Uncle Jim

• Cassandra Taglieri, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2007

Jane was running, she was running so hard and fast, that she felt like her feet would falloff. Her heart was in her throat, her breath was heavy and shallow, Jane was terrified but still she pounded on. Her pursuer, a tall man with long, black oily hair tied back in a plait and a face so scarred it didn’t look human, was just a few meters behind her. Suddenly, the man was behind her, he had swung Jane around to face him. She could smell his putrid breath hot on her face as he looked down upon her. His wild blue eyes seemed to be seeing straight through her. Jane could feel herself passing out, slowly, slowly….
“AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!” Jane let out an ear-piercing shriek only to realize she was safe, in her room, beads of sweat dripping down her face. “Far out! That’s the fifth time this week!” Jane yelled. She let out an exasperated sigh. A quick glance at her clock told Jane it was 7:30am. “Time to take a shower,” Jane thought out loud. After a shower and eating breakfast, Jane was feeling much better.
As she walked to school, Jane was replaying the crazy dream in her head over and over again. What did it mean? Why does it happen so often? And why, Jane thought angrily, do I freak out every time? These questions buzzed around her head until the bell went for first period.
At break, Jane told her best friend Catherine everything about her bizarre dream. To Jane’s frustration however, Catherine merely said, “don’t worry about it to much.” Then after a few minutes Catherine said thoughtfully, “wait! Maybe it means your going to meet someone you’ve never met before! Like a long lost cousin or something and your scared about meeting them because…” her voice trailed off. “Because why?” urged Jane. “Because, because, jeez I don’t know Jane, it was just a theory!” snapped Catherine. The bell went so Catherine headed off to Science, while Jane trudged off to History. All lesson Jane was thinking about what Catherine had said. Maybe Catherine was right. Maybe she was about to meet someone who she wasn’t entirely keen to meet. “Everything ok Jane?” The sound of her teacher’s voice snapped Jane out of her daydream. “Oh, um, yes I’m fine thanks,” replied Jane a little embarrassed.
When Jane got home and opened the front door she found her mum sitting in the lounge room talking to someone she had never seen before. Jane froze, the stranger looked so familiar…then she realized it was the man from her dream. “Hello Jane!” her mother said brightly, “this is your uncle Jim who you’ve never met before because he live overseas.” Jane was speechless, for a moment there, her and her uncle just stared at each other. Finally Jane managed to blurt out, “hi!” in a voice unlike her own.
“Well this is lovely!” Jane’s mother said smiling, (oblivious to the fact that Jane was acting strangely) I’m going to make some coffee, while you two can get to know each other,” she bustled off into the kitchen.
“Hello Jane,” her uncle said, extending a hand. “Hi, nice to meet you.” replied Jane a little shakily, shaking the outstretched hand. “I want you to tell me everything about you,” said uncle Jim kindly. “Ok,” said Jane now feeling relieved, “where should I start?”….