p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"The Thing/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"By Tog3ther42/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"I woke up to a bang. Maja wasn't in her bed and it hadn't been slept in, where could she be? I crawled out of my old, crumpled, dirty sheets and glanced around the room, everything was untouched. You could hear a pin drop in that cold, dark night. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I spotted her, she was on the floor, battered and bruised. I was trying to figure out what had happened when she woke up. I could see it instantly and I knew exactly what had happened. I had thought it was gone, I thought it was over, I thought... I was safe./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"We had just moved to Cornwall and mum was in hospital, the doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with her and we were all worried. Maja was crying, nestled up against Grandma by the fire, she was sad about mum, again. It had felt like an eternity since she had been happy and well with her joyful spirit and her cheaty games. She was so much like mum. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, I sprinted to the door and opened it, was just the postman. "Tamsin, TAMSIN!" it was gran "coming," I replied. Putting one foot in front of another, I arrived I the lounge as some geese passed overhead, squawking "What is it?" I asked. The doctors had called, we were loosing her. Mum. The next day, we drove to the hospital and poor old Maja was, again, weeping. When we got inside, it smelt of chemicals and rubber gloves I could tell straight away that, though the doctors were being really good to her, she wasn't happy. It pains me to think but, why would she be happy, she was dying. I had already lost one person, I couldn't bear mum as well. As I thought of dad, my mind was shrouded with mist, mum never talked about him and never told us how he died, an image in my mind slowly formed of a skinny man with eyes green as emerald and hair that was like fire, like me. Suddenly, I was woken from my thoughts, gran was shouting at me to hurry up, mum was in the next ward. She was in a blue paper-like hospital gown with white paper-like sheets draped over her, she had blue and purple bags under her eyes though they were closed. She looked restless and pale, her eyes were darting around inside their sockets, I could tell that she was having nightmares, I hated seeing her like this. We sat by her for an hour and she didn't wake up, we had to go. As I left, one of the nurses looked at me, her eyes, her eyes, they were black, like a night with no moon or stars, not a speck of anything, nothing. She blinked and it was back to normal but it was too late, I had seen it. Suddenly, everything went black, I could feel the pain but I couldn't move, I struggled and struggled, I tried to stay but it was no use, I gave up./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span style="font-family: 'Courier New';""Tamsin, Tamsin are you there," hazy shapes were surrounding me "Mum, dad is that you?" It slowly came into focus, dad was still dead and mum, still ill, instead; Gran, Maja and several nurses were crowding round me, I was still in the hospital but the nurse who I had seen had gone, where could she be? I was asked if I was alright loads of times but I always said I was fine. The hospital sent me home with an ice pack and told me to come back if it got worse, I agreed to but no matter what, I was not going back there. That night, I had nightmares of the nurse coming for me and, in the middle of the night, I woke up, sweating I couldn't get back to sleep and didn't want to, for fear of the nightmares coming back to haunt me. I started to try and think about something happy like ice cream but, it didn't work, I lost focus and ended up thinking, what had happened to her, I had definitely seen it before but, I just couldn't put mu finger on it, I was really confused. The next day was Saturday, no school, the doorbell rang and I strolled downstairs to get it, we were expecting a package so it was no surprise. As the door groaned on its hinges, I was shocked, it couldn't be, Mum? She beamed when she saw me there, standing it the hallway, looking like I had seen a ghost and swept me into a tight hug, not letting me to get a word in edgeways "Rosie, Maja!" Gran and my little sister came running to us "Clara!" Gran exclaimed, they got a massive hug too. " Darling, you must come in, you'll be freezing out there!" I put the fire on as Maja and the adults sat down on the sofa. We had a long talk with mum and we found out that it was just a bad cold, I wasn't buying it but I was just glad that mum had come home, safe and well. The next few days, mum had of work and Maja and I didn't go to school, it was amazing, I finally thought that life was normal again. I couldn't have been more wrong. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"The day after was Wednesday, my favourite day, I had all my favourite subjects and I felt really happy, when Maja and I got out of the car we faced a crowd of all our friends and all their friends. I was confused, we had only been off school for 3 days, not years. As I walked to my tutor room, everyone was acting really suspicious around Maja and I. Once we had had our first two lessons, I walked to the lunch hall to eat my break-time snack but my bff, Zoë, stopped me, she was the only person who hasn't been acting weirdly before now and I asked why. She answered awkwardly " umm... I...need the toilet, yes , that's it, I need the toilet and I want you to come with me" I replied, "Okayyyyy, sure." It was really weird. Whilst we were on our way, everyone we passed was rushing to the lunch hall, unlike me. They were all hiding stuff behind their backs and, when I asked them questions, they pretended it was nothing, I was really creeped out. As soon as we arrived back at the hall, I waited for someone to stop me but, no one did, it was deserted apart from Zoë and I and she just waved me inside. As I stepped through the door, I realised, it was pitch black Maja was behind us and her friend did the same, we were standing it the doorway when, in a flash, the lights came on. " SURPRISE!" I jumped back in shock, all the children in my year (and Maja's) were crowded around the lunch tables, the whole room was decorated and there was a gigantic 'Welcome Back' banner strung from the ceiling. It was amazing!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"The next day, it happened, I wasn't expecting it, I was un prepared but I had to fight it. I was, again, lying in my tattered bed, trying to figure out where I had seen that nurse before, or more like, her eyes. I was forcing myself to stay awake but, I couldn't, do it, as I drifted off, I realised, I knew what it was. I woke up to a bang. Maja wasn't in her bed and it hadn't been slept in, where could she be? I crawled out of my old, crumpled, dirty sheets and glanced around the room, everything was untouched. You could hear a pin drop in that cold, dark night. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I spotted her, she was on the floor, battered and bruised. I was trying to figure out what had happened when she woke up. I could see it instantly and I knew exactly what had happened. I was too late. Who could she have got it from? Not me, I would know that, who else could it be? Mum. My heart was racing, how could I stop it? I had a sudden flashback, it had killed millions, as soon as you got it, it could not be cured, it possessed you, it ate your soul, they called it 'The Thing'. The Thing was back./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"I realised that it must have been stopped before but how? I sprinted to the library as soon as it was open, I scanned the books emWhere is it? Where is it? /emI ran to another section emoh, come on. aha! /emThere it was, on the shelf right in front of me...at the top. I jumped and jumped but it was no use, I couldn't reach it I had to climb, I was putting my foot on the 3rd shelf when it gave way and all the books cascaded off. I was climbing back down to sort it out when the whole bookshelf toppled on top of me and I was out cold, again. When I woke up, it was midday and there was a crowd of people gathered around me, being shooed back by some people in green and yellow, one if them calmly stated " Hello I am Megan, I am from St John ambulance and I'm here to help." She started lifting the bookshelf and suddenly, a stab of pain shot through my leg and I yelped, another person talked to me, calming me down and easing my body out. I saw the wounds, a great, long blue, black and purple bruise along my chest and a gash on my leg so deep you could see the bone, I wasn't going to get out of this easily. In my peripheral vision, I glimpsed a red book, that was it, I turned my head and it cracked " Steady there, you don't need to move," the paramedic told me, gentle but commandingly. I obeyed, but not for long. As soon as they had looked away, my arm reached out for the book, not turning my head this time, emgot it!/em I smuggled it under my shirt and got carried away to hospital. There was a lot of commotion as I was laid down on a hospital bed, Gran and Maja were there and someone was putting cream on my wounds. The doctors left me for a while and I lifted the book from under my shirt and started reading. There it was! I knew how they had done it the last time but it would be very hard.../span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"Once I had recovered, I got to work, I had to, somehow, destroy the source, it would be the cause of the first victim. Who was that? Yes, the nurse it would be in the hospital tough, it won't be out in the open, it might be in the basement emyes, that's it, the basement /embut, how to get there? Mum was going for a check-up tomorrow morning, that was my chance, bi stayed up all night planning it by the minute. The next morning, I got everything ready and went with mum to the hospital. When we arrived, I explained that I was going to the toilet and snuck off down the stairs. Suddenly, I heard footsteps coming towards me, I frantically glanced around, there was nothing! Except...the footsteps passed, few, I wiped my brow as I climbed down, I had hidden in the rafts in the ceiling, emthat was close, too close. /emI continued down and, before I knew it, I was there. The basement. I could hardly see anything and I was shivering, it smelt musty and old, there were cobwebs and dust everywhere, I hated it but how ever unpleasant it may be, I had to do it. For Dad. I saw a light and cautiously started to walk towards it, that was it, the source of The Thing. As I got closer, I saw where it had been broken before, someone had put it back together! But why? Why would they bring back the thing? Everyone knew what it had done, the destruction that it had caused, why would someone want to bring it back... or maybe, they didn't want to. I shook my head, either way, I still had to destroy the staff. It was carved from wood with intricate symbols carved into it, at the top, the staff twisted round a blue, glowing gem, that was it. I pulled it out of the ground and snapped it on my knee. emThat was easier that I thought!/emSuddenly, a nurse walked in, the same one who I had seen before Mum and Maja had become possessed. I braced myself, had it worked? She asked "Excuse me, honey, why are you down here, all by yourself?" I sighed, I had done it, I had done it! I explained everything that had happened and went back upstairs. Mum, Maja, Gran and I all drove home and watched a movie with popcorn and blankets on the sofa, I was staring at the screen intently –this was my favourite part- when the doorbell rang. I paused the TV and went to get it. It was Dad./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"By Tog3ther42/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"I woke up to a bang. Maja wasn't in her bed and it hadn't been slept in, where could she be? I crawled out of my old, crumpled, dirty sheets and glanced around the room, everything was untouched. You could hear a pin drop in that cold, dark night. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I spotted her, she was on the floor, battered and bruised. I was trying to figure out what had happened when she woke up. I could see it instantly and I knew exactly what had happened. I had thought it was gone, I thought it was over, I thought... I was safe./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"We had just moved to Cornwall and mum was in hospital, the doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with her and we were all worried. Maja was crying, nestled up against Grandma by the fire, she was sad about mum, again. It had felt like an eternity since she had been happy and well with her joyful spirit and her cheaty games. She was so much like mum. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, I sprinted to the door and opened it, was just the postman. "Tamsin, TAMSIN!" it was gran "coming," I replied. Putting one foot in front of another, I arrived I the lounge as some geese passed overhead, squawking "What is it?" I asked. The doctors had called, we were loosing her. Mum. The next day, we drove to the hospital and poor old Maja was, again, weeping. When we got inside, it smelt of chemicals and rubber gloves I could tell straight away that, though the doctors were being really good to her, she wasn't happy. It pains me to think but, why would she be happy, she was dying. I had already lost one person, I couldn't bear mum as well. As I thought of dad, my mind was shrouded with mist, mum never talked about him and never told us how he died, an image in my mind slowly formed of a skinny man with eyes green as emerald and hair that was like fire, like me. Suddenly, I was woken from my thoughts, gran was shouting at me to hurry up, mum was in the next ward. She was in a blue paper-like hospital gown with white paper-like sheets draped over her, she had blue and purple bags under her eyes though they were closed. She looked restless and pale, her eyes were darting around inside their sockets, I could tell that she was having nightmares, I hated seeing her like this. We sat by her for an hour and she didn't wake up, we had to go. As I left, one of the nurses looked at me, her eyes, her eyes, they were black, like a night with no moon or stars, not a speck of anything, nothing. She blinked and it was back to normal but it was too late, I had seen it. Suddenly, everything went black, I could feel the pain but I couldn't move, I struggled and struggled, I tried to stay but it was no use, I gave up./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span style="font-family: 'Courier New';""Tamsin, Tamsin are you there," hazy shapes were surrounding me "Mum, dad is that you?" It slowly came into focus, dad was still dead and mum, still ill, instead; Gran, Maja and several nurses were crowding round me, I was still in the hospital but the nurse who I had seen had gone, where could she be? I was asked if I was alright loads of times but I always said I was fine. The hospital sent me home with an ice pack and told me to come back if it got worse, I agreed to but no matter what, I was not going back there. That night, I had nightmares of the nurse coming for me and, in the middle of the night, I woke up, sweating I couldn't get back to sleep and didn't want to, for fear of the nightmares coming back to haunt me. I started to try and think about something happy like ice cream but, it didn't work, I lost focus and ended up thinking, what had happened to her, I had definitely seen it before but, I just couldn't put mu finger on it, I was really confused. The next day was Saturday, no school, the doorbell rang and I strolled downstairs to get it, we were expecting a package so it was no surprise. As the door groaned on its hinges, I was shocked, it couldn't be, Mum? She beamed when she saw me there, standing it the hallway, looking like I had seen a ghost and swept me into a tight hug, not letting me to get a word in edgeways "Rosie, Maja!" Gran and my little sister came running to us "Clara!" Gran exclaimed, they got a massive hug too. " Darling, you must come in, you'll be freezing out there!" I put the fire on as Maja and the adults sat down on the sofa. We had a long talk with mum and we found out that it was just a bad cold, I wasn't buying it but I was just glad that mum had come home, safe and well. The next few days, mum had of work and Maja and I didn't go to school, it was amazing, I finally thought that life was normal again. I couldn't have been more wrong. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"The day after was Wednesday, my favourite day, I had all my favourite subjects and I felt really happy, when Maja and I got out of the car we faced a crowd of all our friends and all their friends. I was confused, we had only been off school for 3 days, not years. As I walked to my tutor room, everyone was acting really suspicious around Maja and I. Once we had had our first two lessons, I walked to the lunch hall to eat my break-time snack but my bff, Zoë, stopped me, she was the only person who hasn't been acting weirdly before now and I asked why. She answered awkwardly " umm... I...need the toilet, yes , that's it, I need the toilet and I want you to come with me" I replied, "Okayyyyy, sure." It was really weird. Whilst we were on our way, everyone we passed was rushing to the lunch hall, unlike me. They were all hiding stuff behind their backs and, when I asked them questions, they pretended it was nothing, I was really creeped out. As soon as we arrived back at the hall, I waited for someone to stop me but, no one did, it was deserted apart from Zoë and I and she just waved me inside. As I stepped through the door, I realised, it was pitch black Maja was behind us and her friend did the same, we were standing it the doorway when, in a flash, the lights came on. " SURPRISE!" I jumped back in shock, all the children in my year (and Maja's) were crowded around the lunch tables, the whole room was decorated and there was a gigantic 'Welcome Back' banner strung from the ceiling. It was amazing!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"The next day, it happened, I wasn't expecting it, I was un prepared but I had to fight it. I was, again, lying in my tattered bed, trying to figure out where I had seen that nurse before, or more like, her eyes. I was forcing myself to stay awake but, I couldn't, do it, as I drifted off, I realised, I knew what it was. I woke up to a bang. Maja wasn't in her bed and it hadn't been slept in, where could she be? I crawled out of my old, crumpled, dirty sheets and glanced around the room, everything was untouched. You could hear a pin drop in that cold, dark night. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I spotted her, she was on the floor, battered and bruised. I was trying to figure out what had happened when she woke up. I could see it instantly and I knew exactly what had happened. I was too late. Who could she have got it from? Not me, I would know that, who else could it be? Mum. My heart was racing, how could I stop it? I had a sudden flashback, it had killed millions, as soon as you got it, it could not be cured, it possessed you, it ate your soul, they called it 'The Thing'. The Thing was back./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"I realised that it must have been stopped before but how? I sprinted to the library as soon as it was open, I scanned the books emWhere is it? Where is it? /emI ran to another section emoh, come on. aha! /emThere it was, on the shelf right in front of me...at the top. I jumped and jumped but it was no use, I couldn't reach it I had to climb, I was putting my foot on the 3rd shelf when it gave way and all the books cascaded off. I was climbing back down to sort it out when the whole bookshelf toppled on top of me and I was out cold, again. When I woke up, it was midday and there was a crowd of people gathered around me, being shooed back by some people in green and yellow, one if them calmly stated " Hello I am Megan, I am from St John ambulance and I'm here to help." She started lifting the bookshelf and suddenly, a stab of pain shot through my leg and I yelped, another person talked to me, calming me down and easing my body out. I saw the wounds, a great, long blue, black and purple bruise along my chest and a gash on my leg so deep you could see the bone, I wasn't going to get out of this easily. In my peripheral vision, I glimpsed a red book, that was it, I turned my head and it cracked " Steady there, you don't need to move," the paramedic told me, gentle but commandingly. I obeyed, but not for long. As soon as they had looked away, my arm reached out for the book, not turning my head this time, emgot it!/em I smuggled it under my shirt and got carried away to hospital. There was a lot of commotion as I was laid down on a hospital bed, Gran and Maja were there and someone was putting cream on my wounds. The doctors left me for a while and I lifted the book from under my shirt and started reading. There it was! I knew how they had done it the last time but it would be very hard.../span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"Once I had recovered, I got to work, I had to, somehow, destroy the source, it would be the cause of the first victim. Who was that? Yes, the nurse it would be in the hospital tough, it won't be out in the open, it might be in the basement emyes, that's it, the basement /embut, how to get there? Mum was going for a check-up tomorrow morning, that was my chance, bi stayed up all night planning it by the minute. The next morning, I got everything ready and went with mum to the hospital. When we arrived, I explained that I was going to the toilet and snuck off down the stairs. Suddenly, I heard footsteps coming towards me, I frantically glanced around, there was nothing! Except...the footsteps passed, few, I wiped my brow as I climbed down, I had hidden in the rafts in the ceiling, emthat was close, too close. /emI continued down and, before I knew it, I was there. The basement. I could hardly see anything and I was shivering, it smelt musty and old, there were cobwebs and dust everywhere, I hated it but how ever unpleasant it may be, I had to do it. For Dad. I saw a light and cautiously started to walk towards it, that was it, the source of The Thing. As I got closer, I saw where it had been broken before, someone had put it back together! But why? Why would they bring back the thing? Everyone knew what it had done, the destruction that it had caused, why would someone want to bring it back... or maybe, they didn't want to. I shook my head, either way, I still had to destroy the staff. It was carved from wood with intricate symbols carved into it, at the top, the staff twisted round a blue, glowing gem, that was it. I pulled it out of the ground and snapped it on my knee. emThat was easier that I thought!/emSuddenly, a nurse walked in, the same one who I had seen before Mum and Maja had become possessed. I braced myself, had it worked? She asked "Excuse me, honey, why are you down here, all by yourself?" I sighed, I had done it, I had done it! I explained everything that had happened and went back upstairs. Mum, Maja, Gran and I all drove home and watched a movie with popcorn and blankets on the sofa, I was staring at the screen intently –this was my favourite part- when the doorbell rang. I paused the TV and went to get it. It was Dad./span/p