Fur And Feathers

• Bridie Yeo, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2019

One by one, as the Emus gathered and entered the field their army and pride expanded. “Catch the ball butterfingers!” The crowd yelled from the side lines. The irritation started to feel more real, as the anger built up in the treacherous crowd. The game had started, hearts were thumping and adrenalin was flowing as the match started to become irresistibly close.
Feathers and fur flying everywhere and knowledge of having to choose some wallabies and wallaroos, gave the Kangaroos even more to fight for. Twisted legs and sprinting hard, the incessantly high pitch whistle from the whistler duck, echoed in their ears. “Get off my tail, you annoying little brut” screeched the horrific sound of the kangaroo. “Hurry up, fight for the ball” protested the whistler duck. “I am here to do my job, not watch a movie!” The whistler duck had just broken their patience to the max. “We’ve had it with you,” argued the coach. The intensity rose throughout the stadium as the anger felt all more real. Tension building it was as the constant snarls from the Kangaroos made the teams fired up.
Kangaroos a try ahead. Three minutes remaining. The puffed faces were endless, as the surrounding emphasized crowd was chanting and yelling! The thought of losing against the Kangaroos was among reality. The feeling had never felt so real. The concentrated eyes of the crowd and the ferocious teams among the stadium, the silence broke between the rivals as the Emu’s captain caught the bounce, unleashing their inner anger to even up the game. One minute left, two teams sweating from head to toe, time running short and tension growing more, the two rivals fighting for victory. A marsupial hitting the ground hard and all eyes glued to what was happening before their eyes. “Come on guys” the coach called from the side lines. Kangaroos with the ball, passing down the field smoothly until out of nowhere an intersection from the Emus was valid. Five seconds remaining, fighting hearts and sweating bodies the Emus clenching the ball hard. 3, 2... “TRY” the crowd screeched at the top of their lungs.
The victory was celebrated with mouths full of cake and a heart warming celebration. The never ending chatter about how they won was everything to talk about that night and ever onward the knowledge of winning against the Kangaroos stuck with them.