Perspective

• Hannah Wolverton, Grade 7, Darling Downs Christian School
• Short Story
• 2011

Excellence Award in the 'Step Write Up 2011' competition

Lights flashed, sirens blared! Two ambulances zoomed past us. Bewildered, we turned the corner where we saw the ambulances screech to a halt. In the middle of the road, a truck was parked awkwardly. Instantly, we knew someone had been hit. Curiously we drove past. Sure enough we saw someone lying on the road directly in front of the truck. Although we couldn’t see much, because of all the people crouching around to attend the accident victim. I glanced at Mum in horror! Then we saw the Channel 9 News camera filming on the side of the road. Forgetting the situation, I smiled and waved enthusiastically at the camera. Then realising what I had done I said to Mum, “How rude I am! People are going to watch the news tonight and say, What a rude little girl, smiling and waving at a tragic accident!” Mum laughed. She told me that the tint of the window would block my face. I was sooooo relieved.

On arriving home, Mum told me to have a shower before tea. As I skipped down the hallway towards the shower, SPLAT! I slipped on a piece of clothing (that was sadly left there my none other than me!) and well... you wouldn’t believe what happened next. I looked at my finger, it was all bent out of shape. Intense pain suddenly shot up my finger. I screamed loudly. My sister Sydney, thought it was very funny. Mum jumped into action, bundling me up and putting me into the car, we raced off to the hospital. While I was sitting in the hospital waiting room I happened to see the accident on the news.

The next thing I knew was that I was being whisked away to be x-rayed. Sitting in my seat outside the x-ray room, I looked up and saw a trolley bed being wheeled out; and guess who was in it? None other than the accident victim I had seen on both the road and the news! I was appalled at the sight of her. She had lacerations and abrasions all over her face. Big smears of blood covered her body. Her neck was in a brace making her look stiff. Really stiff. She looked almost dead! I looked back at my finger and wondered why I was even here.