Rewind

• Erin Chadban, Grade 6, St Bernard's School
• Short Story
• 2015

Excellence Award in the 'The Write Track 2015' competition

Tori was waiting in the ever so slowly moving line of the World’s Highest Diving Board. The wind was desperately trying to unstick her auburn brown hair from her slightly tanned back, but it was failing, because Tori’s hair was as wet as rain. This was because she had already been on her favourite ride, Dunk, Dunk, Dunk and Dunk. This ride had a rubber plate that you got strapped to, then the rubber plate started dunking you in the pool that was underneath it. The dunking then got faster and faster for thirty seconds, then slowed down and stopped.
It was nearly Tori’s turn to climb up the shining, metal steps to the World’s Highest Diving Board. Her brown eyes were darting from the steps to her friends, who she had invited to see her dive. It was now Tori’s turn and she planted her foot on the first step… and nearly slipped over! Ughh, what an embarrassing moment that would’ve been. Soon Tori was climbing steadily up the steps, one foot after another. The board was light blue, long and springy. Tori walked up to the end of the board, trying hard not to fall off. She poised for her dive, steadied herself and prepared for blast off. Then Tori felt a delicate pair of hands planted on her back, a second before she was pushed off.
The water was icy cold, but Tori just lay on the bottom of the pool, staring up at the rippling surface, feeling content. She heard the sounds of her friends laughing. She wondered what they were laughing at. Then she remembered the pair of hands. The evil, vicious pair of hands that had pushed her off the World’s Highest Diving Board. Her friends were laughing at her! Suddenly, Tori felt angry, angrier then she had ever been. She felt tingly from this anger, like someone had a million feathers in their hands and they were brushing them over her body. Then she was rising up, but she didn’t stop at the surface of the pool, she continued on, through the air until she got back to the World’s Highest Diving Board, poised in the position she had been in before she had been pushed. Tori spun round and saw Heather, the Franklin High School’s personal bully. Heather was the head cheerleader and was dating Bobby, the cutest boy in school. Tori had to act fast or she would be pushed off the World’s Highest Diving Board again. Then she had an idea. Heather was rushing at her so fast that she wouldn’t be able to stop, so Tori ducked. Heather tripped over Tori and fell off the World’s Highest Diving Board. Then Tori did a perfect double back flip dive into the pool.
Later, after the celebratory party that she had with her friends to celebrate the defeat of Heather, Tori wondered about what she now called her rewind. Why hadn’t her friends noticed it? How did she do the rewind? And why hadn't it happened before? But that is another story.