Dear Diary,

Today, my family and I were down at the beach. I remember the soft white sand sinking in between my toes. The sea air cleansing my body and mind. The calm, azure water spanning out in front of me. My little brother, Timmy, was building a sand castle, whilst my parents went searching for shells for him to decorate it with. Everything was perfect. I took a absent-minded step in to the surf, and allowed the gentle lull of the tide going in and out to send my mind to paradise. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I could hear laughter in the back round. I stood like that for 10 minutes, eyes shut, deep breaths, pure luxury. 

I was interrupted by a strange roughness of the water around my ankles. I stared at the sea in front of me. It was no longer calm. In fact, it was swirling violently, waves lashing viciously around my legs. A looked out on the horizon, and my heart stopped. A great wall of water was advancing on the shore, fast and furiously. My parents had warned me about such an event. I had to do it. And I had to do it now. 

"Tsunami!" I shrieked at the top of my voice, pointing accusingly out to sea. Everybody around me looked up in horror. People started screaming and running around aimlessly. The life guards did their best to herd everyone to safety. The sea was getting stormy now. I ran towards my parents, who scooped up Timmy and gave one clear instruction: "Run, Ayla! Run as fast as you can!". My reaction was instantaneous. Timmy was crying now. 

What happened next was a blur. The world seemed to go in slow motion, defining everyones shrieks and shouts, and illuminating the undying terror on everyones faces. My family and I sprinted across the town, until the police assured us that we where safe from the water. We stood at the edge of a cliff, watching the town below drown in the merciless, unforgiving water of the ocean. We were informed that our house had been washed away, along with practically every single other building. Eventually, the waters retreated, taking with them our possessions, our life, and undoubtably, some of our friends.

I am writing this from our tent in the refugee camp. Timmy is asleep, and my parents sit quietly in the corner. You are the one possession I have left, as you were in my pocket the entire time. Kerry Pentworth, my best friend, drowned, and many of my other friends are missing. I have been thanked by many for sending off the alarm this morning. If I hadn't, nobody would have said a thing until it was too late. I am apparently a hero. But the image of the cruel wave sweeping it's way through the the town, bringing destruction and misery, shall haunt me 'till my dying day. Until then, I shall never forget how lucky I am to be one of the few that escaped danger.

Yours Faithfully,

Ayla Timaru

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Author guidance for This story

We're doing a Geography project at school on natural disasters, and our homework was to write a diary entry about a refugee from a disaster of my choice. This is what I came up with! Feel free to add your own ideas for a different natural disaster as a diary entry. The more, the merrier!

:)

updated Nov 4 '10 by Inspirablurr