Writing from 9th grade

1. Mikayla Cummings
12-11-15
Pd. 6
The Scarlet Ibis
The rain was coming down in sheets so hard that it stung my skin. I was scared, I was
tired, and I couldn’t breath. When I finally could go no further I found a bush to hide under. It
was there I took my last breath- alone and scared. Just like from when I could first remember, I
was alone just staring at the walls- scared. It was then he appeared looking at me while I was in
bed, my brother, the bravest and strongest person I knew.
Tired, just plain tired, I was always tired. I would run out of energy doing the littlest of
things. My brother never seemed to get tired; he could do anything. A few years ago he started
taking me on the most exciting adventures. We’d race through the cotton fields sliding around
curves and then laugh and laugh. It was then that I knew that he’d always take care of me. Mom
and Dad had rules, lots of rules, like I was an egg that was going to crack. At these times
Brother would wink at me and as soon as we could we would steal off and the adventure would
begin.
I would watch him and I imagined that I was just as strong and brave and not tired. He
would set me in the grass and tell me what was going on, pirates attacking our ship with him
fighting them off with his willow switch sword. I would call out to him “Brother behind you
look out!” he would spin and quickly take on the swarthy foe and give me a wink as a secret
“thank you”. When the battle was won, we would lay together in the shade and retell the story of
the engagement. He must have seen the longing in my eyes to be able to stand and fight along
with him. He looked me right in the eye and said “ Doodle, I’m going to teach you to walk!”

2. I didn’t know what to think; I knew Brother could teach me, but I didn’t know if I was
able to learn. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and I slowly, sometimes painfully I
started to take my first steps as a five year old. It took me many tries just to be able to stand-up,
but each and every time I would fall Brother was there to lift me back on my feet. There were
nights that I would have to make excuses for the many cuts and bruises as my mother bathed me
to keep Brother and I’s special secret.
My sixth birthday was the day Brother and I chose to reveal our accomplishment. As I
stood and walked towards my mother and father there were tears of happiness and hugs all
around. Through all the joy and happiness I let everyone know that this couldn’t have happened
without Brother’s help and encouragement.
With my new found ability, days were spent exploring Old Woman Swamp and weaving
tall tales about our hopeful dreams of the future. With succeeding to teach me to walk, Brother
then decided to better prepare me so I could start school. There was much involved in this
process; Brother would make me paddle and swim against the stream tide, climb rope vines, and
box under the pine tree where I once learned to walk. It was then I started to notice Brother's
frustration and embarrassment with my condition. He pushed me past my limit and got angry
when I could go no further.
The challenges that Brother was giving me were taking their toll on me. I was getting
sick and having trouble sleeping. Some days I did not have the energy to even get out of bed. I
could see the disappointment in Brother’s eyes, and this made me sad. I wanted to be a brother
to him just like he was to me.
We were all having dinner one afternoon when a strange noise came from the yard.
When we moved out we saw an odd bird perched in a tree. We gazed up at it and it looked down

3. at us. There was a familiarity to me with this feathered visitor. Daddy remarked that it looked
tired or sick. Just then it tried to fly but could not gather the strength. The bird withered and fell
from the sky bouncing off branches until it landed at our feet and took its last breath. Daddy
looked it up in the bird book at found that it was called a scarlet ibis. I couldn’t help but to feel
that this strange bird was a lot like me, tired, and exhausted, but trying to fly on.
I had to give it a proper burial so I carried it to Mama’s flower garden and struggled to
dig a hole. As I slowly began to fill in the hole, dropping the dirt on to the beautiful feathers, I
felt as if a heavy load was being placed on my shoulders. I knew the exhaustion of this scarlet-
ibis; needing to go on but struggling through each and every step.
Brother insisted that we head out to continue my training. I followed but my mind was
still on our visitor. I wondered if it’s brother had been flying with it and pushing it to go further
and not fall behind. Brother and I reach the swamp and like the last few days he told me to jump
and swim from one end to the other. I was on my fifth lap and a big strike of lightning fell
across the sky followed by a loud boom of thunder. Brother yelled, “Doodle get out of the water,
we need to get home now!” I climbed out of the muddy pond and hurried to keep up with him.
Every once and while he would slow down and wait up for me, but as soon the rain started to fall
the distance between my brother and I grew further and further. I yelled, “Brother don’t leave
me, please Brother don’t leave me!” He looked back, but kept running. I knew he wasn’t coming
back and there was no point trying to catch up, so I collapsed in the middle of the road. As the
rain fell harder and faster I became more and more weak. I slowly and painfully made my way
to nearby bush, this made me remember of when I was learning to walk. I fell into a deep haze
thinking of how much I looked up and loved my brother and why he would do such a thing.

4. There I was again, alone and scared like my early days before I knew such a wonderful brother
existed.