The Different Death

• Chloe Neilson, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2017

It's 2028 today, I woke up this morning from a loud phone ring! I walked out of bedroom and into the kitchen, I see Mum on the phone. She hangs up when she sees me. She tells me that someone has either stolen grandma or she has walked out of her house, and is nowhere to be found. Suddenly the phone rang again, mum picked it up, they said they might have found Ella walking into the distant forest, 15 minutes from Kingscliff ocean side, which is 10 minutes from where Mum and I live.
Before you would know it, we were in the car driving.
When we got there, there was caution tape covering the entrance, so mum and I jumped the fence and ran through the forest as fast as we could. We came to a horrifying dark house. Mum and I walked up to the door and knocked three times... Then before we could blink, a tall man dressed in black walked up to us and whispered, “My name is Joe and hurry up because you’re wasting my time!" very angrily. Mum asked if he had seen a lady walking through these forests.” The man replied by saying, “These woods are haunted? Whoever walks in, never comes out!” We were so scared. Mum and I left Joe’s house and walked about 1000m north until we came to a beach.
My father was standing right in front of me. He told us, "I haven't been able to find Ella for weeks.” “We told him that we only found out today.” Dad was shocked!! Dad had set up a camp to stay overnight, so we caught some fish to have for dinner and then went to bed.
The next morning at dawn, we started walking down to the beach and by lunch time we were in the middle of the forest. For lunch we had to find some berries to eat, it wasn't very easy! By noon, we had found our way back to the beach and we had to set up camp AGAIN! We caught some fish and ate that for dinner and went to bed like the day before.
Four days later we haven't see anyone. But then I look under me, I see someone standing there, I didn't know who it was! There was a shadow, it was grandma, we were all so happy. Then grandma whispered, "Be quiet.” I whispered back, "Why?” She whispered, “Because a man named Joe kills anyone in this forest, that's why it’s a haunted forest.” We were all so scared, we didn't know what to do. We started walking forward and I heard something coming from the bushes, but I kept walking and then I heard a scream from three people. I looked behind me, my family was gone, Joe had taken my family away.
Then I felt something whip across my back. I started running, but Joe caught up to me and then he tripped over and broke his knee, he could not chase me anymore. I felt safe but I kept running until I found my way out. I called the Police and they came to the beach as soon as they could. The Police took Joe to the hospital and then took him to jail. Joe was forced to tell me where he put my family. Once he told me, I ran to his house and freed my family.