My Vacations….The Scary Ones

“My Vacations….The Scary Ones” is one of the outstanding stories of the first biannual International Short Story Contest 2018 written by Angela Dev Nirmohi, The Millennium School Panipat, India.

My Vacations….The Scary Ones

It was a beautiful morning and I woke up feeling fresh. I was very happy as my vacations were going to start. I was still thinking about my vacations when I glanced at my clock. I was late for the office. Let me introduce myself. I am Angela and I am the CEO of the best Google company in world. Today, I have lot of work. Yes, I was just saying that I was very happy today. I was really happy. I have to work hard in the office every day. I believe that hard work is the tunnel between life and success. I brushed my teeth in hurry. Then, I took off for office in my luxurious and comfy car. When I reached my office, I greeted my punctual coworkers. I wished everyone Good Morning and went in my study. Then I told one of my coworkers to book my ticket to Hong-Kong. He also expected holidays.

You see, my coworkers are very hard working and punctual, but they also are exhausted from daily routines. Next day I went to airport. I was afraid, I overslept. It was quite clear that I was in count of late comers.

I hurried to plane. I noticed sly looks on travelers’ face. I was so embarrassed, my face was turning bright red, redder than a tomato. But somehow I managed myself and found my seat. I took a good book to pass time. First two hours went relaxing until….the plane began trembling. Suddenly, the pilot and a man following came.

“The pilot has problem of losing memory now and then” he shouted. As for us, we were still wonderstruck. What if we all crashed? What if it’s our last flight? That plane was shaking triumphantly….and so was my heart. Usually I have no fear of flights but today I felt like why am I here! I was unable to control myself as unfortunately, I was one of stunned travelers and ……the plane started going down. The plane began to crash. We were on edge of becoming extinct. The plane was heading towards the jungle or I must say that the jungle was running to us. We would have fastened seat belts but were unbalanced. I began sobbing. Then I fainted.

When I came to, I was surrounded by a group of people staring me. The plane crashed in jungle. Now we had to find our way back. After walking for, what seemed like a thousand hours? Ok…not really a thousand hours but you get the picture. We thought to make shelter. When I was roaming in that gloomy jungle to find some woods I suddenly realized, I was encountering a wild panda. It was staring me with a horrible expression. I was so scared that I ran away through bushes. I felt like Mogli jumping from one branch to another. I reached a place against the sea and discovered that our plane crashed on an….. Island. I decided to tell this to other travelers. So, I stood up to go back but…. alas! I was lost. I began panicking. It would have been better if I would have remained with crew.

Suddenly, I began sobbing. A thought came to my mind that what was the use of crying even when no one can hear my cry for help. I stood up. I knew, I had to do something. I can’t let this all end like this. I began roaming in jungle to find some fire woods. Then I built a small hut to live. All day went by. It was a hard labor. The sun had set. Suddenly I heard a growl. ‘Who was that?’ I cried. I didn’t know more or less but I had feeling, it was a wild bear. After some more growls I came up with truth. It was my stomach grumbling. I was hungry. But nothing could be done. I was so tired that I slept. At dawn I collected some edible mushrooms. I cooked them on fire. Days went by like this. It had become quite comfortable for me but home is home. Nothing can replace it.

Every second I thought, someone will come and take me back to America. Time passed by like hamster on treadmill. One day when I was looking for fire woods I heard an ear piercing shriek. I hid behind bushes. The shout came closer and then I saw ……… yes, yes, I saw a mammoth. I was unable to believe my eyes. Is it really a mammoth? After it, came big herds of mammoths. How could it have been possible? Species that had become extinct even before birth of my grand-grand-grandparents were standing in front of me.

At present, no mammoths are found in the world. I just realized, I have rediscovered those extinct species. I was still celebrating my victory as the discoverer when I noticed the first mammoth was shrieking with pain. I noticed huge thorny bush that had been struck on mammoth’s foot. I knew I had to do something…but what? I heard many stories that someone pulled the thorns from the injured animals and the animal became his friend. But I couldn’t gather enough courage to do any such thing and kept still. Fortunately, they were so huge that they couldn’t notice me and walked away.

I was a bit relaxed, but suddenly more noises came. Not again….. Suddenly they came out of the jungle. I was totally shocked….they were my crew members.

I had to tell lot to them and even more to listen to their story of all these days. But the pilot didn’t give me time for even a single word. He just shouted….we have found way out….A ship is waiting on another side. Now move before another trouble moves in.

After these all dramatic and gloomy days I can’t say that I was lucky but at last we reached America. I lost my vacations and I thought, I lost everything…..but is it really? I reminded myself that I have found mammoths ….the lost species.

Now, when I am back I have to do something for these lovely animals. I am planning to request the environment minister to consider that Island an environment protected earmarked place…..now let’s forget the vacations…. more hard work is coming…..after all I was going to save a precious and lost specie and I know that I can do a lot as the CEO of the great Google company…