That Small Cloud

• Keira Hoschke, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2014

“Come on Charlie, Let’s go!” it was such a beautiful day we had to go for a walk. I grabbed the sandy leash and finally got it around Charlie’s neck. He was so excited; I mean I would be too - after being cramped up all winter. The sun’s warm glow hit my back I miss spring I thought. Why couldn’t it be spring all year round, all the flowers blooming, birds chasing in the trees, people finally coming out from their hiding holes.
“Hey Mr Jefferies” I waved; Mr Jefferies was an old man, very sweet though. “Wow!” I stopped to see this amazing flower that I’d never seen before, bright red with a white tongue, beautiful. I’d better look that up when I get home. I looked up for the first time since autumn and saw one small very dark cloud in the sky. That’s strange? The little cloud seemed to be growing very rapidly, we’d better keep walking I thought, “Charlie, come on”. He wouldn’t budge I pulled the leash and snapped him out of his trance. We kept walking, I couldn’t help myself, I had to keep watching, that little cloud. It had tripled its size in two minutes. I knew something was up - I felt it.
After five more minutes the little cloud had almost covered the whole sky. We’d best be getting back I thought, I think it’s going to rain, but I knew that something else was going on “AHHHHH” it sounded like an old woman screaming. I’d started to run what’s going on? No one was on the streets and all the curtains of every house were closed. More screaming - except this time it sounded more like five people; the screams kept getting louder. I found my- self running as fast as I could, I was almost home. God my heart was going fast, I was out of breath I was so scared! Come on almost there!
A white flash past in front of me “WHAT WAS THAT! CHARLIE NOT NOW!” he wouldn’t move, he was barking his head off, the white flash passed again, I went into a ball, covered my ears and closed my eyes, why me? Everything went quiet; I looked up what’s going on? The white figure passed again, accept this time it was across the road. I stood up, it was just looking at me it, it was hard to tell but it looked like a boy about my age, who are you? He was my height with deep black eyes.
Just looking at each other I saw that he looked so afraid, even more than me. Charlie stopped barking and started pulling. I lost my grip and let go of his lead, he bolted. I wanted to run too but my legs wouldn’t move. Help! my mind said. The boy started to move, towards me! Fast! “HELP!” I yelled. I woke up - heart pounding, head aching, just a dream.