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“I don’t want to hear it, Pinky! I’ve hired the best trainers, bought you the
best gear, I even cheated! I caused the flood, to get you ahead of everyone, to
get you to win the competition. To get you to claim the crown! And look
what you’ve done, you failure. Never should I have given you a chance!
Look at you, you disgusting girl! Get out of my sight!”
Great Aunt Gretchen was fuming. Absolutely furious. Judie was by her side
trembling. However, being distracted by her rant and her voice, sore from
screaming, she did not realise the sudden crowd which had flocked to the
nurse’s tent. Jaws dropped in disbelief and Gretchen soon began to realise
what she had done, what she had said. She stuttered, humiliated and com-
pletely embarrassed. Her chubby cheeks inflated and she was simply gob-
smacked.
The Nurse began to interrogate - “What did you say, Gretchen? Repeat your-
self please, I believe some of us missed out on your... horrifying confession.”
She stammered for an answer, unable to believe her eyes. Everyone had
heard, they all knew. This was the end of her career, her reputation. But, she
had one chance left to clear up the situation.
“It wasn’t me! I didn’t flood Lake Eyre! Look at dear Pinky, I would never
do that to my niece! What happened was clearly an accident.” Her excuse
might have been enough to convince the crowd, but Pinky, fed up and tired,
had given up on protecting her Great Aunt. It was time for her exposure.
“She did it! She’s lying to you all! She just confessed to me, you can’t trust
her. It was her that convinced Judge Judie to flood the Lake and burst the wa-
ter tank..” she shouted.
Gretchen cut her off, “Wait, how did you know?! I never told you that!”
“Aha! So it was true. I knew it! Look at what you have done! You’ve ex-
posed yourself, Auntie. You cheated to let me win. I’m no longer behind all
your plots and schemes!”
The audience of the rebuttal began booing Great Aunt Gretchen, screaming
insults as she sulked outside of the tent along with embarrassed Judge Judie.
“I’m just glad no one has found out about my doll collection,” he exclaimed
loudly. Sadly, however, to his dismay, everyone had heard his exclamation.
Laughter erupted amongst the Mortimore triathlon watchers. It soon
settled though, as a sweaty figure appeared running down the
track.