2023

Chapter 1

The sound of a bomb landing and my bed shaking at night I still haven’t gotten used to. My bed creaking as cool wind rushes through the small gap of my window. The screams. I don’t think I ever will be used to it.

I shiver as I wrap my light blanket around myself and I squeeze my eyes shut trying to go back to sleep. I jump as I see my little sister Rory standing there hugging her teddy bear with tears running down her face.

“Sarah? Are you awake” she said in a quiet voice. I squinted and moved over making space for her on my small bed and tried to share the blanket as she laid down and I brushed her hair with my finger nails.

“It’s alright. Were alright.” I said to her calmly as her little eyes flickered and fell closed.

I watched her as she breathed heavy. I can’t help but look at her and think how grateful I am to have been her age and have been in the most beautiful country in the world. There wasn’t a war going on outside my door. I could run the streets and not worry. Big houses. Fancy chandeliers. We now can barely put food on the table. I can’t imagine being 5 and not being able to do those things. Sometimes people take for granted what they have but once it’s gone its gone forever.

 I put my hand on her cheek and it felt like ice. Getting out of bed took I my side of the blanket and tucked her in as I hopped up and walked over to the fireplace shivering. She needed it more than I did. My cold dusty room was never warm at night. The floor creaked with every step I made. I lit a match and watched the fire light up onto the wood as my hands surrounded the warmth . The door creaked and my head swiftly turned to my door.There was my little sister Poppy at the door. I turned back to the fire and watched it burn

. “Can’t sleep?” I asked her said as she sat next to me and curled in a ball. She shook her head.

“Neither… its bad tonight. When do you think it will stop? Will it? ” She asked as she looked down. “I wish I knew the answer” I replied as I played with the locket around my neck. My father gave it to me before he was forced off into war. He used his whole pay for a week to buy it for me. The hardest thing about him being away is they won’t even tell us if he’s still alive or not.

The room shook as the sound of boom dropping hit my ears. I fell over and sat up and walked over to close the blind hoping somehow it would make it stop.

“You right?” I asked poppy as I helped her up. She nodded and wiped the dust off her lightly grazed arm. My mum walked in and wiped a tear from her eye as she sat in the middle of us and put her arms around us.

“You alright? Its bad tonight I saw the light on and thought you were hurt”. My mum was really protective of us since it started. She got just upset as we did. Her and Dad were madly in love. I guess she didn’t want to lose everyone.

I woke up the cold hit my face like a light switch. I rubbed my eyes, Rory was still asleep in my bed and Mum and poppy were asleep on the floor. The fire was out and light was shining through the windows curtain. But not that warm summers light you get in summer, the dark icy one. I opened my cupboard door slowly trying to stop the creaking and grabbed my coat and boots. I looked over to my mum staring at me.

“Ill come with you its fine” she said as she tried to sit up.

“Mum im fine. Just take care of them ill be back in 10 minutes” I said as I closed the door behind me. I walked into the kitchen and looked in the jar above the kitchen for money. 50 cents. I bit my lip. Guess things weren’t selling this week. I scrambled through my pockets for some loose change and pulled out $8 from selling some milk from our cow was all I had left. I was saving up to buy another coat without holes but I guess we need it more now. I left the 50 cents and grabbed my worn out gloves and headed into the cold winters morning.

 I always went early in the morning like this so I could beat the rush of people trying to buy things before outside hours closed. Ever since the war started there is only certain times you’re allowed out of a day. There were officers everywhere. They had machine guns and were willing to shoot you if you looked at them the wrong way. They were the Australian guard’s well that’s what my mother said anyways. I wasn’t ever really sure why they were there. No one was really. It apparently was to stop people running away. It worked. No one could come in or out of this country anymore.

I kept my head down and focused on the sounds of the stones crunching as I walked to the market. I looked around to all the people with tables of fruit and vegetables they’ve grown, Necklaces, clothing. Anything they could sell that might give them money. I bought some food that we could live on for a week with our small budget. I had 40 cents left and forgot I needed bread. I walked over to the stall and looked at the money in my hand

“how much for a loaf of bread?” I asked reluctantly.

“a dollar” the old lady said as she shivered. I looked down and sighed.

“Thanks anyways” I said as I walked away.

“Wait. How much do you have?” she asked as she grabbed my arm.

“..40” I said as I paused ashamed.

She nodded and pulled out and loaf and handed it to me. I smiled and handed her the money

“thank you... Why did you give me this?” I said as I put it in my basket.

“We need to look out for each other. A little bit of help is never bad. Isn’t that what got us in this situation altogether? Greed. The desperation to look after ourselves. You need it more than I do” she said as she struggled to sit back in her chair. I looked down and nodded.  Our town did look out for eachother a lot more. Well some of us, others had to be hard and take care of themselves otherwise they would die.

When I was walking home it was clear more people were up. Gardening their food to sell or trade. Collecting water. Their faces where so frightened. I don’t think the guards watching them so closely helped though. No one ever knew what was next.  I went inside and put the groceries on table. My mum came out with tears running down her face. 

“Mum whats wrong?” I asked as I stopped. Something wasn’t right.

“You need to go… you and Poppy need to get out of here. The radio said it was going to get worse. Germany has said that they’ve only just begun and last night was a sneak preview. The whole of Adelaide is pretty much gone” She said as she wiped away her tears.