Was It For Real? By Grace Zylstra

Junior Short Story Entry

Long ago, there lived a monster that haunted the Bilbo River. Every year it seemed in the month of November, when the moon was at its fullest, the monster was seen. “Well I have never seen it myself in person I think, but there have been rumors about ‘the thing’!

Like one moonlit night, little Johnny McGee from down the road hit his tennis ball into the Bilbo River. “Dam that’s the third one I’ve lost this week, ”he had said. Not even thinking about ‘the thing’, he went into the icky, gooey, slimy river in search of his tennis ball, and we haven’t seen little Johnny McGee since.

If I say so myself I think it’s a myth, but I still wonder what happened to that Johnny boy. So I thought if it’s that scary then why am I getting the feeling that I’ve met this monster before. “Nah couldn’t have”. I ran back home as fast as my legs could carry me, for exercise of course, straight up the squeaky old stairs and into my room.

Just when I was about to open the closet door to put my jacket away, the handle disappeared, and the door opened by itself. Before I got to think about what had just happened, a hand sprung out and grabbed me and pulled me into the darkness. “I’m dead! I’m gone!” I repeated over and over again in my head. I finally had the courage to open my eyes. “I’m alive!” I shouted. Then I heard a sound, ‘car-coo car-coo’. I followed it and followed it, for what seemed like forever, until my legs couldn’t carry me any further, when all of a sudden the noise stopped.

I looked around. I was standing on a mushy orange ground and the sky was a bright purple. I had to stop. I had to have a rest, but where? There was a small area of red, dry, rocky ground. I lay down but I couldn’t sleep. All of a sudden there was a loud noise coming toward me. ‘THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! BANG! BANG! BANG! I had to cover my ears to clock out the noise as it got louder and louder with every second.

I saw something in the distance, as it came closer it looked like a giant boy with red curly hair and freckles as big as dinner plates. It looked just like Johnny McGee from down the road. I stood stuck to the spot amazed. He saw me and started to go the opposite way.

“Wait! Don’t go I need your help,” I yelled. He kept moving away from me, I ran after him yelling at the same time. “Johnny is that you? Wait!” I yelled out again and again. This time he stopped and turned around to look at me. As frightened as I was, I was gad to see that it was Johnny, even though he was as tall as my house. “Where have you been for all of these years?” I asked with relief. Johnny was coy and did not appear too keen to let me know. “That’s a story for another day,” he whispered. “I’m lost, please help me Johnny!” I cried out. HE bent down and picked me up and put me on his shoulder. We walked and walked for what seemed like hours, ‘THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! BANG! BANG! BANG!’ stomped his boots. I couldn’t stay awake any longer and finally fell asleep.

I woke up disorientated looking around, forgetting for a moment where I was. I could see my bedroom door over to the right. “STOP!” I screamed to Johnny. Johnny hurriedly put me down and I raced towards the door. “Come on,” I yelled to him, we are home. But Johnny just stood there and smiled, waved at me and walked away. “Johnny! Johnny! Don’t go,” I screamed, tears running down my face.


“Gracie wake up, you are going to be late for school, come on sleepy head. Johnny is already here waiting for you” my Mum said.
I sat up and looked around to see all my familiar things in my room. I breathed a huge sigh of relief; it was only a dream, a silly old dream, wasn’t it?