You’re in the forest playing tip with a friend and you see a tree with hands around it but there is nobody behind it. You tell your friend and he suggests you should go and tell his mum. You go back home but she doesn’t believe you. You ask her to come outside and look at it. She comes outside to take a look. She touches one of the hands and it moves. You run away back to the house and slam the door and never come back.

A gentle breeze lightly caressed my arms, my feet were springing like a bunny’s. The day of the running competition was today. White sunlight cracked through the royal blue sky, my shoes slid on like they were filled with oil. We entered the running field …  “Next race is for 11 years girls! Please make your way to the field!”  I took a heaving breath before taking my place on the field.”BEEP!” The buzzer sounded like a horrible note on a piano. My arms swayed like octopus tentacles as I bolted down the track. My head began to spin. Everything went dark…

There once was a gentle little Moscardini (octopus) whose name was Oaky. One day he had a dream that his town was being attacked! He woke up in shock and cried. Later, when Oaky went for a walk with his mum, an arrow shot past. Oaky picked it up and showed his mum. His mum’s face went white, then she said ‘’WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!!!’’ Oaky got scared and panicked. He began to cry and his mum said, ‘’It will be okay.’’ Thankfully, Oaky woke up! It was his birthday. He got a piano and a springing puppy dog. ‘’Maybe this is a dream,’’ thought Oaky.

The gentle octopus got all of the other sea life springing with enjoyment while carefully playing the piano. However, that didn’t last for very long because night was approaching,  and down there … night means apex predators waiting for the perfect moment to strike! When morning arrived, everyone was gone except for the octopus. He checked everywhere but couldn’t seem to find any of the missing sea creatures. It was just when he was about to give up when he heard it. The sound of apex predators checking for survivors in the reef. It was then he realised what had happened to everyone.

CRASH!!!Hi, I’m Spot and I am a moscardini, which means baby octopus in Italian. I am writing from my attic and it is very messy, that’s why you heard the crash (I had to squeeze into a comfy spot). So anyway, one morning I was playing my piano and my annoying little sister came in. She always says I’m white but I don’t think so. Well back to the story, she wanted a turn on my piano. I said no but she whined and said “I will be gentle.” My answer was still no. She put this cute face on and went springing away. That is the end of my diary. Bye!

“AAAHHH!” I screamed.“How is there an octopus in my bathtub?” “And why is it white?” I puzzled.“Oh wait, it’s camouflaged,” I thought.“How did  you get in my bathtub?” I asked the small creature.  ”I came through the drain,” it replied.“AAHHH! You can talk!” I screamed.“Yeah, lady, my name is Boblina, but everyone calls me Bob. What is your name?” the octopus replied to my amazement. “Wait, who is everyone?” I asked.“Oh, all my gentle fish friends down in the sewers,” said Boblina.“Oh my, well since you are here will you be my pet ?” I asked.“Um sure,” said Boblina.“YAY! OK, I can’t let my mum see you. Can you camouflage to match our piano and then turn into a gray like our walls?” I asked.”Sure,” replied Boblina.  Just as my mum was springing up the stairs…

The gentle tentacles swished round and round, sounding like wobbling jelly. Is it a shell or a fish? No, it’s an octopus! As it swished around, a piano was in the background with a pianist showing off his skills. All the other incredible sea creatures were springing and dancing to the music. They were rapidly changing colours, from white to red. All the kids and parents were going crazy, but the big surprise was yet to come. Suddenly, a giant clam shell came from the water and opened.  A majestic moscardini (Italian for baby octopus) emerged. It was so amazing that everyone cheered. 

One day I was in my bedroom reading quietly when I heard a horrible noise. It sounded like a squealing pig. I thought it was coming from my sister’s room so I knocked on her door and I was correct. I complained to her, explaining  that listening to her play the guitar was painful. “What are you talking about?” “My music is beautiful and I’m playing so gracefully,” my sister responded. Day after day, night after night, I had to deal with it until an extraordinary idea came to my head. I got some mustard from the kitchen and shoved it into the guitar.

It was the first and only race. The most important race for… who will be sports minister’s assistant. It was so important that so many kids had tried out!So we all went to the starting line for the race. “Five, four, three, two, one. Go!” shouted the sport minister. I was running for my life. The race was five kilometres long.We were half way through and Cleo and I were tied for first place. I thought we had finished at the same time and tied, but the judges didn’t think so. “And the winner is … Cleo!” exclaimed the judge.

My arms shook and shivered like I was in an ice bath, my stomach turned like I was upside down on a rollercoaster.“The winner is …” the adjudicator exclaimed while peering eagerly at the sheet of paper. Today was the day of the public speaking competition, I’d been preparing for weeks. As I slowly wandered up the stairs, Riley finished. I was late, but luckily last. As she walked back, I began. “Welcome teachers …” I confidently ended the speech with pride written on my face. “And the winner of a holiday is … Luna!”My face lit up like a light. Finally … the moment I’d been waiting for!