H I G H LY C O M M E N D E D
S H O RT S TO R I E S F R O M T H E G LO B A L C LA S S R O O M |
2014
D E VO U R E D
C O LLI N Q U I N L A N, Y E A R 6
B R I T I S H A M E R I C A N S C H O O L O F C H A R LOT T E
With its videogame setting and scary scenes, Collin Quinlan shows in
‘Devoured’ that he knows how to use his imagination very well indeed.
As soon as I snapped open my eyes, I saw a colossal staircase descending into the endless fog. Out of the dark mist
spurted trees of tremendous size, blocking out all sunlight. I heard a step squeak behind me and I turned, terrified.
Its perilous, beady eyes stared down at me hungrily while licking its bloody lips, sending a spine-chilling message.
The creature’s odour was putrid; it reeked of mold and rotting corpses. Its face was hideous, and about as eager to
devour me as a hungry lion. It pounced. The creature dug its perilous claws deep into my left side. Almost as quickly
as he attacked, I defended. I grabbed a rock and vigorously stabbed its coarse skin, leaving it sprawled across the
floor writhing in pain. It did a final screech and shot off into the night. It left me alone, to think: where was I? How
did I get here? And how do I get home?
Now I was left with a decision: to climb the never-ending staircase or climb down into the thick fog. The agony
writhing away in my side was making this decision ten times harder. I needed help speedily and without it, it was
certain death, which loomed nearer and nearer. I figured there was some kind of intelligent being up there to make
the tree house. Once I reached the top of the staircase, I reached an elaborate string of treehouses that lined the sky
like a flock of birds. The small structures had rope bridges that led from tree to tree connecting them. I shot across
a rope bridge and searched the hut nearest to me. A scared squeak greeted me as I rushed through the door. That
voice belonged to a small, green thing that was cowering on the other side of the room, hiding his large brown eyes
with his tiny, hairy, clawed hands. He let out another terrified little squeak and tried to make himself disappear