A/N I wrote this as an assignment and was wondering what people here thought of it... So here we are. (oneshot)
Dreaming of Amelia, Jaclyn Moriarty
Creative Response- Narrative
A word on the style:
This story is written in the style of Jaclyn Moriarty and so involves different forms of response. Instead of the usual narrative style this is written in three main ways; entries on a web site name 'My Life is Average' (MLIA) ( people, you will love this site!), selected excerpts from exam responses and notes passed between friends.
The website entries will begin with 'Today' and finish with 'MLIA'. This web site is similar to a blog, except it is anonymous.
Exam responses will state the student's name and then will continue on in this font.
Notes will be done in different underlines/bold/italics, like so;
Cassidy 'Cass' Anne Stevenson
Sarah 'Sar' Rose Harrison
Jaslyn 'Lyn' Elizabeth McCoy
These characters do not relate to the characters in Dreaming of Amelia.
In Need of Attention, Sapphire C. Rosethorne
Today, my friend told me that there was a ghost stalking her. I asked her what their name was and she said 'Sir Nicholas de Mimsin Portman.' I was sad; nothing I have told her about the wonderful world of Harry Potter seems to have stuck, five years of friendship, and nothing to show for it. MLIA
12/11/2011
BOARD OF STUDIES
BOURKE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS
2011 YEAR LEVEL EXAMS
YEAR 10 ENGLISH EXTENSION
QUESTION:
Write a personal memoir that explores the dynamics of ghosts or ghost stories.
Sarah R Harrison
Student No: 0137889
The air conditioner was blowing a cool breeze over my neck! It was so cold and spooky...
Suddenly, from behind me I heard this thump, like something heavy falling onto the carpet!
I turned around as fast as I could, but there was no one there! Absolutely no one in sight!
It was such a mystery!
At the time, of course, but now, after everything happened it was nothing. Easily explained.
Jaslyn E McCoy
Student No: 0129652
Sarah ran across the quadrangle towards me, screaming as is a whole host of hounds were on her tail.
When she had gasped out her story I rolled my eyes towards the blue sky.
"You mean to tell me that there is a ghost stalking you?" I asked, sighing.
"Yes!"
Sarah seemed very sure of her story. She said was in the library studying when a book had fallen of the shelf 'like, so... unexpectedly'. Now this in itself was an odd occurrence, as Sar never, and I repeat, never studies, but no matter.
"And then I, like, stood up and ran around looking for the person who had dropped it and there was, like, absolutely no one there. It was, like, so weird! I mean, a book can't just, like, fall off by itself, can it? So I thought it, like, must be ghost, don't you agree Lyn?"
I asked her if she couldn't have knocked it off herself and she vehemently disagreed, saying she was nowhere near the shelf when it happened.
"Yeah, there was, like, no way I could've made it fall, 'cause I was, like, on the other side of the table. I'm definitely sure it's a ghost."
Yeah, Sar, you were also sure there was a monster in your cupboard last year.
Today, I saw someone dressed all in black jump off the library roof. The library is two and a half stories high. I ran over to see if they were okay, but they were gone. I am proud to say I have just seen my first ninja. MLIA
Lyn, what's this about Sar seeing a ghost?
Nothing, Cass, just her imagination, as usual.
It was NOT my imagination! It was Real!
Can you please not snatch private notes off others, Sar?
Well, since it was about me, I think I have a right to know!
Actually, it wa
Stop arguing! And before you say it, Lyn, sorry for snatching. Really, Sar, what did you see?
It's okay, your intent wasn't bad.
I was in the libra
No, not that bit, afterwards, I know about that.
Oh, well there was a click from above me, but other than that there was nothing.
(Advance Exam, submitted 20/10/2011)
Ella Claire White
Student No: 0134298
The funny thing is, when ghost stories are told they are always recounted with the storyteller as the one being stalked by a ghost. Me, though? I am the ghost.
Or at least I seem to be.
Ever since the incident of seventh grade I have dropped off the radar. People never notice me, even when they crash into me in the corridor or go out of my way to hold the door open for them. It's like I fade into the paint, like I'm no more than an ant beneath their foot which they have no qualms in squashing.
It was fine at first. After the embarrassment of having my underwear pinned on the noticeboard for a week I was delighted to not have to deal with smirks and sniggers that followed me everywhere.
But after a while I began to tire of being invisible. I then tried to make friends, except no one wanted to have anything to do with me. Even if I was able to sit with someone for more than two lunchtimes I was always pushed down to the status of 'hanger on'. And so after a while everyone seemed to know me as the 'try hard', always trying too hard to seem effortless.
So I stopped trying.
It happened again!
What?
The ghost visited me again!
Lucky you...
No, seriously, Lyn, there was a ghost! This time it poured paint inside my bag.
It might just be a practical joke, you know.
You're always so dismissive!
No, I'm just realistic.
Fine, if you don't want to help me discover my ghost, I'll go and ask Sar.
(Advance Exam, submitted 20/10/2011)
Ella Claire White
Student No: 0134298
So I began my own form of revenge.
Or was it really, in the end, a plea to be noticed?
Even now I'm not quite sure.
Sarah R Harrison
Student No: 0137889
After the paint incident I was on alert. But no matter how much security I put on my stuff something always seemed to happen to it!
I was baffled, to say the least! (Isn't that an interesting word, 'baffled')
The pages of my novels were glued together, my deodorant replaced with hairspray, PowerPoint presentations I was supposed to present tampered with, my diaries replaced with ones with out-of-date calendars and many other things.
It was horrible!
Well, at first it was kind of fun, but eventually my patience was as worn as my school skirt. So threadbare you could tear a hole in it at any moment.
So I began my investigation.
Cassidy A. Stevenson
Student No: 0157368
I only really agreed to help Sar with her 'investigation' because I thought it would be a chance for me to meet and talk to new people.
However, at the beginning of fourth term things began to get out of hand. Instead of harmless things like pages of books being stuck together with soluble glue the tricks began to turn nasty, like feet super glued to the inside of shoes or heavy books falling on top of Sar.
Lyn and I started to get worried about her, and whenever she went we did too. This often we were also the target for these little 'tricks', but in the end it was worth it, as there wasn't as much stress on Sar as there was before.
And so I continued the search, narrowing down my suspect list.
I think I know who's behind all this, Sar.
You do?
*I second that.*
Pray tell, enlighten us, we are waiting.
(Advance Exam, submitted 20/10/2011)
Ella Claire White
Student No: 0134298
I'm not quite sure what has happened to me in these past few weeks, but the haunting of Sarah Harrison started to become more malicious than joking. I started becoming more frustrated than before, I feel as if every attempt I make at being noticed that is turned down is one more stone sewn into my stomach.
The bitterness continued to grow until there were times that it consumed me completely and it felt as if something other was taking control of my mind and decisions. I would then do something really rash that would put me in a worse position than before and more stones would be added, and so the vicious circle continued.
Perhaps I managed to convince myself that I am actually a ghost, a spirit that goes unnoticed no matter what I'd do. So I became careless.
Cassidy Stevenson, one of Harrison's posse, saw me walking away from where I had been replacing some of Harrison's food with what she's violently allergic to, and unfortunately there was no one else around who could be suspected of it.
I became too careless.
Even at this moment, as I write this, they will be putting the puzzle together and tracing everything back to me.
I don't think I'll be able to be able to handle what will happen to me if they go public with this, even if it is just our year level, I'll be more isolated than before, and I can't take much more of it.
So, I've made my decision.
I know this will become evidence, so I would like to state clearly that I did it of my own choice. Please do not blame anyone, as it was my fault that all of this happened.
I bid you goodbye, and good luck with this life.
Ella Claire White, who is truly clear.
Today, I found out that the girl who has been 'haunting' my one of my best friends hung herself. Remember that every one of us, no matter how unintentional it is, hurts someone. So, please go out today and make an effort to smile at someone you wouldn't normally, and try to make this world better, average even. MakeSomeone'sLA
Cassidy A. Stevenson
Student No: 0157368
When I found out what Ella had done I felt so incredibly guilty. On one level there was the guilt that I have been treating all of this as a joke, that you just laugh off and everything just goes back to normal.
Normal that Ella doesn't fit into, apart from being part of the background.
On another level there is the knowledge that I was the one who had put up her bra on the noticeboard in the first place, and I did it to further my own reputation.
So, this ghost story finishes almost as it begun, in a life where everyone who 'matters' fits and all those who don't are pushed aside. It is then these people that form the ghosts of our world. They fade away to almost nothing, and are ridiculed when they step out of their shadows. Lucrative stories are told about these people, blowing more and more out of proportion with every telling until you end up with our modern 'ghost stories'.
Sarah R Harrison
Student No: 0137889
The last act of the ghost was to dive Ella White to insanity, causing her to hang herself from the eaves of the Rose Gazebo!
Here Endeth the Story
No, I do realise what Ella did she did herself, because she said it she did, but I still don't understand why she did all of those things to me. But, she was insane and that what insane people do, I suppose, force their cruel acts onto others.
Jaslyn E McCoy
Student No: 0129652
Sarah was right in the end, really. There was someone doing something to her, although not the someone any of us expected. She was also right about the 'ghost' part too, because that's how Ella described herself, although not in the same context.
The events of this last term has lead me to believe that ghosts do exist, only not in the way they are commonly perceived to be.
I think that ghosts are people. Humans, just like us, who just have a different way of viewing the world and who are constantly trying to break out of the shells that encase them. To try and free themselves of what society has made them be.
These are true ghosts, misfits attempting to find their own way in our cruel, discriminating world. But instead they grow fainter, losing themselves, slowly become the stereotype assigned to them. I suppose because of this we all are, ghosts, in a way, as we are what society expects us to be.
A/N So there we are, what did you think? Pray tell.
Love, Sapphy, xoox