He Came At Midnight

• Phoebe Stallmann, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2018

I had made it home. I stopped to stare at the dusty, winding road; wrecked buildings surrounding me. The wind was cool against my face. Looking up, I could see dark, ominous clouds moving slowly across the sky. I remembered back to Diggory and how brave he was. I felt a hot tear slip down my cheek and I lowered my heavy head to wipe it away with my thumb. I took a deep breath and moved my wooden crutches forward. I looked down at my left leg. It looked lonely without another by its side. Getting used to the idea of only having one leg would take me awhile. I continued hobbling along the path, my only foot kicking up dust as I went. A wisp of air sent shivers down my spine.
“Cadoc.” It sounded like someone whispered my name. It was probably the wind. I knew from experience that it always played tricks on you. I thought I heard footsteps even with the wind blowing. I whipped my head around to see who owned them but there was no one there. I had hobbled for what seemed like months to get home. I was weary. I was sore and my muscles ached. My arms were numb from where the crutches sat.
I scanned the landscape. It looked so different compared to when I was younger: the half broken buildings, the ruins, the road, the small critters scurrying across the ground. Not a soul was here. I moved towards a desolated building, sadness welling up inside me as I was flooded with fond memories of my brother. As I entered the stone building I once called home, crows flew out, squawking loudly.
Inside was our old, wooden dining table, covered in dust. Chairs were strewn across the room, many of them in pieces. We shared countless meals here, laughing and joking over breakfast and tea. As I walked further into the room, I spotted a hole in the timber floor. I peered down but saw nothing but darkness. I moved on. The boards creaked and in the silence, it seemed louder than usual. Glass was scattered on the floor and bricks were broken. Once I’d reached the middle of the room, I stopped. I heard a noise. Anxiety rose inside me, my senses on high alert as I scanned the room, searching for the source of the sound. My heart was beating faster. I heard a hissing noise at my feet. I looked down, spotting a small, dark-haired rat rubbing its nose. It scurried away and the beat of my heart slowed.
“He’s not in here!” a voice shouted from outside. My heart began racing again. This was not the wind playing tricks. I wobbled towards the door and peered outside, scared of who I might find waiting for me. Several men were searching the ground, discarding rubble along their way. I inhaled sharply. I was trembling although the men looked harmless. As I hobbled towards the men, I recognised one of them instantly; his broad shoulders and confident demeanour. My heart stopped and my leg gave way beneath me. As I toppled to the ground, I saw two men racing towards me. The last thing I remembered was his beaming smile, tears pooling and him saying, “I found you.”