Year 3-4 Winner
One Bounce From Safety by Imogen Gilbert
Such happy days. Listening to people chatting and laughing. Seeing the children playing and talking.
I felt happy, joyous and loved. I loved the polished wooden floor as I was bounced and the feeling of
safety as I was returned to the warm hand of the child. That’s all gone now. All I hear is the rustle of
leaves. All I see is dirt and grass. Now I feel lonely and sad. I can’t believe that I went from a 10 year
olds beloved ball to the forgotten toy in the back of the garden.
It started just like any other day.
It was a flurry of activity, as everyone was getting ready to head out. Once the door was slammed
shut all went silent again. I was basking in the sun that fell onto the desk when it all started. The cat
often came to lay with me on sunny days so when he lay down I still felt safe and I didn’t notice the
look of boredom on his face. He gave a sudden flick! And then a swish! Thump! Next thing I knew, I
was on the ground! The cat hit me, pushed me, pulled me, and battered me until I rolled under the
bed. Then he lost interest and walked away.
For a few minutes I sat there in silence, thinking. Then a huge, black thing pushed itself under the
bed. I knew at once it was the dreaded monster. THE DOG!!! One minute I could see everything, the
next minute it was all black. It felt wet and warm, as I was jolted around in its mouth hoping that I
was kept away from the teeth. Soon I was dropped onto the grass. OUTSIDE! In and out of the
smelly dog mouth I went as I was flung into air over and over again. Suddenly, the dog stopped in
mid throw and I fell onto the ground with a THUMP. I saw the dog barking and running crazily to the
fence as he heard the sound of the postman.
Once the postman was gone, that dopey dog just turned and trotted back in through the doggy door
leaving me here at the bottom of the garden.
I’ve been sitting here for what seems like hours now, or could it be days? When you are all alone and
forgotten, time seems to drag on. “SLAM!” What was that? The kids are home and outside? I can
hear laughing and the sound of the hula-hoop spinning around, how I wish I were part of that again. I
hear a familiar voice, “Where’s my ball? Where’s my ball?” followed by the sound of the silly dog
yapping annoyingly in response. As if the brainless dog is going to be able to find me. Then I hear
the rustle of leaves, and ‘sniff, sniff, sniff’; maybe this is my chance, maybe the dog will find me. I
feel the lick of a great slobbery tongue and before I know it I’m back in the warm mouth. Once again
I’m jostled around in the dog’s mouth as he runs around the yard, “Where will I end up now?”
Suddenly ‘Bam” and I’m on the ground with the grass underneath me and the sun shining onto my
top. Then I feel a familiar hand as my owner picks me up again.