The Darker Side Of The Slums

• Kieren Kresevic, Grade 7, Sydney Church Of England Grammar School
• Short Story
• 2009

Finalist in the 'World of Words 2009' competition

Ravi hurtled through the streets in the slums of India. He weaved through the carts and traders, through the towering mounds of rubbish, and the rivers and ponds that were utterly polluted with sewage and the garbage of the thousands of poor.
Ravi had grown up in these slums and now it was his chance to leave them at last. There was nothing holding him back now, he had no family left and no other ties.
Ravi had reached the clinic now, its barren, desolate walls casting a bleak tone over the streets.
Shoving through a large crowd, Ravi entered the clinic and skidded to a halt in front of Sanjay.
‘Come now, and don’t speak unless you’re spoken to’ Sanjay growled.
Sanjay led him through a side corridor, and stretched his mouth into a smile, which came out more like a painful grimace.
There, sitting down on a chair, was the most beautiful lady Ravi had ever seen.
‘Good evening Madam’ Sanjay said, bowing elaborately. ‘I do hope your trip from Russia was not too unpleasant’.
The lady gracefully swept up her coat and got to her feet.
‘I suggest you two hurry along now, or I will halve the pay for the distress any more time wanting will cost me.’
Hastily, Sanjay swivelled around and taking me with him, left the room.
‘Run like the wind’ he muttered in the hall outside and it was all Ravi could do to keep up with Sanjay as he raced down the back alleys of the slums.
Soon the pair arrived outside a tin, ramshackle hut, gasping for breath in the chill night air.
‘Just follow my lead’ Sanjay said with a tinge of menace.
We crept through the hut into a corner of the only room, where a boy barely older than Ravi himself lay sleeping, shivering in the chill draught we had let in.Sanjay grabbed a pillow and placed it against the boys’ neck.
All too late Ravi realised what Sanjay intended to do and lunged out to stop him. But he was too late.
Sanjay fired the gun, its sound muffled by the pillow.
Shooting Ravi a thunderous look Sanjay said ‘Come on we’ve only got a few minutes before his heart is no use to the Russian lady’.
A sudden anger filled Ravi, every fibre of his body emanating indignation. His own parents had been killed by an organ trader, and with a strength fuelled by remorse and anger, Ravi knocked the gun out of Sanjay’s hands, as unbidden tears streamed down his face.
Still in an uncontrollable state, Ravi picked up the gun from the ground and shot Sanjay three times in the chest.
One shot each for his parents and sister.
Then all of a sudden Ravi came to his senses and realised what he had done. He whirled around and, feet barely touching the ground, raced out into the despondent landscape of the slums, now an outcast. Forever.