Zorro

• Abbie Roche, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2013

ZORRO IS 10 YEARS OLD AND HE IS A BLACK LABRADOR, LIVING IN SYDNEY WITH THE CAMERON FAMILY. MR CAMERON WAS A PILOT WITH THE AIR FORCE AND HE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AWAY FROM HIS FAMILY, MRS CAMERON AND THEIR TWO CHILDREN AVERY WHO IS 13 AND JETT WHO IS 11. MR CAMERON BROUGHT ZORRO HOME WHEN HE WAS 6 WEEKS OLD. IT WAS A SURPRISE FOR AVERY AND JETT, WHO MISSED THEIR DAD WHEN HE WAS AWAY. ZORRO WAS A GOOD WATCH DOG AND MRS CAMERON WOULD SPOIL ZORRO WITH SPECIAL TREATS AND WOULD ALSO LET HIM SLEEP INSIDE THE HOUSE DURING WINTER. BOTH AVERY AND JETT PLAYED WITH ZORRO EVERY AFTERNOON AFTER SCHOOL, AND THEY USED TO TAKE ZORRO TO ALL THE SOCCER AND NETBALL GAMES ON THE WEEKEND. HE WAS A VERY SPECIAL MEMBER OF THE CAMERON FAMILY. EVERY TIME THAT JETT HAD HIS TURN FOR SHOW AND TELL AT SCHOOL, HE ALWAYS GOT MRS CAMERON TO BRING ZORRO IN TO MEET THE CLASS.
ONE DAY MR CAMERON CAME HOME FROM WORK AFTER BEING AWAY FOR THREE WEEKS. HE TOLD HIS FAMILY THAT HE HAD BEEN OFFERED A NEW JOB IN CANBERRA AND IT WOULD MEAN THAT THE FAMILY WOULD NEED TO MOVE HOUSES AND ALSO CHANGE SCHOOLS. MR CAMERON WAS VERY SURPRISED THAT EVERYONE AGREED TO MOVE BUT ONLY IF ZORRO COULD COME.
MR AND MRS CAMERON SPENT A FEW DAYS IN CANBERRA SEARCHING FOR THE RIGHT HOUSE. WHEN THEY FOUND IT, THEY PLANNED TO LEAVE ZORRO WITH THE NEIGHBOURS FOR A WEEK SO THEY COULD MOVE THEIR THINGS TO THE NEW HOUSE AND SETTLE IN BEFORE BRINGING ZORRO.
IT WAS A VERY SAD DAY FOR AVERY AND JETT WHEN THEY SAID GOODBYE TO ZORRO. THEY FELT THEY WOULD NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN, BUT THEY KNEW IT WOULD ONLY BE A WEEK OR SO BEFORE HE WOULD MOVE IN WITH THEM.
ZORRO MISSED THE CAMERON FAMILY SO MUCH. HE WOULD STAND AT THEIR GATE AND WHINE. HE WAS REALLY SAD THAT HE WASN’T WITH HIS FAMILY, EVEN THOUGH HIS DOG SITTER TRIED TO MAKE HIM HAPPY. ZORRO WOULDN’T EAT HIS DINNER AND WOULD SIT AT THE GATE ALL DAY. BEC WOKE UP ONE MORNING SAW THE FRONT GATE OPEN AND ZORRO WAS GONE. SHE SEARCHED EVERYWHERE AND THEN RANG THE CAMERONS TO LET THEM KNOW. MR CAMERON AND AVERY DROVE TO SYDNEY, BUT AFTER SEARCHING FOR TWO DAYS FOR HIM AND RINGING THE RSPCA, THEY DECIDED TO GO HOME. AVERY CRIED ALL THE WAY HOME, AND JETT WAS SO UPSET, HE DIDN’T TALK AND REFUSED TO GO TO SCHOOL. MRS CAMERON WAS ALSO VERY SAD BECAUSE ZORRO MADE HER FEEL VERY SAFE WHEN MR CAMERON WAS AWAY.
THREE DAYS LATER JETT WAS SITTING IN FRONT OF TV WHEN HE HEARD A DOG BARK. HE RACED TO THE FRONT DOOR AND IT WAS ZORRO. THEY HAVE NO IDEA HOW HE FOUND HIS WAY TO HIS NEW HOME, BUT WERE HAPPY TO BE A FAMILY AGAIN.