Surviving Alone
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Rhys Nissink, Grade 7
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Short Story
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2022
I feel my feet tap against the cold concrete, my legs were in pain, I feel like I have been running for hours, I can hear dad yelling my name. I feel like turning around and going back, but I know I can’t. The memories start coming back, dad coming home drunk and tired, yelling at me, me hiding in the basement so he didn’t hurt me. Finally, I cannot see him. I take a different route so he can’t follow behind me. I notice a small alleyway. I walk down it, laying down. I start to drift off, hoping that I don’t have any nightmares tonight.
I wake to the loud, dirty train, chugging past our town taking the coal to the main city. I only brought 20 dollars to buy food. I start my journey to the local market, trying to be as low-key as possible. I see people with dogs, men on their way to work and people carrying huge bags with fruits and vegetables. None of them acknowledge me. Good. I enter the market, smelling all different foods, seeing fresh mangos and delicious bakery breads. All I can afford is one loaf of bread and a couple apples. No one talks to me, no one sees me. I am starving. I run as fast as I can back to the alleyway. I eat the mouthwatering bread and save more for later. I notice it is getting dark, so I start to fall asleep again. I dream about mum. She died 2 years ago. Car crash. I still think about her all the time.
I feel the rain pouring down on me, stinging my skin. I have no cover and get drenched by the freezing water. My only clothes are ruined. “Hello?” a lady says.
“Hi” I say.
She hands me 50 dollars. She then smiles and walks away. “Thank you!” I yell, but she doesn’t hear it. Now I can buy a blanket for here to keep me warm. I walk to the secondhand store. I search through the store; I find a blanket and some new clothes. “Hello honey” The cashier says nicely.
“hi” I say softly.
“That will be 24 dollars” she says. I pay the money and leave the store swiftly, hoping to not be seen. Then, just as I start to walk away, “oh sorry honey!” a tall lady says to me after I accidentally crash into her. I look up at her.
“Mum?”