"Writing from Imagination" by Carla

Date written: c. late 2024.

(This's part of another university project, we had to come up with a story from imagination! Hope you enjoy reading!)

I sit in my backyard, watching the nature around me. I noticed four citrus trees decorating the back of our yard. It highlighted my brothers green thumb. A handy person, my brother helped my Dad pretty the whole backyard from scratch. It started with the grape vines in the left-hand corner of the yard. The vines wound around the aging wooden pagola, clinging to the structure like a lifeline. The wooden structure was there when we moved in ten years ago, and the wood attached to the fence was beginning to show signs of age. The grey stains were sticking out like a sore thumb where the wood had degraded from too much water.

Dad was nowhere to be seen, probably on another of his late night golfing events.

An excited yip brought me out of my musings. Bingo, the dog next door pointed his furry head to me through the hole in the fence, “Hey Bingo!” I yelled, with an exuberant smile on my face. The old Border Collie wagged his tail in greeting. I went to pat him, but on my way there, a sound similar to thunder crashed in front of me.

Wood splinters flew everywhere as I realised the wooden structure holding the grape vines had all but collapsed under the lightning that had just struck it. I could see underneath the wood, the red light simmering from one of the wooden beams were burning in fury.

The smell of smoke filled the backyard. I quickly exclaimed to Mum who was napping on the couch, “Mum, there’s a fire,” I yelled, chest heaving with every panicked inhale and exhale of my over panicking heart.

Paw steps faster than any human followed the sound of the thunderous noises. My dog, Furbo started yapping at the commotion, ever the protective pooch, Furbo stood guard while the fist signs of chaos began.

“I can't get to Bingo; he’s stuck close to the fire!”

My mother and I rushed outside to see the owners of Bingo come out, “Who are you to endanger our dog like that?”

Mum snorted to them, “You don’t pay much attention to him anyway,” she muttered under her breath.

Bingo whimpered as he was steered away from me. My heart ached as the dog that I had fun with was torn away from me in front of my eyes.

Furbo nudged my hand, and I gave him a quick scratch behind his ears. He was such a good, protective boy.

Quicker than thought possible, what started as light pitter patter of raindrops quickly became a downpour as the storm howled. Such was my misery that I couldn’t get to my new friend. Mother Nature could tell what I was feeling.

Hearing the commotion, my brother ran out to see the damage. “Get help!” My brother yelled, through the relentless rain and storm clouds booming, it was hard to hear much of what he was saying. “Dad’s going to kill us if he comes back and the pagola’s wrecked.”

I didn’t look back as I raced inside to get my phone to call the builders who were also family friends of ours. They were always on standby if we needed assistance.

If it was one thing we didn’t have to worry about anymore was the fact that the fire was now out. However the trickier part was fast approaching; how would my brother and I fix the pagola before Dad got home?

Mum and I rang the builders, explaining the situation.

After what felt like eons, the sound of the builders truck came rounding the corner to our street. To say it woke up the street was an understatement, there were people watching our house from their front doors earnestly.

Quick as a wink, the builders effortlessly surveyed the scene of the incident. What was left of the fence and the barbecue was a rubble of grey charred bits on the concrete. The vines were no more. Dad would not be happy, quite the opposite. He would be livid. I could just picture his form stomping over, hands taught by his sides, deciding which one of us to blame, me or my brother.

The neighbours came out, hands on their hips, “you may as well have Bingo now.” The fence was no more since the pagola fell on top of it. Bingo was freed!

My accompanying grin knew no bounds as the Border collie was taken out of the house and ran straight into my arms.

Furbo ran over and sniffed the new dog in my arms in contempt.

“You’re ours, now, Bingo,” I laughed, as the dog licked my face and danced around the yard happily. Furbo followed suit, following the bigger dog like a kid on Christmas.

There was still the pagola to fix, but I had doubt that crept in that maybe we wouldn’t get the backyard back to what it was in time.

But as the storm ended and the clouds parted so we could see the sunshine. The glorious heat hit my face and I grinned. Despite the drama, Bingo licked my face and Furbo spun in glee to have a new friend. Suddenly, all was right in the world once more.

It was one of the happiest and downright chaotic days of my life, but I wouldn’t have it happen any other way. Furbo jumped on my lap and snuggled in and I didn’t want my puppy cuddles to end any time soon.

But I knew Dad would be back quick smart, and when he saw what had happened to his treasured backyard, I was sure there would be hell to pay.