This is me at about the age I was when I wrote this story. Maybe. I'm bad with ages, so your guess is as good as mine.
Most of you know I have been writing my whole life. Well, just the other day, I was digging through some old papers looking for a specific photo, when I found a gem. The Hope Diamond of short stories. I think I wrote it in third grade, and if you must know, I got a B on the assignment. I don't know what the actual assignment was, but the story... well, you'll see for yourself soon enough.
There are two versions of the story--the typed and the handwritten. The handwritten is a much better story, so I've copied that one here. I've also added some of my grown-up thoughts at the end as footnotes, and some illustrations designed purely for your amusement.
Please--enjoy!
5 Inches Tall
One day I was playing in my backyard, when Sarah, my friend, said she was going to get a tour of a Science/Chemical Laboratory called "How To." (1) She asked if I could go with her. Of course I said yes, because I LOVE science. (2)
This is what taking walks in my parents' field would look like if I were 5 inches high.
When we got there, the scientist that was going to give us the tour was working on a formula to make people taller. He was set on making a fortune.
He asked me to hold the test tube for him. (3) While I was holding the test tube, the scientist put in a bright hot orange looking liquid chemical. Suddenly the test tube exploded. I was knocked out for about 5 secs. until the smoke cleared. (4)
When I woke up, everything looked funny.
Everything looked bigger. When I turned around, I saw a big white thing. It was my friend's shoe. I quickly jumped up on Sarah's shoe and untied it. When she bent down, she saw me and turned white.
I would forever have to watch out for cats! "FRIENDS, NOT FOOD," I would yell loudly.
"Ariele!" she gasped. "What happened?"
"The formula he made makes people smaller, not bigger!" (5)
"You're gonna have a really, really tough time in life now!" she commented. (6)
As soon as I got home my parents took me to the hospital. (7)
"Well, she's too small to operate on," said the doctor. "You'll have to take her back to the scientist and have him make another formula to make her bigger."
If I kept doing photo shoots with Mom's vegetables, it would look about like this.
That's how I got to be five inches tall. That was almost the end of it. But those are stories for different times. (8)
FOOTNOTES
(1) I'm very good at naming things. Especially Science/Chemical laboratories.
(2) Do I love science? Or don't I? This emphasis could be either sincere or sarcastic. With an 8 year old, who knows?
(3) Clearly I had never visited a Science/Chemical laboratory, or I would know they have tools that will hold test tubes for you, instead of people. And that they would never hand volatile chemicals to an 8 year old.
(4) I wonder what happened to the solution and all the broken glass.
(5) A surprising twist.
(6) My favourite line ever. Very matter of fact.
(7) Glad they waited until I got home.
(8) I wonder when those times will come--or if they will ever come?
"Good story" eh ;)