The Kidnapping

• Orla O, Grade 4
• Short Story
• 2022

Iza and Ellie were inseparable. They were identical twins who were always in a good mood. The 11-year-old twins lived in a big house on the coast of Sydney with their parents and little dog, Leah. Both felt their life could not be happier.

One day, Iza and Ellie’s parents went to the shops to buy something. Iza wanted to come too because she was bored. Ellie was captivated by a book she was reading and decided to stay home. Little did she know what was going to happen...

Iza and their parents came home and discovered with horror, their door smashed to bits. Not only that, but they couldn’t find Ellie anywhere. While Iza was looking, she found a rushed note in Ellie’s handwriting. It read: Someone smashed through the door and is taking me away to a big shed!!! Please help!!! Iza felt herself on the verge of tears. Her twin sister that she had spent her whole life with had been kidnapped.

Suddenly Iza felt a rush of anger. She was going to find the person who did it and bring her sister back. Iza ran out the door. She went to the library at once to find a map of the area, while her parents rushed to the police station to report the kidnapping. There were 16 big sheds close by that looked suitable for hiding someone in. Iza sighed and went to the first one. It was a tall square building made of bricks. She peered through the window and saw several teens doing backflips. Nope. This was a gymnastics school, not a hiding place. The second was a lot more inviting, with coloured bricks and a sign on the door saying, ‘Come in, please!’ Iza went in and saw a daycare for toddlers. Not the second either.

Iza had gone to all the large sheds, except one. She was exhausted and hungry from walking around and a little part of her told her to go home, but Iza would do anything for her twin. She arrived at the final one and searched for a window, but she couldn’t find anything. Iza went to the door and saw that it was locked with chains, but she could force it open just enough to squeeze through the gap. It was very dark, but she found the light switch and pressed it. What she saw before her was her twin sister tied to a chair. Ellie’s face brightened when she saw Iza and asked her if she could untie the ropes. Iza sliced the ropes with the little scissors she brought, and together they squeezed back through the door and ran to the police station to find their parents and go home.