Last Moments

• Zahra Ali, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2013

Final moments

This is the story of four chickens and one fateful day………..

Fufu’s story

It was a warm day. The whole family was out and it was just us four left. Nawar, Sukar, Jawza and I. We went down to the bottom of the garden and started uprooting worms and disturbing the autumn leaves.

After a while I heard a rustle of leaves behind me, a rustle too large for a chicken. I sprang up sensing danger.

It was a fox, murder in his eyes. I began to run. The fox made his move, surging forward with a jump. His jaws clamped tightly onto my open wing, his teeth ripping through the protective cover of feathers and skin and exposing the flesh and blood. He now began to pull and shake me, making the agony traveling through my body unbearable. The fox continued to shake, until slowly my wing ripped. As my body flew in an arch towards the ground, I gave one last piercing shriek, a warning to the other three.

Jawza’s story

All I can do is watch Fufu hit the ground, unmoving, her eyes like glass, her beak still open yet silent. I can only stand and watch as the fox drops her wing and turns towards me. He lunges suddenly aiming for my throat. I sidestep his attack and launch my own, pecking repeatedly on his head. Though I drew blood, the fox just shrugs my pecking away. Then with surprising speed his head snaps round, his teeth sinking into my throat. I gasp in shock, unable to grasp the fact that I am dying in the jaws of a fox.

Sukar’s story

Nawar and I saw take her last shuddering breath between the fox’s jaws. I was rooted to the spot watching the grotesque scene unfold. Nawar nudged me away and urged me to run toward our home. We are usually safe inside our home, a wooden structure covered in chook wire that has everything a hen needs. Together we stumbled through the door and flopped down onto the floor.

“We’re safe” I breathed in relief. Nawar didn’t answer. “Nawar?” I looked up and I was surprised to see that she was pale under her feathers.

“We’re far from safe” she uttered, “The door…….. I forgot about closing it.” I followed her gaze outside, the fox was almost at the door and neither of us had enough energy to fly up to the sleeping perch. Nawar stood in front to try and protect me. The fox ignored her and went straight for me. Before I could move, his claws dug into my chest. An instant killing stroke.

Nawar’s story

It is the end. I don’t stand a chance, not with all the others killed so easily. I just hope it will end quickly. But as the fox tears open my chest, I realize that he has other plans for me. He is going to eat me………….
……Alive.