Near Miss

• Halina Zhu, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2020

I swim around the polluted,lime water filled with plastic grocery bags and half-eaten sandwiches no human ever stopped to think about. Gasping for air I dive back in the dirty water once again to find food for my family. My mother barely knows the difference between our prey and the grocery bags. I really hope she doesn’t make the same mistake my dear brother did. These humans have ruined our lives without knowing it. If you tell them they wouldn’t care either. They are disgusting, foul creatures not a single bit more important than us, yet reigns this planet that was once a beautiful place. They turned fresh air into factory steam and our oceans into a bin.

I felt a warm gush on my slick skin. It’s the slaughter boat. I swim for my life but am in need for air. I swam up to breathe but I couldn’t help noticing the slaughterers’ peculiar looks. Grim and no sign of compassion at all. One had a long, shaggy beard as grey as the bleached, dying coral. The other with clothes as old as the seaweed in the deepest part of the sea.I duck realising I stared a little too long. My heart dropped as large, thick ropes came heading down for my body. I was so startled that I couldn’t move. Swim my head told me, swim! But it was too late. The ropes grasp my body tangling around my neck making it hard to breathe. I scream for help but nobody could understand. The ropes were firm and spots of blood was stained on it. I squirmed as I felt dry, dirty hands pick me up. I squirmed even more. The humans were as strong as a shark’s grip.

“What brings you here lil dolphin?” Muttered the human . He let me go , throwing me in the air and into the polluted water once again. Being a cute little dolphin might save me this time but it won’t save the world. Even though I can’t make a change I hope the humans will. Even just by picking up one piece of rubbish.