The Loop

• Liam Hornby, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2022

As I walked through the huge trees I could smell rusted metal and I could hear a man groaning in the distance. I could see an old run down amusement park. The slow creaking of the abandoned rides, moving gently in the wind gave the place a spooky feel. There was wildlife everywhere around, birds made their homes on the rooftops, and mice ran into the cracks of the buildings. There was moss and grass growing on the old abandoned dodgem cars. There were little creatures everywhere around and there was moss growing on the old rusty things at the amusement park.

I slowly walked closer to the noise of the groaning man, thinking he needed my help. He was laying awkwardly in the dust. This guy looked like he had been here forever, he had rough flaky skin on his face, chipped yellow teeth and long white greasy hair. He looked at me and started making weird noises, and then he got up off the ground suddenly.

He sprinted right towards me. He had a blood stain on his shirt and a cheetah leg in his hand. I panicked and started running.
People came out from everywhere, they came out of the shadows. I was surrounded by more and more people. I started climbing up one of the rides, the tallest one I could find, it was the ferris wheel. My heart was racing.

I could hear the engine of a helicopter and I could feel the ride shaking; the abandoned people were starting to climb after me.
So I started yelling out to the helicopter, waving my arms in the air like crazy to get the driver's attention. The driver saw me and swerved the helicopter to stop above me. I needed to leave this place now, the people had almost reached me. The helicopter slowly lowered down the long rope ladder to me and I jumped to grab it. I started climbing up and I fell in the chopper. I turned to the pilot and noticed his long greasy hair and yellow broken teeth.

I duck as the man lunges for me, and I grab his coat and push him out the open door of the helicopter. His hand grabs the helicopter railing and before I could move, his other hand grabs my ankle and pulls me out the door. I scream as I fall to the ground, plunging to my death yet again.