Allona's Adventure
What happens when you're a strong fighter with X-ray vision and super hearing, and you wake up one night to screams from your neighbours? In this episode, Allona lives in the cities now, though she used to live in the forest of Asia. She's very strong, a very good fighter, and has special abilities: she can see through things with her eyes (really great eyesight) and her hearing is exceptional. One night, she hears lots and lots of screams from her neighbours. She's worried until she finds out: it's a monster. The monster keeps killing people. People are starting to go missing. Allona creates a plan: Find where the monster is. Go behind it. Take it by surprise. Kill the monster. The next day, she succeeds. The monster is dead. She's relieved and happy because people are safe. Direct, focused, and built on the classic hunter strategy of track-stalk-strike, this is a story about community protection, using your abilities to save others, and the satisfaction of a plan executed perfectly. This story proves what one Year 5 student told us: "The only superpower you need is imagination." About the Story Story Type: Monster hunter action with community protection mission Themes: Protecting community, strategic planning, using abilities for others, relocating but staying vigilant Setting: The cities (previously forest of Asia) Why This Story Matters This author has created something efficient and purposeful: a monster hunter story stripped to its essential elements. Notice the clarity: Allona hears screams, discovers monster, creates plan, executes plan, succeeds. No unnecessary subplots, no wasted words. This is strategic storytelling. The detail about relocating from forest to cities adds character depth. Allona didn't always live in urban areas. She came from the forest of Asia (suggesting wilderness survival skills) and adapted to city life. But when danger appears, those forest hunting skills activate: track, stalk, strike from behind. Her motivation is community-focused: 'The monster keeps killing people and people are starting to go missing.' Allona doesn't hunt for glory or adventure. She hunts because her neighbours are dying. That's heroism rooted in responsibility to community. When children are given complete creative autonomy, they write stories where: Protagonists have practical abilities (X-ray vision = finding hidden monsters, good hearing = detecting danger) Plans are straightforward and executable (find, flank, strike) Success brings relief rather than triumph (she's happy people are safe, not celebrating personal victory) Background details add richness (forest of Asia origin story) Action serves purpose (kill monster = save community) That ending, 'relieved and happy because the monster was dead', centres the emotional payoff on outcome rather than process. She's not happy she won the fight. She's relieved the threat is gone. That's mature emotional framing. About StoryQuest⢠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