Stories Inspired By Class

Shep

Photo Story Starter - For today's journal, begin by looking at the attached picture.*Use the picture as the conflict for your story.*We will use a writing technique called a flashback: begin with the conflict, then "flash back" to the beginning where you introduce the characters and the setting.*Use flashback to create the exposition, then jump back to the present to create the rising action for your story.

Yes the title is spelled correctly

     He flew through the air, hitting the fence and getting his legs caught. The crowd went quiet, the only sound being the bleating of a sheep.

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The warm sun shined on Maria's face as she stepped past the ticket booth. She turned her head upwards, soaking up the warmth offered to her. She caught the smell of funnel cakes and kettle corn somewhere to right, and smiled to herself. The first day of the country fair was always the best, just because it meant fall was here. 

Caught up in her daze, she didn't realize her best friend, Ava, had been trying to get her attention. When she slapped her shoulder, Maria finally turned to face the small blonde next to her. 

"You do this every year with that dumb look on your face," Ava whined, shaking her friend by the shoulders "every. Single. Year!" 

Maria laughed, pushing Ava off of her. "What's not to smile at though? The fair means it's time for fall, which means pumpkin flavored everything!" Maria watched Ava's face turn sour, knowing she didn't like pumpkin flavor at all. 

"Whatever," Ava scoffed, grabbing Maria by the wrist and dragging her towards the nearest ride, "we have a mission this time, but it's gonna take forever so we can kill time riding everything." Maria hummed in agreement, walking faster to match her friend's pace. 

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After a few hours of trying out all the rides, they had finally run out of things to do. They were sitting outside the root beer stand, watching kids with face paint run by, throwing pieces of kettle corn at each other. 

"Are you sure that's everything? we still have an hour left until the main event!" Ava whined to her friend, putting her head in her hands. 

"Yes I'm sure that's everything, unless you wanna go through the haunted house?" Maria said the last bit trying to sound scary, and reach over and poked her friend in her side. Ava jumped and looked up at her and shook her head quickly, trying to appear comfortable in her seat.

"I can wait." She said in a squeaky tone. Maria laughed, settling back and watching people move around her as the day dragged on and the sun began to crawl down from its highest point in the sky.

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When Maria's phone showed the time was 3:40 pm, she grabbed onto Ava's wrist and began to drag her towards the bull ring at the far end of the fair's gates. "Come on! It's almost 4:00, but we have enough time to get food and find good seats." 

The rushed through the crowd, trying to get there quickly. Someone shouted at them to slow down, so they slowed to a brisk pace. They reached a hot dog stand, and the line wasn't too long. The got their food and walked to the stands that weren't too far away, searching for another group of people. 

Maria was the first to spot them, and she ran up the seats, jumping on a woman and almost knocking her back. "Auntie!" She squealed, hugging the woman tightly.

"Wow! You're so much bigger than I remembered!" The woman laughed, hugging Maria back with the same strength. 

"Well it has been a few years." Maria breathed, having the air squeezed out of her. Her aunt released her, holding her an arms length away and looking her up and down. 

"You grew up tall and skinny, oh, and this must be Ava!" She said, noticing Ava behind her friend. "I've heard so much about you, and Maria described you perfectly." Ava shook hands with her aunt and smiled, nodding her head.

They sat down in their seats and waited for the show to start. As more people filed in, slowly filling up the stands, an announcer came over the speakers.

"Good evening ladies and gentleman!  How are you all on this fine evening? " The crowd cheered in response, echoing off of the walls surrounding the stands. "Glad to hear it! Now, I know you all came for the big show today, but how about we start off with a little kicks tarter to give you a taste of what's to come?" The crowd cheered again. "Alrighty! TO start, we have a brave young man stepping up to ride our biggest, strongest, and fastest sheep. Now I know what you're thinking, 'it's a sheep! How hard can it be?' Well, you'll just have to wait and see."

A large man brought out a fairly large sheep and tied him to a post in the middle of a ring. Then a small boy stepped out, looking to be around the age of 4. He walked up to the sheep, and was just barely taller than it. The man picked him up and set him on the sheep. When the boy nodded his head at the man, he took the rope from around the sheep's neck and backed away, just before the sheep began to buck and turn, trying to throw the boy off. The crowd was going crazy, making the stands shake with their enthusiasm. The boy managed to stay on for quite a while. 

The sheep began to run in circles around the ring, bleating in desperation. As it was coming to a turn, the sheep accelerated, and gave one final buck, throwing the boy over his head. He flew through the air, hitting the fence and getting his legs caught. The crowd went quiet, the only sound being the bleating of a sheep.