STORY #41
April 2, 2013
Name: Sidney Eckert
Description of Clip: Yellow, standard
It's a long story. It all started approximately forty days ago. Sixty or so kids poked my seed, wrinkled their noses, and proceeded onward. I never thought I was going to be chosen. Then, these two teenaged girls picked me and some other sort of seed. That one other seed said to me, "Beware, most do not survive the first wash."
I didn't know what that meant. So, I just replied by saying, "My name is Beatrice."
The other seedling was as bold to say her name was Gertrude. "Well, Gertrude, are you ready to grow up?"
"If I were to ask the wind if it was ready to race, what would it say?"
In all honesty, I didn't think the wind would say anything. It wasn't even living. So, I just said, "Yes."
"That was a rhetorical question," Gertrude replied.
We were then separated. I felt a dark moisture cover me. I thought I was suffocating when Gertrude assured me that we couldn't breathe--we were just seeds after all, we hardly required carbon dioxide at this point.
There was no light where I was. It was dark and scary. Sometimes I would have nightmares. I thought I was suffocating. Gertrude assured me that I was fine and it would be totally fine.
LASKJDF;LKJLKJDLKASFDL;KAJSDKLFASKLDFLKASJDFLKSAJDLFKASLDKFASLKDJFLKASJDFLKSAJDF
only gave me one of her psychotic riddles, "Why look at a glass half full when you're going to take another sip out of it and make it almost empty?"
"Well, maybe there is always a sense of hope."
"That was a rhetorical question."
"What's a rhetorical question?"
"It is not a question, but a statement that makes you think and needs no direct or correct answer."
It was then that I realized Gertrude must have been a boring English nerd seed. I had always loved English, but Gertrude was the Debby Downer of English. I bet all other saplings despised having her in their class, but I wasn't there to judge.
That's when I felt this chill around my coat, the coat of my protection. I started shivering. But, my coat kept drawing the weird cold liquid towards me. "Gertrude!" I shouted. But she didn't answer.
I tried to sound mystical like she did by asking, "Why does the ground seed not speak when another is in distress?" She still didn't answer.
It was then that I had a recap. "Beware, most do not survive the first wash."
Was that the first wash? I had no idea. Several days went by. Nothing happened. Occasionally, I would feel the cold chill around me. Gertrude still wasn't speaking.
I was beginning to get curious. After several long days of silence and splashes, I decided to see where I was. I popped out of my seed coat. Ew, what was this icky stuff? It's all black and gritty. I felt another splash of water.
There was some weird language.
ASLDFKJA;SKDFIWOJL;KASJDFLKSAJDLFKJSO;IDAWIJAKLSDFJLSAKDJFSL;DFJL;
;ALSDKJFA;LKEJ;OIWJKJKNKGJIREWJOLKN;KNEIOLKN
They kept talking. It was so weird. I shook. I wasn't supposed to move. They were moving me. LASKDJF;OIOIJLKSHJDLFKJSAD;OFASDGJA;
Then they put me back under the hot sun. They didn't give me enough of that liquid! I'm going to die. Eventually, it turned off, but it still left me parched.
The sun came up again the next morning. They splashed the liquid on me and spoke in their weird language again. You would have thought they could speak plant, but they were jabbering in some foreign language. This went on for days. Some days, I was dehydrated, others I was in liquid heaven.
Twenty days later.....
I was beginning to pick up on the language. Turns out, Gertrude is dead, was dead this whole time. I began to transpire. That was the last straw.
"How taDLFJSL is Beatrice toOIEJLSKDG"
"At least LKJSA;IEJRKLNADSFOWEes."
Whatever that meant?!
I'd made some interesting friends over the several days. There was this vine named Ivy. We were pretty close, but then I was moved away from her. That's when I met Damon. He revealed to me the most interesting fact.
"I want to be in the ground."
"What do you mean, we are in..."
"No, I want to be in the real sun, the real dirt, the real air. I want to be free."
"You mean, we aren't in the grand out doors."
"No, you fool!"
"I'm no fool!"
"Do you think trees get this big? I'm no tree and I'm pretty big! I need real Carbon Dioxide!"
"So, where are we?"
There was a moment of silence. Damon was quiet, and then whispered, "We are science experiments."
Science experiment? "What's that?"
"They take us from our mothers when we are seeds and stick us in a package and give us a label. Then, they put us in fake ground and give us fake sun every day. We think we are in our true environments, but really, they're just testing us."
"Is that what happened to Gertrude? They tested her?"
"Who is Gertrude?"
"My neighbor who never grew."
"Yea, they probably were mean and tried to see if they could grow plants in vinegar or something other than water."
That's where my hate for my cup began. I hated the fake sun. I was deceived by these other language speakers. From then on, I tried to explain to other plants what was happening to us, that we may all die! But no one ever believed me.
Until I met him. He was as I believe a type of herb. His name was Garlic. He believed me. I loved him. We talked for ever, but no time we Garlic was enough. It was like the world never had enough minutes. He truly believe the story I had recently learned from Damon. That day we were separated. I didn't want to let go. I accidentally knocked him over. "How ALSDKFJLAK you ASLDFJALKJ over LKASETLKJ plant. LKJSDLFK must be an eLKAJDFvil perLAKSJDson," someone said.
How these people don't realize my love for Garlic! Oh, "I'll miss you!" I shouted to him. I don't know if he heard me or not. I felt completely awful. I accidentally knocked over a plant! I transpired again.
This time, I never returned to the table again, no fake sun. I was devastated. I was never going to see Garlic again.
I don't know what happened, but the next thing I knew, I was in cold frigid air. I was dying. I knew it. The air was so cold. I was being blown over by the wind. NO! I'm gonna break off and die!!! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! I knew it! This is like Romeo and Juliet! I didn't want to kill myself over a man though! No, I'm not going to die! It was then, the wind was gone. I was encompassed by a blanket of frigid, cool air, but no wind. I was alive! These scientists must be torturing me! Damon, you were right! I mean, I always believed you, but man, I didn't think the truth hurt this much. Another series of cold winds twirled in my leaves. I'm done for!! This can't be the end already!
But then, the air was warm. The wind was gone. Where am I? I was placed near a cold something, where the SUN hit me. This wasn't the same fake sun I had felt over the course of the weeks. It was the real sun. I was in the same dirt, but the real sun was hitting me! I was free of the science lab! But, how? I could not move? I must be in something transportable. "Yay!" I shouted.
"Who goes there?!" a voice shouted.
I about shook all my leaves off. "Bee-a-trice. Whoo a-re you--uu?"
"I'm Boris the cactus. What are you doing on my window sill?"
"Me? I don't know, I just got here! Wh--at are...you...doing here?"
"I've been here for five years! The question is what are you doing here?"
"Boris, you wouldn't believe me even if I told you."
"Suit yourself, kid."
I didn't speak much to Boris. He was rather sharp and "prick"ly. But, whatever floats the man's boat.
But then, it came to me. I was filled with emotion. I told Boris everything--from Gertrude being watered with Vinegar, to Damon telling me the story, to others not believing it, to Garlic my love, from the cold air and to the real sun.
I transpired some more.
"Well, kid. Looks like you deserve a peace award."
"A peace award?" I sniffled.
"Ya, a plant should never have to go through all that. You're like a hero."
"So I got lucky?"
"No, you survived."
I survived? Does that mean I should write a book? I had no idea. I've always wanted to write a book, but man, that would be crazy! I have no moving appendages.
"So, I survived?"
"Yea," he replied, "Not many science experiments last. When's the last time you've met one? You're the first I met. You're like a veteran!"
To this day, Boris and I have been friends. He listens to me when the times seem very hard. But, he'll never be my Garlic or my Gertrude. But, all I know is, that this experience has made me stronger. That will do for now. This home is a nice home. It may not be my Garlic of my life, but for now, I'm galling it sweet peas.
By: Sidney Eckert
Inspired by: 4 O'Clock Flower, grown in Mr. Schank's class
For those who are curious what the weird symbols are saying:
*Do you think Gertrude is ever going to come up?
*I don't know. Hopefully she isn't dead.
*It's a monocot.
*No, dicot, look at it's two leaves.
*How tall is Beatrice today?
*At least eight inches
*How dare you knock over this plant. You must be an evil person.
*I feel bad inside, I really do.
Description of Clip: Yellow, standard
Beatrice the Magnificent:
Memoirs of A Science Project
It's a long story. It all started approximately forty days ago. Sixty or so kids poked my seed, wrinkled their noses, and proceeded onward. I never thought I was going to be chosen. Then, these two teenaged girls picked me and some other sort of seed. That one other seed said to me, "Beware, most do not survive the first wash."
I didn't know what that meant. So, I just replied by saying, "My name is Beatrice."
The other seedling was as bold to say her name was Gertrude. "Well, Gertrude, are you ready to grow up?"
"If I were to ask the wind if it was ready to race, what would it say?"
In all honesty, I didn't think the wind would say anything. It wasn't even living. So, I just said, "Yes."
"That was a rhetorical question," Gertrude replied.
We were then separated. I felt a dark moisture cover me. I thought I was suffocating when Gertrude assured me that we couldn't breathe--we were just seeds after all, we hardly required carbon dioxide at this point.
There was no light where I was. It was dark and scary. Sometimes I would have nightmares. I thought I was suffocating. Gertrude assured me that I was fine and it would be totally fine.
LASKJDF;LKJLKJDLKASFDL;KAJSDKLFASKLDFLKASJDFLKSAJDLFKASLDKFASLKDJFLKASJDFLKSAJDF
only gave me one of her psychotic riddles, "Why look at a glass half full when you're going to take another sip out of it and make it almost empty?"
"Well, maybe there is always a sense of hope."
"That was a rhetorical question."
"What's a rhetorical question?"
"It is not a question, but a statement that makes you think and needs no direct or correct answer."
It was then that I realized Gertrude must have been a boring English nerd seed. I had always loved English, but Gertrude was the Debby Downer of English. I bet all other saplings despised having her in their class, but I wasn't there to judge.
That's when I felt this chill around my coat, the coat of my protection. I started shivering. But, my coat kept drawing the weird cold liquid towards me. "Gertrude!" I shouted. But she didn't answer.
I tried to sound mystical like she did by asking, "Why does the ground seed not speak when another is in distress?" She still didn't answer.
It was then that I had a recap. "Beware, most do not survive the first wash."
Was that the first wash? I had no idea. Several days went by. Nothing happened. Occasionally, I would feel the cold chill around me. Gertrude still wasn't speaking.
I was beginning to get curious. After several long days of silence and splashes, I decided to see where I was. I popped out of my seed coat. Ew, what was this icky stuff? It's all black and gritty. I felt another splash of water.
There was some weird language.
ASLDFKJA;SKDFIWOJL;KASJDFLKSAJDLFKJSO;IDAWIJAKLSDFJLSAKDJFSL;DFJL;
;ALSDKJFA;LKEJ;OIWJKJKNKGJIREWJOLKN;KNEIOLKN
They kept talking. It was so weird. I shook. I wasn't supposed to move. They were moving me. LASKDJF;OIOIJLKSHJDLFKJSAD;OFASDGJA;
Then they put me back under the hot sun. They didn't give me enough of that liquid! I'm going to die. Eventually, it turned off, but it still left me parched.
The sun came up again the next morning. They splashed the liquid on me and spoke in their weird language again. You would have thought they could speak plant, but they were jabbering in some foreign language. This went on for days. Some days, I was dehydrated, others I was in liquid heaven.
Twenty days later.....
I was beginning to pick up on the language. Turns out, Gertrude is dead, was dead this whole time. I began to transpire. That was the last straw.
"How taDLFJSL is Beatrice toOIEJLSKDG"
"At least LKJSA;IEJRKLNADSFOWEes."
Whatever that meant?!
I'd made some interesting friends over the several days. There was this vine named Ivy. We were pretty close, but then I was moved away from her. That's when I met Damon. He revealed to me the most interesting fact.
"I want to be in the ground."
"What do you mean, we are in..."
"No, I want to be in the real sun, the real dirt, the real air. I want to be free."
"You mean, we aren't in the grand out doors."
"No, you fool!"
"I'm no fool!"
"Do you think trees get this big? I'm no tree and I'm pretty big! I need real Carbon Dioxide!"
"So, where are we?"
There was a moment of silence. Damon was quiet, and then whispered, "We are science experiments."
Science experiment? "What's that?"
"They take us from our mothers when we are seeds and stick us in a package and give us a label. Then, they put us in fake ground and give us fake sun every day. We think we are in our true environments, but really, they're just testing us."
"Is that what happened to Gertrude? They tested her?"
"Who is Gertrude?"
"My neighbor who never grew."
"Yea, they probably were mean and tried to see if they could grow plants in vinegar or something other than water."
That's where my hate for my cup began. I hated the fake sun. I was deceived by these other language speakers. From then on, I tried to explain to other plants what was happening to us, that we may all die! But no one ever believed me.
Until I met him. He was as I believe a type of herb. His name was Garlic. He believed me. I loved him. We talked for ever, but no time we Garlic was enough. It was like the world never had enough minutes. He truly believe the story I had recently learned from Damon. That day we were separated. I didn't want to let go. I accidentally knocked him over. "How ALSDKFJLAK you ASLDFJALKJ over LKASETLKJ plant. LKJSDLFK must be an eLKAJDFvil perLAKSJDson," someone said.
How these people don't realize my love for Garlic! Oh, "I'll miss you!" I shouted to him. I don't know if he heard me or not. I felt completely awful. I accidentally knocked over a plant! I transpired again.
This time, I never returned to the table again, no fake sun. I was devastated. I was never going to see Garlic again.
I don't know what happened, but the next thing I knew, I was in cold frigid air. I was dying. I knew it. The air was so cold. I was being blown over by the wind. NO! I'm gonna break off and die!!! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! I knew it! This is like Romeo and Juliet! I didn't want to kill myself over a man though! No, I'm not going to die! It was then, the wind was gone. I was encompassed by a blanket of frigid, cool air, but no wind. I was alive! These scientists must be torturing me! Damon, you were right! I mean, I always believed you, but man, I didn't think the truth hurt this much. Another series of cold winds twirled in my leaves. I'm done for!! This can't be the end already!
But then, the air was warm. The wind was gone. Where am I? I was placed near a cold something, where the SUN hit me. This wasn't the same fake sun I had felt over the course of the weeks. It was the real sun. I was in the same dirt, but the real sun was hitting me! I was free of the science lab! But, how? I could not move? I must be in something transportable. "Yay!" I shouted.
"Who goes there?!" a voice shouted.
I about shook all my leaves off. "Bee-a-trice. Whoo a-re you--uu?"
"I'm Boris the cactus. What are you doing on my window sill?"
"Me? I don't know, I just got here! Wh--at are...you...doing here?"
"I've been here for five years! The question is what are you doing here?"
"Boris, you wouldn't believe me even if I told you."
"Suit yourself, kid."
I didn't speak much to Boris. He was rather sharp and "prick"ly. But, whatever floats the man's boat.
But then, it came to me. I was filled with emotion. I told Boris everything--from Gertrude being watered with Vinegar, to Damon telling me the story, to others not believing it, to Garlic my love, from the cold air and to the real sun.
I transpired some more.
"Well, kid. Looks like you deserve a peace award."
"A peace award?" I sniffled.
"Ya, a plant should never have to go through all that. You're like a hero."
"So I got lucky?"
"No, you survived."
I survived? Does that mean I should write a book? I had no idea. I've always wanted to write a book, but man, that would be crazy! I have no moving appendages.
"So, I survived?"
"Yea," he replied, "Not many science experiments last. When's the last time you've met one? You're the first I met. You're like a veteran!"
To this day, Boris and I have been friends. He listens to me when the times seem very hard. But, he'll never be my Garlic or my Gertrude. But, all I know is, that this experience has made me stronger. That will do for now. This home is a nice home. It may not be my Garlic of my life, but for now, I'm galling it sweet peas.
By: Sidney Eckert
Inspired by: 4 O'Clock Flower, grown in Mr. Schank's class
For those who are curious what the weird symbols are saying:
*Do you think Gertrude is ever going to come up?
*I don't know. Hopefully she isn't dead.
*It's a monocot.
*No, dicot, look at it's two leaves.
*How tall is Beatrice today?
*At least eight inches
*How dare you knock over this plant. You must be an evil person.
*I feel bad inside, I really do.
Posted by Megan.
