De Warenne Academy Student Wins Big in National Writing Competition!
De Warenne Academy is celebrating the success of its Creative Writing Club students after four of their entries were chosen for publication in a national anthology!
As part of the club’s focus on entering writing competitions, students were encouraged to participate in the Young Writers UK ghost story competition. Inspired by a visit from renowned Penguin author Lisette Auton, these young writers put pen to paper and crafted chilling tales.
The Academy is thrilled to announce that four students had their work chosen for publication in the Young Writers’ “Ghost Stories: Spine Chillers” anthology. But the accolades don’t stop there! Lewis, a Year 9 student, was even selected as one of the overall UK winners for his spine-tingling story “Son of Dracula.”
Here is his winning entry:
Son of Dracula
Whitby Abbey was an eerie sight on Halloween, jagged shadows cloaking the security guard completing his final check of the graveyard. With every minute, the veil grew thinner, until the witching hour struck, and with it, the creature within. Instantly, the man’s spirit was banished by Alucard, son of Dracula. His body was ripe for possession, a perfect disguise for Alucard to begin his vengeful mission. Painite, the world’s rarest gemstone, granted immunity to a vampire’s sole weakness: garlic. And it was hidden right here. Nobody suspected the security guard sneaking inside the Abbey to claim his prize. When Alucard touched it, unfathomable power rushed around the globe in a blood-red ring of energy. The long-awaited immunity to garlic coursed through his veins. Now, nobody could stop his ultimate plan: bringing his father back to life, spared from his only weakness. Just imagining the terror they would cause drove the villainous son back to the graveyard where his father waited. Finally, Alucard began to read aloud the spell he had been working on for millennia. “Those people who choose to sneer, Shall be no more as my father is HERE!” As lightning struck the coffin and Dracula rose from death, Alucard was overcome with emotion. He leapt to embrace his father, when a blade pierced stolen ribs. Dracula had stabbed him! Alucard’s soul drifted into his father’s form, bestowing their combined power upon the ancient vampire. Twice as powerful, and free from all weaknesses, the entire world was his to command.
Lewis’s achievement comes with a double reward. Not only will his story be featured in the anthology, but he’s also received a £25 National Book Token from Young Writers UK and a special book prize from the school.
Congratulations to Lewis and all the De Warenne Academy students who participated in the competition! Their dedication to creative writing is a true inspiration.
