by Anushka Iyengar
December 12, 2045
Dear Diary,
Last week was a bit of a crazy week. It all started when Mum told me that I needed to be more creative … She told me that I couldn’t possibly game my entire life. I thoroughly disagree, but my mate Emmet said that my mum was right and I needed to spend more time outdoors, although he is a bit of a brainiac.
So later that day, I called Emmet over and I told him we were going to build a rocket. I don’t think he realised I was only pulling his leg, because he dashed back to his house and came back with a toolbox and different bits and pieces to make a proper rocket!
The rocket came out pretty well; it had actual boosters and a door and everything! Just for fun, I opened it up and danced inside. Emmet thought it was HILARIOUS and so I began to twirl like a ballerina. Unfortunately, when I tried to lift up my leg, it threw me off balance and I tumbled forwards, hitting a button marked BLAST OFF.
The machinery hummed and the gears churned. I could see Emmet outside looking at me worriedly.
Without any warning, the rocket blasted high into the air. Naturally, I was very scared and wasn’t too sure about what to do. I decided to take a few deep breaths. That made me feel better. I then realised there was no need to panic, there was absolutely no way the rocket had enough fuel to be powered past the atmosphere and into deep space. No need to fear … or so I thought!
Now, I’ve been floating in space for a week. At least I’ve got my precious diary with me and some snacks. However, I don’t know if corn chips and cheese rings will suffice.
December 13, 2045
Dearest Diary,
I woke up this morning to a terrible sound. The rocket began to shudder, and when I checked the computer, it said the fuel was low. I wasn’t quite sure if we were going to crash land, but we seemed to circle a strange planet somewhere in the Exosphere.
About 20 minutes later …
I am having lunch (a handful of chips), and I can hear a loud beeping noise. Uh oh, now the fuel is really low.
AHHHH! The rocket ship is scattered all over the planet we were circling.
I open the hatch and I can see a world of wonder before my eyes. There is a waterfall made of milk chocolate with little caramel ducks in a milkshake pond. I’m looking up, and I can see a giant cinnamon doughnut sun and great big lollipop trees with liquorice and cupcakes hanging from the branches. The floor’s made of wobbly green jelly and … and it feels like living in a dream!
December 15, 2045
The past two days whizzed by. Best of all, I’ve found a house made entirely of chocolate and mud cake. I just finished making the bed with a gingerbread mattress and a cakey pillow and doona. Also, I won’t have to starve after all. Every day a basket of lollies magically appears on my doorstep. It’s filled with lollies and gummies and candy canes to keep me going! But I don’t know who’s leaving them.
December 20, 2045
Dear Diary,
I was contemplating going out for a stroll, but it started raining … raining Maltesers! So instead, I’m relaxing and thinking about my life on my new pavlova couch.
You know, it’s strange. The caramel ducks that live in the small milkshake pond … there only ever seem to be two or three. Even though I don’t visit them very often, I’ve never seen more than three. Either the ducks can’t lay eggs to hatch more ducks, or something, somewhere out there, is eating them alive.
December 25, 2045
Hooray, it’s Christmas.
Diary, I miss my family, and I know they probably miss me. I want to try and aim to be home by New Year’s. Christmas just isn’t the same here, no people, nothing to do … but worst of all, no Emmet.
I’m just looking out of my window, all warm and cosy. Back home, it should be summer. Right now, it feels like autumn. A nice cool breeze brushes past me … or rushes past me. Something out there is moving and it might be another human! Just in case, I’ll only stay close, even though I really want to go see what … who … is out there.
OMG! OH MY GOSH! I can’t believe it! You know how I’ve been left baskets of food every day filled with lollies and chocolates; aliens have been leaving them!
Hold on … just need to process this.
December 26, 2045
This sounds a bit weird, but I’m going to make peace with the aliens. Last night, I think I saw them in the bushes. What? Oh woah! There’s a … a house!
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! I feel like Little Red Riding Hood with a basket full of corn chips (in return for them giving me their lollies). The door creaks open. Here goes nothing …
“Hello, I’m here to deliver some … uh … a peace offering?” I began. What a terrible beginning.
The next thing that happened was really strange.
The alien said, “Yes, I’ve been expecting you.”
I swallowed hard.
“You … have? Sorry to have kept you waiting.”
“Oh, don’t be sorry, we kept giving you baskets of lollies and chocolates to lure you here.” The alien stretched out the word lure like this: lyoooouh.
I didn’t like the sound of that. Timidly, I handed him the basket of chips and scurried away from him.
“Please don’t leave,” he said quietly.
I squeezed my eyes shut but then when I opened them, I was in a machine! What was happening?
I looked down, my clothes were still on (phew). The alien was walking about munching on corn chips. He didn’t seem sightly bothered that his house guest was in some strange contraption. I began to panic. My heart was beating fast. I seemed to be in a long glass tube with ends that screwed on. Oh, and did I mention the zero gravity? I banged on the glass and the alien shot me a look.
“What do you want?” he snapped. He seemed nice before, but now, he wasn’t.
“Um, what am I doing here?” I asked shyly.
The alien snapped his jaws and let drool dribble down his chin before regaining his composure.
“Yes, you humans are so ignorant when it comes to this. Uh, you are to be fed to the cyclops. Do you know what that is?”
I swallowed hard and nodded. I knew what a cyclops was.
December 28, 2045
Sorry, I couldn’t write earlier. I know what you’re thinking Diary, how is this awesome person still alive?
Well, I’ll tell you. The cyclops didn’t come, well he did but uh … let me start over.
I was in the machine and the alien went to refill on corn chips. With the tip of my handy pen, which I was writing with, I broke out of the machine and ran. Then I had to run, run back to my house, and I could hear the sounds of alien footsteps following. I ran in and slammed the door shut. You, Diary, I gripped tightly in my hands as I ran through pelting rain all the way home, which is where I am now.
It’s a cold night. I can’t start a fire here—it’d melt my house. I don’t know what to do. I hope someone’s out there looking for me. I don’t want to live here my whole life. That would be bad, annoying, HORRENDOUS!
December 29, 2045
Today I decided to visit the chocolate waterfall. Little did I know, something was lurking in the water. As I dipped my toes in the chocolate, I could hear a rumbling noise …
Suddenly, from the depths of the chocolate waterfall, came a giant, ugly beast! It looked like a gummy worm, but with ENORMOUS RAZOR-SHARP TEETH.
I staggered backwards. I wasn’t going to be eaten by a gummy. I grabbed a candy cane that was lodged into the ground, and I started sucking on the bottom end.
Suck smack swee swee swee (That’s what it sounded like)!
Eventually the candy cane had a very pointed end, and I began to jab it into the gummy worm. The worm obviously didn’t like it and he tried to gobble me up. I felt his top two teeth scrape across my back and like a proper professional javelin thrower, I threw the candy cane at the gummy worm, sending it tumbling to the ground. The shrill cry of the creature forced me to cover my ears.
A strange liquid dribbled out of the worm. My eyes lit up. Perhaps … I thought. Perhaps this might just be the liquid fuel I need to power the rocket ship!
It was worth a shot. I used a hollow jumbo jellybean and began scooping the fuel into it. Once the jellybean was full, I emptied it into the fuel tank of the rocket ship, made sure that I had my diary, strapped in and … BLAST OFF!
Whoosh! Into space I went!
December 30, 2045
Morning Dearest Diary,
Had a rough night last night. No, I’m not home yet, I’m still in space. Last night, I was really excited to be in the rocket again and kind of fell asleep. Anyways, I think I should be home today or tomorrow. At the moment, the view outside is pretty cool. I’m quite surprised that the liquid actually managed to power the rocket and it managed to take me SO FAR! I’m pretty hungry right now, but I only have a few crumbs of the cheese rings left and I gave away my corn chips. Whatevs. I won’t starve for much longer!
About 45 Minutes Later…
My calculations were correct! That never happens! My heart thumped loudly as we neared Earth. I definitely missed my home planet. I took the controls and manoeuvred the shuttle towards Earth.
BOOM! We seemed to be having a bit of turbulence. Uh oh, I think it meant the fuel was low. The rocket ship tumbled downwards. Down, down, down we went and CRASH! We hit hard ground and the hatch flew open sending me tumbling out.
I landed in an awkward position with my head in between my two legs and my hands behind me. When I looked up, I saw my mum, and my dad, and Emmet! Emmet tipped my legs over and helped me up. I pretty much jumped when I saw a cute little doggy in the corner beside my mum.
“A dog?” I yelled.
Mum nodded sheepishly. “When you didn’t come back home to us, we got very lonely here, so …” she motioned to the puppy. “Do you like him?” she asked.
At first, I was outraged. They didn’t even bother looking for me and then they went and got a puppy to replace me. But then, when the little puppy jumped up and licked me and when Mum asked me to name him, I didn’t really care anymore.
December 31, 2045
So now, Diary, I’m here with my mum, dad, best friend, and puppy named Quentin. I’m home and safe and not just surviving on corn chips!
Warmest Regards and Happy New Year, XOXO Love Me (Quentin)!
