Broken

I knew I shouldn't have gone out that day. I knew I shouldn't have tried to do that trick. I knew the big risk I was taking but did I listen? No, I didn't. I was about 12 years old when my life-threatening accident happened. I grew up as someone who never really experienced pain or hardship. So when I first found out what lying on a hospital bed, unable to physically do anything meant, I struggled. It was hard in the first 2-3 months. My injury was caused during a bombing in the ocean when I was surfing near an abandoned cove. No one was there except me and only my sister knew where I was. I wish it had never happened.

I woke up on the 17th of July at 6:00 in the morning. I had gotten a new board for my birthday and I couldn’t resist trying it out. I gobbled down some toast as fast as I could and grabbed my board and leg rope. I know I should've checked the weather for surfing or even just checked the news. Maybe then I would’ve known that everyone was advised to stay home and be under protection and maybe then my parents wouldn’t have died. I hurriedly packed my bag and raced outside to grab my bike. I paused at the bottom of the staircase and turned around and went back inside. I scribbled a note and taped it to my sister’s door. Then I raced outside where I had left the door open. I swung onto the bike and pedaled as fast as I could to the opening of the cove. 

When I reached the cove, I parked my bike at the bike rack and headed inside the opening of the cove with my board under one arm and my bag under the other. As soon as I was inside, I dropped my bag a few metres from the sea and ran in. The water was surprisingly warm and the sand underneath was colder than usual as if no one had been there for a long time. It was all very strange but I had taken no notice. I grabbed my board and paddled until I was very far out and where the more dangerous waves were for the advanced surfers. The board wasn’t my size and it was bigger so I was careful. I lay on the board, keeping one eye in the sky. I spotted a speck of something but I couldn’t make out what it was. I kept an eye out for it but it soon disappeared. I gave up looking so I closed my eyes. I was vigilant to not fall asleep but I was starting to drift.

A few minutes later a bang rang next to my ear. I sat bolt upright glancing warily around me. I spotted something that resembled a spark disappear into the murky water. Now I was worried. I tried to paddle but my left leg felt like it was on fire. I was in shock and my mind turned completely blank and all thoughts of rescuing myself was gone. I needed help and fast. Unfortunately it was only 7:30 in the morning and no way had my sister woke up so no one knew where I was. I tried paddling with my arms but I was too weak. I gave up and soon just started counting the seconds. It might take a while but someone would find me eventually, I hoped. If my parents have woken up, they might see my note taped on my sisters door and know where to find me.

I glanced at my waterproof watch and stared in disbelief. What seemed like hours had only been a couple of minutes. I buried my face in my board and immediately regretted it seeing as my face and hair were soaking wet. I tried playing eye spy but there isn’t any use by yourself. I was so bored and started playing with the water making little splashes, when I heard a shout, “Caitlin! There you are!”

I glanced up and recognized that voice. It was Dad and Mum standing next to him. My sister was lazily standing next to them, holding tightly to Mum’s hand. “Don’t move! I’ll come get you,”

I nod. I hadn’t realized the water had risen and become rough. Dad stepped in and so did Mum and they were both immediately sucked in and swallowed underwater. 

My sister, Katie nervously sucked on her thumb as she watched. She was only 9 at the time.
I cried out but I never got a response. My mum’s hand was the last glimpse of them that I could ever remember.
Now I was starting to panic. Katie was just standing there, looking completely bewildered at what was going on.
“Katie! Get mum's phone out of her bag and call emergency services!” I yelled.
Katie hesitated for a few seconds before running and dialing the number. I couldn’t hear what she was saying.
Katie gave me a thumbs up before running to the opening of the cove.

I felt very relieved and was starting to loosen up. My left leg still felt like it was on fire. I started splashing the water when a droplet hit my left leg. It stung really bad and I cried out in pain. I really wanted my parents.
I swung my head into the water (careful not to drop any water onto the burning pain). I couldn’t see anything but I did see a glimpse of a sparkle. Mum was wearing her sparkly bracelet and ring! I tried to paddle a little closer when another bang vibrated the sea. I gazed up and a huge bomb was raining down. I had never felt more scared in my life.
Thankfully, that’s when the emergency services had come. They brought a large dinghy and someone towed my surfboard and me back to shore. They also checked my leg and I was brought into a hospital in an ambulance. 

Katie was sent to my aunties house for a couple of months while I was in hospital. Sadly, they uncovered Mum and Dads bodies under the water. They died rescuing me. I didn’t get out of hospital until the 17th of October. My leg was completely better but now I had other problems. I had to look after Katie, not to mention cook. So we had to move to stay in with Aunt Laura and switch schools. It worked well because Aunt Laura is Katie’s favourite aunt so she has been less of a brat. 
I guess I could say it ended well. The bombs were due to the fact that planes carrying high risk bombs had flown above the cove and dropped the bombs. The police are still investigating if it was purposeful or accidental. I wouldn’t say it ended well but it ended okay.

Change

Before The French Revolution, in 1788 (a year before everything changed), the aristocrats ruled France.

There was once a very rich man. His name was Andre. He was related to Queen Marie Antoinette and was her cousine, his grandfather being her great-uncle. If you continued to follow the family line, Andre was supposed to be King now but his grandfather abdicated to marry his grandmother. Andre bitterly hates the Queen, even though, thanks to the Queen, he was living like an aristocrat.

Down the streets from the Palace of Versailles,  a group of paysannes (peasants) wasn't living the best life ever. They had to scavenge for food in the garbage of the aristocrats, which meant they were trespassing. They had filthy, ripped clothes and hardly every had baths. The youngest peasant was Henri and he and his father, Jacques, had a home, if you could call it. Jacques was the same age as Andre and Henri was the same age as Andre's son, Louis.

The peasants and the aristocrats never crossed paths. Everyone outside of France, thought that the aristocrats would help the peasants but no one ever did. But the aristocrats never knew what happened outside palace walls, which is why the French Revolution started.

Henri had stolen enough coins to get some nourriture (food) from the market to bring back to her father and the other peasants. Unbeknownst to him, Louis had broken out of the palace walls and ran to the market too to have an adventure. He had taken some peasants clothing off a laundry line.

Henri reached the bread stall and offered a few coins in exchange for a few pieces of bread. He didn't notice the boy in similar clothes to him hiding behind the next stall, following him.

That boy was Louis. He had noticed Henri and wanted to know what he was doing and Louis wasn't positive but he thought he recognized him.

Henri was of course, not a typical peasant boy. Some peasants were 'richer' than them meaning had more talents in thievery. Jacques was one of them and being the son of one of the greatest peasant thieves meant people were cautious around you. So going to the market was sometimes exhausting.

The woman manning the bread stall eyed Henri," Excusez-moi Monsieur, but are you sure you are droite (right) there?"

"Oui!" Henri snapped. "I'm buying your bread, you should be reconnaissante (grateful), or I will go to the next stall,"

"Pardon me, Monsieur," The Woman bowed. 

"Just because my father is Jacques, does not mean you have to be grossiere (rude)," Henri snaps at the woman.

He leaves some coins, snatches the bread and heads back to his 'house'.

Louis follows Henri, hiding behind trees. Before long, Henri gets a feeling that he is being followed. He turns around suddenly and spots Louis.

"Monsieur!" Henri yells. "What are you doing?"

Louis presses a finger to his lips and motions for him to hide behind the tree with him. Henri cautiously follows.

"Who are you?" Henri asks.

Without a word, Louis takes off his face mask.

Henri gasps and fumbles around before remembering to curtsy.  

Louis snorts," Stop that nonsense,"

Henri picks himself up," What are you doing here and why are you dressed in peasants clothing?"

So Louis tells him the story of his arrogant father, Andre, his aunt, Queen Marie Antoinette, who he much preferred and his deep desire to run away which he did.

When Henri told him who was Henri's father, Louis gasped.

"Jacques was your father? So your last name is Montforte?" Louis asked.

"What do you mean? That is your last name!" Henri asks, confused.

"Ahh, so your father didn't tell you. Your father is actually my dad's brother," Louis said.

"No! Your dad had only one brother, Pierre and the rest were his sisters!" Henri says, stubbornly.

"No. That was what my dad made everyone believe. If you looked further, Dad had 2 brothers, one of them older, which is Jacques, your father, who ran away. He and Dad had a huge row. Dad bitterly hated Great-Grandpere for abdicating. And he hated your dad for being older than him," Louis paused for breath.

"But 2 of his sister's were older than him," Henri interrupted. 

"Yes but my grand-pere didn't approve of his daughters taking the royal throne. Even now, when he talks, its always about my dad and Pierre, or me and my brother, Charles, never about my aunties or sister. I don't think he wanted a daughter. So when your dad was born, my grand-pere was so overjoyed he became the favourite. He got massive celebrations and always got new things. That's what my dad hated. Anyway, when Jacques ran away, my grand-pere found out Jacques had ran away after coming home from a ball. He asked my dad where he was. Dad pleaded ignorance to the whole thing, saying he had no idea. One of the maids, Madeline had heard the row. But she hadn't known who was shouting. Grand-pere never recovered from the experience," Louis paused again. He wiped his eyes,"The next part is hard," 

Henri was silent.  Louis continued.

"Grand-pere died," Louis gulped. "And my Grand-mere had died before him. Dad was only 21 years old then. A year later, he married my Mum, Charlotte Evans, now Charlotte Montforte. 2 years later, I was born. And I only found out the truth, last year. Then I wanted to find you. So here I am,"

"You mean I am related you and I should be living in the Palace with you but I am not because of something your father did?" Henri said.

Louis nodded.

"I am-" Henri started.

"Prince Andre dead! Prince Andre dead!" The people in the village yelled.

Louis's colour drained. "What?"

Henri ran to the woman in the bread stall.

She eyed him again. "You again?"

"What happened?" Henri asks.

"You did not hear? Prince Andre was found in many criminal offences and was executed just then," The woman said.

"But that usually happens at midnight," Henri says, scared for his friend.

"Yes. But many people protested saying that they wanted to be awake for it," The woman said."I'm Giselle, by the way,"

"Henri," Henri said, distractedly," Merci," 

He ran back to Louis and told him. 

Louis nearly fainted," Dad never told me that. What shall I do? Mum is dead,"

Another gasp arouse.

"Jacques? Jacques?" Everyone was saying.

Henri and Louis ran to Giselle.

Giselle smiled at Henri," Bonjour again. Jacques just said he is the oldest son of Princess Louise- No! You are... Your his son!"

Henri nodded. Giselle looked like she was going to faint.

"And you, who are you?" Giselle says to Louis.

Louis slowly takes of his cloak.

"Prince Louis!" Giselle bows. 

At the mention of the prince, everyone surged towards them.

Louis and Henri glanced at one another, looks like life was about to get interesting.

6 months later...

"Make way for Prince Louis, Prince Henri and Prince Jacques!" The guard stood.

Henri and Louis shared a smile. Life indeed had changed in both bad and good ways. While Louis was in grief about his father's sudden death, his life was charmed by his new best friend and cousine Henri. And while Henri was sad to leave his friends in the 'Peasant' Family, he was excited to be a 'Aristocrat'. Henri is one of the people to be an aristocrat and a peasant.

After the French Revolution...

Henri looked at his best friend's and cousine grave and placed some flowers on it. Louis had unfortunately passed away during the battle while Henri was spared. Actually no one lived. Even Jacques, Henri's father had died. But Henri had fled to England and was now back. He looked across at the horizon and remembered The Day. When Louis had saved his life. And now Henri hoped his life was going to be better... 

Surf's Up: A Rip Risk

I am Anastasia Annabelle Thomas. A mouthful, hey? So that's why I prefer Stacey Thomas. I am 14 years old and I live in Surf St, Gold Coast, Queensland. Another mouthful. I just say I'm from Gold Coast. I have 3 best friends, Anika, Scarlett and Kristy. And guessing from my street name, we all love to surf. In fact, surfing sort of brought us together.

Me and Kristy have known each other before we were born (literally, our mum's met in relaxation class) but we really knew each other was when we met on the beach when we were 5 and Olivia, Kristy's mum had a boogie board and we both pretended to surf on the sand.

I met Anika when I was 6 ( she grew up in a different neighborhood) and I was watching the teenagers surf and this random looking girl (Anika) came up and sat next to me and copied me.

Now Scarlett is technically Anika's best friend and cousin by marriage. Scarlett grew up in Perth, on the other side of the country and Anika's uncle was in Perth, researching plastic pollution, Scarlett's aunt met him, married him and moved to the Gold Coast when I was 4. Scarlett's mum didn't follow. The sisters had a huge row before Scarlett's aunt left. 

Now Anika didn't even know who Scarlett was so she didn't appreciate the Paige's barging into they're family. Since Scarlett's aunt only had one sister, when they (Scarlett's family) came to live in the Gold Coast, Anika was still angry at the Paige's so she was horrible to Scarlett. 

Now you're probably thinking, how come Scarlett moved to the Gold Coast when the sister's had a huge row? Well when James, Scarlett's brother got expelled, Scarlett's mum had no choice but to ask for Scarlet's aunt's help. 

Now Anika, Kristy and I were a trio but (this is probably going to sound harsh) but I like Kristy more because she was... so easygoing. Anika was stubborn and loud. So I guess Anika didn't like me and Kristy being best friends and Anika had no choice to be nice to Scarlett when they were paired up. 
After Anika accepted Scarlett, we all started surfing together (after Scarlett was introduced to us) when we were 9. 

So Anika and Scarlett are technically best friends and Me and Kristy are best friends. But we still all surf together and in school, is a tight foursome.

Kristy crash-tackled my bedroom door.

I look up, surprised, from where I'm trying to do my history homework," How'd you get in?"

"Your mum let me in, you doofus! Now hurry up, the surf just picked up. They're going ahead with the Woman's competition and I just found out the surprise. They're having a kids one as well!" Kristy babbled.

My eyes lit up, "Well then what are you doing just standing there? Let's go!"

I grabbed my board and leg rope and change so my swimmers are underneath.We run down to the beach (Surf St is the closest street to the beach). Everyone was preparing and they're was an intense vibe - not to mention it was loud!

Kristy ran down the beach and I followed. I spotted Anika and Scarlett with their boards and me and Kristy ran down to join them.

They had nagged front and centre!

"Stace! We though you were going to miss this (motions to the beach). Didn't you hear the news?" Anika asked me.

"No. Dad has been hogging the TV all morning!" I sigh.

"Do you want any food?" Anika motioned to her bag. It was full of lollies, chocolate milk and meat pies. I grab a chocolate milk.

Suddenly, there was a BANG! I jump, startled.

"It's starting!" Scarlett jumped up and down.

We all clapped and cheered. During the break, so the judges could decide the winners, I looked around. I spotted Anna and Annie, the only twins who dresses alike and Robin, the only person who dresses like Robin Hood. But the next discovery almost made me spit out my milk.

"Guys! Keisha Martin is here!" I whisper-yell.

They all turn to me, mouths open,"Seriously?"

I nod and point.

"How come she's here? She hates anything to do with surfing!" Anika frowned as the judges announced Laila McKelley was the winner.

"Including us!" I mutter, not paying attention to the judges.

Keisha Chelsea Martin is the most "popular", snobbiest, meanest and most girly girl in the entire school. She is one of the very few students who hate surfing (If you live in Queensland, let alone Gold Coast, you're meant to surf).

"Calling all participants for the 12-16 race!"

"Break a leg!" Kristy grins at me. She is so dramatic, thanks to the theatre club.

I grin back as I rip off my clothes, leaving only my swimmers on.

We head to the starting line and get ready!

BANG!

We all rush into the water.

I do a graceful dive and is far out before any of the other competitors.

"The aim is to get the most waves in 10 minutes," I hear the loud speaker say. "On your marks, get set, GO!"

I paddle around until I get a sense of calm and push off. Yes! I caught a wave! I jump off before I could hit the sand.

"And that's a wave to Miss Stacey Thomas,"

I keep on going. Just when I reach my 17th, the 10 minutes is up!

"Contestants, your time is up and it looks like Miss Kristy Smith is our winner by 19!," the loudspeaker cheers. "Second goes to Miss Stacey Thomas for 17 and third is to Miss Anika Thompson for 15 and a half!"

Us 3 drew into a knot and we head up to receive our trophies.

"How come you got a half?" Kristy asks, when we head down again.

I was just pushing off when the person said time's up. It didn't count as a full wave but it did count a little bit so they gave me half. I'm lucky though because if they didn't give me half, there would've been a tie between me and Annie," Anika explained.

"Anyway, I'm really sorry for Scarlett. She only got 11 waves," I say sympathetically.

"Speaking of which, where is Scarlett?" Anika looked around, worried.

"There's someone out there!" a lifeguard pointed and yelled suddenly. It silenced the crowd who was trying to take a photo with us while we talked.

Faintly, we could just glimpse a hand.

Anika's face was pale," O-oh m-my g-goodness! I-it's S-Scarlett. W-what s-should w-we d-do?"

I didn't wait for an answer. I knew what to do. It was a rip and if they didn't do something now, Scarlett would be in big trouble.

I jump into the water and paddle furiously.

"Stacey, STOP!" I hear Kristy cry. I ignore it. My friends life depended on it.

I just make it out to Scarlett before she floats out even further.

"Thank goodness Stacey!" Scarlett's face was streaked with tears and her voice was hoarse. "My leg rope was ripping and I was trying to frantically get my board when the rip sucked me out,"

I heaved her onto my board and we tied the leg ropes together so the boards stuck like a raft. We paddled and paddled and just as we reached shore, the lifeguards were getting ready to rescue us.

The paramedics gave us a thorough check up and the lifeguards gave me a stern talking to.

"Now young lady, I understand she must be your friend-"

"One of my best friends," I interrupt.

"Yes but you put your life at risk to help your best friend,"

"I know but-

He stopped me." I understand how you must be feeling but I am giving you a warning. But you did rescue your friend and good job on the raft," then he walked away.

Anika and Kristy rushed over as soon as the paramedics said it was "all clear" and the lifeguard had finished his talk. They hugged us very tightly.

"Oh My God! We were so worried. Especially when Stacey went out too!"Anika said. "What did he ask you?"

I snort," First he scolds me, then he congratulates me, I was like, make up your mind!"

We grabbed our boards and walked home, chattering away.

At home, Mum hugged me tightly when I told her what had happened. Dad did too as soon as he got home from work. I snuggled into bed with a hot chocolate and marshmallows.

After a deep sleep, I woke up and found the house was empty. Mum had gone shopping and Dad had been called to work even if it was his off day. I decided to read the Put Your Life At Risk Magazine (that was an exciting magazine, unlike the other magazine's, which were boring) and who do I find front and centre? Me, saving Scarlett!

The headline read: An unprofessional girl saves her best friends life while putting her own life at risk! 

I race out and hesitate at Kristy's door. I race along and knock at Scarlett's. She answers and we both exclaim,"You and me are on the Put Your Life At Risk Magazine,"

We laugh and head out to Anika and Kristy.

Surf's Up for a new day... 🏄

THE END

Unique

They say I'm bad,
They say I'm good.
They say I'm different,
You understood?

Don't say I'm mean,
I'm not a freak,
I'm just different...
Much more unique!

No ones perfect,
No one's really the same.
If that was true,
This world would be lame.

Mean or nice,
Forgive, forget.
Everyone's special,
You are too, I bet.

Don't be afraid,
You aren't a freak,
I understand...
YOUR ALL UNIQUE!