Tavernier Blue

• Katie Jones, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2014

Screech! A woman dodged my car as I desperately tried to stop the brakes and not run her over. I managed to stop the car, just as I was about to skid across the harbor bridge into my certain death. “WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?” I yelled at her through the open car window. She shouted back, “Hitch-hiking, what else?” She ran over to the car and said desperately, “quick, you are my only hope, you have to drive me to Perth, now!” Boy, she did look desperate. “What, you’re crazy! We live in Sydney, to drive to Perth would take a week!” I answered desperately. “You’re my only hope to deliver this” She cried in tears, showing me the biggest DIAMOND I had ever seen in my life. Something about her made me want to help. “Get in the car”. I said, my tone of voice clearly saying there was no answer.
“I've just agreed to take you on a week’s drive, and I don’t even know your name” I joked. “Sorry, my name is Linda”, she answered, “let me tell you about this diamond business. I have been working for the government for 13 years” She explained. “What about that massive diamond?” I wondered to her suspiciously. “Oh, that”, she said taking out the massive gem stone. “This is only a replica”. My face dropped, “but the real one is in here!” What she showed me was the most heavily guarded metal box in the world, “and I need to take it to the Western Australia Museum.
“We have arrived in Adelaide.” I told Linda as we pulled up at a hotel. It was getting dark by now, and there was a storm on its way, we ran inside with our luggage to avoid the pelting rain and met the cruel looking caretaker. “Rooms are this way” he mumbled through moldy teeth. Linda entered her room and was about to close the door when she gave me the box and whispered, “It will be safer with you, did I forget to tell you that there are criminals on our trail?” I gulped and walked slowly to my room.
Crash! The sound of glass splintering to the floor woke me up with a jump. A dark shadow was slowly making its way across the room to my bed. “Where is the diamond” the person grumbled. “whh-what diamond” I answered, shivering. At that moment a policeman jumped through the window, “I've got a gun” He shouted at the criminal. Thirty more police arrived and arrested the criminal. “You better get to Perth now”. He said to Linda, who had just come in.
The car pulled up at the museum. We jumped out and raced over to what Linda had said was the person to give it to. “You sure I can give it to him?” I asked Linda, “Sure”. She answered. As I gave the diamond away I wished that it would be safe. What a journey, I thought!