Don't Cross The River

• Laura Nolan, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2020

Harsh desert stretching for miles. With the wind brushing against Matilda’s lips like sand paper. Her only hope was to find cover during the next two days. She couldn’t see any further than two metre, this was the cause of sand hitting her eyes like meteors breaking through the atmosphere. With only four litres of water, and one day worth of food, she will need to ration, she kept travelling trying to find cover, anything, a cave, a tree or even a whole Matilda would be able to climb into and wait out the storm. Matilda walked a little further. Weak and a little dehydrated, she found a cave.
It was dark, that wasn’t going to scare Matilda as there were sticks around and she had matches in her bag. She lit a small fire to keep herself war and provide herself with a source of light. Who knew crossing the river would be so dangerous and terrifying. Many told stories of what happens when you cross the river. Harsh conditions, death trapping winds, sand that will scar you for life. Matilda never listen to those stories, she only listen to the first few sentences and believed it was all nonsense. But now, she has realised she was wrong.
Two days later Matilda woke up to see the storm was over and she could begin to start walking back to the river. Matilda was weaker than ever with only a few drops of water left and no food, she was bound to make it home today. She strutted along with a fast pace as her legs ached, determined she was going to make it home alive. Hours had past and in the glary distance she could see a faint outline of the river. Matilda gasped in excitement. She gained a faster pace, faster than she had ever walked before. The closer she got to the river the clearer it was to see.
She arrived on the river bank where she had crossed the first time. The water was rushing fast, wanting to wash everything in its way. Matilda walked along the river bank searching for the stones she had crossed a few days ago. These stones were nowhere to be found, the water was too high. Matilda had no choice but to hold a branch reaching out over the river. She climbed along the branch, the branch came to an end. With the branch bopping up and down Matilda started to swing, hoping when she let go she would land on the other side of the river. After a few big and strong swings she let go. She crashed on the river bank. Matilda Stood up and headed home knowing she had done the wrong and no one was to know about her crossing the river.
A week later Matilda was listening to a story about never climbing mount Bisco, Matilda listened carefully soaking ever piece of advice and why not to climb Bisco.