Hello Earth

Child of the Sea

It was a bitter gloomy December night, and all the children were tucked in their beds, apart from Polly. A strident fog filled the town and populous flecks of hail threw themselves at the windows, almost shattering them instantly. The buildings were brittle and didn't take much to damage, they stood in the same place for centuries and some had been rebuilt almost once a year. Rotten weather wasn't unusual for Newhaven but that didn't make it any more pleasant. It was due to the storm that was brewing, not only from nature but from the anger of her parents, that the little girl had no choice but to be awake. She didn't truly understand why her parents were shouting but all she could hear was the cries of her gentle father and curse words from her strict mother. Grant, her father worked in a small bakery in the town he would always bring home cakes for Polly, her favourite were the small swirls with chocolate chips that warmed your mouth. He was a kind hearted soul and would do anything for anyone, especially his daughter. Normally her Dad would come home from his late shift on Tuesday and her mum would find some way of starting an argument with him, but today was Sunday. Sunday was always peaceful; this wasn't meant to happen today. Her mother, known to the world as Claudia, was the epitome of a bully she pushed people around whenever she felt like it and always got what she wanted. Her entire life she wished for a son whom she could mould into the perfect child. Needless to say she was disappointed when she got a daughter. She always let Polly know how she felt and she would quite literally kick her to the ground. If her hands were holding a cigar they were holding a bottle and if they were unoccupied Polly knew to avoid doing anything wrong or the belt would come out. The shouting continued and Polly cradled her Teddy in her arms telling him that everything would be alright. Polly was a small child, smaller than other seven year olds, but she was so mature. She knew things that not even the most educated person in the town knew and she loved to listen. She would often sit on her Father's lap and listen to his stories of the war and drift off to sleep. She had the prettiest face you could ever see on a child and the rosiest of cheeks. Her hair cascaded down her back and was made up of thick brunette curls. Her eyes were like emeralds and her lips were a peachy colour. Her Father told her that one day she would be the most beautiful woman in the world, and you know I think he was right. She never knew why but she always had white coats, she always picked out white coats with something extra. Her favourite was her thin jacket with the pink bows on the pocket. Maybe that was it; maybe her chance for escapism was to grab her coat and leave. She knew the route, out of the door, down the steps to the gate, turn around and lock the gate, a brisk walk to the end of the road, a nervous walk down an alleyway, at a fast pace and the famous two hundred and twelve steps from the top of the ramp to the end of groin.

She put on her coat and slipped on her shoes then crept out of her bedroom and carefully walked past her parent's room. As she walked past she saw them tumbling around the room screaming and with a deep breathe she ran to the door, lifted up the mat and picked up the key. The key was a dark sort of gold with rust around the ridges and as she placed it through the keyhole it made a slight creak. She felt shivers through her whole body and she turned to check that no one was behind her. The shouting continued. The old oak door with four glass panels opened onto the garden and she let out a sigh of relief she saw a cloud of mist exit her body and float into the distance. The door slammed shut behind her and she felt a rush of adrenaline. She dived into the shrubbery and waited. The door slowly creaked open and her Mother called out "Is anyone there?" After no reply she took a quick glance around the garden and slammed the door shut to continue her row. Polly clutched her Teddy tight and ran to the gate. She shook it a few times but it wouldn't open so, like a big girl, she straddled the gate and slid off onto the pavement. With a soft thud she fell to the floor but with just a small graze she picked herself up and carried on with her journey. This showed her maturity, not many seven year old children would be able to escape their house in the black of night and go for a walk without being petrified of something. Polly didn't seem to have a fear of the dark or even of being by herself she just kept walking. As she got to the end of the street she remembered that she had to lock the gate, as she turned around she saw it opening and closing with the wind making a dreadful sound, with a light chuckle she continued walking as her parents probably wouldn't anyway. As she approached the alleyway she took her shoes in one hand and Teddy in the other and made a run for it. She balanced herself enough she that she didn't trip but she also managed to avoid the overhanging branches that tried to pull her up by her hair. As she neared the end of the alleyway she could already smell the sea air and she looked out onto the beautiful ocean. It shone with moon gleaming at Polly, making her feel protected. The rain poured down on her but it didn't matter she could be peaceful now, for even just a few minutes and then she would return home and her parents wouldn't even notice. She put her shoes back on and walked down the dirt ridden steps that led to the oasis rising from the sandy wasteland. After a few minutes she reached the groin and crawled to the end of it to make sure she didn't fall off. Then she stood up and brought her Teddy to her lips and kissed its head telling him he was safe now.