Nature Natural

• Olivia Ochudzawa, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2019

The slightest nudge of movement woke me up. Hinata, my ferret, jumped all over me in pure excitement. “Calm down..” I muttered rubbing my eyes. Pushing myself off the green lush grass, I sat up stroking Hinata in pure oblivion.
My name is Raven, and my home is the nature. The year is 1953, and in the woods, it is the most peaceful experience a human could ever encounter. Bushes rustled gently, as Theo jumped out while his tail collected leaves. Theo is a skunk, but that doesn’t change the way he is treated. I picked him up, cradling him in my arms. Placing him down, I’d stand up shaking the extra grass pieces stuck on my dirty t-shirt off. Skipping along to find some fruit berries, I have a whole herd of animals following me, ready for their nutritious breakfast. After a while of skipping, I halt to a stop.
Looking around, the place no longer feels familiar. The presence of my best friends behind me had disappeared, and now I was left alone somewhere in the woods. My eyes widened, my brain whispering, ‘It’s fine I just found a new place to pick berries…’ I grasp my wooden basket picking berries in the speed of lighting. The wind seems to get more wilder by the moment, and the speed of picking berries becomes a slouchy slow movement. I’d pierce my lips with my hands turning into a wet pond. The forest is dead silent, I can only feel the wind pushing me over to the right. Grabbing onto a crooked tree nearby, my eyes would catch a glimpse of a blue ray coming from the right of me. My focus of holding onto a tree vanished, as I started rolling sideways forcefully by the wind, which seemed to be a cyclone. I clenched the grass so hard that I pulled a whole section out. Next thing I knew, I was travelling through a portal.
I grunted opening my eyes, blinking astonished. The sky was a dark smoky colour, while the forest looked half its usual size. My outfit was a big fabric coat, black metallic high heels, jean shorts and tie dye t-shirt. The air was hot and humid, my head started to get heavy and dizzy. I immediately threw my coat off, watching it plummet to the ground. Rubbish bags flew over it, one getting caught on the button. I got up, walking over to the caught plastic bag. I opened it up, seeing a little green circle. A leg poked out of it, wriggling while eating a piece of the plastic bag. I picked it up, my mouth quivering with worry. I placed the turtle down in a nearby lake, watching it float away.
I coughed unable to breathe through my nose, as the smell of fire smelt so disgusting. Looking over to where the smoke was coming from, I saw firefighters burning down trees in my forest. Anger rose in me, how dare they?