IGCSE Paper 2 Writing Practices

Snow danced in the city's night lights; a choreographed ballet conducted by the winter wind in the futuristic city of 2035. It's Christmas Eve. There in the warm homes everyone gathered around, telling their stories of the year in wisps of aroma. They told the most terrible of jokes, and yet enough to make the night like a fairytale.

But out of the fairy tale was Twelve. Like a cat, she slinked away from the family's warm ambiance into the darkness of her room. She sat down before her desk and brushed her fingers against an old picture of three laughing girls in a dusty frame. She sighed and leaned back indolently.

"Psst! Over here!" Twelve shot out from her seat and caught sight of a small present box on her desk, "don't teenagers be excited about presents? Open me up, girl!"

"What theー?" Twelve doubtfully unwrapped it until the title 'EPPLE TABLET 1.0' emerged before her eyes, "Epple tablet? The newest gadget recently?"

"Bingo!" A  swirl of light spiraled out as Twelve lifts up the lid, transforming into pixels that form a petite elf hovering in the air.

"Good evening~Twelve! I'm an Epple AI Elf, and I'm taking you on an adventure!" Immediately, pixels begin to formulate into a white door before her, "it takes you to wherever and whenever you'd like to!"

"W-whenever?" Twelve stammered.

"Yes!"

A blaze of light sliced through the darkness as she opens the door. It reflected in her eyes like a breeze, then it wafted through as she steps forward into the place that she couldn't be more familiar with. It's a middle school classroom well-decorated with colorful ornaments and a delicate Christmas tree in the middle; students bantered as snow dances down outside.

In the corner, three girls were sitting together, giggling carelessly.

"That's you in the middle?" the Elf chuckled, "don't worry, they couldn't see you." Twelve made her way through the misplaced desks and stopped right before them; before little Twelve. 

"Wait, is this our last Christmas together?" The girl on the right stated surprisingly.

"Yuan...Twelve will be sad," the other girl whispered.

"I know, Meggie. You'll be back in China and I will go to a boarding school..." Yuan paused, "Twelve will be alone."

There was a short silenceーuntil little Twelve looked up and said: 

"No, I'm not," she smiled, "our memories will be the fuel of passion even if we are far away!" As if little Twelve had locked eyes with Twelve, as if time had stopped for a while; Twelve closed the tablet. 

Back to the darkness of her room, she silently places the tablet on her shelf and reached for the old picture; carefully wiping the dust off and let it rest again on her desk. With confident steps, she walks out towards the warm ambiance of her family, and yet there's still something more. 

The life in her eyes that fueled her passion.