Tomorrow

Tomorrow

Mummy had been crying. It was a couple of hours after school and I asked her to put Kid’s CTV on the Digi-box. It was time for ‘Shaun the Sheep’ my favourite. In she came with a tray of juice and chocolate biscuits like she usually did, but something was wrong. Her face was puffy, lined and her eyes all red. Frustrated, I picked up the control myself, no Shaun and no sheep! It was just the same news programme that was on before. I tried another channel and another, but it was all the same boring news, like the control was stuck. I looked at Mummy again, as if she could help, but she just stomped over and turned it off.

“Mummy, are you OK?” I was worried, this was most unusual. She walked out the room and came back with a carrier bag full of new clothes, sweets and chocolates. I couldn’t believe my luck, but my delight was cut short as she just looked so sad.

“Yes darling, of course I’m fine,” she was lying. “You and Davey are going on a special holiday tonight! There’s no school tomorrow either!” Mummy carried on trying to sound pleased.

“Look, I’ve bought you this beautiful new red dress.” It was absolutely lovely, I was astounded. There were more clothes in the bag and sweets to! A holiday and no school tomorrow, that was cool – but something wasn’t just right. Mummy looked terrible.

“Are you and Daddy coming?”

She didn’t say a word. Then she told me to go and sit with Davey in the kitchen.

“I don’t want to. I wanna watch the TV,” I told her.

After this is was so shocked. Mummy looked so cross, angry and her face went red like she was going mad, I’d never seen her like this before so I did what she said.

I went in and she shut the door on us, but I could hear up upstairs on the phone. She was shouting and I wasn’t sure, but it sounded like sobbing. Davey my bro’ sat looking moody round the table. He’s three years older than me.

“Haven’t you heard, stupid,” he said.

I just ignored him. After ten boring minutes he ran upstairs and was arguing with Mum.

The next thing I remembered was an enormous lorry pulling up outside the house. Mum came in with two Men. I’d never seen them before but they were wearing these strange clothes and sounded quite strict.

“This is Ella,” my Mum said about me and, “This is Davey,” about my brother gesturing to them.

She then looked at me and Davey and said, “Get those bags, I’ve packed for you and your new clothes, these kind men are taking you on holiday to the country for a while.”
“Wha’ do ya mean?” I said angrily.

In what seemed like a moment we were in the back of the lorry with even more children. Mummy gave us both a kiss goodbye, she was crying again now. I didn’t know what on earth was going on. Before I could think the big metal doors clanked behind us. Davey came and sat next to me and so weirdly for him he held my hand.

“Listen”, he said, taking out a small MP3 radio from his pocket.

The voices on the radio were strained, reception muffled. There was something about New York, Australia and other far away places. There were people crying, there was also talk using words I didn’t understand like, “outrageous,” “pandemic”, “lethal” and “collateral damage.” The voices kept going on about the water supply and something about terrorists in London. They said millions would be affected.

“What’s a virus, Davey?” I looked over at him.

“It’s kills people.”

Davey was crying now. He whispered something in my ear; I understood now what was happening. It was the start of the war………………..