Man Of Little Words

• Makaylah De Jonge, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2018

Branches reach out to Will like as if they were arms, desperately trying to seize him but he dodges them. Every second he gets deeper and deeper into the forest, trying to escape from all the torment and misery caused by the other kids. Tears greet his cheek, anger fills his body. A root then emerges too quick for Will to see, it knocks him down and he dives to the ground quicker than a bullet!

When he thought he was on his own, the quiet footsteps echo his imagination, he jumps to one’s feet as he imagines those footsteps are thousands of demons chasing him down. He then crouches under a nearby bush, now acting as a hiding chamber, leaving just enough room for him to glance at the world surrounding his fragile body. When the footsteps fade away he prepares to come out from his chamber of disguise. A bony hand that is as cold as ice then clutches on to the boys shoulder. Too scared to look he refrains from tilting his head to inspect what's behind him. Will is aggressively tugged into the wall of trees behind, as he fades into a deep sleep…

The boys eyes flicker open in dismay, as a old worn out tired face has appeared before his eyes. The man's face is covered in patches of bruises, sores, cuts and wrinkles. The man opens his mouth as if to speak, stutters a bit and resorts to pointing to the cave walls. He walks slowly and crookedly towards a wall, leading Will close behind him. After dabbing a small twig in a dirty liquid, he then continues to draw on his wall as if he was telling a story, as he draws he directs me to look at the other walls lathered in white paintings.


Will inspects the other walls and makes out the first story, after much deliberation, a picture of a man’s voice taken away from him as a punishment for loving a unwelcome woman is clear. Soon, Will discovered who that man was, the strange man implores Will to go back to the original wall where he shows writing, “save yourself escape while you can from them they will eat small boys like you”

Suddenly he finds his body being pierced with pain and agony. Will clears his eyes, above him a beast with glowing red eyes, teeth jagged and scales on the neck. The beast goes to attack Will but a suddenly the strange man leaps out and saves the day as he brutally punches the beast unconscious.

Will jolts his head to face the strange man, but before he can save the man, another beast emerges from the darkness. The beast attacks the strange man there was no chance for him. Will stood frozen paralysed in fear as the beast creeps slowly towards him. Every inch of Will’s body is crying to run but doesn’t move...