Sakura-Extract

• Samantha Smith, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2008

I fell to my knees when I saw the crumbled village covered with dancing flames. I let out a heart broken scream and sobbed into my hands.
‘Sakura!’ I heard a sputtered cry from my hut nearby.
My head sprang up from my hands; my brown hair flipping away from my face. I listened again.
‘Sakura! Help me!’ I jumped to my feet and ran to my hut.
‘Maya! Maya!’ I screamed desperately.
I shielded my mouth with my hand and entered the burning house. Everywhere I looked I saw fire which made the whole house burn with a sinister red light. I followed Maya’s coughing into the hall where I saw her collapsed and unable to move. Her brown hair tossed over her face and her limp body sprawled across the floor. I hauled her up towards me and held her close to my pounding chest.
I carried her toward the front door; toward freedom. Suddenly a flaming beam from the roof fell in front of the door. I wouldn’t let it stop me. Maya’s life was at stake and without her I am nothing.
I moved Maya over to the left side of my body and used my right shoulder to barge as hard as I could through the beam. I fell out onto the dirt path with Maya gaining consciousness by my side.
‘Sakura!’ Maya lunged toward me and hugged me tightly. ‘You saved me.’
A storm started to beat down.
‘Maya, we have to run away from here, it isn’t safe!’ I call over the thunder and crashing houses.
My eyes search for the people who had attacked my village. All I could see was bloody bodies and burning houses.
I snatched Maya’s hand and we stood up together and sped toward the forest where we would be safe. As we ran through the forest I started to slow down, Maya got ahead of me and stopped in a small clearing to turn and see how I was doing.
I heard something above us creak and snap. I tilt my head up and my eyes widen in horror when I see a thick branch falling rapidly down to Maya.
‘Maya!’ I cry as I dive at her and push her out of the way, only to feel the impact of the branch come crashing down on my back in mid air and squish me into the wet grass.
I look across at Maya who sat up and saw me under the impossibly heavy branch. I hear her faded cries for me. Twigs and leaves tangled in her hair. Rivers of tears flowed from her green eyes and down her pink face. Her mouth open wide with helpless screams. I wanted to push my way out from under the branch, I wanted to hold her and make her safe; tell her everything was alright. My blue eyes gently close and my head falls down onto the grass. Maya’s voice completely faded away and then she was gone.