The Search

• Emily Rosenberger, Grade 8 , Bundaberg State High School
• Short Story
• 2022

Excellence Award in the 'Summertime Fun ONLINE' competition

The world is but a blur, a mere tangle of life and landscape beneath his wrathful judgement. He soars high above, distinct and axiomatic in his plight, yet gathers not so much as a raised eyebrow from the monumental clusters of insignificant beings that wade below him. The midday sun is a searing blaze, igniting all from the placid expanse of lucid sky to the thundering malice of incandescent white-water far below. The hours tick on, as swift and purposeful as the wispy clouds that mender leisurely before the dazzling star. The once-glistening shoreline is as pristine as the beings that trample it, laden with bleached driftwood and shards of shattered seashells, an exiguous reminder of noble trees, long-gone creatures and the inevitable toll of time itself.
As the sky collapses into ribbons of golden azure with the loitering gradient of the afternoon sun, he plunges on, resolute and unyielding in his quest. The scene below him induces a roaring pandemonium, yet his focus remained fixed. All else was speck among the importance of his mission and purpose, as insignificant as a single flea on the surface of the planet. His sharp eyes penetrated the land but to no avail. The world seemed a scorching desert, and his objective an untouchable mirage. He lets loose an impatient cry, shattering the muted tranquillity of his flight.
Finally, sharp senses detect a sudden change in the air. A scent. Yes! He swoops down lower, every fibre in his body alert and eager. He weaves between the odd creatures, their refined habitats and unfamiliar routines, a mere obstacle in the way of his goal. Yes. Almost there. He can see it now, its soft, angular conformation perspicuous against its barren cobblestone rostrum. He can almost touch it. Tingling with anticipation, he darts toward the potent reward for his patience. Finally.
As he reaches for it...NO! The reality of this long-anticipated moment was obliterated, his rights to the object penetrated beyond retrieval by an intruder of his kind. No. After all that effort... The world seems to dim, a jolting reflection of his agony as he shrieks his melancholy anger to the heavens.
Suddenly, the clouds cleared. The joyous song of the crickets bought with it the warm rays of sunlight along his back and the sound of the closest group of those strange inhabitant creatures becoming more distant. He moves slowly towards the empty patch left by the humans, ready to take off again when... Wait. No. It couldn't be... They had left something behind!
The scent came back, the scent of his objective, his dreams. No. He could see it now. He zooms over, faster than a supersonic jet to claim something greater than he could ever have envisioned.
Imagine a seagull's joy...an entire box of hot chips!