On The Move

• Kate Curtis, Grade 6, Elmhurst Primary School
• Short Story
• 2011

Excellence Award in the 'Step Write Up 2011' competition

I’m panting, I’m sweating. I duck into the closet alleyway. I peek around the corner to see if Scott’s still coming. He’s bolting towards me. I quickly duck back into the alleyway and look around. There’s a bin! It may smell but it’s my only way to escape. I dive into the trash. Scott Madison’s shadow looms around the corner into the alleyway.

Suddenly my eyes snap open. My room is bright with sunshine. My alarm clock is blaring our familiar tunes. I stumble out to the kitchen thinking the day won’t be worse than my dream.

I can sense something strange is happening because mum has made pancakes. Mum only makes pancakes on birthdays. So something is definitely going on.

“It’s not fair!” I whine to Sally bashing my head against my locker. “I’m not moving to New Zealand, it’s too far away.” As we walk into French class we plan to meet at my house after school to save me from leaving.

When Sally and I arrive home mum is packing. My older sister Amie is on the phone to her best friend, so the house is pretty hectic. Sally and I grab some cookies and run for my room before we get asked to help pack.

“You could always live with me” Sally suggested walking up the stairs.” Or I could come and live with you in New Zealand.” We collapse on my bed. “Well can’t you just beg your mum?” pleaded Sally. “I’ll just have to beg,” I agreed. Sally groaned.

I raced down the stairs. I started to yell. “Mum we can’t go to New Zealand!” I stop and stared. There are two strangers in our house. Sally comes racing down the stairs and stops next to me. The two men have tattoos all over them. I start to get a bad feeling.

After about an hour or so I calm down and stop yelling. The strangers have gone. Amie’s just comes down from her room to see what the racket is. After a few minutes of utter silence I say to mum “How could you sell our house to those men? They’ve got tattoos all over their body. You never know what they’ll do to our house.” “Just because they look like bad people doesn’t mean they are. Their names are Scott and Madison.”

My body freezes. I go cold and white.

“Who?” I stammer.

By Kate Curtis
Grade 6
Aged 11
Elmhurst Primary School