Recently, the following students entered the annual GDST Writing competition: Joanna (Year 9), Poppy-Mei (Year 9), Mithila (Year 8), Oliva (Year 9), Inaaya (Year 9) and Isabella (Year 11). The theme for this year’s competition was “Community”. It’s an incredibly difficult job to select just two entries; all the students were imaginative, original and compelling in their responses and it’s clear we have some talented writers in our midst.
This year, the two finalists are: Poppy-Mei and Joanna. We wish them the best amongst other brilliant writers across the GDST.
Below is an extract from each of the finalists:
Joanna – I jolted awake to the scream of the hurricane sirens. A cold shock rushed through me. There wasn’t supposed to be a drill today. Before I even realised I was moving, I’d thrown off the covers and stumbled to the window. The moment I yanked it open; the storm slammed into me. Wind whipped my hair into my face, rain stung my skin like needles, the air sharp, electric. One look at the churning sky was enough to tell me this wasn’t a warning.
It was happening.
Poppy-Mei –The familiar pattern of dots chasing each other hypnotises me. My laptop warms my knees, yet I shiver and shift my position. I stretch my neck and hear a notification ping from my phone. I avoid looking at it just yet.
Refresh. How many others are waiting somewhere, their screens frozen in the same loop? Someone yawns in a bedroom far, far away, trying not to fall asleep. A fan hums gently. Somewhere else, a stomach gurgles and a hand presses down over it to suppress the noise. A chair squeaks. For a second, all of these moments are connected like a web of anticipation, stretching across the world, a virtual community of people alone but waiting together.
The clock ticks again and I tap my fingers on the floor, impatient but trying to keep calm. I hear my cat miaow outside but I make no move to let her in. This is for me.