First Day

• Georgia Towler, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2009

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP
My eyes fly open as I instinctively sit bolt upright in bed. The springs creak in protest to the early hour. Several dark animals leap out of sight as I glance around the room. The world is almost silent as I slide with absolute stealth onto the floor, like a rain drop slowly rolling off a leaf. I must be completely alert. Step by step, I inch my way through the darkness. My heart pounding furiously, I stop as I hear a sound that is a shade above non existence. Slowly, ominously, my door creaks open. A small ark of light spreads, reaching towards me as my eyes dart from it, to the door, and back again.
A dark figure slowly emerges and glances at the rumpled covers of my bed. I retreat further into the shadows, pleased with my clever disguise. The shadowy being quietly places a bulky package on the floor and retreats. Breathing normally again, I tiptoe to the door. The smell of food curls its way into my nostrils as my stomach grumbles hungrily. With my hands clapped over it, I poke my head out of the door. I look left and right, in the golden light of dawn.
For a few moments, I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Opening my eyes, I summon up my courage and sprint to an open door across the landing. In one simultaneous and fluid movement, I shut the door and shoot my hand out to fend off any waiting dangers.
Breathing heavily, I quickly search the room with my eyes. Deciding that the coast is clear, I quietly pull off my clothes. I step into the waterfall that I believe has been warmed by the morning sunshine. The smell of flowers finds my nose and I am momentarily calm. Giving myself a shake, I remember the importance of being alert. My clothes are, mysteriously, already laid out, as I step out of the glinting flow of water. Immediately, I am suspicious. Wrinkling my nose at the stiff clothes, I get dressed quickly.
I stand thinking at the doorway for a few moments before a brainwave occurs to me. Kneeling down onto the cool tiles, I peer through the keyhole, inhaling the sweet smell of timber. Gently, I open the door, my hand sliding slowly as I pull. The sound is magnified tenfold in the near silence.
My feet venture a few, cautious steps before I find myself at the top of a steep, uneven and treacherous descent. I give both legs a practiced shake before smoothly mounting a length of wood beside it. As I slide effortlessly down, the wind whips my hair back. At the bottom, I spring off. Landing on all fours, I scan my surroundings, like the sweeping beam of a lighthouse revealing black waters. Standing upright, I edge along the wall until I reach the place where my food lies, spirals of steam lifting off the surface as I carefully sit.
I examine the lumpy white substance. Suddenly, I hear the roar of an engine. A sharp snap as an opening in the door is roughly pushed. My body tenses as I sit completely still. I wait. Eventually, my body relaxes as I see paper scattered on the floor like giant confetti. Only secret letters.
The food tastes unexpectedly delicious. I instantly suspect poison. My mind hurtles from the secret letters to the unexplained lumpiness. But, feeling no immediate symptoms, I grab my backpack and wait dutifully at the door.
The leader frantically descends the steep slope. I frown privately at her lack of stealth. She speaks a few words to me and smiles, but I am too busy checking my essentials to hear her properly.

We journey out onto uncovered ground and I become tense again. Two butterflies make a beeline for me and before I can so much as widen my eyes, they fly through my mouth and into my stomach. They flit about uncomfortably, like deflating balloons crashing against the walls of my stomach, but I march on.
We reach a busy and perilous crossing. Vehicles blur past in a flurry of speed and bitter smells. Turning a slow semicircle, I observe the area behind my back. I turn around again. My leader has vanished from sight. My heart thunders wildly, like a herd of stampeding elephants. Searching desperately, I reach one conclusion – she must have crossed. Gulping, my eye involuntarily twitches. I fight off the mad desire to fling myself at the nearest pole and hug it for comfort.
I give myself a small shake and order myself to pull it together. Looking down at my two trusty feet, I realize that I can get out of this disastrous situation. By this point, I have noticed a break in the madness of vehicles every now and then, like a stick being pushed abruptly into a whirring fan.
Slowly, I raise my eyes from my feet and summon up my inner strength like a storm cloud gathers water droplets. Without warning, a small and warm hand slips into mine and my breath catches in my throat. A startlingly beautiful girl stands smiling happily beside me. She gently jerks her head to the side just as a break in the cars arrives. We cross together, me feeling slightly dizzied by this sudden turn of events. We reach the other side and I gaze up at the most enormous building my years have ever presented to me.
Hearing a familiar and warming voice, I turn and find my leader standing not far from me.
“Oh good, you’ve already found a friend! Goodbye Benji darling, have a fantastic first day of school my love.”