The Secret Place

• Ava Flynn, Grade 3
• Short Story
• 2016

Clarissa was wandering freely through the forest, away from her loud, messy home.
As Clarissa wandered deeper and deeper into the forest, she found herself lost but she was glad her annoying family wasn’t with her.
Clarissa ran away because she felt like she didn’t belong and her life was terrible.
“Ahhhh!!!” screamed Clarissa and found herself at the bottom of a hole with a bridge leading beyond sight.
“Where am I?” said Clarissa terrified, she started slowly stepping towards the bridge trembling as she held onto the railing.
When she crossed the bridge, she saw all the colour and life drain out of it and when she turned around, a strange dark figure approached.
“Hi,” said the strange figure, “I’m Mr Huggle Huff,” he said cheerfully. “l’m Cl… Cl…rissa,” she said terrified. “Well it’s a pleasure to meet you Cl...Cl... rissa,” said Mr Huggle Huff, shaking her hand wildly.
“So wh..at ex-ex-actly ar-e you?” asked Clarissa. “Well I’m part cloud, peacock, elephant and cat. I usually hang around here, the rest of my people are through that cave,” said Mr Huggle Huff.
“I think there’s something wrong with the bridge,” said Clarissa. “Holy cow, there is,” said Mr Huggle Huff, panicking as he started one slow step onto the bridge.
The bridge started to collapse after Mr Huggle Huff took his foot off and watched it fall into the ditch underneath. “Anyway,” said Mr Huggle Huff and started walking off, but Clarissa stayed there frozen, looking out to where the bridge use to stand.
“Come on Clarissa, we need to go,” said Mr Huggle Huff, but Clarissa stayed there. “Don’t you get it? I can’t get home.” There was a silent pause until Mr Huggle Huff said, “We need to fix it and if we can’t, I can get my dad to help.” Clarissa still stood there frozen. “Oh come on Clarissa…please,” said Mr Huggle Huff losing hope. Then Clarissa turned around and gave Mr Huggle Huff a stare before rushing over to give him a hug and both started foraging for materials to fix the bridge.
As the two of them set off, before no time the bridge was fixed.
Clarissa said her good-byes to Mr Huggle Huff. “Good-bye,” she said before bursting into tears and gave Mr Huggle Huff a big hug and cried more into his arms.
“You can always visit me,” said Mr Huggle Huff. “But how?” weeped Clarissa. “I’ll make a slide or something that you can come up and down,” Mr Huggle Huff cried.
Clarissa gave Mr Huggle Huff a stare as she slowly crossed the bridge. “Bye,” she said. “Bye,” he said back.
Clarissa comes and visits every now and then and it turns out she loves her family and fits in perfectly, even if she said she didn’t. The end