One City One Story 2017 Writing Contest

1st place

Elementary School category


Celeste Raynaud

Grade 5, McKinley School

“Tick-Tock Castle Time”

Booky finds a mysterious watch that transports her and her friends to 18th century France.

 


It was Monday morning and Booky was riding her bike to school frantically. She could not wait to tell her friends about her new mysterious watch!

Her best friends, Marmelade and Lemonata, were waiting for her at the gate. Spotting their friend, they happily waved.

“Hi guys!! shouted Booky.

They hugged before hurrying to class.

“How was your weekend?” asked Lemonata.

“It was…strange…because of THIS!” whispered Booky while pointing at the watch on her wrist.

The watch was the shape of a star with a large band made of green diamonds and arrows that looked like fairy wands.

“Pretty!” exclaimed Lemonata. “Where did you get it?”

“Well, that’s the thing. I don’t know. I found it on my doorstep yesterday,” explained Booky.

“Do you know who put it there?” asked Lemonata.

“No, not a clue!”

“A secret admirer then! How cool!”

They started giggling.

“Girls! Please be mindful of your classmates and get ready for the geometry test!” yelled Mr. Maclollicake, the math teacher.

Mr. Maclollicake was short with large ears and he had round-shaped glasses sitting on his nose. His squeaky voice and thick accent were from Koolkave City, Alabama, which often caused the kids to laugh behind his back.

The girls kept giggling.

Marmelade, the one who studied the most, turned around and gave her friends a serious look, which worked better than Mr. Maclollicake’s angry tone.

Class resumed peacefully.

Geometry had never been Booky’s favorite subject.

“When is recess?” she wondered pensively.

To answer he question, the bell suddenly rang. The ringing got louder and the watch started to sparkle and spin on Booky’s wrist! A magical portal formed in front of her. Booky froze. She was scared and fascinated at the same time. She grabbed Lemonata and Marmelade’s arm and within a second, the three friends were sucked into the portal!

“Booky, can you please complete this fraction when you’re done?” asked Mr. Maclollicake as he was writing on the board.

Surprised by Booky’s silence, he turned around to notice that the girls had disappeared!

 

A beautiful castle in the middle of a vast park. A pond with trees and flowers around. People were walking by, wearing old-fashioned clothes. Oddly, men were wearing heels and had pretty long hair, too! Or was it wigs?! Women were wearing beautiful gowns. Everyone was so elegant and looked like they were from another century.

Booky, Lemonata, and Marmelade slowly opened their eyes, still shaken up by what had just happened. It felt as if they had fallen from the sky into this enchanted place. Booky looked at her wrist; the watch was still there. The girls looked around, wondering where they were.

“Oh my,” said Booky. “I believe this is Versailles!”

Marmelade and Lemonata had no idea what Booky was talking about.

“What is Versailles?” Lemonata asked.

“It’s a city in France where kings and queens lived long ago,” explained Booky.

Booky knew this because she had just read a book about Versailles. That’s why her friends nicknamed her “Booky.” It’s because she had read so many books!

“How did we get here?!?” asked Marmelade, panicked.

“My watch1” exclaimed Booky. “I noticed sparkles coming out of it right before that portal appeared.”

“We need to find our way home before our parents get worried!” insisted Marmelade.

“Let’s take a look around first. Now is our chance to experience this amazing place for real and not just in books!” replied Booky, excitedly.

As the girls got up from the ground, the beauty of the place dazzled them.

“WOW!” exclaimed Lemonata.

“I never imagined it would be so beautiful!” said Booky.

An elegant couple approached.

“Who are you, young ladies? Are you lost?” asked the man.

“I’m Booky, and these are my friends Lemonata and Marmelade. We are…traveling!” answered Booky, nervously.

“Well,” said the man, “delighted to meet you! I am King Louis XV and this is my wife, Marie.”

“Your Majesty!” said the girls as they bowed.

“Beautiful children!” added the Queen. “We shall summon our painter!”

The king whistled so loudly that the girls had to plug their ears!

A man with long black hair and a blue beret on his head immediately came running down the hall. He was carrying an easel under one arm and a fresh baguette in the other!

“Children,” said the king, “Meet our family painter, Monsieur Hyacinthe Rigaud!”

“Monsieur RIgaud, I want you to paint our guests’ portrait! Then please give it to them as a gift,” ordered the king.

“Most certainly, Your Majesty. Follow me, les enfants!” replied Monsieur Rigaud enthusiastically.

Booky and Lemonata were thrilled, but Marmelade was not. She wanted to go home.

As they entered the painting room, he girls came face to face with two children that looked complete alike!

“OH!” exclaimed Booky. “I recognize you from my book! You are the royal twins! Louise-Elisabeth and Henriette!”

The twins were thrilled to be recognized.

“What book?” asked Henriette.

“My history book… from… uh…. the future!” mumbled Booky.

“What do you say I paint all of you together?” offered Monsieur Rigaud.

“Splendid idea!” exclaimed Booky.

Monsieur Rigaud started while the girls enjoyed posing together.

“Voila!” he proudly exclaimed a while later.

The sound of church bells resonated.

“Oh no!” reacted Booky. “Time to go home!”

As Monsieur Rigaud was handing her the painting, Booky’s watch started to sparkle and spin again. And the portal appeared.

“It was really nice to meet you Monsieur! You too, twins!!” said Booky. “Tell your parents we said goodbye!”

“Goodbye, children!” waved Monsieur Rigaud, unsure of what was happening.

“Goodbye!” yelled the twins.

And the girls were sucked into the portal.

“Ouch!” exclaimed Marmalade as she landed on the school ground.

The girls got up, dizzy.

“What an adventure!” exclaimed Booky.

“It sure was!” said Lemonata with a huge smile, looking at the painting.

“I will never forget this…” added Marmelade.

They hugged tightly.

 


To view the list of the contest winners:  OCOS 2017 The Traveler Contest Winners