Under An Ominous Moon

• Rosa Bailey Hepburn, Grade 6, Newcastle East Public School -
• Short Story
• 2019

Excellence Award in the 'Just Keep Writing 2019' competition

Darkness fell like a cold harsh blanket smothering the last rays of light. Blood pumped through her body like a flooded stream but she ran on, covering miles of distance. She scrambled over miniscule scrawny shrubs and dived under oddly shaped branches.

She came to a cramped clove of spotted gum and made the life-threatening decision to rest her tired head. She dropped onto the leave splattered ground. Her auburn hair getting tangled in leaves and twigs. Everything went black as she drifted off to a sleep filled with dark, dangerous shadows just out of her reach.

Her mind drifted to earlier that day when she had snuck into the gang’s warehouse to recover the vial of liquid that had fallen into wrong hands. It was a powerful formula, so small yet so destructive. If released into the town’s water supply, there would be pandemonium. She had almost escaped with the vial tucked safely in her left pocket but the slam of the window betrayed her.

Crack – a twig snapped and she jolted awake.

The moon was shining down on her like an eerie light casting shadows across the dazzling forest. She rose to her feet and was about to continue running when she heard it. The one sound she had no wish to hear again. The sound that could decide whether she would live. The dreaded sound of hunting dogs baying and feet thumping.

They came from miles around, starting off muffled and gradually getting louder and louder and then first dog, then man, came into sight. Sleek, silver fur covered every millimetre leaving only a ferocious snarl with blood stained, razor sharp teeth. The dogs’ blood red eyes pierced Lucy making her step back, away from the ravenous, rabid dog. More and more of these dreadful beasts closed in on her. They formed a tight circle, leaving no room for her to sprint away. Joining the mix were ten fierce people. She was petrified.

“Leave me alone, you can’t be trusted with it,” Lucy roared, her eyes reflecting fear.

“Give me the formula and we’ll leave you alone,’ growled the towering man leaning on the time-ridden tree.

They were only a metre away now, a tight rope in a lady’s hand. Her brain worked furiously to come up with a way to save herself along with this precious vial.

A plan. A light in the darkness. A chance for survival.

Lucy reached into her right pocket and pulled out a vial. She threw it high into the sky and the gang scrambled to catch it. In the chaos, she made a run for it.

Lucy had a chance, it was small but it was there. She checked her left pocket and felt the bulge of the vial – the precious formula was secure. It was time to survive.