Wake Up!

• Xavier Michael, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2009

I walked through the gates. My mind was spinning. Dad had been washed away by a massive, freak wave one week ago, which, the lifeguards had said, measured over three metres high! Nobody had found his body. The week had flown past like a NASA space shuttle orbiting the Earth because that is how it felt to lose my Dad. At assembly, our Principal, Mr. Gastridge, informed us of some horrible news about our new teacher, Mr. Graham.
‘Mr. Graham seemed to have found himself on the wrong side of last night’s storm. I am reliably informed that he has been struck by lightening – but don’t worry. Despite having severe injuries he is in good hands at the hospital emergency room.’

Mr. Graham? Struck by lightening? Good one Mr. Gastridge! For a moment I thought it was a joke. Then the weirdest thing happened…my hand was about the size of a two-year-old’s and rapidly growing smaller! I looked across the room which was full of one-year-olds and the teachers looked like they were ten! I tried to yell ‘NOOOOOOOO’ but all that came out was a high pitched screaming noise. We are all doomed! That was my last thought before I blacked out.

I opened my eyes; I was in a room, my vision was blurry and I felt giddy.
“Awake yet, Zack?” said a vaguely familiar voice from the end of my bed.
‘Dad!’ I said sitting up and flinging my arms around him, ‘You’re alive!’
‘Well, of course I’m alive’, said dad looking puzzled. ‘What planet have you been living on?’
‘None exactly’, I said laughing, remembering the orbiting feeling.

One hour later, I had eaten my breakfast, brushed my teeth and my Dad was suited up for surfing.
‘I’m going to catch some waves’ he said, ‘surfs up!’
‘Dad let me come!’
‘Are you kidding!?’ he guffawed ‘Ya haven’t put the rubbish out yet!’

While dragging a gigantic rubbish bag behind me, my dream returned. It was Saturday, school started in two days………my Dad died in the dream…today!
I dropped the bag, looked at the two metre-high brick wall that divided me from the beach, took two steps back, ran forward and…………………jumped. To my surprise, I sailed over it and hit the ground running. I’d have to be quick – my Dad was almost at the beach!

I had almost reached him when I saw it – a gigantic killer wave over three meters high!! I gulped. This wasn’t the sort of wave you would want to bump into on the street on a cold, pitch black night. You wouldn’t want to meet it anywhere for that matter.

I dived on Dad and tackled him to the ground. He looked confused ‘What? Zack?’
‘Dad, I came to rescue you from a nightmare.’
‘Rescue me!? Nightmare?’
The killer wave broke.
‘Wow! Did you see that?!’ he finally said.
‘Yes Dad,’ I said ‘I knew it would happen’.
And I told him about the dream, every single detail.