Short Story Competition: School Years 4 to 5 Runner-up ‘Sunday’

By Amelia Gordon

Once upon a time, in a dark and cold wood on a misty hill, lived a little girl named Sunday. Sunday had shiny purple hair, glowing green eyes, and pointy ears that gleamed in the moonlight. She lived with her family: her mum, Tuesday, her dad, Wednesday, and her baby brother Friday.

Sunday's family was not like other families. They slept in hollow trees during the day and played at night. Every evening, they would wake up to a breakfast of Blueberry pancakes and strawberry milk. Sunday's favourite part of the night was when they ran around the woods, their shadows dancing in the moonlight.

One stormy night, Sunday decided to explore the forbidden part of the wood near an old village. The trees whispered secrets, and the wind howled like a ghost. As she wandered deeper, she stumbled upon an old, abandoned house. The windows were broken, and the door creaked open slowly.

Inside, the air was cold and filled with the scent of old socks. Sunday's heart raced as she heard a faint scratching sound. She followed the sound to a dark corner where she found a bunny, trapped in an old draw. Bunnies eyes were wide with fear. Sunday reached over and opened the draw and set the bunny free, the bunny lept into her arms.

But as Sunday stepped out, the house began to shake. Sunday and Bunny ran as fast as they could. They barely made it out before the house collapsed into a pile of rubble.

Sunday and bunny became best friends and Sunday named the bunny Lilly, but they never forgot the night they escaped the old house. From then on, they knew that even in the darkest places, friendship could light the way.

Judge’s Comments:

This whimsical tale is imaginative and delightful. The strength in this story lies in its descriptive writing, and beautiful imagery. The reader is immediately transported to a fairy-tale-like world. The beginning of the story sets the scene well, and then the tension steadily climbs. This story has a great use of structure and a beautiful resolution.