The moment the school bell rang excited chattering broke out in the classroom. Miss Price clapped her hands and the children paused just long enough for her to say,
'As you know it's Sports Day tomorrow and we're hoping for fine weather, and I'd like to wish you all the best of luck. Remember though, it's not winning the race that matters, it's taking part.'
She hardly had time to finish her sentence as the children rushed to the gates of the school. It was a beautiful afternoon and Emma was eager to get home and practise her running. Daddy had promised to be home early to help her with her racing. He had bought her a stopwatch and she was determined to beat her record. Mummy was going to make a special tea so she had enough energy for the race.
Georgina Hunter ran up behind her and slapped her on the shoulder.
'Emma, hope you win tomorrow, it's your birthday too. I can't wait for your party on Saturday, it's going to be magical, a fairy party at the stone picnic table.'
She waved and ran off to get into her mother's car.
Emma grinned, she was so excited about her birthday. She was going to be eleven. 'Legs Eleven 'Auntie Mollie called her, because of her long legs. Mummy and Auntie Mollie had been talking about the party for days. Auntie Mollie was daddy's sister and she said it was the last chance to have a little girls party and she was going to make the most of it, making fairy wings for the girls and magician hats for the boys. Emma thought that if she could win the hurdles race it would be an extraspecial birthday, she wanted to win it for mummy, for daddy and for Auntie Mollie.
She looked around for daddy's car but there was no sign of it. Most of the children had gone, it was surprising how quickly the crowds of children and waiting parents had disappeared. She could see Miss Price who was on duty at the gate talking on her phone. Then she remembered the stop watch, she'd left it on her desk. She had to have it for her practice with daddy. Without thinking, she ran back into her classroom. There it was on the desk. She put in in her pocket and ran back to the gate. There was no-one there, not even Miss Price. The sun had gone in and an enormous black cloud had appeared. She shivered. She looked back at the school. It looked quite different, gloomy and dark. She became aware of how isolated and lonely it was, surrounded by trees and no houses around. Surely daddy would be here any minute. Maybe she should start walking along the road and if he didn't come she could cut through the footpath to the clearing with the stone picnic table and then on to the common where she lived. She had an idea. She'd time herself. She set the stopwatch and put it back in her pocket.
The rain was falling faster now and she quickened her pace. Just as she was about to take the footpath she heard a car coming up slowly behind her. It must be daddy. She turned round and waved. It wasn't though, it was a red car and it pulled up beside her. The man driving was wearing a green hoody, he wound down the window. The car looked warm and inviting. Her favourite Ed Sheeran song was playing. Mummy and Emma had danced to it only yesterday. She moved nearer the car. The man looked at her. He seemed to be licking his lips. When he spoke his voice was gruff,
'Hop in. you're getting wet,'
Emma's heart started thumping, she took a step back, she felt cold fear grab her. She knew she had to get away. She ran into the woods and heard the car door slam and an unpleasant laugh. She took a deep breath, remembering daddy's instructions, never look behind you because you'll lose valuable seconds, always be careful of your footing, you mustn't stumble, keep your special energy for last, surprise your competitors, just when they think they've got you, you'll surge ahead. She wanted to cry, she wanted daddy. She wanted mummy.She 'd be waiting for her with jam tarts and orange juice. She'd be making her birthday cake with Auntie Mollie.
There was a loud clap of thunder and Emma tried not to scream. She had an idea. She'd head to the brambles, she was small enough to go through them. The wonderful golden Autumn afternoons of blackberry picking seemed like a dream. She stumbled through the brambles ignoring the pain, her legs felt as though they were on fire, something scratched her face, blood was trickling into her mouth. It tasted like it did when she lost a tooth. She heard swearing and shouting behind her as the brambles flung back. Her heart was beating so fast it felt like it was in her mouth. There was a fallen tree across the path, she mustn't fall, she mustn't trip. She jumped, clearing it easily. She heard the man stumble and curse again as he fell over the tree trunk.Then she saw the stone picnic table, and her legs powered on. Once she was through the clearing she would be nearly home. Home, oh how much she wanted to be home. She mustn't cry, she must save her energy. If it hadn't been raining there might have been a family there having a picnic and playing ball in the clearing and she would have been safe.
She passed the stone picnic table and tried not to look at it and think of her party.
Then at last she could see the common. She could see the roof of Auntie Mollie's house. The rain had stopped. She heard panting and swearing behind her. She mustn't look round. Now was just the time when she needed her magic energy reserve. She surged forward, faster and faster, her legs pummelling the ground. Then she was out of the wood and running across the common. She could see daddy and mummy, and Miss Price and Auntie Mollie, and a blue car and some men in uniform. Auntie Mollie saw her first and started sreaming and screaming. It was a horrible sound yet it was a beautiful sound, she felt tears come up as she ran to them. The men in uniform ran towards her, then straight past her to the woods. Daddy had his arms out and she leapt up into them burying her face under his neck like she used to do when she was little.Mummy squeezed her hard and kept saying she loved her and she started to cry again. She peered out from under daddy's arm and saw the men in uniform bundling the man into their car. As the car drove off she looked up and there was a rainbow over the common. She pulled the stopwatch out of her pocket and clicked it. She tried to speak, fighting the tears and when she did her voice was a whisper,
'look daddy, 11 minutes and 11 seconds. I think 11 is going to be my lucky number.'
'As you know it's Sports Day tomorrow and we're hoping for fine weather, and I'd like to wish you all the best of luck. Remember though, it's not winning the race that matters, it's taking part.'
She hardly had time to finish her sentence as the children rushed to the gates of the school. It was a beautiful afternoon and Emma was eager to get home and practise her running. Daddy had promised to be home early to help her with her racing. He had bought her a stopwatch and she was determined to beat her record. Mummy was going to make a special tea so she had enough energy for the race.
Georgina Hunter ran up behind her and slapped her on the shoulder.
'Emma, hope you win tomorrow, it's your birthday too. I can't wait for your party on Saturday, it's going to be magical, a fairy party at the stone picnic table.'
She waved and ran off to get into her mother's car.
Emma grinned, she was so excited about her birthday. She was going to be eleven. 'Legs Eleven 'Auntie Mollie called her, because of her long legs. Mummy and Auntie Mollie had been talking about the party for days. Auntie Mollie was daddy's sister and she said it was the last chance to have a little girls party and she was going to make the most of it, making fairy wings for the girls and magician hats for the boys. Emma thought that if she could win the hurdles race it would be an extraspecial birthday, she wanted to win it for mummy, for daddy and for Auntie Mollie.
She looked around for daddy's car but there was no sign of it. Most of the children had gone, it was surprising how quickly the crowds of children and waiting parents had disappeared. She could see Miss Price who was on duty at the gate talking on her phone. Then she remembered the stop watch, she'd left it on her desk. She had to have it for her practice with daddy. Without thinking, she ran back into her classroom. There it was on the desk. She put in in her pocket and ran back to the gate. There was no-one there, not even Miss Price. The sun had gone in and an enormous black cloud had appeared. She shivered. She looked back at the school. It looked quite different, gloomy and dark. She became aware of how isolated and lonely it was, surrounded by trees and no houses around. Surely daddy would be here any minute. Maybe she should start walking along the road and if he didn't come she could cut through the footpath to the clearing with the stone picnic table and then on to the common where she lived. She had an idea. She'd time herself. She set the stopwatch and put it back in her pocket.
The rain was falling faster now and she quickened her pace. Just as she was about to take the footpath she heard a car coming up slowly behind her. It must be daddy. She turned round and waved. It wasn't though, it was a red car and it pulled up beside her. The man driving was wearing a green hoody, he wound down the window. The car looked warm and inviting. Her favourite Ed Sheeran song was playing. Mummy and Emma had danced to it only yesterday. She moved nearer the car. The man looked at her. He seemed to be licking his lips. When he spoke his voice was gruff,
'Hop in. you're getting wet,'
Emma's heart started thumping, she took a step back, she felt cold fear grab her. She knew she had to get away. She ran into the woods and heard the car door slam and an unpleasant laugh. She took a deep breath, remembering daddy's instructions, never look behind you because you'll lose valuable seconds, always be careful of your footing, you mustn't stumble, keep your special energy for last, surprise your competitors, just when they think they've got you, you'll surge ahead. She wanted to cry, she wanted daddy. She wanted mummy.She 'd be waiting for her with jam tarts and orange juice. She'd be making her birthday cake with Auntie Mollie.
There was a loud clap of thunder and Emma tried not to scream. She had an idea. She'd head to the brambles, she was small enough to go through them. The wonderful golden Autumn afternoons of blackberry picking seemed like a dream. She stumbled through the brambles ignoring the pain, her legs felt as though they were on fire, something scratched her face, blood was trickling into her mouth. It tasted like it did when she lost a tooth. She heard swearing and shouting behind her as the brambles flung back. Her heart was beating so fast it felt like it was in her mouth. There was a fallen tree across the path, she mustn't fall, she mustn't trip. She jumped, clearing it easily. She heard the man stumble and curse again as he fell over the tree trunk.Then she saw the stone picnic table, and her legs powered on. Once she was through the clearing she would be nearly home. Home, oh how much she wanted to be home. She mustn't cry, she must save her energy. If it hadn't been raining there might have been a family there having a picnic and playing ball in the clearing and she would have been safe.
She passed the stone picnic table and tried not to look at it and think of her party.
Then at last she could see the common. She could see the roof of Auntie Mollie's house. The rain had stopped. She heard panting and swearing behind her. She mustn't look round. Now was just the time when she needed her magic energy reserve. She surged forward, faster and faster, her legs pummelling the ground. Then she was out of the wood and running across the common. She could see daddy and mummy, and Miss Price and Auntie Mollie, and a blue car and some men in uniform. Auntie Mollie saw her first and started sreaming and screaming. It was a horrible sound yet it was a beautiful sound, she felt tears come up as she ran to them. The men in uniform ran towards her, then straight past her to the woods. Daddy had his arms out and she leapt up into them burying her face under his neck like she used to do when she was little.Mummy squeezed her hard and kept saying she loved her and she started to cry again. She peered out from under daddy's arm and saw the men in uniform bundling the man into their car. As the car drove off she looked up and there was a rainbow over the common. She pulled the stopwatch out of her pocket and clicked it. She tried to speak, fighting the tears and when she did her voice was a whisper,
'look daddy, 11 minutes and 11 seconds. I think 11 is going to be my lucky number.'
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