Highly Commended Story - Jungle Hike

“Jungle Hike” by Elma Edokpa, RA International School, Nigeria, is the Highly Commended story in the sub-junior category of the first biannual Short Story Contest 2020.

Elma Ebosetale Edokpa is nine years old. She was born in Bonny Island, Rivers State, Nigeria, where she has also lived all her life with her parents and siblings. She is the third of five children. She enjoys playing at the playground, playing with her IPad and also enjoys attending parties. Elma enjoys reading books with more pictures and few words. The books she reads give her ideas to write her amazing stories. Elma has a positive attitude towards school.

Jungle Hike

“Run!” shouted Jessica while she and her younger brother Tony ran from lions. Tony is a 16-year-old explorer while Jessica is a 19 year old scientist.

Jessica took Tony to the jungle to go find new species but they ended up finding lions instead. Luckily before they left for their journey Jessica took some chemicals from her lab to make someone or something go to sleep for only a few minutes (of course). So Jessica sprinkled a few drops on each and every one of the lions and they fell fast asleep. Few minutes later the lions woke up but by then they were already far gone. Jessica and Tony continued their journey. They waited so long they couldn`t find anything but what they didn`t know is that something out there in the jungle is waiting for them to.

Soon they were hungry, so Jessica searched her backpack and when she didn`t see anything asked, “Tony did you eat all the sandwiches?”

“Yes,” replied Tony,” Sorry but the sandwiches you packed are delicious and they`re my favourite type of sandwiches to.

“I know you really like the sandwiches but I told you to take just one,” said Jessica in a loud voice,” Now we have nothing left to eat.”

“Hey Jessica!” shouted Tony from afar,” I found some berries.”

“Wait!” exclaimed Jessica shocked about how Tony could go that far that fast,” Let me check if those berries are poisonous.” The berries were not poisonous, so Jessica found them some nuts and they enjoyed their little snack.

Suddenly something went dark. It was a dragon not just any ordinary dragon a big, fat, dark red dragon. The dragon had a mysterious creature in its hand. Tony was S-C-A-R-E-D but Jessica was and not she reached out for the sleeping chemical but she forgot to close the bottle so it dripped all over her bag and she can`t squeeze her bag on a bear. Good thing that Jessica took her latest invention the friendlyzer2.0 with her. It makes anything calm and friendly. She hasn`t really tested it out so she decided to test it now so she aimed at the dragon and then zapped the dragon. It turned out great the dragon was happy to give Jessica the creature. She called it ‘the boomlaca because that was all it said .So Jessica put it on the news to let the world know about ‘Jessica the one who discovered the boomlaca with her younger brother Tony.’