Elephant To The Rescue

• Sarah M, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2017

The mountain loomed over Jenny Liart’s small, tanned body. This mountain was one of the hardest to climb in the whole of Africa. Only twenty people had ever made it to the top! There had been many news reports on serious accidents. Jenny was a frail, black haired girl. She wore red glasses that went well with her black shorts and res shirt. Jenny was the type of person you could never imagine climbing a mountain like this one. It was covered in trees and slippery rocks.
Jenny took a deep breath, her heart pounding. She started climbing. As Jenny climbed further and further the air thickened, it grew darker and she found it harder to breathe. The trees were thick but luckily Jenny had a trail to follow. It was a very rocky trail. Jenny suddenly heard a bunch of twigs cracking. Her hairs rose on the back of her neck, but she kept going. Finally Jenny reached a lookout and was relieved to have a break. The view was stunning. Jenny took some photos of the beautiful, emerald grass and pretty, straw huts spread out below in the village.
Once Jenny had gained her breath again she continued the difficult climb. As she climbed on it got harder, steeper and slipperier. Twice she stumbled on loose stones. Once again Jenny heard twigs cracking. A shiver went down her spine. Out of the corner of Jenny’s quick brow eyes she saw a flicker of something moving. It was giant, grey and wrinkly. Jenny ran. She ran as fast as she could. AS Jenny ran she comforted herself. “It’s just the wind it can’t be anything dangerous, can it?”
Without a warning Jenny’s grey and blue sneakers caught in a pile of large, jagged rocks. She flew through the air hitting her head on a sharp rock. The world went black. Jenny’s leg was twisted at a strange angel and was swollen and bruised. Suddenly out of the bushes a huge, grey shape came running towards Jenny.
A long grey, wrinkly trunk slid under Jenny’s back. She was lifted up into the air, her helpless body dangling. The animal started lumbering slowly down the dangerous trail, still holding Jenny. Two hours later, the creature walked out between the last trees and onto a dusty, dirt trail. Local villagers stared and quickly moved out of the way. A few however walked towards the animal and lifted Jenny down. A doctor was fetched and Jenny was rushed to hospital. Three hours later Jenny woke up and was extremely surprised to see she was in a soft bed in the hospital. She glanced down to see her leg set in a cast. She peered out the window and was amazed to see an elephant standing on the dirt drive. “I wonder what on earth that elephant is doing there.” Jenny muttered drowsily before drifting back to sleep.
The girl closed the book with a BANG!!! “That was the best book ever” She walked over to the shelf and placed it in the exact place she had taken it from two hours earlier. The spine read Elephant to the Rescue. The girl skipped away and out the library door letting it close loudly behind her.