By Sierrah Schnabel
Once there was a world underground called Flipped. Flipped is a place where each fairytale story has women as its hero, so the typical “Man Saves the Damsel” story is flipped around. The land is clean, orderly, and fair. There is no leader, but people do their part in keeping the peace.
I was born in Flipped, along with my older sister Vandi. Vandi is older than me by five years. Mom and Dad loved both of us equally, and we both were best friends. When we went to school, we both made new friends. Vandi had trouble reading and writing, but I was able to skip a grade in my academics. Little did I know that Vandi started to grow jealous of my success. As I became more successful, she envied me even more. I was totally unaware of this until she did something very drastic . . .
One morning, I woke up and went to my job at the Barnyard, where all of the animals in Flipped were cared for. I finished my chores around two o` clock and ran to my next job, which was reading to the elders of Flipped. When I lumbered through the doors of the senior center, sadness filled the air. I looked over my heap and saw Mr. and Mrs. Granger with their son John and his wife Beck. They were weeping uncontrollably. Beck beckoned me near.
I plopped down and set my books aside.
“Somebody took Adam last night,” Beck sobbed.
Adam was the Grangers` son, and my dear friend.
Who could have done this? Maybe it was Elena because they just fought last week, or his jealous friend, Toni.
Suddenly, John interrupted me in mid-thought. “Do not forget the most important part. There was a ransom note,” he said.
Beck blotted her eyes with a handkerchief, pulled a note out of her pocket, and handed it to me. The writing was sloppy and full of errors.
I will release Adam in at the Top in exchange for total control of Flipped. If nobody comes for him buy by tomorrow at noon, he will be forced to enter Earth.
I knew that the handwriting was Vandi’s. At that moment I could feel my heart drop. I had realized that Vandi stole Adam, but I did not dare to tell anyone.
Instead I asked the Grangers if I could keep the note. “If you can get Adam back, honey, then of course,” Beck replied.
The Top is where greedy humans dwell. They are not as peaceful and just as Flippians are. I had only heard stories of the people that lived above us, and they seemed awful. Not only did I fear for Adam’s sake, but also for Vandi’s. I rushed home and gathered the provisions that I would need on the journey, and then headed to the Barnyard.
It took an hour for me to saddle up my horse, Sahara, but when we were both ready to go, I urged Sahara to a gallop. I need to get to Vandi before she does anything dangerous.
When it started getting dark, I found a large-leafed tree and laid under its canopy to sleep.
In the morning, my eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dim morning light. I took out a sack of food and ate some cheese and broccoli soup. Sahara ate some grass and an apple, and once we had finished, we trekked on.
Suddenly, a fog draped the land ahead. It was very thick and impossible to see through. I got off of Sahara and picked up a large stick. I led Sahara through the gloom with the stick guiding me. Whoosh! The stick hit nothing. I felt the ground come to an abrupt stop. We were on the edge of a cliff. I started to panic. Then I carefully felt my way around the edge, finally coming to a place where the fog was lighter.
I could see a few meters in front of me, and I could barely make out a figure in the distance. I got out my bow and notched an arrow, but the figure turned into two people. It was Vandi and Adam. Instinctively, I crouched down as low as I could. I did not want them to see me. It was then that I realized that they were tied together at the waist. Drat. How will I ever get him out of there when they are tied together? The sun started setting and the figures lied down by the fire and slept.
After seeing that there was nothing that I could do, I silently crept back to where I had tied up Sahara and sat down, wondering how to save Adam. I came to the conclusion of using the flint of one of my arrows to saw the rope in half, releasing Adam.
At midnight, I cut Adam loose. He woke up and was about to scream when he saw that it was I. I took him back to Sahara and told him to sleep.
When daylight came, I heard a high-pitched scream. Vandi had woken up and discovered that someone had cut Adam’s half of the rope. I told Adam to stay put as I wove my way through the forest into the open.
The fog was gone and Vandi could see me across the bluff. When she caught sight of me, she hung her head low. I could tell she was ashamed of what she had done.
“Why would you do something as horrible as steal a person?” I asked, “Adam is terrified. We were taught to be the heroes not the villains.”
“I wanted everyone to be under my command and that I would be the best,” she said.
I saw the shame in my beloved sister’s eyes, and then did what nobody else would have done. “I forgive you,” I replied. “I love you and know that this is not who you really are.”
“I love you too,” she cried.
When Adam was returned, everyone rejoiced, and nobody ever found out that Vandi was the one who stole him. Vandi and I became best friends again, and we all lived happily ever after, vowing to never loose sight of what is really important, their love.
Written By- Sierrah Schnabel A special thanks to- Brenda Comfort
A.K.A- Opal Oakfern
Once there was a world underground called Flipped. Flipped is a place where each fairytale story has women as its hero, so the typical “Man Saves the Damsel” story is flipped around. The land is clean, orderly, and fair. There is no leader, but people do their part in keeping the peace.
I was born in Flipped, along with my older sister Vandi. Vandi is older than me by five years. Mom and Dad loved both of us equally, and we both were best friends. When we went to school, we both made new friends. Vandi had trouble reading and writing, but I was able to skip a grade in my academics. Little did I know that Vandi started to grow jealous of my success. As I became more successful, she envied me even more. I was totally unaware of this until she did something very drastic . . .
One morning, I woke up and went to my job at the Barnyard, where all of the animals in Flipped were cared for. I finished my chores around two o` clock and ran to my next job, which was reading to the elders of Flipped. When I lumbered through the doors of the senior center, sadness filled the air. I looked over my heap and saw Mr. and Mrs. Granger with their son John and his wife Beck. They were weeping uncontrollably. Beck beckoned me near.
I plopped down and set my books aside.
“Somebody took Adam last night,” Beck sobbed.
Adam was the Grangers` son, and my dear friend.
Who could have done this? Maybe it was Elena because they just fought last week, or his jealous friend, Toni.
Suddenly, John interrupted me in mid-thought. “Do not forget the most important part. There was a ransom note,” he said.
Beck blotted her eyes with a handkerchief, pulled a note out of her pocket, and handed it to me. The writing was sloppy and full of errors.
I will release Adam in at the Top in exchange for total control of Flipped. If nobody comes for him buy by tomorrow at noon, he will be forced to enter Earth.
I knew that the handwriting was Vandi’s. At that moment I could feel my heart drop. I had realized that Vandi stole Adam, but I did not dare to tell anyone.
Instead I asked the Grangers if I could keep the note. “If you can get Adam back, honey, then of course,” Beck replied.
The Top is where greedy humans dwell. They are not as peaceful and just as Flippians are. I had only heard stories of the people that lived above us, and they seemed awful. Not only did I fear for Adam’s sake, but also for Vandi’s. I rushed home and gathered the provisions that I would need on the journey, and then headed to the Barnyard.
It took an hour for me to saddle up my horse, Sahara, but when we were both ready to go, I urged Sahara to a gallop. I need to get to Vandi before she does anything dangerous.
When it started getting dark, I found a large-leafed tree and laid under its canopy to sleep.
In the morning, my eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dim morning light. I took out a sack of food and ate some cheese and broccoli soup. Sahara ate some grass and an apple, and once we had finished, we trekked on.
Suddenly, a fog draped the land ahead. It was very thick and impossible to see through. I got off of Sahara and picked up a large stick. I led Sahara through the gloom with the stick guiding me. Whoosh! The stick hit nothing. I felt the ground come to an abrupt stop. We were on the edge of a cliff. I started to panic. Then I carefully felt my way around the edge, finally coming to a place where the fog was lighter.
I could see a few meters in front of me, and I could barely make out a figure in the distance. I got out my bow and notched an arrow, but the figure turned into two people. It was Vandi and Adam. Instinctively, I crouched down as low as I could. I did not want them to see me. It was then that I realized that they were tied together at the waist. Drat. How will I ever get him out of there when they are tied together? The sun started setting and the figures lied down by the fire and slept.
After seeing that there was nothing that I could do, I silently crept back to where I had tied up Sahara and sat down, wondering how to save Adam. I came to the conclusion of using the flint of one of my arrows to saw the rope in half, releasing Adam.
At midnight, I cut Adam loose. He woke up and was about to scream when he saw that it was I. I took him back to Sahara and told him to sleep.
When daylight came, I heard a high-pitched scream. Vandi had woken up and discovered that someone had cut Adam’s half of the rope. I told Adam to stay put as I wove my way through the forest into the open.
The fog was gone and Vandi could see me across the bluff. When she caught sight of me, she hung her head low. I could tell she was ashamed of what she had done.
“Why would you do something as horrible as steal a person?” I asked, “Adam is terrified. We were taught to be the heroes not the villains.”
“I wanted everyone to be under my command and that I would be the best,” she said.
I saw the shame in my beloved sister’s eyes, and then did what nobody else would have done. “I forgive you,” I replied. “I love you and know that this is not who you really are.”
“I love you too,” she cried.
When Adam was returned, everyone rejoiced, and nobody ever found out that Vandi was the one who stole him. Vandi and I became best friends again, and we all lived happily ever after, vowing to never loose sight of what is really important, their love.
Written By- Sierrah Schnabel A special thanks to- Brenda Comfort
A.K.A- Opal Oakfern