Dark Days

• Harry Lloyd, Grade 4
• Short Story
• 2016

Jerry woke suddenly to that feeling of a dark day in the making. He took a glance at his clock and rolled back over only to realise it was 8 am. School started at 8:30 am! Jerry jumped out of bed and put his toast in the toaster like his life depended on it. It was only when he was buttering his (burnt) toast that he noticed James, his younger brother, with a smirk on his face.
“Come on Jerry,” he said, “We’ll be late for school.”
Jerry hated James. Absolutely hated him. His small red face and curly chestnut hair was no match for James’ faultless blonde hair and pale blue eyes. James was easily the family favourite. His mum denied it, but Jerry knew better. “Come on Mum,” Jerry argued, “Why did you wake James up and not me?”
“You’re thirteen years old- five years from being a grown man. You can wake yourself up,” she replied, slowly walking away. As if on cue, James poked his dirty little tongue out at Jerry. He tried to come up with a suitable come-back but didn’t have much luck.
“You’re an ignorant little rat,” he whispered.
“Mum,” James called, “Jerry said I was an ignorant little rat!”
“He deserved it,” Jerry called back.
“That’s it, Jerry go to your room!”
Fat tears rolled down Jerry’s face. “I hate my life!” he cried. Jerry slammed the door and continued sulking in the corner. He then made a promise. “After today, James will know pain and embarrassment. I will hurt him, prank him and I won’t stop!”
He then started a list. On that list was the bucket of water on the door, the thumb tack on the chair, and last but not least, the everybody thinks I’m invisible prank. It was all coming together now in Jerry’s mind. This would be a dark day- a dark day Jerry would never forget.