The Incident

• Flint Zhu, Grade 4, Hurstville Public School
• Short Story
• 2022

Finalist in the 'National Treasures 2022' competition

Lightning struck the ground outside. The night sky howled. A cruel cold-blooded stare on his deathly pale and wrinkled face pierced through my body. His spindly crooked fingers twisted around the obsidian black crooked wand. His rough ghastly voice boomed around the petrifying dark desolate hall. His bulging veins snaked across his twisted features. His long shadowy robe dragged across the floor. The gleaming malevolence in his thin ebony eyes.
His footfall rang across the room, and death came closer with each step... My heart pounded as he came closer and closer, the frosty air around him chilled me to my bones... His hot breath formed clouds of steam in the air. As I scrambled up to my feet, I began to race across the hall... My boots pounded across the pearl white tiled floor, dark shadows of the crooked tree reflecting on the tiled floor.
Suddenly, I was hit by a sudden hot red burst of blood red coloured energy. I flew off the ground and came crashing down. My suit of chainmail tinkled as I fell on top of my sword, the magic sword. I crawled to my feet, and I was badly hurt by the attack. Blood trickled down my nose in a steady stream and its coppery taste entered my mouth. Drip. Drip. The sound of my blood fell to the floor.
I faced him, staring at the wicked expression plastered over his face. His hands were by his side with a crooked wand in his ugly fingers, and the tip of the wand still glowing. The slightest hint of a smug smile was on his withered grotesque face. With all my remaining strength I pulled the sword of magic out of its scabbard and sent out a final blow. A streak of orange energy pierced through the darkness towards him, leaving him astounded. I immediately left, and sprinted away without looking back into the darkness...