The Mysterious Wardrobe

By Saisha, 9, Australia

One warm day, Nelly was moving to a new house. Timmy, her friend was helping Nelly and her family move all their things into their new house. Timmy was a small, adventurous boy and Nelly was a curious, venturesome girl.

The next week, Nelly invited Timmy over to her house. Then she showed Timmy her bedroom and told him that she didn’t need a wardrobe because she had suitcases to put all of her clothes in. “At least open the door and look inside it, ’said Timmy. He pointed at the wardrobe and said, “Go on.’’ Nelly opened the door but in less than a second, she was gone. The door slammed shut. Then Timmy opened it and he felt himself disappear… Once he was in the wardrobe, he could only see metal and somebody walking. Then he realized that the person was Nelly. He ran to her and said, ‘‘How do we get out of here?’’ Nelly exclaimed ‘‘I know!’’ Timmy enquired ‘‘What” ‘‘You see that switch over there,’’ she explained, ‘‘It could be for making us return to my room again.’’ Timmy pressed hard on it, but it did not budge. Nelly did the same, but nothing happened. They both tried and it worked! They were back in Nelly’s bedroom in no time.

!!!HOORAY!!!

Refugee

By Misha, 11, Australia

My eyelids were getting heavier as I glanced around the campsite. Thoughts flashed through my mind…about moving…about Syria…about scrambling onto the cramped lifeboats. It was all too much to take in for any 10-year-old child. I badly wanted to jump into the ocean. Surely that was better than not understanding the local language, getting persecuted by almost everybody in this strange land and constantly moving to new campsites.

“Hello Abida. It’s my turn to take watch now.” My Mother softly whispered in my ear. Every night we had to take turns to keep watch in case the owners of this area see us camping here. I know, it’s trespassing. But think about it. We have nowhere else to live and our home is at war. I plodded back to our tent, legs aching. That night I dreamed about our beautiful home in Syria. It was splendid.

Next morning, Father and Mother were looking shaken. Their eyes were bulging and red, their face was pale, and they had bruises and blisters from running.

“What’s the matter?” I questioned my parents. “Are you alright?”

“They know. They saw us.  The landlords.” Mother was looking forlorn.

That night I was on watch again. Mother came as usual; I went to sleep. But one thing was different. I heard voices whispering in the dark, eerie night. I could not understand their language. Everybody in the campsite sat tense, listening intently. The local teacher who used to teach me, went as white as a sheet. Luckily, she knew the language that they were speaking. Judging by her fretted expression, whatever they were saying was not good. Suddenly, I thought about Mother!

It somehow got it into my mind that I had to rescue her. I knew that it was too risky to go out on my own, in the middle of the night, with the landlords scanning the land for our well camouflaged tents. There was also a high risk of something coming to bite me. After all, we were in Jordan. There were wolves and sand rats. Just thinking about it made  shivers creep down my spine! But I had to do what was right. I had to save her. So, I bounded out of the tent and I TRIED. worryingly , the landlord saw Mother. He raised his sniper. He shot. BOOM! Tears uncontrollably streamed down my face. My blanket of protection was gone.

We fled from the campsite. We scrambled onto the lifeboats and sailed to Australia. It was like a replay of us leaving from Syria. Gunshots, screams, blood, people rushing to get onto boats.

It took endless months to reach. It was worth it! Australia is refugee friendly. The first thing that Father did was get me and my little brother to a school. The teachers taught me English, how to read and write. Now I am in our new house, in our bed and writing. I think I have found a place that I can finally call home.

Delighted to be Reunited

By Misha, 11, Australia

I woke to the tweeting birds. The cool breeze blew past me like water rushing over small stones. Warm rays of sunlight, reaching from the heaven, shone down from the cobalt blue sky. Dewdrops fell on my tusks and trickled into my mouth. What a pleasant feeling. My name is …well…I don’t exactly have a name. You wonder, “What!! No name!?” The truth is I am a wild elephant living a bumpy life in the tropical jungles of Asia. Mostly being chased by poachers, predators and even ringmasters almost every day. I like my home, but poachers come from all over the world just for my tusks. Nine times they have tried to kill me & every time I have been incredibly lucky, to survive, but some of my friends haven’t been as fortunate as me.

I don’t have a family now, since my parents died saving me and my sister. They were wonderful, who always stood by my side no matter what, and sacrificed themselves for us. My little sister always nagged me to play with her. It was annoying, but I still did. When she lost the game, floods of tears would emerge, so I always let her win. My parents died saving me while she was taken away to be in the circus when we both were just calves. I loved her more than anything in the whole world and I miss her.

That afternoon, I was minding my own business, suddenly, I heard footsteps pacing towards me. Sweat trickled down my grey, wrinkly neck. An unfamiliar voice growled, “Let’s go find him and take him to the circus.”

In the past, I had seen advertising vans drive past with pictures of elephants being forced to do tricks like standing on one tiny, circular platform. Snap! A stick cracked beneath my feet. I yelped. Oh no!! Me and my big mouth.

“CHASE HIM!!” the poachers shouted. They sprinted as I ran at what felt like 1000 miles per hour.

“GET THE CAGE!!” They somehow managed to grab my ear and drop a cage over my head using a pulley system that looked like it was already set up, from the tree. The hunters were murmuring something about the circus and ‘Ellie the elephant.’ My head was spinning in despair and fear, thinking, my little sister wo was also taken to live in the circus!!!

Hauled onto the van by using a machine, my ride to the circus was extremely uncomfortable and bumpy. I was sitting on cold metal bars and I was squashed like sardines in a tin.

The unfriendly atmosphere was nothing like home! Those poachers got paid for capturing me, at the circus. As I entered the tent, I saw a familiar looking female elephant. She trumpeted “Hello brother.” I was truly speechless. This was Ellie, my sister. Without waiting, we charged towards each other and locked trunks. we were finally reunited!!!