Tape Recorder

• Brianna Lesson, Grade 6, Boyne Island State School
• Short Story
• 2015

Excellence Award in the 'Read Write Repeat 2015' competition

Believe it or not, you live in a world full of dark and evil creatures. Most of them live in abandoned houses, in the shadows, but not all of them. Tell an adult and they’ll brush it off as an overactive imagination. However the kids who are too scared to go into a dark room alone can see them the best. Who are they you ask? Well there are thousands of them, goblins who live in the corners of your room, dragons in the cupboards and creeps under the bed. All true you know.
Here’s the story of Laura Sky, the four year old whose disappearance has only just sparked attention.
“Uhhh, I can’t handle this anymore. Who would even think of taking a little girl,” cried Sarah, the mother of a missing four year old girl.
“Bring Bring!” rang the phone.
Sarah picked up the small ringing phone. “Hello?” she asked, wiping away her tears.
“Uh hello, this is Barkhour Police Station; I’ve got some good news about Laura.” Suddenly the phone dropped dead. Sarah ran. She ran to her car and sped down the road. Before she knew it, she was standing out the front of the police station. She ran through the doors only to see the station that was once bustling with people was now abandoned. Chairs were through windows, glass everywhere and smashed lightbulbs.
“It won’t be that easy to find her,” said a deep voice. A loud cackle echoed through the hallways. Sarah collapsed on the floor thinking all hopes of seeing Laura again had vanished.
Suddenly, Sarah was grabbed from behind; a hairy arm covered her mouth. Out of the silence, a harsh whisper broke out.
“Don’t scream,” said the deep voice, “They’ll hear you.”
Sarah’s heart was pounding as she was dragged out of the station and into the dark mossy forest beside it. It felt like an eternity, but was only minutes until they stopped. The strange man released Sarah from his arm.
“Don’t be scared, you’re safe here. We know what happened to your daughter.”
Sarah’s eyes widened.
She sat down and listened to the man explain. He started talking about the dark shadow, a group of sick people who kidnap kids and hide children where they won’t be found.
“For example a forest, possibly this forest,” he said.
“You think she’s here?” Sarah’s eyes started to fill with tears.
“Maybe,” he said with a smile of encouragement.
Sarah was overjoyed. She knew that she was finally going to see her daughter. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when they heard an ear-piercing scream of a little girl. The strange man gave Sarah a worried stare before they both bolted through the thick overgrown forest. They could still faintly hear the scream echoing off the trees. They both yelled out Laura’s name while franticly searching for the abducted four year old.
“Shhhh,” Sarah said, “Did you hear that?”
Before the man could say anything they heard another scream; they looked at each other then started running. Running towards the noise it became louder and louder until they found it. Sarah collapsed on the floor crying. For there sitting on a rock was a tape recorder playing Laura’s scream.