The "Thing" Of Pickle Berry Bush

• Charlee Rose Murtough-Coombes, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2016

As I ran through the rough bush, the dry grass crunching against my bare feet, I didn't dare look back at ‘It’. The feeling-less, cold-hearted face was pure horror. ‘It’ was pale, with blond hair and a dirty, ripped dress.
I felt as though I couldn’t run anymore and tripped and fell onto a sharp stone. As I lay there in pain, with no one to hear me scream I thought of my sweet, kind mother and father and my sister, Betty. I really thought ‘It’ had gotten me, but I found extra strength. My passion had saved me once again. It wasn't over!
I ran into a cave I spotted up ahead. The walls were filthy and the roof full of bats. 'Just like a movie.' I thought. 'A horror movie, maybe.' The thing got closer. I screamed and ‘It’ stopped. I could feel my face lose colour as ‘It’ stopped right in front of me, coming closer and closer. When I looked closely I saw sad, blue eyes with tears in them. Maybe, just maybe, ‘It’ thought I was chasing her!
I stood there in silence, the only sound was the water dripping from the weeds into the river. I saw the things tears fade away as ‘It’ calmed down. My face took back its colour from the hands of fear. ‘It’ looked scared still. Suddenly I realised something, I was the one scaring ‘It’. I was the horrible, infamous thing that everyone feared. I was the Thing of Pickle Berry Bush.