MIDNIGHT

• Charlotte Grant, Grade 6, St Mary's School -
• Short Story
• 2018

Excellence Award in the 'Write Along 2018' competition

The bleak night made her adrenalin pump. She was standing in front of a dark narrow opening. Julie could smell damp moisture coming from the rocks inside. Her blood was draining from her pale face as the evil looking haze headed in her direction. The eerie looking mist started to swirl around her ankles like hands around a neck. She scrambled for her phone in her back pocket, as she turned the torch on she saw that it was 12:02. She knew the torch worked and hoped her battery had enough charge. There was no way she could turn around, there was too many of them for her to make it past them in one piece. She took her first steps into the unknown.

Julie heard crackling screeches as the evil looking mist rushed after her. Julie reeled back and momentarily stopped. She could see a silhouette in the distance. Her heart pounded in her ears. The phone torch became dimmer until the final battery died. She noticed in the darkness, red piercing lights that darted from side to side. They looked like the devil's eyes leading straight to her. More distant screeches and a sudden burst of cold stale air smacked her in the face. The eerie mist pushed Julie forward although she was feeling like she might collapse with terror. Julie couldn't see what they were but she knew where they went.

Julie's heart was pounding in her ears as she peered around the corner into the cavernous cave where the red piercing lights went. She saw thousands of eyes in the darkness. The eerie mist rushed towards Julie and forced her into the cavernous cave. Luckily, Julie quickly ran to the nearest outcrop of rocks so she didn't get attacked from the mysterious red eyes. As Julie patiently waited for the eerie mist to push the eyes away, she thought about her mother and father and if they were looking for her. She thought about how she would die and what her last words would be, but the most important thing that she thought about was if she had the courage to see what the red eyes were.

Julie took two large steps from behind the outcrop of rocks and she bent down so she was like a shadow. She crouched into a running position and ran full speed towards the eyes, only to uncover that they were bats and she had intruded their space and the fog was the after-night mist.

After feeling safer from the dreadful night, Julie headed out of the cave being aware of her surroundings. As she was walking home, a clap of thunder boomed above her head and she rushed home so there was not another mystery that would unfold. As she walked in the front door her father had his coat and his jingling car keys in his hand and said ''I was just coming to get you honey.'' Julie took no interest and ran upstairs.
THE End