Waiting

• Sofiya Alamudi, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2016

The gunshots rang through my ears. I ran across the battlefield, the barbed wire poking my feet till it bled. I ran to the desperate wails calling to me. I didn’t know that they were waiting. The wails drew me closer to my enemy. Behind me, there was a tank. I was oblivious to the tank, oblivious to the world. I was focused on the wails. As I drew closer, the voice became more audible. It was a voice, the voice of my late mother. Then I realised. It was a trap.
I swivelled around to leave but the tank stopped me. I stopped dead in my tracks. I have a family to feed. I can’t keep them waiting. I’ve got to leave. These people have hearts as cold as tombstones. All they have in them is hate, no love. I turned to leave once more... then BANG! I saw a bright light, and voices muttering.
I’m down and I can’t deny it.
My family is waiting...