Washed Away

• Anna Dang, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2018

The brilliant, blue ocean playfully swished around, lightly splashing my tight, grey jacket with the cold, salty water. The wind twisted and twirled through my wavy sea of hair. I watched a young Japanese girl ecstatically skipped while singing a soothing song. She giggled as her parents smiled at her. Her black hair was tied in two side braids which playfully bounced with her every movement, she wore crimson bow ties that brightened up her hazelnut eye colour.

Suddenly a rumble shook the ground viciously. In the distance a tsunami charged towards us. Everyone fled with a blood-curdling scream, I sprinted to the end of the wharf but I obviously was not able to escape since the jacket was constricting my every movement. The tsunami was suddenly towering metres above me, the humongous waves crashed upon me, I felt like an ant all of a sudden. Corpses drifted around as if they were bubbles, I was drowning. Everything went pitch-black.

My eyes snapped open, I breathed uneasily, the once living tourists around me were lifeless, the young girl I was watching earlier was sobbing. She was desperately shaking her parent’s corpse, she then screeched in agony. Suddenly she stood up and stumbled towards me, in an instance she collapsed on the concrete floor. Her eyes were swollen from crying. I yanked myself to my feet and galloped towards her, I had empathy for her. I was in the same pathetic situation as her, I carried her and headed for the nearest rescue team who were dashing around to help after the chaotic waves, I was panting furiously, her breaths were shallow and she was incredibly pale, her thin fingers were curled up into her palm.

Once I reached the rescue team the workers were alarmed to see me carrying a person who almost died from the tsunami. They placed her on a damp bed and they checked her temperature, which was alarmingly low. Suddenly a stranger who was lying next to her slurred “This girl, she is very ill, mentally convulsed,” The stranger replied wistfully, I was shocked. She was lively and ecstatic on the wharf, “What does that mean? Are you sure sir?” I rambled, he shook his head, “You do not mess with a demon inside a child’s head, unless death is your ambition,” he mumbled. Suddenly she sputtered and opened her eyes, she smiled reassuringly and murmured “Thank you”.

Upon leaving the hospital I noticed the girl was following me. I sighed “I’m sorry, you should be in the hospital, you’re far too weak to even go with me!” I attempted to drag her inside, yet she stood straight and tall like a bridge. I blinked in awe, “I understand you have nothing right now, but I can’t possibly help. After all I am an international student for Australia, and if I do take you home a lot of things will surely happen!” I rambled in a confusing accent, my Japanese was simply imperfect.