MURDERED BY A JUMPING CASTLE

• Harriet Turner-Browne, Grade 4, Williamstown Primary School
• Short Story
• 2016

Excellence Award in the 'Top Secret 2016' competition

Aaaggghhh! I had suddenly disappeared into the darkness! I was happily bouncing on the bouncy castle with my friends at the school fair -- well, I had been… But I must’ve jumped to close to the edge and now my feet were being devoured by the jumping castle, a.k.a THE MURDERER.
My stomach started to rumble as I realised I was beginning to be hungry. My dad had told me that we were going to get sausages soon, but now I was … almost dead, there was no point. Unable to move, I screamed for help, but every single person in sight was staring into my eyes but not doing anything, as if I was invisible.
The scent of children’s feet was wafting around me and they got higher and higher as I sunk into the inflatable. The vibrant colours of the castle seemed to relax me and I wondered if this was all a strange dream, but I came to the conclusion that the murderer was trying to hypnotize me so I snapped out of it.
Already, I was wedged up to my neck in the gap between the walls and the floor. My ears were pressed up against the plastic so I could easily hear the loud noise of the air pump. I felt so terrified. It was like drowning at a crowded beach, yet no one noticed because of their heartless selves. I didn’t want to die, but it was too late now. I figured I would run out of air in 5,4,3,2,.. ‘Harriet, what are you doing?’ said a voice.
‘I’m dying, can’t you see?? Why haven’t you saved my life all this time, *MUM*?’
‘Hurry up, Harriet, it was just your imagination….’ As if it was my imagination, I laughed to myself.
‘So eccentric,’ she muttered.
‘I’ll be back, Jumping Castle!’ I threatened.
And that was the end of that.