A Perfect World

• Roxanne Padas, Grade 4, MOUNT CARMEL CATHOLIC COLLEGE
• Short Story
• 2015

Excellence Award in the 'The Write Track 2015' competition

‘Look at them, walking around like that. Who do they think they are? I’ll never like these people, or this place for that matter.’ During lunch, Annie’s eyes wandered about the school grounds, from building to building, student to student. She hated the dull perfection of it all. The grey buildings stood over like silent giants, watching every move. Annie inspected the girls mostly. Hair, teeth, and skin- they were all so flawless.
‘Why is there no litter? And why is no-one eating?’ The heat was making her thirsty and her eyes rested on the water fountain. It was covered in cobwebs, like it hadn’t been used in weeks. The day pressed on and when it finally ended, Annie still hadn’t spoken to anyone.
Annie came out at dinner. “I’m never going to fit in here!” Annie snapped. “I didn’t see one person that I wanted to talk to! They’re all so… perfect. And they creep me out with their scary silence.”
“Stop over thinking things, Anna- Beth,” Annie’s mum said with her mouth full. “You’re being far too dramatic as usual.”
“Well, Mother, you’re not listening to me as usual!”
“That’s ENOUGH!” thundered Annie’s dad in a way that made her jump.
She stared at him, with his untidy hair hanging over his eyes, then got up slowly, deliberately scraping her chair across the floor. “I’m going to bed,” she said quietly.
The events of the day played over in Annie’s mind, as she tossed and turned, trying to fall asleep. Sometime after midnight, as Annie’s eyelids grew heavy, a shout followed by a crash in the house made her sit up, suddenly alert again.
Annie bolted across the room and down the hall, towards the safety of her parent’s bedroom. ‘What’s that strange smell?’ Annie wondered as she heard the door. It reminded her of the time the toaster blew up, a kind of burning electrical smell. The bedroom door was ajar and there was silence behind it. With a trembling hand, Annie cautiously pushed the door open. “Mum?” she called quietly. “Day?” she flicked the light switch nothing happened. “Dad?” she called again, into the dark.
A faint crackling sound was coming from down low, on the other side of the room. Fumbling in the black, Annie mad her way around the bed searching for a lamp on the bedside table. She was glad when it lit the room.
Nobody was in the bed. “What is that smell?” On the floor by the bed, a bundle of wires were crackling, giving off curly wisps of smoke.
The morning light coming into her new room woke Annie from a dream she couldn’t quite remember. “Wei-eird,” she mumbled as she got out of bed and shuffled down the hall. Suddenly remembering her dream, she slowed right down.
Music was coming from her parents’ bedroom. ‘Classical music today… yeah right. Who are they trying to kid?’ Annie thought as she pushed against their door. It creaked as it swung open and her parents turned, simultaneously, to greet her. They smiled, together, perfectly.
“Good morning, mum and … Hey, what’s with the neat hair?”