麻豆社

by Charlotte, aged 8

Alice’s house had a problem. Things moved. By themselves.

She thought her little brother Jack was moving her things. But it wasn’t Jack, he was only one.

She noticed her colouring pencils first. They moved from the desk in her bedroom when she went to school. Someone had drawn a picture of a ballerina. The ballerina looked like Alice.

Alice loved dancing. She went to dance school two times a week. Saturday mornings were her Daddy’s favourite. He got to sit in the car and read the newspaper. Alice had a special dance outfit, a pink leotard and a black skirt. She had extra special shoes for ballet.

After class, she would practice for hours in her bedroom. She put on her ballet music and pretended she was dancing in front of a big audience. At the end, she would do a proper curtsey for the crowd. They always stood and clapped for ages.

Alice always made sure that she turned her music off when she finished. Her Daddy said if she didn’t it wasted electricity and that costs money.
Sometimes, when she came home her music was on and she got in trouble… Her Daddy never believed her.

She set up a trap with her tablet computer. It had a camera and a microphone.
The next day before school, Alice left her tablet on her desk with the camera running . She didn’t tell anyone about her secret plan.

After school Alice rushed home and ran straight to her bedroom. Her music was on…
Alice switched on her tablet and watched, not much happened. She fast forwarded a few hours and suddenly, she heard her music in the background. Her ballet shoes started to move and follow her ballet routine almost perfectly. She watched as her shoes moved in time with the music.

Alice looked closely, she couldn’t believe her eyes. She was amazed to see a mysterious figure - a little girl. She was a good dancer. Suddenly, she heard a man shouting in the background. But it wasn’t a voice Alice recognised. The voice yelled ‘Stop that dancing, ghosts can’t dance’.

Alice watched in amazement as the little ghost started to cry. She whispered ‘I can dance’. The little ghost took off Alice’s shoes and put them neatly back under her bed, but on the opposite side. Without warning, the little girl disappeared.

Alice was sad; she wanted to help the ghost dance.

The next day, Alice left a note beside her ballet shoes. She told the little Ghost she could borrow them whenever she wanted and play her music.
Every day after school Alice checked her tablet and watched as the little ghost’s dancing got better and better.
One day, Alice watched her tablet and saw another ghostly figure in the background standing next to her bedroom door, watching the little ghost dance. It was the Daddy ghost. He was actually smiling.

Alice heard him whisper ‘Well done darling, you are really good, Ghosts can dance’.