Nerf Wars

• Morgan Arnold, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2014

Nerf Wars

Ada, Morgan and their friends were upstairs messing around, while their brothers and their friends were out in the backyard building an enormous rope swing. “Hey girls” called Bill through the Walkie-talkies as they crackled to life “Come down here, we want to show you something.” “We’re coming” replied Chloe “You girls remember operation ambush?” “Yeah!” shouted the others in unison “Then you know the drill.” Commanded Chloe, “Let’s go” grabbing her gun and ammo while the others grabbed theirs and headed downstairs into position. Ada moved to her spot at the playroom window ready to shoot the boys when they came out from under the veranda;
“Let’s move” whispered Chloe urgently. And before the boys knew what was happening the girls were upon them, driving them back onto the grass as they were bombarded by their rain of bullets until Chloe called a halt. Stuart was the only one left standing; Beatrice and Lea were lying on the ground dead having been shot down by the boys. Chloe warned Stuart that if he made one false move he would join the others. Stuart, glancing round and seeing that every Nerf gun in the place was trained on him decided it would be best to comply instead of being shot, so he put his gun on the ground and sat down heavily.
“Hey Chloe” said Morgan, “Yeah” replied Chloe “Only Isaac and Matt are under the tree” she continued, “Good point” commented Chloe handing Morgan some rope “tie him up next to them.” “Ada come down here” called Chloe into her walkie-talkie. “Coming” Ada shouted as she ran down the stairs, “Okay” Chloe said to the girls “Bill must be hiding somewhere; we need to find him, before he can spring a trap.” “Stuart what’s going on down there?” came Bill’s voice over the walkie-talkie as Chloe grabbed it from Stuart’s bandolier “Stuart is a little ‘tied up’ at the moment, why don’t you come down now and have a chat.” She suggested menacingly as Ada burst through the door puffing slightly. “Morgan, you keep watch while I brief the Ada on the plan” said Chloe, then turning to the others explained what had gone on while Ada had been upstairs. “Take cover!!” Morgan bellowed as Bill swung down from the trees.
The girls dashed for cover at Morgan’s shout, grabbing their guns, they ran behind the boxes and started shooting Bill as soon as he jumped from the swing brandishing his Nerf gun, searching for the girls, briefly catching sight of Morgan as she shot him down “We are victorious!” shouted Chloe triumphantly.
“Hang on a minute, you don’t win until either everyone in the opposing team is dead or they surrender.” protested Stuart “Yes, But if I remember rightly you surrendered just before we captured you and everyone else is dead” pointed out Chloe grinning. “Fine, but we’ll get you tomorrow.” challenged Stuart as they all stood brushing dirt and bits of grass from their clothes.