Bang

• Josie Sulman, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2015

Bang.

I hit the ground, my palms slam into the footpath and my breath catches in my throat.
They’re getting closer, the Invasterno, I can hear their footsteps. If I don’t keep running they’ll kill me. I don’t know why they want me dead, but I do know that I can’t let them get me. I try to get up off the floor, but I can’t. My body is paralysed in fear. It feels like my legs are lead and they’re weighing me down, glued to the floor, never to let me go. The footstep are closer now; it’s only been a few moments and I can already feel the dust, and the dirt rising off the floor from the qconstant thump of their feet as it floats over to me.
The closer they get to me, the closer I am to death. I’m young and soon I will be gone. Alone, cold and dead in the ground. Forever.

I turn my body to face towards the oncoming Invasterno. Seeing them, fire alights inside of me, and suddenly I can feel the lead leaving my body. I push my hands down firmly onto the rough wooden floor and put all my strength into standing. On wobbly legs, I turn and I run. I can hear them gaining on me, getting closer. I can feel their hot sickly breath on the back of my neck and I hate it, I hate the feeling of having something so dangerous so close to me. It makes me frustry, and that’s the worst feeling in the world. My mind is wandering and I can feel myself slowing down, but I have to speed up. I will more power into my legs and I run faster.

Bang.

I hit the floor. My sujetashwa will be the end of me. A trip will cause my death.
I accept the inevitable fate as I hit the floor, the cold, cold floor. Their slimy fingers are pulling on my legs and I know that this is the end, and I can hardly breathe. They’re saying things to me in their own language but I can’t understand them nor can I even begin to comprehend what they are trying to say to me. The guns that they hold are pointed at my head now, and they are still talking to me. I don’t know what they’re saying but it isn’t kind. They’re probably telling me of the pain I’m about to go through.

Bang.

I feel like I’m a separate being. Like I am separating from my body and floating away. All my memories, feelings and emotions are crashing together into a vortex of indescribable pain. It hurts. God, how much it hurts.

Bang.

I’m gone.