Untitled (Rocking Chair)

By Natalie D., 4th Grade, Central School, Wilmette

OLD MAN
Now my dears, my children, I will tell you a story.
Twenty years ago, an old man, older than I, lived in thatched hut miles away from the nearest refuge. (takes a sip of water)
He had nothing but this hut, an old phone, and a rocking chair.
Lights up on rocking chair.
He was the secretive type, so no one knew much about him. There were rumours though. Folk said he never left the rocking chair. The chair, my dears, never stopped rocking.
Chair starts rocking.
They said, my dears, the chair was his soul. The flame, the life.
Lights on the chair go out.
But then, my dears, the police received a call from the man.
Sound of phone, ring, ring, sound of rocking.
Rocking was all they heard before the phone went dead. 
Dead dialtone.
So the police went to investigate. 
Sound of footsteps.
It was silent, was eerie, they had suspected something different. 
Sound of rocking.
But they did hear the rocking chair. 
Lights up on rocking chair, rocking, with a shadow on it.
There was no one there, but there was a shadow.
Voiceover says “vanished” at the same time as the man.
“Vanished” it hissed. And then we saw two terrified policemen. And a still rocking rocking chair with the shadow of the man. 
Lights down on rocking chair.
The police would get eerie calls every so often. And only one word would be uttered,the word
Voiceover says “vanished” at the same time as the man. vanished. And up to this day, the rocking chair has never stopped rocking and the shadow has never disappeared. So, my dears, do you see why I despise rocking chairs and huts, why I stay in the city away from the country? Because I don’t want to vanish.
Lightening strikes.
So dears stick to my advice and you won’t vanish! (Man laughs wickedly) Oh yes,
Voiceover says “vanish” at the same time as the man.
Vanish!
Lights down on man, and he exits.
Lights up on the rocking chair, still rocking.
The End