My Story Book

Cloud Nine

                    "OUT!!" screamed Mrs Larson as she quite literally threw her two stepchildren Pansy and Ryan, along with two sacks of clothes out the house and slammed the door. "Do you think she'll let us back in if we promise to do all the house chores again?" asked Pansy, nursing her bleeding elbow. Ryan shook his head, glancing at the sacks, "No, she may be crazy when she's drinking the stuff, but I think we're homeless for good this time.".

                         Pansy and Ryan's mother had died while giving birth to Pansy when Ryan was 1, and their father remarried not soon after. Soon when Pansy turned 8, their father had gone to get milk, but had never returned. Ever since then, their stepmother treated them nicely, but things began going downhill when she started drinking crazy juice. She had begun having crazy moments, treated them like trash, only feeding them leftovers, never buying them new clothes, making them sleep on a thin mattress, and punishing them severely if they messed anything up.

                        While wondering what to do, Pansy noticed a pigeon on the roof staring down at them. The pigeon flew down in front of them and Ryan saw a note attached to its foot, and interpreted the pictures as saying "Follow". Intrigued, the children picked up their sacks and followed the pigeon, who flew lower for better view. They walked for a long time, weaving through small trees, jumped across a stream, more trees, and finally reached an area of tents, plastic play houses, wooden play houses, a small playground, a treehouse and what seemed to be a toll booth made of a refrigerator box surrounded by a big fence. Above the toll booth was an arch with a big white cloud shaped sign made of cardboard and colourful words "CLOUD 9" scribbled crudely in crayon.

                        Inside the toll booth was an 11 year old blonde boy wearing a blue jumper and green shorts sitting in a yellow plastic chair with his legs crossed reading a comic book. Behind him was a small chalkboard that read "Population: 43". The pigeon flew in from a side window and landed in front of the boy, cooing. The boy looked up and saw the siblings. "Oh! Hello!" the boy said, putting down his book and taking out a clipboard and pen.

                          "Erm, hi." said Ryan, "Who are you?" the boy in the toll booth replied, "My name's Leo, what are your names and what's your relationship with each other?" "Uh, Ryan and Pansy Isley. I'm her older brother." "Age?" "I'm 10, she's 9.". "Do you have a home?" "Erm, not really, we got kicked out." Leo put down the clipboard and said, "Then welcome to Cloud Nine: The Town Run Entirely By Kids!" as he pulled a rope, lifting the toll booth barrier. Ryan and Pansy gaped at the sight of children of ages 5 to 12 ran around screaming wildly in the playground. Out of nowhere, a 13 year old girl in a fancy suit holding her own clipboard and pen along with a small bag, and hair tied neatly into a tail popped up right in Ryan's face.

                        "You two new here?" she asked excitedly, Leo called from the toll booth, "Brother and sister, he's Ryan, she's Pansy, don't forget it again. He's 10, she's 9. Oh, and Pansy's got a nasty scrape on her elbow so you might want to have Pam look at that. Along with all the other cuts they might have gotten from the trees".

                      The girl nodded, and said, "My name's Esther Effles. Don't laugh at the name, I'm your guide. Follow me.". She lead them towards one of the tents. It was a white canopy tent, with another one with clear curtains propped in front of it to make an outdoor area, and had a crooked painted red cross on it. They went in and in front of the entrance there was a 15 year old girl in a wheelie chair washing her hands in a bucket.

                       On the inside of the roomy looking tent was what looked to be a beach chair, drawers, a mattress, a pillow, and a blanket. "Hi Pam!" said Esther, "Hullo Esther, what seems to be the problem? Another kid fallen off the slide again?" Pam replied, not looking up. Esther's eyes sparkled, "Three words: TWO. NEW. KIDS.". Pam sat bolt upright and wheeled towards them. "Oh you poor things! Hold on a sec." she said as she wheeled here and there, getting things from the drawers and dressing their small wounds.