The locket By Chemar, Katbut The Locket and the Treasure Chest A collaborative story between two countries: Part 1: Chemar, Katbut and Lynpea (in South Africa) Part 2: Holger, Nico P. and Joaquin R. (in Argentina)

PART 1: THE HOLIDAY

It seemed like we drove forever that summer. And to make it even worse, my younger brother bothered me the whole way. But when we finally got to the ocean, I discovered something really special... I don't think I am going to tell my brother about this! It was a little locket. I couldn't open it though because it was stuck. I tried with all my might but it just wouldn't open. I eventually got tired and gave up.

That evening while I was having dinner I heard someone call my name. I looked around but all I could see was my brother, mom and dad. I asked them if they had heard anything but they said no. My annoying brother then started to call me crazy. I knew I wasn't crazy! Someone had called my name.

When I was in bed I heard it again. "Emma, Emma!" I got really scared and turned on the light. No one was there, only me, my lamp and the locket. Wait, I left the locket on the beach. Why in the world was it here?

The next day I went back to the beach without the locket but wait.....it was there as well. "AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!” I screamed. I took it home and tried to open it again but I couldn't.

The same thing happened at dinner and before I went to bed. I tried again and again. I asked my dad to open it and he did. WOW! But something jumped out on my face. I couldn't see what it was.

"WOW!" said my dad to me. "What in the world could that have been?“ "I don't know," I said weakly. I knew I would never open that locket again. The next day I felt very sick.

I got better quite quickly. I never forgot the strange happening, We were driving to that beach AGAIN about two years later. This time I found a treasure chest that wouldn't open. I knew all this would be trouble so I didn't even bother to open it…..

PART 2: THE TREASURE CHEST

The following morning, my annoying brother woke me up. "Emma," he said, “do you know anything about the wooden chest that is standing in our driveway?" When I heard that question, I immediately sat up with a sense of alarm. I did not want my brother to get into trouble, and I knew from my experience two years ago, that strange things being discovered meant bad news. I still remembered that day. I should protect my little brother, I thought. He was a bit silly, but he was part of the family. “Don’t touch it!” I said. Just pretend you haven’t seen it. It could be dangerous.” I hoped the chest would disappear by itself.

That night I couldn't sleep. I felt very scared. The next day I woke up very early because my little brother was very ill and he didn't stop screaming. My mum and my dad were at the beach with some friends. I was startled to see that my brother had brought the chest into his room. I asked my little brother if he had by any chance opened that wooden chest as the fever was making him delirious, but he said no, so I felt more relaxed.

Later I went to my little brother's room again to look after him. He was lying on the bed asleep. I saw the wooden chest on the chair. He had told me that it was closed but when I got near it, it was open! I felt afraid. I remembered about myself two years ago with the locket – how ill I got; but this was worse. I phoned my mum and my dad and I told them that my brother was very ill. They came home as fast as they could.

When my mum and dad came they that saw my little brother was desperately ill. They asked me what had happened, but I didn't know. My parents decided to phone a doctor.

The next day I decided to take the chest to the beach, and that is when my brother got better.

But then a strange thing happened. A man came one night and left the chest in my room. I was on my bed, terrified, and I couldn't sleep. When the man left, I tried to move the chest. I wasn’t impressed because when I first saw the chest I took it to the beach and it hadn't felt it so heavy. But now it was very heavy.

THE END It was heavier than ever before. I told my brother to help me get it outside.

My brother opened it by mistake. Something came out from the chest, grabbed him and locked him in the chest. The chest then disappeared. It was the saddest day of our lives because since that day I have never seen my brother again. THE END