Knight In Rusted Armour

• Dominic Barr, Grade 5
• Poetry
• 2012

Simon leapt up. He had finally finished the last level of his favourite video game!
“SIMON! HURRY UP!” Toby’s energetic call came through the lounge room like a boom box on full blast, disturbing Simon from his celebration.
“C’mon, let’s go! You promised we would go to the house at the end of the street!”
Yes, Simon had promised Toby they would go there today. But he had agreed reluctantly. He didn’t want to go there but he knew he had to or Toby would threaten him with his ‘lethal’ three-inch water pistol, or so he called it. Simon rolled out of his chair and the two brothers quietly slipped out of the door.
When they approached the house, it seemed creepier than it looked from their window. Toby flinched as they got closer to the gate.
He opened the large black gates outside the house. There was a loud creak. Just as they went through, a wind picked up and slammed the gates shut.
Toby and Simon looked at each other, frightened.
“We need to find the key for it,” Simon said.
They stepped inside the house.
“We should start looking for the key,” Toby said.
“OK,” Simon replied. “Maybe...WOAH!”
Just then, a strong wind like the power of ten tornadoes picked up, flinging the two brothers across the lounge room and sending all the furniture in the room to Toby and Simon’s end of the room, causing a pile-up on them. They both blacked out.
Ding dong, ding dong...
The brothers woke up to the sound of a grandfather clock. As Toby tried to get up, he saw a glint on the other side of the room.
“The key! The key, Simon. We found it!” He struggled to get out of the pile and walked over to it. He picked the key up and put it in his pocket. Simon groaned and stretched his arms out, still lying down. Then suddenly the glass window shattered into pieces which fell to the floor. Simon sat bolt upright.
“Did you see that?” Simon sounded panicky.
“Yeah. Forget it. At least we found the key. Let’s explore other rooms now.” Toby replied. They entered a hall. Standing along the walls were life-size knight figures. Toby and Simon suddenly felt tense. Then there was a clang from behind them. They turned around. Suddenly one of the knights lunged at them. His armour was rusted. It grabbed the two brothers...

“Honey, you’re sweating!” Simon’s mum was leaning over him. Simon woke up alarmingly.
“Bad dream,” He got up quickly and looked out his window. There was a new house at the end of the street, with big black gates. Strange. He had never noticed it before.
Then Toby came into the room. He walked over to where Simon was standing and saw the house.
“Wanna go there tomorrow, Simon?” Toby asked.
“Er...”
“I’ll shoot you with my water pistol if you say no.”
“WHAT?! You’re kidding me.”