A Change of Life

I'm Katelynn, I lived at the Stonestars Orphanage. I have a dog called Pinny, she's a Labrador. So here's my story...

At my orphanage we were not allowed to keep dogs so I was playing with Pinny at the back of the building. Suddenly Mrs Peterson, the Orphan Mother, called me for lunch, and Pinny ran away because she knew that voice!

Later, after lunch, I brought a hoola hoop and held it low. Pinny managed to jump through. I put it higher and higher and she managed every time!

Strangely enough, there was a circus director standing nearby watching me and Pinny, and he told me: 'Dear girl, you and your dog have a great talent, you are what I am seeking for my circus!'

I told him: 'Yes, I would love to! But I must ask the Orphan Mother first.' So I ran off to Mrs Peterson. I asked her and she said: 'Of course, but who is Pinny?'

I answered very quietly: 'My dog.'

She shouted at me and sent the director away but behind her back he gave me a telephone number. The next day I packed some clothes, wrote a letter, left it on my cushion and the director helped me out of the window.

When we arrived at the circus, I was shown to my very own wagon. As I was settling in, I heard somebody shouting outside.

Moments later, Mrs Peterson came in and hugged me goodbye.

I started practising new tricks with Pinny and three months later I had my first show. I did my hair red and curly. I put on a glittery tourqouise hair-band with a pink rose, and the same for a bangle. I wore a silver leotard and silver ballerinas.

I noticed that the entire orphanage came to see my number! I saw them in the audience and I waved!

At the end of the show I asked for a microphone and said that I missed my friends at the orphanage very much and that they should come visit me one day.

When everyone left I lay down in my wagon and thought about how happy and lucky I was and that I had a wonderful future ahead of me.

I guess this really was a change of life!

World Book Week

Short Story Competition Runner-up

Lisa Hirth