The Shack

• Charlie Warren, Grade 2, Norwood Primary School
• Short Story
• 2010

Finalist in the 'Something With Bite 2010' competition

There was once a little shack that was so snuggled into the dunes that you could only see its little chimney poking out above the cutting sags. It was a ricketty old shack, an old fisherman lived in it.

The shack had cracks in the windows, the little front verandah had boards missing, and there was a hole in the roof that the old man plugged up with one of his old fishing bags.

Even though it was nothing fancy the old fisherman just loved that little shack. With his pot belly stove puffing away in the corner and his hot pot of tea boiling on top, it was cosy and warm and it was his home.

The sound of the waves lapping against the shore was comforting for the old fisherman. He would sit and listen to the waves for hours remembering all the wonderful fishing adventures he had as a young man.

His fingers too crippled with arthritis to hold a rod now but in his early days he would go out to sea fishing for days at a time and come back and sell his fish at the fish market in the little village around the other end of the bay.

He remembers one fishing trip when he caught a massive Marlin. He hooked it and it took him 2 days to finally haul it in close enough to get it into the boat. The Marlin had dragged his boat so far out so sea that it took him 4 days to get back to shore.

Everyone in the fishing village thought something had happened to the fisherman.

When he finally arrived back, the village people held a celebration for him, they cooked the Marlin and it was so big that it fed the whole village.

He only has his memories now, but as he sits in silence listening to the waves roll in there is a smile on his face as he relives his life adventures in his wise old mind.