Sunrise

• William Moroney, Grade 11, Corinda State High School
• Short Story
• 2014

Excellence Award in the 'The Text Generation 2014' competition

I never thought I would see the sun again. All I could see was the blackness of the inside of the tent. I was cold and wet and alone. The storm continued to blow and all I could do was sit here, wait and hope that there would be a search party looking for me. I had barely enough time to pitch the tent. It came in so fast, the inescapable, deafening noise that wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t sleep as it was too cold and my sleeping bag was soaking wet. I couldn’t make a fire inside the tent. I couldn’t open a can of food and eat it cold as my fingers felt as if they were frozen. I tried to think of warm places, the restaurant down the road that always made my mouth water when I went past; the smell of lambs roasting and the chickens sitting in marinade. I drooled as I thought about going in with my girlfriend and sitting next to the warm, golden, log fire that burned in the corner of the room. I felt tears welling in my eyes as I thought about Amelia. She would be at home waiting for me. The doorbell would ring and she would jump up and answer it expecting to see me holding flowers. Instead, she would see strangers who would tell her that I had been found dead in my tent. I opened my eyes and sat up suddenly. I must have fallen asleep. I had a quick drink and sat for a few minutes in the silence. It was quiet. The storm had stopped. I slapped myself gently to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I stumbled out of the tent like a new-born foal, onto the ground that crunched underfoot and into the darkness. I reached for a small stool, sat on it just outside the tent door and looked at my watch. It took about an hour for the first glimmer of light to appear. I stood up and stared at it while the night sky slowly turned grey, then pink. Then the sun appeared. I’d never thought about how beautiful it was. The once dull clouds reflected the light and it was as if the sky was burning. The ground shone and sparkled as the sun’s rays danced on the ice sheets. The sun rose over Antarctica with majestic beauty. It climbed higher and higher and the shadows of mountains shrank as they were illuminated. I felt the warmth upon my skin. I basked in the heat of the sun as though it was the first time I had never felt such warmth. Slowly, the sound of footsteps behind me loudened and upon turning I saw the rescue team. I smiled at the leader and said: “It’s absolutely wonderful, isn’t it?”
He smiled and answered “Yes, yes it is.” And we stood there together watching as the sun lit up the land with a golden fire that could not be doused.