Living Nighmare

26th December 2004 Cecelia

The next day was Boxing Day. When I woke up and every one was gone. I guessed they were at the pool so I got up and dressed by that time it was 8 o’clock. So I headed down to the pool and my guess was right there they were in the pool. Alex and Peter throwing the new red ball right over Maddy and Daniels heads. I started reading the book I got for Christmas on a sun lounger.

That’s when thing started getting strange. First the wind starts blowing even stronger than before. There was a flock of birds suddenly flew away and then one of the pages in my book flew away. It landed on the other side of the pool. Just as that happened Alex had just got out of the pool to get the red ball. Then in a reflection in a window I saw trees falling like dominos all over the place. I turned around and I heard people screaming. So I stood up and I saw this giant riptide heading towards the pool. I remember shouting to Peter “Get Daniel! Get Daniel!” Then Peter grabbed Daniel that as the last I saw them that day. I screamed “ALEX get Maddy out of the pool” he did as I said. He grabbed her hand and pulled her out the water and the both started running. So I did the same but I tried to get to them but it was too late the water got me and swept me away.

After that it was like being in this giant tumble dryer but with everything you could imagine in it. From people like me to broken TVs. It was the most horrific thing I ever had to do. It was most likely the most painful thing too. I remember not caring about them pain and I remember holding on to a palm tree thinking about Peter and Maddy and Daniel and Alex. Thinking of what happened to them are they dead if not where are they. Are they in as much pain as I am. I started screaming and then in the distance I heard someone else screaming. It took me about 5 seconds to realise that that scream was from Maddy.

I started swimming as fast as I could to the sound. Then a head appeared and it was Maddy. At that moment Maddy saw me and started swimming towards me. “Don’t swim Maddy it’s to strong you’ll get hurt, just keep your head up.” I said at the top of my lungs. She didn’t swim any further she just nodded and did as I said. I was fighting my way through the debris getting more and more wounds and cuts by the minute. Maddy grabbed on to a tall tree still standing. “Mum grab my hand.” Maddy cried out. I grabbed her and pulled myself on to the tree. I could tell she was scared. I don’t think scared is a way to describe what she was feeling. She had cuts on her head and many more on her arms. We were holding on to the tree when Maddy start to panic. “MUM, MUM look!” Maddy screams.