Echo And The Otter

• Emma Buttriss, Grade 3
• Short Story
• 2019

On the tiniest island of Queensland, there lived
a dolphin called Ethan and a dolphin called Erica. Together they had three calves. Their
names were; Wave, Splash and Echo. Wave was the oldest and Echo was the youngest. Wave and Splash were a pale blue with a white underneath. But Echo was a navy blue with a light grey underneath. Whenever the parents weren’t looking, Wave and Splash did something beastly to Echo. Like excluding him from their games, cheating in hide and seek and pushing him into the seaweed forest. One day Echo decided he had, had enough. So he decided to leave home and go on an adventure to prove he wasn’t a scaredy cat which was a name Wave and Splash often called him. When his family was asleep, he snuck out of bed into the seaweed forest. He wanted to turn back but he got lost. He went the wrong way and ended up in a swarm of jellyfish! He barely got past without getting stung. Once he did get past he ran into an otter. “Hello” said the Otter. “Are you lost?” Echo said: “yeah.. I think so”
“ok then” Said the otter, “where do you live? I know my way around here very well.”
“I live in a Coral reef next to the seaweed forest.” “ok. Then follow me” Said the otter.
The otter lead him around a school of Clownfish, around a mouldy shipwreck, and around a coral reef with dozens of rows of beautiful coral. Then all of a sudden disaster struck. Echo got carried away by a big wave and ended up being surrounded by a group of hungry sharks. “hey kid, what are you doing out here, all alone” said one of the Sharks.
“I’m lost in the ocean.” Said Echo. “I came from an island off Queensland. “Well, I’m afraid I can’t help. I would rather eat you for my lunch.” Said one of the toothy grinned sharks.
“Aaaaaaaaahh!!!” Screamed Echo as he swam off towards the underwater cave. The sharks laughed as he screamed like a three year old.
Echo swam into the underwater cave. He saw a familiar face. The otter was back!! “Otter!!”
Exclaimed Echo. “Oh! Hey Echo.” Said Otter.
“Follow me again I know the way from here.”
“ok” Said Echo. They swam past a school of beautiful exotic fish. And there it was!! Echo was home. But Echo worried about Otter.
Was he really lost too? “Don’t you have a home?” Asked Echo. “no, not really.” Replied Otter. “Why don’t you come live with me?” Asked Echo. “Sure!” Exclaimed Otter. They swam inside Echo’s house. Wave and Splash were in the living room eating some salmon.
All of a sudden they saw Echo and Otter race in the door. What a relief! “Echo is home!!” Shouted splash. “Hi, Wave, Hi Splash. This is otter. He is going to live with us.” Said Echo.
“Welcome Otter!!” Exclaimed his parents,
and off they went to play.