(By the way, I forgot to mention last instalment option 2 won because one of my sisters broke the tie for me.) And here it is,
I awoke to find myself back at home outside the fringes of the woods. But something was wrong. Very wrong. I smelt the air and shivers shot up my spine as I smelt the unforgettable scent of wood smoke. I spun around to see a sight that sunk my heart to the very tips of my toes. My beloved home was burning. My thoughts jumped immediately to the rest of my family. With a cry I began to run toward the swirling mass. I charged in through the front door which was hanging crookedly from its burning door frame. The smoke stung my eyes, and for a horrible moment I could see anything. With sobs tearing my throat, I wiped away the tears and swept the kitchen with a burning glance.
Nothing.
I could feel the heat burning
fiercer every breath and hear the creaking of the roof beams as they neared
collapsing point. I ran through to the bedrooms scanning each hurriedly for any
sign of them.
Nothing.
My heart felt like tearing in two
and tears blurred my vision once again. But the creaking beams were louder now
and I knew I only had seconds to get out before the house collapsed. I spun
around and charged back the way I’d come. As I entered the doorway to the
kitchen I heard the bedrooms’ roofs come crashing down. I felt the glowing
sparks as they burned through the clothes on my back. I tried to increase the
pace to get out before I was buried alive in burning embers, only I
couldn’t. The smoke was making me dizzy and tired. I crashed into a chair and
stumbled losing precious seconds. I ran over the flaming door which had fallen
over, and nearly made it to the end of the porch before the whole thing
collapsed.
Nearly.
The porch roof caught the back of
my head as I jumped off. I sprawled on the mercifully cool ground, the world
spinning round and round. I felt groggy and stupid. All I wanted to do was lay
my head down and sleep. But there was something I had to do first. What was it
again? I was sure it was something to do with the family. Maybe I would
remember in the morning. My head inched closer to the ground, but a thin
tendril of thought was harassing me. Why wouldn’t it let me sleep? Slowly
through the thick fog a path cleared until I saw the faces of my beloved
family. I had to find them! I tried to crawl forward, panic rising in my heart.
But I only managed a few feet. I couldn’t go any further. I felt like my body
was letting me down. My family needed me!! I needed to save them. Through the
confusing fog of panic a little voice whispered,
“What if they don’t? What if they
got away already?”
Now I felt even more confused,
but then I remembered I hadn’t seen any bodies in the house. Surely that meant
they had gotten away? I didn’t know for sure, but it made me feel slightly
better. Enough for my aching head to take advantage of. The dark edges of
unconsciousness crept through and eventually everything faded from view.
The sunlight tickled my eyelids,
and I groaned as I tried to open them. My head felt thick and heavy. I rolled
over onto my back, the movement setting my head throbbing. I groaned again as I
raised myself to a sitting position. The sight before me brought tears to my
eyes. There the only home I had ever known lay reduced to a smouldering pile of
timber. I blinked away the tears and tried to focus. If Mamma, Poppa, and
Preston hadn’t been in the house then they must have left before I got there.
Which means there should be
tracks.
I scrabbled to my feet, ignoring
the pain that shot through my neck and head. I ran to the place where the front
door used to be and scanned the area. My keen hunter’s tracking eye saw three
hurried sets of foot prints going in and out of the house. Probably when they
realised I was missing. After a few minutes I was able to concluded they had
left the house before it had started to burn.
And the foot prints led into the
woods.
New fears shot through my mind.
What if they had been attacked by the Hélior hares? I’m pretty sure Poppa and
Preston could take on a dozen easily, but what if there were more? A lot more?
Perhaps they had left me a clue?
I ran to the edge of the
blackened circle and peered all around. A note would have been destroyed, and
what other kind of clue could they leave? But my mind was clutching at straws
and I looked a second time. Was that something sparkling in the early morning
sunshine over there, or were my eyes playing tricks on me? I scrambled over the
charred beams and slipped in my haste, burning my foot on the hot embers still hot under the thin layer of ashes. I proceeded with more caution, prepping myself
for a disappointment. After all nothing could survive a fire like that.
Could it?
I was wrong. Again.
I grabbed a stick and poked
around the shining object. I cleared the ashes from its surface so I could see
it clearly. I started in surprise as I saw it was a gem of some kind. But I know
we never had such a one in the house. It was dark, dark blue nearly black, and
scattered with shining pinpoints of light that seemed to dance and sparkled.
Different colours swirled before my eyes strangely calming and beautiful. I
touched it cautiously, but to my surprise it was felt cold. Which was weird
since it had practically been cooking in its little pile of embers. I picked it
up and felt its smooth surface. I tucked it into my pocket and made my way back
to the safe ground. Where had it come from? I was thinking furiously upon this
and what my next course of action should be, when I heard a stick crack.
1. I spun around and gasped. There
stood my family, scratched and bleeding, but alive! But they were looking at me strangely. What was wrong with them
2. Quick as lightning a sack was
thrown over my head and a strange perfume filled my nose. Within minutes I was
drifting off to sleep due to the drug.
3. I slowly turned and saw to my
horror a hare nibbling the sweet grass just outside the woods. It glanced up
and froze, its nose twitching a million miles an hour as it saw me. It slowly advanced
towards me.
Well, what do you think? Sorry the options weren't a little more thrilling but it's late.
We going to a community rally tomorrow. My family is going to be singing an item. And there will be lots of people. I'm not good at talking to people I don't know. I do find it easier to talk to younger strangers than ones my age, but hopefully I can make some new friends.
The computer is all fixed and so here is my header thing. I wish to thank Jane oh so very much for making it for me. You're the best!!! And I think it's beautiful. :P
Anyways, my bed is calling me. Good-night!
Antonella Rose
