Caged

• Jay Ta, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2019

The tide was rising in as Emma looked out of her cage. The moonbeam shot through the sky. It was then that she tried to escape as she needed to get out. She pecked her beak at the keyhole, then tugged. Then pushed. Then got too tired to move and dropped to the ground.

“You’ve gotta stop tryin’“said Kiarra, Emma’s best friend. Emma walked back and forth, up and down the cage. She had always wanted to get out of there. The cage was fairly small for over 15 birds.

Emma decided to wake Rico the Pelican. She asked him to try smash the iron bars or glass or plastic or whatever it was. And Rico smashed it! Glass smashed everywhere. Now that Emma knew it was glass, she suspected she had been caged in an aviary. Kiarra had warned Emma not to escape but Emma ignored her. She stretched her wings and flew off to the outside world. The rest of the birds already knew where they were but never told Emma for some reason.

Suddenly, Emma fell and was dragged to the floor. “Gocha”. “Help! Someone’s got me!”. Emma had been caught in a net. “ Kiarra!”.

The rest of the birds fainted with shock, while Kiarra - whose best friend just got birdnapped- flew out of the cage and pecked at the zookeeper or lifeguard or pest control guy. Emma was too scared to watch so she ducked under her wing, but later with relief Kiarra broke her out of the net.

“Thanks Kiarra!”. But then the sky grew dark. Maybe it was night again. Emma swore she saw the sun rising seconds ago. When Emma looked up…….
A giant figure stood before Emma and Kiarra. Kiarra didn’t seem to be afraid, but Emma, Emma nearly fainted.

The next second Emma was picked up she was taken away though a long corridor. She was thrown into a large room with rocks and water and all the shrimp she’d ever wanted.

Suddenly she heard loud screams and laughter. Emma heard a voice. A loud angry voice. “ MUMMY!!! I…. WANT…... TO ……. SEE….. THE ……. SEALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!”. Emma looked twice around the room. She saw what she thought was her cage, was a...a… SEAL CAGE. Behind her stood a great big seal with a dead fish in it’s mouth.

“Good Seal. You don’t want to eat me. I..I’m nottt….ththat yummmymy.” Emma said soothingly but it didn’t work. Seconds later the seal was chasing her around and around.

But then, Emma remembered she could fly! She flew as high as she could and through a vent which lead out to a great view of a giant Zoo!

Emma flew of out the gates and escaped. Free.

There was something Emma didn’t know. The others did. That’s why they did not dare leave. Emma did not know there was a bomb implanted inside all the animal’s necks including her. So if an animal escaped…… it would set off.