My Entry for A Falling Star’s Writing Prompt Contest – The Ladder That Reached the Sky

Hullo today!

First up, I got a YouTube account.

 I am entering Emily’s Writing Prompt Contest, which runs till the end of the month if you would like to enter it. 🙂

I tried a different style than I normally do, so it was kind of hard to try and write in it. I had quite a lot of fun writing from a 3rd graders POV, though, and it was rather delightful to use such a classic name. I’d been wanting to use the name Matilda for ages, but there wasn’t really a character to go with it, or at least until I saw this picture.

It seems to be the one almost everyone already entered is using, so it will be rather hard for Emily to choose! I love the ones already out.

Anyways, enough rambling. Here’s my entry and the prompt I chose:

The Ladder That Reached the Sky

When I woke up that day, I would have laughed in your face if you said I would soon be climbing a ladder into the sky.

I mean, really? Where would I even find a ladder that tall? And how would it be supported?

Honestly, climbing a ladder into the sky is quite creepy. Clouds, and watching out for airplanes, and birds, and those spiteful little fairies.

People always say I’m too logical. They say I’ve never had an imagination. Which isn’t true. I do, I just prefer to not be active in the typical imaginative kid fashion. When I was 4, I was the only one reciting picture books while all the other girls dressed up as fairies.

Why did they even want to dress up as fairies?

Fairies are spiteful little things. They pull your hair and pinch your arm if you come too close.

I’m sure you’re wondering “Really? You do have a big imagination. Climbing a ladder into the sky? Sure. Keep dreaming, kiddo. You won’t be doing it for long.”

I can clearly imagine the day I decided to climb the ladder.

It was fall, October 10th.

The day started out like any other day. Wake up, breakfast, get ready for school, go to school, math, science, and then recess.

Olivia had been taunting me all day. Honestly, she reminded me of a particularly spiteful little fairy that I had seen as I climbed. She did the same things, and more.

“What kind of name is Matilda? Who would name their daughter Matilda?”

“Eww, Matilda, what is that? “A seaweed sandwich, what does it look like?” “Like boogers!”

“Ms. Martinez, Matilda is already done with her science test and is reading” “What is the problem with that, Miss Snooty Pants?” “Shut it, Ms. Awful Name”

She still drives me crazy. Blech. And she was getting better at driving me up the wall, too.

Recess that day was awful. Then, when I was in 3rd grade, years later, I could still remember being in 1st grade. My teacher read us “Roxie and the Hooligans” and that is exactly what I wanted to call Miss Snooty Pants that recess. A hooligan. And I did it, too.

So that is why that recess I ended up running through the school, out into the older kid playground, running through the gate that led to the meadow that led to the stream that led to the forest that led to the other meadow and collapsing in a heap on the ground.

“It’s not fair” I whispered.

“Nothing’s ever fair, dear.”

“What?”

“Look up”

I lifted my head up and looked around for the mysterious voice. Straight in front of me, there was a very tall, very rusty, very old ladder. It wasn’t held down with anything, it just went straight up into the sky.

I put one foot onto it very gingerly, reaching a hand sky-wards. I took another step, and another.

And now, here I am. Two years (or so I reckon) among the birds and the bees, the clouds, and the fairies, watching out for airplanes. Still climbing.

Sometimes I wonder where this will end.

Maybe it’ll end at Mars. Or maybe at the sun. Maybe even in Olympus!

Wherever and whenever it ends, I know that I’ll be happy, and I’ll finally have a place to call home.

No Olivia. No hooligans. No “you have no imagination.”

Just me and the sky and the fairies and the birds and the clouds and the airplanes and the ladder and the place it will lead to.

Home.