Midnight Runners

• Lucinda Mee, Grade 4, Toowoomba East State School -
• Short Story
• 2018

Excellence Award in the 'Horizon of Dreams 2018' competition

“Wha-t was that?” I gasp.
I bolt upright, scan the room - just over-due homework and filthy clothes as usual- phew.
Crack! That sound! Must be downstairs…
The inside of me itches to see what’s going on, I try to resist, “Just close your eyes and fall back to sleep” I keep on saying but I simply cannot. I place my feet onto the icy, rock-hard, wooden floor and creep over to my old door.
“If I don’t build up the courage to do it tonight, I never will.” I mutter to myself, as I open the door.
The darkness outside is very unsettling. I tip-toe down the stairs trying my hardest not to make a squeak. I hear a faint noise – talking?
As I turn the corner to the hallway someone grabs me and then my vision goes black and everything I’m hearing sounds so faint, but I still hear what they’re saying.
“Finally, we got ér! I thought we were going to jail, I thought she’d call the cops!” a raspy voice cheers.
“Ha-ha! We sure got this little rascal! Boss says she got a necklace worth thousands!” a similar voice chants but with a little more slang.
I’m chucked somewhere and I hear an engine start, I’ve been thrown into the back of a car. For a while the ride was smooth but now I’m bounced around like on those bumpy roads, and we’ve significantly slowed down, where are they taking me?
Much later we stop, they carry me inside the building, and put me down on a cement floor and open the bag.
“Get out girl.” He demands.
I scramble out of the tight bag and stare into evil eyes.
“Give us ya’ necklace!” a male voice says.
I can’t give my necklace away; my eldest sister gifted it to me. She was very much like me even with nine years apart, she understood. She’s now passed away I can’t give away my only reminder of her, especially to some criminals.
“C’mon, just say you lost it in that unbelievable room of yours- we know the state of that dumpster.” He acts like this necklace means nothing to me.
“I’ll never take this off my neck!” I scowl furiously.
“Well then get used to my face” he snarls.
There was something they didn’t know; my sister gave me this necklace to keep me safe. I can call any emergency service at any time.
“Hello there, I am an eight-year-old child and I have been kidnapped. Please help, thankyou.” I almost silently whisper for I have no idea where my captors are.
Police suddenly appear, storm in and arrest the kidnappers. As they are being dragged outside one yells furiously in my direction “How did you do that you little hooligan?”.
“Don’t ask me! How would I even call the cops?” I barely say without giggling, “but let’s just agree that I won’t have to get used to your face.”