First Prize
Sinister Skills
Gabriel Buchanan
Year 4 Notre Dame School
The sun was setting as I skipped past four of the opposing team's players. I took a brilliant shot which bounced off the post and Jayden dived to grab it. I was trying to appear tired but I didn't actually feel out of breath at all.
Most of the other players had already started to walk home. But I didn't have anywhere to go any time soon. There were mud splatters all over my pale legs and two-sizes-too-big football shorts. Even though the temperature was steadily dropping towards zero, I wasn't feeling the cold at all.
I waved goodbye to my teammates for the afternoon then turned to my best friend Jayden. I'd only known him a few weeks but it felt like decades already. I wished that I could hang out with him for longer but I knew that wasn't a great idea.
"Why don't you come to my gran's tonight for dinner?" he asked.
"No thanks, Jay," I mumbled hardly moving my lips. I flicked the ball up with my toe and balanced it on the back of my neck effortlessly.
"How do you do that so easily?" asked Jayden.
"Been practising it for ages," I murmured.
"How about a little one-on-one then?" he challenged as the fading sun fell behind the horizon.
I let the ball drop to my feet and then rainbow flicked it high over his head. But before I could bring the ball back down, he harshly kicked me on the shin. The ground rushed up to meet me and I fell headfirst onto Jayden's outstretched leg. I fiercely sunk my teeth into his ankle until I had drawn blood.
He screamed.
"There's good news and bad news, mate," I declared. "Good news: you're going to live forever. Bad news: you're a vampire."