Writing Resources from Fifteen Minutes of Fiction

Curly Sue's Close Call

Crash! "Are you alright?" cried Mother from the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm fine" came the muffled voice of little Curly Sue.

"Did you find your new magenta book bag?" Asked Mother. But there was no response from little Curly Sue. Mother dashed up the stairs "something must be terribly wrong," she thought. When she got to the bedroom she was shcocked at what she saw. It was little Curly Sue sitting in the middle of her bedroom floor bisecting a kiwi she had found in the depths of her closet while searching for her new magenta book bag. But what shocked Mother the most was that there was a section of that kiwi missing and it did not look like it was cut off, but chewed off instead. "Curly Sue," she said, "What has become of that piece of kiwi?"

"Oh, it's alright Mother. I ate it!" She said quite proudly. Mother instantly flew into hysterics.

"Curly Sue! What am I going to do with you. That kiwi will make you sick! Oh, my. Oh, my." She continued to say this as she paced around Curly Sue.

By now Curly Sue was in histarics, too. What had she done to upset Mother so. She thought "There must be something terribly wrong with this kiwi, but I am only eight. How should I know what I have done."

Right then Mother had an idea. She grabed Curly Sue, the bisected kiwi, and the magenta book bag, too. She dumped all three into the car and drove to the zoo. She thought "The people there would know what to do." When they arrived she once again grabbed Curly Sue, the bisected kiwi, and the magenta book bag, too, and ran to the first person she saw. He was an eldey chap and looked to be of the friendly sort. When she got to him she asked "what would you do for a child who has eaten part of an expired kiwi?"

He saw the frantic state Mother was in and wanted to help her out. "Mam," he said with his Southern drawl, "I'm not real experienced with children. Maybe the monkey man can help you. He's real experienced. He's got himself ten youngens an' about twenty monkeys to care fo'. Why don' ya ask him."

"Where can I find him!" Asked Mother who was trying to control her hystarics, but not succeeding.

"Go all the way to the other side of the zoo take a right he's always setting by the pool."

Mother ran wildly with Curly Sue, that bisected kiwi, and the magenta book bag in tote. When she reflected on the events later she whished someone had timed her run. She was sure she had set a new record. She quickly spotted the monkey man and ran to ask for his advise. "What would you do for a child who has eaten an expired kiwi?" She breathlessly blurted out.

"My word!" He exclaimed, "has that child eaten an expired kiwi!?"

"Yes, sir, and I do not know what I shall do. The elderly chap back there said you might know what I should do for my little Curly Sue."

"Well, Mam, I don't wish to alarm you. But I had a little monkey that ate an expired kiwi, once. First he complained of a tummy ache. Then a headache. Well, Mam, I thought he would be fine, but the next day I came in and he was dead."

"DEAD!" Screamed Mother. "Oh, what shall I do if I lost my little Curly Sue." Seeing that she was in no state to take directions the kind monkey man immediatly took over. He lead Mother, Curly Sue, the bisected kiwi, and the magenta book bag, too, back through the zoo, to his car, and rushed them to the hospital. On the way he called the emergency room to notify them of the little girl who had eaten the expired kiwi.

When they got there the doctors and nurses were waiting for them at the emergency room door already to take charge. They grabbed poor little Curly Sue, strapped her to a gurny, and rushed her through the doors. They traveled so quickly through the hospital that Curly Sue was not sure where whe was, but suddenly she began to have a tummy ache. "It hurts!" She screamed.

The doctor yelled "Faster! We must get her there before Mother has to put her six feet under."

By now little Curly Sue was balling up a storm "Oh, why. Oh, why did I have to try that silly shrivilled friut."

Finally they made it and they gave little Curly Sue a shot and immediatly she began to dream wonderfully happy thoughts. They worked all day, they worked all night. Finally their task was done, and the little bald doctor went to tell Curly Sue's Mum. "She has made it through the night. Everything will be alright. Your little Curly Sue has had a close call. But, to avoid a repeat of this experience. I beg you to please remember to clean her book bag out before fall."

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