Kara's blog

DAY ONE

Hi! My name is Kara and this is my blog. I’ve never written a blog before so I’m not sure what to

write 🙁

What can I tell you about myself? I’m fifteen years old. I like reading and listening to music, and

watching films – especially horror films. I don’t have many friends. Correction. I don’t have any

friends. Not since ‘the incident’ anyway. I don’t care. If people don’t like me – that’s their problem.

We arrived here today. We = me, my mum and my brother, Martin. Martin, if you’re reading this,

stop now! I mean it! >:O

Sometimes my brother Martin makes me crazy. Like right now! We were downstairs in the living

room about ten minutes ago and Martin started making a fire. Mum found out and she was SO

angry. Martin said I’d started it. It’s not true! He started it. It’s not fair!

Martin thinks someone is watching us. He says he saw someone in the courtyard. Maybe it’s a

ghost. I didn’t see a ghost but I heard a voice when we arrived. Do you think this place is haunted?

 Day Two
Posted on 20/10/11 by Kara in Kara's blog posts, 3 Comments
Who are you? I’ve watched the video a hundred times. At the end I can see someone
hiding in the bushes by the barn. Is it you? Are you the person who sent me the message?
Are you reading my blog? And why do you call yourself ‘a friend’? I don’t have any
friends.
I’m back upstairs in my room. I don’t know where Martin is. I hope he didn’t read my blog
while I was downstairs with Mum and Howard. Howard. It sounds like a normal name for a
normal person, right? But Howard isn’t normal. He’s spooky! Like Owl Hall. Maybe we
should call him Mr Howl Hall. Or Mr Howl. Or just H-o-w-l. Martin would like that 😉
Howard has a dog called Max, which is probably short for Maximilian or Maximus or
something. Martin (which isn’t short for anything) says Max is a friendly dog but he didn’t
seem very friendly last night. Maybe he’s a rescue dog – you know – a dog that wasn’t
looked after very well by its last owner. There’s something sad in his eyes.
What are they talking about – Mum and Howard? There’s something strange about the way
Mum acts when she’s with him.
I have a new favourite word. It’s AWKWARD. I like it because it sounds awkward and it
looks awkward. So it’s a bit like me. AwKwARd KARA. It even has all the letters of my
name in it.
But I don’t care right now about Howard or his big dog or even Mum! All I can think about is
… ‘a friend’.
 Day Three (Part One)
Posted on 24/11/11 by Kara in Kara's blog posts, 1 Comment
 Hi. I know you’re reading this. So I want to explain some things to you – about Martin. I’m
sorry he was so rude to you this morning. And I’m sorry I told you to leave. Martin’s a nice
person really. Really! He just wants to protect me. He’s my brother. Do you have any
brothers or sisters? If you do, then you’ll know what I mean.
When Mum and Dad separated, we only had each other. Martin needed me. He still needs
me now. Maybe we’re closer than a lot of brothers and sisters – I don’t know. Since ‘the
incident’, he’s been the only person I can talk to. Do you understand?
You probably think he’s jealous of you. But that’s not true. When we arrived here, he made
me promise not to leave him. He thinks someone is trying to take him away. I know it
sounds crazy but he’s frightened.
When I came to see you alone he probably thought I’d left him.
And then when he saw me with you … he probably thought I was in danger. He still thinks
you’re a spy. You’re not a spy, are you?
:-X
I just want you to understand how much I love my brother and need to protect him. I know
he’s not perfect. In fact, sometimes he makes me really angry but he’s the only brother I’ve
got. If you want to be my friend, then I know you’ll understand.
Anyway, here’s the answer to your question: the voice said, ‘Kara! Help me. Let me go!’
What does it mean? I’m really frightened 🙁

 Day Three (Part Two)

Posted on 06/12/11 by Kara in Kara's blog posts, no Comment
The day that we left home to come to Owl Hall, Martin told me that he’d had a dream in the
night – a bad dream.
In his dream, he was reading a book. He said the book was the story of his life. He was
reading the book and, as he was turning the pages, he could feel the end of the book
getting closer and closer. I mean … he looked at the pages he’d read and there were
hundreds of pages, but there were only a few pages left to read. And Martin thought: that’s
not right. I’m thirteen. There should be thousands of pages still to read.
When he told me about the dream, he looked scared so I tried to make him feel better. I
said that maybe there were different books in the story of his life. Maybe he had to finish
that book before starting another. We were talking in my bedroom at home and I pointed at
all the books on the bookshelf and said, ‘There are lots of books on the shelf.’ And he said,
‘In your room there are lots of books. But there aren’t any books in my room.’
He was right. I’d never thought of it before but there weren’t any books in his bedroom. He
said he liked his room to be like a prison cell.
I don’t know why I’m telling you this. Maybe because Martin was in the dream I just had
tonight. I mean he was really in the dream. He must have been there! When I started telling
him about it, he already knew what I had dreamed.
Do people ever have the same dream? I wonder if identical twins ever have identical
dreams and appear in each other’s dreams. It’s strange. I think I’m going crazy. Martin is
not my identical twin. He’s my brother. So what was he doing in my dream??

Day Four
Posted on 10/01/12 by Kara in Kara's blog posts, no Comment
Today has been the best day of my life. The best day ever! How can I tell you how I feel without
sounding stupid? What words can I use to describe my feelings?
My name is Kara. I have a friend and his name is John. How good does that sound?
You’re weird. Do you know that? You’re odd. You’re strange. Why didn’t you tell me your name the
first time we spoke? Did you think I would laugh? It’s not a very funny name. Or did you think I’d
yawn? John is quite a boring name.
😮 y-a-w-n
So what else have I discovered about my new friend, apart from his name? Well, he likes islands.
One of his favourite books is Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson – but I don’t think there’s
any treasure on John’s island. He likes pasta and dislikes spinach. He’s scared of rats and he
doesn’t like school – but he won’t say why. And he’s an only child. He doesn’t have any brothers or
sisters.
I can’t imagine being an only child. Maybe you could be friends with Martin. Then we could be like
your brother and sister. What do you think? Are you shaking your head? Why don’t you like Martin?
Why doesn’t Martin like you? Maybe if you spent some time together …

 Day Five
Posted on 06/03/12 by Kara in Kara's blog posts, 2 Comments
Hello Howard!
Yes. I’m talking to you now! I have a few things I want to say to you. Firstly …
:'( ;*( T.T T_T Y.Y Y_Y >:[ 🙁 🙁 D:< >:( >:-C >:C >:O D-:< >:-( :-c :c :-<:< :-[ :[ :{ >.> <.< >.<
>:P 😛 😛 X-P x-p xp XP :-p :p =p :-Þ :Þ :-b :b >:/ :-/ :/ :\ (>_<) (>.<)(\_/)(^^^)
That’s how I feel about what you’re doing at Owl Hall!! I knew from the first moment I saw
you that something was wrong. You were just too perfect to be true (like your teeth). BUT
for some reason I can’t understand, Mum likes you. I could grow to like you, too – after
maybe a million years. But don’t do anything like this to me again!
Oh! Martin’s here and he’d like to say a few words …
__________
Hiya Mr Howl,
It’s Martin here. He he he he ho ho ho. What’s that smell? It smells like BURNING. Oh no!
What have I done? Oh dear. I‘ve burnt all the files in your filing cabinet. I’m SO sorry. All
that work. Lost forever. But you’ll be pleased to know that all those files made a great fire. I
hope the house on the hill doesn’t burn down too.
I also have something to tell you. I’ve enjoyed my stay at Owl Hall so much that I’ve
decided to stay. (Pause for Howard to understand what I’m saying.) That’s right. I’m not
going anywhere. Pyro Boy is staying right here. That way I can keep an eye on you …
__________
A few last words from Kara …
John is a special person. He’s a good person. I don’t know what happened in his past, but I
do know one thing: what John needs is a friend. Be his friend, Howard.
Bye.
AwKwARd Kara

 Barn
 Courtyard
 Cottage

Chapter 4