Danger Zone

• Chelsea O'Callaghan, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2017

“NOOO!” Cathy screamed, running from a beast that was chasing HER. Huffing and puffing she saw her friend Tessa, “Tessa, hurry” huffed Cathy. “WHY?” Tessa screamed. “LOOK!” Cathy yelled, “AAAAHHHH!” screamed Tessa.
They started running but the smelly groaning monster was getting closer, so they started sprinting. As they ran for minutes without thinking or stopping, something strange changed the feeling in the air making it hard to breathe, but they kept on running and suddenly realised they were in the middle of nowhere extremely bothered. “Where are we?” Tessa asked. “NO WAY!” Cathy cried. “WHAT?” Tessa wondered. “I think we ran through a portal? Check for a sign,” demanded Cathy. The girls ran around trying to find a sign, it was then they realised the beast wasn’t chasing them, a zombie was. “Look a sign!” Cathy screamed. “What does it say?” Tessa excitedly screamed. “WARNING: YOU HAVE ENTERED A DANGER ZONE,” Cathy finished reading the sign and became frightened. “OH! That doesn’t sound right!” Tessa cried, they both turned and wailed an aching scream, “AAAHHHHH!” and began sprinting again. “What was that?” Cathy cried. “I think that was a zombie!” Tessa screamed. “Well we're losing it, keep running,” Cathy huffed.
The two girls went on sprinting until they were really lost. “OMG!” Tessa cried. “The forest,” sighed Cathy. “We need to keep running to get back home,” Tessa demanded. Tessa turned around realising they weren’t alone. “Don’t.... Make.... A... Sound,” whispered Tessa, “WHAT?” screamed Cathy. ‘GRRRRRRR’ growled a lion, “RUN!” Tessa yelled. The girls ran and dodged around trees. Tessa had a sickening realisation and looked over to check how far away Cathy was. Cathy wasn’t there. “TESSA HELP!” Tessa looked down to see Cathy lying on the ground, and Tessa ran back and cried, “What’s wrong?” “I think I’ve rolled my ankle,” Cathy cried. Tessa picked her up, wrapped Cathy’s arm around her shoulders and started a staggering jog. “C’mon Cath, we got this,” Tessa cried.
For another time the girls looked back and were now in an alleyway, “What’s happening?” Cathy cried, tears streaming down her face. “We’re in an alleyway that smells like cigarettes and alcohol,” Tessa said, scrunching up her face. “Yeah definitely,” said Cathy throwing up in her mouth.
The girls walked slowly around the corner and saw a guard outside a pub demanding, “YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE.” The girls ran as fast as they could, the fat guard behind them pulled out alcohol, Tessa and Cathy broke out laughing.
The two laughing goofs stopped dead in their tracks, Cathy looked over at Tessa, “WAKE UP!” Tessa screamed. “What?” said Cathy confused.
Cathy woke up from a dream and realised her mum was yelling ‘WAKE UP!’ Mum was in Cathy’s room now. “What happened?” Her mum asked. “I guess I fell asleep, the dream I had though,” Cathy sighed with relief. “So tell me about the dream,” mum said sounding interested, whilst pulling out alcohol from her pocket, wait, MUM DOESN’T DRINK!