Meerkat Dreams

• Avani De Santis, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2018

Mariam Breakfast is ready”
“Coming Mum”
It was a normal Monday morning in the Meerkat household. Mr Meerkat had left for work early, Mrs Meerkat had to drop the kids of at Meerschool. After she had come back home to look after the youngest child Matthias who was not young enough to go to Meercare .The older two children Mariam in Year 6 and her older brother Matthew in Year 8 set off in school in the family’s convertible.
It was the fifth lesson of the day, Mariam’s class had English .
“ Good afternoon Class today we will be looking at Fiction Writing. Can anybody tell the class what Fiction is?” said the Teacher.
Lots of voices shouted out “Pick me”, “I know Miss” and “Over here” then the teacher’s voice said “Mariam how about you”
Mariam wearily trudged down the stairs leading to the front. “Fiction Novels are fantasy, sci-fi and others. These books are not based on a true event like Non-Fiction books they are created by the authors’ imagination.”
“Thank you, Mariam . You gave the whole class a very good explanation of what Fiction Writing is”. You may sit down now”
Mariam sat down. Slowly Her eyes started to close.

When she opened them again there were trees and plants around her, she could also hear running water nearby. As she looked around it dawned on her that she was no longer inside the English class but in a jungle. She was no longer Mariam the school girl but Mariam the Explorer Meerkat. She would explore the unknown like her hero Christopher Columbus. She thought that she would need a stick like an Explorer to cut through the overgrowth. After searching she found one. It took a lot of cutting until she stumbled upon a clearing. In the middle stood a rock and some logs in a circle. This is the remains of a campsite thought Mariam, maybe if I gather enough dry wood, I can restart the fire. After gathering enough materials, she managed to get a blazing fire going.

“Mariam, isn’t that right Mariam”
Mariam opened her eyes to see her teacher standing in front of her.
“Isn’t it Mariam”
“Yes, miss it is right” said a dazed Mariam. It had obviously been a dream thought Mariam.




Mariam and Matthew slowly trudged home, usually their mother picked them up in the convertible, but today she could not due to her brother Matthias. Mariam arrived to find the door ajar, as she stepped in through the door a whiff of a cold breeze drifted past her nose. She dropped her bag and ran into her room. She stood there mesmerised by the sight that lay before her. She plunged into her room and shut the door. Her stick lay on the floor, her compass in her hands. She entered the valley of mysterious plants and trees with the sound of rushing water in the background.