I Can't Remember

• Kyhla Malaspina, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2011

The sound of the train felt so distant as flash backs of my dream holiday replayed over and over in my head. Although the train was moving fast, I could see everything in slow motion. The breeze hitting the grass and making it dance in the wind, me flying through the air with the explosion of fire behind me, the leaves hanging off the swaying trees, me lying their hopelessly on the gravel road, dust, rubble and hot ashes falling around my bruised body. They were falling onto my dripping wounds. As I slowly fade out of my daydream and come back to the leaves outside the train.
Still in slow motion I can one individual leaf being shaken out of a tree by the strong wind. Twisting and swaying in the air slowly reaching the ground. That’s where it all began, I can’t remember it all... only enough for an idea about what happened, I was watching a leaf, till it hit the water, I think, I can’t remember.
My family had been holidaying in Queensland. We had booked a tour for that day. We were off to NSW to check out some look outs and some rainforests.
We had stopped at several lookouts and short bushwalks already. It was all gorgeous, green everywhere, the birds, the constant sound of the fresh water flowing. After lunch we were off to the Natural Arch, I couldn’t wait.
I was first off the bus, phone in my hand already on camera made, I intended to get as much footage and photos as possible. We had passed a number of little lakes and streams; they were so peaceful and pretty. I loved it. It was green everywhere. The dense, humid air made you feel like you were in the middle of the Amazon, it was amazing.
When we got down to the bottom it was even more amazing. The water rushed of the cliff and hit the pool of water at the bottom before continuing the flow up stream. I wanted to go further into the rocks but mum had already warned me about leaving her sight.
Everyone was leaving but I stayed behind. I was about to take one last picture, then I saw it. That single leaf in slow motion. My eyes caught it just before it fell. I remember it so clearly. It fell and drifted through the breezeless air. Slowly twisting and turning. I watched it until it hit the water. When it did, it was as if it was floating but only for a split second then it was off again. About two seconds later it was out of my sight.
I didn’t relies but I had gone way too far into the rocks. I heard a noise and quickly turned only to see a man with his face covered by beanie. As I gasped I felt a hand cover my mouth then the dark, stinging pain of chloroform. After that, like I said I can’t remember.