Inspiration Anthology 22a.pdf

The creaking sound of floorboards slowly began to cut through the noise outside, the slam of the boots on the
wooden stairs seemed to pound in time with his heart. He reached one of his hands held onto Tobias towards
Theo, interlocking their fingers together. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, and his breathing began to pick
up, and he wanted to sob, he wanted to inhale the dusty air into his lungs because he couldn’t breathe, and they
were going to die-
The footsteps reached outside the door to the attic, creaking the loose floorboard Benjamin had long since
remembered to avoid. The unmistakable groan of the heavy iron cast door being pulled open, the weight of a
human body creeping along the floor rang deep in his ears. Benjamin yanked his hand out of Theo’s grip,
pressing it hard against his mouth to muffle the whimper caught in his throat. Benjamin hated himself for it, but
he began to cry. His tears dripped hot and fast from the corners of his eyes, his breaths deep and shuddering
and painful, his fingernails digging into the soft skin of his cheeks to
contain the pitiful sound as much as he could. He felt Theo trembling
by his side, saw Toby held tightly in his shaking hands. ‘Please don’t
find us,’ Benjamin thinks desperately, grip tightening around Theo and
Toby. ‘They aren’t even six yet.’
Suddenly the footsteps stopped. Benjamin could feel their presence
right on the other side of the door. It was too late; they had been
found. He closed his eyes, holding on to his last hope before-
The golden lock rattled as it was hooked open, impossibly loud in his
ears.
As the door opened and brown eyes locked with red, Tobias began to
cry.
The moment of silence in between dragged for far too long, all hitched
breaths and terrible, terrible fear.
“You’re so young,” the soldier finally stated in a flat, monotone voice,
his scarlet eyes sweeping across the tangle of trembling limbs. Small
trails of silver hair were pulled out from a long, intricate plait snaking
down his back, and wet mud and dried blood streaked down his metal armour.
By Masha I
“Are you going to kill us?” Benjamin whispered, looking up at the axe gripped in his pale hand, choosing to
ignore the blood dripping rhythmically from the sharpened edge.
“No, Ben. Your father, Aldasair? I owed him a favour. I’m here to save you.”
And Benjamin, with the adrenaline still pumping fiercely in his veins, his eyes blurry with tears, and each hand
weakly holding on to his two brothers, looked up at his red eyes and saw honesty. He was tired, incredibly tired,
and he wanted to feel safe again.
He hoped he wouldn’t end up with a knife in the back.
By Karla C-C (Year 10)