Taking Shelter

• Isabella Blandon Cano , Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2020

The rain swiftly sprinkled down to the ground. Pitter patter, went the rain against the silky surface of the banana leaf. In the distance, a loud rumbling sound could be heard. My heart began to rapidly beat like a drum. Mother Nature is certainly a gift to us. All of a sudden the rain paused, everything around me stopped. I took some time to admire the wonderful world we live in. Life’s too short to waste it; I had never taken this into consideration. Now I have no one with me, no one to talk to, no one to spend the rest of my life with, I’m a failure. The rain starts to pour heavily again. Once in a blue moon the world stops so I can reflect on who I am. This banana leaf, my umbrella, protects me from all the danger in the world. I’m just escaping from my fears, I’m taking shelter. Day after day my fears continue to grow, I don’t have the strength to overcome them. My stomach rumbles as I begin to starve to death. This is my punishment, I deserve this and more. The rain is still pouring down, my problems are coming down with it. My teary eyes are drawn to a shadow that’s creeping behind a Neem tree. My heart races a million miles an hour as I finally have some hope. This could finally be my chance to talk to someone, it was time to make a friend. From the corner of my eye I caught sight of the fiery red colours of a lightning strike.