Shared Pasts

• Alessia De Pasquale, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2022

I finish my berry and sigh, content. I lean back against the old, gangly willow tree. I shift my gaze upwards, fascinated by the way the leaves seem to glow. I stare at the jade green waterfall and notice a flicker of movement. I concentrate until the water shifts and I see…a pair of eyes. That can’t be right. I stand up, striding towards the waterfall. I plunge my hand into the rapids and withdraw it. I stare. It’s dry. I reluctantly venture into the beyond, only to find myself standing in the middle of a narrow, high-ceilinged cave. I feel the rich, black, soil under my feet. I realize I’ve been closing my eyes, so I open them, letting my vision adjust. A few yards ahead of me I see a tall lean figure staring back at me. When it catches my gaze, it turns and sprints round a bend. I call after it and follow, legs pumping. The chase begins! I’m so caught up in following the shadowy shape that I don’t notice the cavern widening rapidly, turning into…a room! Stone ledges make balconies and shelves. Openings in the walls lead elsewhere. Standing in the middle of the room…is the figure. It takes off its hood, only to reveal itself as…my dad! My memory flashes back to the night he disappeared as we embrace. Finally, he was coming home.