Published writing

BONG, BONG. The echoing of the grandfather’s clock forced Lydia out of sleep and she groaned with annoyance. She’d been dreaming - and it had been a good dream, too. She had been exploring an ancient castle, searching for a golden key. Just as she’d been about to open the chest with the key inside, the clock had rudely barged its way into her head. She rubbed her head and counted the bongs. 4, 6, 7! She’d slept in on the history fair day! Lydia leapt to her feet, slipped on her lucky bracelet and sprinted down the stairs two at a time, red hair flying after her. “Hey Mum! Hey Rob! Gotta run!” She grabbed her prepared lunch box, snatched an apple, stepped into her shoes and raced out the door in a whirlwind of excitement. Her eyes gleamed. Today she would be going to the National Museum of Australian History - which might seem boring to anyone else but to Lydia it was heaven. She’s been looking forward to it for weeks! Lydia loved history - it was her favourite subject and she knew everything about it. Which was why it was so important she made it there on time. She crunched on the apple whilst running, a stitch blooming painfully in her side. April clutched at her stomach as she sprinted. How much time did she have before the school bus went and she was left behind? As she neared the school grounds a shadow fell over and she looked up, face falling. The bus passed her, her best friend Nancy inside pulling a sad face and doing two thumbs down. She’d missed it. If only she’d been roused a little later, if she’d ran a little quicker, she could have… Tears of frustration pricked her eyes and she kicked a brick wall. Of all the days to wake up late, she had to choose today. Sometimes she just wished she could turn back time. That afternoon she trudged up the steps to her room, head hanging low. She’d had a bland day at school doing extra maths, science and english in textbooks all day. Even worse, she was the one of the only children who hadn’t gone. Today was a disaster. Even worse, April had had to finish up her schoolwork at the end of the day as all the other kids came in buzzing about their fantastic day. She slumped on her bed and gazed up at her grandfather's clock. She hadn’t wanted it in her room, but it was in her grandfather’s will that she have it, so here it was. He’d died two years ago and her eyes blurred every time she thought about him. She shook her head. It was best not to think about it. Her eyes flicked around the clock's exterior, paying full attention to every detail, her heart thudding. The hands ticked past slowly. Around in a circle. No start, no end. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. She stepped towards the clock without thinking, eyes trained on the hands. Bong. Tick. Tock. Bong. Tick. Bong. Tock. Bong. Four o’clock. As if in a trance, her hand stretched for the knob that opened the grandfather’s clock, grasped the handle and swung it open. Her foot lifted… and stepped inside. The door clicked shut. Suddenly, she realised what she was doing. April was inside the clock! Her hand strained against the door, trying to push it open. No, no, no! Her Mum had always told to be careful with it as it only opened from the outside. She opened her mouth to call for help but stopped short. Her elder brother Rob was at after-school football and Mum was shopping. They both wouldn’t be back for hours. Her heart thudded. Bong. Bong. Hang on, that doesn’t make any sense. She thought, craning her head around. It had just turned 4 o’clock and wouldn’t hit another hour for ages. Tick, Tock, Bong. BONG. BONG. BONG. TICK. TOCK. TICK. TOCK. BONG. The clock echoed in time with her heart beats, then faster and faster. And louder. BONG. TICK. TOCK. BONG. TICK. TOCK. BONG. It was deafening. Her eardrums screamed. Louder and faster it got. Colours streamed before her eyes but she couldn’t focus, so in pain were her ears. The pendulum swung once more. BONG. All went black. April rubbed her eyes and blinked, then reeled back in schock. Staring at her with large eyes - one green, one blue - was a boy with frosty white hair curled back along his forehead, dressed in blue and white tartan. He looked mildly familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. “What are you doing here?” He whispered in a thick courtney accent, his breath fogging up the glass of the grandfather clock. April struggled to respond. Her eyes roved absent-mindedly over the building, popping in shock. She was in a clockworker’s shop, filled with lovely clocks of all shapes and sizes - from intricately carved wooden cuckoo clocks to fashionable golden pocket watches. “Well, what are you doing here?” She retorted, then wished she could swallow her words right then and there when she realised what a terrible response it was. “What am I doing?” He ogled at her. “I work here. And you? What are you doing here in a grandfather clock?” She sighed, realising there was no easy way to answer that question. “Um, I… just let me out of here, would you?” He shrugged and gave the door a good tug, causing her to fall out and crash onto the floor face-first. “Are you all right?” April got up and dusted herself off, irritated. “I’m fine.” She replied curtly and strode towards the door. She stepped outside and her jaw. DROPPED. Outside was every history buff’s dream come true. The streets were simple and unkempt, with rows of Baroque style buildings. Horses and carriages clip clopped past, the manes and tails swishing by. Men strutted past in linen collars, large bulging pants and puffy sleeves of rich fabrics. Meanwhile the women dressed in puffy dresses with multiple petticoats and extravagant hats and hairstyles. For a moment her breath was taken away. What had happened? Where was she? April swallowed. Ok. Maybe she had fallen asleep and Mum had driven to her a fun history fair to make her feel better about missing out on the excursion. Yeah. That would make sense. She smiled brightly. That made sense. She went to step forward and greeted a man in frilly shorts. “Hi! Have you seen my Mum? She’s about -” The man’s face soured. “Beat it, girlie.” “No, but I -” He hit her sharply across the face and leaned in closer, leering, revealing brown teeth. Spittle flew at her. “I said, BEAT IT!” April reared back, stung, her hand on her cheek. She didn’t have to look in the mirror to know there was a red mark. She’d never felt pain like that before. April glanced around the street indignantly. Surely someone had seen that act of violence and would report it? But no one looked up. No one cared. Her eyes flashed around, seeing the things she hadn’t seen before. The river - dirty and polluted. The women - staggering around in tight corsets. The street urchins - dressed in little but grimy rags. This was no act. This was real. April stumbled backwards, gasping, and for the first time ever, fainted. In a very unladylike way. Not that she cared.

Author's note In this story, Mei does time travel to the past - instead she starts in the past and time travels to the future - present day. Long black hair streaming behind her, Mei sprinted barefoot across the rough terrain. The hare was in reaching distance, its powerful hind legs kicking against the dirt, spraying soil on her ankles. She persevered, swinging over a log and catapulting forwards round, turning the corner so the hare was cornered and throwing a net on top. She’d caught it. The hare gazed back at her, nose twitching, eyes blinking solemnly. Mei couldn’t capture it. It was alive, just like her. Staring into its muddy eyes a final time, she lifted the net, releasing the hare which bounded away into the undergrowth. She watched it go, hoping it would find a better life, far-away from these hunting grounds. A nearly imperceptible movement in the leaves in the corner of eye was out of place amongst the common rustling. She turned with practiced ease, guilt warming her face. Her ears reddened. “Sensei, I-“ A woman with sleek black hair curled into a bun and red robes swung down out of the tree. Herface was stern, the lines of her face sharp. “You had the chance to capture the rabbit.” She spoke in a clipped voice. “Why did you not?” Mei looked down, hanging her head. “I’m sorry, Sensei. But it was alive too. How could I capture it knowing it would be killed?” Sensei Zhen softened. “I appreciate your kindness towards animals - yet that only gets you so far. We need to eat - all animals do. That is the circle of life.” “I know. I’m sorry.” “Yes. But-“ Loud caws sounded, and a flock of noisy birds erupted out of a group of trees. They both looked up in alarm. “The monastery.” Mei and Zhen raced through the forest, darting the path they knew well. At last they reached a clearing. A resplendent monastery sat, spherical crimson domes and towering spires, with the walls marble and shining so polished you could see your reflection. Mei had spent all her childhood there. Mei skidded to a stop. In a moment, it exploded. Her ears rang, her eyes burned. She was knocked back against a tree. Wiping her eyes, she squinted at the monastery. It was ruined. Her friends, senseis, all inside - there was no hope for them. Ninjas - Wéixiân ninjas from the enemy clan in black suits swung in from the trees. Mei reared back in terror, heart thudding. She looked to Zhen for guidance, knowing the Sensei never lost her calm demeanor. But to her horror, Zhen’s blue eyes sparkled with tears, and her mouth was set in a thin line. “Go. Keep running. Don’t stop. Get away from here. Keep going till you reach the sacred tree, then turn straight right, understand? You can come back when it’s safe. I know you can do this.” “You said I wasn’t ready for the sacred tree! Not for years!” Zhen shook her head. “There’s no time to explain. Now go!” Mei turned to sprint, then turned around. “Why aren’t you moving?” “I have to fend them off!” “You’ll get hurt! I can’t leave you.” “I’ll be fine. I can look after myself, Mei.” Sensei Zhen glanced behind as ninjas advanced, swords outstretched. “Now go!” “I’m not leaving you.” Mei sobbed. “I’ll be right behind you, Mei. Go, now!” Tears streaming down her cheeks, Mei ran. She ran as fast as the wind at her ankles, black hair streaming behind her in waves. Boom! Another explosion rocked the woods, sending Mei to the ground. She looked up, winded, slowly turning around. Fires danced in her eyes as her last hope of reaching Sensei was lost. The thicket of trees where she’d been running through just seconds earlier erupted into the flames, blocking the path. “No!” Mei cried. Tears shook her body and she collapsed. She didn’t notice the roots upon which she lay, entwining together at the base of the sacred tree. She didn’t care how long she lay there, exhausted, weeping. She didn’t think about anything other than the aching pain in her heart. Exhausted, she fell unconscious, the last thing she saw was a figure, dressed in red and yellow. Then all went black. Chapter 1 Mei woke up to bright lights. She shot up, delirious. Another explosion? No, this was different. This came from small rectangles in the ceiling. Strange. Mei rubbed her head, trying to recall what had happened. Zhen.. She choked back a sob. She missed her so much. Sensei Zhen had been her teacher all her life. Wiping tears from her eyes, Mei sat up, suddenly alert to the constant beeping to her right. She blinked in surprise. A flat black board had a green line somehow weaving itself across it. A woman walked in, with brown hair and dressed completely in white. “Hi,” Mei ran the language through her mind. She’d been taught multiple languages at a young age. “Hi..” She finally croaked. “That was a nasty fire, there. You’re lucky a fireman was there to save you or-“ “Fire… man?” Mei interrupted. “The fireman. He rescued you, remember?” Mei straightened, shaking her head in confusion. “I’m so tired…” The nurse nodded. “That’ll be the anaesthesia drip we put you on.” She waved to her arm. Mei glanced at her arm. A tube stuck out of it, connected to a bag. She squealed, ripping it out. “Woah, woah, woah. Easy, now, girlie. It’s to help you. It numbs the pain.” She walked slowly towards Mei, her face consoling. “Let me go.” Mei spoke through gritted teeth. She needed to get back to her Sensei. She needed her! “Sorry, but we need you to stay here until we can find your parents. What’s your name, dear?” Mei growled. She clutched her foot, feigning pain. The woman glanced down. “Are you okay?’ It was a split second, but it was enough. She lunged, aiming a kick for the woman’s shins and feeling a touch of regret as the woman recoiled, rubbing her injured leg. Still. She had to if she were to escape, didn’t she? This was no time for weakness. She shook her head and skidded out the door. The lights were bright and many people in white costumes walked past. People pointed and she made a run for it. “Get her!” She raced for the exit, wherever it was. Through white corridors she ran, until finally she broke into daylight. Her jaw dropped. Chapter 2 Mei stared at the environment. It was covered in tall prisms many metres high. Everything was strange - rectangular and smooth with perfect lines. Beneath her bare feet was no soft grass but hard white blocks that burned her toes beneath the sunlight. And the people. They were dressed in clothing of all colour and fabric - from fluffy to glittery to thick, like leather. This place was like nothing that she’d ever seen before. Suddenly she became very self conscious of her usual red ropes fringed with pale pink. Where was she?