Walking In The Rain

• Ella Stearn, Grade 5, Galilee Catholic School -
• Short Story
• 2018

Excellence Award in the 'Write Along 2018' competition

The cool Autumn wind swept my hair back behind my shoulders as I walked along the fallen orange-yellow leaves, the twisting, turning path I walk on seemed to never stop. I didn’t mind my new house, though I did prefer my old one…

The first walk at my new house was quite pleasant. Though this was only the beginning…

The drought had killed many of my family, I wished for rain every second I lived, since I was young I loved rain, playing and walking in it.

After walking on and on, the path had come to an end. The gravel stones gradually turned into dirt and grass, oak trees began to overlook me. I knew this was the time to turn back to my house but all of the wondrous creatures here kept me from doing so, birds, foxes, rabbits and so many more alluring animals.

Clouds began to swallow the sky and the sun began to hide behind the mountains. It was turning dark I had to go back, but it was at this time I saw something… something unknown, a creature… long, black and scaly, with its golden-yellow eyes and vertical pupils, it slithered across the gloomy trail I followed. It began to rain, pour at the worst time possible, my surroundings dampened and the trees began to rustle from the bullets of rain. I finally plucked up the courage to take a step back, in an instant the creature was at my side, I should not have stepped back, not at all…

The mysterious creature, whatever it was, flicked its forked tongue in my face, and it's now colour changing eyes triggered me into shutdown mode… everything became a blur of colour right after the creature lurched its venomous fangs into my side. I felt dizzy and nauseous, but then... Darkness overcame me and all was black…

My eyes finally open, my body finally awake, luckily it was only a dream, or at least I thought so. I got out of my bed and unlocked my window for fresh air. I looked down into my garden, out the window was more than I had expected, much more… IT was there, the thing, the creature, whatever it was, it was there watching me, staring me down. We both stood frozen for several seconds rooted down into the ground we were standing apon. I flinched when the creature flicked its tongue at me, my sudden movement did not make it happy, so to my extreme shock with a flick of the creature’s tail it took off, into the air, swivelling its body around constantly in front of me.

I bolted down the stairs as the monster shot through my window. On my way out I kicked down the door and ran to the spot I’d first seen the creature. It rained once again. I turned and saw it darting at me. I knew this was it, my last time walking in the rain…