A Narrow Escape

• Faizah Alam, Grade 5, Presbyterian Ladies College
• Short Story
• 2011

Excellence Award in the 'Step Write Up 2011' competition

Tara threw the battered ball into the midst of the tall citrus trees, full with ripe yellow and orange baubles.

“Go get it Sam!” she encouraged her German Sheppard.

Wolfing with joy, the lively dog raced after the ball, weaving through the trees. Halfway there, Sam stopped and stood immobile, sniffed at the air curiously. Tara stopped to look around wondering what had stopped her normally boisterous dog.

Sam jerked his head forwards, and there on the pink horizon, snarled lines of smoke clouded up, rapidly growing into a thick cloud. Tara was on her feet at once, her face pale. She recognised that sign. Her Mum had taught her what it had meant when she was five. There was a bushfire!

“Come on Sam!” she called, “We need to save the horses!”
Growling, Sam raced as fast as his long and nimble legs would let him, towards the horse’s paddock.

“Great!” Tara muttered sarcastically, “Mum and Dad couldn’t have chosen a better time to go out!”

Tara unlatched the gate of the stable. The horses immediately bolted out the gates, in no particular direction.

She dared a glance behind her. The fire crackled, devouring everything like a starving beast. It seemed to hesitate for a few seconds. Then it skated forwards twice as fast. Tara became as white as a ghost, trembling with fear.

Sam nudged her and she quickly overcame her terror.
“Okay, Sam. I think I’ve got an idea…” she rasped, “Round up the horses!”
Letting out a bark, Sam did what he was asked, rounded up the horses away from the fire. Tara jumped onto Twilight, the leader of the horses on her farm.
Twisting on Twilight, she told Sam to follow.

Tara cantered Twilight towards the river, galloping like the wind. Sam bounded along, making sure the other horses were following. Twilight reared up as Tara kept going into the river. He shook his head and snorted, as if to ask if she had gone mad.
“Come on Twilight. The fire’s nearly on us. Get into the water!” Tara cooed. She slipped off Twilight’s back into the waist deep water, her hand firmly tugging on Twilight’s mane.

Whining in fear, the horses had to go into the water, as Sam growled at them, snapping dangerously close to their hooves. When the last horse was in the water, a nearby tree suddenly fell down, bursting into flames, lighting another fire. The air was thick with a black, sooty cloud, making it difficult to breathe.
“Come on Sam!” Tara screamed and waded into the water towards her panic-stricken dog. Sam let out a howl as a hot bark landed on his back, burning a pink patch into his fur. At the last minute, Tara pulled him back, though her hand also burnt from the flaming bark.

The main fire got near the water extinguishing, diminished against the water’s power.
“We did it!” Tara hugged Sam, not caring about her burnt hand, “We saved the horses and ourselves!”