Tales Can Be True

• Alissa De Sensi, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2007

Tales Can Be True

A few years ago it happened, the biggest and scariest event of my life. My name is Corey and I live in South Africa. I’m about to tell you about an event in my life that I will never, ever forget!

One time, when I was 12, I went to the zoo. It was amazing. It had all the animals from anteaters to zebras. I was astonished and fascinated so I decided I would go to the zoo more often. I started to go there more often, but one day when I went to leave the zoo it felt like something was pulling me, like the zoo was trying to keep me from getting out! I went home and told my mum and dad about my experience! They looked shocked! They looked as if they had seen a ghost. My mum said “Sit down, we need to tell you something about that zoo.” I sat down and listened with interest. “When the zoo was first built a man named Bob went to feed the lions....”
“Yeah! So, what does this have to do with what happened earlier!” I interrupted.
Mum looked at me sternly and said, “I wasn’t finished! Anyway, like I was saying…Bob, he…well…he never came back, he disappeared, and now everybody says that he haunts the place!” A shiver went down my back, I wanted to investigate this further.

The next morning I went down to the zoo to do some detective work. When I arrived it looked like the zoo was closed, but it still had an open sign, so I went in. It was strange, nobody was there. Suddenly a lady popped out from nowhere and said “If I was you I would leave now like me, if you don’t then stay at least ten metres away from the cages!” I turned to ask why but the lady was gone, I swear she was there one second and gone the next. I had to think long and hard about going or staying, but eventually I decided to keep going with my detective work and that is when things started to get scary!

I took the lady’s advice and kept ten metres away from the cages. The thing is, now I know why she said that, because if those bars weren’t there the lions would’ve shredded me to pieces and gobbled me up. I kept walking until I saw a door that was slightly ajar. I went in and I almost fainted at what I saw. It was a ghost!! I screamed and then ran. The ghost lashed out at me!! I ran even faster, but the ghost was catching up. It grabbed my arms, looked me in the eyes and said“ Look, my name is Bob and you need to get two hotdogs, some spices and sugar, hurry before it’s too late!” I was confused, but I knew I had to get these things. I raced down to the shop, got the things and went back to the zoo. When I arrived, Bob grabbed the stuff and ate it. Slowly he changed back to colour. He was human again. He said,“ Thanks!” then ran off. I wonder if I had dreamt it, but know I didn’t!

From that day on the zoo has been closed and I never want to go to another zoo again!!




THE END