Escape from the Blitz Chapter 1 - A New Home Katie stood sadly on the platform, tears dripped from her eyes and she was shaking, not because she was cold, she was about to leave her family, she wondered if she would ever see her family again? Would she see her friends again? Would she survive throughout this terrible war? All these thoughts raced across her mind when she was sat On the seat in the train, smelling the musty smell of steam, dust was piled around the train and making Katie feel sick was the actual smell of sick, a small boy had thrown up all over one of the teachers! Katie's long brown hair was sticking to her face, her eyes were going blurry and there was a lump in her throat. She took one last glance out of the window before she was off. An hour passed, she was looking out of the window wondering how long the journey would take when the train started to slow and Mrs Tucker (one of the many teachers) announced that they had arrived in Wales. The children got off the train and ran away from the repulsive odour of the station, Mrs Tucker pointed towards a large, important looking building and said to all of the children, "You are to make your way quietly to that building over there, you shall line up outside the doors and wait for us to call your names out. After that please make your way into the building and sit on the chairs provided then wait for someone to select you." Katie walked over to the doors and lined up; when she was ticked off the register she walked into the town hall and sat silently on the wooden chairs. It was a great room with velvet curtains, there was a sweet smell of perfume and there hung great pictures on the previous page

Escape from the Blitz SPACING WORDS wall. Adults came rushing into the hall as soon as everyone was sat down they started picking the children, one by one the children left until only twenty children were present. A small plump woman hurried into the hall, she had pursed lips and bottle green eyes, she wore a scarlet skirt and hat and a white blouse. "I think I'll take this pretty young girl here," she said eyeing Katie up and down, her voice was calm and soothing although she didn't have a welsh accent. Mrs Tucker nodded, "Very well," Katie smiled at the lady and very kindly said thank you madam." The woman strolled out of the hall carrying Katie's little suitcase and gas mask. The woman started speaking, "Call me Polly, not madam that's nonsense. You'll be sleeping in Jillian's room, she's my eldest child about your age thirteen. My youngest child is Andrew and my husband is Richard, he's very witty and likes to have a good laugh," she stopped talking and turned a corner, she started walking towards a small house, not untidy but not exactly clean either, just a regular house. Katie stopped when she arrived outside the house, she didn't want to go in, she felt guilty of taking up so much space but as Polly beckoned her in she entered the house. It was situated at the very edge of a wood, which Katie would spend most of her time in, although she didn't know it yet. Inside the house were Jillian and Andrew, (they were arguing), and Richard who was reading the local newspaper. Katie was told that there were no rules so she could do whatever she wanted and she did just that. next page