The Singing Girl

• Carlee Farrer, Grade 9, Wodonga Middle Years College - Felltimber Campus -
• Short Story
• 2018

Excellence Award in the 'Horizon of Dreams 2018' competition

The singing girl swings under the cherry blossom tree; dreaming of the life she once had. She stares out into the distance and watches the daisies dance and protest against the willing breeze. She watches blossoms gliding in and around the pond. Swaying left and right. Landing as if it were an orchestra; quiet and soft, but meaningful. So close to her feet, and yet so far. She sees ripples being created as they reach the pond, its water as clear as the sky. She is dreaming about food and when she will next have it. Because the war is coming and no one can stop it.

The singing girl is now flying up into the sky. Her hair, like rivers down her back, swaying as if it were a tune. Her smile like diamonds, so precious and beautiful you’ll want to keep them forever. Her teeth as white as can be, shining like a spotlight and she's the top act. Raindrops coming from her eyes, faster now. Scared for her life. Her mind is repeating the same sentences in her head. "Think happy, it’ll get better, it always does."

Her grandma is calling her from a distance. It’s time for work now. Heave the water up the hill to the house, clean the house, take care of your little brother because you know he needs it more than you and stop worrying about yourself, he’s more important. Search through the bombed ruins of your neighbours houses for anything that can be helpful. And, finally, get ready for bed as if nothing is wrong.

She shares her bed with her little brother and doesn't want to upset him. She gets ready for the day and then goes to the swing to calm herself down. Her swing is the only thing that feels real. Every day she does this. And as the days go by more neighbours are lost, their homes bombed and destroyed. Killing everything inside.

And then, the day came.

Men dropped down from helicopters as if they were from heaven, but then they started shooting. Reality returns. A war. People wanting more power than they can handle. People turning into the monsters they really are.

Bombs start falling from the sky, the first one hits the tree. She runs for her house. Her brother is in there. She finds him in their bed, curled up in a ball. She grabs him and runs for the door. A blast throws her to the wall. She sees blood. Not her blood but somebody else’s. She turns her head and sees her brother lying on the ground. Dead. No matter how much she screams his name, he isn't going to wake up. Men come storming into the house. She realises it is now her time. They see her and shoot three times. There is no hesitation. She looks down and sees the blood rising from her shirt. It is the last thing she sees as her world goes black