It was a calm morning in Daymon, Nashingtow. Gretta awoke from her sleep, took a stretch, and yawned. It was a typical morning (or so it had seemed), for what Gretta didn't know was that she was about to go on a journey of a lifetime. Gretta brought her body into the kitchen, poured a cup of orange juice, and sat in silence. Her thoughts seemed to move in her mind very lazily, almost like they were flowing from side to side. "What a beautiful morning," Gretta thought to herself. The cool breeze from the kitchen window glided across her skin like a figure skater on ice; it was a feeling she loved. Then, abruptly, a pigeon flew by and then came to rest on her windowsill. "How peculiar," Gretta said, looking at the bird as it stared blankly into her eyes. "Go on now," Gretta articulated, expecting the bird to fly away, but the bird didn't budge. Now, Gretta was curious. She rose from her seat and walked up to the window. Once confronted with the animal, she noticed a small bottle was strapped to its back. "A messenger bird!" Gretta announced, then reached for the bottle and removed it from the back of the animal. As she took her hand away, the bird flew back into the outdoors.
Gretta opened the bottle and was faced with a note. "Could it be from a friend?" she wondered. She examined the words on the paper, it read in rushed, might I add grammatically fractured wording, "Gretta, you have three day to rescue Cookie, the dog. I have her locked in cage, and If you not come soon, she will be eaten. Come find quick, okay? -Evil Ursa." Gretta gasped when she finished reading. She had a history with this "Evil Ursa" character, for they were sworn enemies, and Ursa would try to do everything in her power to make Gretta miserable, including kidnaping her best friend Cookie the dog.
Gretta knew what she had to do. She finished her glass of juice and then went to her room to pack a bag for her journey. She threw on a fresh pair of clothes, then slipped on some boots and headed to the door "where are you going" a voice called out. Gretta turned around to meet the eyes of her father.
"Oh, hi Dad,"
Gretta exhaled "sorry, I'm in a rush, I have important business to take care of"
"What's wrong?" her father asked. Gretta explained the situation, and her dad let out a long sigh, for he knew about Gretta and Ursa's rivalry.
"Be careful, okay?" He told her,
"I promise," Gretta said, hugged her father, then walked out the door.
Gretta was unsure where to find Ursa. However, she knew a wise man named Tom Anderson who had connections with her. So, she set out on foot to walk to Tom Anderson's home. "Three days," Gretta remembered, "Three days is all I have. I need to move briskly." Gretta walked and walked for miles, passing through fields and walking around puddles, weaving through forests, and enduring rainy, as well as sweltering weather conditions. Nashingtow was infamous for its rapidly changing weather, making it difficult to travel because one would have no idea of what to expect.
After 11 straight hours of walking, Gretta had to rest. She took refugee under a giant mushroom that was about the size of a small home. "This is despairing!" Gretta mumbled as she rubbed her aching feet, "and I'm not even halfway to Toms's house yet!" She thought things couldn't possibly get any worse, but the Nashington weather disagreed and decided it was time to pour down rain abruptly. "This is just great." Gretta said gloomily, "I can't travel in this weather, especially because it is nearing nighttime! I'll get cold and sopping wet! I guess ill stay here tonight," Gretta said, leaning up against the vast mushroom stump. After about 20 minutes, Gretta was finally lulled to sleep by the sound of rain. Soon, morning broke out, and Gretta was awoken by the shining sun and sounds of birds. "I must venture on!" Gretta said, "I think I should find a faster transportation method, though." Gretta examined the busy mushroom forest that she was in. There were plentiful creatures around, including sheep, bees, birds, and pigs. Then, as if it was a miracle, Gretta spotted a horse. "This must be my lucky day!" Said Gretta pulling out an apple and lead from her backpack. She approached the animal and offered it the apple. The horse politely excepted, and hearts flew in the air, which cued Gretta that it was now tamed. In this universe, things were a bit cartoonish, so emotions and social cues were pretty straightforward. Gretta mounted the animal, which she had then decided to name Micheal. Micheal was a scrawny tall horse with a strictly light brown coat, besides the black fur that ran from his hooves to the tops of his legs, almost like he was wearing boots. He had a black mane and tail accompanied by midnight eyes which were so dark it was like peering into an endless abyss. "Okay, Micheal, Let's ride!" Gretta said enthusiastically, and then they ventured on.
Micheal was a surprisingly steady ride, he moved briskly and held his pace, so they traveled miles in good timing. After about five hours, they finally made it to Tom's house. "We made it, Micheal!" Gretta said with relief as she steadily made her way off the horse's back and onto the ground. "You wait out here while I go have a chat with Tom. Here, have a couple treats. You have earned them," Said Gretta pulling out some apples and carrots and leaving them for Micheal. She then knocked on the door to Tom's house. "Hello? Tom? Are you here? Hello?" no reply. Gretta tried again. "Helloooo? Tom?" she said a bit louder while knocking more enthusiastically. Finally, she heard an answer, "Yes, I'm home! Come on in" Gretta was instantly relieved, and she entered Tom's house.
The inside was lovely. It was modest yet cozy. A small flame burned on chopped cedarwood in the fireplace, the smell of cinnamon roamed the air, and a kettle of tea was to be admired, boiling on the kitchen counter.
"Welcome back, Gretta!" Tom said from across the room,
"What a pleasure it is to see you again. To what can I assist you with?"
Gretta turned her head to meet eyes with Tom. He was wearing a purple silk robe and slippers. His hair looked damp, as if he had just come from a warm shower. He seemed comfortable and had no shame in that.
"The pleasures all mine," Gretta replied.
"I'm having issues with Evil Ursa. I remembered you have some insight on her, and it would be drastically appreciated if you could help me answer a few questions."
"of course!" Tom said.
"I'm sorry she's been causing you issues, for Ursa is never up to much good. Let me pour us both some tea, then you can ask me what you like to know."
So, over tea, Gretta took a notepad and pen and asked her desired questions, writing the answers down,. Thanks,,so she was sure not to forget. Some of the responses were vague, but others were significant, such as Ursa's strengths, weaknesses, and where to find her. After they finished their tea, Gretta thanked Tom with a smile and, with her new knowledge, went back outside to continue her journey.
"Michealllll," Gretta called out, "I'm ready to go!" then she heard the distant trotting of her animal friend approaching her. "There you are! I have great news, Micheal. I'll tell you all about it as we ride" Then she got on Micheals's back, and they started heading North. "So, Micheal, I have obtained Ursas whereabouts. She's located about 12 hours north at the top of a snowy mountain. We will travel about halfway tonight and finish the journey in the morning" Micheal let out a whiney as if to be acknowledging what Gretta had just said. "Oh, also, I got some insight about How I'm going to put an end to Ursa's wrath." "You see this?" Gretta said, pulling a small cookie from her pocket. "This is a gluten-free oreo, it was given to me by Tom, and it is how I am going to defeat Ursa. She's deathly allergic, and even the smallest bite will destroy her. I also was informed that Ursa must eat something every 30 minutes or she will go into shock and die, so naturally, I'm going to wait for the perfect time where she has to eat and slip a bit of this cookie in her food." Gretta placed the cookie back into her backpack and then continued the journey in silence. It was peaceful. Both she and Micheal seemed to be enjoying the sounds of nature.
After six hours of travel, Gretta and Micheal came to rest. They were located in a grassy field with flowers surrounding them. The sky was clear that night, so they got a good view of the stars. They were sitting near a tall oak tree and enjoying the scenery. Micheal became a bit skittish. "What's wrong, boy?" Gretta asked in concern, then she noticed that Micheal had been staring in one spot, so she matched her gaze with his. Suddenly, it had all became very clear. In the distance stood a tall, beautiful horse; she was the color of freshly poured asphalt and had a long flowing mane and tail. There was not a speckle of her body which wasn't black except for her pale blue eyes. "Ooooh, Micheals got a crush," Gretta teased, and then Micheal let out a neigh. "Let me go see if your lady friend would like to join us," said Gretta standing from the ground.
She pulled out a pear from her backpack then approached the horse cautiously. When she got close enough, she held out the pear, and the horse sniffed it and examined Gretta. After a bit of hesitation, the horse finally excepted, and hearts flew in the air so Gretta knew she could take her back with Micheal. "Okay, girl, follow me," Gretta said and walked the horse to her small campground. "Micheal, this is-" Gretta paused and remembered she hadn't given the horse a name yet. She thought hard for a few moments. "This is Ramona," said Gretta, Ramona then let out a cheerful neigh. She seemed to approve of her name. "Anyways, I think you two will get along very well. Ramona, I need to tell you our mission so lend an ear." Gretta then explained the situation, and Ramona listened carefully. After Gretta had finished, it had gotten relatively late, so they decided it was time to go to sleep. "Goodnight Micheal, goodnight Ramona." Said Gretta, then they all drifted off.
Morning arrived, and everyone was up and ready to continue the journey. Gretta prepared Oats over a fire, and the horses grazed on the grass from the field. After everyone was fed, they ventured on. Things were going very well. Ramona was an easy-going horse and had a good pace, just like Micheal, the weather was pleasant, and there were no interruptions, that was until they came to a fork in the road. "Great," said Gretta. "Tom had warned me about this." On the left side, there was a path; beside it stood a sign with a warning label and various pictures of deadly bugs. Gretta's all-time worst fear was bugs. They didn't even have to be significant or harmful. She just hated insects and wanted nothing to do with them. On the right side of the trail was another path; the sign showed rainbows and puppies. Micheal began to approach the pathway with bugs because he remembered that .once they came to a fork in the road, the only way to get to evil Ursa was from the left side. Gretta pulled on the reigns of the horse. "No,, Micheal!" she cried out, "There is no way I'm going in there! Absolutely not!" Gretta stepped down from the horse then began to walk over to the right side of the road. "Let's go this way! C'mon, No bugs, And rainbows, And puppies, Guys, please! I can't do this. I cannot be around all these bugs. It's just too scary!" Both Micheal and Ramona begin to neigh in disapproval. Micheal then walked up to Gretta and pulled something off her backpack with his teeth. It was a keychain that obtained a picture of Gretta and Cookie together.
Gretta looked at this picture for a long time. "You guys are right. I need to do this for Cookie, even if it means overcoming my greatest fear." Gretta slipped the keychain back onto her backpack then mounted Micheal. "Please move quick guys, I really don't want to be in here long," said Gretta, and then they briskly trotted through the bug-infested pathway. Gretta clung to Micheal as Hornets and mosquitoes flew around the air. Spiders and centipedes filled the ground below, and Beatles climbed the trees surrounding them. Gretta cautiously swatted away any bug that came near. Suddenly, a deadly spider came to rest on Micheals's head. It had dropped down from a tree above. Gretta shrieked. "Get away! Get away!" she cried, but the bug didn't move. Gretta was terrified the spider might bite Micheal, so she gathered all her courage and, as quickly as she could, picked up the spider and threw it to the ground below. Shortly after, they finally exited the forest of bugs.
"I did it!" Gretta said joyfully, "I thought I could never make it through that forest. Thanks for pushing me, guys. We will finally be with Cookie soon." There were about 40 minutes until the team got to Ursa's lair; on the way, Gretta discussed her plan of action; she told stories and made sure the horses were at ease. Finally, they came face to face with the snowy mountain that Ursa was located. There was a long cobblestone stairway up to the summit, and snow surrounded everything else. The sky was grey, and the air was crisp. "Alright guys, it's time," said Gretta. Then they started the journey up the long stair pathway. *clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop* the sounds of the horse's hooves hitting the stone was all that seemed audible. *Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop* it seemed that time was moving extra slow. At last, they had reached the peak, and the stairs soon turned to flat ground.
Ahead stood a Large double-sided door with golden handles. Greta and the horses approached cautiously. "Okay, guys," Gretta said, "you wait out here and keep each other company, I'll be back with Cookie as soon as possible" Then Gretta hopped off Micheal's back and knocked on the large wooden door. The sound echoed throughout the mountain. The doors opened on their own. It seems like magic. Inside was an enormous room. There was a red leather carpet that led down to Ursas thrown. Surrounding the carpet on either side were torches to light the way. At the foot of the carpet, Ursa was placed in a rather large chair that seemed to resemble egotistical ways. She was gnawing on a turkey bone with one of her legs placed on top of the other. Her tail began to wag, and a smirk was drawn on her face once she met the eye of Gretta.
"Hello, Gretta." Ursa said,
"So glad you could make it,"
Gretta said nothing; she peered at Ursa with sheer malice in her eyes. Finally, she asked,
"where is she?"
"Oh? That silly little mutt of yours? Why don't I show you."
Then Ursa pulled a lever that lowered down a cage that was hidden in the darkness above. Inside sat Cookie and a young girl that Gretta hadn't recognized.
"Well, here she is, Gretta"
"whos that in there with her?" Gretta asked cautiously
"oh, that's dance monkey, she's been with me a while, and she will soon be devoured once I defeat you."
Dance Monkey then turned to meet eyes with Gretta. She was a beautiful young girl with long pink hair that looked almost the color of cotton candy. She was wearing a lacey white dress with pink bows, and on the crown of her head, cat ears poked out, and from behind, she had a tail. She gave Gretta a small smile though she looked petrified. Gretta gave a reassuring look back, almost to say, "It's going to be okay. You will get out soon."
"all right then, Ursa, let's duel," said Gretta.
"Now, hold on just a second, Gretta. I have an offer for you. If you join me, we could be unstoppable, we could eat everyone in sight, and in return, I will grant you eternal life. First things first, I will need to put an end to Cookie and Dance monkey, then we can rule the world!"
Gretta sighed
"so, eternal life for cookies life? That's a price I'd never pay. Your rain will now end, Ursa" Gretta said, then the combat began.
Ursa and Gretta both had giant swords, which they swung in all directions and poked and prodded around. They fought for what seemed like ages. All you could hear for miles was the clinging of their swords against Eachother. They looked to have the same skill set in fighting, so the battle was intense. Suddenly, Ursa knocked Gretta's sword straight from her hand, and it flew across the floor. Ursa raised her sword in the air.
"Any last words?" She said while maliciously grinning down at Gretta.
"Yeah," Gretta said,
"we have been fighting for exactly 29 minutes, and if you don't eat soon, things might get ugly." Suddenly, Ursa began to panic. She dropped her sword and desperately started looking for something to eat. "Food! I need food!" She cried. She then looked to Gretta. "Please, anything!" Gretta pulled out a bag of Oreos. Amongst the Oreos was the gluten-free decoy Oreo. She tossed the bag over to Ursa, and she immediately ate them all without hesitation.
Gretta smiled "goodbye, Ursa." Then before anyone else could say a word, Ursa proofed into thin air, she had been defeated. "My hero! You saved us!" Dance Monkey cried out. Cookie began to bounce and bark in excitement. Gretta went over to Ursa's chair and pulled the lever to set them free from the cage. Immediately, Cookie ran out and jumped on Gretta. Parading her with licks and cuddles.
"How can I ever repay you?" Danced Mokey asked with a smile.
"No need. However, I don't think its best you stay here, young lady. Why don't you come home with Cookie and me? I promise it's no trouble and would be more than thrilled to have your company."
"I'm unsure," Dance Monkey said,
"I've known this life for so long. The outside world is so scary."
"I promise you it beats any life you will have here," Gretta said, then held out her hand
"come on, I promise everything will be alright," and with that Dance Monkey and Gretta left hand in hand and never turned back. Once outside, Gretta helped Dance Monkey onto Ramonas back and handed her Cookie, then they made the journey home. They weaved through the bug forest, passed the giant mushroom, Toms house, Grassy fields, swamps, and lakes, then finally arrived back to Daymond Nashingtow.
When riding up to Gretta's house, her father immediately saw her and ran out the door to give her a big hug. He was so proud of what she had done and welcomed her newfound friends Micheal, Ramona, and Dance Monkey to stay as long as they needed. After that day, everything was peaceful, and Gretta and the others all lived happily ever after.
The end
