My Forever Home

• Mietta Palmer, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2022

From up here, I can see the waves rolling in from the corners of the coast. Herring gulls swoop rubbish bins by the road, scavenging. Searching for scraps of food to pick apart. It all seems so very quiet, as if the world is breathing out for the first time. I look up at the clouds, where a million colours turn the sky into a palette, full of colours and imagination. Apricot, honey-suckle and pink, paint the prettiest sunset ever to have touched the horizon. I wrap my hands tighter around the smooth bark, silently praying for this to go on forever. At last, I feel free. Free of stress and responsibilities. My mind races as I ponder a way to savour this moment, to capture this image. How will I remember it forever? A lightbulb floats above my head as I plan my next move. I climb down the tree, branch by branch, until my feet hit the soft carpet of grass covering the earth. I look both ways before leaping across the silent road and landing on the path leading to the sea. As I wander past the pinecones and tree banksias, I notice the call of the ocean, the gentle song of the sea. The path is enclosed and quiet, the trees beside me are a close network of life. The soft powdery dirt begins to turn to sand as I gain speed in my steps, my heart flying. A small breeze greets me as I stumble off the path and onto the sand. Suddenly, my entire being is enveloped in the mere beauty of the seaside. Pelicans glide through the sky, landing subtly on the blanket of water. My feet tread lightly on the fairy-dust-like surface, my limbs in utter shock of the tranquillity. No one is in sight. The whole beach is deserted! I sit down on the hot golden sand, right at the water's edge. The silvery water looks like liquid moonlight. The tide laps at the sand, slowly drifting out. I lie down, my head tenderly resting on the sand. I look back at the sky. The sun has almost disappeared behind the skyline, leaving the island. When all the sunlight has disappeared, the sea's song still remains. It holds me tight like a serenade I’ve always known. Out of the darkness comes a new light, and now is when I decide.
I look up at the glittering stars and I decide that even when I am lost, this place will forever be a sanctuary for my heart.
My forever home.