New Beginning

• Maya Wilmshurst, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2015

Shadows danced across the sand, their bodies twirling to the hollow beat and slowly chanting voices. The fire sent flickering light across the water and the waves gleamed a golden yellow as they broke against the shore. The chanting grew faster and louder until the ground seemed to tremble beneath their feet. Shadows swirled and swayed, arms flew in every possible direction and legs whirled across the coarse sand. Hands clapped to the sound of the music. As the singers' voices grew louder and faster, the clapping mirrored them. A thunderous noise rose from their hands and echoed wildly around the beach.
He sat and stared from his hiding spot as the festivities continued and the sun began to slowly creep above the horizon.
Suddenly the figures around the fire stopped their dancing and singing. As if noticing the sun for the first time, they began to point and murmur things he couldn't make out.
He crept a little closer to try and get a better look.
A man had stepped forward and was speaking to the crowd with a loud commanding voice. He waved his arms about and seemed to be doing some sort of elaborate dance. The crowd clapped and cheered, and a small group of them seemed to be copying the man's dance. The movement was catching and soon the whole crowd was dancing and clapping ferociously. The noise was deafening and from afar the group looked like a wave slowly breaking on the shore.
The sun shone its golden tendrils onto the group like a grand spotlight. Their sandy stage was soon illuminated in a soft orange glow and the waves breaking on the shore were the riveted crowd cheering for their performance.
The stage was set.
The sun began his grand entrance and the new year began.