Kalbie

• Connor Jardine, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2008

Kalbie
“Kalbie, Kalbie” I franticly shouted down a collapsed mine shaft. My dog Kalbie had fallen down the mineshaft. I couldn’t hear anything from the bottom of the shaft. He could be dead. I crept towards the shaft, but what I didn’t know I was standing on an unstable rock. Before I had any time to move the rock gave way. I fell about 10 metres and then THUD!!! I hit the bottom. I was weak, shaking and nauseous. With my last ounce of energy, I reached into my pocket and took out my mobil phone. I started to call 000, just as I was about to press the call button something started to rip my hair out. I dropped my phone and swang my hand around the top of my head. I felt a large, furry, bony leg and then a deafening “WOOOOOOF!!!!” It was KALBIE! I as overwhelmed to see him. He came and dropped down next to me. He was weak, bleeding and worst of all slowly dying, but not if I could help it. I pressed the talk button on my phone. I got through to the operator. “Hello” she said. “What service will you require love” “Rescue, I’m stuck in the old mine shaft in John Forest National Park with my dog” I replied. “They will be there shortly”. We played some games on my phone like Fibre Twig to pass the time. Finally the rescue service got there and sent a man down called Andy. He said it will be a hard operation trying to get both of us up at the same time. We came to an agreement; because Kalbie was slowly dying, he went up with Andy. After about five minutes he came back down again and attached me to his safety harness. Up we went. When I got to the top Kalbie was playing happily. He had a large bandage around his leg and a saline drip in his paw. The rescuers fenced off the shaft and left with Kalbie and I.