The following short stories were written by 3 students during the Creative Writing Class that was offered by the SAO during the winter of 2013 and instructed by Marisol Kozlovski. The students were in 4th and 5th grade. This course is being offered again this semester. Click here to find out more.
by Sophia Vernieri
One fine spring morning a young apple and a Chiquita Banana were bought at Food World’s local food market by a nice lady. Everyday, Banana and Apple played in their food bowl along with other fruits. “Catch me if you can”, “You can’t find me” all of the young fruit would scream while running and hiding in different spots around the fruit bowl. “I”, crouton character, would watch up high on the nice lady’s shelf with awe. Day by day, the fruit grew up and more were continuously being attacked by fruit flies and meeting their doom of being eaten.
One day, Banana went mad because he was ripped from his family. That same day, Apple’s only mother had gotten eaten.
I said to myself that all of those wonderful fruits were very nice, and I too was sobbing along with everyone else. After that tragic day, the days became very long and sad. When the young Apple and Banana would try to have fun it always seemed to remind them of their losses.
Then, one evening Banana turned on Apple. He completely went insane and turned on his friend! Banana managed to make a gruesome army to plan attacks on Apple. He only thought of taking Apple down. With his army they had planned a surprise fruit war on Apple’s camp at sunrise.
When the sun arose the team flung from their bowl into Apple’s bowl. Boom! There was the sound of the first banana shot from Bad Banana’s cannon. In confusion Apple man awoke. The wars began!
Every fruit swarmed out of the fruit bowl except for Bad Banana, The Villain Veggies, Apple Man, and Fruit Heroes. There was no going back now. The fruits and veggies flew everywhere. Apple made his most famous apple sauce and the vicious veggies slipped on it. Crash!
The fruit bowl broke all over the floor. The fruits and veggies flew out and toppled onto the floor. The war was over. The nice lady thought they were bruised and dirty so she did nothing but throw them out. No one won. Even when they tried to end it the fruit flies attacked and it still was a draw.
The Gemstone Clan
By Jack Weiman
The Unfortunate Event
“What was that? “ I asked.
“It must be the ceremony that the Bear Clan is having over that grassy plain on top of that mountain over there.” Said Ruby. “If they see one of us over there, we’re as good as dead.”
I knew Ruby was right. While Ruby, Sapphire, and I are as strong as any three wolves can be, we are no match for even one of these three bears.
From a distance we all heard, “Yelp!!”
“Oh no!” Sapphire gasped.
I said, “Look, on top of that mountain. There’s another wolf being attacked by those bears. We need to try and save it!”
But we all knew that wolf didn’t stand a chance. It was being ripped to shreds by three big, strong bears in no time. We all felt sorry for the defenseless wolf. We looked away from the terrible scene because it was too awful to watch. Then it was over. The peaceful day was now a sad day that would always be in our heads.
This was not the first time we had heard of these brutal murders. In the past year, five wolves from other packs were part of this strange ceremony. It seems they are killing just to kill, just to be tough, not because they are hungry. They took wolves from small packs, or a lone wolf.
We Need An Army
The next day, after we replayed the horrible scene in our sleep, we decided to strengthen our pack by adding more members. How else could we prevent being part of the next deadly ceremony?
Ruby said, “We need a bigger pack to actually stand a chance.”
“But where would we find a more wolves?” Sapphire said to himself.
“Maybe we could look for stray dogs or coyotes. Maybe find some lone wolves.” I said.
It was a cold winter day and we saw a lone wolf trudging through the deep snow. Our Gemstone Clan howled at the lone wolf asking it to come over.
The wolf walked over to us gradually. Eventually, the wolf walked up to me and said, ”You called me?“
“Yes” I said. “Have you heard of the Bear Clan’s wolf killings? We would like you to join our clan.”
“What is in it for me? “ said the wolf.
“Your life. If you join our clan, we will protect each other; you know that it is always safer, for all of us, in a bigger pack.“
The wolf agreed. He had heard of the killings, and was worried he may be the next victim.
Four was more than three, but four was no longer enough to be safe in this region. Later our clan gathered more members and eventually got around 40 dogs, coyotes, and wolves.
Our Clan was ready. I was up at front with Ruby and Sapphire at my side while all of the other members were in the back. I was making slow but steady progress climbing the hills to get to the Bear Clan region. When we finally got there, I had my pack surround the bears with no way out. There were only three bears and we had 40 dogs, coyotes, and wolves. We outnumbered them even though it would take more than a couple wolves to take one bear down.
I said, “We just want to have peace and what you are doing was wrong. And if you don’t listen you will be attacked.” The bears eventually figured out that what I was saying was true and that they should stop what they were doing.
It was settled. The Bear Clan said that they would surrender and not hurt any more wolves. From that day on all of the clans lived in peace.
by Lea Pichardo
It was a dark night and there was a huge rainstorm. A little girl was outside looking for shelter, she was 10 years old, and was as skinny as a stick, her black hair tied in a tight ponytail. Her clothes were plain, red and soaking wet. As soon as she saw the library she hurried inside. The old librarian watched, as she picked an old red book from the shelf and held it in her hand as if it were a treasure. The book she chose looked so old that if you held it gently in your hands it might break. The girl looked around lazily. Maybe, while waiting for the storm to stop, she would cuddle up with the book. The librarian could tell that she loved reading books. The librarian, Laura, remembered that book well. She was not that much older than the girl when she discovered her amazing talent, that led to a mischievous adventure.
The old librarian stood behind the little girl as she looked at the book in awe. The librarian walked to the little girl and asked her if she wanted to listen to a story. When the girl nodded, the librarian, cleared her throat, shifted uncomfortably, closed her eyes and began the tale of long ago. Soon the room was filled only with the librarian’s strong voice. The little girl felt as if the world had disappeared and she was floating in midair. She relaxed, and nestled next to the librarian completely lost in the librarian’s voice. She wasn’t on earth anymore. She was with the librarian, 20 years ago, in the new library!
“Long ago, I lived in a town named Magical. The librarian said in a gentle voice. It was a town full of magic and was very peculiar. It had houses that were upside down or sideways and had parties when their owners were gone! Trees were always bent, and cameras were about a foot long! It was a cheery and welcoming place.
When I moved my new library in town of Magical, I got loads of book donations. Among those books, was a very old red and dusty book! Across the cover of the book was the title The Hero.
When I read about a Hero and villain in battle, the description was so full of life with many details. I heard a knock at my door. There was a man with a cape, standing there with a look of sadness on his face. I was stunned to see him, standing there. He looked just like the book described The Hero. Tall, strong, and had a blue suit with an S on it. I had no idea where he came from. I sat him down and made him tea. He seemed a little puzzled with his surroundings. Just then he had twinkle in his eye. Speaking for the first time to me he asked “Is this the U.S.A?” I nodded my head confused with the question. But he looked as if he asked the smartest question of all! Then after pacing back and forth he exclaimed “You read me out of my book! You took me to your world! I have heard of it many times! You are in desperate need of help! Otherwise less American’s will read!”
With that, he shook my hand and ran outside. What was he talking about? Then I looked at the end of the book and saw the U.S.A. ranked 14, everything clicked together like a complicated puzzle that was finally completed. I read the Superhero out of the book! He was the superhero of reading and when he saw that Americans didn’t read books, he went out to save the day! I almost fainted. What were people going to think when they saw a man in a blue suit persuading people to read?
I put the book on a high shelf where no one could reach before I ran after the superhero. He was my source of information, and I needed to understand what was happening. It was not long before I caught up with him. I found him in a forest, looking as if not knowing where to go. I ran up to him and started shooting questions at him like a TV reporter who was eager to get some answers. I asked him questions like: Who are you? Did I read you out of the book? Where did you come from? What are you doing? Do I have a special power? What is it called? When I finished asking him questions, he answered my questions. He told me that I was a Book Wizard, a person that could make characters fall out of books. He knew because he loved to read, and by reading he discovered about Book Wizard. He told me since I didn’t know my power that I read him out of the book. What was I going to do with a superhero on the loose? I wondered. But, little did I know I had more important things to worry about than that!
Back at the library, there was a villain. She was wondering where she was. The villain slowly reached to the high shelf, and picked up the book, The Hero. She suddenly, realized that she popped out of the book! At first her face was in shock. But if you looked closely, you could see an evil smile spread across her face. For years, when she was in that book, the hero got all the attention. But now that both of them were out of the book, she could take revenge! But she also wanted me, the Book Wizard.
She wants me that way I can read evil characters out of precious books, and lead a whole army to destroy every single book the town Magical contains! Not only that but she was going to destroy every single copy of The Hero that way the hero and her would never go back to their world, and she would never go back to those years of sadness and humiliation. She looked out the window. Using her x-ray vision she saw the Book Wizard and The Hero in a deep discussion.
Before going out of the library, she knocked down book shelves and tables. Everything fell down like dominoes. She ripped books page by page. To completely satisfy herself, she started a fire and spread them on the books. She ran out of the library, with the book The Hero in her arms. She would need it for later! She focused her attention back on The Book Wizard and The Hero. But they were gone. Taking one last look at the burning library, she ran toward the forest. She was determined to find them.
Back in the forest, while trying to go back to the library, I went the wrong way and was trying to find shelter. I stopped at a large black cave. I checked inside, to see if it was empty. After checking, I settled down and slept soundly on the cold cave floor hoping this terrible nightmare would end. But I was dead wrong!
When I woke up I saw a villain and the hero fighting. The villain used her telekinesis powers to pick up the hero and throw him against a tree. As a result he multiplied and shot lasers from his eyes all at once. Suddenly becoming very flexible, the villain dodged all the lasers at once.
My eyes followed between them where I found the book that started this adventure. The book The Hero was the only hope to catching the villain. I dived for the book and almost had it. But the villain’s eyes were sharp and she got a hold of me. Giving the hero a last kick in the stomach she flew with me in her arms. She held the book behind her back where I couldn’t reach it.
I got you now! She said with clenched teeth. She didn’t stop until we were in the darkest part of the forest. She landed and shoved the book into my arms. She forced me to read the most terrifying character from the book. But before I even opened the book out popped the hero from behind a tree. Multiplying, he grabbed the villain and shot her with lasers. She, of course, dodged them all with her flexible powers.
Surprisingly, when he got a bucket of water, and spilled it all over her, she grew weak and fell to the ground. I knew that the villain was defeated but a twinkle in The Hero’s eye told me he wasn’t done on earth. He stayed on earth for some time helping people read. He did activities with children about reading, even visited school. Soon, everyone in Magical was reading! America’s ranking went higher to first place. His job was done on earth. I went back to the library which was now fixed thanks to The Hero! and read him back in the book. He got sucked in. I never read aloud again, but every time I look at the book, I long to have another adventure!