Rose

• Katie Herden, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2016

The heat from the explosion meant that blisters were starting to surface on her bare arms, she was fighting against the hundreds of screaming and crying parents. The sound of horns and sirens along with flashing lights from every corner of her eyes. Trying to break free from the crowd and run home to the safety of her parents, but she was lost. Her small whimpers and cries were no match for the thundering noise surrounding her. The crowd seemed to grow smaller and smaller, as everyone was getting onto buses. The only one waiting was her. All alone waiting and searching for her parents comfort, but nothing came. A man in a suit came over and told her she needed to leave, in her head the thumping thoughts of why she couldn’t leave, this was her home, her parents were still there but she couldn’t get to them. These people moved her onto the bus. Stars were emerging into the sky now, night had fallen after a hot summer’s day. The soft sound of the buses engine on the smooth road, she fell asleep.
The sun shimmering in her eyes, as she went to yawn. Sitting by herself at the back of the bus, a woman came up to her and said it was time to get off and that she had to go with her. Walking down the high steps of the bus, the sun beating in her eyes onto the clean polished building in front of her. The bus rolled away from the path, no one else from the bus was getting off. She was walked inside what looked like an orphanage.
When she turned 18, she was free to leave the orphanage and explore the new world that lay ahead of her, her first mission was to find her parents. The first place she would go to was her old home, were she used to feel safe. Walking down the broken road where she once lived, was like walking through a ghost town. The wind was as sour as ever. Reaching the front gate of her yard stood the ricked old house, paint falling off, showing its mold covered wood underneath. She walked up the covered stone path towards what once was her home. Feeling excited but unease, going through flash backs from her childhood getting swept way from her parents, to now looking at it again 12 years later. Taking a deep breath she moved towards the door and inside, walking through the dusty halls, past what once was her bedroom to find the house as empty as her hopes in finding her parents.
Going back to her home every five years to check if her parents would go back to find her just like she goes back in hopes to find them, but never does. At the age of 85 Rose finally dies, after a long journey and her last words were, I will now be reunited with my parents.