It was the night of the witches. Every house in the small village of
Merthyr Bryn had its horseshoe carefully nailed on their big oak doors to defend against the dreaded evil that ominously took over the village.
The night had begun. Every year the petrified villages would anxiously await the terror. Even the stars were hiding in the inky black night, making the village swarm in shadows.

Anwell pressed his small white nose up against the tiny window of his house as hard as he could. Even his sister Addien wasn’t quite so cheerful. “Why can’t we go out?” she wailed for the hundredth time, tugging at his grandma’s sleeve.

“Nobody goes out tonight Addien, don’t you know why?” croaked Grandma Mali.

Addien would have asked her to explain but suddenly she screeched:

“They’re here! The witches are here!”

“
Witches? What do you mean?” Anwell exclaimed, this was all too much for him. But no one replied. For a slow unforgettable eerie wail filled the silence. A thin black shadow zipped past the window and the wailing grew fainter, until there was only the sound of the fire crackling.

“
Ssshh, children” Grandma Mali cooed, breaking the silence “ I will explain all. When our village was created, it was built on an old hill.”

“
What’s so special about that?” interrupted Addien, biting her grimy nails on one hand whilst clinging on her grandma with the other.

“Allow me to continue,” growled Grandma Mali.

“
The hill was the home to all the witches on earth. We destroyed that hill to make Merthyr Bryn, which as you can imagine, made the witches very angry and they have been trying to get their revenge ever since.”

Addien didn’t interrupt, for once she just nodded, and gulped down the bits of nail and dead skin she had torn away from her fingers a minute earlier. Anwell had a million things he wanted to ask her but he didn’t have the will to ask, he was too frightened. They all were. Finally Addien managed to speak:

“ What kind of revenge” she whispered anxiously.

Anwell had been thinking the exact same thing but they never heard the answer for then, the house exploded with witches - they were everywhere, swarming in through the back door, which to Anwell’s alarm, had been left open. They were tiny little horrors, no taller than a child, with long, black teeth as sharp as razors and menacing black eyes.

“Gigaru! “ the witches hissed in union, speaking an unknown language. Anwell bravely

A Cloud’s Dream

What is a cloud? Do you think of the drifting clump of evaporated water? We’re nothing like that. In actual fact a cloud is in a way, like a man. We eat, drink, even think like humans. My name is Clim. I’m quite an ordinary cloud, I don’t often cry, or get angry and send streaking paths of lightning down to earth, like reaching hands. Nor do I blush or sparkle in the sunset. Like I said, I’m ordinary. But I do have a very important role in life - to recycle water. I suck it up from the sea and carry it over the mountains. I let it rain on the land so plants can grow, and I fill the reservoirs with my finest drops, for you to drink and bathe in. It’s my job and I work hard at it. That was my life, and then it all changed when I met Mabel.

She was a young cloud, maybe a whole year younger than me, but she definitely did not act like it. She was the boss and I her servant, there to fulfil her every need. But I didn’t mind, I loved her; from the minute I set eyes on her. I remembered the night she came. It was a cold Christmas Eve, and a fierce storm was brewing. She peacefully drifted towards me, engulfed in pure white frost, which danced in the moonlight in sync with her elegant body, twirling gracefully in the high winds. I was blown away and from then on we were always together, gliding happily high up in the stratosphere.

Then one day, when we were floating over the sea, watching the sun set along the horizon she said

“Clim, I need to tell you something.”

“What?”

Silence.

“Tell me, Mabel!” I said, and she:

“I’m leaving. I’m sorry… Clim?”

What? Why? I couldn’t believe it.

“Clim? Clim! Please…can we talk about this…we’re friends, please don’t be angry…I-”started Mabel.

I began to drift away.

“Please, Clim. I am sorry but I have to follow my dream,” whispered Mabel, floating over.

I stopped; I was turning grey in my silent fury. ”Give me one reason why I should listen to you, you’re always telling me what to do, I never get a say.”

“Because…Because I love you…” declared Mabel

I turned to face her. Why was life so difficult?

“Tell me then. What is this dream?”

“My dream has always been to explore,”

I began to turn a rosy red “Me too”

“And in some far off land, there are places called deserts – dry lands, almost without life. I want to rain on those deserts, and make them beautiful. You could help me?”

I knew I would miss my friends, but mind was made up.

“Mabel.” I said “ I would follow you anywhere!”

And together we floated into the evening sun.

Hi hi! Good to see you. I have only just created this account. I have just passed some exams too! I soon hope I can post some of my stories! See you soon!!

Introducing J from Planet Jam...