The Curse

By Danielle

One spring afternoon Sophie, her Mum, Dad and dog Barney went walking in the nearby spooky woods. They were enjoying watching Barney running around chasing squirrels, but then he ran off and they couldn’t find him. Dad urged Sophie and her Mum to go home as it was getting terribly dark and he would continue further into the woods to locate Barney. After a long tiring walk he eventually found Barney next to a small dwindling fire. As he approached, a mysterious figure emerged from the shadows, making him jump. Suddenly the figure, an old skeletal woman, pointed her bony finger at him, screeched “This is MY wood” then whispered a spell. She was a witch! As Dad ran away with Barney at his heels her spine chilling voice rang in his ears: “I curse you with this spell, which won’t do you well, for you to become a monster. To break the spell and become free, someone has to love you as what they see”. As he continued running, he could feel his body starting to change, fur like mouldy hay sprouted from his skin, his teeth grew, sharpening like thorns, his fingernails erupting into creepy craggy claws. He was a monster! Finally, exhausted he found an abandoned cave and crawled inside its humungous gaping mouth.

Meanwhile, back safely at home, Sophie and her Mum were worriedly waiting for Dad’s return. In the early light of dawn they heard an ear piercing howl at the door and rushed to open it. Immediately, Barney dashed in, barking madly. “What’s up Barney, what’s happened?” Mum cried frantically. At that moment, Barney tugged her sleeve back towards the door. “I think he’s trying to tell us where Dad is!” Sophie explained. Before they managed to grab their coats, Barney had rushed off down the lane to the woods, Sophie and her Mum close behind. “Wait up Barney!” shouted Mum. Deeper and deeper into the woods they raced. “Where’s he leading us Mum?” questioned Sophie. “Do you think Dad is injured?” she panted. Eventually, they reached the shadowy cave entrance. “It looks creepy,” whispered Sophie. Just as she said that Barney disappeared inside the blackened cave and Sophie cautiously followed. “Wait!” Sophie’s Mum screamed. "You don’t know what’s in there!” As Sophie’s eyes gradually adjusted to the gloomy darkness she could just distinguish a looming figure in the corner, with Barney at its feet, tail wagging, staring right into a monster’s eyes! Sophie tried to scream, but not a single sound came out. The monster shuffled towards her. Closer and closer it drew, and as she hesitantly looked into its face something in its eyes made her gasp. “D-d-d-dad?” she stammered. “Is that really you?” The monster advanced, arms open and she instinctively hugged him. At that moment she could feel the fur changing into clothes – the curse was lifted! As they stumbled gratefully from the cave Sophie’s Mum rushed up in relief. “Thank goodness you’re ok – you could have found a monster!”