Ellija The Brave Youngun My name is Ellija and I was 2 months when I died. In the middle of the African savannah in the heart of summer in the highest point of the drought. I was born. My mother Ellina cooed me to sleep with her trunk. 'ellija' she said 'sleep now' that was my first day. A few days later I could walk and just about talk for the first time my eyes were opening and I was noticing things around me. Though later I understood some of the world I was still young and stuck by my mothers side. By my second week I was in control of just about everything except my trunk image a long thing hanging off your nose it's hard. I can move it and pick grass ,though I'm on milk, but I can't grasp the concept of getting it to my mouth my mother reassures me that I will learn. I was part of a large herd at the beginning but because of the drought everyone split now my herd is 10 elephants big. Enina our female leader is old but drags us on my cousin Ethan and Elisa are older than me but are great fun I play with them all day. They tell me of a time when there was lots of luscious green grass and flowing rivers and plump elephants not stick thin. Only then I realised that all my #life I had been starving that my herd were tried and hungry that the distant smell of water was just that, distant. I knew that #life was going to be hard but I stuck on. Half way through my #life and I still had never witnessed green grass or watering holes just dusty plains dried sticks and little puddles of very salty water. My herd growing increasingly thin. This was also the first time I had seen these small creatures standing on their hind legs bending their front legs wrong, they also carrying black shiny things and had short stubby noses they kept following us. Mother said they were umans and the black things were cameras. Growing used to them #life went on and I was growing tired my mother started to wean me off milk as she had hardly any and onto food though there was nothing to eat. My hunger grew rapidly and when I was 1 and 3/4 months I grew slower and weaker. My legs wouldn't hold me my eyes wouldn't stay open I was lacking Enina made us walk faster though I could not after a few days I stopped altogether I knew if I didn't get moving it would be my end. Crying out for the others only my mother stayed i knew if I died she'd be alone I struggled mother tried to get me up the rest had disappeared into the horizon. Mother didn't glance at me but I saw tears. I lay my head down finally giving up mother trunk wound around mine she stared into my eyes repeating 'I love you' I repeated back. I heaved my last breath and lay there dead. Mother stood by me grieving and crying my spirit flew upwards to heaven. I have remained here ever since I have watched my mother run to the herd watched my younger siblings and my herd (larger this time) visit my resting place. I have been reunited with each family member one at a time again. Our resting places are still being visited even though I am 100 and 2 months. I am known as Ellija the brave youngun. this is story Inspired by a young elephant dying on Africa on BBC1.