Back Through Time To The French Revolution
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Sophie Yu, Grade 7
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Short Story
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2017
‘Ready or not, here I come!’ I looked around for a good place to hide. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the perfect spot; it was an old garage, with the door creakily hanging off its hinges. I faintly heard my brother’s distant footsteps, and rushed in the mildewed garage.
This is surprisingly exciting. Harry had to convince me for ten minutes before I reluctantly agreed to play game of hide and seek with him. I try not to show how excited I was. The garage was too quiet; I have never heard such deafening silence before. My hair was standing on end, my palms were getting sweatier and my eyes were wide. Unexpectedly, I heard a loud thud and crash. Probably just a branch that fell off a tree.
I couldn’t hear Harry’s footsteps now; he must have gone off somewhere else to find me. Creeping towards the door, I was still the king of hide and seek. I more confidently walked out of the door, but something took me by surprise: the sudden increase of noise. I looked around and there were now so many people here. The long, green grass had vanished, instead, it had turned to a brown street with loose pebbles everywhere. The old haunted building was not there anymore, instead, a beautiful palace stood out from the other small grimy shops beside it. I squinted as I tried to look inside the astounding building; the shadow of a lady who looked like Marie Antoinette - Is that even possible? – and her huge mountain of cake. There were hundreds of starving peasants outside the palace. Then it hit me: I’m in the French Revolution.
How do I get back home? I look at the garage behind me but it’s gone. Panic and fear rushed inside me. I never learnt to bear with fear. I started running towards the palace. I hurried in, trying to seek help from random people, but I couldn’t understand them. I suddenly wished I paid more attention in French lessons. Just in time, I heard Marie-Antoinette say, ‘Let them eat cake!’. The French Revolution has begun.
I started to run again into a small alleyway, and I found a garage that looked exactly like the one I went into in the first place. I had completely forgotten that I got transported to France by a dingy garage, and hoping this one would take me back, I got in.
I stepped inside the garage, closed the door. It’s the eerie silence again. With another thud and crash, I opened the door again only to see the green grass, and the haunted building. My brother was sitting beside a tree, and I ran over to him. ‘Where were you? I crown you the king of hide and seek, I couldn’t find you at all!’ Harry exclaimed. ‘I went to France, back through time to the French Evolution.’ I explained. He didn’t believe me, but then again, who would?