The World Without Friction

• Hrithvik Sood, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2010

It was 3am of the first day of my high school. I can’t believe it, today is the day. I can hardly sleep!!! I keep packing my bag because the books keep popping out. It was so weird and there was no hole. I am so excited that I keep falling from my bed actually slipping like something is pulling me out. I think I am hallucinating because I can see my clothes on the roof and some books were slipping from the desk. I think I should sleep. Maybe I am just worried, you know teen stuff. Just sleep, Tacy, you don’t want mum to wake you up on your big day.

I opened my eyes slowly and I found myself faced down on the ground. My body hurts badly. I couldn’t get myself stand properly. I walked slowly but my foot didn’t the floor. Again I tripped over but this time I slipped down the stairs shouting. No one is in the house. I can’t believe my eyes, why are the things falling and sort of floating? I took my favourite cylinder cup and found water in it. I was just about to take a drink that it just slipped through my hands and fall in the ground. It ended up in tiny pieces. There was nothing greasy in my hands to make it slip. To my left I found windows open. Maybe a fresh view will be a good start. OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!

Wake up, Tacy!! There is no way that the cars can slide down the road without a driver. Hundreds of cars sliding down with incredible speed. Isn’t there a word called grip in the world. One of the cars ended up hitting a wall but the terrifying thing was, why aren’t the wheels stop spinning? I opened the door and I slipped down the road. On the way I saw a pole. I tried holding it but my hands couldn’t grip it. I tried very hard not to slip. Ahead of me was my friends house and luckily the door was open. I knock my head on the desk. The slightest air blowed the laptop of the table easily. I heard my friend shout behind me. Cassy, what’s happening!!! Why all this stuff happening to us. My science teacher told me something important, what was it? Something to do with Friction, That’s it!!!!!!!!!!! We are in the world without Friction. NOOOOOOO!!! That can’t be happening.

Tacy relax, this isn’t the end of the world!!!! I have to do something before that I have to eat something. I am so hungry! I set my plate down in front of me. But, as usual, it flies across the table and lands face down, of course, on the floor. I get another plate and get some new eggs and pancakes. After quickly eating whatever hadn’t slid off my fork, I carefully stand up…and promptly fall down. Cassy and I slide to my house and amazingly we reach the house extremely fast.

Dad!!!!!!!!! Tacy shouldn’t your dad be at work said Cassy quickly. Oh yeah, maybe this part of earth is changing not the others hopefully. Later at afternoon, I sit in the chair holding both sides really hard. I was taking my hands off the chair slowly but my dad bust through the door making me dizzy and I crashed on the polished floor. I noticed the smooth surface is hard. Dad says it was very frustrating. All of his workers kept on falling over. He thinks that someone coated the floor with grease or oil.

Dad we have no friction. Dad, have a rest while Cassy and I look for mum. My house is a disaster. The photos frames on the walls are no longer hanging beautifully but in crunched up together in the floor, microwave and fridge on top of the table. It looks like it just about to fall off. I was about to go to Dad when I saw mum sliding through the door with take away food in her hands. Mum stopped and looked me with pity eyes. I am so sorry I left you alone said mum sadly. I saw a photo frame about to fall from the wall on mum’s head. MUMMMMMMMMM!!!!!! Watch out. It was too late my mum lying in the ground with closed eyes and blood spilling rapidly.

I was crying. In no time I was in my bed with opened eyes. Oh great, it was a dream. I was all sweaty and crying. I ran all the way to mum and hugged her. It is good to be running and not slipping and able to drink water and no broken cups to clean. I wanted to tell everything, if I stop crying. I took a shower and caught the bus with Cassy to school. My first lesson was science and Guess what we talked about friction. I was the one answering all the questions. I was the top of the class. Finally it is not the worse day of my life!!!

Life without friction is kind of fun at first, but after a while, you get tired of all the falling and crashing, and you wish that you could just go for five minutes without slipping or falling over. It will be funny if people can’t line up for canteen properly because they keep falling down. We are very lucky!!!!!!!!!!!!!