5/11/18 Jo Cotterill https://jocotterill.com

4/11/2018

BANG! Shazia flinched at the sudden noise, and her friend Emma laughed. ‘I didn’t know you were scared of fireworks.’
‘I’m not,’ Shazia lied. She pulled her coat around her neck more tightly. ‘It just made me jump, that’s all.’ She glanced at Emma’s face, rapt in the flickering coloured lights of a Roman candle. It had been a mistake, coming here. She shouldn’t have let Emma talk her into it.
There was a series of shrill squeals from a firework, twizzling and sparking through the air. Shazia bit her lip and clenched her fists so tightly her fingernails dug into her palms. It was bringing it all back, what had happened. The whole reason she’d moved to this town. Emma didn’t know – how could she? She knew nothing of Shazia’s previous life.
Shazia stared through blurred eyes at the fountains of silver and gold and remembered this day last year…

6 Comments

Srushti

5/11/2018 06:07:59

This day last year... Shazia was pushed down the memory lane... She tried hard not to... But as if the smoke and noise just engulfed her and snap... Like a time machine she was back in the pain... She was surrounded by crackers of all sorts, lots of them... and first she was happy to be here all alone on adventure, she thought while going she will carry many with her. It was a fireworks factory and she had come just out of curiosity ... As shazia moved around she stumbled upon something and it fell down with a loud noise... Scarred she looked around... And saw an old man running towards her.... Shouting what have you done... Oh my god... With this I saw a little spark on the floor and it become big immediately with the liquid I just dropped... I realised immediately that this is trouble .. It was something combustible and was catching fire... The old man shouted again RUN... Run..RUN for your life.... I looked around and felt blank as I couldn't find the way out... I started running, but it had started... Lots of fireworks together ..under one roof.....i couldn't breathe... It was all getting blur... I tried to keep my eyes open.... Finally i saw the window from where I came in... I immediately got up and as I was ready to jump, I looked back and saw the old man trying in vain to stop the fire that I started....i felt ashamed of myself but I knew I won't survive here and ran out to get some help... I ran just few metres and heard a loud bang.... When I looked back I couldn't believe my eyes the whole factory just burnt out... With another explosion I was thrown away by the impact.... Bang bang again.... I cam back to Emma with the sound of fireworks ... It really creep me off.

H,D,J

5/11/2018 10:01:37

But this year it would be different, Emma promised me. I wasn’t sure how but I trusted Emma, I trusted Emma with my life even after last year. We were going to Lewes fireworks, apparently they are amazing, I was still a bit nervous but I knew they would be great. We left for the fireworks later that evening. BANG! Out of nowhere an explosion appeared in the sky, with bright colours spurting out of it, it was beautiful, I don’t know why I was so scared, petrified, frightened. I heard fizzing, popping and banging. Snap, crackle and pops were all I heard throughout the night. It felt like the biggest thrill of my life. The barrel parade was one of the highlights of my night, of my life. My life would never be the same, my feelings towards fireworks had changed, they are the most beautiful things I have ever seen. The colours filled the sky with light, hope and happiness. Thank you Emma for…

Ian & Kanishk, Reading School

5/11/2018 11:01:07

“Thank you Emma for bringing me to this spectacular firework display, it has allowed me to understand how beautiful fireworks really are! “she shouted over the noise. They continued to watch the display. They went to get some food when suddenly they heard noises. A mixture of screaming, shouting and crying filled the icy air. A blaze of red, roaring fire just metres away from the crowd started coming towards them.

In the blink of an eye Shazia knew what had happened. She remembered the same day a year earlier, except it wasn’t her this time…

A mob pushed past her in a hurry to escape the fatal fire. After everyone had passed by and nearly flattened them, a young girl was still near the scene. She looked helpless. Not knowing what to do, Shazia pushed Emma out of the way and ran towards the girl. “Come on run, I’m not here to tell you off, I’m here to help you! “Shazia screamed as she ran.

The girl turned towards her and stared at her with dazzling blue eyes. “No I started the fire and I must stop it.”

“Are you crazy! The fire is much too big and dangerous for you. You’ll die!”

The girl carried on standing still…

Alfie, Harry, Frederick, Tejas, Beauchamps High School link

5/11/2018 11:57:33

The girl carried on standing still, overwhelmed by the scarlet, scorching flames.
“Wait there I’m coming with you!” explained Shazia as she sprinted towards the girl, desperate to save her from a fiery grave. The closer she got to the girl, her memory of the man spread like a disease.
When she reached the growing flame, pulling the girl frantically by her shirt, she attempted to drag the girl from the fire’s path. Despite the size of the girl, she stood in a stance of steel.
“Please come with me!” begged Shazia, “You’ll be safer over there, away from the fire.”
“I don’t care. This is my chaos; I need to stop this mania.”
Shazia stood there shaking her head, not believing what she just heard.
“Why won’t you leave me in peace.” The girl asked.
Shazia couldn’t answer that. She couldn’t, and wouldn’t…

Bailey's group (names to follow); Beckfoot Oakbank

5/11/2018 14:03:00

There was a flashback... Shazia remembered petrifying moments of seeing the old man struggling to stop the

fire that she created. Shazia hopelessly turned away from the fire and feeling helpless she closed her eyes.

Screaming in agony the nameless girl jumped into the scorching fire not knowing where her future will lead. Shazia shouted in complete despair "She jumped into the fire, please somebody help!!" but it was too late, she was already gone or was she...?

The next morning wanted posters were plastered everywhere looking for the girl who jumped into the fire - the police had searched the ashes and found no bones, so where did she go?

Sophie,Ella,Maisy,Jack,Sam St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School

5/11/2018 15:03:09

10 years later, Shazia is brave enough to go back to the bonfire, with her children this time. The fireworks were shooting up into the midnight sky, exploding like popcorn in a microwave. All the colors of the rainbow were radiating together. As the scars on her face were tingling a sign of fear slowly crept up her spine. Flashbacks suddenly accrued as the sound of the fireworks erupted in the atmosphere. The amber flames grew like they did 10 years ago. suddenly a herd of people raced to the exit. Shazia's heart started to race as fast s a racing car and the bitter frost clung to her fingertips as she froze in fear. all of a sudden she saw a girl run into the fire. Shazia screamed in fear. BANG!

5/11/18 Jo Cotterill https://jocotterill.com

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