The Flames Of Rebirth

• Ian Cormick, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2010

DING-DONG! The sound of the bells echoed across the whole valley from the kinglake church where hundreds had gathered on the first anniversary of Australia's worst natural disaster. Over 200 mourners had arrived since the church had opened it's doors at 9:00am that morning and now, as the church bells signalled midday, one of the many ceremonies, official and otherwise, began.
As the 173 butterflies were released, one for every man, woman and child who'd died on that horrific day, many began to sob quietly into the nearest shoulder. No-one objected because they knew that they, and all of Australia, had been united on that merciless day when something in heaven must have snapped...
Several hours later Jacob Hiderman sat in the front seat of his family's new car, bought, along with their house and many of their other possesions, through the generosity of the Australian public. In his eleven years of life Jacob had felt more pain and grief than many people four times his age. Today, as the memories flooded back, memories of his wonderful father who had perished in that horrendous firestorm, his face, his mother's and the faces of his younger siblings, Mary and Simon, had been flooded with tears and even now, an hour into their drive home, were tear-stained.
As they pulled into their driveway, deep in a section of the Mallee which had avoided the destruction areas around it had received, the radio suddenly burst to life. "This is a warning for persons in the Mallee. A fire has begun and is heading towards Crescent Stream!" Jacob and his family gasped! Crescent Stream was only 500m away! Looking up Jacob saw smoke billowing up close by. All of a sudden the trees across the paddock burst into flame! In the distance sirens wailed but they would arrive too late. Praying for a miracle Jacob collapsed, sobbing. It was all over. Like his father Jacob would be consumed in flame. Jacob's nose twitched, and he shuddered.That sound, that pitter-patter, and that damp musty smell, Jacob lifted his head, wondering if the impossibl was about to happen. As he raised hi eyes to heaven the sky parted and what seemed like a torrent of water poured from the clouds which had been pushed to the rescue by the same deadly wind which had killed Jacob's father. Jacob raised his hands to the sky, then threw back his head and laughed. He stood ther under a rainbow for all to see; the boy who'd survived.