500 Words 2024/25: read a finalist's story from the 5-7 category

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This story was chosen as a top 50 finalist for 500 Words 2024/25.

Remember, spelling, punctuation and grammar are not taken into account for a 500 Words story, therefore all the top 50 stories have been published how they were submitted.

The Boy Who Traced Words by Dylan L.

Chapter one

Once upon a time, a baby was born. His parents called him James. James was a special baby, and his parents adored him. Every day he got bigger and taller and learnt new things, until it was time for him to learn to talk. His parents tried for months and months and did everything they could to help him learn, but James just watched them silently. Suddenly, he started tracing words in the air. His mother gaped open-mouthed at him.

Chapter two

The pictures were beautiful, astonishing, wonderful. From then on, he never talked but signalled by tracing words in the air. Through his tracing James shared his questions, ideas, thoughts and feelings, and his parents always understood him. Then, it was time for him to start school. James was excited to trace words for the other children in his class.

Chapter three

On his first day at school his teacher asked him a question. James responded by tracing words in the air, just like always. However, his teacher couldn't see a thing. All the other children pointed at his words, suspended in the air, but she couldn't see anything. Furious, she yelled at James to just use words like all the other children. James felt humiliated, and stupid. He stared at the floor and tears slid silently down his face.

Chapter four

James was really upset. Every day, his teacher asked him questions and every day he traced the answers in the air. However, no matter what James tried she still couldn't see anything he traced, and she became more and more frustrated with him. He started to dread going to school. Eventually he stopped tracing anything at all, even at home, and he lived in silence. During breaktimes he just trailed around the halls by himself, keeping his eyes on the floor. Then, one day he found a door. James pushed it open and felt his jaw drop. There were endless shelves of books. James brought a huge pile home and began to read and read.

Chapter five

James read all he could. As he read he started to think about how he could help his teacher to see how the words he traced. Finally, he had an idea. He organised a performance in the playground. All the children and grown-ups came to watch as he traced his words in the air. Higher and higher he traced. Bigger words, brighter words, and more beautiful than ever before. His audience watched, transfixed. At the end of his performance the audience clapped and cheered, and when he looked up he was startled to see his own teacher crying. She walked towards him and said, simply: "I was wrong. I can see now." James closed his eyes in relief. From then on, he felt free.

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