Jacob And The Skull

• Gabrijel David, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2008

Phil comes skateboarding down the hall at an impressive rate. He suddenly stops and gets off his board while he is passing by the principal’s office, sneaks past it and then gets back on his board. Suddenly, he crashes into a new student who was leaving the principal’s office. They both crash to the ground with a thud and the principal happens to be right behind them. “I’m sorry mate, do ya need help with e’m books?” asks Phil.

“Well if it isn’t Phil Cambory. Always making trouble, look what you have done to our new student! REPORT TO MY OFFICE IMMEDIATELY!” bellowed the principal, Mr. Tomkins. Phil stuttered “No sir it was an accident, please forgive me.” Mr. Tomkins retorted with “That’s what you always say Phil, now report to my office immediately or you will be suspended. You heard me, GO ON!”

“I’m so sorry about the trouble that Phil has caused. Here, let’s clean you up!” offered the principal after turning away from Phil. “I should be fine. Thank you anyway” says the new boy Jacob, as he heads for his first period.

After being excused from Mr. Tomkins office, Phil heads straight for English, his first period. When he notices Jacob, he pins him towards the wall and threatens him,”I got a detention because of ya and now ya going to pay for it.”

That day Jacob takes a short stroll down the beach near by his house. He happens to find a hidden grave beneath the sand dunes. He is really keen on knowing what is inside. Maybe it is an Egyptian mummy coffin? However there are no decorations or carvings. A cold tingle of terror runs through his skin. It takes him ages to gather enough courage to take one small peep inside the grave, and eventually he does. Jacob sees a skull with eye sockets as large as tennis balls. He screams in terror and belts along the sand as fast as his feet can carry him.

Weeks passed but Jacob still couldn’t find any friends all because of his incident with Phil. Phil was a tough, strong built and popular student at Erskine High. All the students wanted to join his gang but to join you must have enough guts to complete your allocated dare. If you fail to complete the dare you have no hope in having any friends. Though the trick is you have to agree to do the dare before you know what it is.

After being bullied by Phil everyday, Jacob decided that it was enough and that he was going to join the gang and complete the dare.

“Look who’s here, Jacob you little turd” yells Phil. “What do ya want?” he grunts cruelly. “I want to join your gang and hang out with you”, says Jacob stuttering. “Well, to be able to do that my boy you have to do a dare” says Phil. “I know what Jacob’s dare could be!” exclaims Chris. He whispers it to Phil who sniggers and nods in approval when he hears it. Jacob waits, the suspense is killing him. Phil turns to him and explains, “You have to set off to the sand dunes tonight and climb down into the grave and bring the skull to us. And that, Jacob Harrison, is your dare”.