CHAPTER 1:
WESTWAY PRIMARY SCHOOL MYSTERY
Westway Primary School children were like bees because they were busy and they always had something to do. And at playtime they would all go out into the playground and squeal with delight as they ran to the swing to get there first. There would always be little fights here and there, about who told the teacher what or who would beat who to the front of the line or who would be the boss and tell their friends what to play. The playground had a seesaw, a slide, a roundabout, a football court, and a climbing frame.
The teachers in Westway were kind and clever, especially Mr. Steve in class 16A. The head of the school, Mr. Jenkins, was strict, but only when he needed to be. The school nurse, Mrs. Claire, knew how to treat children who were hurt or sick in a jiffy. The deputy head, Ms. Matthew, was easy, controlled, and steady. The head teacher, Ms. Moorlands, was grumpy, annoying, and never in a good mood.
Mike, an intelligent and kind child from class 3B, was the youngest in his class. His best friends were Tom, Harry, and Dick. His teacher was Mr. Andrew who loved him 100%. Being the youngest in his class might be tough, but he managed to get through it. Mike was very popular in his class; other children, especially Harry, would come to him and ask him millions of questions, such as:
“Why does the Leaning Tower of Pisa lean?”
“What is 40 x 100?”
“Who was the meanest king in history?”
But on one day, it didn’t seem right. Something bad had happened.
Mike, sitting in the front row, was happily learning maths. But for the other children it seemed boring. After 30 long minutes, the maths lesson was over and the children gleefully ran out to the playground and Mike got pushed on the floor.
But on that bright and scorching day, that was the last time the children saw Mike. Now he was missing! The news spread like wildfire, and the school was in a panic. Fortunately, Ms. Moorlands knew exactly what to do!
CHAPTER 2:
THE SEARCH PARTY
AND THE HAUNTED PALACE
There were police and 150 detectives looking for clues, the children were worried, and the teachers were trying to calm them down. Mike’s family was in tears, the head teacher was explaining the story to the chief detective, and everybody was panicking until 12 clever detectives spotted a trail of footprints that looked like Mike’s.
Immediately, they followed the trail, which took them quite a while and led them here and there, but they wouldn’t give up. It took them 42 HOURS! Can you believe it?! Finally, the footprints took them to a haunted palace which looked millions of years old; they had no choice but to enter. As they entered, they could hear sudden noises and booms. Inside there were cobwebs which hung from the corners of the ceiling; mice and rats running here, there, and everywhere; and from the attic window they could see bats flying so fast and perched on the windows’ top edges. The walls were painted in a sort of spooky, light ghost-green shade, and the scary dead tree outside made it look creepier.
CLANK CLANK CLANK went the staircase as they climbed down with only a feeble candle. Finally, they reached a door saying, WARNING: CAUTION, DO NOT ENTER FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY. Beneath, it said, HIGH VOLTAGE!
CRREEAAKK went the door as they opened it—they thought the hinges needed oiling. In their amazement, they didn’t blink, didn’t move a muscle, and only stood there gawping!
CHAPTER 3:
THE SEARCH PARTY
AND THE PAIR OF SHOES
Before their very eyes they saw an ancient throne room which smelt like a mildewed cellar mixed with rotten apples that had been in a box for 50 years. On the queen’s throne there was an old-style crown, a pointy spear, and a small box. On the king’s throne it was exactly the same. They searched all over the spooky palace, but Mike was nowhere to be found.
As they exited the palace, the chief detective spotted Mike’s handprints and footprints smeared all over the roof and said to the others, “How silly we are! Look over there on the roof: Mike’s handprints and footprints.” The detectives and police went to the other side and saw Mike’s footprints.
The chief detective saw Mike’s fingerprint on the button which said “650,000,000 BC.” Uh-oh. That was the time the asteroid hit Earth.
Just past the train station on the high street there was an old lady named Mrs. Blueberry who was walking her dog, Buttercup. As she passed the small pond, she spotted a pair of brown shoes. Now she wasn’t the kind of person who would just leave them there and walk away, so she looked carefully at them and looked at the poster saying MISSING, and beneath it a picture of Mike and realized that the shoes were Mike’s. She rang the detectives, who were just past the train station, and told them that she had found his shoes. They said they would come straight away. Time passed—10 minutes, 15, 20, 25— until 30 minutes later they arrived and saw the shoes. On the other side of the pond they saw bare footprints heading northeast, and they followed them.
CHAPTER 4:
THE SEARCH PARTY
AND THE OLD TIME MACHINE
As they followed the footprints, they saw a treehouse which looked very ancient and mystical. They couldn’t decide whether it was good luck or bad luck—whatever it was, they went in. It looked creepy, but they were brave. They looked around. A detective named Simon saw a sign hanging from the ceiling. They read it 10 times and noticed a note saying:
ROOMEN 2: TIMEON MACHINEONTE.
They followed the arrows and opened a door which said:
IF YOU OPENTO THEIS DOORESTO YOU WILO GAZET ATE THEIS UNFORRGETEBLEO RICHESTOS.
When they opened the door, which made a CRREEEAAAK noise, they didn’t move a muscle.
They realized that the notice was correct: in front of their very eyes were treasure chests, trophies, and medals. But the best thing that they saw was a very old time machine. They saw Mike’s footprints going inside it, so they went in. The chief detective saw Mike’s fingerprint on the button which said “650,000,000 BC.” Uh-oh. That was the time the asteroid hit Earth. He pressed that button and they went up and away.
CHAPTER 5:
THE SEARCH PARTY
AND THE AGE OF DINOSAURS
As the machine reached 650,000,000 BC, they saw a mega T-rex eating another small dinosaur. When it caught sight of the detectives, it charged at them. Everyone ran for their lives. They ran for 30 minutes and they were puffed out, but the good news was that they’d lost it. They searched all over the island, but Mike was nowhere to be found.
As they climbed back into the machine, the chief detective saw that it wasn’t Mike’s fingerprint; it was a prehistoric child’s print. Mike’s print was on the Stone Age button, so they had to go—and another WHOOSH went as they flew.
CHAPTER 6:
THE SEARCH PARTY
AND THE STONE AGE HUMANS
The time machine landed at the time of the Stone Age, when humans had evolved. The chief detective saw a massive cave and two hairy men beside it. They looked ugly, hairy, disgusting, enormous, and fierce. The detectives looked extremely terrified.
The men caught sight of everyone, and the detectives ran for their lives. The cave men shouted “OO, OO, OO, OO!” They chased the detectives for two hours, but then they were gone. The detectives saw footprints and followed them until, in a small, watery cave, where the tracks faded a little but then grew bigger and bigger, they saw a small boy. The detectives swam closer and realized that it was Mike!
They grabbed Mike, who was looking scared, hungry, and tired. The detectives relieved him of his fears, and they swam out of the cave. They ran into the time machine and went back to the present and prepared a reunion party for Mike, his parents, and the school. Mike’s parents were crying with joy that he was reunited with them and promised him that they would never let anything happen to him. All the Westway schoolchildren were so delighted to see Mike, and they all wanted to play games with him for the rest of the day.
The reunion party had amazing food: It had cakes, pizzas, spring rolls, burgers, Indian food, and all the sweets and snacks that anyone can ever imagine. Mike and his friends all danced to their favorite music until they were so tired. Mike was so grateful to go back home holding his parents’ hands. He was really excited to lay on his bed and cuddle his favourite toy, Woody.