Saviour

• Mackenzie Watts, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2017

I waved goodbye at the gate. I ran towards the car, but a strong grip around my arm stopped my feet from moving. I turned around and punched the person in the chest. He pulled me into a hug and I cried into my shirt. "It was time," he muttered continually into my hair. I steadied my breathing and he pulled me towards the car. I got in un-willingly as he buckled my seatbelt for me, and dropped into the driver’s seat. I looked at him with hatred. He looks at my sympathetically and I pulled my gaze away.
When we arrived home, I ran to the bedroom and slammed the door. Everything reminded me of her. I rummaged through my draws and found a letter that she had written me just before she left. I ran the envelope over in my hands, tempted to open it. I gave in, I pulled up the flap silently and started to read.
11 MONTHS LATER
My annoying alarm started buzzing the all-to-happy wake up tune and I rolled over and hit the snooze button. It was a long night the night before. Once again, my alarm started to go off. I rolled over once again and this time pressed the stop button. I sat up and turned on the TV, horrified by the sight. "Navy, Airforce and Army members have all died after a bombing overseas," the news lady spoke, an upset expression on her face. Tears sprung to my eyes as my thoughts flashed back to 11 months earlier. I ran over to my drawer and pulled out the crinkled letter. I had read this letter every night since that day. I finally got to the last part of the letter as I read it once more aloud. "Love your sister," my voice and someone else said in unison. I turned around. There she was in her uniform. Her eye bruised and her lips swollen and sliced. A bouquet of roses of all colours in her hand. She dropped the roses and hugged me tight. After 11 months of being deployed with the Navy, her she was. My Sister.