Taking Flight writing competition: read the winning stories

Back in May we held ‘Taking Flight: A Month Of Stories at GOSH’, the hospital’s first ever flash fiction writing competition, to celebrate the 90th anniversary of JM Barrie, author of Peter Pan, gifting the rights in his famous book and play to the hospital.

We invited patients and staff across the Trust to use 500 words or less to create a story that best interpreted the title ‘Taking Flight’ and received lots of creative and inventive responses!

Well done to all our winning and highly commended patients and staff, who have had their stories published in our hospital magazine Roundabout, as well as receiving some special commemorative Peter Pan coins.

Here are their wonderful stories:

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Aisha Bakhrani who was eleven years old. She loved looking out the window. When she gazed at the bright blue sky and the flying birds, she could imagine she was flying too. She loved looking and studying the birds. Her favorite bird was the red cardinal because her favorite color was red.

One day there was a bird watching competition. On that particular day, she saw thirteen different birds but she couldn't see the red cardinal. She went home disappointed and sad. Reaching home, her mom asked, "What's wrong? Didn't you see a lot of birds?"

Aisha replied sadly, "I saw a lot. Look at all the pictures I took. But I didn't see my favorite, the red cardinal. I see it every day when I look out the window, but I didn't spot it today. The competition is almost finished,"

Her mom smiled at her and laughingly said, "Look out the window, silly."

Aisha looked out the window and saw not just one but two red cardinals building a nest in the maple tree. She smiled and took a picture.

“I wonder what would happen if it did” said Mum.

Eric and Billy were sitting in the garden, wondering about many things such as. What would happen if the grass all of a sudden turned to slime, would they slip and slide all the way down the garden or would they get stuck to each other on the way down?

Wondering was the most favourite thing ever, thought Billy, because you can do anything and go anywhere, you have the most power.

“Mum if it did, would it need batteries or would it re-charge itself like an electric car?

“Good question Billy, let’s ask Captain E what he thinks”

Mum always called Eric that- as for me I’m Lieutenant B.
“Well, I think” said Eric taking a long slow breath “That ice cream would definitely help me answer that very difficult question”

Everyone got caught up in the biggest wave of laughter, the kind of laughter that makes your tummy sore, followed by big bowls of ice cream and sprinkles.

Captain Eric stood up “So now we need to think about our next mission, Lieutenant B please bring the prototype to me for inspection “

“Hmm” said mum rubbing her hands together “we shall need glue, cello-tape, some sliver foil, and some tunes”

Captain E ran around a little like when a baby giraffe is first born, his legs wobbly and not always going in the right direction.

He headed towards the kitchen. Together the building project had begun, as well as the singing!
This was not the best!

As the weather changed and some grey clouds that looked like a bottle of black paint had spilt over a big bag of cotton wool appeared, Mum declared: “Team we need to transport this into the kitchen, for the final inspection “

Carefully it was carried, in silence into the kitchen.
Captain E said “phew, I don’t think I took a breath then” and collapsed on the floor, like a starfish stuck on a rock in the sea.
They all looked up.
They couldn’t quite believe it.

“WOW” they all said “a flying bus stop”

There it was shining tall, with a sliver cape blowing in the breeze, a secret TV inside the bit that tells you the bus numbers.

"Just imagine where it could take us” said Mum
“Who we would meet”?
“The things we would see”

“Well” said Mum as she stepped back and smiled “What do you think, should we program it to take us on our first flight, or should we wait”?

She turned round.
“Major Mum, Captain E and Lieutenant Ball ready for mission bus stop”

“Right then we need snacks, socks, some bananas, and the most important thing”

“Glitter”

“Yippee”

The End

. Read more highly commended patient and staff stories by selecting the rows below: