“Draft from Research: a short story” by Carla
- Carla
- Mar 6
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 17
(This was part of my uni homework for an assignment. We had to reinvent a true story. The link to the news article I researched is below. There’s no war between Western Australia and Australia but I wanted to write it this way.)
(Characters are fictional but the story behind it is spun and based on the true events I researched.)
Research:
Trove (The Argus) Page 6 - The Separation Movement (4th of January, 1900)
Emily Dunpast stared at the advertisement of separation in Western Australia, no less. People were divided between Western Australia and the rest of Australia that month. The drone of disagreements never did do anyone any good. Disagreements being the blare of the air raids siren that perforated her ear drums.
We need you; the advertisement said ‘Westralia’ needs you.
“FIND COVER NOW, AIR RAID INCOMING,” shouted the intercom speaker on the big pole in the corner of the play centre. Emily was sitting admiring the scenery as her little sister, Julie ran up to her. She clutched her leg. “I hate air raids,” she murmured into her dress.
Emily stared over the soot, the dull, black atmosphere as the brown dirt caked her dress. If their parents saw them then, they would be rolling in their grave. The barricade stood at the base of the street, protecting the dots of people huddled in their machinery huts and guns. “Come,” she sheltered her sister, protecting her as she and Julie ran to safety. “William will protect us.”
Emily’s boyfriend, William, was a part of the Battalion leading the charge against the enemy that was the majority who agreed to side with the Commonwealth.
They were the number one nemesis and they patrolled the landscape like they owned it. Emily wanted to spit on their uniforms. As Emily and Julie got into the bunker, William kissed her cheek. He was keeping watch for the night. There had been reports of people stealing their possessions. No one was taking any chances.
Emily stared at her boyfriend lovingly, his face still had the opportunity to bring her to his knees. Wry smile and shiny teeth, Emily thought William was a catch from the minute she saw him at a ball before the disagreements began.
William smiles at her with that wry grin she loved. Her heart took up a notch. Julie ran into his arms, screaming, “Willy!” She beamed as if she would protect him from the dangers of the world. How adorably innocent. “You’ll protect us wont you?”
“I’ll try my hardest.” He said, patting her little sister on her head.
William bent to kiss Emily on the cheek, which inflicted a soft blush. To her, he whispered, “Get the two of you somewhere safe, I can't protect you both once the fighting begins,” he affectionately strokes her cheek, a simple gesture, but Emily knew had a multitude of meaning.
She nodded, blushing. Emily couldn’t help herself. She never could help herself around an attractive man. “Stay safe,” she whispered, kissing him quickly on the lips.
She felt his eyes on her back as she grabbed Julie’s hand and made her way towards the back of the bunker, to which her sister grabbed her blanket that was kept there. She had the blanket since she was a newborn. Julie was comfortably yet uncomfortably rocking it. She scooped up her sister into her arms and swayed her to sleep. Emily silently prayed this raid would be a quick one. As the men made their way to the front of the fighting, Emily sent a request up to God to promise her that there would be no casualties come tonight.
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