Keep Out

• Madeline Long, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2008

On a dark and cloudy day, Lucy went to Jack’s new house. When Lucy saw the house she thought it was creepy because of the gigantic trees that surrounded it. The trees made a scary shadow on the dull concrete house. She wondered why Jack would buy such a house.
When Lucy finally found Jack in the huge house she asked him why he chose this house. He explained that it was not his choice and that it was his mother’s choice. She chose it because she started carving patterns on trees. His mother said it was very useful but Jack thinks it has no use at all. Then Jack showed her around the humongous house. At the end of the house they saw a door that had a “Keep Out” sign on it. When Lucy asked Jack what it was Jack said that he has never seen it before (after all he only moved in two days ago). The two of them agreed to have a look inside.
When they opened the door they saw a mine full of gold. The next moment they found themselves pulling at a piece of gold, suddenly they pulled it out. They were in a time mine that can put you in another parallel world. So when they pulled the gold out, like most mines it fell apart so...
“Kink” they were back in World War1. I can tell you the scene was not pretty; there was blood everywhere and dozens of bullets flying towards them. They ducked and crawled until they reached a tree. It was not any old normal tree it had a beautiful and special carving on it, it reminded Jack of the carvings his mother does and his favourite T.V. show. On the show it said that if you put your hand over the carvings you can go to another parallel world and back. He did not believe in it but it was their last hope. He held onto Lucy’s hand and using his other hand pressed the carving.
Amazingly it worked, “boom” the next second they found themselves next to a tree in the front yard with the exact same carving on it. He ran towards his mother and hugged her. His mother asked him “Carvings are useful aren’t they?” Jack froze. Did his mother know it was going to happen? Did his mother do the carvings so it would happen? Did she?