Far From Safe

• Savannah Dodd, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2019

It was a peaceful evening. The sunset was like a painting on the horizon as Evylen walked home from school. Her bag was heavy with homework, but Evylen couldn’t wait to see her mother’s hazelnut eyes and her charming smile. But when she knocked on the door of her house, there was no reply. That’s strange, Evylen thought. Mother is never out of the house. She turned the doorknob and the door creeked opened. “Hello?” She called. Again no reply. So Evylen walked cautiously into the house, the floorboards feeling like they were going to give way beneath her. Depressed moans floated around her as she searched the kitchen for Mother. Nothing, except for a ragged piece of clothing. Mother was wearing this pattern this morning, Evylen fiddled with the clothing. Then she walked exploded the hallway. The hallway lights flickered. There was a mist near the end, and Evylen saw a figure in it. Was it her Mother? As she walked closer and closer, she muttered to herself, “This is bad. This is bad.” When she reached the mist, she lifted her hand to try and reach the figure, but then Evylen felt cold, bony hands grab her shoulders. They made her have a cold shiver go down her spine. Before she knew it, she was shoved into a room with a dim light, but it wasn’t bright and the room wasn’t clear. The door slammed shut, and was then locked. Evylen banged against the door. “Get me out of here!” she screamed. Then there was a hissing noise behind her. She spun around, coming face to face with a python, bareing it’s fangs. I’m a goner, Evylen thought. But then she felt something in her jumper pocket. A torch. She turned it on, the torch shaking rapidly because of her hand, and held it up at the python. It slithered back. “Few,” she sighed. “Now, how am I going to get out of here?” She itched her head and it came to her. Of course! She took out one of her hairpins from her bun, and fiddled with the keyhole, while aiming the torch at the python. She was about to open he door when she felt the floorboards give way beneath her. Literally. She kept falling in pitch black darkness until she hit the cold, stone ground with a thud. And it knocked her out cold. To be continued...