Life As A Convict

• Sophie McMillan, Grade 4
• Short Story
• 2018

My name is Elizabeth James,
I am twelve years old. I was sick and tired of this poor country so I decided to steal some ones horse and a loaf of bread, the horse so I could get out of here and the loaf of bread for me to eat: I got caught on the horse and was sentenced aboard the friendship. I don’t know anyone here but I met a girl called Amelie, my mother is probably worried, I didn’t tell her I was going because she had enough stress looking after my baby sister Mary.
I am home sick, some people have gotten very sick, and I am worried about what will happen.
I wish I never stole I feel very guilty.
It’s hard on this ship, it’s been a month most people have died from diseases. On this ship we stay in a hulk at the bottom of the ship, we are going to a new land, I am unsure if I will survive, we still have seven months left I wasn’t to go home!!!
I don’t want my mother to come looking for me, but I know she will realise, I have to be home by dark, unfortunately that won’t happen tonight, I may never see my home again, I will never see my mother, I won’t see my sister grow up, and I will never see the picture of my father again.
I feel very upset with myself. I want to go back in time and change my past, I don’t want to go to this new place and go to gaol and I don’t want to be hung and killed.
Yuck there’s a rat I looked away and it disappeared we are almost at this new land, there are twenty people left including me and Amelie. We have arrived I am so glad to taste the fresh air.
If I have survived for this long there is no point to give up now.