Writing for Children Competition Winner

Alexander placed the painted wooden soldier on the bedside cabinet. It was the last thing he saw at night and the first thing he saw in the morning. Grandad had helped him paint it before being taken ill. When Alexander had visited him in hospital Grandad had seemed very small as if he had shrunk or the bed had got larger. There were lots of wires attached to Grandad and a machine, and he had to breathe through a funny plastic mask. Alexander was frightened. Grandad had asked him in a voice that was barely a whisper: ‘What’s the matter, Alexander?’
Alexander told him, because he knew he could tell Grandad anything: ‘You don’t look like Grandad any more.’
‘No, I don’t suppose I do,’ Grandad replied.
‘Does being poorly make you shrink?’ Alexander asked.
‘I guess it does, sometimes,’ Grandad told him.
‘Why is that?’
‘Well, perhaps it’s because the body is wearing out and getting tired.’
‘Are you tired, Grandad?’
Alexander thought his Grandad looked very tired. Alexander had noticed Grandad falling asleep even when he had visitors.
Grandad smiled: ‘When you get to my age you’re allowed to feel tired.’
Alexander knew better than to ask Grandad his age but knew he must be pretty old. At school they had been taught how you could tell the age of a tree by counting the rings inside the trunk when it had been cut down. Perhaps you could tell how old a person was by counting the wrinkles. However, it was rude to stare and when he’d tried to count the wrinkles on the back of Grandad’s hand he had kept losing count. Eventually he decided to give up and accept that as Grandad was very wrinkled he must be very, very old.
Grandad gave a snore, his legs and arms jerked suddenly as if he was a puppet whose strings had been tugged. Alexander smiled at the thought. When Grandad opened his eyes and saw the smile, he smiled too. Alexander remembered that grins were infectious but he doubted it was a problem when they were safe in the hospital.
‘You still here, lad?’ Grandad asked, stating what Alexander thought was the obvious that his mother always went on about.
He nodded.
‘Well then, I’d like you to do something for me.’
‘A favour?’ Alexander asked eagerly, feeling all grown-up.
‘Remember our toy soldier?’ Grandad asked.
‘Yes,’ Alexander said breathlessly as he leaned forward to hear Grandad’s voice a bit better.
‘Well, I want you to go home and dream of an adventure that we can share with him.’
Alexander looked puzzled. How could they share a dream?
‘And tomorrow,’ continued Grandad, ‘I want you to bring that soldier in and you can tell me all about the adventure.’
Alexander wanted to ask Grandad why he would need to tell him the dream if he’d already shared it with him, but as Grandad was closing his eyes again decided not to bother him.
Grandad’s eyes snapped open making Alexander jump.
‘This is an important mission Alexander.’
Alexander nodded. He allowed his Grandad to kiss his cheek, even though he normally preferred to shake hands now that he was a young man and not a boy. Grandad’s lips felt papery and thin like the whisper of a breeze against his skin. Just in case Grandad was feeling cold he pulled the windows closed a bit standing on tiptoes to reach the handles. Maybe that was why Grandad’s mouth was a blue colour.
That night Alexander couldn’t sleep. He was too hot, so he threw the bed covers off. He was too cold, so he drew them back up again. He was too thirsty so he had some water. All the time he kept thinking of Grandad and worrying about him.
Gradually his eyes closed and he thought he heard a distant voice saying Attention. Then he heard two wooden heels click together. Alexander turned his head in the direction of the voice. The soldier saluted, so Alexander thought he’d better salute back.
Then he remembered what he should say next.
‘Stand at ease.’
To the beat of three the soldier lowered his rifle and moved his feet apart.
‘Our orders are to have an adventure and report back to Grandad.’
‘Very good Sir. Is that General Grandad, Sir?’
Alexander supposed it was, so he nodded.
‘Follow me, Sir.’
The soldier marched over to the toy box and jumped on to a wooden horse.
Alexander found himself sitting astride the horse behind the soldier. He looked down. Way below them was an intricate pattern of fields and forests. A copper stream threaded its way along a valley. They followed it up on to the moors. It wound through the peat bogs into the hills to form a waterfall that cascaded down over huge granite boulders below which were a mass of bubbles in every colour of the rainbow.
Alexander was enchanted. They swooped lower to take a closer look and suddenly he was falling. Alexander rolled and tumbled over and over. It felt as if he was leaping through the air. Suddenly it went dark. Alexander wasn’t afraid of the dark, Grandad had taught him that it was only a matter of time before a new day dawned, but he wasn’t sure if it counted if you were swallowed whole by the darkness. He heard the sound of the swift running river and a plop as whatever had devoured him launched itself into the current. Then he heard a bang.
A shaft of light appeared in the shape of a gaping O. It yawned like a huge open mouth and Alexander shot out, landing with a splash in the river. A huge tail flicked in the air beside him and a gigantic fish with golden scales swam out of sight. This was something to tell Grandad.
A hand grabbed his collar and he was hauled out of the water.
‘I fired a warning shot,’ the soldier told him proudly. ‘The fish was so surprised he opened his mouth.’
‘Thank you,’ Alexander said, remembering his manners.
As they flew over the mountains where the peaks were covered in deep drifts of snow, Alexander thought he heard a cry for help. They plunged down, spiralling towards the mouth of a cave.
‘Wait with the horse, Sir. It’s too dangerous to risk both of us going,’ the soldier said.
The soldier drew his sword and stepped cautiously into the cave. Alexander heard a roar of fury and in the dim light at the entrance could just make out a shadowy figure riding the back of a dragon. A ball of flame whooshed out of the dragon’s nostrils and scorched the earth beside Alexander. He felt a tug on the reins as the horse shied away but held firmly on to them murmuring: ‘Don’t be afraid, everything will be all right.’
Alexander heard a sharp cry. Two figures staggered out of the cave. He recognised the old man who was helping the soldier to stand up.
‘Will he be all right?’ Alexander asked as he helped lie the soldier down.
Grandad shook his head. ‘I’m afraid not. It was time for his last battle.’
‘But he mustn’t die,’ Alexander shouted as the soldier closed his eyes.
He noticed that the soldier looked old and tired.
‘You cannot fight Death and win,’ Grandad told him solemnly. ‘When it is your time, you have to step forward and meet him face to face.’
‘Was that Death you were fighting in the cave?’ Alexander asked.
‘Yes,’ Grandad confirmed.
‘But you survived,’ Alexander said.
‘For now,’ Grandad replied. ‘Take the soldier home. I have one last battle ahead.’
‘I don’t want you to die,’ Alexander sobbed.
‘I know. Be brave, Alexander. Remember I will always share your dreams.’
Grandad disappeared into the cave. Alexander helped the dying soldier on to his horse and they flew home.
He opened his eyes. The soldier was standing to attention woodenly. There was a deep stain on the breast of the soldier’s jacket.
His mother sat beside the bed.
‘It’s OK, Alexander, it was just a bad dream.’
‘Is Grandad dying?’ he asked.
‘I think so,’ she sighed, putting out her hand to hold his.
‘Then we have to be brave. Everyone has to face the last battle,’ Alexander told her.
His mother looked surprised.
‘That’s a very grown-up remark,’ she said.
‘Grandad told me in my dream.’
Grandad was so sleepy that afternoon that Alexander wasn’t sure if he would want to hear about his adventure, but Grandad insisted that Alexander sat very close to the bed and told him about the dream. He seemed pleased and not at all surprised.
‘Now you know what to do,’ he whispered.
‘Be brave because everything will be all right.’
‘Yes, you need to be steadfast and look after the others.’
‘I will look after them,’ Alexander promised.
He pressed the toy soldier into Grandad’s hand.
‘I think he should go with you.’

Shortlisted
Entries shortlisted to final judging stage were from: Amanda Fennelly, Terenure, Dublin; Sue Hyams, London SE23; Yvonne Jackson, South Kilvington, Thirsk, North Yorkshire; Ray Joesbury, Bideford, Devon; Jacqueline Kennedy, Huddersfield; AW Lambert, West Beckham, Norfolk; Melissa Lawrence, Leicester; Pamela Morrison, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent; Don Nixon, Albrighton, Wolverhampton; Frances Preston, Sutton Coldfield; Patricia Smyth, Cootehill, Co Cavan, Ireland; Maureen Steyn, Meyerton, Guateng, South Africa.