Say Goodbye

• Elizabeth Heazlewood, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2018

I run past the old oak trees, and a school building down the steep hill to the road. I look around back at the hill, someone is watching me to see if I will actually cross the highway full of speeding cars. I see a clearing, I jump! I made it across, I see them looking around on their phone talking, they spot me, I flee to my favourite hiding place.
"Desdemona?" I hear from behind a blue saturated, muddy, old blanket that was hung up between two garbage-cans, hidden in the alley way. "Mum!" I yell rushing towards the blanket holding a pink, plastic lunch box. I lift the blanket up and step inside a small area I call home to see her burnt, scared face. "Mum I got something" I say to her, I open the lunchbox with a trembling, cold hand. I find a big bottle filled with juice. "Mum, drink," I say. She slurps slowly making her dry lips wet, savouring every last drop. "Thank you," she says in between her tiny mouthfuls. "No more, you know we need to save some," I say politely, just like she would say to me when I was too young to help her, but when I did try to help it caused us to lose food for weeks.
"MUM!" I scream, a waterfall of tears runs down my muddy face, her hand falls, her pulse gets slower and slower. She mutters "Desdemona, I wish I could spend more time with you, I know your only 8 but I have to go, one day we will meet again, I love you!" I see and hear her last pain, tears, words and suddenly her chest lowers. I see her beautiful grey but blood-stung eyes for the last time, I will never see them open again. "Mum," I sob, "come back, I miss you, Mum please.” Her hand opens and her final sigh leaves her mouth, her ruffled messed up blonde hair lay in a puddle, I've seen this happen before when my father died. It was from the famous fire of Yoko Donuts. It was an amazing donut store, until it burnt down with my father inside. My mother was dreadfully hurt looking for me even though I was outside waiting for both my parents to come out, but all I saw was my Mum who had a burnt face and scarred arms and legs. Sadly, my Dad never came out.
I walk past a shop playing music, 'It’s time to say goodbyyyye, I never want to but I’ve got to gooooo...' I use all my energy and push past the crowd but everywhere I go I can't avoid it. I get stopped. "Hello, are you lost?" asked a woman. "I just don't know where to go? I'm all alone and I wish they never left me," I sob to the woman. "Follow me, my name's Miranda," she says. She takes me to an orphanage. "Welcome home!" Miranda says happily.