Never Go In The Pool With The Cover On!

• Tayla Basso, Grade 4
• Short Story
• 2014

Never go in the pool with the cover on!

It all started one boiling lunch break. I was literally sweating it was so hot. I was at school, looking for a place that could cool me down a bit. I went under some shady trees and sat down. I looked behind me and there it was. The cure for this heat! The pool! But it had the cover on. Dam! I looked around. There were no teachers around. I went through the gate and sat next to the pool. I put my feet in. It was so nice! I look around again. There was a teacher coming. I jump out and race out the gate. I know where I’m going if it’s hot again tomorrow!

The next day was even hotter. I felt like I was going to melt like if you put an ice-cube in the Sahara Desert. At lunch time I ran over to the pool gate and had a look if no-one was around. The coast was clear. I open the gate and run in. I put my legs in but it’s so refreshing to just put my legs in! I have to go in even though I’m not allowed to and it has its cover on. I jump in, take a big breath and go under. I then realise why you should never go in the pool with the cover on. It’s dangerous but to my horror there, Mr Ogle sat on the bottom of the pool. But he didn’t look the same. He had turned into a big, ugly, green Ogre!!! I scream. It was strange. I could still breathe! “Mr Ogle, what are you doing here” I yelled.
“I can’t stand doing yard duty’ he said in a voice that sounded like a dog with an out of tune trumpet inside his throat. “With all those kids running around me I start to feel like the world is spinning a million miles an hour”. Mr Ogle (I mean the Ogre) started to turn a dark shade of green. “Then you got so annoyed you turned into an Ogre and hid here” I asked. “Yes’ he said. “But why did you hide here” I questioned. “Well because Ogres smell like rotten eggs and old milk mixed together, I hid here because no-one can smell under water or see me” he answered. I tried to smell but all I could smell was chlorine. “Ok, I’m going to go because this is just creeping me out” I said turning around. I look behind my shoulder. My eyes feel like they are going to fall out of my head Mr Ogle looks so bad.
“Please don’t tell anyone that I turned into an Ogre” he said. “Mr Pittard would fire me before you could blink”. “Well, he is a great teacher” I think to myself. “Your secret is safe with me” I tell him.

I get out of the pool. “This has been a fun, weird and creepy day” I say to myself. I think about Mr Ogle. I’m now cool, but who’s going to teach me for the rest of the day. I walk into the class room and I can smell rotten eggs and old milk mixed together. I look up from my desk and see Mr Ogle. He winks at me. But luckily, Mr Ogle was back to his old, happy self.