My Peaceful Place

• Emily Irvin, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2022

It’s finally the end of a long, hard day of school.
I walk over to the cold, steel bike rack and grab my rusty bike. It's my only source of transport these days. I mount the hard, plastic seat. It's cold and I struggle to get the worn out rubber wheels going.
I don't want to go back home, it is a place I dread these days. A place where I am the only life, a place where I feel so terribly lonely. I want an adventure! Impulsively, I decide to turn my torn bike wheels down a seldom used track and make my way towards the forest entrance. It seems so deep, dark and exciting. I drop my bike beside an old, withered tree and take a step onto the damp forest floor. I wander through the woods, pine trees towering above me when I look to the heavens.
The blue sky is practically invisible with a canopy of large trees blocking my view of it. It's quiet and still. The only sounds I can hear are the squelch of my feet in the mud and the melodic chirp of birds around me. This feels comforting, so much nicer than my home.
I could just lay here forever, here on the forest floor, beside this exquisite, flowing waterfall and take it all in. The sound of the falling water soothes me. The chirps of birds and active chatter of little animals makes me feel accompanied, and no longer alone. It's all I really need. These simple moments that piece me together and make me feel like one with the world.
I relax, laying at rest with the fresh breeze cooling my body. I have found my peace.