I was 10 years old, far too tall for my age in well-fitting camouflage pants and black leather boots. My hair hung in a long dark braid down my back. In my eye was burning a wildness, an itch for adventure. I had a fake pistol in my small hands and my younger sister at my side. We ran through the forest behind the batch in which we were staying, shooting invisible bullets at stray animals. We were the fastest the strongest and the bravest of them all. Though in reality we were breathless, dirty and scratched mortal children in our minds we were invincible.
We stopped to listen. The shrill cry of a kaka pierced the air. "They're coming!" I whispered urgently to 8-year-old Marney as though the sound was more than just the cry of a forest bird and we tore off again through the bush. Suddenly I heard the sounds of cars growing louder and the light in the trees ahead was becoming brighter. Suddenly we stumbled out onto to road, dizzy, tired and disoriented. The car came from nowhere. A huge shiny black monster speeding towards us. It nearly hit Marney. Time slowed. My scream seemed to go on and on as I pulled her out of the way grazing her knees on the sidewalk. Then in a desperate move of fear, anger and the hope that it was all make believe, I raised my gun and fired at the sky.
A scream cut the air but this time not my own. I turned like a deer in headlights to see a lady in maybe her late 70s looking through the window of her house at me with a look of complete horror on her face. I scooped up Marney and ran.
To Marney, it was all part of the game so I pretended along not wanting to scare her. There were sirens but I ignored them and just kept running.
But now I realised that we were lost and tired. The magic of the game was fading from even Marney's eyes.
"Can we stop Lissa?" she asked.
"That was a close one." the wide-eyed 8-year old muttered. "Did you see the beast. With his big shiny teeth. He nearly got me. It was so scary."
"Yes it was, but you're safe now. We're going home."
"Do you think we'll find the home?"
"I hope so."
I put her down near a stream deep in the forest and we waited. Tear-streaked and exhausted, we waited for our hearts to stop pounding and our minds to calm down. It grew darker and darker. And then we heard voices, yelling something loud. I shot to my feet and listened. Suddenly my body relaxed. They were calling our names. They belonged to our aunt. We ran towards them and fell into their arms.
"Oh my god, Melissa. I was so worried" said Aunt Jodie.
"There's a rumour going round that there was a delinquent teenager with a gun on the loose, and they got hold of some poor child. I thought for sure they'd got you."
We walked for awhile until we heard voices up ahead of two policemen one of them our uncle, talking soothingly to a woman in hysterics. "I'm telling you I'm not hallucinating she does exist."
"We believe you Mrs Tullford'' said the policeman on the left.
'it's just..."
"Wildest child I ever saw. More like a demon" she said cutting him off
As we approached our aunt a few paces behind us and the lady caught sight of us and screamed "THERE SHE IS I TOLD YOU!!!"
But before the police men had a chance to turn around i had grabbed Marny and shot up a huge nearby tree.
The police men turned around and saw not our feet vanishing into the branches but Aunt Jodie.
They looked back at Mrs Tullford in awe and disgust
"You're trying to tell us that my wife ... is a teenage kidnapper?''
"No, no, not her, the...'' she looked around frantically as Aunt Jodie stood confused on the spot.
"The girl she was just... ugh, I told you she was a demon. Marney looked at me wide-eyed and I covered her mouth before she could give us away.
"What did i do?" said our aunty
"Oh, nothing. Mrs Tullford is just having a rough day" ,said Uncle Ben shifting under his police uniform.
"I am not. I'm telling you, I ...". Our uncle gave our aunt a knowing look and Aunt Jodie
" awww let us take you home dear and we'll brew up a nice pot of tea and you can tell us all about it."
"Ben can you collect the kids. They were just having a little play. It's probably best that they didn't see this."
"Sure." said uncle ben as Aunt jodie, the policeman and the resisting older woman vanished into the forest.
"Kids ?" said uncle ben looking around.
We dropped down out of the tree and he laughed
" you were watching the whole thing weren't you."
We nodded as we walked towards him
Suddenly he froze taking us in and it hit him.
"Oh my lord. It was you!!!"
We cowered under his gaze trying to hide our guns behind our backs.
"Please don't tell." I pleaded.
He just shook his head in shock as we left the clearing.
"You two... remove all words from me. I'm rather disappointed in you."
But as we walked he hugged us tight against his sides and we knew he forgave us.
From then on mrs Tullford had been known as the batty lady of the neighborhood and had injured much abuse from the townspeople and many others had behaved poorly towards her, after false rumors spread. It turned out her son had died to in a shooting the year before.
Our aunt and uncle sold their house their the next year so we did not return. I never saw her again. I never apologised. It's funny how the fluttering of a butterfly's wings can cause a thunderstorm.
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