Kayla's Journey

• Shaniah Smith, Grade 3
• Short Story
• 2007

Kayla’s Journey
One creepy cold night a little girl called Kayla was lying in her bed waiting for her Mum to come home. Her mother worked at an old people’s home and her Mum comes home at eight thirty every night. At eight thirty sharp Kayla’s mother came in the door.
“Where have you been?” Kayla exclaimed. Thinking she wasn’t going to get answered.
“Kayla you should be asleep you are nine years old.”
“I know I will go to sleep now.”
As Kayla tried to go to sleep she heard a noise. She leaped out of bed and crept into the lounge room. Her mother was gone! There was a note on the coffee table. It said

Finder of this note
I have taken your mother as you can see. You will never catch me!
From Zippy Zoolarge

There was something on the back. Kayla turned the note over. It was a code. The code said 6 9 18 5 23 15 18 11 19. Kayla remembered her brother was saying that there were codes in the alphabet like 7 is g and a is 1. Now Kayla understood the code. So 6 was f and 9 was I and 18 is r. 5 was e and 23 w and there was another r. 11 is k and 19 is s. So the answer is fireworks!
Kayla realised Zippy Zoolarge had hidden her mum at the old fireworks factory. She got into some warm clothes and woke up her brother Clancy. Once Clancy had woken up he got dressed and they got ready.
As they walked up Smiley Street Clancy said “are you sure that it said fireworks?” “Positive!” exclaimed Kayla confidently. When they reached the old fireworks factory they heard a yell and a scream. Kayla and Clancy ran into the factory and they saw their mum dangling by a rope. She was screaming and Zippy Zoolarge was yelling.
Kayla’s mum was yelling “are you dangling me by a rope over boiling hot cheese?”
To make matters worse she was screaming enough to make you deaf!
Zippy Zoolarge was yelling “make her stop!!!!!!!!”
“Only if we can have her,” Clancy yelled. “Take her she is too noisy,” Zippy yelled. Just then the police burst through the doors. Zippy Zoolarge you are under arrest. Kayla and Clancy got a reward for finding Zippy Zoolarge and they all lived safely forever. Except Zippy Zoolarge!

Shaniah Smith
Fairview Primary School
New Norfolk TAS
Grade 3
Age 9