The Great Escape

• Jasmine Mamontov , Grade 8, St Francis Xavier College - Officer Campus
• Short Story
• 2015

Excellence Award in the 'Beyond Words 2015' competition

It was half past 5 am, in the year 1943, when I woke up to the sound of the deafening sirens. It was 6:01 when my mum, dad and I were struggling to get out of our burning house, all my childhood memories were burning along with our house. Many other houses were being destroyed, each one with flames devouring the wood and people were screaming. All this terrible smoke was making me cough and feel dizzy due to the lack of clean air and my parents were nowhere to be seen. I was lost along with many other children. My name is Elizabeth Smith, I am 12 years old and this is my story on how I survived World War II.
I woke to the sounds of many children crying and husbands and wives hugging each child saying, "It will be alright.” I must have passed out when I came into that shelter. "Bang bang" ... that's the sound most people fear. My parents were nowhere to be seen. I found a 5 year old girl crying in the corner so I decided to go and sit with her. As I sat down, I quietly shuffled over to hug her and I started to sing a lullaby that my mother used to sing to me as a small girl. I imagined what it would be like in the future, will Hitler rule the world? A little while later the sirens stopped. I could hear tons of people starting to shuffle out. I carefully picked the girl up and started to make my way back to my house or what was left of it.
When I found my house, all I could see were people crying for the loss of their loved ones, ash was spread as far as the eye could see. Numb - that's all I could feel right now. Eventually the fires died down everything was still and somewhat peaceful. I found my parents a little while ago and they decided to adopt the girl I found she told us that her name was Amelia Hanglof. Amelia's family got trapped in the house and passed away in the burning house only she made it out alive.
My parents decided that Europe was no longer safe so they decided to move to Australia where there was hardly any bombing. I've heard that there are animals that can bounce as high as the sun and have a little pouch for their young. I think they're called kangaroos. Amelia and I want to see them.
Two years later ...
When we arrived at Australia the sun was scorching hot but at least we got to see land again. Now my father has a really good job and we have a nice Little two storey house, Amelia is now 7 and I am now 14 and we share a room. Now we are celebrating because World War II ends today, but I will never forget the horrible memories of World War II.