Narrative

• Jai Podolski, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2016

Saturday morning Jack said to his mother “Tomorrow I’m 18 and I can enrol in the Army.” Jack was very excited he had always dreamed of being in the army. That night when he went to bed he dreamed of himself fighting for his country.
Jack woke up quickly and yelled ‘Army here I come.” When he got there they told him they rarely take kids under 21. Jack yelled “I’ll train for 3 years until I’m taller and stronger.” Under strict conditions they let Jack in. The Sergeant gave him his uniform and told him to get changed. Jack looked smart and looked older. They pushed Jack harder than everyone else because he was younger. One day Jack was running when he collapsed like a deck of cards and hit the ground like a rock. The soldiers realised they had pushed him too hard as he was still small and not as strong as the others. Luckily Jack woke up in the hospital. “What happened?” His mother said “You went in to a coma’. 1 year later Jack got a call that he had to go to Afghanistan to fight.
Early the next morning Jack got up and left to the army base. When he got there he was told to get in the plane but it was full so he had to stand up. There were also not enough parachutes so Jack held on as the cargo bay doors opened. Then he saw the radio and he contacted the cockpit and they threw him a parachute. But before he could jump there was a huge BANG! It echoed throughout the cargo bay. The engine had been shot and the plane was no longer a metal bird, the plane is a rock.
They told Jack to jump so he did. All Jack could hear was muffled gunfire and the wind rushing past his ears was as cold as ice Jack pulled the ripcord but nothing happened he pulled the emergency cord but nothing happened Jack knew he was going to die so he braced for impact. Then suddenly he felt a pair of hands grab him and they slowed right down Jack looked up it was the pilot. Then suddenly there was a loud BANG! The pilot went limp he had been shot but he was still alive Jack told the pilot it was going to be fine Jack placed his hand over the wound. They were still 300 meters up falling from here would hurt a lot. Jack grabbed the pilot and safely drifted down to the ground. When they hit the ground Jack called for a medic. Two medics came and took the pilot away.
Jack was sent on a secret mission to find out where the enemy is. When Jack found them he overheard 2 soldiers muttering about a spy they were putting in our camp when that spy left Jack followed him to the allied camp. Jack immediately told the rest that he’s a spy they arrested him immediately. Jack got a promotion and a better gun. The next morning there was a huge battle and jack was dodging bullets left and right. Then he was shot Jack was taken away by the medics and they put him next to the pilot. They talked for hours and Jack found out that the pilot had been shot again. Then they were both transported home together Jack’s mother was so excited to see Jack home again. Jack told his mother all about it and in the end Jacks mother was crying. 30 years later Jack is happily married with 3 children. He tells his kids all his war stories and how war is hell. Jack’s son said” I’ll never do that ever”. Jack fell asleep smiling because his kids will never go through what he has.