The Fiery Phoenix

• Abdul Raheem, Grade 4, Cambridge Primary School
• Short Story
• 2020

Finalist in the 'The Inside Story 2020' competition

A Phoenix was once flapping its wings as hard as it could to get away from the Hunters. The Hunters were a group of people who hunted rare and majestic animals such as the Phoenix. She flapped as hard and as quick as she could. She dodged all around. She turned around and faced them while avoiding the arrows and sent showers of ice one after another. They screamed as the ice hit them scrambled to retreat from the Phoenix. She flew back to her nest deep in the Enchanted Forest. She fed her younglings meat she had hunted on her way back. Night fell. The Hunters were also back.

They knew that the Enchanted Forest was extremely dangerous at night, but they knew they had to take the chance if they wanted to get that Phoenix. They thought that the Phoenix would be sleeping. But little did they know because the Phoenix was still awake and guarding the nest. So when she saw the glow of a torch, she got ready. Tensely she waited and watched. She went to her nest and grabbed her most prized possession; it was a ruby dagger. She held it in her claw, ready to strike. As she waited and looked around, she didn’t see the Hunters approaching. The Hunters stopped so that they wouldn’t be seen. One of them had a crossbow and aimed at her right-wing and shot the arrow.

It flew and buried its head into her wing. She howled in pain. Her eyes flashed angry red, and she sent a blaze in their direction. They fled. Meanwhile, back at the Phoenix’s nest, she felt the pain intensifying second by second. She didn’t know what to do. But just then she remembered that a fire gives her birth again. She flew to the nearest fire and was reborn. If they wanted the Phoenix, they would have to shoot her multiple times on the spot. She looked around for her dagger but couldn’t find it.

One of the Hunters had a long claw which he used to pick up the dagger which she had dropped when the arrow hit her. She thought that the Hunters had taken it. So she set off to find them. The one that had snatched the dagger was know bragging that he had gotten that dagger. They didn’t hear the flapping of wings behind them until they felt blazes behind them. Slowly they turned around and saw the Phoenix. She swooped down and snatched the dagger.

Before she had come she had thought that was all she would do. But know she thought, why not finish them. Then she put her dagger on fire and threw it at the ground. The fire rushed towards the Hunters and burnt them to death. The dagger then returned to the Phoenix. She flapped back home, knowing she would never be harmed again by the Hunters. But little did she know their children were already training.