The Mission

• Matthew Pontey, Grade 6, St Aloysius Primary School
• Short Story
• 2016

Excellence Award in the 'Top Secret 2016' competition

The dark clouds hovered over the sun like eagles closing in on their prey. Fear trickled down my spine. My body is shaking, my ears pointing up, sensitive to noise. ‘Bang, Kaboom’. The deafening sound echoed as I quickly forced Kate, Cory and myself down to the damp mud. I just had to help these poor Jewish children to safety.

The scent of danger hit me as the clutches of gun triggers clicked in the distance. The cruel Nazis were getting closer by the second. Sharp shrapnel was scattered across the ground like leaves spread across the lawn after a storm.

My body laid in the moist and gooey mud motionless, too scared to move. ‘Stay down’, I whispered to Kate and Cory as I stumbled to my feet. I quickly leapt to the dark tree and took a glimpse. The thick atmosphere was tense as soldiers, as scary as ghosts and as powerful as army tanks appeared. There were lots of them, hunting and carefully searching for their next victim. I cautiously turned to warn Kate and Cory about the soldiers.

Suddenly, a bunch of evil, red eyes appeared in front of my face covering their malignant bodies. The battle field was covered with blood, people lying there helplessly, proud of whom they have represented. I ran… and I ran for my life, but most importantly for Kate and Cory's safety. My heart was pounding as I grabbed Kate and Cory hastily. ‘That way’, I screamed anxiously. There was a hidden trench in the distance made from the 18th battalion, this was our only chance. This was our only chance for survival, I had to take it.

‘You're trapped now’, snapped a voice behind the tree. I was terrified. Who was it? Butterflies were exploding with pain inside my stomach as I hid beside an empty shell. Dark, deep shadows were lurking behind the tree, slowly coming closer, preparing for another execution. The smell and taste of gunpowder was ubiquitous. There was no chance of surviving now. I hugged Kate and Cory, knowing this would be our last moment together.

The dark shadow was now before my head, hungry for death. His finger was tightening on the trigger of his gun. My body shaking like a leaf, my mind in lockdown. My only chance of helping Kate and Cory was to distract the Nazi executor. I pointed to the trench, in the direction of where I wanted Cory and Kate to escape. As he fired at me, he turned to see where Kate and Cory had disappeared to. I staggered to the ground and laid there bleeding helplessly. He left me to die.

I woke up, faces hovering over me. Where was I? Where was Kate and Cory? A familiar voice came closer and from my blurry view I could just see the face, it was Kate! I took a glimpse around me to find Cory sitting down next to my bed. We had been saved!