Old Friends New Times

• Eilish Muller, Grade 4
• Short Story
• 2014

ur town in grey, it’s not a lovely sight but that’s all we had ever been the plain old ruined town. I gazed slightly over to the fields as I found myself slumped over a tree. I touched the grass it was dry, dead and it looked like old kangaroo whiskers. Nearby there lay a lizard its back hot and cracked his old weary eyes watched me, his nose was grey with age, I smiled at him. I slowly pulled up my petticoat and inside was an old crumpled picture of me and the lizard. I could almost see the rain the day that cyclone hit us, like cats and fish we were smashed by the storms as it left a trail of destruction but I still don’t get how we had a drought it made no sense. I remember it clearly.
June, 8th, 2003 (date of the cyclone)
I sat lazily on my couch glancing outside, the rain showed no sense of stopping it was a rainy day and the rain drops splattered against the window like bugs against your car windscreen. I watched as the wind whirled around a tree until something scary happened it ripped right out of the ground. “Mum, I’m worried about the weather!” I yelled hysterically
“I think your right we better listen to the radio!” she screeched back.
I sprinted into the living room where the old rusty radio sat I anxiously put my ear close to it to listen. “And we have a type four in cyclone! AND IT IS YET TO RISE” he screamed out the last part. I started wondering if I should pack my bags and get out of here. I hurried up stairs and packed loads of clothing and my favourite toys. I ran back down and raced out the door into our car, it was like the wind was blowing us sideways I finally got to the car when I saw a helpless lizard sprawled on the ground. I steadily picked him up then seated myself in the car I was longing for the sound of the radio to come back somehow it made me feel safer, somehow... I stepped out on to the road the thick black tar was now ripped into tiny pieces. I dashed towards the closest shelter like structure. I saw the lizard squirming in my pocket, he was truly helpless and he was relying on me. I trudged forwards to the sheltered mall and climbed through the shattered stain glass window, it was a mix of orange, green and a pale blue. I sheltered under a table with the lizard all on my own. I laid down and stretched my arm towards my pocket; the soft silky inside was comfy for the lizard. It is believed the cyclone came from miles away because we weren’t near the sea at all. My body was hurled towards a window when the glass splintered through the air, like lightning….