War Zone

• Kate DeAbel, Grade 7
• Poetry
• 2014

I am writing this from my kitchen sink because my room has been invaded by creatures that are made from my dirty, smelly clothes. They have even shaped themselves as animals.
I am now building up the confidence I need to go up to my room and clear out all the crazy creatures. But there is one guarding the door, and it’s one that has joined numerous pieces of my clothing into one big hulk-like creature.
I am now crawling up the stairs with my funky blanket that I have wrapped around myself. Looking up, I see four creatures reading my diary and laughing hysterically possibly at the drawings I have been working on for my ‘Creative Arts’ homework and haven’t finished yet but plan to once I sort out the clothes.
I have promised myself that I will not turn back now but I’m not sure I can keep this promise because they are smelly, dirty and have the personality of angry walruses. It has been around thirty minutes and they’re still there.
I have a crazy idea. What if I hit them with some water? That might settle them down and turn them back into ‘just clothes’.
I remembered seeing a big silver bucket in the kitchen. I am scuttling back down the stairs. I look over my shoulder to make sure none of the ‘dirty clothes monsters’ have followed me then I take off down the hall to the back door where a bucket is.
I tiptoe into the kitchen. And see the bucket near the sink. I turn on the hot water and begin to fill the bucket. I wonder if I should add some detergent for good luck? I do. A great big squeeze! Bubbles begin to grow! They spill over the top of the bucket and into the sink. The bucket is only half full of water so I let it run. The bubbles begin to flow over the sink and onto the floor. Good. That should be enough! I turn the tap off. The bubbles keep flowing. They flow and slither into a huge, slippery monster! What is going on?!
The noises are moving down the stairs. Maybe my riding boots have joined the party. ‘Bubbles’ are sliding up the hall. I am wondering what is going to happen when these two monsters meet! I close my eyes! All I can hear is squelching and slopping and then a ginormous thud. I sneak over to the kitchen door and peek around the corner.
Amazing! All the dirty clothes monsters are now just a pile of clothes covered in bubbles that no longer have a life of their own. I quickly grab the soapy clothes and throw them in the washing machine. Maybe I should do these chores a little earlier next time... but I have to admit that wouldn’t be half as exciting.