ELTHAM HIGH SCHOOL ANTHOLOGY   

Some people say they have ‘no regrets’. She used to be one of those people. Not anymore.

That morning she had walked through the school full of confidence, her loose shirt tucked into her short skirt that hugged her hips, all over black leggings, her head up high a hint of a smirk on her face. Her docs pounded the stone floor, books and drink bottle in hand. Then she saw him. He smirked in her direction and with a glance at his friends raced away. She picked up her pace and saw him round a corner, in a little nook, their hideout. It was next to the main hall but around a corner where no one ever went or looked. He gave her that crooked grin and the smile on her face grew as he hugged her tight. She felt his breath hot on her neck and looked up at him.

 ‘Missed ya’ she muttered.

‘Me too’.

Then he was gone. That was when it all went downhill. As she was walking out, she tripped over her untied shoelaces and fell face first onto gum. The side of her face, her hands and knees ripped raw. Should have tied up those shoelaces. Everything stung, as if a swarm of bees had engulfed her. She crawled back into the corner. She slowly dripped water onto her knees and face from her drink bottle. She gasped sharply, blood soaked into her leggings. With shaking hands, she gingerly scraped the gum off the gash in her cheek. Everything filled with pain...

That’s when the bell went. A blaring alarm that pieced her skull. Damn it, she was late, again. Oh well, once they see my face they’ll let it go, she thought bitterly. Through gritted teeth, she stood up and tried to squeeze the stinging pain out of her hands. Her eyes were misty and her muscles clenched. Then, a little bit of hope appeared, through the glass door was the fence, wide open with big shady trees just beyond the path. She peeked behind her, clear, she picked up her drink bottle, I can get my books later, and with one last peek into the hall walked through the door and with a glance down the path, limped across the path and into the deep woods. The shady trees provided cool relief from the throbbing pain. She ran her hand across the bark of a tree. She walked for almost an hour, lost in the beauty of the towering giants. The leaves rustled under her shuffling docs, her hands reaching out for soft petals among the shrubs. The forest gave way to rock, covered in moss, a creek flowing out of a cave. As she crept in her footfalls echoed, the gurgling of the stream creating a harmony with her breaths. A rock falling from the ceiling snapped her out of her daze, a splash followed and sprinkled her ankles and a chilling spray. Another rock fell, larger this time just missing her toes, another tumbled down blocking half of the creek. She kept stumbling deeper into the cave the last pinprick of light disappearing, feeling along the walls as rocks pummelled her. Should have left that cave while she still could. The walls caved in and she fell, blood about to gush from her like a waterfall…

She heard someone scream her name in anguish…

She reached out her hand but instead felt rock blocking any movement…

The shuffling of rocks stirred the weight of the rocks screaming at her to give up, give in, this is your fate; give in to the crushing weight…

Her fingers stretched out, stiff and shaking…

His howl cleaved her apart; she felt his strong hand brush her fingertips as he screamed her name…

The rocks pushed aside, the unbearable pressure finally lifted, her chest given relief if only for a moment, before the blood started rushing, no longer stopped by the encasing rubble…

The pain of everything flowing out might have been relieving if not for her body shrieking at her…

A glint of light shone in her eyes for second and dissipated…

A siren squealed as he sobbed into her neck…

He clung to her as the life gradually seeped out of her body…

Her lips moved…

A stunted gasp escaped her mouth…

Her shining eyes, covered in a film of dust, wavered…

His eyes searched hers’ for something, anything…

His grip tightened painfully, for a second it stopped the blood…

His grasp crushed her, his wailing caught in her ears…

The world blacked out the rugged walls covered in shadowy spots, her head speared with pain one last time…

Maybe it wasn’t a regret at all…