Alone

by Alyssa Hughes

It's getting darker but it's too hot. I need some water. I don't know what to do or where to go. I need to get moving or I wont get back in time. I wish there was someone to tell me when it will happen again. I can't go on like this. Tomorrow I’ll look for a radio.

I'm heading towards a car. The windows are smashed, there are glass shards all over the place. I reach my hand through the window, careful of the sharp edges, unlocking it from the inside. It's getting too dark to write and I need to get driving. I hope I will be writing again soon.

I'm back at the Tornado Pod. I'm too afraid to leave, I'm running low on food. I need to go back out but is it safe? I'm freaking out. I need to calm down. I'm running out of air. I… I feel d… d… dizzy…

I don't know how long I was out for, but somehow I'm alive! I don't want to live like this. Suddenly I remember, did the car have a radio? I open the big heavy steel door peering out for danger. As always, nothing. I creep towards the car. I open the car door.

“A RADIO”! I cry jumping off the ground, the radio looked almost new. It shined like a holy halo. ‘BEEP-BEEEEEP!’ goes the radio.

“Hello? Anyone there?” I question. I listen in silence.

“Hello,” says a strange voice.

The voice sounds very odd but I haven't heard another person's voice in years.

“Hello my name is Iris. What's your name?” ‘Iris’ says.

“Umm Sara why do you ask?” I say suspiciously.

“Oh, so I can call you by your name. My purpose is to help you, they say.” The way she said this made me shudder. Who are they? Why are they making her help people? Relief washes over me. Oh, the Government obviously.

“Can you tell me where you are? We need to talk face to face,” I say. Iris takes a while to answer.

“Hello, are you still there?” I ask.

“Oh yes, sorry I'm afraid you can't talk to me face to face,” ‘Iris’ says.

“What do you mean? I need to see you? I've been looking for somebody for years!” I say outraged.

“Well it's just that I am in Auckland,” Iris says.

“I know how to drive a boat!” I say excitedly.

The radio is portable! I have to get to Auckland. It will be a challenge without anyone to help me. I can’t wait to see Iris. She seems so friendly, but also lonely. I have to start up the boat. I will write again when the boat is moving.

I've made it to the shores of the North Island. I'll have to start my journey towards the city of Auckland. I need to get some supplies. I need to get to Auckland as quickly as possible, so I will stop writing. I’ll write again when I get there.

I made it to Auckland. I've been wandering around here for ages now, but I still don't see any sign of human life.

“Iris, I'm here, where are you?” I say into the speaker. “Look for a small building with a sign that says ‘Iris Fixes’ and I will be in there,” she says.

I find it. “This is just a computer shop. Do you own this place?” I say, staring at the giant sign above my head. “Oh yes” says Iris.

I walked into the shop a chill ran up my spine, abandoned computers, laptops and i phones were scattered over the floor.

I walked through the silent shop. “Hello?” I say. Confused, why wasn't Iris waiting for me? “Where are you?” I say.

“Here,” says a voice that sounds like Iris but I can’t see her. “Look down,” she says. I look down and there is a laptop open with a video game playing. ‘Talk to Iris’ is the game's title. My head starts to throb. I can't speak, I can't breathe, the room is spinning. Is this all just a dream? All my thoughts rush back. “How dare you! I trusted you. You betrayed me. I hate you!” I scream. I wish I had never listened to that stupid radio. I stomp on the laptop, smashing it into pieces. I slam the radio against the wall and start to scream and cry.

Alone again…

— Highly commended, Tamariki category, Anna-Marie Chin Architects Writing Competition 2023.

Alyssa Hughes is in Year 6 at St Mary's School in Mosgiel and her piece was written in response to the prompt: "You are the last surviving person in your town after a natural disaster. Or so you think, until you receive a radio message from the other end of the country."