War Spirits

• Caitlyn Davidson, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2017

I am standing in the corner of the room. I hear ear piercing screams in the distance. I look around the room. My family is screaming. My mum yells out to me, “Take cover!” but I was too scared to even move. I hear jets and then suddenly I see the windows of my home shatter, pushing the glass out of their frames. The floorboards fly up hitting the roof and then all goes quiet. I open my eyes, the bomb is done. I hear my mom calling my name, “Elijah Elijah!” I look around and my home is destroyed. I go up to mum to comfort her as she is rocking back and forth and calling my name. “I am ok mum,” I said but she doesn't notice me. I look at mum and she has cuts and bruises all over her. But then I look at myself and I am unharmed. I walk outside and I hear babies crying and jets in the distance as they fly off. I see people wondering where their loved ones are.
But I have no feeling. Mum is still crying behind me but then I hear a voice. So I turn around and I see my great Grandpa, “I thought you were dead,” I said as I wondered how he got there. I hear my mum say, “You were just like your great Grandpa. Brave and always thinking about others before yourself.” Then I look down and I see my dead body just laying there helplessly. Even though I have no feelings, I feel a tear run down my ghostly pale face and there I see a light in front of me. I walk towards it and I feel myself flying. I feel calm. I feel happy. I feel free.
ONE WEEK LATER
I look down. I see my mum, she has bags of all our stuff and the rest of the family behind her. ‘I wonder what they're doing?’ I said to myself. I look to the side and I see a boat with lots of people next to it. Everyone gets on the boat and I see them slowly drift away. I go and sit next to my family even though they can't hear me, feel me or see me. I am there to comfort them. You can hear people coughing and babies screaming, kids crying and people being sick. I look out into the distance to see the sun setting. When it gets dark, we have to turn off all the lights so other boats don't see us. It's been two whole weeks and we are at the refugee camp. There's a sign saying ‘Welcome to Australia’. I look at my family, they look happy. We get off the boat and we see clean water and lots of tents. My family is happy, and so am I.