This blog is for the stories I have written. Some are older than others, but they are all here for your enjoyment. If you would like to visit my regular blog, the username is alizona. Thanks for stopping by! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheStoryZone/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Wed, 20 Feb 2008 21:26:00 -0600 Wed, 20 Feb 2008 21:26:00 -0600 Hello! I hope you enjoy your stay here. Relax and get comfortable if you plan to stay a while. The bookshelf is to your left.  Please begin by selecting a story to read. You may comment on any of the stories by clicking the "Post A Comment!" link at the end. Feedback is greatly appreciated!! I would love to know which one you liked best. Have fun! And please refer your friends to The Story Zone as well! Sincerely, Alison http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheStoryZone/484776/ Wed, 20 Feb 2008 21:26:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheStoryZone/484776/ “But Dad, this will never work!” ten-year-old Alicia Higgins insisted for the tenth time.   “Of course it will, Alicia…” the Professor’s voice trailed off as he adjusted a knob on the strange looking machine. “Just look at all of my other inventions, my robots that can clean the entire house by me just pushing a button, the rehotterater to keep things hot – the refrigerator type thing, the flying bicycles, and best of all, this machine, the fabulous Digi-Tran! Why wouldn’t it work?”   “Well, I don’t know, but it just seems a little bit too strange. I mean, isn’t it impossible to go somewhere digitally? By the way, what exactly does ‘Digit-Tran’ mean?”   “Well, in answer to your first question,” Mr. Higgins responded, “yes, it was impossible to travel digitally, but now it is possible. ‘Digi-Tran’ is short for ‘Digital Transfer Method.’ Would you like to give it a try? I think it’s big enough for you.”   Alicia looked up at her father. She couldn’t tell if he was joking. She remembered a similar conversation last time, when he had wanted her to try out the flying bicycles. Alicia had wanted to try out the flying bicycles, too, so she got on one and did what her father said. But things didn’t go too well, due to Alicia’s lack of knowledge of how the machine worked. She ended up falling off while she was trying to land. It didn’t hurt, but after that she was a little hesitant to try it again. Finally, though, she had gotten up her courage, and now she was very good at riding them.   But…transferring yourself digitally is a whole different matter. Impossible. She would never, never, never try it. What if she got lost in cyber-space?…No, it wouldn’t be cyberspace…something else…anyway, she would never try it.   “Well, are you going to try it?” Professor Higgins looked at his hesitant daughter.   “Well, no. I mean maybe, maybe later, but certainly you don’t want to try me first thing. What if I get lost while I’m still in a million pieces?”   “Certainly not! I was just joking. Can you think of anything to try – just to prove that it actually works?”   Alicia glanced around her father’s workshop/lab. Then she spotted it. A plastic spoon. Knowing her father, Alicia decided that she shouldn’t take that spoon! He was probably doing an experiment with it. She dashed into the house and dashed out just as quickly with a different plastic spoon. Forgetting all about thinking that this strange machine could not possibly work, she showed the spoon to her father.   “Capital!” he responded as he took the spoon from her. Opening the door of the Digi-Tran, he carefully placed the spoon inside the box-shaped object. Then, after shutting the door, as father and daughter watched breathlessly, he typed in the Higgins’ e-mail address as the recipient. The Digi-Tran gave a loud BEEP followed by some words on the screen:   MISSION SUCCESSFUL—CONGRATULATIONS! OBJECT HAS BEEN SENT SUCCESSFULLY!   “Um, Dad? You just sent that spoon to our e-mail address?!”   “Alicia, go check the e-mail, quick! I’ll go with you!” excitement was mounting in the professor’s voice. As Alicia sat down at the computer, she noticed a strange-looking contraption on the floor which was connected to the computer by cords and wires. Questioningly, she looked at her father, who gave her a mysterious grin. Alicia quickly clicked here and there, and then clicked on another icon. Several e-mails came in, one of which was an e-mail from “Digi-Tran.”   “That’s it!” Alicia and Mr. Higgins screamed at almost exactly the same time. Alicia opened the e-mail. It was blank, but had an attachment. She opened it, and all of the sudden the strange-looking box-shaped object on the floor started to make noise. A message popped up on the computer screen telling them not very politely to “Please wait.” Alicia almost opened the door on the machine too soon, but her father pulled her back just in time.   “Wait. If we open the door too soon it might not work correctly. We have to be patient.” After what seemed like an hour (which was only about one minute) the machine stopped whirring and making noise, and the message on the computer screen went away.   Professor Higgins’s hand shook as he opened the door on the machine. When he saw the spoon he almost fainted. Alicia did faint momentarily. Thankfully, right at that moment, Mrs. Higgins, who had just walked in the front door the moment before, caught her daughter before she landed on the professor.   “What’s going on here?” Mrs. Higgins shouted over the noise, when things had settled down enough for her to barely be heard.   “Dad’s new invention works! And we’re going to be the most famous people in the world!” Alicia shouted back!   “What invention?” Mrs. Higgins asked her husband. Then her mouth dropped open. “Don’t tell me that you actually tried out your idea of the-“ Mrs. Higgins paused, “-the ‘Digi-Tran’?”   “I sure did, honey. What you are seeing is the celebration of the successful test mission. Now, I’m going to try something bigger. Come with us, and I’ll show you my latest invention.”   As the family walked down the hall to Mr. Higgins workshop/lab, Alicia asked, “What are you going to try, Dad?”   “One of my cleaning robots…” They entered the workshop/lab, and Professor Higgins repeated his experiment, except this time he put one of the robots into the Digi-Tran. Again the same messages appeared on the screen.   Again they checked the e-mail. It was a success! The next day it was in the headlines of the town’s newspapers. The Higgins all took the day off and invited all their friends to their house to celebrate. Alicia gave in and was e-mailed through the entire system. In fact, everyone wanted to try it out, and everyone made it.   The next day, after everyone had left, Mrs. Higgins said to her husband, “Maybe you were right. How about we all help you invent new, wonderful things. I’ll be the first to volunteer. But first, I’ll need to learn how to use all of your inventions. How about a family bike ride on the flying bicycles?”   As the family took off, Alicia cheered. “Hurray! Dad, you were right. The Digi-Tran is a complete success. Let’s fly to Grandma’s house and tell her the news!” And they did. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheStoryZone/480515/ Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:08:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheStoryZone/480515/ Eleven-year-old Courtney sighed as she watched her nine-year-old sister, Beth Ann, run through the house for what seemed to her to be the one hundredth time.   "Beth Ann! Would you stop running around the house?" asked Courtney with her irritation showing in her voice.   "Say please!” said Beth Ann in an “I’m-so-cute” tone of voice that made Courtney even more annoyed.   “Beth Ann! You stop running around the house this instant or I will go tell Mom that you are breaking the rule. By the way, did you ever finish your page of math today?”   Beth Ann stopped running. “Sorry,” she said sincerely. She just couldn’t understand what made Courtney so mad. Courtney ran through the house, too, after all. And Courtney hadn’t finished her schoolwork, either. She walked over to her desk and sat down.   “Can’t you write any neater?” Courtney said as she looked over Beth Ann’s shoulder at Beth Ann’s math book. “I can hardly even read that.”   “I can read it just fine,” Beth Ann replied. “Would you go away? You’re always finding fault with me over nothing.”   “It’s not over nothing.” Courtney stomped away.   Beth Ann felt bad. She wanted to always be nice to Courtney, but didn’t always do such a good job of it. She hadn’t really meant to snap at her older sister, but Courtney did seem to find fault with her all of the time, and it was hard to keep from saying mean things more often. She decided to go apologize to her sister.   “Courtney, I’m sorry that I told you to go away. That was mean of me. You can watch me do my math if you want. And I guess I could try to write a little neater,” Beth Ann admitted as she followed Courtney into their room.   At this, Courtney felt a little bad about what she had said, too. “I’m sorry that I keep criticizing you,” she said. “I guess I could be a lot nicer to you, too.” Beth Ann gave her a hug and left the room, feeling a lot happier, but Courtney still felt some annoyed with her little sister. Why is she always disobeying Mom? she thought to herself. I’m not half as bad as she is.   Later, she saw her two little brothers go into their bedroom laughing together in a secret kind of way, and then shut the door behind them.   I wonder what they’re up to, Courtney thought to herself. I’m going to find out. She knocked on the boys’ bedroom door. Ten-year-old Samuel opened it a crack.   “Yes?” he asked when he saw Courtney, but did not open the door any further.   “What are you and David doing in there?” she asked suspiciously.   Eight-year-old David called from inside the room, “It’s a birthday surprise. Don’t come in! Samuel, close the door before she sees!” Samuel closed the door and the boys continued working on whatever they were doing in there.   A birthday surprise! thought Courtney. I wonder if that’s for me, or is it for Beth Ann? Beth Ann and Courtney had birthdays one day apart from each other. Courtney’s came first. Courtney’s presumption led her to believe that the surprise they were making was for her and not for Beth Ann. Beth Ann can be such a pain at times.   Courtney suddenly remembered that she needed to complete her schoolwork for the day.   Click here to read part two. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheStoryZone/480356/ Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:01:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheStoryZone/480356/ It was the night before Courtney’s birthday. She said "good night" to all of her family and set her bedside alarm clock. Although I won’t need it to wake me up tomorrow! she thought. Of course she would be awake before her alarm went off, because it was her birthday.   But, as it turned out, Courtney didn’t wake up before her alarm. When it started beeping, Beth Ann woke up first and turned off the alarm. Then she woke up her sister. It’s probably nicer to be awakened by your sister than an alarm clock, especially on your birthday, thought Beth Ann. She gently woke up Courtney and the two girls got up and read their Bibles and prayed together, like they did every morning.   After they were done in their room, the two girls headed to the kitchen to get some breakfast. “Happy Birthday!” Samuel and David called out, coming to give her a hug.   “Thanks!” she said with a smile. After breakfast was over, all of the children said that they wanted Courtney to open her presents. Courtney would have said no, but she was as curious to find out what was in them as her younger siblings.   Opening the first present, which was from her parents, she found a book that she had wanted for a long time. The next present contained another book, and it was also from her parents. Beth Ann’s eyes were shining with excitement as she handed Courtney her present. Courtney ripped off the wrapping paper and found a set of pens that she had thought about buying every time she had walked by them in the store.   “Thank you so much!” she said, hugging Beth Ann. Beth Ann smiled even wider. Courtney opened the rest of her presents quickly and found everything very satisfactory – all but one thing, that is. Where is the surprise the boys were making for me? she wondered. She hoped that it was not for Beth Ann, but that was the way it looked. Oh, well, she thought. Who cares anyways? But inside she did care. All of the sudden, Courtney was not having as good of a day as she was having at the beginning. She tried not to show it, though, and tried to act as though nothing was wrong. Courtney helped her mother pick up all of the wrapping paper, and then ran outside to play tag with her brothers and sister.   “I got you!” panted Samuel to Courtney as he tagged her ponytail. “No tag-backs.” He threw himself down on the ground to rest for a minute until Courtney tagged someone else.   “No, you didn’t!” Courtney said. “I didn’t even feel it.”   “You didn’t feel it because I touched your hair.”   “Well, I didn’t feel it, so you are still ‘it.’”   “No I’m not! I tagged you and that’s that.” Courtney could be very bossy at times, but Samuel also knew how to hold his ground.   “Well, if you’re not going to play by the rules, then I guess I’m not going to play.” Courtney made a move toward the door.   Beth Ann stepped in front of the door. “Please, Courtney, just be ‘it.’ There’s no sense in quitting just because you didn’t feel Sam touch you!”   “No, Samuel will be ‘it’ or I’m not going to play.”   Samuel reluctantly gave in. “All right,” he said slowly.   *                      *                      *   The next day was Beth Ann’s birthday. She woke up cheerful and happy. After breakfast, she decided to follow her sister’s example from the previous day and open her presents now.   She began with a long skinny wrapped box. It was a fun game that she had wanted. Next, she opened a new dress from Courtney, and some markers from a friend. After she had opened her last present, Samuel and David said that they had a surprise for her. “We’ll be right back,” said David, as the two boys went to their room to get it.   “Oh, how pretty!” Beth Ann exclaimed. The boys had given her a bouquet of flowers, picked out of the garden, and a card they had made themselves! The card said, “To our very loving and kind sister, Beth Ann. We hope you have a great birthday and that you will have the greatest year of your life. We love you and pray for you every day. Love, Samuel and David.”   “Thank you so much!” Beth Ann cried. She hugged both of her brothers. “That was so nice of you!”   Beth Ann, Samuel, and David went off to play Beth Ann’s new game, but Courtney didn’t go with them. She sat on the sofa looking mad.   “What’s the matter?” her mother asked, sitting down next to her.   “It wasn’t nice for the boys to give flowers and a nice card to Beth Ann and not to me. I thought the surprise they were making was going to be for me, and then they went and gave it to Beth Ann.”   “Oh, I see. You are disappointed that you didn’t get the surprise when you thought it was for you. But why did you think it was for you?”   Courtney hesitated. “Because Beth Ann can be such a pain. She is so annoying.”   “But, Courtney, have you ever thought about the fact that maybe you are the one who’s wrong, and not Beth Ann? I don’t think she’s that bad. We all have our faults, but for the most part, your little sister is a generous, loving girl.”   “But she is always doing things that she shouldn’t. They all are, even the boys. And then when I tell them to stop, they get defensive.”   Mom didn’t say anything for a moment. Then she said, very gently, “Courtney, I think I know why they get defensive.” She paused and looked at her daughter. “You do seem to boss them around a lot,” she said, in the same gentle tone of voice. “I don’t see Beth Ann doing that. She is always very sweet to everyone, even you, when you are bossing her. Maybe that is why they gave the flowers to Beth Ann and not to you. Do you understand what I am saying?”   Courtney did understand what her mother was saying. Now that she understood, it made her see things in a whole new light. She saw that she was the one in the wrong, always telling her sister and brothers what to do, and getting annoyed at them all the time. They deserved to be treated with respect and kindness. “I understand,” she said. “I will try from now on to be nicer to them and follow the golden rule.”   Then Courtney went over to where her younger siblings were playing their game. “I have something to confess,” she said, quietly. No one said anything, so she went on. “I have not been a very good sister to all of you,” she said. “I’ve been bossy and mean and terrible. By God’s grace I want to start again and be nicer to all of you. Will you please forgive me for the way I’ve treated you?”   “Of course we forgive you!” exclaimed Beth Ann, and the boys said the same thing. Courtney smiled and hugged each of her siblings in turn, while thinking of what a blessing they were to her, instead of what a pain they were. Deep down inside she was glad that Beth Ann had been given the birthday surprise, instead of herself. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheStoryZone/477408/ Fri, 8 Feb 2008 21:54:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheStoryZone/477408/ She was looking through the window, counting the cars that went by, watching the people, and wondering if she would ever walk again. That was how her Sunday School teacher, Daisy Philips, found her five minutes later as she came up to Melissa’s room to give her some company.   “How are you doing?” Mrs. Philips asked.   “About the same. I’m counting the cars that go by. I wish I could get out there and walk along with everyone else.” A tear trembled in Melissa’s eye. “I’m glad you came. I was getting lonely.”   “I imagine. But you’ll be better soon,” Mrs. Philips reassured. “Don’t the doctors say that you will walk again?”   “Yes, but it will be a long time. And I have to stay up here in this bedroom, day after day, without any change.” Melissa’s tone became bitter. “Why did God have to let this happen to me?” Twelve-year-old Melissa had been run over by a car while trying to cross a busy street one day three months ago. At first the doctors thought that she would never walk again, but they had changed their minds since then. She was doing beautifully, they said, and it wouldn’t be long before she could walk again. Of course, Melissa was getting very weary of being bedridden and not being able to walk, and she was now beginning to be angry with God for allowing the accident to happen.   “I’m sure He has a purpose in it,” Mrs. Philips responded gently. “Maybe you don’t understand it now, but I’m sure you will someday.”   “Mrs. Philips! What purpose could there be in it? You are always one to try to find a purpose from God in every bad situation. I think it’s all rather silly.”   “Melissa, I know you haven’t trusted Jesus to be your Saviour. Maybe the Lord let the accident happen so that you would have lots of quiet time to think about it.”   “Well, I don’t want that right now. Maybe later.” That day Mrs. Philips left the house feeling discouraged. She knew that Melissa had not acknowledged her need to be saved and to receive Christ as her Saviour. It was her hope and prayer that God would use the accident to bring Melissa to salvation.   The next week, Mrs. Philips decided to try again. As she walked into the room she noticed that Melissa was at the window once again.   “Counting cars again, Melissa?” she asked.   Melissa gave a sad smile. “Yes. Someday I’d like to count how many cars go by in the day all together. I guess I won’t accomplish it today, since you came, but that’s okay; I’ll have lots of other days to try it. I like it when you come.”   “Have you though about what I said last week?” Mrs. Philips questioned.   “Yes, I have, and I guess I do need to be saved. I’ve been angry with God, and I know that’s not right. All this time I’ve had a bad attitude.”   “I’m glad you’ve realized that.” Mrs. Philips said with a smile. “Do you want to be saved now?”   “Well, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. I could’ve been killed in that accident, and I would’ve gone to hell. Could you tell me once again about salvation and how I can get it?”   So Mrs. Philips began, “Everyone sins. The Bible says that the wages or payment of sin is death. But God gave his Son to take our punishment. That’s what Jesus did when He died on the cross; He took the sins of the whole world upon himself. He is not dead anymore, though. He rose again after three days and now He is in heaven with God the Father. All you have to do to be saved from your sins is repent of your sins and receive Jesus to be your Saviour. You do not have to do any good works or pray certain prayers. The Bible says salvation is ‘not by works of righteousness which we have done.’ If you really and truly accept Him to be your Saviour, then when you die you will go to be with Him in heaven.”   “I understand it now,” Melissa said excitedly. “I want to accept Jesus as my Saviour.” When Melissa finished praying, there were tears of joy in both her eyes and Mrs. Philips eyes.   “Melissa, the Sunday School class has been praying for you every week since your accident. How happy they will be to find out that you have accepted Christ to be your Saviour!”   “I’m glad that I got in that accident, since it meant that I would find Christ. You are right, Mrs. Philips, God has a purpose in everything.” http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheStoryZone/477407/ Fri, 8 Feb 2008 21:51:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheStoryZone/477407/ They were in the grocery store, in the freezer section, when it happened. Susanne and Abigail, eleven-year-old identical twin sisters, had just run into the grocery story to pick up a bucket of chocolate ice cream. Their mother, who had sent them into the store together, was waiting for them in the car in the store’s parking lot. “Do you see it, Abigail?” Susanne asked. The girls were having a hard time finding the exact brand and flavor that their mother had asked them to get. “Um…” Abigail kept looking at the different kinds of ice cream. “No, I don’t see it… oh, here it is!” She flung open the freezer door and grabbed the ice cream. “Ow! Susanne, can’t you look what you’re doing?” a lady shrieked. Abigail whirled around and who happened to be standing there but their grouchy next-door neighbor, Mrs. Baker. “I’m Abigail,” Abigail said a little defensively. She hated it when people got her and her twin sister mixed up and called her by the wrong name. “What did I do?” she asked. “What did you do? I’ll tell you what you did,” Mrs. Baker snapped. “You just hit me in the head with the freezer door. I’m always telling you two girls to slow down. You just don’t listen, and now look what happened!” “I-I’m sorry, Mrs. Baker,” Abigail said. “I was just excited. You see, we don’t get ice cream very often at my house, and-” “I don’t care what you were doing. The fact is, you hit me in the head and it hurts!” Mrs. Baker turned around sullenly and stomped away quickly. “Oh, great,” Abigail said Susanne. “I didn’t mean to hit her in the head. I didn’t even know she was there. Now she’ll dislike us more than ever.” “It’s okay,” Susanne replied. “You said you were sorry and you meant it. That’s what counts. Let’s just go pay for the ice cream and get out of here before we run into her again.” The girls paid for the ice cream and got back in the car with their mother. They told her what had happened in the store with Mrs. Baker. “It sounds like maybe you do need to slow down a bit, Abigail, and ‘look before you leap,’” Mom said after hearing the girls’ story. “I know you didn’t mean to hurt her, though, and I’m glad you told her you were sorry.” Mom paused, and then continued, “Speaking of Mrs. Baker, don’t forget that this is the day that you promised to go over to her house and help her with her gardening.” “Oh, Mom, do we have to?” questioned Susanne. “After what happened in the store, I don’t think she wants us anymore.” “Yes, you girls need to keep your promise. If she decides she doesn’t want you, she can send you back. But until then you need to go over there and help her. Remember to be polite and treat her nicely. God will reward you for it.” So later that day, the Susanne and Abigail, dressed in gardening clothes, walked up Mrs. Baker’s driveway and knocked on her front door. “Yes?” Mrs. Baker opened her door and raised an eyebrow at the girls. “We came to help you with your gardening today, like we said we would,” Susanne said as politely as she knew how. Mrs. Baker sighed. “Oh, yes. All right, I’ll meet you in the garden. I’ve got to go get the things we’ll need.” For the next two hours, the girls and Mrs. Baker worked on weeding, planting, and watering Mrs. Baker’s flowers and vegetables. No one mentioned the incident in the store. When they were done, Mrs. Baker invited the two girls inside her house for some milk and cookies. The girls were very much surprised, but accepted the offer. Once the three were all seated at the table, Mrs. Baker said, “I have a confession to make. I have not treated you girls nicely at all since you moved in next door. I’ve yelled at you and been mean to you. Then, when you hit me in the head in the store, I’d had it. I was really put out. But you girls were nice to me anyways. You apologized, although I know it was hard to do. And then you came over and kept your promise about the gardening. Not only that, but you were very kind to me the entire time. I’ve learned a lesson. I’m sorry about the way I’ve been treating you. Do you forgive me?” “Of course we forgive you,” Susanne spoke up. She ran over to where Mrs. Baker was sitting and gave the lady a hug. “One other thing,” Mrs. Baker continued, “Could I come to church with you next Sunday?” “I’m proud of you,” Mom said once the twins were back home and had relayed the afternoon’s events. “Now do you see how the Lord blessed you for being faithful in being kind to Mrs. Baker?” “Yes,” Abigail said. “Mrs. Baker seems like totally different person. I’m glad we did the right thing. It always pays.” http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheStoryZone/477406/ Fri, 8 Feb 2008 21:47:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheStoryZone/477406/ It's hard to know what a computer will do when you plug it in during a thunderstorm. Twelve-year-old Angela Williams found that out the hard way. However, the day began with no indication of a thunderstorm.   “Are you ready to get off of that computer yet?” Angela asked her twin brother. Eddie had been on the computer what seemed like all day to his sister.   “I can’t,” Eddie explained. “I have a report to write and Mom said that I must stay here until I finish this report.”   Angela sighed. She knew that already. “But I want to work on writing my book. I’m almost finished with the third chapter, but I want to get it done today so that I can show it to Jessie when she comes over later today.”   “Well, I’m sorry. I’m hurrying as fast as I can on this report, but it’s very hard. If Mom and Dad say you can, why don’t you plug in the computer that’s been in your closet for the past several months? That way we could both use the computer at the same time whenever I need to write a report.”   Angela laughed and went to find her parents. They said that it would be fine for Angela to use the old computer. Soon Angela was happily digging through her closet and untangling wires. While she was doing this, dark storm clouds were gathering and it started to rain.   Finally Angela had all of the things that she needed to set up the computer. However, now the storm was very close. Angela hummed a little tune as she started plugging speakers, the keyboard, the mouse, and screen into the proper places on the back of the computer.   The room got darker and darker as the storm went on, but Angela did not get up to turn on the lights. She pushed the button on the computer to turn it on. Right at that instant, a blinding flash of lightning and a deafening clap of thunder hit, and what happened next made Angela scream! Click here to read part two. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheStoryZone/476654/ Thu, 7 Feb 2008 17:37:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheStoryZone/476654/ As Angela pushed the power button to her computer, the computer started to turn on but then suddenly started to turn off again. Angela groaned but pressed the power button again. Now, if Angela had waited for the computer to turn completely off before turning it back on again, it might not have happened. But that, combined with plugging the computer in during a thunderstorm made a disaster.   The screen lit up, and a message appeared on screen that told Angela, “The thunderstorm was successfully transferred to your hard drive. To proceed, press any key.” Next to it was a picture of a bolt of lightning. Angela screamed, but then came back to her senses. Wanting to know what would happen next, she pushed a key on her keyboard. She got a jolt from her computer and felt her hair rising. Suddenly she was filled with static electricity.   The computer then turned on as normal, but whenever Angela clicked on certain things, the computer would give her information and pictures of thunderstorms. That was okay for a while, but soon Angela got tired of it. She decided to look in the help and support center of the computer and see if there was anything on thunderstorms in the hard drive.   “Your computer will transfer a thunderstorm to your hard-drive if you plug it in during a thunderstorm and press the power button twice,” The help center said. “This can be helpful, as it will give you a lot of information and pictures of thunderstorms, but it also destroys many files on your hard-drive.”   Angela decided to give up on her computer for a while and come back later. Maybe a break would give her an idea. She wandered into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. She saw her hair, which was still standing on end from the static electricity, and it gave her a good idea on how to have a little fun.   She snuck up behind her twin brother (who was still laboring over his report), reached around his head, and touched his nose. Since she was filled with electricity it gave him quite a shock.   “Hey!” Eddie exclaimed and ran after his sister. However, he didn’t have any electricity in him, so when he touched Angela, he just got shocked again. Then Eddie remembered some slippers he had in his closet that would generate static electricity so he ran to his room and put them on. The war was on, and soon the two children were running around the house trying to get each other.   After a while that got tiring, and Angela wondered how she could ground herself and get rid of all of that static. All of a sudden the perfect idea hit her. She ran over to her computer and touched the top of it. She received the greatest shock of her life, but her hair relaxed. Then she looked at her screen and saw that the thunderstorm had left her computer. It had been the perfect solution.   Suddenly, “Beep, beep, beep, beep! Beep, beep, beep, beep! Beep, beep, beep, beep!” Angela rolled over in bed and rubbed her eyes. Had that all been a dream? She turned off her beeping alarm clock and looked outside her bedroom window. Dark clouds were gathering, and it was beginning to rain. Uh, oh, thought Angela with a smile as she remembered her dream, I’d better not plug in my computer today! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheStoryZone/476653/ Thu, 7 Feb 2008 17:35:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheStoryZone/476653/ "We're here!" cried Megan McKnight the car pulled to a stop in front of the Smiths' house. Mr. and Mrs. McKnight were going on a trip for a couple of days by themselves and were leaving their two daughters, Melissa, age twelve, and Megan, age four, with their good friends the Smiths at their house. The girls would spend the night and the next afternoon their parents would come and get them. The Smiths had one little girl of their own. Andrea was six, and a loved to play with the McKnight girls. Andrea always thought of it as a great treat to have the McKnight girls over, especially to spend the night. Andrea hurried out the door of her house. "I'm so glad you're here!" she exclaimed, hugging the girls in turn. "Hi, Andrea!" the girls said, as they hugged Andrea back. Dad McKight opened the trunk of the car and got the overnight bag out, and then they all walked into the Smiths' house together. Well, we'd better get going," Mom said in a few minutes. She and Dad hugged the girls goodbye. "Don't go, Mommy!" Little Megan looked as if she were about to cry. "It's okay, Megan," Mom assured the little girl. "You'll have a good time with Andrea, and before you know it we'll be back to get you!" After much persuasion Megan "decided" to stay, although she would have had to whether she liked it or not. After Mom and Dad left, the three girls played together beautifully until it was time to go to bed. Then Melissa helped Megan get into her sleepers and brush her teeth. Megan was very happy the whole time, saying how excited she was to sleep on a sleeping bag on the living room floor, and to get to sleep in Andrea's house. But when it was time for bed, however, all that changed. She now wanted Mommy to "come and kiss me goodnight and I wanted to sleep in my own room in my own bed." "But, sweetie," Mrs. Smith said, "you get to sleep with Andrea tonight. You'll have fun," she assured. Megan was not quite sure of it, but she decided to just keep quiet and after everyone else was asleep she would quickly sneak out of the house and go to her Mommy and Daddy, wherever they were. After everyone was asleep and all of the lights were off in the house, Megan slipped out of her sleeping bag and tiptoed to the front door. Quietly she unlocked the door and went out into the night. No one saw her or heard her. Soon Megan had walked to the end of the driveway and to the edge of the street. She paused here, unsure of which way to go. Then she remembered which way they always went home from the Smiths' house and started walking. She walked and walked. Mrs. Smith, being a light sleeper, was awakened when Megan opened the front door. She sat up in bed, wondering if it was her imagination, when she heard the door close. She woke up Mr. Smith. "What's the matter?" her husband asked sleepily. "I heard the front door open. At first I thought it was my imagination, but then I heard the door close. Richard, there may be a robber in our house, and the girls are sleeping on the living room floor!" In an instant Mr. Smith was wide awake. He quickly grabbed his shotgun and then he left the bedroom. Mrs. Smith put her robe on and followed him. "Be careful!" she whispered very softly. "If it's one of the girls sleepwalking I don't want you to hurt them." "Don't worry," Mr. Smith reassured. The two walked to the living room. Mr. Smith flipped the lights on. There was no one there but Melissa and Andrea, and they woke up as the light was turned on. "What's going on?" Melissa asked. She squeezed her eyes closed as they were not yet adjusted to the light. Slowly she opened them again. "I heard the front door open and then close," Mrs. Smith said. She did not say that she thought there may have been  a robber in the house. "We came out to see what was going on." Then Mrs. Smith noticed that Megan's sleeping bag was empty. She looked at the bathroom door to see if maybe that was where Megan was, but the bathroom door was open and the light was off. That was definitely not where Megan was. They looked in Andrea's bedroom. Megan was not there, either. "Does anyone know where Megan is?" asked Mrs. Smith. But no one could find her even after looking in all of the rooms in the house. "Oh, why didn't I think of it before?" exclaimed Andrea. "What is it?" everyone asked. "Mom, you said you heard the front door open and then close. Megan is not in the house that we can see. I bet she went outside." Then everyone went outside to see if Megan was there. But Megan had already gone. "Oh, what are we going to do?" asked Mrs. Smith. She was almost frantic. "We've lost Megan!" Megan had walked down the street until she came to a nice grassy yard. She felt so tired, and now she wished that she had stayed in her sleeping bag at Andrea's house. She didn't know the way back in the dark, though, so she laid down in the grassy yard and cried. She cried good and loud, too. The lady in that house had not yet gone to bed. She was reading a very exciting book and had lost track of time. Suddenly she heard the sound of crying. "I think it's coming from outside," she said. She went out the front door, and, sure enough, there was a little girl crying on the front lawn. "What's the matter?" she asked Megan. "I ran away and now I can't find my way back to Andrea's house and I am tired and I want Mommy and..." She kept crying. "Who's Andrea?" "Andrea Smith. She's my friend and I was spending the night and then I ran away." The lady found out from Megan who Andrea's parents where. After looking them up in the phone book she called them on the phone. The Smiths heard the phone ringing and Mr. Smith answered it. Maybe someone had found Megan! "Hello?... Really?... Oh, thank you!... So that's what happened?... I'm  so sorry. Okay, I'll be right there." He hung up the phone and told Mrs. Smith, Andrea, and Melissa what the lady had said on the phone. Mr. Smith then walked over to the lady's house to get Megan. After she was brought back to the Smith's house she told them what had happened. "I want Mommy," she cried at the end. "Oh, you can see her tomorrow!" Melissa said cheerfully. Do you want to sleep here with me tonight?" Megan consented. Before everyone went back to bed Megan promised that she would never run away at night again. "It's much better to stay in bed," she finished. Everyone laughed with relief that Megan was okay, and then they all went back to bed. They would have a lot to tell Mr. and Mrs. McKnight the next day! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheStoryZone/476650/ Thu, 7 Feb 2008 17:30:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheStoryZone/476650/ Hi! My name is Left-foot Tennie. Usually my partner, Right-foot Tennie, and I sit in the closet all summer long. During the summer we are almost never used. So I was very glad when I heard my owner, Alison, say, “It’s September twentieth today!” I guess she was talking to her sister, Amy, who shares a bedroom with her. I thought, Good. Maybe Alison will use me today.   I didn’t have long to find out. A little while later Alison swung open the closet door and pick up Right-foot Tennie and me. In a few seconds her foot was in me. Whew! It feels good to be used and get some fresh air. Then as Alison ambulated towards the back door of the house I managed to whisper to my partner, “I wonder where we’re going?”   You might think that the humans would hear us when we talk, but we have a secret way of doing it. Whenever we want to talk we wait for our owner to start walking, and then we start talking. To our owners it sounds like squeaking.   Well, to get back to my story, Alison walked right out the door and down the driveway. There were also some other people, Alison’s sisters and her dad, and I recognized my friends, who were on my owner’s sister’s feet, and squeaked a hello. Well, soon Alison had reached the end of the driveway and turned into the street. After crossing the street, she started walking on the gravel that was on the other side of the street. Ouch! I like being used, but I do not like walking in gravel. It hurts! Well, I guess Alison finally got tired of walking in the gravel, and decided to walk on the paved road. That felt so much better.   Eventually we got to where we were going. Hurray! We were at the park! That is one of my favorite places to go. There is no gravel, only sand, grass, and concrete. Soon Alison began to run. I said to Right-foot Tennie, “I hope she runs in the grass.” She didn’t. But soon I saw Alison bend down and pick up a super ball. Back and forth we ran, while Alison bounced the ball. It looked like fun, and I almost wished I were a human so that I could do it, too.   Then the dad invented a game they called Super Baseball. I had never seen a baseball game before so this was exciting! Especially when Alison got a home run! “Way to go!” I cheered. Alison looked down at my partner and me. Whoops! I had squeaked when Alison wasn’t walking! Thankfully she didn’t say anything about it.   Finally the dad said that it was time to go home, so the girls got their stuff and started to slowly walk home. “Faster! Faster!” I said. I guess Alison understood because she started running.   When she got home, she took us off her feet and put us in the closet once again. But I didn’t mind too much because I was tired, and besides, I had stories to tell to all the other shoes in the closet. It had been a very fun day for me as a shoe. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheStoryZone/476642/ Thu, 7 Feb 2008 17:28:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheStoryZone/476642/