TeHira

= Introducing the smart and talented Te Hira. =

Rimu = 4th Place
= Day I at Camp =

The strong scent of saltwater hit my nostrils as I stumbled out of my mum’s car. The sweet touch of the gentle zephyr brisked my face as I fumbled through my bag to find me a jersey. I slipped into a chocolate brown jersey and strolled over to my class.

About an hour or so later, we had just set up camp. I looked out upon the glistening river just metres from our campsite. As the adults started to set up for the Amazing Race, my class and I changed into their togs for a swim. After our swim in the river, we dried off and changed into our clothes again. After 15 minutes all the children were gathered up on a mat. A house leader from every group received an envelope. Ms Bryant blew her whistle and Tea tore the envelope in half. The Amazing Race had started!

I skimmed my eyes over the clue. It said we had to fill a bucket up with water without moving the bucket but we were told to do the challenge on the other side of the river. As I waded through the river, people had already arrived at their house flags and started the challenge. Minutes flew by and Kowhai had completed more and more challenges. As Kowhai raced to the finish mat, I could see Rimu was already there. Kowhai stood on the mat and had their picture taken. We may have come 2nd but we tried as hard as we could.

=The Black Pearl =

===The sky turned carnation pink as the sun set over the forest. The sweet smell of jasmine mixed with the tremendous scent of sandalwood. The soft rustling of willow tree leaves filled the silent night. The cracking of branches frightened Lily Fields out of her skin. As Lily slowly climbed a tree to rest in for the night, the sound of a hooting owl scared Lily, causing her to scramble up the trunk, cutting herself on the way. Lily took out her sleeping bag and settled in for the night on a branch the size of a desk.=== ===The soft twittering of birds woke Lily from her slumber. She accidentally turned over and fell from the tree. She hit the ground with a thud and groaned as she wiggled out of her sleeping bag. The sky was azure blue with pink, fluffy clouds floating in the air. As Lily slowly packed her sleeping bag into her green back pack, a doe was quietly passing by. The crack of a twig made Lily jump. She spun around, knife in hand, and threw the blade at the deer. The knife buried itself into the head of the doe as it slumped to the ground in a massive heap. Lily slowly took the knife out of the deer's head and slowly wiped the blood on her shirt. Lily could no longer stay at the scene so she quickly left the deer's corpse rotting in the open air. Half an hour of walking through the forest, Lily finally came across her destination. The Silver Falls.===

===The sunlight glistened off the water as slowly fell to the earth. Even though it was a waterfall, Lily couldn't hear anything but the sound of her breath.Lily slowly inspected the area before plunging into the cool, calm water. Slowly she swam deeper into the water before coming across the Black Pearl. It was lodged in the bones of a skeleton's ribcage. Lily tugged on the pearl but as she did, the skeleton's empty eye sockets glowed bright red. As fast as lightning, the skeleton's bony fingers started strangling Lily. Quickly, Lily grabbed her knife she bound to her leg with string and slashed the skeleton across the face. She speedily kicked off the ground, surfaced from the water and fled into the forest. Lily turned to take one last glance at the waterfall, but it was no longer silver. The waterfall turned blood-red as the skeleton emerged from the water. Lily heard the loud shout of the skeleton's voice booming through the forest===

"Never" Lily replied. "I won't leave without the pearl".
==="I didn't say you had a choice you obtuse, little girl" the skeleton boomed. Suddenly, Lily was lifted into the air by some invisible force and slammed into a tree 10 meters from where she stood. Just before Lily blacked out, she felt the skeleton's fingers tighten around her throat before turning into a pile of bones.===

Lily woke up with the sunlight in her eyes. Suddenly, Lily fell from her branch in the tree. She groaned as she wiggled out of her sleeping bag to pack her things away. Quietly, a doe was passing by.
The End (for Lily)