Ed's Alley

• Jack Knez, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2015

It was lunchtime at school camp. After eating, everyone went down the unsteady stairs to Ed's Alley in the old games room. Ed's Alley was a game where you roll a white ball to hit the other opponent’s balls into a hole.
Jack got there first, then Lucas, Baden, Bailey, and then came a few more people. Jack versed Lucas and hit all his balls down. Lucas did as well, but they both had one sinister ball left. Jack rolled the white ball straight ahead but missed Lucas' ball. It was now Lucas' go. He rolled the ball straight at Jack's but missed. He cursed himself as Jack rolled. He missed. Lucas rolled and then... He got it. Jack was out. “I'll beat him next time.” said Jack. He was just about to walk out of the games room when suddenly, the ground shook. Everyone thought it was an earthquake and ducked for cover.
But it wasn't an earthquake. It was a giant space worm! It started eating everything in its path like a psycho dog. It rushed out of the games room where the two boys were playing and started destroying the camp. Pieces of bricks and building parts went everywhere. Jack noticed something quite peculiar about the games room. That was because Ed's Alley was still in its usual spot. Jack thought that was impossible. “I swore I saw that game get eaten.” said jack. But no, there it was standing there like an abandoned shed. He quickly figured out that the only way to defeat the mega space worm was to play the game again with Lucas. “I've got to get Lucas!” shouted Jack. He swiftly got to Lucas and explained that Lucas needed to beat him in Ed's Alley. “I think I should just play really bad and hope it works, besides it will be a lot easier if we did.” said Lucas. But apparently something told Jack that Lucas had to play hard like before otherwise it wouldn't work.
Lucas and Jack found all the heavy balls under the rubble and set up the table. Jack and Lucas started to play and immediately they knocked all of each other’s balls into the holes. It has come to the final ball on each of our side. “This better work.” said Jack. This happened so quick and fast that Jack nearly hit the sound barrier. He hit Lucas' ball right in. He won fair and square. Jack looked up at that disgusting space worm and thought it would dissolve into thin air. But it didn't. Instead a short leprechaun popped out of one of the balls. “Top of the morning lads!" It said in a rather peculiar voice. “You sound like that Irish guy from My Kitchen Rules." Said Lucas. The leprechaun gave a slow chuckle. "I do don't I." "What do you want me to do for you?" They told the leprechaun that there was a little pest problem.
The leprechaun gave Jack and Lucas a spray can of Worm Away. Lucas was just about to ask the leprechaun how to use it, when the leprechaun disappeared into thin air. "I guess we could always ask the worm to stop drinking the Shoalhaven River." Said Lucas. Jack snatched the can of Worm Away off Lucas and ran over to the space worm. He pressed the sprayer and all these green liquids came rushing out all over the space worm. Slowly but ever so gently, the space worm started to melt into the earth. People were relieved and they cheered and clapped at the two boys. Everyone at the camp were very happy and the camp staff rewarded Lucas and Jack with one hundred and fifty dollars each.
And Ed's Alley stand there in the damaged games room waiting for the next person to roll the legendary, elegant, white ball.