Children's Section

This is my new section for my children's stories that I am writing. Please, Please, Please let me know what you think.  I so value your guys' opinions. 

DAY AT THE FAIR

DAY AT THE FAIR

Written by:  LeaAnn Fuller

      Waiting in line to ride the ferris wheel the noise of the fair goers surrounds you.  You hear the laughing of everyone as they bounce up and down with the anticipation of that first ride.  You see the ride’s wheels grinding and clanking as they get pushed around and up through the air and back down again.  The riders are belting out screeches from fear and excitement. 

     As you are slowly going up it looks like you might go soaring through the clouds.  When you are so high you can almost touch the sun and it stops at the top, you get stuck there just rocking away.  It is cool and you can see everything, the whole fair.  You can see the barns that hold the cows, the pigs, and the goats.  The cars are lined up in fields as far as you can see.  If you look down everyone looks like little ants scurrying around on the ground. 

     When the ride begins to move again you can hear the whining sounds of the wheels beginning to spin again as they start to drop you down and around to raise you up all over again.  As you whip around the bottom you can hear the muffled sound of the people.   When you jump off the ride your feet come crashing down on the steel platform with loud clanging as you run for the exit. 

     The music surrounds you.  Every five feet you walk you hear different songs blaring from every direction.  The smell of buttery popcorn, hot peppers and onions, and grilled food makes you hungry.  At the food court you are surrounded by the scent of the grilling hamburgers and hot dogs, and saucy pizza. The frying grease was everywhere from french fries to fried ice cream.  

     As you squeeze your way through the crowd trying to keep up with Mom and Dad, you begin to wander to all the attractions.  Over in the stands you see the crowds gathered to see the seals perform their acrobatics, applauding with every wave, flip, and bounce of the ball.  You can’t forget the visit to the world’s largest pig, “Big Norm.”  Big Norm is the local seven-year-old pink pig that weighs sixteen hundred pounds.   

     Approaching the horse barn, you can see horses of all colors, brown, black, white, and some with black spots.  They are all lined up outside the arena while they are prepared for the show.  Their tails are spun in braids with multi colored ribbons of red, white, and blue.  Their manes are gently groomed with bowties.  The young riders are dressed for show with their navy blue overcoats, tan riding pants, and knee high black riding boots.  It appears they are waiting anxiously, as they give their horses the final brush down for their turn to shine among the crowds and judges.

     At the end of the day you take the long walk to the car hand-in-hand with your parents.  With your heavy backpack stuffed full of your goodies from the day you take a look back at the lights fluttering against the dark sky.

The Final Fifteen

The Final Fifteen

     The score was twenty-one to twenty-one when Joey looked up at the score board to see the clock stopped.  There is only fifteen seconds left of the final game of the 10U Basketball Tournament at the Naismith Memorial in Springfield, Massachusetts.  The stadium is named after James Naismith because he founded basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1891 with only soccer balls and peach baskets to work with.  

     Joey is standing outside of the key waiting for the red team player number ten to shoot a foul shot because someone on Joey’s team accidently caught number ten’s arm as he was dribbling by.  Number ten wasn’t shooting at the time of the foul so he only gets one foul shot instead of two. 

     As Joey wipes a bead of sweat from his forehead he can’t help but think, oh no if number ten makes this basket we can lose the game. 

     Joey is tired and trying not to get distracted as the sound of the crowd clapping and cheering surrounds him, “Come on Good Defense.  Get the ball back.”  The smell of body odor and sweat has overcome the gym smell of rubber balls and polished floors.  

     Above it all he can hear his mom yelling, “Come on Joey. Rebound, get the ball.  You can do it.” 

Joey puts his arm out between the player of the other team next to him and the basket as if he was trying to hold him back without actually touching him and gets up on the balls of his feet and ready to jump for the rebound in case the number ten misses.

     Joey is ready while the referee blows his whistle and bounce passes the ball to number ten. 

     Number ten then bounces the ball once and then again.  As he spins the ball between his hands he looks from the ball to the basket and then again, almost as if he was visualizing the ball falling into the basket.  After one more dribble number ten shoots the ball up and it bounces from the backboard and off of the rim towards Joey. 

     Joey jumps up to grab the ball but it gets tipped out away from the basket and he steps out and grabs it.  As Joey gets a hold of the ball he pulls it into his stomach with his arms.  He holds it tight turning his body from side to side to keep it away from the other team so they can’t knock it away or grab it for a jump ball. 

     If the other team grabs it and holds onto it while Joey still has it then they might get the ball from a jump ball and get to throw it in from out of bounds. 

     While holding onto the ball, he hears his coach yell, “ten seconds.”  

     With the pressure on he looks for one of his teammates open as both teams run to the other end of the court. 

     “Joey I’m open,” he hears Pat yell already at the other end of the court waving his arms with no one from the other team around him yet. 

     Joey raises both his arms back over his head with the ball and throws it as hard as he could to get it to Pat. 

     The ball bounces just ahead of Pat as he catches up to it and starts dribbling it towards the basket.  The red team is beginning to catch up to Pat as he starts heading towards the basket. 

     Now Pat is only a few steps away from the basket, Joey sees Pat look around, still running and dribbling the ball towards the right side of the basket.  With no one between Pat and the basket he takes the last two steps without dribbling and reaches up to the basket with the ball in his right hand.  Almost like he was gently pushing the ball off the center of the backboard and setting it into the basket himself with a layup that Joey has seen him make look so easy all year long. 

     Before Pat even gets done following through with his layup Joey hears the Bzzzzz of the buzzer begin.  “And it is good for two points,” the announcer says over the loud speaker.

     With the roar of the crowd cheering and clapping with excitement Joey and his teammates run up and jump on top of Pat.

     “Good game,” Coach tells the team, “and great teamwork Joey.”