We're honoured to publish the following collection of writing by local, young authors and illustrators. These works were the products of a 2-day writing workshop, delivered by published author and local, Aimee Milne at our Gizzy Local space over the winter school holidays.
As advocates and celebrators of local artists, we feel the special priviledge of trust that these artists have placed in us to publish their work. There are few things quite as brave as making art that has no reason to be except for the calling one feels to create it. It's with that desire to respect artistic bravery that we welcome this and more art into our world, we mark this a safe space for these writers and illustrators. Artists, and especially the young, very brave ones, continue making our world more beautiful and thoughtful with your work.
A very special thank you to Aimee for helping these authors with their craft.
"The Big Idea"
Written and Illustrated by Zoё Kluiters, age 11
Wainui Beach School
My eyes flicker open. Cream walls, a broken lamp, a crack in the ceiling … and the
burnt smell of breakfast. I groan and get up. My straw pile deflated during the night. I
drag my feet to the kitchen. A small fire is burning in the centre of the room. A lumpy
rock plate sits crooked on the edge. Dad’s house is a dump. Mum and Dad split up a
year ago and I’m still sad. Mum got married to a rich man and lives in a mansion. I
haven’t seen her since.
“Can you go and forage for some food in the forest?” Dad asks. He has never gone to
school and he doesn’t have a good paying job, but I never let him know it worries me.
“Ok!” I try to be cheerful, and I am happy I’m back home. I go to a fancy boarding school
that mum pays for, but I miss my Dad. I skip down the path with my basket where some
mushrooms are growing.
“Help!”
I freeze.
“Help!”
I must be going crazy!
“Help!”
There it goes again. It sounds just like a child! I grip the handle of the basket and dash
towards the cry. All of a sudden I stop; my heart skips a beat … it’s not a child, it’s a fox
in a trap.
“Help … help.” I rush over. Blood is oozing out of it’s paw. I push on the lever … it
doesn’t move. I take a deep breath and push with all my might. ‘POP!’ The trap let’s go.
I realise I have been holding my breath.
“You’re a fox,” I say.
“Yes, “ the Fox answers.
“And you can talk!”
“No,” the Fox says. “You can just understand me.”
I smile. “How is your paw?”
“Well … it’s throbbing?“ he says.
“How can I help?”
“Some flowers from that tea tree. It will calm the pain.” I do as I’m told. As we talk an
idea pops into my head. I could use my newly discovered power to help hurt animals, I
could study to be a wild vet. People could come and watch the animals recover in an
environment identical to their real habitat. Dad and I could make lots of money! I talk
about the big idea to Fox. But I know my Dad needs to get an education. Also how were
they going to pay for it? The fox says he has a bunny friend who found an old coin that
might be valuable.
“Ho!” the Rabbit says when she sees us. “Yes,” she says, “please, take the coin. It just
sits there rusting away. Take it! Take it!” she urges. It is heavy, with rusty edges and
funny numerals. I cradle it in my hands protectively. When I get home I show it to Dad.
He thinks it’s a joke, so I decide to take it to the museum myself. I slip off towards town
and talk to the manager who tells me it’s worth 100,000 pounds! I sell it immediately. On
the way back I see a big piece of land for sale, only 100 pounds! Now I only have
99,900 left. Without Dad knowing, I build a shop, a parking lot, plant 1,100 trees, a vet
room and enclosures. I have just enough left for food. I go and tell Fox the good news.
“Well,“ says Fox. “All you need now are the animals.”
I gasp.
“I don’t have the money to buy animals!”
“Calm down!” laughs Fox. “It’s for the injured animals, they will come freely when they are hurt!”
I laugh. Why am I so worried?
Then I remember my homework! I say goodbye to Fox and rush home to finish my
study. Dad is surprised and proud when I tell him what I’ve been doing every day. We
have a wild animal vets up and running! After a while my certificate arrives. I am
officially a qualified Veterinarian, and I don’t have to sleep on straw anymore.
The Kind Soldier
Written by Millie Snodgrass, age 11
Illustrated by Violet Partington, age 12
Zoe used to be brave, until the incident, which left her parents wanting a regular kid. Zoe’s parents could fly, but Zoe didn’t have any superpower. As a result, her parents took her nowhere. It was a sunny day in 4774, when Zoe heard the news over her mini radio.
“Ten fighters are lost in the Nevermore caves; two of the names are Matt and Matilda Wilson.” Zoe halted in her tracks. Matt and Matilda were her parents.
Zoe met her friend Ellie at school and made a plan to go to the caves to rescue her parents, that would prove she wasn’t such a disappointment. Right? Ellie and Zoe snuck out and jogged through the Riverside mountains until their lungs couldn’t fill with any more air. They were determined to reach the caves before dark. Zoe wished she lived back in the day with phones, TV’s and cars. Nowadays, these luxurious items are no longer in production to slow down climate change.
Right then, Zoe felt Ellie’s hand across her chest, telling her to stop moving and look up. Right in front of them, was a fallen wooden bridge.
“What the heck? Sorry Zoe, I’m turning back.”
Without Ellie, Zoe would never find her parents, but she didn’t have time to think about this, because suddenly a gust of wind blew the two girls off the edge. Zoe braced for death as she fell but, it didn’t happen. Someone caught her…
“Who are you?” Zoe’s voice was so raspy barely any sound came out.
“I’m soldier B23. I was stuck in a cave, but I'm the only survivor.” This man had a shaggy beard and wore ripped clothes.
“My parents were in those caves.” She cried. Then she saw Ellie’s motionless body and realised she was dead too.
“No.” Zoe tried to run, but she felt a stabbing pain in her leg.
“Your leg is broken, so we have to get you back.”
Zoe didn’t have anyone left, maybe she was a disappointment after all. She didn’t remember anything else until she woke up with a pounding head and a stiff leg. The soldier was sitting behind her.
“Are you ready to go home?”
These were the most confusing words, because Zoe didn’t have a home, her parents were dead.
“You can live with me,” he said. Zoe had no doubt that this was the kindest man she had ever met.
Zoe sat at the dinner table with Martha and David (her new guardians.) She learned that this couple could teleport to different places and she was nervous she would disappoint them too. But, unlike her parents, David teleported with Zoe, taking her on fun trips. Looking back, Zoe realized she missed her parents a lot, but her new life did suit her, and she finally felt like she belonged.
Wild eye
Written and illustrated by Lowenna Haskell, age 11
The sound of a gunshot filled the air. I squeezed my eyes shut, a pained scream
attacked my ears. I almost fell out of bed.
“Breakfast,” Mum called. I tried to tell her yesterday about the screams but she didn’t
hear anything. I dragged my heavy feet down the stairs. I didn’t want to eat, not after I
had just heard someone die.
“Did you hear it this time?”
It took her a moment before she realised what I was talking about.
“Are you feeling alright?” she asked. It hurt that she would doubt me. I was tired of
everyone thinking there was something wrong with me.
“Eat.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Bianca, you come in making up stories about death and then you tell me you’re not
going to eat the food I spent ages on?!” I wanted to feel guilty, but it was hard to believe
she spent ages on some burnt toast with a bit of butter. I sighed.
“Do you seriously believe I would make it up just to get attention?”
I HATED being different. I was called ‘unique,’ in the worst way. You see, I have one
blue eye, and one green: but that’s not the strangest thing. Out of the blue eye I see life
as any other person would. Out of my green eye, I see life how animals see it.
My vision is great at night and I can spot really small things that other people can’t.
Humans might just see an ordinary road but I see all the tiny cracks and small stones on
and in it. Like a Pigeon! There are loads of different animals that I see like, all mashed
together into one. But seeing like an animal is a blessing and a curse.
I was angry at my mum so I stormed out the door. Little did I know I would end up far
from home…
I was only halfway to school when I heard another pained scream. A shiver crawled
down my spine. It was louder, like it was close. I felt a sharp pain in my animal eye. I fell
to my knees, my bag scattered on the ground. My vision turned black for a moment...
* * *
Suddenly, I was in a dark room with eerie black walls. A scratchy red carpet on an
ancient floor. Two men came running in holding a small baby....that was me! I had no
doubt – except for one thing: the baby’s eyes were both blue.
A vision...or maybe even a memory.
“Come on!” one of the men said. His hair was black and his eyes were red. The other
man had brown hair.
“We don’t have much time.”
“I know Aamon, hurry!” said the brown haired man.
“Balor!” Aamon shouted. “NOW!”
Balor wrenched out a bottle of bright green liquid and to my horror, poured it directly into
my eye. The baby me cried and blinked rapidly as her blue eye turned green.
* * *
The vision melted away. Was it real? I had millions of questions and NOONE could
answer. I snatched my bag up from the ground, panting hard. I made it to the zebra
crossing. On the other side of the road, there was a man in black. I crossed the road but
the man didn’t move, he just watched me.
“It’s you.”
“I’m sorry?” I said.
“You’re Bianca?”
Maybe I should lie and tell him my name was something else.
“A… are you Aamon?” The man gritted his teeth.
“No... Do you already know him?”
“All I’ve had are some dreams.”
“I’m not Aamon. My name is Poneros.” I don’t know why, but the name sent a shiver all
the way to the bottom of my spine.
“Sorry, I need to go to school...”
“Is finding out why you struggle with your eyes not more important?” The question threw
me off guard. No one had ever believed me about my animal vision before, and
Poneros did. Who was he?
I wouldn’t normally go with a stranger but I needed to know. We walked to his car and I
hesitated.
“No need to worry , you’ll be fine,” His tone of voice made me feel better. He opened the
car door and I climbed in. Suddenly, the dreaded scream tore at my ears and swallowed
any other thoughts that were in my mind... but this time was different, it was calling me,
begging for help.
“Ow!” I shouted.
“What’s wrong?”
“The screams.”
“It’s best for you if you get some rest,” he said. I didn’t think I would fall asleep that
easily but almost as soon as I closed my eyes I was out like a light.
* * *
I was back in that dark room. Aamon was running, Balor hobbling along behind shouting
out random fearsome noises to try and throw whoever was chasing them off guard and
just for a moment I felt their fear...
* * *
“We’re here!”
We got out of the car and there were some more men waiting just outside a house.
“Hello Bianca. I’m Phobos. Nice to finally meet you.” He seemed friendly but the only
thing I could focus on was how he knew my name.
“Here, follow me to your room.”
“My room?” I followed Poneros into a grey room.
“There you go,” he said in an unsettling tone. “I’ll let you settle in then you can tell me
about the screams.”
Something didn’t feel right. As soon as he left I facetimed my mum. The colour drained
from her face.
”Mum?”
She looked like she’d just seen a ghost.
“Honey, listen to me. They’re not who you think they are.”
“W…what do you mean?” I asked in a shaky voice.
“Just hide, and when you get a chance, run!”
I launched off the bed and hid underneath just before two men came in.
“WHERE DID SHE GO!?”
“I…I don’t know,” Poneros stammered.
“Find her!”
Phobos ran out of the room screaming my name. In ancient Greek Phobos meant...fear.
My thoughts raced. What was Poneros’ name in Ancient Greek? Aamon and Balor too?
I was surprised to find a trapdoor under the bed. I slid through it into an endless cave.
The further I got, the darker the cave grew but my animal vision sorted that out. I heard
the voices behind me. I saw a sliver of light coming from the very end of the cave. It
was my last hope. There was NO other way out. As I reached the end I found the room
from my vision – just as it was when I was a baby. And there, lay Balor’s body. It was
the most horrifying thing I’d ever seen. There was a bullet hole in his head.
“You should have left your phone at home,” Poneros’s voice came from behind me. My
animal instincts knew where I should target. But before I had the chance, he pointed his
gun at me....and then I got thrown aside.
“I knew you were still alive,” Poneros said. I was confused, but he wasn’t talking to me.
He was talking to Aamon! He was exactly how I saw him in my vision, only older.
Poneros had used my connection with Aamon to find him. The scream echoed in my
ear... this time I knew who the scream belonged to: it was Balor.
“You murdered my brother on the same night as this girl was given power. Now on the
same day, the 4th of April, you’ll feel the consequences,” said Aamon.
Suddenly Poneros pulled a knife and held it at Aamon’s throat. One move and he was
dead. I had to distract Poneros a little longer.
“Wait!”
Poneros sneered. “What?”
“Fight me.”
“You’re lucky you’re still alive. I could kill you with the flick of my wrist.”
“Well, why aren’t I dead?”
He charged at me. I used my animal vision. Aamon shouted, “BIANCA DON’T DO IT,
RUN!” but I ignored him and wrestled Poneros to the floor. He was strong. I felt all my
hope draining away. But then he fell to the floor, coughing and murmuring....and Aamon
stood over him with a bloodied knife.
“Bianca. We have to go!”
We ran back through the tunnel and burst through the doors...
* * *
I woke up in my own bed. I didn’t know if it was real. I searched up what everyone’s
name meant, trying to solve the puzzle. Balor’s name means, ‘the deadly one’ in Irish
and Poneros’ name means ‘evil’ in Greek. Aamon...the hidden one.
I can’t hear the screams anymore, and I wonder if Aamon is hiding somewhere,
watching over me, protectively, like he would... a sister?
Boy, has my mother got some explaining to do.
The Kidnapping
Written by Molly Muir, age 11
Illustrated by Kelsey Coote, age 15
Stella waltzed through the hallways of her fancy private school with her two best friends, Delphina and Kimmie.
“Did you guys see the new Chanel lip-gloss?” asked Stella. “Mum bought it for me. It was like fifty dollars. I REALLY wanted the 100 dollar one, but she said no. Is she like, trying to RUIN my life?!”
“Totes,” Delphina replied, glancing at her Rolex. “The bell’s gonna ring soon so we better get to class.”
“See yas!” Stella called as she headed to class. “BTW, I absolutely LOVE the way you guys did your hair this morning! It is like, to DIE for! See you guys at lunch!”
Stella looked down at her timetable as someone turned the corner and ran straight into her. Stella scowled. It was Destiny, her arch-nemesis.
“Get out of my way!” Destiny screeched in her face.
Stella fired back, “Please don't talk to me. Being a nerd might be contagious!” Destiny scoffed and strode away.
Stella rolled her eyes and walked to her chemistry class. The time was 9:10, and her chemistry class started at nine! She picked up the pace and ran into Benji, who was in the same class.
“Come on, Stella! If I get a bad chemistry grade again, Dad said that I can't use his credit card for video games anymore!”
Just as they were turning a corner, three people wearing long black cloaks cornered them. Stella and Benji stopped dead in their tracks.
“Umm… who are you dudes?” Benji asked.
“Come on Benji,” Stella urged.
“You're not going anywhere,” one of the figures said, his voice muffled from the cloak.
“RUN BENJI!” she yelled.
“Get ‘em,” the hooded figure at the front growled.
The Arrow and the Blade
Written by Ianthe Cundall-Curry 12
Illustrated by Amelia Stewart, age 14
I couldn’t see anything but black. I couldn’t feel anything but the burn. Where was I?
The darkness faded into light, then I realized I was in a cold, dark cell. I sat up and groaned clutching my leg. My hair stuck to the sweat on my face. I looked around and saw a thick black lock connected to the bars that held me prisoner.
I winced and limped over to a large stone. It was heavy. I grimaced as I hauled the stone over and
smashed the lock.
Then I ran.
I heard an alarm go off and a shout and realized guards were chasing me. I was about to turn a
corner when a group of men holding rifles blocked my way. I turned to run the other way only to
meet the end of more guns. I bared my teeth as one of them stepped forward holding chains.
There was a thud and one of the guards fell to the ground. Then another. Then another.
A boy stood holding a bow and arrow. It creaked as he drew it back to take down the group behind
me, then he ran over and hugged me.
“Conny, I knew you’d get out!” I was confused. How did this boy know my name?
“Let’s get out of here” he said.
I pushed him off me and stepped back. “How do you know me?!”
The boy cursed. “I’m too late...but I still need to get you out! Come on!” He grabbed my arm and
dragged me to the exit.
Once outside, we headed for the forest. We ran for what seemed like hours until we were certain we weren’t being tailed. I fell to the ground clutching my leg as it burned. The boy walked over and took a small vial of green goo.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“This will help” he replied tipping the goo onto my leg. The pain soon faded.
“Who are you?” I asked again.
“My name is Zanther. We met on a mission in the South. I grew up there and your mission was to kill me.”
I looked down, ashamed. I couldn’t remember.
“But I cornered you and helped you escape the people you worked for. A week ago they found
where we were and captured you. Those scoundrels even made you forget. Oh, also this is yours.”
I looked up and Zanther handed me a blade with runes carved into the silver. I turned it around in
my hand until I noticed him watching me.
"What was I to you?”
He looked down blushing and smiled. “More than a friend.” He reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I leaned toward him and closed my eyes, his soft breath on my face... but then there was a loud bang in the distance and we both froze.
He grabbed my hand and pulled me into a bush. “Your sister,” he said between breaths. “We need to find her.”
“What are you talking about?!” I whispered.
“You have a sister; they’ll go for her next.”
“I think it’s safe,” he said as he helped me out of the bushes.
“Where is she?” I asked.
“East.”
“But those people are heading East?”
Zanther pulled me forward. “We’ll get there first.”
“No, you won’t,” a voice said dangerously.
We spun around, our weapons at the ready to fight. Guards surrounded us. A man wearing a red suit stood at the front of them.
“Come to me,” the man said sternly but no one moved.
“You’re too late,” Zanther said. “I gave it to her.” The man glared at Zanther.
“Leave us alone!” I demand, but the man just chuckled.
“Kill the boy, bring the girl.” The guards lunged at Zanther, but he was ready. I went for the man. He
drew a blade and started swinging it expertly. I aimed for his head, then back, neck, stomach, but I
couldn’t get him. Then I seized my chance. I lunged for his chest as he looked away just for a second.
I heard a strangled grunt and turned to see Zanther with a hole in his chest. I ran to him, slicing
anyone in my way. I fell to my knees holding Zanther’s fallen body in my arms.
An image came to my head of a girl, then of Zanther, then more.
“I remember you Zanther! Wake up! Please! I remember you!” unable to control my tears.
Zanther smiled. “Good,” he said as his eyes closed.
“Nonononono!!!” I cried into his chest.
Then I feel a different type of burn. I was going to find out who the man in the red suit was, and kill
him.