The Unfamiliar Sound - Sevenoaks School 11+ - 2018
Write a creative story based on this title:
The Unfamiliar Sound
💡 Writing Tips
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- Open with the sound itself to hook the reader.
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- Reveal the sound’s source gradually.
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- Show fear through actions and reactions.
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- Build a believable explanation for the noise.
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- Give the ending a satisfying surprise.
📝 Sample Answer
The Unfamiliar Sound
Tick. Scrape. Tick.
I opened my eyes. The clock on my bedside table glowed 2:13 a.m., but the noise was not coming from the clock. It came from the other side of my bedroom wall.
Tick. Scrape. Tick.
Our house was old. Its pipes rattled and its floorboards complained, but this sound was different: slow, deliberate, almost like someone writing a message.
I pressed my ear against the wallpaper. The scraping stopped. Then came three gentle knocks.
My stomach tightened.
Taking a torch from the drawer, I slipped into the hallway. The noise seemed louder near the tiny door to the attic. I had never liked that door. Its handle was cold even in summer.
I pulled it open.
Something rustled in the darkness. Two bright eyes flashed in my torchlight, and I stumbled backwards. A small grey cat squeezed through a gap in the roof and landed at my feet. Around its neck hung a collar and a narrow silver tag.
I bent to read it: Moth. 17 Willow Lane.
The cat gave a fierce little meow, as though demanding breakfast. I laughed so loudly that Dad appeared on the stairs.
“What's happened?” he asked.
“An intruder,” I said, lifting the purring creature. “A very tiny one.”
From the attic came one final scrape. Moth's tail had caught the loose roof tile again.
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