Writing

The man with the blue cap closed his eyes.  The rest felt good as he pointed his nose up to the clouds that were forming in the evening light.  It had been a long day, and he felt so content in this familiar spot.  He could smell the breeze blowing through the field corn, and hear a train far off in the distance. Sometimes the best thing to do is just rest our bodies and minds in a spot that feels like home, like comfort, like safety. But as the man folded his hands in front of him to rest on his lap he felt a small vibration in the soles of his feet.  Then, without opening his eyes he could feel the warmth of the hot midday sun.   “That’s strange!” he thought. But before he could even begin to make sense of it his eyes sprung open from the sound suddenly piercing through his ears. It was a sound he did not hear at his quiet country house. It was the sound of a car horn.  Not a happy, friendly car horn, but one that was angry and annoyed.  With his eyes open he could now see that it was he that the car horn was angry with!  He was no longer on his front porch, but instead he was rocking in the middle of a busy city street. The man jumped and got out of the way just in time, but his rocking chair was not so lucky.  As he ran out of the street, and the honking stopped, he was suddenly very aware of many other sounds.  Somewhere near there was a large construction project taking place, and more chatter of voices and conversations than he had ever heard. Where was he? But more importantly… How did he get here?  The next thing he knew he was staring straight at a bright blue door.  In the middle of a busy sidewalk, in a very busy city. That bright blue door seemed to be calling to him.  He walked quickly towards it, turned the handle, and to his surprise it was unlocked! Stepping inside he knew immediately what type of room this was.  He now found himself standing in the middle of a classroom, and by the look of the walls it had to be an elementary school.  But the most shocking thing of all was who was sitting in the small classroom desks.  The man in the blue cap had thought he had seen it all, but nothing can prepare you to look around at what seems to be a normal classroom and see each and every desk occupied by a different type of animal.  To be more specific, baby animals. They didn’t seem to notice him entering, and were focused on the paper and pencil in front of them.  That is, all except one.  It was a little, fuzzy, gray flamingo.   As the flamingo gave a little sniffle  (yes it also occurred to the man how odd this was but by this point he felt he had seen it all) he strutted his legs towards the man.  The man really had no choice but to wait.  As the flamingo got closer the man noticed he seemed to be crying.  “I can’t find my mommy anywhere, and I miss her,” The flamingo blurted out in a loud whisper. The man, being what looked like the only adult in the room, felt he didn’t really have any other choice but to help.   “Well,” answered the blue capped man, “when was the last time you saw her?” “Last night…
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Just like any other morning Princess Johanna flutters open her eyelashes at the first touch of sunlight. She gently folds back her fluffy pink comforter, and stretches the morning sleepies right out the ends of her fingers. The thought of what the day may hold brought a smirk to the corner of her mouth. Would she dance with a prince, feast on tea and crumpets, or slide down the spiral banister outside the grand door she now fixes her eyes upon? The possibilities are endless.  Johanna’s cheeks were becoming rosy from the sun pouring into her window so she quickly wiped the sleep from her eyes, and hopped out of bed.  Even though she may not actually be royal, and her castle may only be seen through her eyes, Johanna does not let that stop her from becoming the princess of her dreams. The house she lives in is very old, and holds the perfect nooks and crannies for adventures that only take place in the grandest of castles.   Just outside Johanna’s bedroom stands a tall, solid white door that she knows very well. After quietly slinking across the hall she has to pull up on her tippy toes in order to twist the doorknob hard enough to pry it open. As she pulls a couple of old paint chips crack off and fall to the floor.  Inside the door are about two dozen dusty wooden steps that creak every time she lays her tiny feet upon them.  Traveling around the spiral stairs Johanna’s heart fills with excitement of all the stories being held at the top of this old building she calls home. Upon entering the dark attic most would smell the bitterness of dirt and dust, but not princess Johanna. As she pulls open the last door she can already smell the fragrance of fresh bread, marble floors, and the perfume she sees her mother dap on her neck from time to time.  At the top of the spiral staircase she is just a girl named Johanna, but the moment she steps through that door she becomes Princess Johanna with all the possibilities royalty can bring. Johanna forgot that she was still wearing her soft pink nightgown until her barefoot hit the cold marble floor, and the nightgown transformed into the most beautiful ball gown of that same soft pink.  She gently ran her fingers over the lacey pleats on her shoulders, and the satin sash wrapped around her middle.  Her feet were also no longer cold as they were nestled in beautiful, sparkling slippers. Lastly, her loose and messy bed head was now an elegant bun adorned with a mesmerizing diamond tiara.  She blinked her eyes just once, and then immediately joined the dancers who were twirling around the ballroom floor.  The music carried her round and round until it felt like her feet had left the ground. When the princess finally landed again she tripped over something. In the first second that she looked down she saw a dusty box of stuffed animals. A small frog, a tiger, and a large, sort of lumpy, elephant. However, when she looked back at the heap a second time the animals had become just as alive as her. It startled Johanna a bit when the soft, yet mighty, looking tiger let out a wide yawn and the frog jumped onto the pouf of lace on her shoulder.   “Hey Princess, you’re just in time for tea!” croaked the tiny frog.   “The table is all set!” Gloria chimed in while motioning to the group with her large trunk. Just then, as…
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