Zeltas Fright

• Alex Kazija, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2016

Zelta strode to the window to get the fresh morning scent. In the far distant dawn horizon artillery came into view. Zelta shot out a cry of panic as already hundreds of lives flashed before her eyes. As she turned back, her mother was their screaming to get out of the shell cottage and go to the city square.

Pounding sounds of fierce artillery could be heard at every echoing footstep Zelta took through the steep country-like city hills.

“Mum” Zelta stuttered in disbelief.

“I’m coming” came a distant shout from the gloomy fog.

Zelta kept running as her mum Brigid came into view riding an old bicycle that her husband passed on to her when he died. Zelta was only four months old. Zelta felt disheartened as every sound she heard was frightened, innocent and scared people passing away at every second.

Mum caught up with Zelta by her side looking ahead if anything sudden came unexpectedly through the damp, gloomy fog.

“Why? Mum! Tell me! Whats happening?” she boomed impatiently.

“Why ask me?” She shouted back over the obliviously mind threatening sounds.

“Uhhh” Zelta said in a high voice like she was about to faint.

Brigid copied the exact same sound that came from her daughter's voice.

VROOM!!!!!!!! Screams filled the air, people were like ants, frenzied ants, dashed panicking left, right and centre. Planes, war planes filled the air like it was nightfall. Emblazoned, everyone lost their minds, even Brigid fell off her bike grazing herself immensely. The citizens of this beloved city of three million were being terrorized!

The poor little family of two were nearly at the city square when Brigid suddenly just stopped as a brick wall had just gotten into her direct way. Zelta also stopped in her tracks not knowing what was happening and not having a clue what she was supposed to do.

“Wait” Brigid whispered sternly as screams died out. The only sound that could be heard was erupting footsteps of advancing soldiers. They were unexpectedly terrorizing the city without hesitation with utter disobedience.



“Ru….” Brigid's voice died out as a knife soared through her body like she was water.

Charging men flooded the city square while people failed to fight back as all they did was they fled and retreated back up the stern mountains. Zelta was their staring as everything went into slow motion. All she could see was her mother's crisp blue eyes turning into a rotten black colour as her poor body lay slumped on dusty rubble which once had been Brigid’s favourite library when she was a little girl.

Zelta didn’t feel anything tense in her body, as though she had just passed away too but no, something gave her the sensation that she was lying down, on something cosy. A loud sound went off like there had just been an alarm until she heard her mum’s voice crisply and sweetly demanding for Zelta to get out of bed. So, it was all just a dream!

The End