The Secret Necklace in Tokyo
What happens when you wake up, head to school as usual, and realise your time-freezing necklace is missing?
In this episode, 11-year-old Aliza discovers her necklace is gone. As she hurries home, something's wrong: no cars drive past, no people walk by, there's no noise at all. She feels alone until she sees her cat Casper, and there in his mouth is her necklace. She calls to him, but Casper runs through a clear wall, and Aliza remembers: her cat has the power of teleportation.
She follows him through the wall, chasing him through an alleyway, turn after turn, until she realises from the signs that she's in Tokyo. Casper runs off somewhere, but Aliza remembers the news: there's a new, very bad leader trying to destroy Tokyo. Before getting her necklace back, she decides to save the city.
A shopkeeper tells her the leader resides on top of a mountain. Aliza runs to the summit, finds his lair, and sees through the window: a countdown reading 2 minutes until Tokyo is destroyed. She sneaks in, the countdown reaches 30 seconds, she rushes up stairs, and finds Casper has left the necklace right when the leader is about to push the button. Aliza freezes time. Casper teleports the bad leader somewhere far away. She unfreezes time. Next thing she knows, she's back at home.
Fast-paced, quietly heroic, and built on the partnership between girl and cat, this is a story about rising to the moment, trusting your companion, and saving a city before breakfast.
This story proves what one Year 6 student told us: "The only superpower you need is imagination."
About the Story
Story Type: Superhero adventure with time manipulation and teleportation
Themes: Responsibility, unlikely heroes, human-animal partnership, quiet heroism
Setting: Bradford (implied home), alleyways between worlds, Tokyo, mountain lair
Key Elements:
- Aliza: 11 years old with time-freezing necklace
- Casper: cat with teleportation powers who takes Aliza on adventures
- Morning routine disrupted: necklace missing
- Eerie emptiness: no cars, no people, no noise, feeling alone
- Casper holding necklace in mouth, running through clear wall
- Chase through alleyway, turn after turn
- Realising from signs: 'I was in Tokyo'
- News context: new bad leader trying to destroy Tokyo
- Decision: 'Before I got my necklace back, I would save Tokyo'
- People shrugging shoulders, refusing to help
- Shopkeeper breaking rules: 'I'm not supposed to tell anyone, but he resides on top of that mountain'
- Running to mountain top, finding lair
- Countdown through window: 2 minutes until Tokyo destroyed
- Sneaking in quietly, closing door behind
- Countdown: 30 seconds
- Rushing upstairs, hearing phone call
- Finding Casper left necklace right when leader about to push button
- Freezing time, Casper teleporting leader far away
- Unfreezing time, instantly back at home
- Closing line: 'Until next time...'
Why This Story Matters
Aliza has created something quietly sophisticated: a superhero story that refuses to make a big deal of its heroism. Notice the tonal restraint. No dramatic speeches, no angst about whether to help, just a simple decision: 'Before I got my necklace back, I would save Tokyo.' That's character. That's someone who sees a problem and decides to fix it.
And that partnership with Casper is the emotional centre. Casper takes the necklace (forcing Aliza to follow), leads her through alleyways to Tokyo (providing the path), leaves the necklace at exactly the right moment (trusting Aliza to act), and teleports the leader away (completing the mission together). Neither one could do it alone. That's genuine partnership, not human with pet accessory.
The detail about people shrugging shoulders and walking away is quietly devastating. The shopkeeper breaks rules to help ('I'm not supposed to tell anyone'), suggesting a city living under oppression where speaking up is dangerous. Aliza is an outsider who can act where locals can't.
When children are given complete creative autonomy, they write stories where 11-year-olds save cities before school, where cats are equal partners with agency and intelligence, and where heroism doesn't require angst or recognition. That ending, 'Next thing I knew, I was back at home. I had a fun adventure saving Tokyo... Until next time...', is perfect. No parade, no thanks from Tokyo, no news coverage. Just: saved a city, had fun, ready for next adventure.
That's the mindset of someone who helps because it needs doing, not because they need credit. That's genuinely heroic.
About StoryQuestâ˘
StoryQuest is a validated methodology that achieves 100% engagement across all learners, including reluctant writers, boys, and students with SEND. The approach is simple but profound: give children complete creative autonomy over something that truly matters to them.
Resources & Links
Bring StoryQuest to Your School:
Visit my-storyquest.com to download the curriculum guide and discover how your students can become published authors.
Start Friday Night Storytelling at Home:
Download Gabriel's StoryQuest Family Kit at theadventuresofgabriel.com
Read Gabriel's Adventures:
The international #1 bestselling series that started it all, co-authored by Kate Markland and her son Gabriel Khan. Available at theadventuresofgabriel.com
Connect with Kate:
Website: katemarkland.com
Share This Episode
Know a teacher struggling with reluctant writers? A parent whose child says 'writing is boring'? A school leader looking for proven literacy solutions? Share this episode with them.
Because every child has a story. And when we give them the freedom to tell it, extraordinary things happen.
Keywords
Child authors, creative writing for children, literacy education, reluctant writers, StoryQuest, student engagement, children's storytelling, authentic writing, educational innovation, child-led learning, time manipulation, teleportation, Tokyo, cat sidekick, superhero stories, quiet heroism, Bradford UK, UK education
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Production: StoryQuest
"When given complete creative control, children don't just create great stories, they discover their voice. And that voice deserves to be heard." - Kate Markland