Make up story

Today is Sunday so instead of a usual blog, I will put in a make up story.  Each child is asked to provide a name or description of the following objects and then I tell a story that fits all the parts.  Sometimes we pass the story around. Anyway, this one was made up after spending some time with Jacob, Nicole, Samantha, Derek and Rachel.

Hero: Rachel 16-year-old girl

Buddies and helpers: 5-year-old Jim Bob, & a codfish,

Nemesis: Randy Wannamaker & Dr. Fred, (perhaps called Doofenschmirz)

Mentor/guide: Howie Mandel the turtle

Magical item: Unicorn

Tool: wrench

Normal Mission: get the codfish to school for Jim Bobs

Special Mission: to be determined

“Rachel” called her mother from downstairs.  Rachel quickly put on her earphones.  “Rachel” called her mother again.  Rachel tried turning her iPod louder but couldn’t block the insistent tone of her mothers voice.  "Get down here for breakfast right now!"  “I’m not hungry,” she tried.  "Rachel get down here this instant!"  Sighing Rachel gave up trying to download music before lessons.  She would have to load the rest of that song later.  "What Mom," She said, draining all three extra syllables out of the word Mom to show her displeasure.  She cut off abruptly when she saw Jim Bob and his mother standing in the doorway.  She must have had that iTunes turned up louder than she thought to have blocked out the sound of the doorbell.

"Mrs. Christensen has a special errand for you," her mother explained.  "She needs to have you take Jim Bob to school.  Jim Bob is showing his codfish for show and tell but could use help getting him there.” “The tank mustn’t be shaken” said Jim Bob very seriously.  Rachel sighed.  She babysat Jim Bob and Mrs. C paid good money … so… the extras come with the job.  “Ok Mrs. C” said Rachel.  Jim Bob beamed and began practicing his explanation of all things codfish. 

Rachel and Jim Bob trudged along with Jim Bob's red wagon in tow.  Rachel thought it was ridiculous that every crack in the sidewalk required a full stop and lift of the wagon.  Just when she thought it couldn’t get any worse, Randy Wannamaker showed up.  “Hey Rachel, are you brwinging your wagon to school?” He mocked in a little kid voice. Randy mocked everything, but he seemed to revel in making her look bad.  Rachel tried the high road.  “Just ignore him Jim Bob; he can’t help being an idiot.”  Well, sort of the high road, she thought. Randy smirked.  “Hey Jim Bob, are you taking your little sister to school.”  Jim Bob replied. “Rachel is not my sister” Randy laughed, “I was talking about your fish, but I see how you could get confused” Rachel turned bright red.  Jim Bob kicked Randy in the shin.  Randy howled and made a fist.  “I like Rachel,” said Jim Bob, “that’s why I named my fish after her.” Rachel wanted to crawl in the tank with the fish.  They were rescued unexpectedly by the sound of Randy howling.  He had stuck his hand in the tank of another child’s wagon and pulled his hand out with a turtle hanging from his finger. 

“Put Howie Mandel down!” came a commanding voice.  The father of the other youngster was of the impression that Randy was holding on to the turtle instead of the other way around.  Randy pried the turtle loose and took off running with the child in hot pursuit and the father in pursuit of the child.  Rachel was shocked however to see the turtle wink at her.  "Howie Mandel huh? that’s a funny name for a turtle."  She said.  "About as funny as a girl and a fish having the same name," Howie replied.  Rachel and Jim Bob were stunned.  “I didn’t know that turtles could talk,” said Jim Bob. “They can’t” said Rachel.  “Can” said Howie. 

Now listen up.  There is something I have to tell you and I don’t have long before my owner returns and I don’t want him knowing I can talk.  They are sooo boring.  You two are somewhat interesting though.  Here is the scoop.  ‘Show and tell’ at this Kindergarten is in serious trouble.  The principal is going to axe it.  He seems to think that it is a waste of educational time.  “I wouldn’t know” said Rachel, “I’m home schooled.  I’m just helping Jim Bob out.”  “You’re a helper then? That is perfect,” said Howie.  “You can help by traveling to the Chair of Doom and retrieving the Master Sergeants wrench.       Look for help from the Unicorn and the flight of Geese.  Watch out for Randy Wanamaker and his minions.  They are trying to end Show and Tell for everyone.  If I would have taken a bigger bite I think I could have gotten the tip of his finger and he would be at the school nurse instead of interfering.  Uh oh, here are my owners. Talk to you later.” Snap, Howie pulled his head into his shell and didn’t say another word.  Rachel and Jim Bob just looked at each other.

Jim Bob asked “what is this dome...y chair thing?”  "Not dome," said Rachel, "doom."  “Doom means something bad is going to happen?” asked Jim Bob.  “Uh… yes,” said Rachel. She wasn’t sure how much she wanted to tell Jim Bob about it.  The story was that if you sat in the chair of doom, you would die within a year.  Her friend Samantha tried it and texted her exactly 1 year later to prove it was false.  Still, Rachel wasn’t sure tempting the fates was a good idea.  Things happened to her that didn’t seem to happen to other people.  A talking turtle, for instance.  Maybe she would just take Jim Bob to school and forget all about it.  I mean, why should I care about the stupid school show and tell anyway, she thought to herself. 

Jim Bob had other ideas, “I’m not going to go to any school that doesn’t have show and tell.  Where do we find this Seat of Doom thing?” He asked stubbornly. Rachel sighed; last time Jim Bob had looked at her like that, he had had a 1 hour and 30 minute temper tantrum over going to bed without a story.   She caved in, “
it’s at the cemetery.”  “I know that place,” said Jim Bob, we feed the ducks.”  He turned and started pulling Rachel the codfish behind him.  Rachel the girl followed reluctantly.

They walked up 4^th street passed Elks park.  Rachel was surprised Jim Bob didn’t want to detour through the park.  He looked at the swings but then squared his tiny shoulders and headed on toward the Duck Park. They marched through the Iron Gates, which opened to a great pond.  The swans were swimming down at the far end behind the great fountain.  Rainbows sprayed across the pond in the morning light.  Before they had time to enjoy it the geese rose in formation and headed straight toward them.  "Watch out," Rachel yelled and tackled Jim Bob behind the park bench before the Geese bomb dived right at his head.  “I thought they were supposed to be helpful, not take my head off” said Jim Bob.  "I think they were warning us," said Rachel, "look!”  A police cruiser had turned down the lane and headed out of the cemetery gates. “Why should we hide from the cops?” asked Jim Bob. "Maybe, cause you and I should be in school?" said Rachel.  "At least that’s what they think."  “Oh," said Jim Bob, "Are we gonna get in trouble?”  Maybe, said Rachel, watching three turtles sticking their tiny heads out of the water.  “Let's go find this ‘Seat of Doom’, I think its up this way,” She pointed to a lane leading through the tombstones. Away from the pond, the stones grew larger and more gray and somehow much more ominous.  Some were shiny black and new but most of them were old.  Some were so worn you couldn’t read the names or dates. “Hey look,” said Jim Bob, “What is that? He pointed a vault the size of a small room with a door on one side. “I don’t know,” said Rachel, "Someone’s tomb I guess." "Hey come look over here," she called moments later. Jim Bob pulled Rachel the Cod fish over to her.

 A large tombstone said Smith on it. On the other side, there was a stone chair facing the back edge of the grave marker. There were three black roses sticking out of the chair.  Jim Bob marched up and plopped down right in it.  Nothing happened.  Rachel pushed him out. “Let me try.” She sat in the chair and looked around.  She didn’t see any wrenches.  Jim Bob walked around the other side and pointed to the writing, "What does that say?" He demanded.  Rachel got up and looked over his shoulder. " It says, he was a Master Sergeant and served on the Gunboat Lexington.”  " So now what?," asked Rachel. "I don’t see any wrenches anywhere."  Jim Bob frowned.  He tugged at the black roses. Suddenly every thing around them became misty. 

A great fog seemed to come out of the tombstone. The fish tank began shaking and water splashed out of the top. “Rachel” cried Jim Bob.  She is not supposed to be shaken.  Rachel the girl, fell as the ground rolled beneath her feet.  Then, it got very quiet. Rachel crawled her way over to the wagon.  Jim Bob was clinging to the fish tank.  “Let me see, Jim Bob” Rachel the girl said firmly.  Jim Bob let go and stepped back.  The water was still swaying back and forth in the tank.  There was still water and Rachel the fish swam nervously in her tank.  “She seems all right” said Rachel.   She stood up and looked around. 

"What’s the deal with all the fog all of the sudden?"  Jim Bob looked up from the fish.  "That is so cool," he said.  He reached out into the fog. "Look, I can’t see my hand!"  He started walking into the smoky mist.  "Ow," he blurted as he ran into something.  He felt his way in a circle, but seemed to run into something all the way around the gravestone. Rachel tried to walk to the outside of the circle and got the same result.  They were surprised by a clopping noise and then the fog seemed to lift as a silvery unicorn stepped into their circle. 

“Pretty cool fog isn’t it?” said the unicorn, pretty much ignoring introductions.  "One of my better fogs, I think.  Though, I’ve been storing up energy for a very cool fog I’m going to use over England later this summer.  It should last a good month.  The wee folk are planning the coolest party and need the extra cover."  "Um, sure ok," said Rachel the girl.  “Listen," said Rachel the fish."Help these two idiots out before they spill all the water out of my tank.  I mean, what’s the point of saving ‘show and tell’ if I die in the process." Jim Bob and Rachel the girl just looked at each other dumbly.  “I think you frightened them," said the unicorn to the fish.  "Oh, yeah and your fog, earthquake mystical entrance thing didn’t shock them at all,”  said Rachel the fish sarcastically. "Right, lets get down too business then,” replied the Unicorn. “Just let me tone down the fog a little.  I think it is getting in their brains."  “Oh, right,” said the fish.  The fog lifted slightly.  “How are you human?” Asked the Unicorn pointing its horn in Jim Bobs general direction .  Jim Bob said, “make my fish talk again.” “Hm…that may be the least relevant factor” said the unicorn.  “Lets just turn that fog down a bit more.” Rachel the girl blurted out “I’m so happy to know that unicorns are real!”  “Clearly that last adjustment helped” commented the unicorn.   “Please listen carefully.  The tombstone has a small compartment in the base.  Just push on the word Lexington and it will open.  In it you will find a wrench.  Take the wrench back to the school and at noon today adjust the clock back 24 hours precisely.  If you do that, we will be able to reset the events of the last 24 hours and ‘Show and tell’ will be saved.  Just watch out for Dr. Fred Doofensmirz.  He will have to return to his imprisonment on the isle of wasted breath. Naturally, he would like to avoid that.   Got it? Great? I gotta go, humans make my weary.  Peace out fish!”  "Peace out unicorn!," said the fish. 

Rachel walked around the front of the tombstone and pushed on the word Lexington.  With a pop, a small door opened at the bottom of the gray slab.  Jim Bob stuck in his meaty little hand and pulled out a very ordinary looking wrench.  “How do we get out of here?" asked Jim Bob.  Rachel didn’t have any idea.  The fish spoke one last time.  “Try pulling on the rose one more time."  Rachel did and the ground began to shake again.  The fog cleared and they were standing once more in the cemetery. The bad news was that a Police Cruiser was headed directly toward them. “Run” said Rachel.  Run they did.  Jim Bob pulled his wagon behind him as fast as he could.  The police cruiser had to wind its way along the paved trails.  Rachel and Jim Bob raced toward a foot gate on the backside of the cemetery.  The police cruiser flashed its lights and sped up.  Water splashed and jostled in the fish tank as Rachel and Jim Bob fled.   Just as the Cruiser made the last turn to come next to the tombstone, Rachel and Jim Bob pulled the wagon through the small gate and headed down the alley toward school.  The police car had to reverse directions and head back to the main gate.

“We lost them,” said Jim Bob proudly! “Not for long” muttered Rachel. "I’ve never seen a policeman try so hard to catch someone out of school before.  Maybe Dr. Doofensmirz knows what we are doing.  Come on, we will never make it to the school on the main streets.  We had better take the river." She headed past the cemetery and down the hill.  Water rushed under the bridge and over a dam.  They pulled the wagon between the giant rocks that marked the parking lot and into the weeds.  They just got out of sight as the police car sped down and over the bridge.  “Are they really chasing us?" asked Jim Bob. “It looks like it," said Rachel the girl.  Rachel the fish said nothing and just lay sickly in what water she had left in the tank.  They stopped at the edge of the river and Rachel crawled out onto a dead branch. She grabbed a discarded can and filled it with the cleanest water she could reach, and poured it into the fish tank.  With the water level back up, Rachel the fish could move about again. 

They made their way over dead logs, through muddy reeds, and up someone’s lawn.  "Hey" said Jim Bob, "I know where we are.  That’s Deer Hill. I go sledding there sometimes.  It’s only a few blocks to the school from here."  "Let’s just rest a moment Jim Bob.  We are gonna have to run to the school because they will still be looking for us." Rachel didn't even look like she was out of breath. “Ok,”said Jim Bob, rubbing his arm. "The wagon is getting heavy."  "Good point," said Rachel. "Why don’t you let me pull it awhile?  Now, when we get to the school we are going to need a diversion.  So start thinking about it because I need to have time to adjust the clock."  "Hmm," said Jim Bob.  "I know what usually gets a lot of attention.  There is an aquarium in the lunchroom."  Rachel nodded while looking at the fish.  “That might do it.  You ready?" "Yep," said Jim Bob.  Rachel pulled the wagon up the last of the hill and they sprinted down Fifth Street.  When they reached Jerome Street, they ran into the alley and ducked behind a row of garages.  The police car came through the alley looking for them but passed by not seeing them when they hid between the garages.  “I used to live in that house," Rachel explained pointing to a house just past the garages.”   “Less talking, more running,” said Jim Bob.  They headed down the last half a block to the school.  "OK, you go in first," said Rachel. Jim Bob took the wagon and pulled it up the handicapped access.  He pushed the button and was in the door.  Rachel waited.  She didn’t see Dr Doofenschmirz come up behind her.  "What is your name little girl?  She jumped.  “Um, I don’t go here,” she said.  “HMMPH” said Dr Doofenshmirz, “another delinquent student. Lets go have a talk with your parents.”  He grabbed her arm and dragged her into the school.  Just then, there was a scream from the office.  “HE'S EATING ALL THE FISH!”   A small girl cried pointing at the office fish tank where Rachel the codfish was devouring everything in sight. Randy Wannamaker had his face pressed against the glass in fascination.  All the  kindergartners left the lunch line and raced over to see.  Rachel managed to slip out of Dr. Doofenschmirz's hand and into his office while he  chased the kindergartners back into their line.  Rachel heard Jim Bob laughing. He had slipped into the principal's office.  "There’s the main clock," he said.  It was on the wall above the principal’s desk.  Rachel got up on the desk and pried of the cover.  “Get down off my desk right now!” ordered Dr. Doofenschmirz. “Too late,” said Rachel, stuck the wrench into the clock, and started turning.  Dr Doofenshmirz rushed toward her and tripped over a conveniently place red wagon.  Rachel kept turning the clock until the date flipped back 1 day.  At first, it seemed nothing happened. Then they heard Dr. Doofenshmirz cry “NOooo” and disappeared into a gray mist that rose from underneath his desk. Rachel and Jim Bob smiled as they disappeared into the fog.

The next day, Rachel was downloading music when her mother called her.  She raced downstairs and saw Jim Bob and Mrs Christensen at the door. “Let me guess” said Rachel. "You want me to help Jim Bob take his pet codfish to school." Her mother looked at her, ":how on earth did you know that?  Jim Bob smiled at her and Rachel the girl could’ve sworn she saw Rachel the fish wink.