Josh the Traveller

Josh The Traveller.

(683 words)

(Aimed at teenagers)

It was the last day of the school year. The bell finally rang, and Josh ran out of the class with a broad smile on his face, thinking of what to pack into his new backpack , given him as a present for being a good student. A couple of books, socks, chewing gum, a T-shirt, a rope, a flashlight, a box of matches, and a slingshot… The list was endless. Each summer holiday before leaving on a business trip to Africa to save wild animals his Mum and Dad drove him to Granny’s. He would spent two happy months playing, swimming, building a tree house, and having fun with his friends.

A few more hours and he would be kissing his grandmother on the cheek , running upstairs to his room, and shouting out of the window to is best friend , who lived across the street: “Hey, Rick! Let’s go out and play!”

“Rick hasn’t arrived yet,” Granny said. “Mrs. Leeds told me he will come in a week “

“What about Kevin and Pete?” asked the boy.

“I haven’t seen them either.” the old lady replied.

Josh was upset. It meant that he had to while away the time in the art gallery, where his Granny had been working for many years as a guide. He loved the pictures and the atmosphere but one week without his mates sounded unbearable. He couldn’t think of any activity that might draw his attention for such a long time.

Not many people came to the gallery in the morning. After inspecting every single corner of the building Josh would sit on a bench in the most lit room with a book and read it till lunch time. He took his backpack and a sandwich, went outside for half an hour and then came back, where he had left everything as it was.

One day as he was coming back to his favorite seat, shaking off the bread crumbs, he saw a boy on the bench writing something in his book.” Hey! What are you doing there?! It’s mine!” he shouted as he hastened his steps forwards. The boy stood up, dropped the book on the floor, and hurried away through the cramped passage to another room. Josh picked it up and ran after him. Marvelous masterpieces floated before his eyes. Right, left, and across the hall.

“Such a quick little squirt!” he exclaimed.

Josh was about to catch him when the boy touched a painting on the wall and disappeared. He vanished! Josh was taken aback. He just stood there in amazement, staring at the dark waters and a precarious boat floating down a narrow river, surrounded by jungle. He came up closer in disbelief.

“It can’t be true,” he thought, touching the picture in hesitation.

All of a sudden he felt a crater swallowing hip up with great speed. His heart sank to his boots when he landed right in that questionable boat which was carrying him away full steam ahead. Vines whipped his face; small insects flew into his open mouth. He was trying to catch his breath when he heard an acute sound. It reminded him of the noise that trains made in the tube when they pulled up. Josh always imagined those trains were dragons living under the ground. The boat rocked and Josh saw a scaly creature. It was diving in and out with a terrifying scream, which made his skin crawl. But it didn’t seem like taking any interest in devouring him; on the contrary Josh felt the dragon was showing him the way, frightening off everything that might hurt him.

A few minutes later the boat reached the shore. Josh jumped out hastily. The dragon didn’t leave, just burst into a deafening roar. “What? I don’t understand!” the boy said. The creature flipped the book that the kid had left in the boat with its nose. Josh barely caught it and read what was written in pen: “Thank Drake for a ride with a cracker. Then find Shadow.”

The End of Chapter 1.