Yes..Maybe

• Samantha Farrell, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2008

YES...MAYBE


The wolves howled, the moon shun, I shivered. For what felt like the longest, coldest night of
my life. Would I make it through? I think not. I huddled into a ball, wrapped in the clothes that
barely covered me. It was freezing, windy. By far the worst night I have ever had to withstand.

The fog was thick. I had no idea where my Father was. He was either dead or was suffering
hyperthermia as I am. He left exactly 1 day 4 hours and 22 minutes ago. He went to get fire
would. I have a feeling something else happened.

I am scared for his life, but also mine. I was told not to move and I will not. My camping idea
was stupid. I wish I could go back. The trees are tall, the grass was long. It was dark, cold and
wet the 3 things I hated most. The ground was damp making me feel colder and colder again.

I am scared to fall asleep as there is a chance I will not wake up. My eyes are droopy, I haven’t
Slept in more than 48 hours. I try to stay awake but drift off to sleep by accident. I am awoken
By the warm scent of the sun. It heats me head to toe. I get up, I need something to quench my
Serious thirst. I am reluctant to move but I force myself to take those first steps.

I walk into the shrubbery, getting whipped, every step of the way. I hear the flow of water, it’s
Close, but where? I walk to the right, it’s getting louder and louder more. I find the river, and
Something else.


I walk closer, extremely cautious. I take the first leap through the bush, and say “hello?” He is
Startled and looks up. He looks at me and suddenly looks calm, like he knows me. He looks at
Me, up and down, at my scrawny arms, undeveloped body, Me and him both look relieved.
He gets up and walks closer to me. I stand still, don’t say a word. He is now right in front of me.
He offers me fresh water I gulp it down my thirst overtakes my silence. He gives me half a
Sandwich, I eat it so quick, I feel sick. After I finish, I tell him about my Father, I ask him why
he is out here in the middle of absolute nowhere. He replies to me “ahh... I am ahh... hunting!
That’s what I am ahh... doing.” I get suspicious, this isn’t the season for hunting, I sense
something wrong.

We talk as we walk. I tell him I need help. He very happily agrees to help me. It is as if he knew
I was going to ask I forget about it and continue on. I ask him about himself, he tells me
nothing, nothing at all. I sense he is hiding something, he is defiantly hiding something.

We continue walking; I get tired, very tired. He finally lets me sit, I pant all though I have not
been running. My tiredness over takes me, I eventually fall down and go to sleep. I sleep the
whole way through the night; I do not wake up once. In the morning I am awaken by the
blissful scent of food. I opened my eyes to see the strange man cooking. I get up as I am so
hungry it feels as if my stomach is eating itself. He offers me and egg, I have no idea where it
came from, and my stomach does not care.

We are walking, once more. It feels like we are forever doing this. I suddenly realise, this man
does not know where my father is, how could he possibly know where we are going.


I need to break this man open; I don’t even know his name. The whole time we have been
together there is only one thing I know about him, he’s a liar. I say to him “how do you possibly
know where we are heading?” He slowly replies with “I know this forest like the back of my
hand. I then say “how does that help you to know where father is?” He shrugs and continues to
walk.

I am running, running away from the psychopathic man. I have only just realized that he is
taking me to his lair, I have to escape. I run and run for what feels like days. I am so thirsty, I
stop, listen for flowing water. I walk I find the river, but no it cant be it’s the man squatting there
drinking out of the river like the first time I saw him. I was startled.

I turn around getting ready to run again, when he gets up and tells me to wait. I turn around once
more, this time angry not scared. He explains to me that he is not trying to harm me in any way;
he just wants to help me find my father. He persuades me into thinking that I should trust him, I
actually do. I sit next to him, I ask his name, and once again he shudders. It is weird every time I
ask him a question; it’s as if he doesn’t know the answer, even to the simplest of things. He
eventually bursts out with Arnold.

We both get up and start walking, Arnold teaches me everything to know for if I get lost again.
We search far and wide for the one thing I miss the most, Father. I really start to get along with
Arnold; he is extremely nice, too nice. He teaches me how to set up camp with no equipment like
tent and sleeping bags. When it is complete he cooks me some food and we fall asleep in the
little undercover area we erected.


I am awaken in the morning by a caterpillar crawling over my upper-lip, it tickles. I get up
Arnold tells me we have to leave now if we want to avoid the afternoon heat. We start walking
for what feels like seconds, when I hear, someone yelling, there yelling my name! I look around,
it feels like everything is in slow mode. I see, I see a man!

I run to him quicker than I ever have before, I slow down noticing he is not my father.
Disappointment rushes over me. He asks me how I have survived. I reply “Arnold, Arnold
Brown helped me.” He repeats the name “Arnold?” “Yes.” Where is he son? I spin around and
point to where I saw him last he was gone, gone with-out a trace. I am very confused.

I arrive at the police station. I sit, still crying my heart out. They sit me at a desk, ask me several
odd Questions. They finally get to their last question. They ask “How do you know Arnold
Brown?” I reply With the obvious answer “I found him, he was at the river bank.” “Son” they
reply, “Arnold Brown Died 22 years ago, he was a little boy just like you.” I am incredibly
confused. No it can’t be “I saw him, I talked to him.” They ignore me, they look at each other.

I ask them, yell at them. Where is my Father? They all sigh sadly, I know I am about to find out
the newsI have been regretting this whole time. They say “son?” I say “yes?” unwillingly, “your
Father has passed Away.” I cry I sob my heart out it can’t be. It just can’t…

I hear a faint sound, very faint. I cup my hands around my ears hoping to her the syllables, the
words. I Hear it, it’s saying… son, son get up or you’ll be late, I am startled. I pounce out of bed,
stumbling all Over the floor. Father walks in the room explaining to me I’m going to miss the
bus. I do not talk he asks me what is wrong? I reply “don’t worry Father I just had a bad dream.”
I think.

I go down stairs and sit at the table. Father is sitting across from me, I stare at him, I am in a
daydream. Father says something I do not hear. I snap out of the day dream, he asks me once
more. “Son hows about that camping trip this weekend?” I shudder and quickly snap back “no!”
Father is astonished he Jumps back and says “ok, maybe another time ey?” “Yes maybe?”