In The Jungle

• Jessica Fleck, Grade 4, MOUNT CARMEL CATHOLIC COLLEGE
• Short Story
• 2015

Excellence Award in the 'The Write Track 2015' competition

It was an ordinary day like any other when Lisa walked home from school. She dropped her bag, unpacked her lunchbox and drink bottle and asked her mum could she go outside. Lisa walked out the back door and climbed onto the trampoline. She lay there for a while in silence and all that could be heard was the rustling of the bushes. Lisa started to jump in the hope of touching the low hanging cloud but suddenly she lost her balance and tumbled off the trampoline falling into a dark black hole. She tumbled and flipped and tumbled some more down the black hole. At last she saw a patch of light and made her way towards it where she came to an arch made out of silver branches. When Lisa stepped through the archway she found herself surrounded by thousands of weird and wonderful mythical creatures roaming around. She couldn’t believe her eyes there were many different varieties of animals, such as unicorns, Griffins, dragons and many other animals of all different funny shapes and sizes, Lisa walked on and on until she came face to face with a beautiful unicorn, who seemed to be quite friendly. Out of nowhere she heard a voice, Lisa jumped and the voice laughed ‘don’t be frightened, I am Saraband king of the jungle’ said the unicorn in a deep voice. ‘Hop on and I’ll show you around’ he said and Lisa hopped on top of Saraband's back, gripping the mane for dear life, as Saraband galloped up and up and up. Ten minutes later Lisa found herself on top of Mount Kilmore with the king of the jungle where she could look down on the plain below at all the mythical creatures in the land. What a wondrous sight she thought but it was starting to get dark and Lisa was getting worried that she may never see her family again and said ‘how am I ever going to get home?’
‘Leave that to me’ Saraband replied and Saraband took off in a flash up into the sky with his wings wide open. Lisa wondered where Saraband was taking her but she was too frightened to ask, Lisa was afraid of heights and flying so she just kept her eyes closed and didn’t make a sound. Lisa felt a sudden stop she opened her eyes and before she knew it she was back outside on her lawn Saraband was there too and both knew it was time to say goodbye. Lisa asked ‘will I ever see you again?’ There was no answer Saraband was gone he had disappeared but left in Lisa’s hand was a silver unicorn with the words king of the jungle carved on its back. Lisa rushed inside and said to her mum ‘I’m home’ but Lisa’s mum replied ‘you were only outside for ten minutes’. Oh no how could this be true, ‘Mum do you believe in magic’ she asked.