Dead Runaway!

• Louise Nguyen, Grade 5, Blaxcell Street Public School
• Short Story
• 2014

Excellence Award in the 'The Text Generation 2014' competition

The fog smothered Kate as she stumbled past in the tower, all her insides burned and her ambition was for refuge. Time speeded past as she remained mute and spiralled up the stairwell. "Where is she?"A voice hissed out in the gloom. The assassin. Her mind raced in circles and the frost seemed to tighten around her. Please! Don't come in. Kate remembered her mother telling her he was coming, the thought dreaded her. "Find the idiot!" His pitched voice left a thrill in her body swelling up. Kate felt numb, she forced her body to move to the next step and move faster. To her relief the label 'Room 209' appeared on the brisk brown door, Aunt Emma's one. Kate knocked hard, a pain in her knuckles began to developed. Suddenly, a swift bang on the front door stroked outside and heavy boots thumped in the tower. Panic swelled in Kate's stomach. The musty smell twitched her nose, attempting her to sneeze. After five minutes of waiting, Aunt Emma's soft face flushed with ecstasy came out, Kate puffed a huge sign of relief. "Dear, look at you! Kate my darling, what happened?" Here it goes one of does long stories including blah, blah, blah... Where should she even initiate? "We must hide!" Her voice trembled uncontrollably with horror. "Huh? Oh darling! Another story of yours, ha ha! Very funny." Aunt Emma smiled, but Kate's wrath lay there, waiting to burst out. "I am serious!" Her voice was stern and tranquil. Kate heard the assassin's gun tangled along with his keys, she pressed herself against the cupboard and the wall. Sometimes, she longed to be a pancake, but best to be nothing. "Dear, who is outside?" Kate didn't dare to answer her steps blew away to the footsteps outside. A knock slammed on the door. "Don't" Kate hissed. Too late. Aunt Emma left it unlocked, in these times Kate yearned her aunt would be more grave, now the assassin's eyes met with her ones. His eyes dark with satisfaction, Kate's ones full of anger and fright mixed. "Nice to see you, Kate someone will be pleased to see you-dead!" He sneered, pulling a revolver, that gleamed with the light bulb. "You got a friend with you, very fat and chubby, huh?" His mocking laughter repeated in Kate's mind, half of her knew she failed. Look at her-no weapons, not even a net. She was useless. As the assassin pulled the trigger, it hit straight at Kate. Pain eased in her body, blood stained the floor. The carpet-red, with a dark fluid. Kate was dead. Her eyes closed. She lost. A laugh echoed in the room.