Something’s wrong with Aunt Mavis

Something’s wrong with Aunt Mavis

 

As the clock goes tickity tock

The friends of Aunt Mavis are left in shock,

The whimpering mouths start to frown

As the evening sun goes slowly down

 

Gradually, I opened the creaky door and revealed a ghostly white, shaken Aunt Mavis. Her veins bulged out of her frail arms and her lips were chapped and dried. In the 13 years I had known her, she had never looked like this. Now she looked like she was long gone and there was a faraway expression in her eyes as if she was only with us physically. She was moribund. That was all I saw before the door was closed in my face.

 

One minute. Two minutes. Three hours went by. Today was supposed to be a day of Celebration of Jesus Christ being born, yet today was filled with sadness. We were supposed to open presents but what went wrong. In a second, people surrounded Aunt Mavis and before I could get to her, she was brought into the other room, so I sat and waited for my family to emerge from the dusty guest bedroom. I, Lucia Campbell sat here all alone waiting to hear the fate of Aunt Mavis.

 

 

Slowly, I scanned the room that I arrived in for any signs of life. The old room was once covered in wallpaper but was recently plastered with wooden boards and painted a dull grey. The mahogany table in the centre of the room was chipped during our move to this house. Abruptly, I heard a small creak, and Maid Amanda came out looking weak and pale. Keeping my eyes on her, I stood up and slowly approached Amanda.

“I… Your parents and Aunty are going to the hospital. Aunt Mavis…” Amanda    gulped. My eyes urged her to keep going. “She is in a coma.” And with that, Amanda rushed into the basement and shut the door behind her. Something is wrong with Aunt Mavis

 

I lie down and think

What made my Christmas sink,

Why’d it happen to me?

I guess we’ll wait and see.

 

 

My feet dangled off my seat as the bus ran a red light. The 50 other children were yelling and kicking as paper planes flew around. As the bus pulled up to school, I saw the headmaster waving at kids as they went inside. Quickly I shoved my bag inside my locker and hurried in the freezing cold to get to my classroom. Today, I didn’t feel like sitting with the rest of the class so I went to the very back and stared out the window and watched the snow as it fell slowly. When will I see Aunt Mavis again?

 

Waiting for the bell to ring was torture. It felt like each second took longer and longer. My hand started to go numb as I wrote down the notes. The war of numbness had won and my arm just limply sat on the page as the ink rolled down the crisp white page. Mr Arbuckle’s mouth seemed to be moving in slow motion. Eventually, the bell rang and I sprinted to the bus as if my life depended on it, and bought a ticket to the hospital. I had to see Aunt Mavis before she moved on.

 

As the bus came to a halt, I dashed to the entrance and the automatic doors slid open. I was greeted by the overpowering smell of disinfectant and bleach. A potbellied nurse was sitting behind the counter and kindly escorted me to Aunt Mavis’ ward. Gradually, I knocked softly on the door and from inside I heard someone getting up. My mum greeted me and brought me in. Aunt Mavis was lying on a bed with tubes everywhere. She had an oxygen tank next to her and an army of doctors with clipboards. Now, Aunt Mavis was running on life support. The question was “When do we pull the plug?”

 

As the bill get higher and higher,

The family feels like they’re under fire.

Maybe it’s time for us all to move on,

But is poor Aunt Mavis alive or long gone.

 

 

Everyone knew that life support was a costly choice but the doctor said there was a chance she might wake up so the whole family gathered around her each passing day. On a rainy Friday night, I walked up the stairs to her ward. “Bleep!” My phone buzzed and said that I had one message which read, “I won’t be at the hospital because of a late shift. Have a quick visit and go home. Mum xoxo” As I pocketed the phone, I pushed the swinging doors and I saw that the bed was empty, covered with a stark white, stiff bed sheet pulled taut across the bed. The room was empty. She was gone!

 

 

 

Hiding in the shadows

Bella had to get out of the orphanage. Now! After only 5 weeks since she had been found running in the streets, Bella had wanted to escape. They were treated like rubbish in these orphanages and were used as slaves and were sold off to other households. Bella’s parents died last month in a nuclear blast and when the news came, Bella was devastated. She was forced to live with her Aunty (who she hated) so she ran away.

 

Now Bella has ended up in the Orphanage of Bad Girls and Boys. She dared take a sneak peek out the window and down the hill; there was a small village that she could ask for a job in exchange for a roof over her head. That night, Bella packed her few belonging into a small mesh bag. She slowly lifted the window and hopped out without a single bit of regret.

 

Bella took a minute to relax and refocus into the dark green valleys. She could just make out the fine soft outline of the village below. Slowly, she made her descent. The grass had been ignored for years so it reached her hips and made her feel itchy. In an attempt to make the bites feel better, she started running but tripped over a loose root and rolled down the hill. Bella got up until she heard footsteps and ran behind a small hut.

 

Hushed voices could be heard to the right of Bella and when she heard fading footsteps she crept around to the entrance and slipped inside the small hut. It was dark but the moonlight from outside lit the hut like candlelight. Abruptly, cold hands grasped her by the arm. Bella spun around and saw a kindly woman staring with concern. “Now little girl, what are you doing here?” she whispered. Bella told her about the orphanage and asked her if she could have a job. “Of course you can but my husband doesn’t really like children so you best stay out of his way.” And with that Bella Houghton Allen had a job.

 

In the morning, the fog descended into the village. It weaved and turned and seeped into people’s home. Bella had just begun her work in the potato fields. It was an icy cold day and the wind bit at Bella’s neck. She was opening a pocket of fertiliser when there was a soft tap on her shoulder. Bella turned around and found a familiar face. It was Olivia who was also at the orphanage in the same dorm room. “Bella we need to leave now!”

 

Bella was staring wide eyed out Liv and this new news. But before she could reply, Liv dragged her behind a tree. “We have to get out of here now! I work for the family next door and I found out that the son has an evil past and he is planning on taking over the village and making it miserable. We have to pack our bags tonight. Meet me here at midnight to escape.” And just like that, Liv was gone. Meanwhile, the evil son was wondering around and eaves dropped on the conversation and he wasn’t going to let them out of the village alive.

 

After supper, Bella excused herself from the dining table to secretly pack her few belongings into a small bag. She slipped outside and was met by the cool icy air. Bella’s hair became a tornado in the small background as the night wind twirled the wind around her feet. Small footsteps echoed behind her and a small hand rested in hers. She slowly turned around and saw Liv dressed in loose black rags and her petite curls hugged her small round face as she turned to look at Bella. “Let’s go” whispered Liv and they slowly made their descent from the village. (If you want a happy ending that stop then, otherwise proceed with caution. Read at own risk.)

 

A mile away, Bella and Liv looked up at the sunset and the sun was slowly sinking in the sky. They settled down under a low gum tree when suddenly they heard barks. Bella climbed the tree to search for the source of the sound. She saw it. There was a savage pack of wolves racing across the grass towards them. Bella and Liv screamed and started running but Liv was too slow so a wolf jumped and snapped at her ankle. Her last dying words were “Bella, save yourself! By the way, Joseph the boy next door, he is…”  Then the silence gave the hint that she passed away so Bella ran as she swatted the tears away as Bella ran into the distant hills.

 

Puffed from the long run, Bella ducked under a low branch and sat down in a small cave. It slowly started to rain when Bella was collecting firewood. Trying to salvage the dry wood, she quickly ran back to the cave and in no time there was a freshly lit fire. She opened her bag and tore open a piece of bread that she swiped from the kitchen pantry. Bella ruffled through her bag for water but before she reached it… she found a note it said

I know where you are and you won’t come out … alive

Joseph

 

Just as Bella finally processed the note, it was carried through the wind and was out of sight. Her knees were wobbly at the thought of someone following her. She searched her clothing and soon enough, she discovered a small tracking device. On the back, there was a letter J engraved on it. Bile rose in Bella’s throat as she thought about Joseph. He seemed to be nice when she arrived but now her blood boiled just thinking about him. Clenching the device in her hands, she stormed out into the woods. She found a nearby flock of dear and quietly sneaking up, she placed the device on one of the dear’s hind legs.

 

Revenge swirled around Bella as she tried to get rid of the thought of Joseph. She quickly moved her short legs as she tried to get as far away as possible. Bella should be able to get some distance between her before Joseph realises he was tricked. Bella’s legs began to give way as her eyes became heavier and heavier.

Fifty shades of red

What is red?

Red is the colour of blood running

down a scabbed knee. Red is the colour to represent

Valentines Day, the throbbing heart. Red reminds me of

big juicy tomatoes. Red is the colour of anger, of

Extremely hot fire. Red is the shade your face turns when you’re embarrassed or nervous. Red Is the colour of my mum’s soft jacket.

That.

Is.

Red.

Life is too short

Katy sat on the end of her grandpa’s bed. Waiting for her turn to say goodbye… forever. In Danville, every one died at one age. 80. It was the evening of grandpa’s birthday. Ben just finished saying his last words when grandpa said, in a frail voice, “Katy, come closer.” As Katy approached, tears welled up in her eyes. His wrinkly hand grasped hers with urgency. “Listen carefully Katy,” he whispered in her ear “This is a book that was passed down from generation to generation but I didn’t pass it down to your father because I saw a spark in you. But, you mustn’t open it until exactly 1 year. On the day you mourn my death next year, open it at dusk and follow what it says.”

As Katy was taking all the information in, her grandfather’s hand went limp in hers and she knew that he had left them. Her mind was buzzing with questions like ‘What should I do now?’ ‘Should I wait till next year?’ She had too many questions. She could hear sobs behind her as a steady hand rested on her shoulder.

That night she lay in bed, staring at her blank ceiling. She had come home and shoved the book under her bed but she now considered digging it out again. She knew that she couldn’t tell her parents because they would either take it away from her or tell her to chuck it away. Also, she knew that her father wouldn’t be pleased that grandpa picked her over him.  She knew Ben would be quite similar. She didn’t know what to do. She wished… She wished she could ask him one more question. And with that, she fell to sleep with a cluttered brain.

She sat up in bed at the sound of her alarm and sleepily hit the stop button. It took a while for last night’s events to hit her. Sluggishly, she got out of bed and went down stairs. She sat herself on the island with a bowl of cereal, thinking about the book that grandpa gave her. Abruptly, creaks echoed off the stair case and Ben’s round face popped around the corner. “Why are you up so early Katy?” He asked as he rubbed his tired eyes. “I don’t know.” Replied Katy but in fact, she did know. She knew that she was going to get up early to open the book but not now with Ben awake. “Go back to bed.” Answered Katy dully to try to make Ben bored but all he did was hop onto the couch and turned on the TV. She knew she had to wait till either everyone was asleep or out of the house because if they figured out…

On the school bus Katy’s friend Roxy was blabbering on about some high school party but Katy was just ignoring her and she started drifting off into her own world until Roxy dragged her out of the school bus. All through class, Katy’s mind wandered off. She nearly lost it until the bell rang and the class stampeded out.  Katy couldn’t wait to go to spring break because that was when she had time to get away from it all and go to the mountain to ski. Skiing was Katy’s escape from school. 2 days to go.

Katy thought as she chewed her ravioli about that book that was slowly gathering dust. Ben was playing around with his ravioli but even he knew that something was wrong. “Katy, what’s wrong?” She shooed him away and he shrugged and went to slump on the couch. She didn’t really want to babysit her younger brother so she went up to her room and swung opened the window. The wind whispered to her as if it had lips and it felt like invisible hands were pulling her out of the window.

She slowly sat on the end of her bed and pulled out the book. It had a leather bound spine and the cover had loopy, faded writing which made it illegible. The wind started to become icy and bit into her neck so she walked over to the window and shut it. Katy remained looking at the book until Bang! A brick with a note was lying on the ground with a trail of shattered glass. The note said “Open the book or else be ready to leave.”

 

The first thing Katy thought was “Quick, did anyone hear? I need to clean up. Can I afford a new window?” Without thinking she crouched down and started picking up some glass fragments until she cut herself and blood spilled on the hardwood floor. Katy frantically ran around her small stuffed room for a towel but when she came back to the spill… the blood was gone. And her cut was healed. Whoosh. All she saw was a dark figure jump out the window.

Guilty as charged

Charlotte Anne Smith was sentenced to… her room. She was in her first year of uni, so you could basically call her a freshman. Charlotte was on the way to the mall with a couple of girlfriends when her overprotective mum started piling her with 4 layers of thick clothing so she decided to stay home. (Mums, am I right?) Now she had to face the consequences. Being stuck in her room while the snow slowly seeped into the grass.

Charlotte stared out the window as the bluebirds huddled together to stay warm. Somehow, she felt hot so she opened the window to be greeted by a cool breeze. As quick as lightning, an auburn figure landed on the window sill and grabbed Charlotte and jumped out the window. Charlotte expected to fall heavily to the ground but instead, the figure jumped gracefully to the pine tree and from there leapt to the roof. Now at a standstill, she could see that the figure was wearing a grey hoodie to hide his face and ripped jeans. She could tell by his muscular features it was a he.

He shoved his hands in his pocket and pulled out an old IPhone. His fingers were a blur as he dialled an obviously familiar number and held it to his ear.  When the line finally picked up, he spoke in a hushed voice so was left wondering what was happening. She was about to jump back onto the tree or scream but the figure grabbed her again and gagged her mouth with a cloth. (Almost like he could read her mind.) Gracefully, he leapt off the building and into the bushes. A getaway car was waiting. Charlotte was thrown in the boot and darkness draped around her.

Slowly, Charlotte’s vision came back to life but she didn’t recognise where she was until all of her memories rushed back to her.  She scanned the dimly lit room for any sign of life but all she found was table, chairs and menus. Suddenly, she remembered that this was the restaurant her mother used to always take her for lunch. Why would they bring her here? But her thought was cut off when the swinging doors slammed open and two large bulgy men came out wearing biker jackets. They came over to the chair Charlotte was strapped to and one of them blindfolded her. She struggled but their firm hands locked her into the chair. Murmurs were floating about the room.

Eternity seem to pass as Charlotte was thrown back and forth. How she longed to be home with a hot cup of cocoa. Had her parents noticed yet? But they did say that they had a meeting today. Charlotte’s lips started to dry as she was finally still and alone. She shook her head back and forth until she successfully shook the blindfold off. She was in a cold ware house that had been long abandoned. A flash of grey streaked past her and she found the mysterious boy next her again. “I’m sorry for this,” he said and replaced the blindfold and hit her square in the nose until her vision turned black.

When she finally came to, she was no longer in a warehouse. She also wasn’t strapped to a chair. She was a little dazed but she sat up and gazed around. With horror, reality seeped in. She recognised the living room she was in. It belonged to her family. Afraid to look, she peeked outside the window and it felt like fate stabbed her in the chest. Her parent’s car was in the driveway. They were home. But alive or not, that was the question.