America 1936
Father had screamed so loud when I had skulked home with Charlie, empty handed. Charlie was the best hunting dog you were gonna find you know, fierce, agile, brave ,determined and obedient . Sadly even the best of dogs cannot catch a fox if a fox is not present. I solemnly stumbled out to catch the fox terrorising my father’s game. Whilst I ventured out onto the treacherous moors Charlie plodded along behind me and
I patted him on the head, which he enjoyed.
I patted him on the head, which he enjoyed.
It had passed an hour of searching before we finally discovered a set of holes. I told Charlie to go down them and he was sucked in. Rushing to lay my nets I realized I had to get this fox. Seconds later the frantic fox crashed clumsily through my nets carrying them far over the moors, Charlie followed shortly after him. The fox ran, urged by fear. Charging after, I shouted for Charlie to stop, this wasn’t supposed to happen. I tried so hard to stop him but my boots were dragging me down. Rushing, stumbling over the heather I was doomed to watch my beloved friend slip slowly away from my love and care.
I tripped and gave up hope as Charlie and the fox escaped over the landscape and out of sight. With a dreading sense of fear I began to realize I was lost. So I made for the cliff face.
Whilst my mind pondered about Charlie my legs burned with ache from running after Charlie. As I dodged in and out of the jagged cliff face I saw a dip in the vast cliff that towered over me so I decided to take shelter there. I covered the ground with leaves and twigs so I could lye down. I found it hard to get to sleep. But eventually I did.
The sun woke me as it reluctantly rose over the horizon. Sitting up the bruise where I fell reminded me of yesterdays tragic events. Scanning the walls for something useful I found flint I tried to chip out and eventually I had loosened it enough for me to it pull out . It was surprisingly sharp I realized as I wiped the blood off my finger. Hunger crept into my mind; I had to get food. Despite the fact that I had never shot a gun; I had made, and fired an archery bow on many occasions, like hunting. I set off in search of wood, until I found a small group of hazel saplings, young and still green. I chose a thick piece for my bow, and some thinner pieces for arrows. Using my spare net, I cut the corner with the piece of flint, undoing all the thread. Pulling out a long length of string, I thought I could cut into the top and bottom of the bow and loop the sting around the cuts. I did this, and now I had a good bow. Now for the arrows. I made notches at the top of all the arrows, this is where I would slot my arrow into the string. After, I sharpened the end of the arrows. Now I needed fletches, to make the arrows fly straight. I found tree sap and leaves, stuck them on the top of the hazel, and now had six arrows and a bow.
Lying down, I slowly crawled up to my unsuspecting prey sitting on the hushed moors. The rabbit lay there, not aware that his time living was gradually slipping away. I dimly fed an arrow through the string, realising this creature’s doom bringer lie resting on my hand between the string of my bow. I pulled back, and let go…the rabbit’s killer flew through the sky like an assassin; the rabbit flinched, but it was too late. It gave it’s last breath and fell into an endless sleep.
I took off my steel dog tags . Holding it in my right hand next to the dry grass, leaves and twigs, I had gathered earlier, and struck the flint at an angle on the steel igniting a small fire. A burning twig fell out off the fire, but I ignored it. Roasting the rabbit on the fire, my mind wondered to Charlie; a tear of sorrow ventured down my cheek and crashed into a flame of the twig, extinguishing it, resembling the hope of me finding Charlie. I forced it out of my head and turned the rabbit. I thought about home. However, I had no intentions of going back.
After devouring my rabbit, I decided to explore. So I got up and just walked. I decided that I would not go very far, so I could find my way back. I had walked for about twenty minutes, and realised it was getting dark, so I turned around to go back. But that’s when I noticed a cave out of the corner of my eye. Curious, I decided to explore the cave. It turned left, so I did. Just then I heard the unmistakable rustle. Suddenly, I saw eyes glistening; paws coming towards me. Charlie? My joy turned into sheer terror, when I realised it was a bear. I slowly backed away, trying not to anger it, but it was gaining on me. A stones throw away; out of the blue it stood up and raised a paw. It was going to attack. I closed my eyes, but did not receive the strike, instead I saw Charlie jumping of a high rock onto the fighting bear. The bear struck him, and he crashed to the floor, and turned on me. I ran out and the bear was stopped by Charlie as he leaped onto its back. The last thing I saw was Charlie being brutally beaten by the bear. I turned to run again. I ran and stopped nearly 150 yards away from the cave. I waited here for about 20 minutes, before creeping back to the dark abyss. It was dark now and I could see nothing as I approached the cave. Waiting I began to cry, I had lost Charlie again. But then a whine, and Charlie emerged from the darkness. Covered in blood he walked over to me and collapsed in my arms. Picking him up I treated his wound and waiting I tried not to go to sleep but I couldn’t fight it, the urge was overwhelming.
As I woke up, I immediately looked at Charlie. His eyes were still closed, and I cried again. I sat with him for 8 hours watching over him. Suddenly, his eyelids reluctantly opened, revealing his dark brown eyes. Joy pumped into me. He lay there for a few minutes before standing up. I hugged him and he licked me, and I laughed. I played with him for a while. Later we successfully hunted three rabbits and two pigeons. We discovered a river, which we drank from, and went exploring again, with the bow and arrow. After walking for an hour, we came across a path that looked somehow manmade? So we explored it. A little way down the path we found a shed, so we went cautiously inside. I wasn’t scared, more interested. I saw a cooker, food, beds, and guns. I came to the conclusion it was a refugee camp. Wow! This place had everything. I stayed here many, many weeks, and decided that Charlie and I would never go home.
Zak Rothwell
Class 4
11 years old
