Never Trust a Bug
“Can I have everybody’s attention please?” Miss Mcmyars called to the rowdy class.
“Already got mine, Miss,” James said, giving her a wink.
“Very funny, James,” Miss Mcmyars replied as she started to smile.
James always seemed to be able to make her laugh. That’s just how he was. Suddenly,
without warning, the bell sounded, signalling the end of class and of school.
“Hold on, I have something I need to say before you go,” Miss Mcmyars said. ”Your
homework is to work in a group of about four or five and to make a fact file on a wellknown insect or bug. To be handed in on Tuesday. That will be all.”
As they were walking home, Luke voiced something they were all thinking.
“That’s so unfair! A whole fact file for Tuesday and it’s already Friday! We’re not
magic!”
There were many nods of agreement which included Will’s.
“Tell you what,” said Becky,” We could go to the library right now to start working. I’ll
text my mum and let her know.”
So they all set off towards the Library. When they finally arrived, they slowly walked
to the chairs in the corner. There were only four chairs, so Annie sat comfortably on
the floor. They decided that she would search through the books.
By the time they had finished, it was getting dark but as they were getting ready to
leave, something caught Will’s eye.
“Hey, look at this,” he said slowly. Without even realising what he was doing, his hand
reached out to grab the book. As he placed it on his legs to read, the cover came off.
And as it did so, it crumbled so all that was left in his hands were dust and bits of
binding.
“That’s odd,” he squeaked.
He looked around to check that the librarian hadn’t seen what happened. Only Annie,
James, Becky and Luke had seen and were looking at him with an exasparated
expression.
“Well, you’d better open it now and make us even later,” Luke said.
So Will did. And what he found inside was enough to scare anybody! Out of the ancient
book came a flood of multi-coloured insects. The children all screamed and threw the
book to the floor until the bugs stopped scurrying out of the pages. Suddenly there was
a noise. They turned round to see the horror that stood behind them. Towering over
them was something; there weren’t any words to describe it. It was made from the
creatures that had escaped from the book. It suddenly began to talk. It was a rasping,
spine- chilling voice. It said:
“You may not believe what I say,
But you will believe me soon,
For someone will betray you,
Before the sky has shown the moon.
before the bugs crumbled to the floor and back into the book. Although the children
were terrified, they knew they must keep this a secret. Who would believe them
anyway?
Alice Little
Age 10
Tower Hill Primary School