Imaginary Creatures

In celebration of all things poetry and literature during this week's festival, here's a story from a student at Uni High who could be a future author! This is a suspense story from a year 7 english class. And remember, follow Ubique's Facebook and Instagram accounts @UbiqueUHS to get updates about upcoming events this week.

By Claude Demasson DeGennaro

I am quite comfortable with my sister having an imaginary friend. After all, she had one when she was little and it didn’t harm anyone. However Dad is sometimes worried about Peggy talking to a spot of air called Mr. Herman. Dad is always lecturing Peggy about making some real friends, but she doesn't seem to mind that her only friend is invisible. 

“Goodnight Dad, remember to close the cupboard door for Mr. Herman” says Peggy in a tired whisper. “Okay, I won’t forget” I hear Dad murmur.
This is what he says every night before Peggy goes to sleep but he never closes the door. 

Dad sits at the end Peggy’s bed until he hears soft snuffles coming from Peggy. Then Dad sneaks out of her room and that is the last I see of him until morning. Peggy sometimes likes me to pick out her outfits to wear for the day. I choose her favorite blue sparkly shoes, her spotty purple tights, her yellow stripy shirt and her navy blue jumper that has a bear drawing on it. That night Dad has to go out for a job interview. He asks me to babysit Peggy. 

Before we eat dinner Peggy asks me to go up to her room and bring Mr. Herman down into the kitchen while she practices tying up her shoelaces on her new sparkly blue shoes. On my way out I call to Peggy, “I love your jumper. I remember when I used to wear it but the bear wasn’t so faded.”
I trot down the dusty hallway and run up the stairs two at a time. Earlier that day our class was reading about imaginary creatures when our history teacher claimed that he had seen one. I wish I could tell Dad about the lesson. 

“Imaginary creatures,” declares our history teacher, “Are very hard to find. If you ever meet one never look into it’s eyes otherwise...”
Our history teacher is cut off when the whole class except me bursts out laughing thinking it’s a joke. 

I walk towards Peggy’s bedroom. I can’t get today's class out of my head. I keep reminding myself that imaginary creatures aren't real; they are just what little kids like Peggy use as an excuse to get extra dessert. I amble past my room and notice that my window is open. 

“That’s odd,” I think to myself as I wonder when Dad will be home. I walk on, past my room. I see one of Peggy’s blue sparkly shoes and just manage dodge it. “You must listen to me,” Our history teacher continues trying to make himself heard, “Never underestimate what a imaginary creature can do. They have the ability to do things beyond the worlds capability.”
I am now in Peggy’s room. I feel a cold gust of wind. I shudder. “Imaginary creatures are never invisible when they feel your fear” loitered our history teacher. I notice that Peggy’s window is also open. On the edge of the window is Peggy’s navy blue jumper with the faded bear. “How did that get there?” I ask myself. “When an imaginary creature is having a meeting the windows are always open.” Said the history teacher. I hear footsteps behind me, thinking its Peggy I turn around. My heart skips a beat. It’s not Peggy. 

“And imaginary creature invite their hungry friends when a meeting is about to take place. They look you in the eyes with their spiky teeth showing. Their fingertips grow sharp claws and that is when they strike,” Finishes our history teacher. I hear scratches coming from the cupboard and that is when I realise. Dad didn’t close the door.