Left Behind

• Freya Callaghan, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2019

Our family knew that a storm was coming, a cyclone heading our way. Each day the wind howled, it was growing stronger and we questioned whether we would survive the night. First tearing the grass of the island, then ripping trees from the ground. Our island, Dery Island, was minuscule and hidden in the Pacific Ocean between Burnt Pine and Apia. We were now the 64th generation to inhabit the island. Most days we stayed inside waiting for the wind to pass. On the 31st of January, the cyclone hit.
Feeling like a grain of sand in a sea of water everything swirling before my eyes. The water crashing at the cliff of Dery Island bringing animals to die as the water cleansed the land. My mother's hand swept across my skin like a warm cloak of hopefulness. We had to get off this enclosed Island. I walked outside, the wind pushing against me, strangely for once there was silence…

Australia
Welcome to 9 news, there is a cyclone hitting Burt Pine and Apia, the weather forecast says that it will be a category 5. We have sent one helicopter to Dery Island. Not many people have heard of Dery Island but the people who are living there are in danger and there might be danger and death.

My family and I watched in horror at the TV from what we just heard.
“Mum... are we actually going to die?” my little brother said with terror in his eyes.
“Remember they said they had sent a helicopter.”
I walked outside to see the last of the animals that had wedged themselves under the rocks, some with baby animals and some just adults. I paced over to them, picked them up and brought them inside. I thought they didn’t deserve to die. My brother Zac took them to were the rest of the remaining animals where.
“Zac can you feed them please?”
“Okay Daisy.”
I heard a distant sound of a helicopter and so did my mum.
“Everyone pack your stuff the helicopter is here.” We all ran to our bedrooms. Once we had the last of the animals and our clothes the craft had let down a ladder for us to climb up. Beside the ladder that had touched the ground was a large metal tray that was for our belongings. We placed our stuff on the tray and then everyone started climbing. I was the last to get on ladder. The helicopter was rising and now it was 5 meters from the ground. There was a large swish of wind. I was falling free from the ladder, I felt the ground. Thud. I heard the scream of Zac.
“Daisy…...” I saw the tears on his face as the voice faded away, gone.