Never Letting Go

• Mackenzie Curr, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2016

“Paris is amazing Mum, I can’t wait for you to get here.” I said glancing up at the Eiffel Tower in the distance.
As the sun started to disappear into the city I scanned the park, there were my sisters happily playing. There was the creepy old van, it looked like it had been sitting there all day. It had a long scratch along it’s sliding door. A shiver ran down my spine just thinking about it. A blanket of cloud began to slowly cover the sky, making the air bitter. A flickering light appeared in the van. I started to think there might be someone inside.
The girls seemed oblivious to it though, Maddie was singing, she'd just learnt how, now she never stops. And of course Lucy was pushing her on the swing, she was caring like that.
“Mum, you still there?” I peered down.
“Damn! No service.”
“Mum, can you here me now? Mum?” I wandered around the corner, trying to get more bars.
“Mum, my phone is breaking up. I’ll call you back later.”
I made my way back to the park and that’s when it hit me. I couldn't hear Maddie's singing anymore. The park was empty. The van was gone. I felt my heart fall and shatter like glass. I felt the ground swallow me whole. I felt lost. All I could hear were sirens in the distance, echoing across the city. All I knew was that my sisters were gone.

Leaves tumbled across the ground as I hurdled through the busy street, desparately searching for the black van that stole my sisters. Up ahead I saw hope. Dozens of cars bumper to bumper, squashed together like sardines.
“There’s no way they could’ve maneuvered around this disaster” I prayed.
Without thinking, I darted onto the road, zig zagging through the sea of cars. I found it. The black van.
“Thats it!” I cheered.
I crept behind the van, and peered inside. Nothing. No sisters, just pumps and pipes. I inspected the van for the long scratch on the side but it wasn't there, just a big “Paul’s Plumbing” printed instead. I was devastated. I just wanted to crumble onto the road. I desparately stared at the traffic as it began to to move again. The sky had never seemed so black and empty. I loitered back onto the footpath.
“Its too dark to keep searching,” I thought.
I wandered back to apartment, miserable and alone. My legs felt like cement blocks. I didn’t think I was ever going to see my little sisters again. Until, I heard gentle singing coming from a familiar voice.
My legs broke out of the cement blocks as I raced back to the apartment. There they were. Huddled together at the bottom of the staircase. Eyes weary and dry, but smiles as bright as diamonds when they saw me.
We bunched together. My grip was tight and warm around their shoulders. I was never letting go.