Runner up – Junior section
Scotch Oakburn College
Running. Like the wind. Jumping. Twisting. Gasping for air. I can’t breathe. But I don’t care. If I stop, even for a second, they’ll find me. I don’t know where I’m going or where I’ve been. Trees and forest scenery skims past me in blurry flashes. Twigs, rocks, branches and moss flicker into my view but disappear as quick as they came. I’ve got a stitch but I can’t stop. The pain in my side is nothing compared with the pain I’d have to endure if they caught up with me. I wonder if they’re behind me. I can’t risk turning, or faltering. So I keep running.
My feet trip and stumble to a stop. I’ve come to a fork in the road. My body is like a wet bag of sand, heavy and slippery. I know that if I don’t rest, I will hurt myself. I twist and turn, looking around for any signs of my captors. Nothing. Which road? The two paths ahead of me are totally opposite. The afternoon sunlight shines down on the path to my right, filling it with a warm golden glow that looks so very enticing. The other path has row upon row of twisting, dark oaks. It’s like they made a path just for me. I know that the people following me will think that I’d run to safety, so I turn to the path on the left and take a deep breath. I’ve chosen. I gather all my remaining strength and struggle to get my feet to move. Eventually, I coax them into a slow and steady walk.
I make my way down the path and around the trees. The deeper I go, the wetter and darker the road gets. I shiver and pull my ragged clothes to my chest. All of a sudden, I wish I’d brought the coat left in my parents’ car. A tear runs down my cheek at the thought of my parents. They must be desperately worried.
One minute I’m stepping out of a toilet stall and the next I’m gone. It’s been hours.
Snap! My head snaps to the side and I strain my eyes, looking for signs of danger. Rustle. My breathing quickens and I crouch low, praying no-one is there. All of a sudden, the sound of running water flows into my ears. I wait for a moment, making sure that nothing is there before standing up and dizzily making my way towards the sound of water. I’m parched. My throat and tongue are dry and crusty, and I didn’t notice how thirsty I was until I heard the water. My yearning for water drives me to a run, my legs and arms flapping about trying to keep balance. When I see the sparkle of sun on running water, I gasp with relief and speed up to a sprint. I collapse to my knees in front of the trickling creek and cup water into my hands. I drink greedily, splashing water everywhere as I swallow handful after handful. The water tastes like nothing I’ve ever had before. It’s so fresh and beautiful. When I’m full and my stomach is bloated with water, I lie down on my back with satisfaction.
As my eyes flutter to a close, I hear a voice beside me. I jump to my feet. A scream rises up my throat. But when I look around for my kidnappers, there’s no one there. I carefully sit back down. I’m so tired, I’m hallucinating. Just as I’m lowering myself to the ground, I hear it again. A grunt and mumble of words coming from right in front of me. I stare at the water with disbelief, my heart pumping quickly. As I watch, a figure rises from the water. A girl’s body made completely of sparkling crystal-clear water. I gasp and take a step back. The girl looks up at me with translucent eyes. A weird dizzy daze comes over me and a warning bell in my mind tells me I’ve done something horribly wrong.
“Thank you for your memories,” she says happily before melting back into the riverbed.
Suddenly, my body feels like lead and I thump to the ground. My brain goes fuzzy and strange, filling with some sort of mist that makes me forget my name. Peace and serenity bloom like two twisting blossoms in my mind and I drift off to sleep, my mind floating away.
. . .
Memories. A happy childhood. Loving parents who stare down at the child with wonder and adoration shining in their eyes. The child’s life is filled with love and care. Memories of parks and warm hugs slide past my eyes. Each memory seeps into my core, making me grow bigger. The happier the memories, the stronger I become. Each year of the girl’s life melts into me. Primary school. Dancing. Highschool. A first kiss. The feeling of loving someone else. Heartbreak so sorrowful, it pierces a small hole in my pool of strength. The hole grows slightly as memories of being taken form in front of my view. She said she was going to the toilet. She hadn’t noticed she had been followed. Pain. Indescribable pain shoots through me and my strength seeps away a little. But still, I grow. You see, each memory is food for me. I only appear to those who need it. They drink from my waters, and I appear. I thank them for their sacrifice, whether they know what they did or not. Because in the end, it’s only me who matters. To live long, you must be strong.
