Jamie Can Fly! (Chapter 6)

The clouds felt cool against Jamie’s cheeks as he glided through them.  For a moment all he could see was whiteness, brighter than a snowy day.  His eyes squinted as he emerged from the clouds to be confronted by the bright glaring sun resting upon them. 

‘Wow!  It’s beautiful!’ remarked Jamie as he slowed down to hover above, what looked like, a vast mountain range made of clouds.  ‘I feel like I could walk on them!’

‘You can walk on them!’

‘Who was that?’ said Jamie as he spun around in the direction of the unexpected voice.

‘Don’t be alarmed!  It’s just me.’

As Jamie looked down he saw a small creature, resembling a turtle, staring wide-eyed up towards him.

‘Who… or, should I say, what are you?’ asked Jamie.

‘Ah, my dear boy, it’s been a while since I’ve seen the likes of someone as curious as you up here!’  The creature spoke in a soft friendly tone of voice.  It was a voice that reminded Jamie of his dear old grandpa.  ‘Of course, you won’t have seen anyone like me before, I’m sure,’ said the creature as Jamie continued to listen.  ‘I am a clurtle.’

There was a short pause before Jamie replied, ‘I’ve never heard of a ‘clurtle’ before?’

‘Of course you haven’t, for this is your first experience of the cloudscape.’

‘The cloudscape?’

‘Yes, the cloudscape.  Not the landscape, like you know, but the cloudscape made of the clouds!  Up here you will find miles upon miles of clouds to roam and wander through.  And amongst these clouds you will find all sorts of wonderful things!  How do I know all this, I hear you ask.  I know this because I, Clarence the Third, have lived here for more than three hundred years!’

‘Clarence the Third – is that your name then?’ asked Jamie.

‘Yes, after my father and after his father before him,’ replied the clurtle with a twinkle in his eye.

‘And you’ve lived here for three hundred years?’

‘More than three hundred years my dear boy!’

‘Wow!  That is a long time.  I’m not even 10 years old yet!’

Clarence chuckled as he beckoned Jamie down with his foot.  ‘Come down here my boy.’

Jamie used his finger to point his way down to where Clarence was sat, even though he was a bit nervous of falling through the clouds.

‘Don’t look so worried,’ said Clarence.  ‘It’s safe enough for you here!’

‘It’s amazing!  It feels so soft and secure.  I thought I might fall through it,’ said Jamie as he landed gently next to Clarence.

When you’re on the cloudscape there is no need to fear!  Well, almost no need to fear… LOOK OUT!’

[Chapter 7]

A note from Nev...

Last week I particularly enjoyed my session with the year 2 class at Burstow Primary School in Surrey, who won a session for Children's Book Week.  Until that day I had never considered telling a story about a dolphin who lived underground!  I know what you're thinking, 'How can a dolphin live underground?'  Well that is the joy of creating stories - there is no limit to what our imaginations can do!  Together, we decided how this story could happen and what adventure our dolphin would get herself into.

So remember - with the imagination nothing is impossible!

Jamie Can Fly! (Chapter 5)

There was a WHOOSH! as Jamie sped down to where the itching powder lay.  In a flash he picked it up, gripped it under his left arm then pointed with his right finger as he flew up and stopped just a few metres above Tank, Eric and Vern.  There was a gasp, then a brief murmuring from the crowd as they anticipated what would happen next.

Jamie then spoke out valiantly as he said, ‘Everybody!  I know you are amazed.  I am too!  Every day these three put me through the most horrible things.  Why?  I don’t know!  I don’t understand why they choose to pick on me.  And, today, they wanted to cover me in this!’  Jamie held up the tub of itching powder for all to see.

Tank was still trying to understand how this had all happened so fast.  A few moments ago it was him who was holding the tub to the crowd.  Now, just a short while later, Jamie was not only free from the ropes but it was now he who was holding the itching powder.  Tank and his sidekicks cringed as they saw the tub being held precariously above their heads.

‘Shall I give them a taste of their own medicine?’ Jamie asked.

There was a short pause as the members of the crowd turned to one another as if to check that his or her neighbour had the same idea.  They then shouted a united, ‘YESSS!!’

The crowd jumped and giggled with excitement as Jamie began to open the lid.  As his hand gripped and twisted it round, the faces of Tank, Eric and Vern turned completely pale.  Tank nudged his accomplices and whispered, from the side of his mouth, ‘Quick, run for it you morons!’

Off they went, running up the street, away from Jamie and the crowd.  Jamie held the tub tightly under his arm as he pursued them.  It was not long before he was directly over their heads once more.  The boys may have been fast with their running, but they stood no chance against Jamie who could now fly as quickly as a bird.

Poor Mr. Evans, the local postman, was nearly knocked off his bike as the great crowd rushed past him to follow the action.  Mr. Evans had been feeling a bit under the weather with a terrible nose cold.  He now believed he was losing his mind as he looked up to see, what appeared to be, a young boy flying straight up the middle of the road.

 Tank, Eric and Vern had not stopped running.  Neither had the crowd.  And neither had Jamie stopped flying over their heads.  As he followed them the three boys all looked nervously back at Jamie.  It was at this point that they reached a skip with a long plank of wood leading up to the top of it.  Of course, this plank was meant for a wheelbarrow.  However, at this moment in time, it was not a wheelbarrow going up it but three unsuspecting boys.

BANG!  WHACK!  THUMP! was the sound, as one after the other Tank, Eric and Vern landed at the bottom of the skip in a great heap, as though they themselves were a pile of rubbish.  The crowd now surrounded the skip, all gazing in wonder at the three dishevelled boys. 

Jamie, now directly above them, continued to remove the lid from the itching powder.  ‘It’s about time you understand what it feels like to be humiliated in public!’ 

The three boys helplessly held their hands up in an attempt to protect themselves from what was to come.  But it was to no avail, as Jamie proceeded to tip the entire contents of the itching powder tub all over them.  The crowd gasped as the boys cried out in unison, ‘NOOOO!!!’

Jamie’s expression said it all – a mixture of delight, relief and satisfaction.  The crowd continued to stare in wonder as they watched three boys.  First, it was Eric’s nose which started twitching.  Then, Vern’s shoulder started jumping up and down.  Tank’s belly began to jiggle and all of their fingers started to wiggle before,

‘Ouch!’

‘Eeeek!’

‘Ooooh!’

‘Aaaahhh!’

            It was impossible to follow the speed of their hands as each one of the boys frantically itched his entire body.

            ‘Aaahh!  It’s agony!’ screamed Eric.

            ‘I can’t stand it!’ shouted Vern.

            ‘I’ve got an itchy bottom!’ blurted Tank, forgetting that the whole school was watching and listening to him.  They all let out a huge roar of laughter.

            Satisfied with his payback, Jamie grinned before he pointed his finger towards the highest clouds he could see.  Then, at great speed, Jamie shot off – up into the sky!

[Chapter 6]