Elizabeth's Journal

• Nelleke Yi, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2021

Hi! My name is Elizabeth, you can call me Liz! I am 12 years old, love the colour lilac, I love painting and I LOVE doughnuts!

I live with my mum, Juana. Oh yeah um I kinda… I live in an underground bunker with my mum. Of course it isn't the nicest. We are trapped, just me and my mum. It gets boring but we've gotten used to it which is kinda bad since every morning mum tries to find a way to escape, it’s hard but my mum and I still have hope. We've been here for so long! But before I get right into why we are down here, I want to introduce myself even more, like what I look like, what my mum looks like, life before the bunker and my friends.

My name is Liz, I am half Mexican, I have long black hair that touches my butt. My mum is very nice. When she was young she lost her dad, she was only 15, so I never got to meet him. You are probably wondering, “Do you have a dad?” Well not really, it’s confusing. Basically Mum fell in love with an Australian called Mark. About one year later they got married, then two years later they had me! When I was only 4, mum and dad got divorced, it was a good calm divorce, no shouting or crying, basically mum and dad knew they weren't meant to be together. Mum was a little emotional but she knew she did the right thing.

When I was 7 Mum met Louise, they didn't get married though but they are still technically together. When mum and I went missing and got trapped here Louise must have been terrified, we can’t call because there is no reception, mum always misses Louise, so do I. Before we got here I had a best friend, Maria, I miss her so much. I don't know what she is thinking, I don’t know what anyone is thinking about us being gone.

I don’t really remember how me and my mum got here. I just remember police everywhere, a man leading us and other families away then suddenly, I’m here, with a scar on my head. I always try to ask my mum how we got here but whenever I try, she starts to tear up. I hope she tells me when I’m older. I also remember that it was dad’s birthday that day. Mum and I used to send him cards and his favourite candy, pulparindo, mainly made from fruit and chillies. I don’t like it but dad LOVES it.

In the bunker I have my bed next to mum's bed, we have a tiny kitchen and a small fridge filled with baked beans and bread, yuk. Yesterday mum found the best thing ever! She lifted up the floor looking for a way out. Then under it were books and doughnuts! My favourite! What a mystery! Thanks for listening, dear Journal. Bye!