DANGER! NO TRESPASSING!

• Shreya Anand, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2013

DANGER! NO TRESSPASSING!


DANGER! NOTRESSPASSING! I stared at the big sign in front of me. My heart skipped a beat. “Take in some deep breaths and stay cool,” I whispered to myself. I wouldn’t have had to do this if it weren’t for my very annoying sister, Emma. I told her specifically not to go walking alone, but as usual she didn’t listen to me. When I had found out that she was gone, I was so frustrated. I then had to go looking for her. After a while I found her footsteps and I followed them. I followed them up to this sign, but they kept going right to the other side of the barbed fence. That was just like her.

I squeezed myself through the wire receiving only a few cuts and scratches. Still following her footprints, I came to a point where some bigger footprints approached hers. These footsteps seemed to be really big, in fact it didn’t even look like a humans’. I looked ahead but there were no more of Emma’s footprints, just the bigger ones. I guessed that this big-footed thing had taken her away. Suddenly I heard a twig crack behind me. Slowly, I turned my head and there it was, the angriest bear I’ve ever seen and worse, it seemed to be very hungry.

I ran for my life, taking many twists and turns here and there, trying to confuse the bear and get rid of it. I used up all the adrenalin I had in me and run to a small and narrow alley. My heart was beating so hard it hurt and I thought it would beat itself out of me. At least I had got rid of the bear. I tried to calm my breath down because I was panting loudly and the bear was still roaming around looking for me. When I came back to my senses I asked myself quietly, “Did that bear eat my sister? Or did she go through what I just did and the bear had covered her tracks by his footprints and I didn’t notice them?” Sweat was pouring down my face but I just impatiently wiped them off my face as I was thinking hard about the possibilities.

“Achoo!” I jumped. At first I thought that the sneeze was from the bear but soon I realized that it sounded more like a human. A human that seemed very close to me. I jumped up quietly and started looking around me. “Achoo!” Once again the same sneeze was heard. I looked at a small barrel. That was where the noise came from. “Emma?” I hissed. “Is that you?” I asked hoping the bear couldn’t hear me. “Aiden? Yeah it’s me. Can you help me get out? I’m kind of stuck.” Emma’s voice made me feel like jumping around like a madman, but of course I didn’t. I helped Emma get out of the tight barrel. Then, hand in hand we ran for our lives once more.

For a second, I actually stopped and thought I was dreaming. Emma started dragging me across but I just shook her off. I pinched myself and nothing happened. Glancing behind me I saw that the bear wasn’t far behind us. So I gave up the idea that I was dreaming. When the barbed wire came into our view, I shoved Emma through the fence, ignoring her cries of pain. I followed her through and we both ran and didn’t stop until we reached our house. In the end, Emma blamed me for everything!


Written by Shreya Anand