Lost

• Taj Stainsby, Grade 7, Woolgoolga High School
• Short Story
• 2020

Finalist in the 'The Inside Story 2020' competition

Hours and hours passed, as she trudged through this seemingly never-ending labyrinth. Her mind broken, her body trapped. Was this ever going to end? The scent of cold pine and taste of steel rock, sent shivers down her spine as she continued through, to what seemed like a maze.

Trees made up of crumbled bark and colours surrounded her, like a swarm of aggressive bees, whilst echoes and whispers rang alarmingly in her head, causing feelings of frustration. It was getting dark, as grey clouds emerged from the sky and beams of moonlight shone through the thin tips of the trees. She stared into the distance and felt her eyes adjust to the dark. It made her smile.

She continued through the lonely maze, as she felt as though she was trapped. Sounds of animals and whispers hit her ever-alerted ears and got louder every second, to a point where she couldn’t hear. It was like something was calling her, a voice that rang in her head, repetitively. She didn’t like it. It made her worry. Gusts of howling winds brushed up against her rough skin, sending shivers down her spine. Was she ever going to get out of here?

Alone and scared, devastated and worried, were the emotions running through her body. She had come to a point and looked down. The ground was moist covered with grass. Her surroundings were small, green bushes and the sky was filled with deep blue colours, as if it was paint. It made her feel safe. Her instincts told her she was close. There was only one path ahead of her, as she looked into the narrow distance. Stars shone, vividly, reflecting onto the ground and her dark shadow stretched long across the surface. She had never felt this way before.

Up in the distance was a glowing light that drew her towards it. Was it the exit? Had she finally made it? In her head it called, whispering and screaming. She didn’t know what to do. Her heart twisted, she felt like she was stuck. Her eyelids closed heavily and she stopped breathing. There was complete silence. Droplets of water and rain hit her forehead and ran down her face. Voices rang in her head, she kept moving towards the light and they got louder as time passed. She took one last step as her footprint lay, stuck on the ground. She had finally made it and she felt happy at last.