Statement

Chapter 1

The siren whistled through the air just as we were about to have dinner.

My Mum's round eyes widened and she dropped the plate of food that she was carrying. It landed on the floor with a dull thud, cracking in half, and sent peas whizzing across the kitchen tiles like astroids.

My father, who was reading the newspaper, had a somewhat calmer response. He simply folded his newspaper neatly in half and placed it on the table, then carefully removed his reading glasses and placed them beside it.

My brother, playing with toy trucks, opened his little pink mouth and started to scream. My mum hurried over to him, wrapping her arms around him like a parcel.

"Shhhhh." She said.

All the while, the alarms were wailing.

We ran out the back door to the bomb shelter. Through our higgledy piggledy garden filled with clumps of tall weeds, upturned earth and the occasional flower, if you were lucky.

My mum and Ben got in the shelter first, then my father. I stood outside in the cool air. I didn't want to go in. I didn't want to be trapped in there, surrounded by the pressing earth. A slight breeze was blowing outside and I turned into it, hoping it would dry the panicked tears that were starting to form in my eyes.

The sirens stopped and were replaced by the humdrum noise of flying planes. Black triangles appeared on the horizon and I took an involuntary breath.

There were so many.

"Audrey." Mum yelled, "Get in!"

Gritting my teeth, I jumped feet first into the shelter. My mum slammed the door behind me.

It was cramped in the small room. Mum, Dad and Ben squashed against one wall and I sat opposite.

A high pitched whistling filled the air. I pressed my hands to my ears as an earth shattering boom rung out.

They were closer this time.

Ben had stopped crying and was sucking his thumb. My mum had one arm slung about his shoulder and the other was holding the hand of my father. I looked at them sitting together, all connected, with me set adrift as if I was a piece of flotsam. My throat felt dry and scratchy. I rubbed it with one hand, trying to remain calm. Everything within me screamed to get out and run.

My father's lips were pursed tightly together, but otherwise, his face was as smooth as polished metal.

I shifted positions to relive the cramp building up in my legs. The night dragged on, the silence in the shelter palpable. A fog of cold fear settled down upon us, heavy and hazy.

My muscles tensed up. They were begging to be let loose, to escape. But I couldn't run. All I could do was sit in the dim light of the shelter.

Suddenly a huge explosion shook the earth, screeching through my ears. A scream ripped its way out of my throat and I was thrown forwards onto Mum.

Mum had frozen, her eyes stuck open wide, lips trembling.

I got off her lap. The edge of the wall where I was sitting had almost caved and was now curving in towards the floor.

"Jesus." I said shakily.

There was another explosion that rattled the walls and Ben screamed.

"Audrey." My dad said, "Sit down!"

The only space was beside him. Ignoring it, I squeezed in, next to Ben and gripped his hand.

When the all clear finally went, I was covered in a layer of sweat, partly from the stuffy confines of the shelter and partly from my racing pulse.