I HATE FLYING!

• Jeann Lim, Grade 3
• Short Story
• 2016

Suddenly something caught my eye, it was round, big and colourful. Perfect! I slowly walked to the round thing, trying to figure out what it was. Ah ha! I should have known better it was a hot air balloon! Of course! I was at a fair so I should have been expecting on coming across one. I gazed at the lovely colours and swirls, the more I stared the more I felt wonderful. The feeling inspired me so much, I couldn’t have felt better. But I never knew things were going to be much, much worse.
You see, I’ve got this annoying little freak (which is my annoying little brother) who annoys me everywhere I go no matter what. So I ended up being annoyed at the fair as well. To make things better my mum kindly asked “sweetie why don’t you take a picture with your brother?” Okay...the first seven words were the best words so far and I really wanted to do. But…the three words after it was a huge, massive NO, NO. But since I really wanted to get this picture done I managed to mutter a very small, squeaky “yes” I don’t think my mum heard or even at least try to hear what I said but she goes on and shouts “Oh good, now Jeann and Jason stand in front of the hot air balloon, say cheese!” My brother leans against me like I’m a wall and he’s cool but in real life he’s not, not even close! I didn’t even have a chance to complain because when the freak leaned against me I got pushed into the basket! Then something bad happened something really bad… I used the rope to get up!
The envelope stated getting bigger and bigger until finally I was floating in the air! Unless you’re a complete maniac that does not understand this a single bit I’ll explain it again I was flying in a hot air balloon!!! I slowly peered down to the ground to shout something not nice to my brother. WOW! I shouldn’t have, I’m pretty high up! I forgot to mention this earlier but I’m afraid of heights! I was just about to fall off, but luckily I held on tight!
I moved around the basket thinking ‘What do I do? What do I do?’ over and over again. Suddenly I felt cold all over “What if?” I said out loud. Suddenly my words blurted out “What if I’m stuck here forever?” I panicked. “Arghhhh!” I screamed. Somehow I felt sick, what was I going to do?
I decided to look around for something that might help me escape. I thought ‘If only I had the instructions,’. Slowly a joyful feeling came across me. Instructions! That was it! I had been forgetting all along! I was still holding onto the pedal! I had read a book about how to control a hot air balloon. That’s why I love reading books. They teach so many things. I carefully let of the pedal. Down, down, down I went THUD I landed right where I started. “My daughter!” Mum cried as she gave me a big, wet kiss. “MUM!” I cried. Everything is now happily ever after, my brother is grounded and I’m happy as can be.