Rachel's Escape

• Ayla Barby, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2017

In her haste to get out of the house, she slammed into a hallway cupboard. Rachel glanced up in horror, sure that something would fall, and she was right, for there on the top shelf an ancient Egyptian vase was teetering precariously on the edge. The vase smashing would be sure to wake Mrs Abbott. As the vase fell, she desperately reached out and caught it, placing it gently on the shelf.
Rachel scurried over to the biscuit tin, grabbed the last biscuit and tucked it in her sack. Carefully she replaced the tin, and tiptoed over to the counter. Not carefully enough though! The tin crashed loudly onto the floor, almost giving her a heart attack. Inwardly, she cursed herself for not replacing it more carefully. Quick as a cheetah she darted behind the cupboard door and out of sight.
Mrs Abbott’s footsteps pounded down the stair above her head. Mrs Abbott was an elderly lady who had found her while she was just 11, abandoned on the streets. That was 1 year ago, in 1938. Now the war had started, and Hitler had sent out a call for all Jews to be brought to him. Now even faithful Mrs Abbott would betray her, she heard her say so on the phone to Mrs Helen a few days ago.
A muffled curse from the other room caused Rachel blood to run cold. Mrs Abbott had found the note she had written, she would be furious. Suddenly the lights flicked on, causing Rachel’s worry to turn into fear. Footsteps padded to the cupboard and pulled shut the door. But Rachel was ready, and ignoring Mrs Abbott’s cry of rage, ducked underneath her arm and bolted towards the door. Mrs Abbott tried to give chase, luckily old ladies can’t run as fast as 11-year-old girls! Instead, Mrs Abbott whistled for her dog Bruno. Bruno was a horror, with huge teeth and had previously been trained as a guard dog. When Rachel heard his threatening growl behind her, she knew she was in trouble. Suddenly she spotted her chance, there was an open window in front of her. She leapt through it, and just in time too! His jaws snapped closed behind her. Bruno was a vicious but very fat Bulldog, and couldn’t jump out of the window. Angry barks echoed through the valley as she ran for her life.
Within seconds, Rachel heard the screeching of tires and sirens behind her, and her blood ran cold. The chase was on. Mrs. Abbott had called the Nazis. Quickly, Rachel surveyed the situation. The dense forest across the field would be a good place to hide. The rumble of the pursuit grew closer. She needed to find cover so that the Nazis would stop searching. Rachel hoped they would be too busy to continue the search for a harmless girl. Rachel crawled desperately into the trees, and…
“Hello. Who are you?” a bedraggled little boy whispered.