The Middlest Sister

5. Are We Out of the Woods Yet

Mom, holding a box of winter clothes: Come here, girls! Let's see who fits into what this year!
The girls start pulling clothes from the box.
Charlotte, holding a jacket that fits: Sigh... Another year, another broken zipper.
Ashley holds up a pair of patched overalls
Nicki: Hush! We all wear hand-me-downs, even me. Don't complain.
Charlotte: Yes, but mine are hand-me-downs of hand-me-downs of hand-me-downs of--
Nicki: Okay! We get it.
Ashley holds up an ugly dress: Hey, they aren't ALL hand-me-downs.
Chrissy, wearing one of the ugly matching dresses: Yeah, just be glad Mom doesn't sew ALL our clothes. (Mom sticks her tongue out at the girls in the background.)
Map of the woods behind the house.
The girls play on a frozen pond.
The girls cross a rickety bridge
Nicki: Okay Chrissy, Charlotte... this is your half of the woods today. Don't go past the second creek.
Chrissy: That's not fair! Why can't we come with your guys?
You guys are too little. We're exploring a new section of the woods today. It could be dangerous.
Ashley: We thinks we found a way to the old pumpkin patch!
Nicki gives Ashley a silencing look.
Chrissy and Charlotte watch their sisters walk away.
Chrissy: FINE. I have a better idea. Let's go find Duck Island.
Charlotte: But that's beyond the second creek! Nicki will get mad!
Chrissy: Charlotte. It's not a big deal. Nicki isn't the boss of us. And they're going in the opposite direction anyway. C'mon!
Chrissy and Charlotte drudge through the snow.
They cross the second creek.
They go deeper into the woods
And deeper
And deeper...
A few hours later, Mom is in the kitchen baking cookies. Ashley sits at the kitchen table eating cookies.
Mom, on the phone: Oh my goodness! Yes, yes, of course! I'll be there in 2 minutes!
Mom: Ashley, did you know your sisters were 2 miles away! That was Mrs. Thibeault. She found them crying in her backyard.
Mom puts on her coat. "I cannot believe this. Didn't I ask you girls to keep an eye on your sisters?
Mom sticks a winter hat on the baby. "Didn't I tell you two not to let them wander off??"
Mom: And just where IS Nicki, anyway?
Ashley: Oh, shoot! I totally forgot!
Nicki hangs from a log above an icy river, looking terrified.
Mom: Oh, you girls are in BIG trouble when I get home.
That evening, the girls have been sent to their room. They glare at each other from their beds.
Nicki: I told you to stay in your half of the woods.
Chrissy: Well, it's not fair! Why should we have to do what you say all the time?
Nicki: Because I am the first-born.
Chrissy: THAT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING!
Nicki: It means I am the smartest!
Chrissy: Nuh-uh! First is the worst!
Ashley chimes in: Second is the best!
Charlotte, pointing at Chrissy: Third is the one with the hair chest! Chrissy: TREASURE chest!
Chrissy, shouting: AND FOURTH IS THE ONE WHO FORGOT TO GET DRESSED!
Nicki, burying her face into her pillow. "UGH!"
Dad appears at the door. "Quiet! I don't want to hear any more talking, shouting, or singing. Just quiet.
The girls looks miserable.
Ashley whispers to her stuffed dog toy: Second is the best!

Posted

in

by

Nicole Smeltzer

Tags:

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Comments

4 responses to “5. Are We Out of the Woods Yet”

  1. Sandra Avatar
    Sandra

    I loved this! So clever and creative. ❤️

    Reply
  2. SilkPurseProductions Avatar
    SilkPurseProductions

    These are so much fun! Thank you.

    Reply
  3. Toi Thomas Avatar
    Toi Thomas

    So much fun. Love it.

    Reply
  4. Dawn Quyle Landau Avatar
    Dawn Quyle Landau

    Oh the work you put into these; it blows me away!! And while I am one of 3 (the eldest), I’m always amazed at all the things you capture from my childhood, too. Love!!

    Reply

Leave a reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s

%d bloggers like this: