Extract from 'Train Ride'

by Raewyn Murray, Jack Lasenby Award Winner 2010


IT WASN’T my fault! Well, maybe it was... just a little bit. There we all are, in the

train after school. Me and Eru and Abdi and a few others, minding our own

business more or less, when about six of these great Year Eight oafs start poking

at us and tee-heeing. We have to defend ourselves, don’t we? I’m climbing on a

seat back and I’ve got this King Kong look-alike in a headlock while Eru’s leaning

over in front of him, tickling him in the ribs. King Kong’s squealing and laughing

and thrashing about, and then the train brakes.

‘It’s Pomare,’ someone says.

No! That’s my station! I let go of King Kong. I grab my parka and bag as I

rush off, and I leap onto the platform. Abdi gets out here too. The doors start to

close.

And then I realise. My insides go flip-flop and I feel sick. I think I’ve left

my cell phone on the train.

I rush back and try to get on again, but the doors have closed. The train’s

moving off. ‘Stop!’ I yell, racing along the platform. ‘Stop! I need to get back on.’

But I’m too late...