Congratulations to the following ten finalists in this term’s writing competition:

• Lianna Godwin
• James O'Malley
• Reuben Milson
• Sunny Neville
• Jenele Saunders
• Taylor Amer-Mitchell
• Jaime Robertson
• Riley Nicholls
• Sienna Lyall
• Caitlin Alexander

Congratulations to the following joint winners:

Sienna Lyall and Caitlin Alexander

Here are their winning entries to enjoy reading:

The ground opened beneath him, and he fell into eternal darkness. Or at least, he thought he did, until he looked up. Leon was astonished to see the starry sky through the large crack he had fallen through, which didn’t look so large from where he was lying. Bright moonlight shone down and lit up his surroundings. Leon’s mouth dropped open in awe; he occupied a magnificent cave overflowing with sparkling gems. Violet amethysts, rosy rubies, fiery amber and cobalt blue sapphires adorned the concealed walls.

As Leon attempted to comprehend the alluring sight he realised how lucky he was to land on a cushion of green moss. Moss was dotted around various jewels, but he easily could have been impaled on sharp rubies a hair's breadth away. Leon eventually tore his eyes from the wonderous jewels and forced himself to stand. If he was to survive, he needed water and food. Searching, he trekked through the glimmering cave and eventually turned a corner. A beautiful, serene lake teeming with colourful fish awaited him. To his astonishment, the breath taking jewels were underwater too! As he gazed at the beautiful lake he wondered what was around the next corner and if, maybe, he could make a life here. Sienna

She waited for the door to open, heart thumping and eyes burning. She watched heavy-eyed as everything she ever knew barrelled up towards the sky in clouds of dirty smoke, not even flinching when the back porch fell to the ground with an abrupt thud. Emotion flooded her system as her Father dragged her unconscious sister away from the blaze. The smell lingered like a winter blanket wrapping the street in its unpleasant odour. To her, reality had not quite set in. The sirens became closer as the blaze took the second storey. Neighbours had arrived bearing Hot Chocolate and hugs but she had shrugged them off and hardly acknowledged the fact her mother had draped a blanket around her ash dusted shoulders. Her mind jutted from reality and then back to the night before when she had slumped into the comfortable and reassuring hold of her bed, exhausted, not even caring to turn off the heater in the bathroom. How long would it take them to figure out it was her? For only she has seen the flames engulfing the bathroom wall as she ran to safety. How could she ever forgive herself? Caitlin