxed when he begins; his testimony has a story-like feel which suggests that it has been rehearsed before the trial just to make sure he can get it right. We begin to watch this from the white people’s point of view in the courtroom yet we can still see Atticus .There is a medium shot of Bob with his eyes narrowed and his face full of intense feeling which tells us that this is one of the most dramatic points of his testimony. There is then a mixture of anger and hate in his whole body and he uses his left arm for a pointing stab at Tom, all the while shaking with the intensity of his emotion as he makes the statement: “I seen him with my Mayella”. Everybody in the courtroom reacts yet Atticus does not seem to believe it is true. It is made clear it is not true when there is a shot of Mayella biting her lip making her look extremely nervous. We then see a shot of Atticus, his eyes showing that he knows that what Bob is saying, is just lies.
The viewer gets a very strong sense of Bob’s arrogance when he rises out of the chair straight after testifying, and he obviously does not know what happens in court. When he is walking back to his seat, he bumps into Atticus. This tells us that Bob does not care where he is going and after this incident, Bob laughs arrogantly, he does not care about anything or anyone. Through this the viewer begins to find that Bob believes he is too important, and we also get this idea from the fact that he does not apologize after walking into Atticus. When Atticus begins to question Bob, Bob begins to smile confidently as if he can take anything Atticus throws at him. During the questions, Bob is lolling in his chair and his body language suggests he is not going to take anything Atticus asks him seriously. Bob is like this up until the point where Atticus asks him to write his own name, he says it is to see if he can read and write. Bob is given a piece of paper and a pen and begins to write his name. The camera focuses on his hand and we notice that he is writing awkwardly. It is also clear to see he is left handed and when he was asked to write he did not look happy, it seemed like Bob channelled all his hatred and venom into his face. There is a shot of the people on the balcony and they all look like they know that whatever Atticus is doing is important. The audience then want to pick up on why it is important and it makes us wonder what Atticus is doing to Bob and why, though the fact that he is left handed makes him the likely candidate for hitting Mayella’s right eye.
It is clear that the actors’ characters had to seem realistic to them as Collin Wilcox, who plays Mayella in the film, said for her that it was important that Mayella’s hair was obviously not clean in the film, as there would not have been time or opportunity in her life to have washed it regularly. This is one of the main ways, however small, that Collin tried to convey the drama of Mayella’s life from the novel to the film. Before Mayella is called for her testimony we can definitely see that she is apprehensive, and we gain a more powerful idea of how nervous she is as she walks timidly and uncertainly to the stand. When taking the oath, Mayella only nods to show she is acknowledging the words. Just before Mayella begins her testimony, there is a shot of Tom taking a slow, deep breath – he knows that what will come next will be difficult, the viewer sees Jem and Reverend Sykes looking intent just before the testimony begins, so once again as it does begin it is seen from the view point of the balcony first of all. Mayella begins her testimony and we can tell she is clearly scared as she is speaking in a halting fashion. To show Mayella’s full emotion, there is a mid-shot of her and it is clear she is trying to remember what she is meant to say next. When she is asked if her father has ever beaten her, there is a slight suggestion in her face that this has actually happened especially when she pauses, looking unsure, however we then see her father as if from Mayella’s point of view. Mayella answers the question by saying “Ma pa’s never touched a hair on my head in all my life.” This is obviously over exaggerated which suggests to us that it is clearly not true.
Mayella is then asked directly if Tom hit her. This question catches her off guard and so she does not know what to say, which tells us that this question was one that was not rehearsed. Mayella says that she does not recollect if he hit her, and this discredits her story highly as Heck Tate said she was badly beaten up around the face. We now begin to notice what Collin Wilcox described as bizarre head movements as she begins to look around anxiously for a way out. We also get a feel for what the actress also said about Mayella seeming like a trapped animal. Mayella then contradicts herself by saying that she was hit by Tom – she clearly remembers being hit was part of the rehearsed story. She is asked to identify Tom, and so, instead of looking at Tom, she just points which shows us she is guilty. Atticus demonstrates that Tom cannot use his left hand. When we see that Mayella is shocked we know this is important and that Tom could obviously not have inflicted her wounds. We then connect Tom’s lack of usage in his left arm with Mayella’s father’s left handedness, and the audience knows Mayella makes this connection also, so the rehearsed story has fallen apart. Mayella realises that she cannot escape and so she lashes out verbally, like a cornered animal, at everyone, including the jury. The camera zooms in onto her face and Mayella makes her desperate appeal to the white people in the courtroom. The appeal is to gut-level racism: ‘I’m white, you’re white, you should therefore support me.’ Her statement conveys the sheer racism of the court system. She finally does escape simply by running back to the bench where she was sitting.
Before Tom testifies the audience sees a shot of Atticus and Tom as they look at each other. Atticus is checking to see if he is ready to testify and we know Tom isn’t looking forward to it as he looks very uncomfortable. For the first time, the viewer is shown both sides of the balcony with everyone on each side looking extremely interested. Tom begins his testimony and the first part of it agrees with what Mayella said, which proves there was some truth in Mayella’s words. This does not last long though; soon Tom’s testimony becomes clearly different to Mayella’s. Tom describes how he went to do jobs lots of times, as he was asked to do lots of jobs by Mayella. When Atticus asks Tom to talk about the day of the rape, we are shown a shot from the jury’s perspective and then there is a long pause before Tom answers. This conveys that this is obviously a painful memory for him to talk about, which we know he would rather not talk about
We finally come to the hardest part of the story where he explains that when he was stood on a chair, Mayella grabbed Tom round the legs. The camera zooms in onto Tom’s face as we continue onto the hardest part of the story. The audience realises this is stressful for Tom as the camera shows he is perspiring freely on his forehead. When Atticus asks Tom what happened next, Tom knows that he will have to talk about Mayella kissing him and we know he clearly does not want to. Atticus asks Tom if he will tell the truth. There is a shot of Mayella biting her lip and looking intent and we get an understanding that this is a build up for a dramatic event. Tom begins to look wherever he can as long as it is not at Atticus and the viewer then realises that Tom is trying to avoid the moment. Tom’s brow furrows and he begins to talk as if he is in pain when talking about how Mayella kissed him. The pain is not physical pain, but emotional as it is so difficult for him to talk about this moment. Tears begin to form in his eyes and it becomes clear that he is certainly in emotional distress. When Tom speaks of Bob’s return to the house and him seeing them both together, he begins to cry and his chin starts to tremble. Tom is then asked directly if he raped Mayella. His denial is full of emotion and you then notice tears running down his cheeks. His final denial conveys serious emotion as his whole face starts shaking with the intensity of his feelings.
As Mr Gilmore begins his questioning, there is a shot of him and the jury which subtly explains they share his prejudice point of view. Mr Gilmore then asks Tom, “Did all this work out of sheer goodness, boy?” This is said in a very patronising manner, and we begin to understand that Mr Gilmore is playing to the jury as he looks at them trying to find a way to show Tom is guilty. This then provokes Tom’s honest answer: “I felt right sorry for her,” which shows Tom’s pure kindness; however, ironically this seals his fate. The camera then cuts to a medium shot of Atticus – the look in his eyes shows that he knows he has lost the case because of how the jury will react to the response Tom gave. Mr Gilmore stands next to Tom and repeats Tom’s reply twice, louder the second time and we then understand he is going in for the kill. Mr Gilmore knows he can finish him off. There is a low angle shot of Mr Gilmore showing he is in the place of power. It ends with a final shot of Tom looking as though he has realised he has been very foolish as feeling sorry for a white woman as a black man was unacceptable in the prejudice jury’s eyes.
After Tom finishes his testimony, the shot then dissolves into a shot of the courtroom as a whole, leaving the image of Tom looking very uncomfortable fresh in the viewer’s mind. We then see the judge nod at Atticus who indicates that he is ready to begin. Atticus’ final speech is one of the most powerful parts of the novel and the film. This scene was certainly important in winning the film the number one position in courtroom drama; however the film took this award by using skilful camera shots as well as the powerful impact of Gregory Peck’s rhetorical powers of speech and stunning acting. The audience sees a medium shot of Atticus from the jury’s point of view setting us, the viewer, in the place of the jury. We will judge what he says which gives a strong sense that he is trying to influence us. Atticus begins to play with a pocket watch in his hands, copying a mannerism of Harper Lee’s father. This begins in the earlier part of the speech yet it carries on throughout. Gregory Peck uses this mannerism as Harper Lee’s father was a lawyer who thoroughly influenced the creation of Atticus, and so he felt it added to the authenticity of his portrayal of Atticus. Atticus begins to make the very strong point that the prosecution’s case relies solely on Bob and Mayella’s testimony and he then moves on to describe why they cannot be trusted for several reasons. Whatever thoughts the viewer had about Bob and Mayella have now either changed or have been emphasised. Gregory Peck uses pause for emphasis especially acting out the ‘left hand’ situation which simply makes it clear to the audience that Tom is innocent. The courtroom becomes silent and you then hear a car horn outside to show that the courtroom is quiet, full of tension and also to make it all seem believable. When Atticus walks across to Bob and Mayella, he explains his pity for her and stands right in front of her as he explains that his pity however does not allow him to let Tom lose his life. It seems this is said, not just to Mayella, but to everyone, in the hope of influencing people’s racist attitudes.
Atticus turns to the jury and when explaining why Mayella did this, he uses the word guilt three times, the final one the strongest with great emphasis because this is when he explains that guilt was why Mayella did the whole thing, why she wants to get rid of Tom. When he walks and stands next to Tom it is important at this point to notice that Mayella and Bob are still in the shot. This is done deliberately making the viewer constantly aware of them. The audience sees Atticus turn back to the jury and he explains how she kissed a black man: “Something unspeakable in our society,” are the words he says, saying each word in a broad tone which brings out the words not only in the jury’s minds but in ours. When talking about this there is a shot of Tom reminding you he is young and attractive making it clear it would be worse to kiss Mayella than to kiss Tom.
This is when one of the most essential points on prejudice comes in as peck again uses pause and emphasis as he says: “The evil assumption that all Negroes lie…” This is now where he uses the most expansive gesture of the speech to emphasise that Tom should not lose his life just because he feels sorry for a white woman. Gregory Peck stretches out his arms to highlight that this is Atticus’ strong appeal for them to treat Tom equally and to believe him. He uses the words, with great feeling, “In the name of God, do your duty.” Throughout the whole speech Peck remains serious and it is clear he is passionate and believes in everything he says. With that in mind, he still keeps a rein on his emotions so the jury, and everyone else, can concentrate on what is said. At times we even get the feeling that there is a sense of restrained anger at the injustice of Tom’s treatment. Straight after the shot of Atticus, there is a shot of Reverend Sykes and Jem looking so proud of Atticus standing for the truth. Atticus’ final words are seen spoken from the view of those on the balcony. He is leaning over to the jury as much as possible to add maximum impact.
The court scene closes with the jury’s verdict and the reactions of the people both black and white. At the end of the scene, Atticus returns to his chair and sits down in exhaustion. It has obviously taken a lot of energy and will out of him to perform his final speech. The audience sees a long shot of the courtroom which dissolves into a shot of the people returning to the court. It is now night time showing that time has passed. A medium shot of the balcony shows Dill asleep while Reverend Sykes is fanning himself with his hat, and Jem is leaning on his elbow waiting for the verdict. This one shot gives a lull in the intensity which, as the viewer knows, cannot be sustained for long, however there is still high tension waiting for the verdict. We see everybody in the courthouse deep in discussion and note that Jem feels positive that the jury will believe Atticus as they have been absent for two hours. When Jem asks Reverend Sykes if he agrees, his facial expression says no. As the audience, we want to know who will be right.
From the balcony view point we watch the jury return and Atticus looks as though he is prepared for the worst outcome possible. Tom returns to the courthouse, looking concerned, followed by the judge. We know it is now time to continue onto the verdict as everyone rises. The reality of the film is conveyed by two people in the down stairs section arriving late as well as the run-through of procedures of a normal courtroom. Tom rises to face the jury spokesman who also stands. A shot of the balcony is shown; Tom is there as a black man. Everyone sat on the balcony is awaiting the verdict, looking interested. When the word “Guilty” is said, everyone freezes in their chairs. Even though Atticus has just been defeated, he shows no change in his expression as if he knew the decision that was coming. A medium shot of the white people show them talking, some nodding in the agreement of the final verdict. It is a terrible moment for Jem – we know this when we see a close up of him looking distraught as he buries his head in his hands showing us that it is clear it is a major shock for him. The viewer notices Scout looking confused and upset, she does not seem full of understanding of the event and her facial expression conveys this excellently. When the judge tells everyone the trial is over and leaves the court, he pauses before slamming the door, confirming he is upset even though he has to have an unbiased opinion. He wanted a fair trial which is why he appointed Atticus the job of defending Tom because he knew he was fully capable of doing a good job as well as the fact that he holds no prejudice ideas. When everyone begins to leave there is a close up of Jem shaking his head showing that he cannot believe how Tom was found guilty. Tom is beaten, he looks a mess as his facial expression and body language suggests despair and anger. Atticus begins to walk with Tom, trying to console and reassure him that he expected this would happen, but it is not over yet. Tom continues to look in despair at Atticus as if not listening to his words.
Serious music begins to play which creates a negative mood within the courtroom which is now empty except for the black people on the balcony and Atticus. He begins to slowly collect his papers and is shown as a solitary figure. A cut to Reverend Sykes looking at Atticus shows him sad but also looking in admiration at Atticus. He is the only white man who has stood up and fought for them. When the shot returns to Atticus it shows him standing alone in court, a place for justice. This is a symbolic image of him standing alone for truth, integrity and justice. Atticus is unaware that as he walks down the centre of the court the people on the balcony, on after another, slowly begin to rise to their feet in complete silence in tribute to what Atticus has done. Scout, who is unaware of what is happening, is informed by Reverend Sykes who says with deep emotion and respect, “Stand up, your father’s passing.” Finally, Atticus walks silently out showing the trial is at an end.
To conclude, I believe I speak for everyone who has seen both the motion picture and read the novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, when I say that the drama was excellently conveyed from the book to the film. As we have seen the film has an outstanding reputation in American film in general and in courtroom drama in particular, ranking number one in AFI’s list of courtroom films. This proves that not only did the actors play their parts exceptionally well, but, the camera angles and skills used also aided in conveying drama from the novel. We have seen how the careful sequencing of shots and action leads viewers to identify with both the children’s and black people’s perspective of the trial which allows the drama to build powerfully. Having considered the courtroom scene of the film in detail, we gained great understanding of why it is so highly rated. As viewers, we gain a powerful insight into the central issues of the trial through the skilful use and full range of camera angles, shots and their effects. Through this, the courtroom tensions and different audience perspectives are portrayed, as well as the characters’ motivations. All of the main actors perform powerfully, convincingly and at times making their performances riveting which is positively the heart of the scene’s success. These performances allow us to experience the emotion, reality and drama of the trial; we are not detached, but involved.
Together all these different elements combine to enable the courtroom scene of the film ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ to effectively convey the drama of the trial of Tom Robinson in the novel.
‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel which director Robert Mulligan transformed into a major award winning motion picture. Reviewers praised the movie and many believe Mulligan did an outstanding job in capturing the heart of the spectacular novel in a film which ranks twenty-fifth in a list of American cinema’s most celebrated movies. One reviewer made this statement about the movie: “What emerges from this evocative, exquisitely filmed drama is a pure distillation of the themes of Harper Lee’s enduring novel, a showcase for some of the finest American acting ever assembled in one film, a rare quality of humanitarian artistry.”
In this quote, the film’s target to communicate the themes of the novel is shown to have been achieved. The film managed to convey the central message in Harper Lee’s novel. The trial of Tom Robinson is at the very heart of the novel. Similarly, it is also at the heart of Mulligan’s film, making it the main focus of the two. The drama surrounding the trial leads most of the novel and this is also the case in Mulligan’s film. The essence of the drama conveyed in the book is matched with dramatic acting in the motion picture.
Robert Mulligan displays the excitement and central issues of the trial by using a number of camera angles and techniques. For example, before the trial starts, Harper Lee gives the reader a sense that the whole town is moving to one place, the courtroom, and so Mulligan has the audience watching everyone from one side of the road. With this technique you can see Jem, Scout and Dill looking anxious, while, at the same time, you would be watching groups of people walking by next to cars and wagons, all heading in the same direction occasionally covering up our view of the children. Up to this point we have only seen single cars. After this there is a long shot of the three of them and then the camera begins panning, following Jem jumping up and running along with the people heading in the direction of the court. You see him running off into the distance and then the view dissolves into the children arriving and sitting in the courtroom, this is so the audience does not have to see and irrelevant journey. In Harper Lee’s novel you really get the sense that the court is packed full of people, and so, in Mulligan’s movie a long shot is used showing many people walking into the court giving you the impression that the court is very full.
Scout does not think that they should be going to the trial and a medium shot is used to give the audience a sense the children should not be there as they enter with Reverend Sykes. The long shot used when the children are entering and sitting in the court highlights the obvious separation between white people and black people. When the three children enter onto the balcony to watch the trial, a long shot is also used to show that the balcony only contains black people and so the audience then gains an even stronger impression of the separation between the two groups of people. Immediately Mulligan is able to convey the biased attitude Tom will receive during the trial. As the viewer we can also see that the other people in the court have no hope for Tom as they know that in Maycomb County you only get a fair trial if you are white. In the novel, Harper Lee displays this ‘no hope’ attitude by describing the looks on people’s faces and the confidence Bob Ewell possesses in the lead up to the trial.
After this when the trial begins the viewer gets the feeling that they are on the balcony with Jem, Scout, Dill and the black people, by use of a high angled shot. This enables the audience to get a sense that they are very much involved with the movie and not feeling like they are in a separate world. We see Tom Robinson enter the courtroom under guard and in the background you can see the jury sitting down. This displays the seriousness of the trial in Maycomb. The camera angle then changes to the jury’s point of view showing Tom Robinson’s chains being removed while having a view of Atticus. We gain a new perspective of Tom at this point. There is a mid shot of Mayella and Bob Ewell; both are looking very serious and both looking as if the whole world is against them. Their facial expressions in the shot are exactly what you would expect they would be like while reading the novel. Heck Tate is shown sitting down looking nervous, he is the first to give his testimony and so this is why he is shown at this point. Just before Heck testifies, a low angle shot is used showing Tom and the balcony behind him which gives us the context of him and his people, the people who support him. There is then a shot of the whole court showing everybody rising for the judge; we then know the court is in session.
The camera shows the audience a close up of Jem and Reverend Sykes, Jem looking serious and Reverend Sykes looking very nervous. This conveys the drama of the book as we realise from the medium close up of the two at the beginning of Heck’s testimony, they both have their brows furrowed, looking confused and concerned. As the audience we then observe Heck Tate from Jem’s point of view, once again this is used to enable the viewer to watch things from the children’s and black people’s viewpoint, thus escaping the prejudice of the white people’s perspective. The angle then changes to focus on Atticus while he is questioning Heck which stresses to us that this is important. Atticus asks Heck which eye was bruised on Mayella and he answers with “Her right eye, Mr Finch”. Atticus sits and then, from the expression of his face, we know he is thinking carefully about the answer Heck gave him, it makes the viewer think about the question and answer too. Atticus then rises out of his seat and asks Heck Tate again which eye was bruised and he gives the same answer. All of this re-questioning is to emphasise the answer to the audience, you see the jury and judge in this shot both looking puzzled yet intrigued. The viewer then sees Atticus walk in front of the jury and we notice the judge deep in thought. Atticus sits down, and so the audience is then captured in deep thought wondering why there are such puzzling questions coming from Atticus. We get most of the drama conveyed by the expressions on the faces of the characters. However, as we see, Atticus was making a key point.
From this point in the courtroom scene, we see a number of strong performances, particularly from those giving testimonies in the trial as they are needed to play very challenging and demanding roles. Mulligan, the film’s director, described the courtroom scene as the most difficult to do, partly because it was so dependent on these powerful performances and it took two to three weeks to shoot. In Harper Lee’s novel, the trial is the focus of the drama of the novel and this is exactly the same case in the film. James Anderson, who plays Bob Ewell, conveyed Bob’s prejudice using expressions in his face and by having an arrogant look about him and he uses this to communicate a racist attitude.
Before Bob delivers his testimony, we notice that he is sat down with a look of arrogance on his face and this shows his whole attitude towards the trial and also towards Tom. The audience then watch Bob summoned to testify, and we see him swagger to go and take the oath. Between these two shots of Bob the viewer observes Jem looking intent, which shows Jem is really bothered about which way this trial will go. Bob sits down, looking relaxed when he begins; his testimony has a story-like feel which suggests that it has been rehearsed before the trial just to make sure he can get it right. We begin to watch this from the white people’s point of view in the courtroom yet we can still see Atticus .There is a medium shot of Bob with his eyes narrowed and his face full of intense feeling which tells us that this is one of the most dramatic points of his testimony. There is then a mixture of anger and hate in his whole body and he uses his left arm for a pointing stab at Tom, all the while shaking with the intensity of his emotion as he makes the statement: “I seen him with my Mayella”. Everybody in the courtroom reacts yet Atticus does not seem to believe it is true. It is made clear it is not true when there is a shot of Mayella biting her lip making her look extremely nervous. We then see a shot of Atticus, his eyes showing that he knows that what Bob is saying, is just lies.
The viewer gets a very strong sense of Bob’s arrogance when he rises out of the chair straight after testifying, and he obviously does not know what happens in court. When he is walking back to his seat, he bumps into Atticus. This tells us that Bob does not care where he is going and after this incident, Bob laughs arrogantly, he does not care about anything or anyone. Through this the viewer begins to find that Bob believes he is too important, and we also get this idea from the fact that he does not apologize after walking into Atticus. When Atticus begins to question Bob, Bob begins to smile confidently as if he can take anything Atticus throws at him. During the questions, Bob is lolling in his chair and his body language suggests he is not going to take anything Atticus asks him seriously. Bob is like this up until the point where Atticus asks him to write his own name, he says it is to see if he can read and write. Bob is given a piece of paper and a pen and begins to write his name. The camera focuses on his hand and we notice that he is writing awkwardly. It is also clear to see he is left handed and when he was asked to write he did not look happy, it seemed like Bob channelled all his hatred and venom into his face. There is a shot of the people on the balcony and they all look like they know that whatever Atticus is doing is important. The audience then want to pick up on why it is important and it makes us wonder what Atticus is doing to Bob and why, though the fact that he is left handed makes him the likely candidate for hitting Mayella’s right eye.
It is clear that the actors’ characters had to seem realistic to them as Collin Wilcox, who plays Mayella in the film, said for her that it was important that Mayella’s hair was obviously not clean in the film, as there would not have been time or opportunity in her life to have washed it regularly. This is one of the main ways, however small, that Collin tried to convey the drama of Mayella’s life from the novel to the film. Before Mayella is called for her testimony we can definitely see that she is apprehensive, and we gain a more powerful idea of how nervous she is as she walks timidly and uncertainly to the stand. When taking the oath, Mayella only nods to show she is acknowledging the words. Just before Mayella begins her testimony, there is a shot of Tom taking a slow, deep breath – he knows that what will come next will be difficult, the viewer sees Jem and Reverend Sykes looking intent just before the testimony begins, so once again as it does begin it is seen from the view point of the balcony first of all. Mayella begins her testimony and we can tell she is clearly scared as she is speaking in a halting fashion. To show Mayella’s full emotion, there is a mid-shot of her and it is clear she is trying to remember what she is meant to say next. When she is asked if her father has ever beaten her, there is a slight suggestion in her face that this has actually happened especially when she pauses, looking unsure, however we then see her father as if from Mayella’s point of view. Mayella answers the question by saying “Ma pa’s never touched a hair on my head in all my life.” This is obviously over exaggerated which suggests to us that it is clearly not true.
Mayella is then asked directly if Tom hit her. This question catches her off guard and so she does not know what to say, which tells us that this question was one that was not rehearsed. Mayella says that she does not recollect if he hit her, and this discredits her story highly as Heck Tate said she was badly beaten up around the face. We now begin to notice what Collin Wilcox described as bizarre head movements as she begins to look around anxiously for a way out. We also get a feel for what the actress also said about Mayella seeming like a trapped animal. Mayella then contradicts herself by saying that she was hit by Tom – she clearly remembers being hit was part of the rehearsed story. She is asked to identify Tom, and so, instead of looking at Tom, she just points which shows us she is guilty. Atticus demonstrates that Tom cannot use his left hand. When we see that Mayella is shocked we know this is important and that Tom could obviously not have inflicted her wounds. We then connect Tom’s lack of usage in his left arm with Mayella’s father’s left handedness, and the audience knows Mayella makes this connection also, so the rehearsed story has fallen apart. Mayella realises that she cannot escape and so she lashes out verbally, like a cornered animal, at everyone, including the jury. The camera zooms in onto her face and Mayella makes her desperate appeal to the white people in the courtroom. The appeal is to gut-level racism: ‘I’m white, you’re white, you should therefore support me.’ Her statement conveys the sheer racism of the court system. She finally does escape simply by running back to the bench where she was sitting.
Before Tom testifies the audience sees a shot of Atticus and Tom as they look at each other. Atticus is checking to see if he is ready to testify and we know Tom isn’t looking forward to it as he looks very uncomfortable. For the first time, the viewer is shown both sides of the balcony with everyone on each side looking extremely interested. Tom begins his testimony and the first part of it agrees with what Mayella said, which proves there was some truth in Mayella’s words. This does not last long though; soon Tom’s testimony becomes clearly different to Mayella’s. Tom describes how he went to do jobs lots of times, as he was asked to do lots of jobs by Mayella. When Atticus asks Tom to talk about the day of the rape, we are shown a shot from the jury’s perspective and then there is a long pause before Tom answers. This conveys that this is obviously a painful memory for him to talk about, which we know he would rather not talk about
We finally come to the hardest part of the story where he explains that when he was stood on a chair, Mayella grabbed Tom round the legs. The camera zooms in onto Tom’s face as we continue onto the hardest part of the story. The audience realises this is stressful for Tom as the camera shows he is perspiring freely on his forehead. When Atticus asks Tom what happened next, Tom knows that he will have to talk about Mayella kissing him and we know he clearly does not want to. Atticus asks Tom if he will tell the truth. There is a shot of Mayella biting her lip and looking intent and we get an understanding that this is a build up for a dramatic event. Tom begins to look wherever he can as long as it is not at Atticus and the viewer then realises that Tom is trying to avoid the moment. Tom’s brow furrows and he begins to talk as if he is in pain when talking about how Mayella kissed him. The pain is not physical pain, but emotional as it is so difficult for him to talk about this moment. Tears begin to form in his eyes and it becomes clear that he is certainly in emotional distress. When Tom speaks of Bob’s return to the house and him seeing them both together, he begins to cry and his chin starts to tremble. Tom is then asked directly if he raped Mayella. His denial is full of emotion and you then notice tears running down his cheeks. His final denial conveys serious emotion as his whole face starts shaking with the intensity of his feelings.
As Mr Gilmore begins his questioning, there is a shot of him and the jury which subtly explains they share his prejudice point of view. Mr Gilmore then asks Tom, “Did all this work out of sheer goodness, boy?” This is said in a very patronising manner, and we begin to understand that Mr Gilmore is playing to the jury as he looks at them trying to find a way to show Tom is guilty. This then provokes Tom’s honest answer: “I felt right sorry for her,” which shows Tom’s pure kindness; however, ironically this seals his fate. The camera then cuts to a medium shot of Atticus – the look in his eyes shows that he knows he has lost the case because of how the jury will react to the response Tom gave. Mr Gilmore stands next to Tom and repeats Tom’s reply twice, louder the second time and we then understand he is going in for the kill. Mr Gilmore knows he can finish him off. There is a low angle shot of Mr Gilmore showing he is in the place of power. It ends with a final shot of Tom looking as though he has realised he has been very foolish as feeling sorry for a white woman as a black man was unacceptable in the prejudice jury’s eyes.
After Tom finishes his testimony, the shot then dissolves into a shot of the courtroom as a whole, leaving the image of Tom looking very uncomfortable fresh in the viewer’s mind. We then see the judge nod at Atticus who indicates that he is ready to begin. Atticus’ final speech is one of the most powerful parts of the novel and the film. This scene was certainly important in winning the film the number one position in courtroom drama; however the film took this award by using skilful camera shots as well as the powerful impact of Gregory Peck’s rhetorical powers of speech and stunning acting. The audience sees a medium shot of Atticus from the jury’s point of view setting us, the viewer, in the place of the jury. We will judge what he says which gives a strong sense that he is trying to influence us. Atticus begins to play with a pocket watch in his hands, copying a mannerism of Harper Lee’s father. This begins in the earlier part of the speech yet it carries on throughout. Gregory Peck uses this mannerism as Harper Lee’s father was a lawyer who thoroughly influenced the creation of Atticus, and so he felt it added to the authenticity of his portrayal of Atticus. Atticus begins to make the very strong point that the prosecution’s case relies solely on Bob and Mayella’s testimony and he then moves on to describe why they cannot be trusted for several reasons. Whatever thoughts the viewer had about Bob and Mayella have now either changed or have been emphasised. Gregory Peck uses pause for emphasis especially acting out the ‘left hand’ situation which simply makes it clear to the audience that Tom is innocent. The courtroom becomes silent and you then hear a car horn outside to show that the courtroom is quiet, full of tension and also to make it all seem believable. When Atticus walks across to Bob and Mayella, he explains his pity for her and stands right in front of her as he explains that his pity however does not allow him to let Tom lose his life. It seems this is said, not just to Mayella, but to everyone, in the hope of influencing people’s racist attitudes.
Atticus turns to the jury and when explaining why Mayella did this, he uses the word guilt three times, the final one the strongest with great emphasis because this is when he explains that guilt was why Mayella did the whole thing, why she wants to get rid of Tom. When he walks and stands next to Tom it is important at this point to notice that Mayella and Bob are still in the shot. This is done deliberately making the viewer constantly aware of them. The audience sees Atticus turn back to the jury and he explains how she kissed a black man: “Something unspeakable in our society,” are the words he says, saying each word in a broad tone which brings out the words not only in the jury’s minds but in ours. When talking about this there is a shot of Tom reminding you he is young and attractive making it clear it would be worse to kiss Mayella than to kiss Tom.
This is when one of the most essential points on prejudice comes in as peck again uses pause and emphasis as he says: “The evil assumption that all Negroes lie…” This is now where he uses the most expansive gesture of the speech to emphasise that Tom should not lose his life just because he feels sorry for a white woman. Gregory Peck stretches out his arms to highlight that this is Atticus’ strong appeal for them to treat Tom equally and to believe him. He uses the words, with great feeling, “In the name of God, do your duty.” Throughout the whole speech Peck remains serious and it is clear he is passionate and believes in everything he says. With that in mind, he still keeps a rein on his emotions so the jury, and everyone else, can concentrate on what is said. At times we even get the feeling that there is a sense of restrained anger at the injustice of Tom’s treatment. Straight after the shot of Atticus, there is a shot of Reverend Sykes and Jem looking so proud of Atticus standing for the truth. Atticus’ final words are seen spoken from the view of those on the balcony. He is leaning over to the jury as much as possible to add maximum impact.
The court scene closes with the jury’s verdict and the reactions of the people both black and white. At the end of the scene, Atticus returns to his chair and sits down in exhaustion. It has obviously taken a lot of energy and will out of him to perform his final speech. The audience sees a long shot of the courtroom which dissolves into a shot of the people returning to the court. It is now night time showing that time has passed. A medium shot of the balcony shows Dill asleep while Reverend Sykes is fanning himself with his hat, and Jem is leaning on his elbow waiting for the verdict. This one shot gives a lull in the intensity which, as the viewer knows, cannot be sustained for long, however there is still high tension waiting for the verdict. We see everybody in the courthouse deep in discussion and note that Jem feels positive that the jury will believe Atticus as they have been absent for two hours. When Jem asks Reverend Sykes if he agrees, his facial expression says no. As the audience, we want to know who will be right.
From the balcony view point we watch the jury return and Atticus looks as though he is prepared for the worst outcome possible. Tom returns to the courthouse, looking concerned, followed by the judge. We know it is now time to continue onto the verdict as everyone rises. The reality of the film is conveyed by two people in the down stairs section arriving late as well as the run-through of procedures of a normal courtroom. Tom rises to face the jury spokesman who also stands. A shot of the balcony is shown; Tom is there as a black man. Everyone sat on the balcony is awaiting the verdict, looking interested. When the word “Guilty” is said, everyone freezes in their chairs. Even though Atticus has just been defeated, he shows no change in his expression as if he knew the decision that was coming. A medium shot of the white people show them talking, some nodding in the agreement of the final verdict. It is a terrible moment for Jem – we know this when we see a close up of him looking distraught as he buries his head in his hands showing us that it is clear it is a major shock for him. The viewer notices Scout looking confused and upset, she does not seem full of understanding of the event and her facial expression conveys this excellently. When the judge tells everyone the trial is over and leaves the court, he pauses before slamming the door, confirming he is upset even though he has to have an unbiased opinion. He wanted a fair trial which is why he appointed Atticus the job of defending Tom because he knew he was fully capable of doing a good job as well as the fact that he holds no prejudice ideas. When everyone begins to leave there is a close up of Jem shaking his head showing that he cannot believe how Tom was found guilty. Tom is beaten, he looks a mess as his facial expression and body language suggests despair and anger. Atticus begins to walk with Tom, trying to console and reassure him that he expected this would happen, but it is not over yet. Tom continues to look in despair at Atticus as if not listening to his words.
Serious music begins to play which creates a negative mood within the courtroom which is now empty except for the black people on the balcony and Atticus. He begins to slowly collect his papers and is shown as a solitary figure. A cut to Reverend Sykes looking at Atticus shows him sad but also looking in admiration at Atticus. He is the only white man who has stood up and fought for them. When the shot returns to Atticus it shows him standing alone in court, a place for justice. This is a symbolic image of him standing alone for truth, integrity and justice. Atticus is unaware that as he walks down the centre of the court the people on the balcony, on after another, slowly begin to rise to their feet in complete silence in tribute to what Atticus has done. Scout, who is unaware of what is happening, is informed by Reverend Sykes who says with deep emotion and respect, “Stand up, your father’s passing.” Finally, Atticus walks silently out showing the trial is at an end.
To conclude, I believe I speak for everyone who has seen both the motion picture and read the novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, when I say that the drama was excellently conveyed from the book to the film. As we have seen the film has an outstanding reputation in American film in general and in courtroom drama in particular, ranking number one in AFI’s list of courtroom films. This proves that not only did the actors play their parts exceptionally well, but, the camera angles and skills used also aided in conveying drama from the novel. We have seen how the careful sequencing of shots and action leads viewers to identify with both the children’s and black people’s perspective of the trial which allows the drama to build powerfully. Having considered the courtroom scene of the film in detail, we gained great understanding of why it is so highly rated. As viewers, we gain a powerful insight into the central issues of the trial through the skilful use and full range of camera angles, shots and their effects. Through this, the courtroom tensions and different audience perspectives are portrayed, as well as the characters’ motivations. All of the main actors perform powerfully, convincingly and at times making their performances riveting which is positively the heart of the scene’s success. These performances allow us to experience the emotion, reality and drama of the trial; we are not detached, but involved.
Together all these different elements combine to enable the courtroom scene of the film ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ to effectively convey the drama of the trial of Tom Robinson in the novel.
Thursday 9 July 2009
GCSE Pre 1914 Coursework
Zeta Jhanji
Analyse the methods used by Mary Shelley in Chapter Five of ‘Frankenstein’ and consider its significance to the novel as a whole.
Frankenstein was first published in 1818; it was written by Mary Shelley, and was her first novel. The author was only nineteen years old when the book was first written, although it was her first novel it was her most famous; even though she wrote a number of books including: The Last Man (1826), Lodorel (1835) and Mathilda (1959) which was published 100 years after her death, none of them had the success of Frankenstein which alongside Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1896), became the most widely read horror novels of all time selling millions world wide.
Mary Shelley combines romance and horror, many authors hadn’t done this before and some other novelist and critics thought the story was immoral; at the time the Quarterly Review wrote the following in 1818: “Our taste and our judgement alike revolt at this kind of writing…it inculcates no lesson of conduct, manners or morality.” I think that people wrote things like this at that time because they were afraid; science had become too influential, and it was expanding too quickly. They were scared incase these things really did come true; because religion played such an influential role in those days and they thought God should choose your fate, life or death. Frankenstein was published during a time of new discoveries; explorers (like Robert Walpole) had travelled to the far ends of the world discovering new lands. Science had made huge breakthroughs and the recent discovery of electricity was thought to be the key to life. Shelley was aware of the fears that people had about science, and she portrayed them in the novel.
The 19th Century was a time of scientific breakthroughs, people inventing new things in the hopes that they would be used in everyday life. The plot deals with the conflict that Victor Frankenstein has while try to make a scientific breakthrough. In the book we see that he is obsessed with making this ‘thing’, and he creates this monstrous creature. Victor himself rejects the creature, and is disgusted at the sight of its horrible appearance. Likewise all other humans reject the creature; because of its ghastly appearance. The monster misunderstands and frustrated sets out to kill the people closest to Victor, before killing his creator himself.
Shelley’s inspiration for the story came to her in a dream whilst she was spending the summer of 1816 in Geneva:
“I placed my head on my pillow, I did not sleep…I saw shut eyes, but acute mental vision, the pale student of unhallowed arts standing before the thing he had put together, I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out…the creature terrified its creator; he would rush away from his odious handiwork, horror stricken… (The scientist) sleeps but he is awakened; he opens his eyes, behold the horrid thing stands at his bedside, opening his curtains and looking on him with yellow, watery but speculative eyes.” And the story evolved from there, around this very dream.
The first paragraph is full of images that build up the darkness that the rest of the chapter has to offer. ‘Alliteration’ is used to emphasise Frankenstein’s tiredness. It is written in first person and it almost seems as if you are reading Victory Frankenstein’s diary. The way the text is written, makes you feel as though you are reading a journal, one that is so precisely accurate which makes you feel closer to Victor, as a character. It starts off with ‘a dreary night of November,’ this straight away sets the dark mood for this chapter, November is known as the wettest month. ‘An anxiety that almost amounted to agony,’ this phrase of alliteration emphasises tiredness that Frankenstein suffers. ‘One in the morning’, ‘rain pattered dismally against the panes’, ‘my candle was nearly burnt out’, ‘half extinguished light’ all these ‘quotes’ taken from the first paragraph represent a mood full of darkness; just like what the rest of the chapter has to offer, it builds up an image of a dark and dismal atmosphere.
‘I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open’, ‘it breathed hard’, and ‘a convulsive motion agitated its limbs’, the way this ‘creation’ is described makes it sound abnormal, and almost makes you feel sorry for it, but at the same time you feel feared by it. ‘The instruments of life’, ‘infuse a spark’ and ‘a convulsive motion agitated its limbs’, these phrases are all worded very precisely, this shows us that the Victor was obsessed with making this creature, and you can see that in the way he talks about it. ‘My candle was nearly burnt out, ‘half extinguished light’, and words such as ‘accomplishment’ make you feel the exhaustion, and because the candles are dimming it gives you a sense of something being over. Even though the darkness is there, there are words that show hope like; ‘spark’, ‘light’, ‘motion’, ‘glimmer’ and ‘life’ are all words that give you a sign of hope. Long complex sentences are slowly creating suspense, and pathetic fallacy is used; ‘rain pattered dismally’, especially in November. November is always associated to be the wettest month and this is why it has worked well here.
In the second paragraph we see that Victor is about to crack; He is asking himself questions, that make you think that this experiment has made him ill. Short sentences and exclamations; ‘Beautiful!’ and ‘Great God!’ show Victors shock he had when making this ‘creature’. Phrases like ‘yellow skin’, ‘watery eyes’, ‘dun white sockets’, ‘shrivelled complexion’ and ‘straight black lips’ give you a sense of fear, only dead people look like this and you begin to feel afraid for Victor who has to face it. Victor describes his project as being ‘a wretch’, ‘horrid’ and a ‘catastrophe’, you now almost feel sorry for the creature; it is not his fault he looks like this.
We take a look inside Victor’s brain, we see what he goes through when he realises what he has done. Victor is disgusted at what he has done. ‘I had worked hard for nearly two years’ this phrase shows us that he regrets wasting two years of his life on creating this creature. ‘The beauty of the dream vanished’, this shows the ‘obsession’ Victor had over making this creature, but now his dreams are shattered. ‘I had deprived myself of rest and health’, this shows us that he has damaged himself; because making this creature had made him ill. In this section of the chapter we see a sense of guilt coming out of Victor; as he realises that he has committed an unforgivable sin.
Victor falls asleep in his bed chamber; due to total exhaustion, he dreams a deathly nightmare, so horrific that it portrays images of death. I the dream he holds ‘the corpse of his dead mother in his arms’, the fact that he has seen his mother shows us the realisation that he will never bring her back to life. ‘A cold dew covered my forehead’, ‘my teeth chattered’, all these symptoms occur as he awakes from his nightmare. ‘Every limb became convulsed’, this phrase occurs back to the first paragraph when Victor was describing the creature, but now Victor is using the same language to describe himself; could it be that Victor has created a monster, and a monster out of himself too? At this point we know that Victor is going to have to suffer a lot of consequences.
In this part we feel sorry for the creature rather than Victor; Because of the obsession Victor has had on creating this creature he is too self absorbed and wants pity on himself. The creature might be deformed, but Victor was the one that created it, so it’s Victors fault. Victor shouldn’t reject the creature after all the creature he beheld was his dream. ‘Miserable’, ‘he muttered some inarticulate sounds’, ‘a grin wrinkled his cheeks’, ‘he might have spoken but I did not hear’, ‘one hand was stretched out’, these are all images of baby like actions. When the creature stretched its arm out to reach Victor he just neglected it. When the creature smiled or tried to speak, he never smiled or talked back. Instead of showing any sense of security to the creature Victor just rushed downstairs in a frantic ‘panic’, not knowing what to do, or how to take in what he has created. Victor compares the creature to a ‘demonical corpse’ and a ‘mummy’.
The following morning is described as being ‘dismal and wet’; this reflects the mood of Victor. ‘Eyes the Church of Ingolstadt’, this tells us that Victor knows he has sinned, and now God is watching over him; because of his sinful experiments. Pathetic fallacy is used in the ‘morning’ paragraph; ‘rain which poured from a black and comfortless sky’. ‘The load that weighed upon my mind’, ‘without any clear conception of where I was or what I was doing’ and ‘my asylum’, all these phrases convey that Victors about to crack, basically he is going mad. ‘Sickness of fear’, this is his conscious.
The mood lightens and the paste slows down, as Victor sees his friend Clevral, ‘how glad I am to see you’. Clevral’s ‘presence’ brought back his thoughts of his loved ones, this takes his mind off things and Victor attempts to block out the events that occurred the night before. Clevral comments on how ‘ill’, ‘pale’ and ‘thin’ Victor appears this shows us that this creature has made him sick to the bone. Clevral also says ‘you look as though you have been watching for several nights’; this tells us that Victor’s toils are becoming visible in his face. Victor says ‘but I hope I sincerely hope’ this is almost as he is begging or wishing that his matters are at an end for good. ‘That I am at length free’, this phrase is ironic, and he will have to suffer some consequences.
Tension is built as the two men approach Victors apartment, through long sentences like; ‘I then reflected, and the thought made me shiver, that the creature whom I had left in my apartment might still be there, alive, and walking about.’ Those types of sentences grab the reader’s attention and make them think whether or not the creature is still there and makes them want to read on. ‘I trembled excessively’ this shows us that Victor cannot get over last night’s events. ‘The creature might still be there,’ ‘I feared that…Henry should see him,’ and ‘a cold shivering came over me’, these all build up suspense, and the reader is hooked in more and more. ‘I darted up towards my own room’, ‘I recollected myself’, these sentences show Victors uncertainty and that he doesn’t really know what he is doing, is his conscious acting up on him? ‘I threw the door forcibly open, as children are accustomed to do when they expect a spectre to stand waiting,’ Victor is comparing himself to a child. ‘Apartment was empty,’ ‘good fortune’ suggests Victor thinks his troubles are over, and he ‘claps his hands for joy’ and ‘runs’ to Clevral. He thinks this creature will never come back to him.
People were scared in the 1800’s about this book, but in this century it is more ‘relevant than ever’. With the world changing and so many hi-tech gadgets being introduced people need to realise when to stop, and when enough is enough. With the invention of Nuclear weapons where will it all stop? Will doctors really invent things to keep everyone alive forever and will they be able to play God? What about the media, so many celebrities are having so much work done who knows what they will want next. Frankenstein is a book that should be read for decades to come, and should never be forgotten; because people need to realise when things have got too far and that you always have to suffer the consequences and regrets of your actions.
Analyse the methods used by Mary Shelley in Chapter Five of ‘Frankenstein’ and consider its significance to the novel as a whole.
Frankenstein was first published in 1818; it was written by Mary Shelley, and was her first novel. The author was only nineteen years old when the book was first written, although it was her first novel it was her most famous; even though she wrote a number of books including: The Last Man (1826), Lodorel (1835) and Mathilda (1959) which was published 100 years after her death, none of them had the success of Frankenstein which alongside Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1896), became the most widely read horror novels of all time selling millions world wide.
Mary Shelley combines romance and horror, many authors hadn’t done this before and some other novelist and critics thought the story was immoral; at the time the Quarterly Review wrote the following in 1818: “Our taste and our judgement alike revolt at this kind of writing…it inculcates no lesson of conduct, manners or morality.” I think that people wrote things like this at that time because they were afraid; science had become too influential, and it was expanding too quickly. They were scared incase these things really did come true; because religion played such an influential role in those days and they thought God should choose your fate, life or death. Frankenstein was published during a time of new discoveries; explorers (like Robert Walpole) had travelled to the far ends of the world discovering new lands. Science had made huge breakthroughs and the recent discovery of electricity was thought to be the key to life. Shelley was aware of the fears that people had about science, and she portrayed them in the novel.
The 19th Century was a time of scientific breakthroughs, people inventing new things in the hopes that they would be used in everyday life. The plot deals with the conflict that Victor Frankenstein has while try to make a scientific breakthrough. In the book we see that he is obsessed with making this ‘thing’, and he creates this monstrous creature. Victor himself rejects the creature, and is disgusted at the sight of its horrible appearance. Likewise all other humans reject the creature; because of its ghastly appearance. The monster misunderstands and frustrated sets out to kill the people closest to Victor, before killing his creator himself.
Shelley’s inspiration for the story came to her in a dream whilst she was spending the summer of 1816 in Geneva:
“I placed my head on my pillow, I did not sleep…I saw shut eyes, but acute mental vision, the pale student of unhallowed arts standing before the thing he had put together, I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out…the creature terrified its creator; he would rush away from his odious handiwork, horror stricken… (The scientist) sleeps but he is awakened; he opens his eyes, behold the horrid thing stands at his bedside, opening his curtains and looking on him with yellow, watery but speculative eyes.” And the story evolved from there, around this very dream.
The first paragraph is full of images that build up the darkness that the rest of the chapter has to offer. ‘Alliteration’ is used to emphasise Frankenstein’s tiredness. It is written in first person and it almost seems as if you are reading Victory Frankenstein’s diary. The way the text is written, makes you feel as though you are reading a journal, one that is so precisely accurate which makes you feel closer to Victor, as a character. It starts off with ‘a dreary night of November,’ this straight away sets the dark mood for this chapter, November is known as the wettest month. ‘An anxiety that almost amounted to agony,’ this phrase of alliteration emphasises tiredness that Frankenstein suffers. ‘One in the morning’, ‘rain pattered dismally against the panes’, ‘my candle was nearly burnt out’, ‘half extinguished light’ all these ‘quotes’ taken from the first paragraph represent a mood full of darkness; just like what the rest of the chapter has to offer, it builds up an image of a dark and dismal atmosphere.
‘I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open’, ‘it breathed hard’, and ‘a convulsive motion agitated its limbs’, the way this ‘creation’ is described makes it sound abnormal, and almost makes you feel sorry for it, but at the same time you feel feared by it. ‘The instruments of life’, ‘infuse a spark’ and ‘a convulsive motion agitated its limbs’, these phrases are all worded very precisely, this shows us that the Victor was obsessed with making this creature, and you can see that in the way he talks about it. ‘My candle was nearly burnt out, ‘half extinguished light’, and words such as ‘accomplishment’ make you feel the exhaustion, and because the candles are dimming it gives you a sense of something being over. Even though the darkness is there, there are words that show hope like; ‘spark’, ‘light’, ‘motion’, ‘glimmer’ and ‘life’ are all words that give you a sign of hope. Long complex sentences are slowly creating suspense, and pathetic fallacy is used; ‘rain pattered dismally’, especially in November. November is always associated to be the wettest month and this is why it has worked well here.
In the second paragraph we see that Victor is about to crack; He is asking himself questions, that make you think that this experiment has made him ill. Short sentences and exclamations; ‘Beautiful!’ and ‘Great God!’ show Victors shock he had when making this ‘creature’. Phrases like ‘yellow skin’, ‘watery eyes’, ‘dun white sockets’, ‘shrivelled complexion’ and ‘straight black lips’ give you a sense of fear, only dead people look like this and you begin to feel afraid for Victor who has to face it. Victor describes his project as being ‘a wretch’, ‘horrid’ and a ‘catastrophe’, you now almost feel sorry for the creature; it is not his fault he looks like this.
We take a look inside Victor’s brain, we see what he goes through when he realises what he has done. Victor is disgusted at what he has done. ‘I had worked hard for nearly two years’ this phrase shows us that he regrets wasting two years of his life on creating this creature. ‘The beauty of the dream vanished’, this shows the ‘obsession’ Victor had over making this creature, but now his dreams are shattered. ‘I had deprived myself of rest and health’, this shows us that he has damaged himself; because making this creature had made him ill. In this section of the chapter we see a sense of guilt coming out of Victor; as he realises that he has committed an unforgivable sin.
Victor falls asleep in his bed chamber; due to total exhaustion, he dreams a deathly nightmare, so horrific that it portrays images of death. I the dream he holds ‘the corpse of his dead mother in his arms’, the fact that he has seen his mother shows us the realisation that he will never bring her back to life. ‘A cold dew covered my forehead’, ‘my teeth chattered’, all these symptoms occur as he awakes from his nightmare. ‘Every limb became convulsed’, this phrase occurs back to the first paragraph when Victor was describing the creature, but now Victor is using the same language to describe himself; could it be that Victor has created a monster, and a monster out of himself too? At this point we know that Victor is going to have to suffer a lot of consequences.
In this part we feel sorry for the creature rather than Victor; Because of the obsession Victor has had on creating this creature he is too self absorbed and wants pity on himself. The creature might be deformed, but Victor was the one that created it, so it’s Victors fault. Victor shouldn’t reject the creature after all the creature he beheld was his dream. ‘Miserable’, ‘he muttered some inarticulate sounds’, ‘a grin wrinkled his cheeks’, ‘he might have spoken but I did not hear’, ‘one hand was stretched out’, these are all images of baby like actions. When the creature stretched its arm out to reach Victor he just neglected it. When the creature smiled or tried to speak, he never smiled or talked back. Instead of showing any sense of security to the creature Victor just rushed downstairs in a frantic ‘panic’, not knowing what to do, or how to take in what he has created. Victor compares the creature to a ‘demonical corpse’ and a ‘mummy’.
The following morning is described as being ‘dismal and wet’; this reflects the mood of Victor. ‘Eyes the Church of Ingolstadt’, this tells us that Victor knows he has sinned, and now God is watching over him; because of his sinful experiments. Pathetic fallacy is used in the ‘morning’ paragraph; ‘rain which poured from a black and comfortless sky’. ‘The load that weighed upon my mind’, ‘without any clear conception of where I was or what I was doing’ and ‘my asylum’, all these phrases convey that Victors about to crack, basically he is going mad. ‘Sickness of fear’, this is his conscious.
The mood lightens and the paste slows down, as Victor sees his friend Clevral, ‘how glad I am to see you’. Clevral’s ‘presence’ brought back his thoughts of his loved ones, this takes his mind off things and Victor attempts to block out the events that occurred the night before. Clevral comments on how ‘ill’, ‘pale’ and ‘thin’ Victor appears this shows us that this creature has made him sick to the bone. Clevral also says ‘you look as though you have been watching for several nights’; this tells us that Victor’s toils are becoming visible in his face. Victor says ‘but I hope I sincerely hope’ this is almost as he is begging or wishing that his matters are at an end for good. ‘That I am at length free’, this phrase is ironic, and he will have to suffer some consequences.
Tension is built as the two men approach Victors apartment, through long sentences like; ‘I then reflected, and the thought made me shiver, that the creature whom I had left in my apartment might still be there, alive, and walking about.’ Those types of sentences grab the reader’s attention and make them think whether or not the creature is still there and makes them want to read on. ‘I trembled excessively’ this shows us that Victor cannot get over last night’s events. ‘The creature might still be there,’ ‘I feared that…Henry should see him,’ and ‘a cold shivering came over me’, these all build up suspense, and the reader is hooked in more and more. ‘I darted up towards my own room’, ‘I recollected myself’, these sentences show Victors uncertainty and that he doesn’t really know what he is doing, is his conscious acting up on him? ‘I threw the door forcibly open, as children are accustomed to do when they expect a spectre to stand waiting,’ Victor is comparing himself to a child. ‘Apartment was empty,’ ‘good fortune’ suggests Victor thinks his troubles are over, and he ‘claps his hands for joy’ and ‘runs’ to Clevral. He thinks this creature will never come back to him.
People were scared in the 1800’s about this book, but in this century it is more ‘relevant than ever’. With the world changing and so many hi-tech gadgets being introduced people need to realise when to stop, and when enough is enough. With the invention of Nuclear weapons where will it all stop? Will doctors really invent things to keep everyone alive forever and will they be able to play God? What about the media, so many celebrities are having so much work done who knows what they will want next. Frankenstein is a book that should be read for decades to come, and should never be forgotten; because people need to realise when things have got too far and that you always have to suffer the consequences and regrets of your actions.
Saturday 20 June 2009
Blood Red Snow White
Marcus Sedgewick ‘Blood Red Snow White’
'challenging, stark and uncompromising, a thoroughly satisfying read for older teenagers.' (Philip Womack LITERARY REVIEW )
A gripping novel based on Arthur Ransome's, (Swallows and Amazons) eyewitness accounts of the early days of the Russian Revolution and his meetings with its leading figures, Trotsky and Lenin.
Marcus Sedgwick fairy tale explores many factual truths during this time and must have undergone a lot of research prior to writing the novel. For instance, Robert Bruce Lockhart's spying in Russia and the love story of Arthur Ransome and Trotsky's secretary are openly explored.
Based around the Russian Revolution, this novel concerns the well-known novelist who was actually involved in the events that occurred. Set before he was famous for his novel ‘Swallows and Amazons’, this book tells of his amazing life and the part he played in this period of history. Ransome was already a writer, albeit a journalist, when he realised he no longer loved his wife, so decided to leave her and his child (who he adored). He met a woman called Evgenia and fell in love with her. Then he became involved in espionage and was thought to be a spy or double agent. As you read it, he has some incredible adventures and was involved in many hair- raising events.
Its structure is particularly clever as it has three sections.
The first could almost be said to be in a ‘fairy tale’ style with a 70 page opening using a great bear in a forest and a family to explain the Russian revolution in a simplistic way.
The second section, approximately 100 pages long, deals with events over the course of an evening when people presume he is a spy by his movements and explains his dealings with Lenin and Trotsky (and his secretary).
The third and final section details his dangerous, epic journey to get this lady, by returning to Russia, during the throws of revolution, and ensuring that he can be with her forever.
Considering it is a novel designed for children, I was amazed to find that its pace and content was also suitable to an adult reader. It is a great story based on the Russian Revolution and Arthur Ransome’s life in Russia. However, for a book apparently aimed at younger readers, it includes occasional unexpectedly adult themes and language.
As a result, I would recommend it for a more able Year 9, or KS4 reader, especially with an interest in espionage or history.
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