It's so weird; I love it.
I Went to Calamuzzu
I went through a wardrobe to a city. The sign said "Welcome to Calamuzzu". The next sign said "Hippity Hop Circus" and underneath that in smaller letters it said "Apple Valley St.". I turned around to go back the way I had come. I was going to get the others, but the wardrobe was gone. How could I get back? I started down the street to find Apple Valley St. When I found the street, I saw everything was covered in snow. As I walked, I started to freeze. I found nothing but snow. I began to cry. I couldn't bear the snow any longer. I was going to die. I made a little bed of snow, took off my sweatshirt, then laid my scissors on my pants and cut them so I had shorts on. At last, I laid down on my bed of snow and waited for me to die.
"Get up, you might get frost bite. Snow doesn't keep you warm, you know," I heard someone say.
"I know that," I answered.
"Then come on," the lady said, "We ought to get you bundled up into some warm clothes, don't you thing?"
"Yeah," I answered.
The lady was wearing blackish, bluish, greenish, turquoise pants with a greenish coat, and a headband in her blond hair. "Oh yes, and my name is Kemp. Katy Kemp," she said.
"Oh, mine's Anneke, but people call me Anni," I answered.
"Last name? I'm sure it wouldn't be Anni," she said impatiently.
"Oh. Narnia," I answered.
"Anni Narnia? Something is peculiar about you," she said rudely.
"Like what?" I asked.
"Your last name," she answered.
"So?" I asked.
"So - just look up at the sign," she answered sarcastically.
The sign said "Welcome to Narnia."
"So who cares if I have the same name as the town?" I asked, "And besides, I thought this was Calamuzzu?"
"Well, it was, but it's not anymore. Well... you see, um, well, that, you see, that was the last town, kind of," she stammered.
"Uh huh, and why does it matter?" I asked.
"Oh, just because, and you're asking too many questions. Now you've lost the answer for this one," she muttered.
"Whatever," I thought.
We started going home (wherever that is). Now I thought my life really was based on the book of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. A magic wardrobe, snow and everything, a wicked witch (or at least she seemed really mean) Weirdest of all, the town's name was Narnia. How weird is that? When we got there, Katy got to the door and when she opened it, all I could see were children. There were children everywhere.
"Now, we mustn't waste any time. There's too many children," Katy said.
"For what?" I asked.
"Their names," she answered.
"Oh, but there's so many kids, Katy," I begged.
"No buts - and call me Mrs. Kemp. Now the kids on the left side are Kassy, Luis, Jen, Jennifer, Paul, Xavier, Lusy, Mary, Kami, Kam, and Lisa. Over here on the right is Lexi, Jon, Jamie, Stephen, Tyler, Candase, Morgan, Michelle, Polly, Reuben, Ruben, Kyle, Rachel, Jordan, Jessie, Courtney, Jason, Alexandra, Cody, Makayla, Crystal, Jade, Suzie, Rebecca, Hannah, Zachary, and Kyla. And over here on the west side is Darian, Kisha, Lila, Lily, Lia, Linsy, Loren, Tish, Lore, Carver, Tino, Freddy, and Luther. Now the kids on the north are Kate, Katy, Kelsey, Karmen, Marin, Megan, Leendert, Roger, Jeanette, Maria, Mandy, Kelly, and Nisa, and the kids on the kitchen table are all triplets with weird names that are Dotty, Lotty, and Moxy. And the kids on the cabinet who are not supposed to be up there are Tammy and Tommy. Guys, get down from there," said Mrs. Kemp.
"Wow, there's about 60-something people in here," I said.
"Yes, and you're the next one," she said.
"No, I'm not. I never said that. So there. We're even and I got a little more proof than you," I declared as I ran out the door. She ran after me yelling, "Stop, stop. I'll catch you. Your last name is Kemp now, anyway."
"Fat chance," I yelled. I ran all the way to Calamuzzu. And right into a door. When I found that I was going through a tunnel, I stopped.
"Get in here quickly.... she's coming," a voice boomed. I ran faster by the thought of her catching up. When I finally saw something, it was weird. It was a huge opening in the tunnel and there was an old man.
"You coming or not?" he asked.
"Yes," I answered.
"Then come on," he said.
I ran over. I saw a flying machine.
"Come on, get in," he said. I ran in.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Are you kidding? We're goin' home," he answered.
"Y-Y-Y-You mean you know me?" I asked.
"Yup. I knew your grandma and grandpa pretty well in college. Now they were love bugs. Oh yeah, and I taught your dad," he said.
"Oh, you get back here," yelled Mrs. Kemp, running and shooting fire bullets out of an evil wand.
"Oh no," the old man said.
"What?" I asked.
"If that wand goes into the wrong hands, this machine can't run," he said.
Just then, an evil bullet shot into the flying machine.
"Ah-h-h-h-h," I yelled or screamed; I don't fully remember. Now back to the story. The machine split in two and he and I landed on our butts.
"Stop. Stop. Why are you doing this? What do you want of us, you wicked Witch of the East," he said.
"Oh, not so quickly," Mrs. Kemp said, "You think I am the Witch of the East, but I am the Witch of the North. Oh, yes and I will call Elda here. She's the Witch of the West. I know how you all fear her. And about why I'm here and who I want? I am here for a new member of my family and I want Anni. I would be surprised if you would want her. You're so clumsy, you can barely keep yourself alive," she snarled.
He fainted.
"He can so," I yelled.
"Can not."
"Can too."
"Can not."
"Can too."
"Can not."
"Can too."
"Can no...." He voice got interrupted by a girl's voice.
"Thop it, you meanie," the voice yelled. It sounded like a 5-year-old. Well that's because it was, except a 4-year-old, which is even worse.
"Polly, what are you doing here?" asked Mrs Kemp.
But before she could answer, I yelled, "Watch out, Polly, get over here. She's lifting her magic wand."
"So?" asked Polly.
"So?? If she shoots out bullets of fire and she's aiming at you, which she is, then....," I snapped my fingers "...you're dead."
"Fine, then I'll get you first," snapped Mrs. Kemp.
I ran behind the biggest rock in the cave. Polly ran after me.
"Okay, on the count of thwee, we will wun out and thing 'I wuv you, you wuv me, we're a happy famawy, with a gwate big hug and a kiss fwum me to you, won't you say you wuv me too.' We'll let her know that we willy like her," said Polly.
"No way. You do it," I said.
It may have been a stupid song from Barney, but it was smart in a way. It would help make Mrs. Kemp go wacko, I thought.
Just then, I saw two doors and one had the shape of a hand carved into it and inside the hand there was a silver button right where the palm would go. The hand was about Polly's size. I could still hear her singing "and a kiss fwum me to you. Won't..."
I interrupted her and said, "Polly, come here."
"Why?" she asked.
"Just come here," I yelled.
She ran over a bit frightened. "What are we doing?" she whispered.
"Go put your hand in that one," I pointed at the door.
"Why?" asked Polly.
"Because I said so," I yelled.
Quickly, she ran to the door with the hand on it. When she put her hand in the door, it opened. She walked in.
"Mommy. Daddy," I heard her say.
Then a bigger hand appeared. Mrs. Kemp ran to the door. The hand was the same size as hers so in she put her hand. She ran through a hallway. "What? A jail?" I heard her yell.
I put my hand in the next one. Suddenly I saw coats. "The wardrobe," I yelled. I would have imagined even the old man heard me.
I ran through the wardrobe and into the living room and saw my sister reading.
"What you readin'?" I asked.
"Chloe's Diaries," she answered.
"Cool, what's it about?" I asked.
"Here, I'll read the back to you. 'I have just gotten the popular guy in school to notice me, but he doesn't want to tell, but what good is it if nobody knows cause then I won't be popular.' There, that's what it says. Now, can you just leave me alone?" she asked.
"Cool, can I read it?" I asked.
"Uh... Anneke, you don't even read love stories," she said.
I laughed out loud. "It's so fun getting you confused," I said as I walked out of the room. Oh yeah, and did I mention that was Amy? She's sixteen ad her boyfriend's name is David.
"Anneke."
Oh, that was Amy. I better stop talking about her. Now, let's go see Jacob. He's thirteen years old.
"What are you reading?" I asked.
"Night of the Flaming Sword," he answered.
"What's it about?" I asked.
"An evil man with a flaming sword. If a man gets touched by it, he's cast into the Dark Ages," Jacob answered.
"What are the 'Dark Ages'?" I asked.
"Medieval times," he answered.
"Oh," I said. I walked out of the room. I walked into my mom's office and there was my meanest sister, Marije. She is eleven years old and in Grade Six. "Here it goes," I thought.
"Hey, Marije," I said, "What are you doing in here? I thought Mom told you to scram."
"Even if you bothered the others, I'm not gonna let you bother me. Now go," she yelled.
I did. (Now my mother did not really say "scram", she said "go".) Now here's my twin, Ponnika.
"Hey, Ponnika," I said.
"Hey," she said.
"What are you reading?" I asked.
"Cool Barbie," she answered.
It doesn't really say "Cool Barbie", it just says "Barbie", but she thinks Barbies are cool. I'm reading Lizzy McGuire. My youngest sibling, Gwen, is in preschool and she's 6.
"So you're reading Winnie-The-Pooh and the Honey Tree?" I asked.
"Ya," she answered.
Last there's Marco. He's really 18 but he acts like a baby. We adopted him. I don't really think he deserves to be in a story-book.
Well that's the end of my story.
Good-bye.
THE END
And those are workings of my 8-year-old mind. Poor Marco :(
Anywho, the reason for posting this is because I'm hoping to do much more writing. My Great Grandma Falb passed away this past Fall and, while cleaning my room recently, I found all the Christmas/birthday cards she'd sent me over the years. In each one, all the way up until the last, she asked how my writing was going (which, since the last 5 years, has been pretty much nowhere). This primarily, along with a general desire to "get my creativity back" has triggered a massive guilt trip that I think is sufficient enough to start writing again.
Stories are being produced again :) I'm so happy about this.
Thanks for sharing my journey,
Anneke
