Character Descriptions:

Charlie a 10 year old boy with special powers

A suspicious, menacing man shrouded in mystery
A greedy powerful king

Setting Description:

Story Outline: A boy is reading a book and awakes in a new world, chaos and
mystery encompass this world. Children with extraordinary powers, seeing the
future and reading minds. The children are taken by a powerful king who wishes
to use their powers death and destruction.

THEIR DARKEST HOUR

It was late. Huddled beneath the cozy covers of his bed, Charlie settled down with his new
and exciting book. A tale of reversed worlds and extraordinary powers greeted him and
flooded his mind with wonder as his eyelids grew heavy. Sleep was shrouding him. Slowly
and reluctantly, he fell asleep.
As the old grandfather clock echoed midnight from the endless corridor, the boy awoke with
a judder. Dazed and confused, he found himself in an unfamiliar place. A storm roared
outside, lightning punched the ground and the rain hammered against the windows. Charlie
felt his way through the darkness and down the cold concrete stairs. He started to quicken his
pace, negotiating the dusty, abandoned corridors until a dull thumping noise alerted him,
beckoning him towards a closed door.
As the door slowly opened, he found himself looking into a room full of eyes staring back at
him. Eyes that were bewildered, famished, and afraid. Suddenly, a rushing river of voices
washed around his head, crashing and thrashing until eventually the chorus settled into a
rhythm. One thought began to form from amongst the chaos.

Run.
The metal door closed behind him. Charlie’s feet betrayed him and he found himself
struggling to stand. His head throbbed and he scrunched his eyes as tightly as he could,
praying for the pain to stop, praying that he would open them again and be back home. But
he wasn’t home. Instead, he found himself swarmed by a group of children. The smallest of
the crowd stared up at Charlie, eyes wide.

“He’s like us”, she whispered, “and he’s come to save us all”.

“What can you do then?” a tall boy with hair like fire asked accusingly, “what can the saviour
do for us?”

Charlie felt an unusual heat in his chest as the boy, Ben, continued to mock him. He clenched
his fists as sparks of fire tried to escape his palm.

‘Don’t do it’ a small voice echoed in his head as the first fireball broke free. A line of fire ran
up the wall of the cell as Charlie stood, breathless.

“I couldn’t stop it” he turned to the small girl, desperate to explain himself.

“I didn’t say anything”, she stood bemused.

A short intake of breath from a dark corner filled the silence.

“He’s an empath”.

Emerging from the shadows was Eloise, a short, blonde girl wearing round glasses with thick
lenses that made her eyes look twice their size.

“It means he can do what we can. All of us. Ben, he can create fire like you, and Maya, he
could read your mind. I read about them in a book once...before. Who sent you?”

“No one. I don’t know where I am or how I got here.” Charlie looked down at the ground, his
hands still glowing a faint orange.

Before they could say anything else, the door swung open, and a bright light flooded the
room. The shadow of a tall man projected onto the cell walls.

“You all need to come with me right now! There isn’t much time to explain. Enemy forces
have breached the gates of the kingdom and if we don’t leave now, the king will send his men
for you all and you will have to join the fight. He wants to use your powers to kill them”.

Without questioning, the children hurried out of the room and into the darkness once more.

“This way!” the man yelled, beckoning them towards a staircase, passed a myriad of flickering
torches. He turned and secured the gate to the cell, with one child still inside. Maya.

‘Help me Charlie’

Maya was thinking harder than ever before. Charlie glanced back at the cell. He desperately
pushed his way against the swarming crowd of children, but he couldn’t break through.

‘Help’.

Panicking now, Charlie raised his arm and aimed at the door. Steadying his shaking hand, he
focused on the lock. A stream of heat shot towards the door, and he watched it burst into
flames. After what felt like an eternity, the smoke began to clear.

“Maya!” he cried out as he felt two strong arms pull him from the ground. He watched over
the cloaked figure’s shoulder as the last silver wisps cleared, revealing an empty cell.

When he could think again, Charlie found himself cuffed to a chair. He looked around the
room to see the others in a similar position. In front of him stood a tall, broad-shouldered and
silver-haired man.

“For years I have kept you in the cells beneath my castle waiting for this very day. As I speak,
my enemies are getting closer and closer to these very walls. I will not let them win. I will not
lose my home, my kingdom, my life’s work. You are this city’s last hope.