Story Openers

Grabbing the Reader's Attention

by Sixth Graders at Norris Elementary School

Ryan

     Marcus Fetch awoke in a warm room surrounded by 12 people, all boys, some taller some shorter. They looked all about the same age, sixteen or seventeen.

     “What’s your name?” a tall boy said. He looked about as tall as himself. Marcus wanted to speak but he was to amazed by what he saw out the window to his left to even attempt to talk. It was a huge tree fort village and Marcus was in the center of it all.

     After Marcus got over the fact that he didn’t know where he was, he wanted to explore the huge tree village. He rushed to the tall wooden door that was engraved with a bunch of symbols but was held back by a cold hand.

     “Tell us your name and I’ll let you go.”It was the same boy who asked him that before. Marcus opened his mouth to speak but didn’t know his name. It came to him quickly though.

     “My name is Marcus Fetch and I need to know where I am.”

Elizabeth

     I remember it like it happened just yesterday. I traveled back in time and killed one of the biggest creatures to ever roam the Earth. It was a sunny day and I just moved into my new house. The house was an old farmhouse near the middle of nowhere. I was exploring the rooms and i found the latch to the attic. I climbed up the small ladder and closed the white latch behind me. It smelled like old rotting wood, and the floor squeaked with every step. There was a big lump in the corner of the room, draped in a dusty tarp. The tarp had a ripped where the corners started, but I still couldn’t quite tell what was underneath. I carefully pulled the tarp off, revealing an oval shaped machine with lots of different colored wires connected to the back. I noticed a wire wasn’t connected so I plugged it into the only plug that wasn’t occupied. I stepped back as the whole thing lit up and made a “buzz” noise.I stepped into the tiny door just to see what was inside, but the door closed behind me.There were two buttons, one with a red F, and another with a blue P . I pressed the blue P, which probably was not the greatest idea.

Wil

    “Please?” asked Harry

    “Harry, for the last time, you can’t turn our house into a spaceship,” replied his mom.

    “But why not?”

     “I already told you, Harry, now go to bed.”

      Well Harry went to bed, tried to fall asleep, and ended up waking up again. When he got up, he realized that there was no one there. Attached to the refrigerator was a note.

         Dear Harry,

        Mom and Dad left to go out to dinner and left me in charge. I, however wanted to go to the movies with Marrisa. So, yes, you are home alone and if you tell Mom or Dad I’ll tell them what really happened to the washer last week. With love,

                         Abbey

Sara

     I run through the forest, the leaves whipping at my face. It hurts, but I don’t care. I need to get away from that… that thing. I don’t know who is chasing me, maybe it’s not even human. I look behind me. The thing is right behind me! I run faster, avoiding trees and branches. After a while, my legs get tired. I duck behind a tree and wait. Maybe the thing gave up? I sigh in relief. Finally! Then I hear twigs snapping. I turn around and the thing is still chasing me. I try to run, but I’m too tired. I close my eyes, waiting for whatever is coming. I hear a voice. It doesn’t sound like any language I know. I open my eyes, and I see something I can’t describe. Then, suddenly, the world turns black.

Ella

    Abby woke up breathing hard looking up at a sunny sky. There were three big black birds circling around her. She was lying in the sand on the shore of a beach. She looked around her there was debris of a crashed plane down the the shore. Abby got up and noticed that there was other people screaming and yelling. She figured there must have been a plane crash. Then it hit her, like a yellow school bus, she remembered everything.

Macy

     Moon, a gray fox, snarled at her trainer, a red fox named Pain.

“Stop! You are getting better. We should return back to camp now,” Pain said, nodding his approval. Moon smiled. She had been training hard, and a fox didn’t get praise from Pain easily.

       Moon and Pain ran back to their fox camp. “Moon!” Fire called. Moon sprinted over to her friend, while Pain walked over to some older, more experienced fox’s, Snowfall, Thunder, and Stonemaker. “Where are Midnight and Pine?” Moon asked. Fire, a bright red fox, barked,” They went hunting. They said they would bring us back some mice or a rabbit.”

      Moon nodded.

       “Everyone listen, now!” Scar, a tall black fox, the leader of the foxes, barked.

Moon gasped. Scar had an ugly, bloody scratch on his left front leg. “What happened?” she asked.

“Scar and some other foxes got in a fight with some bears while hunting,” Fire answered. Moon nodded. Scar waited until all eyes were on him.

Casey

    I knew something was wrong when I had paws. The other day I was taking a walk. It was getting pretty late, so I decided to head home. I live by myself, so I was in no rush. My usual route home was closed for some reason, so my only option was through the woods. I started walking and then heard a howl. I started to panic. I then heard a howl. I looked around. I didn’t see anything.

       “OW!” I screamed.

Alyssa

     It opened. The wind whistled and blew aside the curtains. The screams of withering souls washed through the air and I blocked my face. I knew this was going to happen at some point. This is what happened to Georgina for god’s sake!

     “Brittany Kors Connington!” I desperately yelled over the screeching voices. “C’mon honey, Ii cannot lose you!”  She turned her head to look at me. Her bright blue eyes had been replaced with big black eye sockets.

     “Brit?” I asked. She turned to me.

      “Betty” a raspy voice came from my daughter’s body.

      “Oh my god,” I said. my daughter was not my daughter anymore. I could hear Caral screaming in the background. I quickly glanced back him to see the doves surrounding him. I was so tempted to grab him, but we already know what the doves can do. I swung myself back around to find Brittany only 5 feet in front of me. “Brittany, you need to listen to m-”

Gabby

     The Islands of Evanore weren’t like anything you would imagine. You may be wondering, who am I? I am Princess Evanore, Daughter of the queen of all the Islands of Evanore. You are wondering why I said Islands? Well, there are 5 islands in the Islands of Evanore, Flame Island, Water Island, Ice Island, Ghost Island, and the Restricted island. Flame Island is my least favorite, or at least it is to everyone with a water element. You see, waters and flames were sworn enemies since 1824 when the war of elements began. Ghost and Flame team vs Water and Ice team. Sadly, the fires won because of their friendship to the ghosts. Now, Waters will never be seen with a fire, along with a fire not being seen with a water. But i feel like that’s wrong. Why can’t waters and fires be friends? But I can’t just cry about it. I am going make peace those fires, if they like it or not.

Madeleine

     It was the cold morning air that first woke me, nipping at my nose that just barely stuck out above the soft blanket of bear hide. My dad used to tell me and my brother about how he had killed that bear with one arrow; how that bear had roared so loud it felt like the ground was going to break in two, before it had fallen slowly to its knees then laid down dead. Then my dad would lower his voice and Pieco and I would lean in closer to hear the rest of the story.

     “I started to move cautiously forward through the trees,” he would tell us. “I knew my shot had been straight and true, but you can never be too careful when hunting bears. It was a good thing too, that I hadn’t rushed forward, else I’d be dead. See, right then the wind picked up and things started blowing everywhere, especially around the bear’s body. If I had been any closer I would have surely been knocked on the head. Then suddenly the wind stopped and all that was left of the bear was its skin, and a necklace of wooden beads and eagle claws.”

Emma

     Yah know, middle school isn’t so bad if you think about it. Seventh7th grade can be pretty cool if you spend it doing things you enjoy and with people you like, until you figure that out, good luck. A 12 year old normal girl, well my definition of normal, I thought I got along with everybody, boy was I wrong. My downfall, well lots of things, so I should probably start from the beginning, where the fun starts.

AdriAn (AJ)

     Dave ended up winning his soccer game 2-1 against their rivals, Brickside Cannons,

and his family adopted Maria. But before that happened, Dave almost got stomped on by a T-Rex and smashed by a wrecking ball, he had quite the adventure. Let’s back things up for a second.

     Dave, a 7th grader from Southridge, Ohio had a soccer game, but right before it was about to start, Dave had to go to the bathroom. When he finished, he opened the door to the porta potty and he was in a totally different place.

     “Where am I?” Dave said.

     Some strange voice replied “Welcome to my cave!”

     Dave turned around. It was a cave girl.

    ”My name is Maria!”

Katelyn L.

     I ducked behind the old desk in the attic, I didn't dare breathe. My stomach was in loops. All I saw was a dark shadow that looked like the “guy” I saw in my dream, but maybe it wasn't a dream. He went over to the desk like he knew exactly where it was. I don't  know what he took, but he took something. All of the sudden I heard a loud banging noise, I realized that he was nailing that door shut… I was trapped.

       It all started last night while I was eating dinner…