My favourite player was standing in front of me talking to me just like Dave would. But that’s not the weirdest thing, time had totally stopped, I know because over towards the tree a bird had just taken of and it is hanging in mid air. A massive wave of relief washed over me. I’m not alone, there are others like me and one of them is the captain of the Australian Team! He has been my idol, ever since the 300 that I saw at the SCG.
“Firstly as you have now realised there are others like you. We actually weren’t sure who to send. We almost sent Hads because you are becoming an outstanding keeper but after the way he played in the Ashes he is exhausted. So you got me instead. I know it’s a bit overwhelming, I can still remember when Tubby turned up just after my 13th birthday. I had only just started bending then”
“Is that what it’s called? This thing I do, bending?”
“Yes although later it’s called warping, that’s what I’ve done now, nobody else knows I’m here talking to you now, this moment only exists for you and I until I let it go. You got close to warping yourself. This is incredibly rare for someone your age. You must understand, there are few of us who have this ability, even fewer are aware of it. You can bend and are aware that you can do it. You have also started controlling it, this is incredibly rare for someone who is only 10 years old. This and the law you have broken have forced us to contact you much earlier than normal. The Little Master decided that we need to talk”
I was suddenly anxious and confused, Pup could see that I was too he went on.
“The Little Master is head of the sporting wing of the benders, he is the most powerful bender we have had for many years and pretty clever too. He’s more active now with bending issues now that he’s retired”.
“I didn’t mean to break any law and if I have I’m sorry”
“Its ok. You weren’t to know, and we understand the circumstances, it was smart not to try to explain as others would not have understood. The law is a simple one actually. We simply do not ever bend or warp to hurt another person. Not only is it wrong but it’s also totally unnecessary. We can easily bend or warp to protect so there should never be a need to harm another.”
I looked up and said “I won’t do it again, I’m sorry”
“We know, you must learn to control your anger. I know that you have to miss the rep trials because of it. I know that will be punishment enough. But your mum did the right thing and one day you will understand. I have to go soon, warping for this long means that I will need a big meal and probably 10-12 hours sleep soon”.
“What should I do?”
“That is up to you, but I would say this, you are a rare bender. You can bend in different ways already. You have bent for sport, for school and for justice. You have time to choose, you are only young but start thinking carefully. Whatever you choose there are those among us to help you.”
He was gone, the ball dropped the bird flew on and he walked off, the last thing I saw was Pup munching on muesli bar that he had pulled out of his pocket.
###
Thanks for reading my book. Please check out the next book in the series - Benders: Decision (the first chapter is just below) and help me to decide on a key feature of the main character before I start writing the 3rd book in the series. Looking forwarded to hearing your feedback!
Thanks, O G Bridgman.
About the Author
I love helping kids learn how to read. I've been a primary teacher for 7 years in NSW, Australia working in public education. I thought I could encourage more kids to read by writing a book about person who has a strange power. I need your help for the 3rd book, I want you to help me decide about the main character. I can't work out something very important so please tell me what you think?
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https://ogbridgman.wix.com/ogbridgman
Benders: Decisions
Chapter 1
It had been over a year since I met Pup that day. I still remember it like it was yesterday. I knew time could be slowed down but for me that moment would always exist. I had it locked away in my memory and I returned to it often. I hadn’t forgotten a thing he said and I’d been working hard to improve my bending ability, I had gotten better and I was really starting to enjoy slowing down time when I needed to. It’s hard to describe what the biggest change had been.
My school work had improved out of sight. I had done really well in the big tests earlier in the year. I didn’t mind tests as much now. I saw them as an opportunity to practice bending. Even my reading, which had always been one of my worst areas of school, had improved. Mrs Williams had never mentioned what she saw that day. And I never let anyone catch me bending again. She just kept encouraging me to learn and get better as she did with all her students.
The soccer season had finished a couple of months ago. We were premiers again and I had made the rep side this year. I loved it. I just wanted to play more and more, it was so great to just be part of another team. Soccer became an easy sport to use my bending in. I always knew when I might need it by where the ball was and what the opposition was doing. So I never got tired. It was easy to pace myself and choose when to bend.
I had learnt that choosing when to bend was actually the great challenge. Doing it was becoming easier but choosing when, and how much and making sure it wasn’t so much that others became suspicious, were the real challenges.
I have actually found it important to make mistakes at good times so that others don’t get too suspicious. In some soccer games I let a goal in towards the end of the game when we were winning 3 nil or 4 nil. I never wanted to lose of course but this way it seemed as though I still made some mistakes.
I had made a great start to the cricket season. I couldn’t bring myself to make a mistake yet. So after three games I had scored a 50 retired in every game and had not dropped a catch or let through a bye. I had also taken 4 stumpings of Dave Kerr’s bowling. We hadn’t lost a game yet. As happy as I was about that, it was this Sunday that I was most excited and nervous about. After pushing Steven and getting a detention last year my mum had said I couldn’t go to rep trials. I had been devastated but I understood, especially when Pup said it was the right thing to happen. However there was no way I was missing the trials this year.
Dave had told me that they were on the lookout for a new keeper because last year there were so many missed stumpings off his bowling. The rep keeper last year was a good batter but now I was too. So I knew I had a really good chance. Dave was my best friend. He was so supportive of me and with mum being by herself we often stayed with his family when mum had to work. He really wanted me to get in the team too and we had been doing some extra practice together when we got the chance.
I wanted to make the team because I loved it. But there were other reasons too. Pup had told me that the other benders had noticed what I was doing. Well I wanted them to keep noticing. I had so many questions after that first meeting. I hadn’t seen Pup or any one else for a year and I really wanted to. So I figured one of the best ways to get better and for them to contact me again was to keep scoring more runs, taking catches, stopping goals and improving my marks so that before long, hopefully I would get to speak to Pup or someone else. And I could do that by playing rep cricket. The trials were on Sunday, I couldn’t wait, but also for the first time in a long time I was really nervous too.
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