Sixteen Moons

• Sara Jovanovic, Grade 6, St Paul's Anglican Grammar School
• Short Story
• 2013

Excellence Award in the 'Dream Big 2013' competition

My hand was bleeding a river, an ocean. An ocean of fear and regret as my eyes and heart faded with my memory. I felt like I had the world resting on my shoulders but it was now beneath my feet as everything I stood for, everything I believed in, fell, slipping, through the icy fingers of despair. Nothing could be saved, not even pride as the doors to reality slowly opened and with its fiery grip dragged my heart, mind and soul away from belief, fantasy, love and me. As I reached into my red pocket drenched in blood I pulled out a piece of paper which read:
Faith, Hope, Trust, Belief, Spirit and Love will come to you.
You must let it.
I slipped it back into my pocket and I put my arm behind my back pushing me off the ground as a support as I tried to stand without using my bleeding left hand. When I finally stood I could not believe the damage the people of Sixteen Moons had caused to our beloved city. They had spared no one, not even the people who would prove useful to them. I know what you must be thinking but Sixteen Moons is a place, not literally sixteen moons. The city’s ruler is an evil man with powers beyond belief, his name is Drake. His people had destroyed our land out of pure greed and pride.
Smoke still floods the land sweeping away joy and happiness and replacing it with darkness and hatred. Fear filled me, but at this point I was glad that it had because I didn’t want other emotions to break out, at least not yet. As my watery eyes scanned the city now in ruins I fell to my throbbing knees in horror and astonishment. As I thought for a moment I began to wonder why I was so surprised at the fact that my life had been destroyed before my eyes, but I just stood there, maybe that was what surprised me. I have never been particularly judgmental or proud of ridiculous things and I would usually do what I feel is right so I guess it was a surprise in a sense. Pride. Its an interesting subject that can become confusing quickly. Whether you have it or not does not make you a bad person.
A slight drizzle began which lead to a near storm and I had not moved from my position yet. I was now breaking down into icy regret. I laid down on my back as the jagged stones and debris dug into my back and legs. As my eyes wandered the sky I ran my thoughts through my head and I studied the icy fog slowly rising revealing the remains of what were houses but were now just walls masking destruction and distress.
An explanation is in order; the village where I am from was in combat with the Sixteen Moons village. Why you may ask, I have no idea. The two rulers over the villages are quite arrogant creatures of greed and power. Anyway long story short the people of Sixteen Moons were forced to destroy our village. And so they did.
The story of our beloved village will forever live on in the memory of thousands. I will avenge my people and show Drake what I’m made of.
I won’t give up hope.