Once again, I ring the bell outside the old grey bluestone walls of the Old Melbourne Gaol where I work as a guard. This morning was no different to other mornings because I felt both ill and fatigued. My tiredness came as a result of yet another sleepless night where images came and went of the prisoners kept locked behind these walls.

Ever since the most notorious felon known to society trapped me inside his cell, I have been unable to sleep. This notorious criminal, Samuel 'Scarface' Smith had already killed two other guards. The nightmare I experienced was the worst episode of my thirty years of life. The long, cold, bony fingers of his left hand squeezed my neck while his other hand held a sharp fragment of glass behind my ear.

I can still recall the threat he made in his hoarse voice, "Don't move an inch, or I'll cut your ear off!" Scarface's hand grew tighter and tighter around my neck as he demanded that a horse and cart be brought to the front of the prison. I could feel something running down my neck when the chief warden refused his request. You can imagine the terror I felt when my ear was being cut from my head. I was forced to scream to the other guards to meet his request of an escape route.

Together, the warden and the other guards coaxed Scarface into believing that there was a horse and cart just outside the prison entrance. Scarface suspected something was planned. He threw me against the wall and made his dash for freedom. Fortunately, three gaolers were sent to the guard the corners of the escape routes. As he was dragged back to his cold, dark cell, a revengeful look clouded his dark stony glare.

Today, Scarface will be executed at noon. As the heavy doors of the jail creaked open, a scream of agony broke the deafening silence. Slowly, the hour of the execution approached. Some gaolers dragged Scarface out from his cell and he looked at me with the same cold eyes and the same smirk he wore years before.

I stood frozen with fear as Scarface was prepared for execution.

Before the trapdoor was released, beneath the silence mask, Scarface's last words were heard. "Long live the scar man."

With the noose tightened, the lever was released and the wooden trapdoor swung open. I held my breath when I turned and saw Scarface's lifeless body suspended in mid-air.

I watched as several guards untied him and took him away to have his death mask made. "Long live the Scarman." I think he will. The scar left from the attack behind my ear is the scar man...

Once again, I ring the bell outside the old grey bluestone walls of the Melbourne Gaol where I work as a guard. This morning was different to other mornings because I felt both refreshed and healthy.

There could be no mistake, it was the sound of a crying baby. Danny and Andrew were babysitting Joey for the night. Sprinting up the stairs, Danny comforted Joey, while Andrew continuously flicked through the channels until he could not find a channel with colour pictures, but he was stopped short. A bright blue sheet dovered the black and white untuned channels. A message flashed across the screen, warning the community of an approaching cyclone.

Outside the wind was howling and the movie I was viewing was slowly building up suspense, but I didn't understand why the cyclone warning was still displayed on the television screen. Finally, it hit me. Frantically, I opened all the windows and grabbed a jacket. I stopped for a moment to think about the evacuation plan, which was to run to the basement and sit under something solid. I ran down the stairs leading to the basement and hid under a table for protection. It wasn't long before I could hear the howls of the foreboding whirlwind. I had a strong feeling that this was going to be one long night. Out in the ocean, 'Mr' Cyclone had had a temporary transformation from a raging whirlwind to a raining waterspout. He has easily destroyed the homes of nearby residents. I shook uncontrolably, as lightning lit the night and Mr Cyclone knocked on our doorsteps. Several minutes passed before I felt the destructive tremor beneath me. I closed my eyes and prayed to God to watch over each and every one of us. Yet Mr Cyclone came to my front door rap dancing to the Monster Mash.

I crouched down, deeper into the corner and held my breath, hoping Mr Cyclone would leave because no one was home. Instead, he barged right in and demolished everything in sight. A large timber beam came hurtling towards me. I screamed in agony as the beam struck my lower torso and Mr Cyclone showed no signs of sympathy, as he was cackling with glee. All at once, everything began to tumble down, trapping me beneath the beam.

I was barely conscious by the time everything had buried me. The water pipes were uncoupled and water was rapidly flooding the basement. I was terrified, I couldn't think straight.

Finally, Mr Cyclone and I met face to face. He towered above me tauntingly as I shielded myself from the flying debris. Closer and closer he came, testing my courage by seeing if I would drown or be tossed into his funnel of air. The water was rising above my head. I tried to haul myself out from under the beam, but it was only then did I realise the hopelessness of the situation. I was going to drown and die.

Immediately, I felt the application of pressure on my lower torso soften slightly. The debris was hovering above me, slowly being sucked into Mr Cyclone's funnel. Slowly, I felt my body being hurled into the trunk of the destructive beast.

Round and round I went, these actions mocking a blender. I couldn't make head or tail of anything. I was so confused and scared.

The next thing I was aware of, was the sudden calmness of the air. I was lingering in the air. I think I'm dead, but I'm not sure.....I gazed up at the sky. I could see an army of cirrus clouds gathering for a march. Alas! A torrent of water anchored me to the ground releasing me from the unknown location.

I glanced at the now clear sky, admiring the beauty and serenity of the night. I heard something somewhere in the distance, sounding like Mr Cyclone being sucked into his own funnel. Breathing deeply, I thanked God for his guidance throughout the night, although I was still worried about my family.

I could hear the calm waves rushing towards the seashore and some how these sounds gave me a sense of security. Looking at my surroundings, I could see right into the town, now that all the houses were in ruins. There was still a lot of work to do before this place would be back to normal. This was just a taste of many cyclones to come.