Menacing Relief

• James Li, Grade 6, Sutherland Public School
• Short Story
• 2011

Excellence Award in the 'Step Write Up 2011' competition

The bubbling stopped dead. It was a comforting moment; it was a poignant moment. A solitary tear dropped from my eye, meandered down the side of my tongue to hang at the edge of my mouth. I caught it with my tongue. It tasted sickly-sweet as it suffocated the rancid smell in my breath. In an ominous rhythm of ambition and fame, the bubbling started again. Waiting, bubbling, waiting, bubbling, waiting, bubbling ... closer ... and closer still ... From the mist appeared a ghostly figure swinging a rope attached to an old-fashioned worker’s outfit.

“Do you like them?” she had asked in a gushing, blushing manner. I was at the museum to see the latest waxworks exhibit. She was a charming, young lady. Her eyes sparkled over her fresh face as her hair shone like a blazing light. I had no hesitation in accepting her invitation to see the models being made in her downstairs workshop.

It was hot downstairs. Hot and humid. Humid and moist. Moist and muggy. I decided to have a look before she came back with a brochure. The models stood – to realistic perhaps? Gradually, I began to have a nagging thought about the figures. A bird – step – a poised acrobat – step – a missing person from the newspaper? It was all a little fuzzy when realisation crept up on me like a stalker, just as the bubbling started.

With a smile of victory, the curator neared. I struggled to move: humid – steamy – young face – rope – hook – sharp edge – cut – drop rope – grab rope segments – lasso – hook – curator struggling – wait – lost control – run to edge – foot out – trip – falling ... falling ... falling ...

With a sigh of satisfaction, I scribbled a note saying that she resigned to the boss with my best fake signature.
“It was a menacing act, but was it a relief?” I said
And as I walked up those familiar stairs, my mouth curled up in a smile.