500 Words 2023: read a finalist's story from the 5-7 category

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This story was chosen as a top 50 finalist for 500 Words 2023.

Remember, spelling, punctuation and grammar are not taken into account for a 500 Words story, therefore all the top 50 stories have been published how they were submitted.

The Overwatch by Cody F.

The family moved to 'The Old Mill' when the Boy was four, over the following years both he and the building needed some repairs. Their hillside home had commanding views…ideal for a Watcher.

The Boy's special friend Lincoln, was an athletic Labrador bred by a Mrs Woodrow, whose cottage and kennels were further down the lane.

Between school bullies and hospital visits he watched over the neighbourhood from his bedroom. He knew the regular vehicles, so the dirty white van seemed suspicious, stopping outside Mrs Woodrow's cottage. No chimney smoke, meant she wasn't home. He needed a better view so decided to launch his drone from the flat roof near his window. The drone had a transmitting camera and bright LED lights.

From the sky the drone's camera showed two men in balaclavas breaking into the cottage and kennel yard. With his parents busy working, he decided to call the police himself. The Operator said all Officers were out and would attend asap. From above, the drone showed the robbers loading Mrs Woodrow's valuables and armfuls of pedigree puppies…he needed to slow them down till the police arrived.

In camo jacket he crept up to the van's front wheel. He knew how to let bike tyres down, so thought the job would be similar. With a small twig he pushed down the valve to let out the air. Also he taped a massive jumbo balloon over the exhaust pipe…Time to sneak away and make ready the drone again.

Van loaded, the robbers tried to make their getaway, with the front tyre almost flat. The running engine soon over inflated the balloon which caused a loud bang. The distracted driver raced down the lane, when a dazzling LED drone light came flying straight towards the van's windscreen. The blinded robber swerved into a concrete lamp post, setting off all the air bags. The drone swooped over the van's roof and disappeared back to its secret helipad. A short time later the police arrived to block off the lane, arresting the two dazed robbers and rescuing the puppies.

The following day's local newspaper mentions Mrs Woodrow's late husband's Rolex watch collection was still missing and a £3000 reward offered for information. The Boy got to thinking and looked again at the drone's recorded images. Slowing the frames he could just see a black pouch being thrown over the hedgerow seconds before the arrests.

At nightfall with powerful torches the Boy began searching behind the hedge. In the undergrowth BINGO! he finds the black velvet pouch holding a number of watches. Later, under cover of darkness the Boy pushes the pouch into Mrs Woodrow's mailbox with an attached typed note.

Dear Mrs Woodrow,Please find your stolen watches in the pouch. Any reward, please send to the local Childrens Hospital, that has repaired me.Best Wishes,'The Overwatch'

…The boy decided his secret alter-ego would be 'The Overwatch' and of the shadows, like characters in his super hero comics.

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