“The stories that make up the Story Storm are part of an experimental writing project that I designed inspired by a lesson plan a colleague in the English department had shared. I wanted students to write stories inspired by stormy weather. The brief was as vague as above because I wanted the work to demonstrate the spontaneity and the creativity behind the process. 10Y1 English class took up the challenge and started the stories below. I hope that many will revisit these stories and finish them. I urge more student writers will rise to the challenge and send more stories for publishing to creativewriting@smestow.org” G. Gidi
The Storm Chasers
De stilte voor de storm. That’s the saying here on my island. It means ‘The calm before the storm’ in English. I live on Orkaan, also known as Hurricane Island. We have storms at least twice a week; some worse than others, but you kind of learn not to be afraid of them after living here all of your life. The Natives here used to say that our ancestors did something to upset Njord, the God of Storm and the Hurricanes are our punishment for their sins.
Anyway, my name is Tahira, I’m 21 and since I was born the storms have wrecked my home countless times. When I was 9 my Mum and Dad were killed by Horns Rev back in 1999. Since then my older Brother has raised me and protected me; he means the world to me. I don’t hold grudges- not against something I can’t control, anyway. Four years ago I became a Storm-Chaser with my Brother. Some people say I’m crazy. I prefer the term adventurous.
A week ago the weather was forecast for the most violent storm we have ever had on Orkaan, and advised everyone to stay indoors; even the Storm-Chasers. Like hell am I going to listen to them. That’s not what I do. I’m going to be out there with my Brother, getting the best footage of this raging beast.
Its 12th August 2012- about half way through the Hurricane Season, and one week until the Hurricane is predicted to hit Orkaan at its strongest. I couldn’t sleep at all the night before- not this close to the event of the year...
© Becky Hickman
The Escape
I had never in my life experienced a storm as tremendous as this. The clouds being drawn in, the wind releasing all the energy it contained, the aggressive force hitting my window.
I lay there in my cell, nonplussed. I didn’t care. My life had already been cut short by the law, twenty five years to go until freedom… providing I lived that long, of course.
The prison was set on an island, way out to sea; there’s no chance of escape whatsoever, they made sure of that. Every cell occupied with the worst possible criminals, the most delirious lunatics, people who no one will ever miss. Not all of us are guilty, of course. As long as someone’s convicted, no one cares whether they’re innocent, just whether they’ll be gravely punished.
The wind grew closer – it was whispering in my ear… maybe I’m going crazy. I hope not. I was grateful for the storm’s untimely arrival, though, as it drowned out the shouting and screaming by other prisoners, why they bother I’ve no idea: hasn’t it already been made clear that everyone thinks we’re criminals?
Just then… a robust gust of wind penetrated through the brick wall of my cell – I could smell the outside air! Placing my hands on the sides of the large gap, I anxiously looked down; the sea was violently crashing against the rocks: would I survive that jump… in this storm? I had nothing to lose, I suppose.
Bracing myself, I jumped. The plummet was even graver than I’d anticipated. Every inch of sea piercing my skin like icy knives, the nerves in my brain waking up after an unintentional rest – I was alive once more, and I was ready.
I didn’t even know which way to swim; all the prisoners are brought via ferry, and prior entering this ferry, we’re blindfolded. If I was to escape I’d have to find the dock, if I was to find the dock I’d have to swim in the deadly storm, if I was to swim in the deadly storm I would most likely drown…
© Sonia Bansal
Time Bomb
They are on their Way to Los Angeles from San Francisco a race in who can win the jackpot of $500,000. In one car you have James, an experienced racer who is determined by the sight of money. Whereas in the other car you have Lacos, a new racing driver who wants glory, but who’s going to win?
They are both considerably close to each other, about 9 miles away from their destination Los Angeles, both eager to receive that big cash pay-out. The weather doesn’t look so good for racing but they are both determined, even though there are dark clouds covering the sky light. Who knows what the weather could do here.
Lacos tries to cut James out to try and make him crash but his little stunt fails, who knows what kind of little tactics they will play here. They are both playing mind games with each other, who’s going to crash? Who’s going to cheat their way to victory? Who’s going to take all the money?
They are both on an empty road in a rural area. What could happen here? This could decide the fate of the race. All of a sudden Lacos sees something in the distance. He’s thinking to himself, what could it be? It’s coming closer….. And closer. James sees it too and they both slam their brakes on and look at each other. Lacos asks the question to James, he says “What could it be?” James anxiously replies and says “I don’t know.” Yet again this mysterious thing is coming closer….. and closer. Lacos suddenly realises what it is and he says “Holy shit, it’s a tornado.” James, in shock says “Come on, let’s go!”
James and Lacos both swing their cars around and speed off in the other direction to get away from the tornado. They hit traffic as other people have found out about the tornado and are fleeing town. As they are stuck in traffic a huge storm hits the city and it is raining, thundering and lightning. They both realise that they may never see each other again as the traffic is out of control as people are panicking and the weather is horrendous. They sped off down a side street which took them onto a quiet rural road. By this time the tornado was coming closer to them and the rain was getting heavier.
A bolt of lightning came down and hit a tree in the distance about a few hundred metres away from them. They both see the tree lying in the middle of the road. They both just about dodge the tree. But they didn’t see there was a corner coming up. They both skid off the road and….. BOOM!
© Sunny Dhillon
The Gathering Storm
It was a dark gloomy night at sea in the North West of the Pacific Ocean. Winds of up to 102mph were battering the sails all day; bringing near destruction to the family of four. They were travelling from the United States of America to the shores of Peru on a three week holiday of the hot, late summer 2009. Michael and Davina are two married couples with two lovely twins, one boy named Charlie and one girl named Lily, aged 6.
“Good night daddy” says Charlie While Michael is tucking her in bed.
“Night night sweetheart, see you both in the morning” Explained Michael.
By this time Davina and Charlie were asleep an hour ago. Michael takes himself to bed in the cabin with the rest of the family members, but before he does that, he checks once more on the deck to see how the weather is doing.
“Still bad” He says to himself, then walks to bed with a glass of water in his hand.
3:40 am, the winds now must be hitting up to 130mph with rain and thunder by its side attacking the boat, making the boat crash at high speeds into the huge waves. Davina woke up immediately to Michael throwing out the water with a bucket gaining on the boat decking.
“Get the children’s life jackets! Quickly” Shouting Michael.
Davina gets the life jackets and wakes both of the children up in the cabin, while putting the lifejackets on them as quickly as possible.
“What’s happening mommy?” Wonders lily
“The weather is very bad honey, so get out with your daddy and hold onto the big pole in the middle of the boat and don’t let go. Now listen to me and go!” Explaining Davina.
The children ran outside as quickly as they could and immediately held on the big sail pole. Out of the blue a big wave crashed onto the deck drowning the boat slowly, leaving the family floating on the top of the sea. The family were lucky as the wooden doors came out of the boat and floated to the top of the dark blue water. Two got on each door, one adult and one child. The boat was now lost under the water. Michael and Davina hold hands to keep the two doors together. Charlie and Lily curled up into the parents laps to keep warm. The children went to sleep, within 2 hours the two doors arrived at shore. Michael woke up first wondering where they were, then he came to his senses and realized him, his wife and his two children were on a deserted island.
To be continued…
© Jarad Hameed
The deadly storm
I was asleep, about 10pm, snuggled up in my blanket in a warm cosy room. It was extremely windy. The rain was trickling down the window. I could hear the wind gushing around in all directions and I had a draft on my face. Just as I was drifting off to sleep, there was a slight tapping on the window, I slowly stood up and opened my curtains a slight bit to take a peek at what the slight tapping was. It was an extremely cold night, I was shaking and wanted to hurry up and jump into bed and go back to sleep, when I looked out the window for a quick glance I realised it was only a tree branch tapping on my window since it was a windy night...
© Kirsty Fellows
The Holiday
It all started on holiday. It was just me and my mother. I was only thirteen at the time. It is nearly twenty years ago now.
We were at a hotel in Brazil. It had been raining non-stop for about three days. There were giant pools of water in the street outside the hotel which you had to wade through every time you got out there. The wind kept howling consistently as things were blown over and the trees shook ferociously. We had been out several times while it was raining and we were fine, but you could see that the rain and wind was getting worse. We needed to get more food before it got any worse, so my mom said she’d go on her own so I was safe. I knew it was a bad idea as soon as she’d left. I saw her walk down the road and she disappeared.
I had nothing to do so I just sat the bed watching the news. There were stories of trees being blown over, people being stuck in their houses. All the time I could hear the rain beating on the window, I saw a flash of light and the thunder straight after. I looked outside at the weather, the rain had gotten much worse and the water had risen. My mother definitely couldn’t get back in the hotel, so I started to panic. I tried ringing her mobile but it wouldn’t connect. Then the lights and TV went off, it was pitch black in the hotel and all I could hear was screaming. I tried and tried to ring my mother but there was no hope. I just sat curled up in the dark crying, all I wanted to do was see my mother.
It was two days till anyone could get to the hotel in was still sat curled up just waiting to hear my mother’s voice, and there it was I could hear my mother from the stairs. I ran as fast as I could to find my mother collapsed on the stairs, there was blood on the floor and her head was cut and she wasn’t breathing.
We were rushed to hospital but they couldn’t save her. That was the holiday I will never be able to forget, but I get on with my life and will always remember my mother she will never be forgot.
© Emily Rogers
The Day It All Changed
It was many years ago now, when it all happened… I can see it so clearly, not a day passes that I don’t think about when it all turned upside down, when my life changed in those few seconds. Everything was so good before.
Now I live in England, with only my mother, I always wonder what I would be like if it never happened, if I never lost my home. I’d still be living in Mexico, my life would be great, my family round me. I cannot keep dreaming.
That day, I was just sitting at home, playing with my little brother, I can picture his little face he was so happy. That week we had been warned that there might be a storm, we just carried on, this was nothing new. Most times we had a weather warning like this nothing ever happened, just rain like we have here in England. I knew something wasn’t right this time though; my mother seemed really stressed there was something she wasn’t telling me. When she came home from work that day, early, it was very strange when she told me it was because of severe weather warnings I began to worry, and where was my father? My mother was getting stressed, I begged her not to but she went out to find him.
My brother began to cry, he didn’t like thunder. I held him tight and told him not to worry. Then the slam of the door, and the sound of my mother’s cry, I knew I had to stay strong for her sake. She couldn’t find my father anywhere. The wind was so loud, the rain started to drip through the ceiling.
Something wasn’t right. I was telling myself that we would all by fine, that my brother would stay safe. I tried singing to him to keep him happy, nothing was working. The table started to shake, my mother was screaming, why did this happen to me? It was all such a blur after this; I was trying my best to keep my brother safe he was so unsettled, I couldn’t get him to do anything. This is when the ceiling came crashing down.
I woke up, my mother was crying, shaking me, trying to get me up. She couldn’t find my brother anywhere. He has gone. The house had gone. My life was destroyed.
We now live in England. My father was never found and my brother had gone. I have never been back to my real home since it all happened. Since then my whole life turned upside down…
© Gemma Fereday
The Owls
The wind howled like a homeless dog. The rain ran down the leaves of the trees and fell to the unfriendly ground swiftly. The atmosphere became emotionless. Has the life been drained away? The flowers which were once as bright as the sun had been transformed into sad, lifeless objects. It was as if there was a thirst for some care and affection. No one was to be seen, it was as deserted as the Sahara desert. Ants carry on working through the showers. Carrying fallen leaves to their nest for their queen and colony.
Every now and then a lost cat would wonder the streets, and then suddenly out of nowhere a shadowed figure appears in the distance. It was running towards a house. This house was bright white with blacked out windows. But in the front room window stood a girl, she watched the man as he ran towards the house. He started to bang on the front door repeatedly, she just watched him. He moved towards the window that the girl was standing in and began to shout something. The girl moved away from the window later returning with a key in her hand. The man once again started to chant at the girl. Unexpectedly she put the key on the window still and vanished, she was nowhere to be seen.
The man stood in front of the window wondering what had happened. He then picked up a brick and threw it as hard as he could at the window. The window didn’t react. He carried on for a few minutes until his energy had departed from his body. He dropped to the stony ground and put his head in his blistered hands and let the wicked rain pound down on his helpless soul.
©Hannah Maye
Holiday from Hell
It was that time of year again and the storm was on its way. Everyone had boarded up their houses and prepared themselves. What they didn’t know was this storm on its way was the biggest of them all. Three tourists were on holiday to the Caribbean and they were about to have the shock of their lives.
Jimmy, Michael and Marie arrived in Jamaica 2 days before the annual storm, without a care in the world they were having the time of their lives. The three of them went out for a night walk when suddenly the wind started to turn and howl and they could hear the sound of thunder clashing in the background. Jimmy decided they needed to get back to the shack quick.
As the tourists scurried into their shack the weather had rapidly took a turn for the worst and the walls started to shake. The wind was growing faster and faster, the thunder was getting louder and louder then lightning struck which was getting closer and closer. All of a sudden the lightning hit their shack and tore apart the roof which collapsed heavily on Jimmy and Marie. There was a giant scream of pain from the two of them so Michael ran to get help but as he stepped outside the door the wind threw him back inside.
It was too risky to go outside and get help so Michael had to stay and help the 2 who were buried underneath the roof of the shack. The screeching pain stopped from Marie, Michael hurried to find her and ripped apart all the mess on the floor which left him a gruesome sight to see his fellow tourists lay dead with her body chopped in half. What he didn’t know was that the roof he pulled off her was saving her life. Somehow Jimmy was able to wriggle through the debris of roofing but once he got out he saw the terrible sight of his friend dead.
2 hours later the storm had stopped so Michael went and got help for the two injured. What he didn’t know was that when he returned Jimmy was also dead as well! The roof has fallen so hard on him; his lungs were crushed. Ever since then Michael had never spoken about that tragic holiday, the next day he returned home with 2 dead bodies and broken heart...
© Rob Chapman
Title yet to be decided
Nigel had just woken up. A ray of intense sunlight pierced the gap in his curtains and illuminated his cramped bed room. He sat up drowsily and wearily staggered over to his curtains and separated them. The bright sun blinded him and caused him to wince. Then his door flung open and his excitable Labrador bounced into the room clasping its lead and collar in his mouth. He jumped on the bed and looked longingly and hopefully at Nigel. Nigel reluctantly put on his clothes and fastened his Labradors lead. The puppy responded with an excited frenzy.
Nigel had been walking his dog along the beach for what seemed like half an hour. The beachfront was mild and sandy. The calm autumn sun was giving slight warmth to the beach but there was still coldness in the wind. But then darkness descended over the beach. A dark cloud had engulfed the once radiant sun. Rain began to fall and the water had turned from calm melodic waves to a dark, cool, swirling pool. Also the bracing...
© Guy Bicknell
Storm
A bright, sunny day, at least, that’s what it was before. By now the clouds had billowed in and the sky was a deep, dark grey. Bob sat by the window as rain drops pattered down on the roof above him. The continuous banging was causing him to fall into deeper and deeper boredom. Just as sleep had become the best option, thunder struck down and knocked him back from his seat. Then, it struck down again. The loud cracking sound getting louder and louder until… BOOM!
The lights went out, and the sudden darkness ran across the room, enveloping bob in almost pitch black darkness. He stared out the window; every house was dark now and as the rain continued to fall, the houses began to disappear behind a thick curtain of rain. Even though bob was alone, he heard footsteps coming from down the hall. They were quiet, but eerie and always getting closer and then further as though it was pacing. Bob quietly crept down to the hall, trying not to make any noise. As he slowly round the corner the footsteps stopped, and the hallway was empty.
Then the footsteps began again, now right from where bob was before. He swiftly and quietly returned, but this time the footsteps didn’t stop and he stared at a room once more empty. The footsteps went on, right from where he was standing. A shadow moved in the corner of bobs eye and he turned to look. Nothing. Then he saw it again, and again, and again. Each time it got closer, and suddenly the footsteps stopped. Looking around frantically he tried to spot something, anything at all. His attention was drawn to the hall. The darkness of it seemed to grow and wobble about, spreading out into the room. Then a figure appeared, it was tall, dark and had large red eyes. Bob didn’t move. For a few moments nothing happened, and then suddenly, it pounced on him…
©Ross Hewitt
Title yet to be decided
“I can’t believe this weather, it was sunny this morning,” said Cara as a rain droplet ran off the end of her nose.
“I know, great way to start off the weekend eh?” replied Tom, sarcastic as ever.
“Lighten up Tom, we’re nearly home now,” said his best mate Lucas.
“Yeah,” said Lisa, the optimistic one of the group, “at least it can’t get any worse!”
As if on que, a huge bolt of lightning struck the ground, about 10 metres in front of where they were walking, the thunder so loud it was almost deafening. The rain seemed to be coming down harder and faster every second, and the wind was so strong it was becoming impossible to walk against it. This wasn’t normal, despite the ferocious storm, there was a strange, eerie silence in the air and they realised that there was nobody else around, in that moment, they knew that something terrible was about to happen. Four lives were about to change forever.
“What happened?! Lisa? Lisa, where are you?” yelled Cara, she couldn’t remember anything. She was lying beside a bush; blood covered her head, her beautiful, long blonde hair was red and matted at the back. Where was she? She used all her energy and sat up, her head throbbing, Lisa was behind her, she crawled over and shook her.
“Lisa! Lisa, wake up… please!” she said, and Lisa slowly opened her eyes and, like a zombie, wearily sat up.
“Cara? What the hell is going on?!” she cried, “Where’s Tom and Lucas?”
The two girls looked around, and for the first time, took in the surroundings. The storm had disappeared; they were no longer on the long road that they walked down every single day on the way home from school, but where were they?
Suddenly, Lucas appeared beside them, as if he had been magically transported there, he hadn’t been anywhere to be seen a few seconds ago.
“Guys, I don’t know how to tell you this, but I’m invisible.” He cried excitedly.
“What are you on about Lucas?!” the girls said, in unison.
The next thing they knew he had vanished, and a few seconds later reappeared somewhere else, like he had done before. He was right, for once he was talking sense, Lucas was invisible! Or...
© Becky Boden
The storm that destroyed everything…
Going to Florida was meant to be delightful time out, filled with palm trees and exotic sunsets. All I remember was a gush of aggressive waves lunging out and destroying everything like a bomb that had just exploded. It was without warning. The stillness of the air awakened. The sound was deafening. I heard my mum call my name in a faint voice then it appeared I was in a fantasy world. I was lost in a tragic trance. Had I just experienced death? The experience had left me to understand how lucky I was to survive but tragically this couldn’t be said about my mum.
I scampered around the Water Park looking for a ride. As I waited in line for the water drop slide, a girl approached me. ‘I’m scared of water, I’ve never liked it and I hope I will get over my phobia once going on this ride’. A cold air danced around me, it sang deviously, yet the heat burned my skin. I suddenly felt cold and panicky. Nonetheless I chose to ignore the warning.
I climbed in a rubber ring and it departed immediately. It was without warning. A wash of cold water splashed on my face. It should of felt good because it was scorching hot but it felt bizarre.
A picture near the entrance showed a spiral of water that appeared menacing, strangling a cartoon image of a child. It read: ‘Are you ready to face the terrifying adventure?’
Back at the Hotel, I decided to watch the news, oblivious to the world outside me. The reporter’s voice grew quieter. A box appeared at the bottom of the screen reading ‘breaking news’. It blurred as the air began to carry out a strange hollow Woosh. Suddenly there was nothing for a second. Then a deep roaring sound emerged out of the pit of hell. I heard my mum called my name in faint voice.
A young lady emerged out of the blur; she was wearing some kind of uniform and smiled warmly. It seemed like I had woken up in a hospital room. What had just had just happened? A flashback of images sprung in my head. My mouth felt dry and my arm was held high in a sling.
Sitting alone, I now remember the ruthless storm that destroyed everything…
© Keran Jandu
