The First Clue

• Jasmine Attard, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2015

One night when I had just finished work, I was watching television in my room when my phone rang. I walked over and answered, “Hello.” In a low voice someone said, “Mary, you have been a bad person to me, but I’m willing to give you a second chance.” “Who’s this and what do you mean a second chance?” He answered back with a laugh, “I couldn’t possible tell you my name that will destroy the fun, but do as I say and nothing will go wrong.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Then face the consequences, your first task is not to tell the police!” He hung up on a crazy note. I called the police thinking what a whole lot of rubbish. I told them everything. They said I shouldn’t be worried. I hung up and went to sleep.
Saturday 8:00a.m I had finished breakfast and getting ready to go for a walk since Saturdays were my day off. Before I left my phone rang, “Hi dad how are you?” I could hear my dad crying on the other end of the phone, “Your mother, is missing, when I woke up she wasn’t in bed.” I closed my door saying, “Has she gone for a walk, has she gone to work? He replied, “Honey my battery is going flat and I can’t charge it because they took my phone charger and...” The phone went flat and I wanted to know who did this? My phone rang again and the number appeared from the man last night, I answered while crying, “What have you done to my mum!” He answered in a calm voice, “I told you not to tell the police but you did anyway.” “I'm sorry just tell me where she is.” He said, “Do as I say and you will find her, go into the coffee shop down town and wait there.” He hung up and I did as he said. I waited no longer than two minutes when my phone rang again. “If you want to know where your mother is you will have to listen to this riddle carefully. When I eat I survive but when I drink I will die.” The phone hung up. I wasn’t very good at riddles so it took me a while. When I was still thinking the newsflash appeared about a bush fire had just started. Then it hit me the answer was fire that’s where my mother is. I ran to the car and I was off. When I reached there I could see heaps of black smoke. I ran into the bush yelling out, “Mum where are you?” I then saw a small hut and when I walked up to it I saw my mother inside unconscious. I picked her up and put her in my car. As I was driving to the hospital my phone rang. “You have completed the first clue can you finish the rest?”