Winning Entry - Chapter Five

This week's author was Fifi Colston. You can download Fifi's FABO bookmark by clicking on the image.

Here's Fifi's Author Report:

Well it was an AAAH moment this week opening the Fabo mail. Senior writers, Angus Smith, Alex Hannagan, Andy Xie, and Hayley Coupe’s stories leapt out like pit bulls, took me by the throat and threatened me with Scottish bullies, bowl haircuts, exploding tentacles and slime with a twist!

Now despite my father being Scottish and me approving of Angus’s well written dialect, Alex being from my old Intermediate, and Hayley having the same name as my daughter, there could only be one winner and it is Andy Xie with his great take on bullies and gangs, turning them around from menaces to crusaders, saving weaklings everywhere!

Andy dealt to the problem of the tentacles by tackling it head on and your prize this week is this: A copy of my book ‘Glory’ with a badge (don’t be put off by the girly cover- Florence Bright is no weak minded fairy and she deals with bullies effectively!) plus a signed, limited edition carton Pit Bull Terrier made by me, with snappable jaw (yes, I have one too grrrr). It will be on its way as soon as we find out where you live…

The junior writers were no less enthusiastic when dealing with Tiger, old ladies and journalists. There were some great group entries too but I really liked the one from Georgia Fyfe, aged 8 from Maungawhau Primary School. Sure, there is some punctuation missing and Tiger isn’t petrified (more petrify-ing), but this was a good bit of writing with an unexpected twist at the very end. (you can read Georgia's entry here). Your prize of a copy of my book ‘Verity’s Truth’ and a pretty necklace is on its way.

Don’t forget to put your full name, age and school on your entries when you submit for next week; it really helps us to know if you are an 8 year old genius or a gorilla from outer space pretending to be one!

- Fifi

Click here for the winning entry for Chapter Four

Chapter Five

by Andy Xie.

BULLIES, GORILLAS, AND TENTACLES

Tentacles. Alien gorillas with tentacles. Why was Remy not surprised?

Ignoring this new piece of information, Remy whirled around to face Miranda and Giles. His face was flushed with rage.

“Now,” he hissed, eyes burning with the embers of violence, “you two have caused be quite a bit of grief. I don’t care what you are, just leave me alone!”

“Now I say, no need to get so flustered” Giles hummed.

“Zip. It.”

“Little boy, do not ever presume to talk to me in that tone!” Giles growled. There was an infinite depth to his voice, and his eyes were black pools of wisdom. Staring into Giles’s eyes, Remy felt like he couldn’t breathe. He gasped suddenly, and tore his gaze away from Giles. Suddenly, Giles didn’t seem to be “good old jolly Giles” anymore.

Remy gulped. The “new Giles” was… scary.

“Now Giles, be reasonable! He’s only a boy!” Miranda chirped.

Giles seemed to calm down at Miranda’s voice. “You’re right, Miranda. Remy, I am terribly sorry. Now, I believe you were suggesting that Miranda and I tuck ourselves away somewhere so your friends won’t see us?” The ominous note crept into Giles’s voice again. “Or am I wrong?”

“You’re right.” Remy muttered, shaken.

Giles nodded. “Good.” Giles turned around, and beckoned for Miranda to follow. Miranda gazed at Remy, and whispered, “Don’t worry. He always gets like this.” And the gorillas rushed away, leaving Remy alone. Remy stood there. There was certainly more than meets the eye to the gorillas. He shook himself, and rushed to the Jones Gang. The ten Jones Gang members hadn’t noticed him yet – and the gorillas. Good.

As soon as Lewis was within earshot, Remy asked, “What’s happened?”

Lewis rubbed his tendrils of hair. “I’m sorry,” he stammered.

Remy felt a wave of unease slam into him. What had happened? Remy tried a feeble smile.

“What are you on about?”

Lewis stayed silent. Remy looked at the rest of the Jones Gang. J for just, O for optimistic, N for never say never, E for eager, and S for super. Jones Gang; the gang that fought against school bullies. And besides, Jones was Remy’s last name.

The ten of them were all silent.

A ridiculous thought hit Remy. Had they also encountered talking gorillas? Remy felt mirthless laughter rising into his throat. No, that was truly impossible. “Come on, guys! What’s wrong?”

“They found out about the flinger!” Lewis cried.

Remy gazed at the flinger that sat on the grass. The flinger was a sling shot that flung hollow plastic balls. Of course, it’d only ever be used in self defence against a bully. It was a sort of private in joke the Jones Gang had; it was pretty useless to be honest.

“Who? And why would they care?”

“Caleb found out! Caleb doesn’t care if it’s useless; he just wants an excuse to hurt! And don’t you get it? How did he know about the flinger? Because he knows about the Jones Gang!”

Dead eyes gazed upon Remy. And then, another gang of boys walked into Remy’s vision.

Remy blinked. “Crap.”

It had begun a long time ago. When Remy was eight. There was this guy called Caleb in his class. Caleb was huge; only eight and already a metre-and-sixty-five.

Caleb was a bully, too. His size allowed him too do whatever he wanted without any kid sticking up too him. Until that day. The day when Remy saw Caleb stealing a kid’s lunch and walked right up to Caleb and said, “Give it back to the kid. Now!”

Caleb had stood there, shocked. Then he had just walked away, bitter and lusting for revenge. That day, Remy gained a group of friends. The Jones Gang. They stuck together, no matter what. And they had been waging a secret war against Caleb and his clique. Whenever, Caleb did something bad, the Jones Gang would repay Caleb by telling the teachers. Yes, they knew they would come off as goody-goods. But they were doing the right thing.

Of course, Caleb was infuriated by them. He could never figure out how the teachers found out about his misdeeds. He hadn’t even known the Jones Gang existed!

Until now.

Remy stood. Two arms behind him holding him still. Before him, Caleb and his whole group grinned at him, like a pack of wild hyenas.

“How did you find out about us?” Remy said through clenched teeth.

Caleb shrugged. “I found it all on one of your friends’ cell phone.”

“How?”

“I stole it.”

Remy smiled. At least he hadn’t been betrayed. Caleb scowled. “Don’t you smile at me!” he yelled. He walked to Remy, and punched his cheek. Remy cried out as a screaming lightning bolt of pain rushed through his body. The Jones Gang took two or three steps back. They weren’t fighters; they knew they wouldn’t last two seconds against Caleb’s group.

Remy kept smiling.

Caleb growled. “Do you know what ticks me off about you?” he asked.

“Enlighten me.” Remy grunted. He would not give Caleb any pleasure.

“You think you’re better than me” Caleb cried, spraying spittle everywhere, “Well, get this. NOBODY IS BETTER THAN ME!” He leaned in close, so Remy could see his eyes. Remy saw the madness in Caleb.

“You’re crazy.”

Caleb prepared to punch Remy again. Remy closed his eyes, and prayed to whatever great omniscient being that had put him in this mess in the first place. Two seconds later, he still didn’t feel the impact.

He opened one eye slowly.

Then the other.

Giles had caught Caleb’s punch inches away from Remy’s face, and Miranda stood amongst a pile of bodies; Caleb’s group. Remy’s prisoner was among them somehow. The Jones Gang stared at shock.

“Now,” Giles said, “It’s not very polite to harm people. I may have to teach you a lesson.”

Caleb spat, and punched with his free arm. Remy almost admired Caleb’s stupidity. How could he not see he was dealing with a gorilla? Giles sighed, and grabbed the punch. “Really now?” Giles threw Caleb into the ground and tentacles ripped and exploded out of Giles’ stomach. They sliced through the air and wrapped around Caleb, holding him still.

“Phewee,” Remy whistled.

“I know. I am very fantastic.” Giles said smugly.

“What?” moaned Caleb and the Jones Gang.

THE END