Here's a short story I wrote at the age of nine. It's riveting, I assure you.

Beyond the Bookcase

The bookcase swung open. The secret passage was dark. There were cobwebs, stone steps, and beyond... darkness. I started walking down the steps and suddenly the bookcase slams shut. I banged on the bookcase but no-one could hear me. The only thing I could do was to walk so I started walking. It was really smelly down their [sic]. I think it was the rats. I suddenly tripped over a cobweb and tumbled down the steps. There was a closed door in front of me. I thought I was going crash [sic].

The door opened in front of me and I zoomed through. I found myself in space. I couldn't breathe. I was holding my breath for such a long time my face was going red.

That doesn't sound like what would happen to you in space, but I don't know enough about space to know, to be honest.

I floated to the moon to get help from some astronauts. I looked but I couldn't find any astronauts,

Why I expected to see astronauts, I don't know. Space is very big and there are generally few astronauts in space at any one time.

but then I heard a funny noise. It sounded like "Back ole besir".

I have no idea what this means. I think it's supposed to be a made-up alien language.

Also, sound can't travel through space, so this could never even happen.

I went to see what the noise was. I had no choice. If it was an astronaut, I would at least be able to breathe again.

Once again I'm looking for an astronaut. I must have had the impression that space is like diving. If you're running low on air, you can get another diver to give some of his out of his tank.

I think I would be dead of oxygen starvation at this point anyway so I'm not sure how an astronaut is going to help.

Suddenly, I fell into a crater. I was plunged into darkness.

Suddenly, some lights came on.

I've used the word 'suddenly' twice. My English teacher would not be impressed. I can picture her with her red pen.

I was able to breathe again. I was in a small, blue room. The light came from a candle. There were three walls and a wall made from iron bars. Through the bars I could see a small, narrow door, and a bucket. It was a rusty old bucket, with two or three holes.

I think I'm supposed to shit in the bucket. That's what buckets are for in prisons. I've put a shit bucket into the story.

Suddenly the door opened. A funny looking creature came out. It had a big nose, one foot that it hopped along on, and three eyes. Two more creatures came out looking exactly like the first one but bigger. The two big creatures were standing either side of the room.

The little creature fell asleep.

Only the small alien falls asleep, not the big ones. I don't know why.

I went to a corner of the room to rest. Suddenly a trapdoor opened up at another corner of the room.

Convenient.

I ran across to the other side of the room and I jumped down the trapdoor. I was back at the steps. The bookcase was open. I ran towards it. The creatures had jumped down the trapdoor as well and they were following me. They made a grab for me but I jumped out the way. The bookcase was closing. I jumped as far as I could but I hit the bookcase.

Oh no.

The creatures nearly got me but I crawled out and the bookcase closed. The creatures hit their heads on the bookcase.

"I'm never going in there again" I said to myself.

That's fair enough because I wouldn't go in there again either. I would read this story again though. 10/10 for a good solid effort.

By Paul Pietrzak aged 9