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Life One Inch Tall
By Emeryn Sieveke
By Emeryn Sieveke
What’s ½ plus ¼? I tapped my pencil on the table, bored as someone who had to watch grass grow. I gave up on the problem and skipped to the next one. ⅓ + ⅛? I sighed.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Finally! Something else to do besides stupid homework. I threw down my pencil, sat up, and yelled, “I’ll get it!” I sprinted to the telephone. “Hello?”
“Hey, Lucy, it's Mary Anne,” my friend said over the phone.
“Hey, Mary Anne! What’s up?”
“I was just wondering if you could come to the movies tonight at 8:00. Liz, Sadie, and Mia are going to be there.”
I glanced at my mother, who shook her head and pointed to my doodled-on homework. I glared at her and spoke into the telephone.
“Sorry, Mary Anne,” I sighed and looked down at the floor. “My mom said I can’t. Got too much homework.”
“Aww, too bad. Well, see you tomorrow at school.” Then she hung up.
What’s ½ plus ¼? I tapped my pencil on the table, bored as someone who had to watch grass grow. I gave up on the problem and skipped to the next one. ⅓ + ⅛? I sighed.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Finally! Something else to do besides stupid homework. I threw down my pencil, sat up, and yelled, “I’ll get it!” I sprinted to the telephone. “Hello?”
“Hey, Lucy, it's Mary Anne,” my friend said over the phone.
“Hey, Mary Anne! What’s up?”
“I was just wondering if you could come to the movies tonight at 8:00. Liz, Sadie, and Mia are going to be there.”
I glanced at my mother, who shook her head and pointed to my doodled-on homework. I glared at her and spoke into the telephone.
“Sorry, Mary Anne,” I sighed and looked down at the floor. “My mom said I can’t. Got too much homework.”
“Aww, too bad. Well, see you tomorrow at school.” Then she hung up.
“Mooooom!” I groaned. I slammed the telephone down and crossed my arms. “Why? Why can’t I go out with my friends? They’re all going to be there and I’ll miss out on so much fun!”
“Lucy, honey, you have an entire page of homework that you’ve barely touched, aside from the flowers and hearts you doodled all over the margin.” She crossed her arms, too, and we just stared into each other’s eyes until Mom eventually said, “Plus, I need help folding the laundry, and you need to take a shower. School is almost over. You’ll have plenty of time to go out with your friends over the summer.”
I stomped back over to the table where I was doing my homework. Mad, I plopped down in the chair. I began to feel upset and think that I couldn’t have any fun because of my stupid homework. Stupid, stupid, homework. A tear rolled down my cheek.
I thought about how all my friends would be laughing and throwing popcorn and buying lifetime supplies of candy without me.
***
“Lucy, honey, you have an entire page of homework that you’ve barely touched, aside from the flowers and hearts you doodled all over the margin.” She crossed her arms, too, and we just stared into each other’s eyes until Mom eventually said, “Plus, I need help folding the laundry, and you need to take a shower. School is almost over. You’ll have plenty of time to go out with your friends over the summer.”
I stomped back over to the table where I was doing my homework. Mad, I plopped down in the chair. I began to feel upset and think that I couldn’t have any fun because of my stupid homework. Stupid, stupid, homework. A tear rolled down my cheek.
I thought about how all my friends would be laughing and throwing popcorn and buying lifetime supplies of candy without me.
***
The next morning, I yawned and stretched my limbs, waking up to a new day. When I opened my eyes, something seemed wrong. My entire body was on a huge pillow? The covers were below me, and so somehow I was on a giant pillow shivering without any blanket. I lifted my head and blinked, wondering what in the world was happening.
When I looked up, the ceiling looked miles away. My heart started to beat faster and faster as I started to realize what was happening. I had shrunk.
Or was it that my house grew big? I couldn’t tell. I started to freak out. My hands got all clammy and I started to feel nauseous. All I knew was that I was 1 inch tall compared to my room and I had no way to get out of bed except to jump off a three foot tall cliff and probably break my arm.
But, I had no other choice, so that’s what I did. I took a deep breath and hoped I wouldn’t regret my decision as I hopped off the edge. The wind whipped my hair while I screamed and flailed my arms and a few seconds later, I saw the floor getting closer, and closer, and yep, I did regret my decision because I landed SMACK! on my bottom.
When I looked up, the ceiling looked miles away. My heart started to beat faster and faster as I started to realize what was happening. I had shrunk.
Or was it that my house grew big? I couldn’t tell. I started to freak out. My hands got all clammy and I started to feel nauseous. All I knew was that I was 1 inch tall compared to my room and I had no way to get out of bed except to jump off a three foot tall cliff and probably break my arm.
But, I had no other choice, so that’s what I did. I took a deep breath and hoped I wouldn’t regret my decision as I hopped off the edge. The wind whipped my hair while I screamed and flailed my arms and a few seconds later, I saw the floor getting closer, and closer, and yep, I did regret my decision because I landed SMACK! on my bottom.
The next morning, I yawned and stretched my limbs, waking up to a new day. When I opened my eyes, something seemed wrong. My entire body was on a huge pillow? The covers were below me, and so somehow I was on a giant pillow shivering without any blanket. I lifted my head and blinked, wondering what in the world was happening.
When I looked up, the ceiling looked miles away. My heart started to beat faster and faster as I started to realize what was happening. I had shrunk.
Or was it that my house grew big? I couldn’t tell. I started to freak out. My hands got all clammy and I started to feel nauseous. All I knew was that I was 1 inch tall compared to my room and I had no way to get out of bed except to jump off a three foot tall cliff and probably break my arm.
But, I had no other choice, so that’s what I did. I took a deep breath and hoped I wouldn’t regret my decision as I hopped off the edge. The wind whipped my hair while I screamed and flailed my arms and a few seconds later, I saw the floor getting closer, and closer, and yep, I did regret my decision because I landed SMACK! on my bottom.
When I looked up, the ceiling looked miles away. My heart started to beat faster and faster as I started to realize what was happening. I had shrunk.
Or was it that my house grew big? I couldn’t tell. I started to freak out. My hands got all clammy and I started to feel nauseous. All I knew was that I was 1 inch tall compared to my room and I had no way to get out of bed except to jump off a three foot tall cliff and probably break my arm.
But, I had no other choice, so that’s what I did. I took a deep breath and hoped I wouldn’t regret my decision as I hopped off the edge. The wind whipped my hair while I screamed and flailed my arms and a few seconds later, I saw the floor getting closer, and closer, and yep, I did regret my decision because I landed SMACK! on my bottom.
“Ouch!” I yelped. But then I realized… Hey, that was actually kinda fun!
I laughed and skipped into the hallway. Wow, the hall looks so different from down here! I thought. Then for a second I wondered if I was dreaming. I mean, how could this even be real? Magic didn’t exist! At least I thought. What happened to me? Could this be a curse?
Meow! As soon as I heard that sound, my heart practically stopped. Lola, I thought. My cat.
I scrambled around the corner and peeked out, finding Lola glaring at me. I could tell she was thinking about pouncing on top of me, so I quickly pressed my body against the wall, and slowly walked over to the stairs. Lola looked away from me, now interested in a huge buzzing fly that now looked like a small bird from my perspective, with giant black eyes and delicate wings.
“Phew!” I said to myself. “That was close.” I stared at the long, steep stairs that I had to climb down and gulped. It looked like an entire mountain with giant rocks.
I laughed and skipped into the hallway. Wow, the hall looks so different from down here! I thought. Then for a second I wondered if I was dreaming. I mean, how could this even be real? Magic didn’t exist! At least I thought. What happened to me? Could this be a curse?
Meow! As soon as I heard that sound, my heart practically stopped. Lola, I thought. My cat.
I scrambled around the corner and peeked out, finding Lola glaring at me. I could tell she was thinking about pouncing on top of me, so I quickly pressed my body against the wall, and slowly walked over to the stairs. Lola looked away from me, now interested in a huge buzzing fly that now looked like a small bird from my perspective, with giant black eyes and delicate wings.
“Phew!” I said to myself. “That was close.” I stared at the long, steep stairs that I had to climb down and gulped. It looked like an entire mountain with giant rocks.
Here goes nothing, I thought as I sat down on the edge of the first step and slid off onto the second step. One down, about twelve more to go. One step at a time, I reached the last stair.
As I hopped onto the floor, I saw my family gathering around the table, getting ready for breakfast. At that moment, I realized that I really had shrunk, and that I was the only one in my family who had. How? What happened? Why am I the only one? The thoughts rushed through my head, and I saw my mom reach up into the cupboard to grab some Cheerios.
“Has anyone seen Lucy?” She asked. “She wasn’t in her bed when I went to wake her up. She has to leave for school in an hour.”
School. I completely forgot about school! I’m going to miss that big science test today and I was supposed to have a conference with my math teacher, and my friends are expecting me, and I need to turn in that assignment that was due yesterday, and, NO! I have to go! But, I can’t go like this, though I’d have to admit, the playground would be awesome from down here.
As I hopped onto the floor, I saw my family gathering around the table, getting ready for breakfast. At that moment, I realized that I really had shrunk, and that I was the only one in my family who had. How? What happened? Why am I the only one? The thoughts rushed through my head, and I saw my mom reach up into the cupboard to grab some Cheerios.
“Has anyone seen Lucy?” She asked. “She wasn’t in her bed when I went to wake her up. She has to leave for school in an hour.”
School. I completely forgot about school! I’m going to miss that big science test today and I was supposed to have a conference with my math teacher, and my friends are expecting me, and I need to turn in that assignment that was due yesterday, and, NO! I have to go! But, I can’t go like this, though I’d have to admit, the playground would be awesome from down here.