Green Inventions Central: The Backyard News, Volume 3, No. 1

Over at Seedlings, we've been talking about how we got our start as writers. Today, Glynn made me laugh, when he recounted his beginnings. It seemed like a great moment to share Sonia's start (she's still 10, like Glynn was when he began. :)

She's done her book covers already too, and maybe someday she'll link to this post (if there's still such a thing as Blogger in the world) and say, "That's where I started."

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But before we start, a joke from Sonia: "Don't leave the books out in the car! They'll get cold, 'cause they have no coats... only jackets. :) "

CHAPTER I

“Tim?! Where are you Tim?!... Tim?!... Tim?!... TIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??? Hide and seek is over! Come on out of your hiding spot! Wherever that is!... OK! ... NOW TIM! HURRY UP! IT’S TIME FOR DINNER YOUR FAVORITE SPHAGETTI AND SAUCE!” shouted Bluebell. She had been playing hide and seek when their mother had called her and Tim inside for dinner, but she had only been calling for a short time so that was good.

“ Oh ok.” said Tim as he climbed down a nearby tree. “I was only trying to see if you would even LOOK for me.”

“Ok well I’ll make sure you don’t get in trouble.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Then they walked into there house to have there dinner. Later that night Bluebell could not sleep. She looked at the clock hanging on the wall across from her. It said 12:34. It was much later than she’d thought it was. She got out of bed and walked over to her window. Then she opened the curtains, then the shade and finally the window itself. She stuck her head out and looked. A breeze came through, ruffling the white nightgown she was wearing. As she did this, what she saw, as always, AMAZED her. It was a lake. She wished she could go to the water’s edge and breathe the air there but they (her and Tim), they where not allowed to go even close to near it, but it looked SO BEAUTIFUL! So much beauty it could be a DREAM, or part of a MAGICAL LAND! Then she wondered something OUT LOUD. She said, “I wonder what’s BEYOND THE LAKE?”

The next morning when Tim came into Bluebell’s room she was fast asleep, curled up on the floor next to the window, and the window and all the drapery and the shade was open. Tim wondered why the window and was open and also wondered why she was on the floor. “Bluebell! Wake up; it’s time for breakfast! You,ve got to tell me about dinner last night, so I get to tell you about breakfast! We let you sleep in!” Bluebell didn’t stir so Tim went over to her and shook her. “ WAKE UP!” Bluebell opened her eyes.

“What time is it Tim? 12:34 at night?”

“NO SILLY IT’S 10:30 AT MORNING!” said Tim laughing, “what gave you the idea 12:34 at night, anyway!” So Bluebell told Tim about the night before, complete with what she’d been wondering and everything.

“Hmm, interesting thought” he said. “interesting thought what’s beyond the lake, hmm. Or what’s near the lake.”

“I was thinking along that line too” said Bluebell. “I mean our parents aren’t the kind of people who would have superstitions or anything like that, so that means they must have a reason, SO I SAY WE SNEAK DOWN TO THE LAKE!”

“Bluebell, I know you’re older then me and all but were not supposed to go to the lake.”

“I know that, but that’s sort of the point! Even if they don’t want us there because of some children-eating monster lives there I want to go find out!”

“Well ok. We go. That’s WE go. You’re not going alone, and how do we go without mother and father knowing?”

“Oh man Tim, that’s an easy one! The answer is already there! Mother and father are going away one whole week! And miss Carrie is coming, but only at night because she got a daylong job, oh and I’m h-a-p-p-y for her aren’t you? So anyway they think I’m old enough to take care of you in the day! Great isn’t it?!”