Student Work: 'The Last Breath'

--> The car throttled into action, the engine roared like a lion ready to run. It reversed out the bumpy driveway, twisting round to face the right way. Our house was fading, fading into the distance, and then it was gone. Gone. It was midnight, the moon shone brightly like a strip light in the sky. The stars were scattered around, stories in the deep dark sky. The trees swished and swayed fighting against the force of the chilly winter wind. The road was empty and dull; it felt very lonely; it was only us on the road, trying to get to somewhere, somewhere foreign to me, somewhere alien.

Thunder bombed around us and lightning hissed, rain splattered against the windows. They were like animals, trying to attack, clawing at us from outside. I watched the droplets chase each other, competing to reach the bottom. The temperature was minus one degrees and the heat exploded out of the air vents, everyone’s breath steamed up the windows. The car was stuffy and humid. I tore off the blankets which covered me and attacked the hot chocolate that lay in the flask beneath my feet.

I rolled down the window and the cold air hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn’t see. My vision was blurred, I couldn’t breathe, and my lungs longed for the stabbing pain to end. The fierce wind erupted in my face, it screamed in my ears, I rolled up the window, the scream cried once more then it was gone.

The windows showed nothing, nothing moved, nothing made a sound. I was falling, the light of the moon disappeared. I had fallen asleep.

I awoke in my car, except something felt different and strange. Suddenly the car jolted, we were spinning fast, and the car was out of control! It flipped and blew up.

I woke with a start, my heart pounding against my rib cage, I was dreaming.

On and on we drove. The trees arched above us their leaves drifted down one by one, carpeting the ground. It felt as if I was drowning in a paint pot full of orange, yellow and red. The howling wind threw leaves in the air, making them crash into the trees that surrounded us.

Mist and fog blanketed the road making it almost impossible to see. I had forgotten about time, I hear the beating of its heart Tick...Tick...Tick continuously. It’s 6 o’clock. Stars have started to evaporate into the unknown even though they will be back. Through the fog you could just make out shapes, fluffy floating clouds that seemed to wander endlessly around the sky.

How long left?

Will we ever stop?

Questions whizzed around inside my head, looking for an answer they might never find. I watched flowers blossom, their colours exploded in my eyes, blinding me. Golden daffodils had camouflaged the banks; their petals waved at us as we drove by. The wispy clouds sped above me and the aroma of new cut grass glided through the air. The water crashed against the river’s sides, my eyes chased the birds as they swooped low capturing the helpless fish in their sharp beaks.

On and on we went.

The sun arose from behind the horizon, its rays grazed my skin turning it a pale brown, and they bounced onto the windows making them hot to touch. The beaches below the cliffs had golden sand that sparkled in the light turning it pure white. Opening the window, I felt the fresh air pour into my lungs and I could taste the saltiness of the sea on my tongue. I watched as the fierce waves crashed upon the shore and assaulted the cliffs.

I opened the door of the car and stepped onto the grass. It was a lush green; it shimmered in the morning sun and had a soft crunch beneath my feet.

We had arrived.

The air felt different, strange, and alien to me. I meant nothing to this place; this place meant nothing to me. My blood rushed through my veins, it longed for knowledge of this extraordinary place, soon to become my home. It was agonizing to know that I was never going back. Back to a place that was warm, familiar and known.

I heard a cry from the woods behind the car; it rang like a bell in my ears. I slammed the door and bounded for the trees, the branches scratched my bare arms but I kept on running. My heart thumped, bang, bang, bang, but I didn’t care. The light shone dimly, I watched as it faded, faded into the distance. The high pitched cry grew louder, then I saw it lying there, helpless. Its chest rising slowing as it struggled for air.

It lay beneath a shallow covering of pine needles, its chest rose pushing the blanket of needles up and back down mixing with the earth. I stepped closer, twigs crunching and snapping under my trembling feet. Carefully I drew closer, so close that I could hear every breath it was taking. Not knowing if it would be its last.

I sat beside the creature; the ground was warm, a ray of light flashed through the branches overhead and lingered on my cheek. It shone past me, onto the animal, breathing shallower and shallower. It blinked. Its auburn eye glinting, it was as if it was taking a last look at its beautiful environment. I watched as it took its last deep breath and lay their silent. I wanted to cry but no tears came out.

A car horn echoed through the trees.