Dear Readers,

               Today is July 23, 2014. I am 10 years, 43 days, 13 hours, 54 minutes, and 27.3 seconds old and right now and I am reporting a dangerous tornado tearing New York apart like shredded paper. Puny New York is going down. Boo!

               The Empire State Building is being flattened by this violent funnel of fury. I am scared that this tornado will gobble me up and send me on a very spinney and perilous adventure.

               The Freedom Tower is standing tall and proud. Oh, a huge crunching sound is filling the air. The silver building is being demolished and the tornado is swallowing it. My house is still perfect so right now I am going outside to check this tornado’s power.

               I have just stepped outside and I am being swayed side to side by these hyper-speed winds.  It is chilly and I really want a doughnut. Like seriously: Doughnut Time Is All The Time!

               Sorry for getting a little carried away with the doughnut thing. This twister is moving fast. It is pounding at New York. The twister is gray and made of fast moving winds. It has just invited a red 4x4 truck to join its “Time to Die” party. A nice aroma is wafting towards me right now. It smells like my mom’s cooking so I am going to check it out.

               Mmmmmmmmmm. On the stove is a simmering piece of salty, lemony corn. The corn is looking so good.  My mom is just setting corn on the table but when there is a furious tornado crushing your neighbors all you’ve got to say is: Ain’t nobody got time for that! But in this situation I am going to eat 214,546,987,133,254 pieces of corn.

               I think I have met my quota of 214,546,987,133,254 pieces of corn. I might have eaten more ‘cause I ate 1!!!!! YAAYYY!!!!

Chapter 1: A Pleasant Surprise

 

I slumped down the stairs and entered the kitchen. My dad and my 3 year-old younger brother, Nick, were huddled around the table eating. A pile of eggs, beans, and toast lay in the middle. Golden light filtered in through our big window. My mother was at the counter fiddling with an egg that was on the stove.

 Nick was gobbling down an egg on toast. Egg dangled from his chin and breadcrumbs were scattered over his mouth.

“Good morning,” my dad said. He, on the other hand, was all neat and clean and ready for work.

 My dad was on the computer printing out some papers. “You know, your mother and I decided that we are going to go to California this summer.”

“We are?” I asked.

“Yup, we figured that you need a little break,” my mother exclaimed. I sat down for breakfast. Inside I was jumping with excitement and joy.   

I took two slices of toast and two omelets. I was finishing up my breakfast when the doorbell rang. My dad rushed to the door and yanked it open.

A man stood at the doorway, his shadow darkening the room. His greasy hair was cropped and his electric blue eyes were stunning. His face was gaunt but his body was unrealistically buff.

He carried a brown box in his hands. He seemed to be very stressed by the way he acted.

“Hello,” he said with a voice like booming thunder.

“Why hello Mr. Penny,” my mother said.

“Your flight to California has been delayed.”

“Oh no,” my mother replied worriedly.

“Until the day after tomorrow,” Mr. Penny informed.

“Thank you, now we must get the kids to school so if you don’t mind leaving that would be very helpful.”

 

When Mr. Penny left my mom told me to check the time.  

I rushed into the kitchen and took a brief peek at the clock: 8:26 it read. ‘Oh no,” I said. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and headed out the door.

 

The school halls were packed. More like stuffed. People were hanging around their lockers and exchanging jokes. I went to my locker and put my backpack inside. I took out a pencil and some paper and took off for math class. It started at 8:40.

               

 

 

“Finally 2:30, school’s almost done. I just have to get through my art class,” I thought to myself.

I got my art stuff and entered the class. I picked a seat next to my friend Dean.

    “How ya’ doing?” Dean asked.

    “Oh, fine,” I replied.

    “How ‘bout you?”

    “Oh, nothing much.”

    We hadn’t seen each other today since we were in different classes.

“Hello class, today we will be learning how to blah, blah, blah.” My teacher went on and on about our technique and how we should stroke evenly.

    It was so boring I just put my head in my arms and waited for this class to end.

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIINNNNNGGGGG!!!!! Finally torture had ended!!!!!!! I was soooooo happy! I packed up, bid Dean and my class goodbye, got my backpack and walked out of the school.

  

 

 

Chapter 2: The Mysterious Pencil

 

I walked home to meet my brother playing with some old toys.

    “Those were in the attic, you’re not allowed up there,” I said.

    “Dad let me,” Nick said still looking down at his toys.

    “I’m going,” with that said I raced into the attic. I looked around. The air was clogged and musty. Suddenly, far off in the corner a faint light was emanating.

    I stepped toward it carefully. Under my dinosaur there lay a battered blue pencil with ancient markings all over it. “Whoa,” I muttered.

    I took it in my hand and headed downstairs to ask my mom if I could keep it.

    “Mom can I have this pencil?”

    “Sure hon,” she replied. All evening I was going to draw with this thing.

    I went to the park with a piece of paper and the mysterious pencil. 

    I drew a high-tech robot with a park background. By accident I dropped my pencil. It rolled away.

    I ran after it but stopped when I heard a strange noise. “It’s nothing,” I convinced myself. I got the pencil and went home.

    “Mom, look at what I drew.” I showed my mom the robot picture that I had drawn.

    “Nice,” she said.

    My dad was home from work. He was plopped on the sofa in front of the TV. He sat there watching the news.

    “Oh and the breaking news is: ROBOT ON THE LOOSE!!!!!” The commentator screamed.

    “That looks familiar,” I thought to myself. I looked down at my pencil. No it couldn’t be. Magic doesn’t exist, or at least I thought it didn’t.

    I wanted to have dinner. I was hungry. My mother was cooking a delicious plate. I could tell by the smell. After I drew the picture it seemed like it had taken a bit of my energy away.

     That night I had a huge dinner. I ate and ate. I decided to put my pencil on top of my TV where Nick couldn’t reach. I was pondering about the pencil glowing. I was curious about why I hadn’t seen it the other times I was up there in the attic.

    “Honey,” my mother announced.

    “Yeah mom,” I replied

    “That pencil that you have, it looks just like the one on the news.”

    “What are you talking abo… Whoa! You’re right mom it does look similar.”

    I turned my head to see a close up picture of my pencil.

    “WE ARE SEEING THIS BIG SHIP OVERHEAD! IT IS USING ITS LOUDSPEAKERS AND SHOWING US A PICTURE OF THIS PENCIL. IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT!!!”

    The news reporter could barely be heard above the noise of this flying aircraft. This aircraft wanted my pencil. Why?

    This aircraft was not from Earth but I knew that I couldn’t be so sure.

I decide to think about it tomorrow. I felt the feeling of sleepiness overwhelm me. I went upstairs and collapsed on my bed.

     

 

 

Chapter 3: The Dog

 

     I awoke to the sound of my annoying alarm. BLEEP! BLEEP!

    I sluggishly walked down the stairs. I entered the kitchen. Nick was at the table eating with my dad. He was devouring a bowl of Cheerios.

    “Hi,” I said to Nick.

    “Goooda monin” Nick replied.

    “What day is it?” I asked.

    “It’s Saturday. No school,” my mother informed.

    “By the way I’m not hungry,” I said. I sauntered to the TV and checked the top. I curled my fingers around the pencil. I brought it down. The pencil looked the same as it did before.

    I wanted to draw a dog. I entered my backyard with a paper and a pencil. Our backyard was a perfect square.

    Old Oak trees were lined up on the right side of our backyard. They were thick and were the color of hazel.

    Their green leaves transformed the sunlight into a green eerie glow.

    I sat under the trees.  I started with the tail. I made it wagging. Then I did the face, the ears, the body, and then finally the limbs.

    My hands ached and I was parched. I decided to go in to get some lemonade.

    When I came back out my jaws practically unhinged. I dropped my lemonade glass and it splattered all over me.

    There was a cute Golden Retriever pouncing around in my backyard.

    “What?!?!” I said bewildered.

    WHOOF! WHOOF! The dog barked. It took me a moment before I realized what was going on with the pencil. It couldn’t be a coincident. The robot that I drew is on the loose! This dog that I drew came to life! The markings on the pencil, the glowing symbols, it all makes sense now. The people in the aircraft are aliens wanting their magical pencil back.

    I took the dog inside. My mother asked me where I got the dog from, so off-course I had to lie.  I told my mom that I found the dog on the street and asked if we could keep it.

    My mother told me no. I went outside and put the dog in my backyard. As I was coming back inside, I heard a robotic voice saying: SOURCE DETECTED. I turned around to be blasted in my chest by an orange laser beam.

    I collided into the house with a bone snapping sound. Excruciating pain shot through my body. Shards of glass from a window cut my calf. Blood was pouring out of the wide cut on my calf.

    A charred scar ran along my chest. I wanted to scream in agony, but the problem was: I couldn’t.

 

Chapter 4: Alien Invasion

 

    I struggled to my feet. Suddenly, another orange beam came at me. This time I rolled to the side. The alien ship blasted a white beam, this time freezing me.

    With me frozen they smashed me with a cerulean beam sending me flying into my neighbor’s house. Another cut appeared this time on my cheek. The deep gash was oozing with blood.

    Suddenly, my eyes started to roll up. “No! Not now!” I screamed. I got to my feet and ran to my back yard. I picked up the pencil and drew a spaceship fully loaded with laser blasters on the nearest brick.

    It sprang to life shooting at the alien ship. I ran to my mother.

“Mother!” I yelled.

“Honey,” she yelled back.

I tracked down the sound. I drew another ship to hold off the alien ship as I helped my mother. Before I could totally get her I felt a sharp pain in my back.

I turned around and came face to face with an alien. His blade had scraped my back. I felt like I was about to die. The alien had a slimy rainbow body and face.

“Hi,” I said weakly, trying to stay positive.

“Gruu grole gry grengil,” the alien answered.

“Sorry bud, but I don’t speak Gringlish.”

He growled and swiped at me with his blade. I rolled to the side and punched him hard on his face. Purple liquid splattered all over the place.

I took out my pencil and drew a big buff monster 20 feet tall. Bam! He broke through the ceiling and stomped towards the alien.

“RAAAAAHHHHHH!!!” I yelled and charged at the alien. I body slammed him while the monster slowly raised his foot to step on the alien. I got off the alien and ran towards my mom.

I could scarcely make out her silhouette but it was enough.

DADADADAADADADADADADA! Bullets blew up the floor behind me. I ran. I jumped towards my mother. I grasped her hand and she hoisted me up onto the stranded piece of floor she was on. The alien and monster were blown up. Everything around my mother and me was blown up. There was no way that we could escape. There was a big unfathomable trench surrounding us.

“Get ready to jump,” I said.

“I’m ready,” my mother replied.

It was when I placed my pencil in my back pocket that I felt it.

 

Chapter 5: The End

 

 

An old crumpled piece of paper was in my pocket. I yanked it out.

“Mother, my receipt from when I bought the groceries,” I hollered.

“And how is that important?” she asked.

“Long story,” I yelled.

I took out my pencil and drew a bridge.

“What?!” my mother said perplexed.

After the cobblestone bridge sprang to life we headed across it. The cobblestone was a light shade of gray and it had starbursts of bricks every 10 feet or so.

Red metal railings lined either side of the bridge.

 

 

When we reached the other side we couldn’t believe it. Everything was in ruins. I created a vast warship with massive propellers. It blasted away. I sprinted towards the alien ship. It had created a portal. Other huge alien ship’s swarmed in. “Oh no,” I muttered under my breath.

    I jumped onto the ship and leaped towards the lever that was projecting the portal.

    Suddenly a furious jolt of pain rushed through my body. I collapsed on the lever snapping it. The ships all shut down and the portal was sealed shut.

    “Ugh,” I croaked.

    The pain deliberately faded. I heard my mother calling my name. My eyes rolled back and I slowly withered away.

 

 

 

 

“Jack Joseph Rubble! Wake UP!” my teacher bawled.

“Wha, what?” I groggily said.

Dean was looking over me.

“Dude, you’ve been asleep for 45 minutes. My whole art class was staring at me with dumbfounded faces.

“What in the world just happened? Can art class actually be that boring?” I said with a weak laugh. I checked my chest and my calf for the cut. All I felt was smooth skin. It had felt so, soo real.

I walked home after school to meet my mother cooking dinner.

“Hi honey. Guess what.”

“What mom?”

“You won’t believe it. I found this cool pencil in the attic. I thought you might like it.”

She showed me a blue pencil with weird markings on it.

“Oh not again.”

 

 

 

And Sadly That Is The End

   

 

   

   

 
 

 

       

         

 

   

 

 

 

    

 

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Table of Content

Chapter 1: The Discovery

Chapter 2: Something I will Never Forget

Chapter 3: The Robber

Chapter 4: Busted

 

 

Chapter :1

The Discovery

On a crisp December morning the Jenkins were in their house. I was watching Christmas Specials on their TV. Mr. Jenkins was puffing on his pipe while reading a magazine. He dropped the magazine and picked up the sports section to see who won the soccer game. Mrs. Jenkins was decorating the house for Christmas. She was amazed by the decorations on the other houses lining Jolly Street. “Henry, why don't you call Herbert out?"

"Mom, It's about 23 degrees out there."

"Son, look at who won! Spain did, they won!"

The snow sunk down to the streets and it froze on houses forming thick icicles. I turned off the TV as he got up to pour himself a bowl of chips. I walked over to the couch and sat down. My dog Flicker flopped down on his rug and closed his eyes.

Then he got back on his feet and pounded towards the door knocking over a vase. I put the bowl aside and leaped for the vase. Instead, I banged my head on the table fell to the floor. I held my head and stood up. Flicker barked then clung his teeth onto the vase and started to chew ferociously. He forgot about the door business and I did not want to remind him. Mrs. Jenkins just warmed up a cup of Lemon Tea that she sipped slowly. Mr. Jenkins slid back in his chair and stretched out his arms and started to munch on my chips.

I was fine now and was going to call Herbert. I put on my jacket and tore through the street. I knocked hard on Herbert's door. Snow covered my eyelashes and landed softly on my jacket. Herbert opened the door. "Oh. hi Henry want to come in my mother's baking Christmas cookies." "Well. That's why I came here."

We went inside his house and the smell of nice delicious cookies ran through my nostrils. Herbert put his nose against the window to get a look at their neighbor's house. "Herbert, Honey please stop rubbing your nose against the clean window."

"Okay mom. Henry do you have any ideas in that naughty brain of yours?"

"Nope."

"Well then... What should we do?"

"We could play with my dog Flicker."

"Great idea. All we have to do now is think about what to play with Flicker."

"Don't worry, leave that up to me". I walked home shivering.

My mother was cooking Hazelnut soup over the small stove. Flicker burst out the door. "Mom, I'm taking Flicker out to play", and with that said I ran out the door. As soon as I got there I heard a few words said on the radio. I barely heard them but I understood them and so did Herbert. We exchanged puzzled faces as my mouth dropped open. There's never a robbery on JOLLY STREET! Herbert and I petted Flicker while Herbert's mom set a platter full of cookies on the table. When the snow stopped Herbert and I picked up the soggy newspaper on their driveway. It sure did say Robbery on Jolly Street  

We flopped down on the smallest sofa in Herbert's house and opened up the newspaper. Half of the words were smeared and some pages were very interesting.

The next day Herbert and I strolled across the neighborhood with Flicker hot on our trail. We took a few turns and then we stopped and looked at a nearby berry bush covering dozens of boxes. We pushed aside a few thick leafy branches and then looked in the opposite direction. The thief was sprinting away down the sidewalk and onto the road.

Cars beeped and trucks honked as me and Herbert stood there in shock. Then I pointed to the thief and we took off behind him. We hopped over wiry fences and took short cuts. We ran through cornfields and saw him a couple of miles away. Just as we were about to get a hold of him a bus peeled us apart. Henry yelled "Yo we got ya."

We walked home slouching as if we were miserable. Henry got home and unfolded a blank piece of paper from his pocket. "Cheese balls! we had him." I sketched the robber on the wrinkled piece of paper. I messed up on the nose. When the sun slipped behind the trees and the sky grew dark, me and Herbert gathered information and reread the newspaper about five times. "Herbert, I don't get this? I mean like, a robbery on Jolly Street?"

"Henry, something’s wrong, we missed a clue. The next morning Herbert shook me up. I told him, “ Twenty more minutes. Pleeeease.”

“No!”

I slowly got up. I chowed down my cereal, Herbert sipped his O.J from his favorite cup and we stepped out the door. We let the fresh breeze puff us up. I went home fast and pulled on a jersey from the drawer. I threw on  wrinkly jeans over my jeans that I wore yesterday and snatched a chocolate milk carton from the pantry. As I ripped my carton open my mother rushed downstairs and quickly made herself a cup of steaming tea. I fixed myself a snack. I smeared peanut butter over my bread and while I scooped out chunks of jelly from the jar.  The phone rang....

Chapter: 2

Something I will Never Forget

I answered the phone. A deep voice filled my ears. “Hello? Who is this?” Uncle Henshaw answered back. And before I got a chance to realize who it was the door revealed a tall hairy man. I took one last lick of jelly from my sandwich when a gruff voice called out “Mrs. Jenkins!” I furiously leaped toward the man. I can recognize that guy anywhere. Uncle Henshaw hugged me tight. He had a firm grip on my T- Shirt. His rough hands grabbed my shoulders after the hug. “Henry, may you please do me a favor?” “No problemo” “Good. Call your mother.” I slipped down the stairs and into the basement.

Soon my mother dragged herself up the stairs. She was stunned. “Henshaw! Good to see you. Did you have a safe flight?”    

“Sure did.” I asked my mother if I could call Hebert. She said yes very fast. I bursted out into the blistering snow storm. “Ah!” It’s so cold. I hurried to Herbert's house.

Three hills showed their beauty. One after another the hills formed a straight line. The tallest hill’s peak was buried in the thick fog that started to slowly grow thicker and overwhelm Jolly street. Herbert was looking at me boredly. “Uuuuuuuuuuh, What are you exactly doing?”    

“Well... Uh... I. I’m admiring the hills.”

Oh, yeah right”

“No really I am.”

We entered Herbert’s house. Robbery on Jolly Street was written on every newspaper Herbert had hung up. The sun was slipping out of sight and the moon brightened the sky. On a full moon Herbert and I would see what the boxes held. We would go on a full moon because the moon will provide us enough light.

Herbert and I surrounded the chess board and played. As I moved my Bishop slanted, I had an idea. I explained it to Herbert. At night when the moon glittered in the dark sky I was blowing on a blade of grass to pass time. A dark oak tree stood still in the whispering winds beside me. It started to drizzle and the oak’s leaves drifted down onto the grassy lawn that I placed myself on. A dark, shaggy, and gray figure walked towards me. The hot muggy air was filled with humidity. My image was blurry and the figure was very close up. It moved it’s hand in an ugly way. I heard a snarl then a deadly chuckle. All that was running through  my mind were these words “Run Henry, Run”.

The shadow crouched down beside me. He held my arm and then he continued to haunt me. In a dark night like this, all shadows are milky and blurry. I got up but then I got pulled back down. The grip on my wrist bruised me enough to aggravate me. The fog shifted smoothly across Jolly street. Soon the sun rose high enough to reveal everything. The shadowy looked at me in a friendly way. Wait a second, it was my teddy bear wobbling on a pile of pillows. That dream was something that I will never forget.  

I got out of bed. My mother was cooking bacon. I could smell the sizzling, juicy bacon cooking in the pan. “Son could you watch the bacon while I go and get dressed? AND PLEASE DON’T LET IT BURN!!!”

“Okay  mom.”  Dad came downstairs with a Please-Give-Me-Breakfast expression on his face. I kept my mouth shut as I put a platter towering with bacon on the table.  

Mom came downstairs with her hair bundled up in a white towel. I took a bacon from the platter and tugged on it with my teeth. I managed to tear the bacon in two. My dad was on his fifth piece of bacon and was cutting his third omelet into pieces. My mother was patting her lips with a napkin. A piece of  omelet was dangling from my father’s beard. Uncle Henshaw came downstairs in his pajamas. We offered Uncle Henshaw some bacon and quarter of an omelet since we had eaten all the rest.

Chapter 3:

The Robber

Once Uncle Henshaw was full, we cleaned up the table and wobbled downstairs to watch some news. “Hello everybody” exclaimed the news reporter in a serious voice. “ There has been a robbery on Jolly Street” Boom! A thought flashed up in my head. I slipped into my shoes bolted out the door. As soon as I reached the front door of Herberts house I rang the doorbell. His mom opened the door and let me in. As soon as I came in I saw Herbert. He was slouching on the couch crunching on some Lays [ chips ]. “Hey buddy” he said.

“Hi” I replied. “Did you hear the news?”

“Yeah now the whole town knows.”  

“Yeah I know right.”

“Hey do you want to go outside?”

“Yeah sure” Herbert and I took a stroll down Jolly Street. As soon as we started home I saw a strange and familiar figure hidden in the mist. It was the robber.

Herbert and I bolted towards the robber. The robber ran. We struggled through the mist. I got a hold of the the robbers shirt. He whipped around and gave me a heavy blow in my chest. “Uh!” I said as I toppled to the floor like a tower of bricks. I felt the cold cement touch my cheek. “NOOOO!” screamed Herbert as the robber got away. Suddenly my vision went blurry and blank.

I woke up in a white bed. I saw a bunch of heads crowded around my bed. I looked down and saw a big red stain on my shirt. It burned and stinged. “Hi buddy” exclaimed Herbert in a friendly voice.

“Hi” I said. Then I immediately fell asleep.

Each day I got better. I got chocolates and presents from family members. I kept on thinking about the robber. Herbert talked about the robber a lot to me. In all the presents there was a plan. As soon as I got better I took out my dog for a walk.

Flicker longed to go the other way because the abandoned their  cats lived their and he loved to scare them out of their skin.

 

So once we got their I unleashed him. Suddenly I caught a glimpse of a golden H dash behind the trees. Quietly I looked behind the trees. I got him! THE ROBBER!!!!!!!!! I jumped up and tackled him. He fell to the floor with a thud. 

I ripped of his mask. "What!?"

Suddenly I heard a noise "Hey," Herbert said. He ran up to me. He knelt down beside me and together with looked at the robbers face in astonishment. The biggest clue of all was the H.