The Escape - By Jake Coombes

• Jake Coombes, Grade 4, East Hamersley Primary School -
• Short Story
• 2018

Excellence Award in the 'Horizon of Dreams 2018' competition

In the dead of night a girl gloomily waded through the river. She knew the spirits were after her and she had to find refuge. Suddenly a ship loomed out of the mist. Could this be a spirit vessel or a safe sailor’s ship?…

Her name was Helen. As the water became deeper she began to swim. The ship loomed closer and Helen jumped out the water like a salmon, and somehow clung to the side. Helen then proceeded to climb the hull. She saw something on the side but didn’t recognise it in the darkness. When she reached the top and scuttled over the side, Helen went below deck to see what was there…

What Helen saw below deck was indescribably horrible. She realised, this was the “First Blood”. The “First Blood” was an extremely dangerous spirit vessel. Helen could hear the spirits snoring. Suddenly her hairs stood on end and she slowly turned around. Standing right there was the most devious-looking spirit Helen had ever seen. With the speed of lightning and the strength of a tornado, the bulky spirit shoved her into a cell. Then she was out.

When Helen came to, she was still in the cell. Dazed, Helen began to explore. The cell was dark and reeked of rats. She saw something glitter in the corner. An amulet. When Helen picked it up a name flashed in her mind, “Krimon”, legendary titan of escapes.

Helen waited until nightfall, and then she summoned Krimon. Krimon was a demonic, horned creature of pure malice. Helen told the titan to pick the lock, which he did with ease. Krimon then shifted his shape, His claws grew, his horns thickened and wings sprouted from his back. Meanwhile, in the captain's quarters, Captain Slipstream awoke as Helen and Krimon thundered past. As Slipstream called the other spirits and gave chase, Helen told Krimon to scare them off. With his elongated claws, Krimon sliced a bit of ceiling onto the spirits, trapping them. As the duo approached the exit, Krimon smashed a hole through the locked door. They busted out, and Helen clambered onto Krimon’s back. As they took off, Helen lay down her head and slept. When she woke, Helen was in a hammock. Krimon wasn’t there but the amulet was. Helen gazed around, she was on a tropical island and she could see the strong, bulky hull of the “First Blood”. She groaned. Helen was still on the run…

THE STORY CONTINUES...