As Anyana walked to school, an old photo fell from her bag. She gently scooped the photo into her hands. It was her brother, Taipi. He had died while in a war. Just then, her mind floated back into place as she spotted a funny-looking leaf. Anyana studied it closely, such a cute leaf she thought as she happily skipped along the wet streets holding the cute-shaped leaf.

The bell rang, signalling the students that class was over. I ran back home to tell mama about school, when I saw a faint light glitter among the trees. “Hello? Is anyone out there?”said Anyana softly, but steadily, “Kushvi? Is that you?”Kushvi was Anyanas little brother, he was such a pranker! “Anyana…is that you? Im Taipi, your brother.” “Are you a ggg-hh-ost?”stammered Anyana, “Ghost Taipi?” “Yes, I have my story,”said the strange ghost.  “It begun in the early 1998s…”

“I was there, on my own sitting on a bench on a cold day. That day was such a particular day, after I graduated from primary…my stepmother, your mother, forced me to get out of the house and be a soldier. Oh, how I wish my real mother was there. How I wished to be…home. Then again, she was having birth to a baby child, you…so I went to be a soldier. Nowhere left for me to go. I followed the orders of my general, FuTian General, but soon after one battle was over, the next battle came, and soon after the second battle, the third came. I begged for mercy to leave the battle, and have some peace…but he said no, “Where will you go?” he asked, “Hell?” I said I didn’t have a family, because I was a refugee. General FuTian laughed and laughed, and he sent me to the battlefields. As I was protecting another refugee, Jingtie, who had come all the way from Russia, and then…I died.” “Now, both Ying and Yang are equalized, they no longer need me.”

“I’m sorry you felt that way, ”begun Anyana, “I’ve never been that sad in my life before. Here, take this.”Anyana handed the photo she had dropped on the way to school. “Here, take this. Is this you?” asked Anyana, as she pointed to a person in the picture holding a gun, “and is that your mother?” “Yeah, it was,” said the ghost. “I need to go now though, mama will be worried and Kushvi wants me to play with him.” said Anyana, “Also, it was nice meeting you.” “Oh, bye. But remember, do not tell anyone I met you or that I even exist.” said the ghost, and with that, it disappeared into thin air.

As Anyana woke up next morning, she stared out of her bedroom window, and remembered the words of the ghost, “Home,” she whispered, “Home.” 

Safar lived in Pakistan and right now she is sleeping in her bed. This cold weather woke up her 5 times last night but she was too tired to open her eyes. Suddenly, a loud noise wake her up totally, it sounds like a bomb, she immediately rushing to her parent’s room but realised that they were not there. Desperate to find them she run as fast as lightning to the outside world and find out that there are ashes everywhere. Her favourite bread shop is now a big, deep, tragic hole. Her best friends house also caught her eyes, it use to be filled with their laughter but now it is just a puddle of bricks. She wanted to check her out but her feet stop her from going and her brain told her to focus on finding her parents.

She run around her house screaming her parents’ name, but no one responds to her. It’s almost noon, she start to feel starving and she doesn’t remember when was the last time she ate. Safar found a half eaten bread, the bread already became hairy and also has nibble from insects. Without stopping to think, she stuff the whole thing into her mouth, and then she drink some muddy water from the puddle next to her. Their whole family has been eating from this trash dump since the war began and Safar knows exactly what to do.  As her skinny little feet touch the cold spiky ground, she's shivering like a lost cat. Suddenly, she remember that she has a neighbour Malala who helped lots of people who lost their family members during the war, and she might be able to help to look for her parents.

Safar run as fast as she can to Malala’s house, which is now only with walls left. Malala is feeding a girl with some muddy water. She agreed for the mission and off they go to find Safar’s parents. They searching inch-by-inch, flip over all the bricks which might buried their parents. Finally, Malala find Safars parents fainted on the ground, in between two fallen walls. “Are they dead or just fainted?” shouted Safar in a shivering type of voice. “I think they just fainted.” Replied Malala. Safar cried and calling her mum and dad’s name time after time. Few minutes later, they wake up in tears. As they start to talk about what happened, Malala tell them that they should go to the camp near their house and that they need to meet others who in similar situation. 

 

It's almost night time when they arriving at the site, they are absolutely shocked by what they saw. The camp filled with people who got injured, who just lost their relatives, tears and fears mixed in the air. Despite things looks devastating, they are not giving up yet,  people gathering together and voted a leader who will be able to lead them step out the tragedy, to rebuild their home and to find their happiness back. 

 

Even the war took away their house, food and people they love, but it can never take away their faith, resilience and the right to be happy again. Safar slept tight that night, with her hands holding up to her parents. She dreamed she play with her best friend Roger at school, flower grow back on the dusty land, birds twitting in the blue sky, and she begin to smile with a tear dripping on her cheek. 

 

THE END                                                                  

Home. This is a word that is used differently by different people. For most people, home is your comfort place, where you can do anything you want. But for this little girl, the meaning is constantly changing. Let’s start with an introduction. Her name is Katie, she is 8 years old and she is a refugee.

Right now she is settled down with a nice family but, let’s start from the beginning………..

Katie waved goodbye to her friends and skipped home. But little did she know that her life was about to take an unexpected turn….

“I’m home!” Katie shouted down the hallway. “Katie!!” Her mom shouted as she grabbed her wrist and they left the house. “What’s happening?!!” Katie asked as her mom led her down an alley. Suddenly, a loud bang erupted from the street. “it’s already started…..” her mom whispered. They ran and ran and ran until Katie’s feet were numb and she could not run anymore.

Suddenly, a man grabbed her mom’s wrist and pressed a gun against her forehead. “Do not move!” He ordered. “Katie, RUN!!!” her mom shouted. Scared, Katie ran and ran and ran. Suddenly, she fell into a hole and hit her head on a rock.

“Wake up,” a woman whispered. Katie opened her eyes and remembered what happened. “No……” she cried. “We’re taking you to your new home.” “Home…..........” Katie whispered.

Katie looked outside the window. The car was way too fast for her to look properly, especially with her sore head (which throbbed painfully). After a long time, the car stopped and the lady beckoned her outside. 

“Meet the Smiths. They are your new family.” the lady said calmly. “Who are you? What is going on? Where am I?” Katie asked curiously. Before the lady could answer, a man and a woman emerged from inside the house.

“Katie, meet Sam and Dorothy, your new guardians.” the lady explained. “Hi Katie. We’re going to have a fun time.” Dorothy said cheerfully, but Katie could see that her smile was sketched lightly over a cruel expression.

2 weeks later.....

Katie looked terrible. Her clothes were tattered, her hair was a bird’s nest, and she had lost weight. The only word that described Sam and Dorothy was downright cruel. Now, Sam wasn’t as bad as Dorothy. He would give Katie a thin slice of bread occasionally if she cleaned his room, arranged his documents, washed the clothes, cooked the meals, cleaned the bathroom, and made the beds. And that was how much she had to do every day! 

One night, a police siren sounded from the front lawn. As Katie headed outside, this is what she heard: “Sam and Dorothy Smith, you are arrested.”

The following week, Katie had a new family and finally, she was Home.

Everyone has their own challenges in life. It may not be as bad as Katie’s, or maybe even worse, but Katie got a family in the end. Nothing else mattered to her, she was home.


500 words