The Sudoku Challenge

• David Stark, Grade 4
• Short Story
• 2009

The Sudoku Challenge
Yeah, I was king of the world. Not even the best sudoku puzzlers in the world could beat me. “That’s another win”, I thought. Or was it? My stomach churned. Had I won? I was horrified at the thought of losing. I tried to stay confident. “And the winner is…………………………..Jeffery Jones”! yelled the judge. My stomach dropped, “Second prize, David Stark”! I ignored him. I was already walking out of the sudoku building.

Tears slowly poured out of my eyes. The streets were crowded. My eyes were blurry and I couldn’t see properly. I tried to close them because I thought people would think I was a baby. I wish I could fall into an underground hole that could take me to an unknown place where nobody could see me. I sprinted home. I bumped into poles, ladies, mailboxes and a couple of trees. I almost hit a moving car. I was bruised and had a cut under my eye. I ran up the front lawn and opened the door, then slammed it closed.

I heard my mum call out, “Did you win David?” I ignored her, ran into my room and slammed the door.. I tried to stop crying. I snatched a tissue from the tissue box and wiped my eyes and nose. I hugged my soft cuddly teddy bear, Nick. I jumped on the computer seat and searched for another sudoku competition. I was horrified. It wasn’t an everyday thing that there weren’t any sudoku competitions. Then I saw a link. I clicked it. It was the best day ever, despite the cuts and bruises, losing of the sudoku competition, and almost dying! I stared at the screen. I read, The Sudoku Challenge. I quickly put in my entry and sprinted to the building about twenty minutes from my house. I was there in a flash, but taking double the injuries from running to my house before.

There were about five hundred people in the building. I was amazed. Look at them all. “Contestants of all ages, take your seats and begin the Sudoku Challenge”, yelled the judge. I didn’t understand him but I took my seat anyway. “Ready, set, GO!” he yelled. I quickly worked it out in my head. Five, two, six, eight, nine. It was so fast. The wind pushed the door open. It was to concentrate. Wind was flying everywhere. My sudoku paper flew out of the building. This is terrible. Then everybody’s paper came flying out. I grabbed my paper and ran inside. Everyone ran inside and continued their sudoku. Some pepper came out of someone’s pocket. It blurred my eyes and I sneezed. Somebody had almost finished. I wouldn’t give up. Four, six, eight, nine, seven, three, one……….On it went. I finished. It was a photo finish. “And the winner is…………………………..Freddy Johnson.” Yelled the judge I had lost. It wasn’t fair. “No wait, David Stark”. I was over the moon. It was the best day ever. I had won.