Lake Ivory

• Demitra McCarthy, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2007

One quiet night while the frogs croaked and the crickets chirped a small girl lay awake waiting for the sound of a car or bus driving by. This girl was called Ivy. She had short brown hair and blue eyes. She had two friends called Coco and Zoë. They lived on different sides of the lake but even that obstacle could not stop them from seeing each other every day when they went off to swim in the lake. One day, however, Coco didn’t show up.
Ivy and Zoë were really surprised because Coco was always there first. They checked all the good and bad hiding spots but she wasn’t hiding so they gave up. They went to Coco’s house thinking she would be there, still asleep. She wasn’t there - in fact, there was no one there.
“They must have gone on holiday and not told us,” said Zoë. “That doesn’t sound like Coco,” said Ivy then she spotted a note and this is what it said,
Dear Zoë and Ivy,
My family has moved to Sweet Forest. I’m afraid that I will never see you again but you will get letters every so often. Good-bye but not forever I hope.
Love from Coco.
Ivy and Zoë could not believe that their friend, Coco, could do this to them. Then Ivy looked at the three little letters in the corner of the letter, “‘P.T.O.’ ZOË TURN THE LETTER OVER!” “What?” said Zoë. “Turn it over!” repeated Ivy. Zoë turned it over to find an address and another message: 42 Fortune Square, Sweet Forest, Mt Lola.
Don’t tell any one I’m coming back to pick you two up for a stay if you can.
It had been two days since they got the letter. They had packed and were waiting in their front gardens for the roar of Coco’s motorbike so they could get on their’s to leave with her! Vvvvvoooooommm! A motor bike came zooming up.
The rider was screaming, “Let’s get this party started.” “Well, she hasn’t lost her luster,” said Zoë, rolling her eyes. “Let’s go!” said Ivy and they were off at 100 kilometres an hour! It was great to see Coco but why didn’t Coco want any one to know!
“Hey Coco! What part of the forest do you live in!” screamed Ivy, over the roar of the wind. “You’ll see!” replied Coco, with a grin.
Three hours later they came to a large house with a rose garden complete with a fountain. Outside the house was a small girl, no older than six, playing with a red ball. Ivy, Coco and Zoë hopped off their bikes, brushed the dead bugs off themselves and went over to the girl who had just noticed them at the gate.
“Coco!” she squealed and ran over to hug Coco. “Your house is great but don’t you miss the lake?” said Zoë. “Yeah but we can always have a sleep over.”