A Bottle In The Waves

• Carla Di Bella, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2015

A Holiday
It all started when mum said we were going on a holiday. “Sweetie, come downstairs I have something to tell you!” Mum shouted from the kitchen. When I got down stairs, Josh my brother was already there. “What’s wrong, did Granddad die?” I asked worrying.
“No, of course not,” Mum said wiping a tear away from my eye. “We are going on a holiday tomorrow, to visit someone special and I won’t tell you who we are visiting until we depart from the plane . . .”
‘Yes’ I thought to myself, I couldn’t wait.
Later that night, Mum was on the phone to someone but she didn’t say who. Tonight was family game night, so I’m thinking of ways to get Mum to spill, whilst talking to my best friend Mary-Anne. “Should I ask her a truth or dare?” I asked. I could tell Mary-Anne was shaking her head. “No way in the world, do you ever, EVER ask your parents a truth or dare?”
After dinner, it was my go to choose a game to play for family game night. “Truth or Dare?” I said. Josh went first; I went next. “Ok, truth or dare . . . Mum!” I was being careful on what I picked, it had went smoothly up until now. “Truth,” mum said with confidence.
I thought it would be worth it right? “Tell me who you were taking to,” I said quickly. “You at the moment,” mum smiled. I knew she was proud of that. After that attempt, I just gave up.
The Trip
When we arrived at the airport, we hopped onto a plane, Josh whined the whole trip, so it was pretty crap. When we arrived, mum hired a car and we drove to the place we were staying. As soon as the car stopped mum said, “Before you go and see who is inside, go and explore the wild, just don’t go too far.” So instead of running to the house, I ran down to the beach.
I saw something in the waves, I thought it was a turtle. I walked closer and saw there was a bottle with a message inside. Opening it, I read:
I’m coming to get you, all of you
Kristie
Unbelievable, mum said Kristie was dead. I ran upstairs to show mum. Kristie and mum use to be best friends. Until they had to fight for David (my dad) my mum won. Kristie got so angry, she kept on trying to kill us, but then mum said she was dead . . . but she obviously isn’t. "Everyone please come here,” mum spoke as dad and Josh came over near mum. Mum passed the note to dad, then to Josh. “I thought you said Kristie was dead?” Dad asked sternly. “There is something I need to tell you,” Mum said.