The Firebird

• Jasmin James, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2007

I could see my icy breath as I ran through the empty street. I don't know where I was running or why but my feet would not stop and so I kept running. At that moment I felt the ground rumble beneath me and the pavement began to crack revealing a giant abiss shrowded in darkness. Unable to move I stood there looking up in awe as a magnificiant tree grew up out of the abiss. All of a sudden I was blinded by a yellow light that lifted the darkness. It was then I realised that it was the rising sun was reflecting off the golden leaves of the anchient tree. The leaves began to fall and a strainge soft voice spoke to me and said,
"The tree is sighing,
As golden leaves are falling,
Golden tears they fall."

At that moment the sun exploded and tiny sparks of red and orange floted down to earth and merged into a magestic bird with wings of fire illuminating the sky with it's brilliance. The fire bird flew down and pearched on the lowest branch of the ainchent tree. It was then that the voice spoke again.

"With wings of fire bright,
It's cry sounds through the darkness,
It shall sing no more."

At that moment the fire bird started to sing. It was like nothing I had ever heard before. It's sweet song filled my heart with joy and happiness as tears of sadness streamed down my face, for I knew a gift this precious came with a price. Then the song stopped and I waited. I knew something was about to happen. Then I heard it. Distant at first then It grew so loud I thort my head would explode. Then there was nothing.

I woke up gasping for air unable to move. My quivering hand reached out for the glass of water on my bedside table. I gulped down the water so fast that the cold liquid stung my throat. I have the same dream every night. I don't know why or what it means. All I know is that each night without fail it comes, always the same. It has been this way for the last two months. I wiped the cold sweat of my forehead and crawled out of bed to face another day. I opened the curtains on the far side of my tiny room which was now engulfed in sunshine. I pulled on some black jenes and my white school shirt, tied my long brown hair in a messy ponytail and headed downstairs. Mum was already up and was washing the plates from last night's dinner. I sat down at the table and poured the co co pops mum had left out for me into my bowl. I had been tempted to tell her about my dream but secretly worried that she would take me to a sciciatrist. I glanced up a the battered clock nearly having a heat attack when I saw the time. I was one hour late for school!
I nearly fell out of my chair in shock but then I remembered that that clock was broken so I took a deep breath and checked my mobile in my pocket. I had plenty of time but I might as well get there sooner rather than later.

I trudged out the door and started walking down the neverending rows of seemingly identical houses that made up Moss Grove Estate. I rounded the corner that lead out onto the intersection on the outskirts of town. I was already out of breath and was overpowered by a strainge sensation in my arms and legs. It lasted for about two minutes then faded. This happens alot lately. I kept walking exillerated by a sudden burst of energy. I stared down at the cracked sidewalk. I hated that story I was told as a child. I remember some of the kids in my class telling me, "Don't step on a crack or you'll break your mother's back". However with my natrually careing nature I never did step on a crack. It's not that I believed them It's just I didn't want to tempt fate.

I was approaching school now. During class I couldn't concentrate. The words my teachers spoke were being drowened out by sudden flashes of my dream. I could see the fire bird again. I was so close I thort I could rach out and touch it. I out streched my hand but I was awwoken by a sudden wave of pain in my head. It was exploding. I heard someone screaming then I realised It was me. My eyes opened and I was staring up at a sea of faces looking at me in horror. I rolled over and vometed on my teachers shoe. I was scared. Then I drifted back to sleep. I could hear the voice again. It said, "I will be waiting for you and we shall fly to the heavens together".

I opened my eyes again but this time seeing a new crowed of people looking down at me. They were all wearing white coats with cold expressions on their face. They left my in a half state of consciousness to go outside. As I looked around this alian room I could hear hushed voices speaking beyond the door. My head was throbbing and my hands were shaking. I then realised I was In hospital. Later that day mum came to visit. She had aged overnight as she looked down at me with a frightened expression. she colapsed in a chair by the wall and started to sob. She looked at me with eyes that were filled with sorrow. "Why am I here?", I croacked. My mother didn't speak. She continued to search my face as if she were memorising it. Then the doctor walked in. I was then told that I had a brain tumor. Everything whent blank. I must have passed out again.

A few weeks past and I whent back home and pretended nothing was wrong along with everyone else. My life had turned into a game. I game wich I would eventually loose. A few weeks turned into a few months and before I knew it a year had passed. Up until today my life had been a blur. I had been in and out of hospital constantly and with each passing day I could feel my body crumbling from the inside. Last night I had the dream for the last time. It went the same as it always did. But then I realised that this dream was about me. the tree is my life and its golden leaves are the tears shed by the people who love me and will miss me when I'm gone and I am the fire bird who brings light to their life for a short time before singing my final song. And finally the deafening sound is my illness coming to drown the flickering light of the fire bird. But this dream is different because this time I don't wake up. This time I hear the strainge voice for the last time. I follow the voice as the light fades away.