GONE ... By Mirea Ribas (age 12)

I have always regretted not pursuing a career in writing at an earlier point in my life. I would always encourage young people to ignore the little voice that says I might not be good enough, and just go for it!  Read, write, read some more, and write, write, write! Short stories, poems, articles, and even novels; capture your imagination now, while the world is full of new experiences, and let the universe know what you think. With that in mind, my niece, 12 year old Mirea Ribas, has a captivating short story for you to enjoy.

GONE...

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Hi, my name is Skye, and this is gonna blow your mind! You may not believe anything you're about to read but trust me, it's true...

This. Is. Torture. Living like this; in rags...no food! I can't even remember what real food tastes like.

It's just these stupid people....Kidnappers! All they want is the money, and using us to get it, is not helping... It's difficult to find any precious stones or metals in these old rocks anymore anyway. It's useless! Why can't they just let us go? It's greed! All I know is I hate it, and I have to get away. I need to plan my escape...

It was night, midnight. Everyone was in bed, asleep. Now is my chance...    I guess...

I slowly got out of my bed; well...I call it a bed (it's more like a tatty blanket thrown on the floor). I'm lucky I don't have to share with the other kids. Some have to share with four people...

Anyways... Back to the story.

I crept to the door, hoping not to wake any of the other kids in my room. It was pitch black, as black as coal, so I had to search with my hands for the door handle...    I pulled...

The door creaked, I turned my head as fast as lightning to look behind me.Phew... they were still asleep. I tiptoed through the crack in the doorway. The silence was deafening. It's exhausting being this scared, only the simplest footstep would give me a heart attack. But wait...!     It couldn't be...!

I heard it, a thud. A silent thud but it boomed in my ears.        And again...

I shook my head in panic, frantically looking for the slightest movement. My heart beat so fast, I felt like it was going to race away.

The blur of my eyesight saw it.      The movement...          I was dead.

The black figure turned its head... I ducked.

'Like that's gonna help!' I thought to myself. I was still standing there...In the doorway. I wanted to move but I was frozen with fear. I was a block of ice.

I managed to shuffle my foot forward the slightest inch ahead of me. I wanted to run; hide behind the big crates of rubble and other rubbish, but I was too afraid. I looked up to the platform above me...

The figure was gone.

No! No. No. No. No. No.

It's not, it's not. I blinked and fiercely rubbed my eyes. This is all a dream, a dream! It wasn't working. The thing really was gone! This was reality.

Where is it? WHAT is it? What is going to happen to me? - All these questions flew around my head like a whirlwind trying to break out.

Then suddenly... I saw it again. A shiver crawled down my spine like a centipede.

It was looking at me. Straight at me... There was no escape.

I focused my eyes on the black, blurry shadow. It wasn't too far from me, but I still couldn't see it! My brain wasn't focused!

It walked towards me. My mind was screaming for help inside. I shut my eyes tight and let our a little yelp, but then I stopped. Why?

A finger fell upon my lips and held them together... I was confused. I plucked up the courage to open my eyes and see what was before me -

He. He was amazing (well, handsome of course, but you know what I mean!)

A tall boy stood in front of me. No sign of fear on his face. His eyes twinkled, even though we were plunged into darkeness, and his lips held a little smile. His long, brown, shaggy hair stopped just below his ears, and freckles invaded his face.

My heart still pounded but it felt different... I...    I wasn't scared anymore...   I felt safe.

I didn't even know him. There was just this thing... being around him made my emotions fly a positive way (yup. Even in this dump!) I felt happy - for once.

He took his finger from my lips and I panted... I didn't understand what was happening. I searched my fuddled brain for words but I didn't know what to say...

"Umh, I'm Skye." I whispered quietly.

Uhhg! Way to go! Skye - the amazing winner of awkwardness!

I felt so embarrassed... Why did I say that? Of all things!

"Hi, I'm Carlos." He replied, confidently.

I smiled at him and he smiled back.

"So, what are you doing out here?" I asked.

"I'm try'na escape..." He replied, hesitantly - not sure if he could trust me.

My jaw dropped. Trying to escape? But...?

I thought I would be the only one trying to escape... I mean. Most of the kids I know down here would be too scared to try... These people are pure evil.

He looked at me, confused...

"Why so shocked? And anyway. What are you doing out here?"

"Try'na escape too..." I mumbled slowly.

"Where to?"

"Dunno... Anywhere, not here I guess... What about you?"

"Same really..."

"C'mon then! We better hurry before they notice we're gone, and find us!"

He grabbed my hand and we ran...

We bolted down the rugge ravine and jumped over the lumps of rocks in our way. We passed crates and crates, or shiny, metallic rocks and crystals... I wanted to punch them all over the floor and smash them up! The people made me so angry! Making us kids, mine for their needs!

"When is this going to eennnnnd!" I asked, as we skidded across some gravel...

I felt so out of breath, that I was going to collapse, but I kept going; holding his hand tight.

"Soon probably..."  He panted back. A spark of hope grew in my heart. He was right.

At the very end there was a ladder that seemed to go on forever... I'll never get all the way up that!!

Carlos started to climb up the ladder, so I followed without questioning. My hands felt sweaty as I climbed up. I felt like I was going to let go, and fall to the floor. Weird I know...

A good thing though...Working in these mines all these years (8) I had developed calluses on my feet. The people didn't give us shoes or new clothes, so we worked in bare feet. Maybe sometimes they would give us a change of clothes but they were still dirty old rags... Anyway... Yeah, my feet. Now it feels as if I'm constantly wearing shoes.

We were nearly at the top of the ladders when Carlos stopped. He pointed out into the ravine, and I looked. The view, this high, was astonishing... Even though it was pretty dark... My eyes had adapted to it by now and I could see clearly.

I'd never seen anything from this high... Yup, I'm 14 too... I was taken at 6...

My mind trailed off again, but I noticed Carlos was holding a piece of  chalk, and was leaving little marks everywhere with it... I wondered if he had the same plan as me...

I snapped back to the real world, and looked. I could see a bridge crossing from one end of the ravine to another. Random sparkles appeared everywhere, and it was actually nice to look at.

We started to climb again, and we reached the top. There was a trap-door  above - now was the moment of truth.

Carlos tugged at the trap-door and it opened. What a relief... But still, what was on the other side...?

As he opened it, beams of light shone through... This is it. I made it out! Carlos climbed out quickly, trying not to attract attention, if anyone was to see the light. He bent down to put his hand out to grab mine; I raised my hand and caught his. He pulled me out. His hand felt warm and soft... I didn't want him to let go.

My mind trailed off... AGAIN! But it soon snapped back as we approached a rather long, rusty  rail... The walk to the rail felt like ages, but it was only about 5 minutes. It was fascinating looking at all the tall trees and greenery, the blue skies and colourful flowers. Even at 6 I never saw this much greenery... Just through the windows.

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If you're wondering...

I lived in the most awful orphanage on earth! Sadly, my parents died in an accident when I was a baby... I don't even remember what they looked like. I always get sad thinking about this...

I knew I couldn't live in that orphanage forever... It was pure evil - the people who worked there, the children... Everything! Even the building itself was... I still don't know what to do with my life now! All these years locked down underground had turned me crazy. All I thought about was how I was going to escape... I never thought past that. But now I've escaped... What do I do? I couldn't leave all those other kids down there.... I had to come back for them, no matter how hard... That was my plan.

I left my deep thoughts as I felt a rather painful nudge dig into my ribs.

"I can see the train! Come on! We have to jump!"

"WHAT!" I asked, shocked. "literally, jump? But where to?"

"Don't worry... Just jump with me! You'll be fine."

I looked down the train line - hands trembling. Was he mad? Jump on a train moving at full speed? The train approached and got closer and closer...

The wind slapped my face as it shot past like a bullett from a gun. I heard a faint voice under the lead noise of the train... "NOW!"

Everything seemed to go slow-motion and blurry, and then it all went black... I passed out.

I slowly opened my eyes. Gazing upwards, all I could see was a weird ceiling. I was lying on my back. I turned my head to the left, phew, I saw Carlos. He was looking at me and then he noticed I was awake.

"Are you okay?" He asked slowly.

"Yeah... I think." I replied creakily. "What happened?"

"I don't really know, we jumped on the train and you just fainted." He whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" I questioned.

"Jumped... onto... train..." he repeated, sarcastically.

"Oh yeah.. Ha-ha." I answered, realising. "Where are we?"

"We're almost there; we need to get off soon."

"Almost there? Where?"

"The Forest..." He said.

"Whaa - "

"Look!" Said Carlos, as he pointed out of the window.

"Aww, not again!" I mumbled.

Carlos ran and jumped. I followed straight after and jumped. I landed and rolled on to the green grass, my head fuzzy.

"You okay?" Shouted Carlos, the train passed by...

"yeh" I replied, panting... My heart beat rapidly as I stood up and walked over to Carlos. He got up and we both turned around in sync - like a pair of synchronized dancers... Our breath was taken at the awesome sight in front of us...

I gazed off freely into the distant, mysterious forest. The trees whistled in my ears and danced in the cool breeze. The scent of vanilla invaded my lungs as I took a deep breath in. I couldn't believe my eyes. The green apples shone like emeralds in the trees. The blueberries below glistened under the scorching hot sun, that beamed through the cracks of the leaves. Lime green overtook my eyes as I examined more into the depths of the woods. It seemed like the trees went on forever... But then... There was a stop.

All the trees huddled together a few yards in front of me and stopped. It was like my own private circle. The trees were entwined together all around me, making me feel trapped; a good trapped though... It was like no-one could get in... Or out.

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Don't hold your breath my dear reader. The story never ends...Carlos and I lived happily in the forest... For a while.

Until it was time... But. Time for what? You ask... Well that's another story to be told...

We were GONE.....

________________________________________

It's me again, 12 year old Author extraordinaire, Mirea Ribas has GONE.....

You might think I'm a little biased, but that story was BRILLIANT. I hope you agree, and if  you have any stories you'd like me to publish on Teen Books And Other Stuff, then leave me a comment with your email details, and I will contact you quick-sharp!

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