A Strange Coincidence

• Ollie Davidson, Grade 6, SPRINGWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL
• Short Story
• 2015

Excellence Award in the 'The Write Track 2015' competition

I looked through the binoculars and could see the enemy coming towards me. I started to run as fast as I could to get to safety. Stumbling over logs and rocks I tripped and fell to the ground. As I was recovering a man jumped out from the trees, pointing a gun at my head. I raised my hands in fear and then I was taken off to a camp.
The next morning I woke up chained with handcuffs inside a dark, dusty, damp cell. Later I was forced to break rocks in a field with many other prisoners. We did this for lots of days with only a small amount of rations.
Myself and a few other prisoners managed to sneak out of the camp by secretly digging a small tunnel under the fence. As soon as I got out I began to crawl through the tall scrub to make sure I wasn’t seen. From the shouts coming out of the camp, I could tell that our escape had been discovered. I blindly ran away, slipping into a slimy bog. Mud splattered over my clothes, covering them like a blanket. I was carefully climbing out when all of a sudden...
‘Freeze!” said a voice behind me.
Slowly I turned and saw a soldier standing behind me.
“Not again!” I sighed. I trudged back to the camp to find that the others had been recaptured and now thick metal poles had been inserted in a deep ditch, filled with concrete to prevent anyone escaping.
As I was walking towards the gate I overheard two soldiers talking to each other.
“I’ve heard that the enemy is getting closer,” said one.
“That’s impossible!” said the other. “We have control over the area.”
‘Not anymore,” answered the first. “I heard that the other camp near the coast was taken over just yesterday and that’s only about 5km away!”
Great I thought. Now they will come and capture this camp and we’ll be set free!
The next morning I woke up to a dead silence. I peered out of my cell and the blinding sunlight shone in my face. I looked around and found that everything was gone no soldiers, not even a shovel was left lying around. I squeezed through a small gap in the bars and happily ran down through the tall grass, jumping up and down with joy.
Then I heard a loud voice shouting but I couldn’t make out what it was saying. Oh no! I thought I’m about to be recaptured. The voice shouted once more and I blinked and slowly opened my eyes. “Get out of bed or you’ll be late for school!” called my mother. I now realised that it had all been a dream.
I threw the covers back and slipped out of bed, rubbing my eyes. As I walked towards the door I saw an old set of binoculars sitting on my bedside table. When did those get there? I wondered.