Ziba Came On A Boat Ending

• Olivia Sammut, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2017

And the boat rose and fell, rose and fell, across an endless sea…

Ziba was vigorously thrashed side to side as the soggy old fishing boat fought against the wild monster of a sea.

She slowly closed her eyes, being welcomed into a deep sea of nightmares that engulfed her every time she fell asleep.

These nightmares were like no other. The furious storms, the desperate people, the terrified little girl, searching for her parents.

Ziba remembered the way her mother used to comfort her when she had nightmares. She used to cradle her close to her breast, whispering the words that took Ziba’s worries and woe away.

Yet again ziba snapped back to the horifying reality. She looked up into the black sky. It was filled with gloomy dark clouds dancing ominously.

The wind was like a striking, sneaky snake, threatening to harm anything or anyone in its path.

Then suddenly the rising and falling stopped. The thrashing ceased. The wind did not threaten to harm.

Ziba felt the smallest of hope swirling and burning inside her like a fire. She scrambled to the front of the boat. The frightened people were afraid no more, faith lighting their faces up like a sun. It was beautiful, tranquil.

Their faces bore the smiles that her father wore each and every day. Then Ziba saw it. Land. People. But something didn't seem right. No one was smiling. Ziba was increasingly confused.

Then the hull on the soggy old fishing boat opened. People desperately sprinted for the chance at freedom, new life.

Once Ziba’s small feet touched the land, she stared at the crowd of people who she now shared the land with. They looked frustrated and panicked. Ziba soon came to the terrifying conclusions about the living conditions of these people. She was not going to laugh and dance again, not without her parents and her family, without the familiarities of home.


Ziba lay down on some sheets in a communal area and drifted into sleep. And yet, in Ziba’s haunting dreams the boat, rose and fell, rose and fell across an endless sea.