Life And Death

• Luke Pyman, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2017

Flash ran through the cold air of the Sinharaja Rainforest, trying to get away from his brother. "I'll get you Flash" his brother yelled and laughed at the same time as Flash kept running. Running because of a game they called "Life and Death".
After ten minutes, Flash's brother still ran, just not the way he had intended in the first place. He was running out of the forest, trying to get help, as flash was gone. He was nowhere to be seen. After ten minutes of calling out to Flash, Flash's brother's instincts told him there was something wrong.
Still after hours of searching on foot and in the skies he was nowhere to be seen. Eventually he was declared dead, and his brother and his parents had to leave. But little did they know that flash was still breathing, he had just been knocked out. He awoke several hours later to the sunlight of dawn, wondering where he was.
Flash was worried sick. Literally. He had puked after eating things he called "rock cherries". They were sticky, and he knew he had been told not to eat them in class one day, but he couldn't help himself. They looked so beautiful. He had drooled over the thought of berries, but then realising his hunger, he had climbed up the tree and eaten them, only to climb down, wait for a while, and puke them onto the ground. He was really worried because he had no food, no water and felt sick. He hadn't really payed much attention to his surroundings, so he took the time to have a look around. He looked up at the big cliff in front of him. Boy, was it big. It was grey, with a big face hanging over the edge. It was then that he heard the sound of a cool, beautiful waterfall, somewhere off in the distance. He had not heard it at first maybe because he wasn't feeling that well, but it was loud and clear now. But it was also then that he realised the lights went out, as well.
Flash awoke to the strongest winds he had ever experienced. And it was also very wet as it was raining very heavily. It was also a relief because he was in need of a long drink of water. He lay there for a while pondering whether to get up and leave or stay put. He decided to get up and start walking, through the rain trying to get cover from the trees. Just as he sits down to rest he hears something. A voice, a human voice. "Uh hello?" Flash said, worrying it was all a dream. "FLASH, IS THAT YOU?" came a cry from somewhere close. It was then that he looked up, and saw through the rain his brother. His brother ran through the rain and winds and said "You're it" with a laugh.