Jamie Can Fly! (Chapter 13)

Jamie had dreamed of going on his very own snowboarding adventure ever since he first heard his uncle Roger tell him about his great skiing adventures.  Jamie loved to hear about the snowboarders in particular, how do they stand up on one piece of board?  Do they fall over?  How fast can they go?  These were just a few of the many questions Jamie would ask his uncle.  Then, as Jamie gazed at the board that lay in the snow before him, the mouse spoke up, ‘Go on then!  Are you gonna put it on or what?’

            ‘You mean right now?’ replied Jamie.

            ‘Of course right now!  There’s no use standing around catching a chill,’ said the mouse.

            ‘Okay, I’ll do it!’ said Jamie who now had a real excitement about him.

            ‘I’ll give you a hand,’ said the mouse.

            Before long Jamie was strapped in to his very own snowboard.  It was the same colour green as his trousers and jacket.  It almost looked as though the board was part of his body.

            ‘Alrighty!  Are you ready?’ asked the mouse.

            ‘Erm… I.. I’m not sure,’ replied Jamie rather hesitantly.

            ‘Well you’d better be, ‘cos off you go!’

            With those words the small mouse used a surprising amount of strength to push Jamie off the edge and straight down the slope.

            ‘NOT AGAIN!!!’ shouted Jamie as, for the second time today, a small creature had pushed him into the unknown!

[Chapter 14]

Jamie Can Fly! (Chapter 12)

As he caught his breath, Jamie looked around to see that he was standing in the middle of a bright snowy forest.  All around him stood magnificent looking trees covered in snow.  There was such a stillness in the air.  Jamie welcomed this calm moment after his wild flight through the air.

            As his eyes followed a piece of snow falling from the top branch of a tree in front of him, he noticed a glowing light.  It was coming from behind the tree.  Jamie slowly walked forwards to find out exactly where it was coming from.  The fresh snow crunched under his feet with each step he took.  As he made his way round the tree he discovered the source of the light.  It was coming from a wooden chest. 

            It looks just like a chest from a pirate story, Jamie thought to himself.  He wondered why there would be such a chest in the middle of a forest on a snowy mountain.  It was made of solid wood, but had a fluorescent light radiating from within.  The only metallic part on it appeared to be a small brass plaque attached to the front of the lid.  It was covered in snow so Jamie brushed it off, with his bare hand, to find out what it had written on it.

            ‘Wow!’ was all Jamie could say as he read the inscription:

‘The contents of this box

are reserved for Jamie.’

How can this be, thought Jamie.  He could not understand how this box had been put here for his benefit.  How did anyone know he would end up here?

            Suddenly the green ball, which was still in his left hand, heated up. 

            ‘Ouch!  What now?’ said Jamie as he loosened his grip on the ball.  He looked down to discover the words on it had changed.  It now read, ‘Open the chest Jamie!’  His curiosity led him to do just that.

            Gently Jamie lifted the lid.  It opened straight away with no need for a key of any kind.  His face lit up as the light shone from within.  He was amazed to see hundreds of sparkle worms wriggling before him.

            ‘What are you doing here?’ said Jamie. 

But there was no time to talk to them because, without any warning, all of the sparkle worms shot straight up into the air and disappeared through the branches of the trees above.

For a moment Jamie continued to stare at the small patch of cloud he could see directly above him.  Eventually his focus returned to the chest.  As he looked at it again he was surprised to see that it was not empty.  In fact, the sparkle worms seemed to have been protecting what lay beneath them.  There was a set of thick warm clothes, which was a very welcome sight to Jamie who was starting to feel his feet and fingers going numb with the cold.

He quickly removed the contents of the chest and began to put them on.  There was a pair of thick lime-green trousers with a matching coat.  There was also a pair of warm winter socks, some black boots, two red gloves and a grey hat.  Jamie felt much warmer now!

‘Ah, that’s better,’ said Jamie as a contented smile formed between his rosy cheeks.

As he closed the lid of the chest he was surprised to see a small brown mouse standing upright and staring at him.  Jamie stared back until the mouse spoke to him, ‘Are you Jamie?’

Even though he had already met a couple of talking creatures today it still amazed him to meet an animal that could talk.

‘Yes, that’s me,’ he replied.

‘Quick!  Follow me!’ said the mouse, who then ran off through the forest.

‘Wait!’ shouted Jamie, ‘I’m not as fast as you!’

‘Fly Jamie, Fly!’ shouted the mouse.

‘Of course!’ said Jamie as he pointed his finger out in front of him and flew through the trees.  He had to be very careful not to hit any, but somehow he knew how to avoid each and every one of them.

Eventually Jamie and the mouse came out the other side of the forest.  The mouse stopped at the top of a very steep slope.  Jamie stopped and landed next to the mouse.

As the two of them looked down the slope Jamie said to the mouse, ‘Wow, it’s so steep!  Hey… Mr. Mouse...’

‘Yes?’ replied the small furry animal.

‘You know what I really wish I had…’

‘One of these?’ said the mouse.

‘Wow!  Yes!  One of those!’ replied the ecstatic Jamie as he saw that the mouse was pointing to the exact thing Jamie was thinking of – a snowboard!

[Chapter 13]

Jamie Can Fly! (Chapter 11)

The sound of the wind against Jamie’s ears was deafening as he continued to fall through the sky.  He managed to balance himself, much like he had seen the skydivers do on television.  Before too long he had caught up with the green ball.  He reached out his hand to grab it.  It was just inches away.  He reached a bit further then clasped his hand around it.

            ‘Got it!’ shouted Jamie triumphantly before he screamed,  ‘AHHHHHH!!!’

            Just after he retrieved the ball he looked down to see that he was just metres away from the peak of the tallest snowy mountain.  He quickly pointed his finger up above his head.  It was just in the knick of time.  Jamie’s body immediately changed direction and was propelled, with a sharp jerk, upwards into the air.

            When he was a safe enough distance above the mountain he stopped himself and hovered in the sky.  It took him a few moments just to get his breath back.

            ‘Oh boy!  That was a close one!’ said Jamie as he checked his hand to make sure the green ball, which he had so magnificently rescued, was still there.  It was.

            As he continued to hover he gazed down at the mountains below.  Jamie could see lots of people skiing and snowboarding down the various routes and tracks marked out for them.  Some people were slowly making their way down the gentle slopes, which were marked out with green poles.  Others were hurtling at great speed down incredibly steep slopes marked out with black poles, which Jamie just loved to watch.  They reminded him of his uncle Roger who always said, ‘…the faster you go the more fun you have!’

            As Jamie continued to watch all the action below he was suddenly pulled, at great speed, down towards the snow. 

            ‘Ahhh!  What’s happening?’ he shouted.

            It was the green ball that was pulling him.  Jamie had no control over it and could not let go.  It was as if his hand were glued onto it.  As much as he tried to resist the speed at which he was dragged through the air it was no good, Jamie could not stop himself!  He was pulled over one mountain peak, then round another, before he got near enough to the trees poking out the side of the next slope.  In fact, he was heading straight towards a small forest of trees and was not slowing down.

            ‘AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!’

            There was stillness.  There was silence.  Jamie had stopped.

[Chapter 12]

Jamie Can Fly! (Chapter 10)

As Jamie and Clarence stood next to the departure door they gazed straight through it.  Far below them they could a vast range of snowy mountains. 

            ‘Is that it?  Is that Val d’Isère?’ asked Jamie.

            ‘Yes, my boy it is,’ replied Clarence in his calming voice.

            ‘Wow!  I think I can even see people down there, though they look more like ants than people from this height.’

            ‘Do you have the green ball?’ asked Clarence.

            ‘Yes, it’s right here,’ as Jamie lifted his hand, which held the ball, he let out a short scream of pain, ‘Ouch!’  The ball then dropped from his hand, rolled and stopped right in the middle of the departure door.

            ‘What’s the matter?  Are you okay?’ asked Clarence.

            ‘Sorry,’ said Jamie as he flapped his hand.  ‘The ball suddenly became really hot and I couldn’t hold it any longer!’

            The two of them looked curiously at the green ball.  As it rested on the transparent departure door it looked as if it were hovering above the snowy mountains of Val d’Isère. 

            ‘What do I do now Clarence?’ asked Jamie.

            ‘I think you’re about to find out,’ replied the wise old clurtle.

             Jamie could see the words written on the green ball, Fly there now!  Then there was a CLICK…  CLICK…  CLICK… as the departure door began to lower itself open.  Jamie and Clarence watched as the green ball started to roll down towards the exit.

            ‘My ball!’ exclaimed Jamie.  ‘It’s going to fall!’

            ‘You’d better be quick then my boy!’

            ‘What do you mean?’ asked Jamie.

            ‘I mean, it’s time to fly!’

            Jamie watched the ball roll over the edge of the departure door.  As he stood watching his ball fall and disappear from sight Clarence gave him a little nudge towards the edge of the departure door.

            ‘What are you doing?’ asked Jamie.

            ‘I’m helping you on your way,’ said Clarence who then gave Jamie another nudge, but this time the nudge caused Jamie to fall straight through the exit.

            ‘CLARRRRRENCE!!  HEEEELP ME!!!’ shouted Jamie as he fell down at great speed, further and further away from Clarence and the cloudscape.

            ‘DON’T FORGET…’ shouted Clarence, ‘YOU CAN FLY!’

[Chapter 11]

A note from Nev...

I enjoyed a great session with the year 7s at Christ's School in Richmond today.  What great fun it was to create a story about a 200-legged chair called Bob who loved to fly around space in his UFO and create oranges by swallowing pips.  Another fine example of how our imaginations have no limits!

Jamie Can Fly! (Chapter 9)

What would have taken at least half a day to walk only took about twenty minutes to fly as Jamie and Clarence reached the tall blue cloud.  It was even bigger than Jamie thought.  He slowed down and lowered Clarence and himself to the firm cloud below them.

            ‘My dear boy, we are here!’ said Clarence with a hint of surprise and relief in his voice.  All Jamie could do was stand and gaze in wonder at what he saw before him. 

‘Wow!  I’ve never seen anything so beautiful!’ whispered Jamie who stood at the foot of the ginormous cloud.  It was a shiny glittery blue colour.  It was shaped like a Christmas tree, even taller than the one Jamie once saw in Trafalgar Square on one of his school trips to London.  As he took a step forward to get a closer look he noticed, what appeared to be, small glowing creatures moving around on each perch of the cloud.  ‘There’s something moving on here!’ Jamie said to Clarence.

            ‘Ah, I see you have found the sparkle worms!’

            ‘Sparkle worms?’

            ‘Yes, they are the guardians of the departure door.  You will find them at every part of the cloudscape that leads back into the world below.’

            ‘But they’re so small,’ said Jamie in reply.

            ‘They may be small, but they are always many in number.  When put together, they can create quite an army to protect the entry to the cloudscape.’

            ‘But surely anyone can get in here.  I got in just by flying through the middle of the clouds!’

            ‘But did you?’ replied Clarence.

            ‘Yes… at least I think I did?’ said Jamie.

            ‘My boy, no one gets in here unless they are expected.  You think you flew in of your own accord?  In fact you flew straight through an entry door, which had been opened ready for your arrival by the sparkle worms.’

            ‘But I don’t remember seeing them?’ said Jamie.

            ‘Of course you don’t.  The sparkle worms that guard the entry doors are never seen.  They live in the cloudscape, not on it!  You would have whizzed straight past them.  The only time you will see a large group of them is when you arrive at a departure door like this one here.’

            ‘Oh,’ said Jamie who looked back at the sparkle worms.  He spent a few moments trying to understand everything Clarence had just told him.  Eventually he responded, ‘So the job of these sparkle worms here is to guard the departure door?’

            ‘Yes, that’s right!’

            ‘But where is the departure door?’

            ‘Where is it?  You’re standing on it my boy!’

            Jamie looked down.  He realised he was standing on a large rectangular door.  But this door was not made of wood or metal or anything else you would expect a door to be made from.  It was made of cloud.  But what marked it out from the rest of the clouds around him was the fact that this cloud door was transparent – Jamie could see right through it!

            ‘Ahhh!’ screamed Jamie as he jumped backwards so as to remove himself from the door.  ‘It’s so far down!’

            ‘Why are you so afraid my boy?’

            ‘I’m sorry, it’s just that I thought I might fall through it!’

            ‘But aren’t you forgetting something?  You can fly!’

            ‘Of course I can,’ said Jamie as he regained his sense of composure and calm.  ‘I suppose I’m still getting used to the idea of it, that’s all!’

[Chapter 10]