Sunlight

• Jess Shaddock, Grade 6, Maribyrnong Primary School
• Short Story
• 2015

Excellence Award in the 'Read Write Repeat 2015' competition

I woke up in the cold dark on top of the mountain. It took me a few moments to remember where I was. I was on an expedition in Peru, looking for a bird that was thought to be extinct until recently. It was a bit breezy, the sort that would be nice on a hot summers day, but here in the 5 degree wilderness, it did not help with the cold. There was a large gust of chilly wind that appeared to get the sun out of it's hiding place. The sun rose, slowly bringing with it the warmth that I so dearly desired. In fact, I was so hungry, that it looked like a great fried egg, ascending over the mountain range opposite me. The sky had turned bright pink, streaked with orange and clouds, illuminating the mountains below it. The second the sun had peeked over the deeply forested mountains, it had chased the night, dark, and most of the cold away over the parallel horizon. Whatever it was that woke up the sun, it woke up all the animals as well. The silence of dawn was instantly replaced by the sounds of animals of all sorts- frogs, fish, birds- in fact, I thought I heard the bird I was after. Smiling, I picked up my rucksack and started hiking down the mountain.