The Lonely Castle

• Daniel Galczynski, Grade 5, North Arm State School
• Short Story
• 2018

Excellence Award in the 'Write Along 2018' competition

The old cobblestone linker bridge beneath me creaks loudly, which warns me of perils ahead on my adventurous journey. All I can see is mossy buildings that are the remains of an ancient castle. Nobody is about. The whole place is empty and full of dark magic. Not a soul around except me. My body fills with uneasiness and discomfort. I can hear flocks of birds above me, but I cannot see them, as if they are not actually there. The chime bell chirps all day long as if singing its own pulsing song. As I look over the sides of the mouldy bridge, I hear water bubbling merrily in the inky blackness below. I hear rumbling thunder in the distance and see the vast sky darkening. What is happening I do not know but I know I must run... Fast!
Danger is coming and I am ready for it, at last a battle of the age. I am unarmed but I believe I can fight whatever is coming for me. I cannot remember what, if anything I have done wrong. Then I remember, the three stones belonging to this mysterious land’s God ‘Amizahm’ that I had stolen for my land (Mars) to help fight the war that was present in it, and now there was a war in this one too. All because of me. I wanted to help my land (Mars) by giving the people the power to fight the Great War. While very briefly keeping my mind occupied, I hadn’t noticed that a glistening gold sword had formed in my very hands. "Great, now we’re talking power!" I thought to myself. As I build up my energy, I see a gargantuan race of knights on horses, flying towards me at insanely high speeds. I dart out of the way still holding my sword high.
As they come flying past, a knight spots me in the bush, and his eyes lock on me, “Oh dear,” I stammer. I reach out to kill the great knight, but he suddenly disappears along with all of the others. “What is going on?” I exclaim. Then my screen darkens to nothing. “Oh man! Not again!” I disappointingly declare. My computer has crashed for the third time this week.