Once upon a time I never had anything, I was homeless, foodless, friendless, everything you have, I didn't. Then I found Della mountain.......

Hi, my name's Jessie Blackman, I'm 13 and living a good life. I go to a good private school in the west of Daroona (Our small town in Canada), I have lots of friends and I also am a straight A student with a good reputation, though last year my mum died my Dad just drove himself into a drunken mess of despair. Then there was the incident. I went to school and everything was fine. Then I got to Math, I sat down and started to write down and answer the equations on the board. As Mrs Doowan started to call the role, she got a phone call. "Yes of course" She said, "Jessie your presence is required at the office". I was shocked I had never been called up to the office ever!! I packed my stuff up and headed up to the front office.

I entered the office and sat down in a waiting chair. "Jessie Black" Principal Taranto (Or as we call him Principal T) called. As I enter the office, I see 2 police officers and 1 Federal agent. Then I see my Dad. As soon as I saw him, I knew it wasn't good. "What's going on" I asked tentatively. "Sit down Jessie" Principal T says calmly. As I sit down the Federal agent said, "Jessie I am sorry to have to say this, but you father has been found guilty of money fraudulence.".

"WHAT" I yelled "DAD WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"

"Jessie it was a deal I couldn't pass up I was going to get us a new house, a new life" Dad whispered.

"No, you weren't you have ruined my life as well as yours" I said trying not to cry "But I don't understand why you are here".

"Well, your father is here Jessie because you have been taken out of the school because of your father's actions as he has lost all of your family's money" Principal T said matter of fatly.

"No, you can't do that to me" I said crying now. But no matter what I said, or did I know I couldn't do anything. I went to my locker and threw everything into my bag. I went to the front of the school and climbed into the Police's car. They took me to a social services organisation and said,

"Well this is as far as we can take you kid hope you find a good life somewhere". I entered the house and was given a worker. I sat in her office for 3 hours as she tried to find a foster family or an orphanage available.

"Hey kiddo how you are doing" Martha the social worker said.

"Fine thanks" I said.

"Well I have good news and bad news, good news you going to be out of here in 10 minutes, but the bad news is .......... nowhere is available".

"So, what does that mean" I say beginning to worry.

"I'm sorry kiddo but I can give you enough cash for 2 nights at a motel but that's it, after that you're on your own" Martha sympathetically said. She gave me the cash and sent me on my way. I reached the motel in 30 minutes and booked a room. I asked if they serve food and they said yes but it was costly, so I just thought I'll snack out of the mini bar and figure it out in the morning. I got into bed and cried myself to sleep. When I woke up, I realised it was ten o'clock in the morning, the warm sunlight poking through the threadbare curtains. I thought I wouldn't stay the next night and decided to blow the rest of the money on food. As I left Woolarys (Our local supermarket along with Aldeer and Cooles) I realised I had nowhere to go I sold my phone to have enough money to buy a warm jacket and hat and mittens but now I had no home, no money and nowhere to go. I thought I could go to my best friend's house but then realised she would be at school now and her mum always thought of me as a bad influence. So, I grabbed a shopping cart and started to walk.

I walked for as long as I could then I collapsed unable to walk anymore. I had walked out of town and was on the outskirts between town and our massive mountain range. Our prized landmark of Daroona was Della mountain. She was the biggest, coldest and hardest to climb mountain you would ever find. I weirdly noticed a big broom lying in the middle of the path in front of me. As I lay there collapsed, I realised I would most likely die of hunger. So, I picked up the broom got into the trolley and pushed myself for about 2 hours until I was at the end of the footpath. With my strength recovered I clambered out and stared up and up and up and up at the massive mountain called Della Mountain.

I figured if I placed the trolley underneath the biggest tree closest to us I could sleep in the trolley using my hat, mittens and coat as a form of warmth, as I watched the sun go down, I thought that maybe this could be a dream, maybe I was just having a weird, weird, weird dream. I fell asleep as soon as I snuggled down as comfortably as I could in a Woolarys large shopping cart. I awoke to the sound of our local birds Keekobarroos laughing at the sight of them waking the whole town up (Including me). I stood up and tried to shoo them away but instead all I did was fall out of the trolley. The Keekobarroos just laughed and laughed even more. (Stupid birds). I stood up and brushed myself off, I looked into the trolley and decided to pick out the closest thing to a breakfast food which was coincidentally called a breakfast bar but tasted like a ham sandwich, may be the weirdest food I've eaten and I've eaten a LOT of weird foods with names I could never pronounce. As I ate my weird little breakfast bar, I sat in the trolley with my broom and looked around. I thought that maybe I could climb my way up to the top of the mountain rumour has it there is a civilisation up there that lives off the forest with a school and everything. But there was just a little tiny baby voice in the back of mind telling me "Do you really think you should risk your life for silly little rumour???". Then a bigger voice said "Well, it's this or your working in Moocdanelds (Our local animal killer/fast food restaurant) for the rest of your life so up to you I suppose". I decide to ignore that little voice nagging me in the back of my mind, and I started to climb the mountain.

As I looked around for a path or something of the sort at least but found nothing. All there was, was a massive mountain and one tiny little me. That's fair isn't it? I realised I couldn't take my trolley up the mountain without.... Actually, no there was absolutely no way to do it at all forget that last bit, okay, thanks. I packed all the food into the pockets of my coat and into my hat. I started to hike up the mountain, slowly it seemed like I hadn't moved, and days went quicker. Soon I was out of food. I thought if that civilisation really is there and they can live off the land well why can't I?? I found a stream that seemed to run from the top of the mountain to the bottom. I walked alongside it and drank when I needed it. I used a stone to sharpen up a stick and spear fish from the river. When I went to sleep, I would pile up leaves as my jacket was more a pile of holes than a jacket to be honest. Every day just seemed to go quicker within what felt like 5 hours it was dark and I kept going for about one more hour before I slept. Never once as I climbed and walked and sometimes ran never once did I look back down at where I had come from. That town kicked me out to the curb when I needed it most. So, I would never acknowledge them until I was at the top and looking at my brand-new family at the top of Della Mountain. Soon I realised I could maybe see the top it was still far, but I could see it. I danced and laughed and rejoiced at this tiny little fact that anyone else would've disregarded as unimportant or not needed. But I celebrated anyway.

Every day after that grew shorter and I saw the river shrivel up until at one point it was completely gone. I panicked I thought fish were my food and I needed water!!! Then I realised I had to lose all dependence on the river and go for it. Dinner was either possum or snake (As long as the snake wasn't poisonous). Water supply was the dew drops and one time even though I don't want to admit it, when I woke up late and there weren't any dew drops, I had to well drink my own 'special homemade juice' if you know what I mean. As I ran each day, I obviously got wearier and the days I had lost count. But I was bigger, stronger and could catch anything I needed. I ran, walked, ran, walked, ran and walked all day until I couldn't anymore. Soon I noticed the river had started up again I didn't understand it, but I didn't question it, water was always welcome at this time where I was, I ran up to the river and drank and drank and drank some more. As soon as I had my energy again, I began to follow the river again climbing up the mountain. After a couple more days I noticed a path leading up to the top of the mountain and drips of water from the river. I started to dance I think I found it; I think I found the Della Civilisation!!!

I followed that path for a couple more days until I saw some gates. I saw gates I SAW GATES! This was incredible I had actually found them; the legend was true. I ran up to the gates and noticed that they weren't any locks basically welcoming trouble to their door literally. Then I realised were up the biggest mountain in the world nobody's gonna rob this place. I slowly but surely pushed the gates open and peeked inside....

What I saw shocked me I was scared but surprised at the same time. I saw....... Nothing no huts, no people, no little gardens, no chairs or big fire pits just plain land. I walked into the big clearing and saw a massive hill ahead of me. I could feel it just challenging me to climb it and see what was in front of me but just too far to touch. After climbing that bloody mountain this hill was just a little pot hole in the road to happiness. I ran up the hill obviously my depth perception might've been a little off as it took about 2 days to climb it. I was dizzy with dreariness and weariness and all round exhaustion. I told myself just a few more steps and I was there but then that little voice came back "Oh hi there you were doing pretty well weren't you buddy huh, well here's a thought what if everything you've just done was for let's say nothing, no people no huts and those gates probably some old dead guy set them up as a prank to everyone and spread the rumour of this little how you say civilisation, perhaps everything was just a whole. Waste. Of. Your. Time." "No" I told myself "That's not true I can do this it is there, and I will live here in happiness and peace AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT" I yelled as I pushed myself up and looked up.

Well, it was there IT WAS THERE, I screamed at the top of my voice "I DID IT I MADE IT" then suddenly I heard music and smells of delicious well cooked and spiced food hit my nose I saw children and adults come running out of their homes and staring at me in awe. I mean I don't blame them I was a possibly 14-year-old now that had climbed to the top of the mountain lived off the forest and made it to my place. Then they started to clap and cry and yell for happiness. Then one small little girl got free of her mother's grip and ran up to me. I knelt down and she said, "Welcome to the Della Civilisation, you are the first woman to climb all the way up here and survive through every test Ratu the god of Della put you through you are our first" and she started to cry. As I hugged her, I thought about what she said about tests. "Was the river going out and the hill and the shorter days and my jacket turning into one massive hole all tests to see if I was worthy enough to be welcomed here" Suddenly that little voice that always made me just that little bit sad just melted away into the music. It was at that moment that I realised that I was home.

"Ok kids time to go home now". "Aww we wanna hear the rest" they chorused. "Now, now your parents will want you home" I said ushering them out of the building. "Bye, bye now see you tomorrow kids" I sang. "Bye Mrs Blackman" all the kids sang back as they left the building with their parents. I yelled after them, "No, No, I told you.... call me Jessie".

By Abigail Smith.