A Grave Mistake

How lazy can someone be? You might’ve heard of gas explosions, a leaking radioactive material, a plane crash because of a simple technical snag. I wonder if you’ve heard of someone sooo lethargic that they wouldn’t set up a single evacuation plan? This is the true story of how my life got flipped turned upside-down because of a piece of paper.

I was casually strolling down the pathway and admiring the mere drop of sunlight glistening in the vast horizon. The pitch darkness swallowing the fiery ball of light itself. The stars reigning across the firmament. Another peaceful night. Just when I was adoring the last trickle of the sun, an ear-bleeding, blood-curdling shriek followed by a tremor sent me sprawling. I peeked around the corner expecting a terrorist, but I couldn’t believe my eyes. A blaze the size of a skyscraper had found its mark in the newly constructed Dragon Cliff Pillar! The humans backed away, pure terror etched on their faces plastered with dumbfoundedness. I’ll admit, I’m not a brave soul, but the people who were capturing the scene on video - that was way past the line. Fury and adrenaline coursed through my veins as my brain clouded with courage while my heart pumped. I charged at the building without a plan or a leak of thought in my mind.

The inferno had disintegrated and had inflicted pure devastation upon the building. Catwalks were dangling and the reception was in ruins. My soul echoed a thought: ‘Run back while you have the chance!’ but the scream nearby urged me to help. I sprinted and parkoured around the building locating the user of the scream. I wrecked the door and saw six adults with a group of children caked in soot, huddled in a corner with the adults protecting them. I shouted to them, but my voice crackled like sandpaper. I gestured towards them and to the window and signed T-R-A-M-P-O-L-I-N-E in ASL. Fortunately, they understood and stumbled out the window, diving into the oncoming trampoline. I inspected the room again. When I charged the window, the roof suddenly collapsed and trapped me underneath it. I shifted my weight, hoping to be able to push the bricks off my back. Cinders and flames danced across the room and the skin was peeling off my back. The bricks pressured my spine to breaking point and the flames parched my face. Hoping for the worst, I lied down…

“...brave martyr, Matthias Adamson, helped a group of people to escape from the building. The cause of this destruction was because of the manager forgetting to add an evacuation plan to the building. But here’s something that will twist your togas… there was no dead body found…”

By Tejas A
Year 6