Edible MArshmallow Pillows

• Isobel Austin-andrews, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2010

Mel woke from her hospital bed with a start. Friends and family engulfed her in a wave of excitement. “Happy birthday!!”
They cried, “Enjoy your presents!” The tall one, whose name was Rita, handed her a humongous pink pillow. Mel’s eyes widened. What would she do with it? What even was it?
“It’s and edible marshmallow pillow,” Said Rita with a laugh, “read the packet, I was hoping it would make you feel better, you know, being stuck with disgusting hospital food.”
“Thanks.” Replied Mel vaguely. Something strange was happening to her. Something she had never experienced.
Every colour of the rainbow swirled before her, and all humans other than Mel faded away into nothing. The colours tickled her. She laughed and squirmed with glee. Red, yellow, purple-
They were like silk scarves. But then they changed. They were snakes, biting her, hurting her. “No!” She cried, almost out of breath. “Stop!”
Eventually they halted, and Mel was dying.
On the journey to her death, she spent:
• 20 days waiting in line
• 8 days with jetlag
• 7 months feeling like she’d forgotten something really important
• 2 hours confused, not knowing what was happening to her.
• 1 day regretting that she hadn’t stuck the finger up at that stupid policeman
• 1 year sick in bed and feeling frustrated that she couldn’t get up and do things for herself
But there were good things, too. She spent:
• 1 day doing whatever she pleased
• 50 days waking up and realising it’s her birthday
• 40 years opening presents
• 40 years giving presents
• 2 months worrying but knowing that everything was going to be okay
• 3 weeks of compliments
At the end of all that, she was given an edible marshmallow pillow for the 7-hour trip to the underworld.