The Piano
                                                                                 ~Part 5



      "Oooooooh! A nemesis?! How much cooler can this GET?!" Tom exclaimed, excitedly." So what happened next?"
      "Do you have NO pity?" the fox glared at Tom. "I get thrown out by my own family, am almost starved to death, my nemesis returns to ultimately kill me and...and all you can say is 'Oh yay! This poor fox is going to die! Whoopee!' Do you even have a heart?!" the fox shouted.
      "But I thought you said that you were strong enough to endure it? Were you lying?" Tom asked suspiciously.
      "I was. But I was thrown out of my home to starve. When most people learn about that they have pity. But obviously you don't! And for that I won't tell you the rest of the story." The fox turned his back on Tom.
      "Please!!!"
      "No!"
      "Zaro, please!"
      "Only if you say you're sorry and that I was right all along.
      "Whatever." And with that, the black fox began to speak again.

                                                                        The Piano
                                                                              ~Part 4



      "What do you mean, outcast?" Tom repeated. The fox sighed again.
      "It's a long story, but if you have the time, I'll tell you," The black fox looked unsure. Tom nodded. The fox cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and, in his raspy voice, began.
      "My name is Zaro. I used to live in a large fox colony-"
      "Where?" Tom interrupted excitedly.
      "In a magical land," the fox answered. Tom shrugged, rolled his eyes, and shook his head.
      "Like I said, I lived in a fox colony. I was the leader's son. One day, one fox, who had always envied and hated me, pinned the blame of some crime he did on me when I didn't do it! Then everyone hated me and they threw me out of the colony to starve-"
      "So that's when you became an outcast?!" Tom interrupted again.The fox sighed, annoyed.
      "Yes! Now please! Let me finish!"
      "Oh, proceed..."
     "Thank you! As I was saying before you so rudely interrupted me,"(The fox looked meaningfully at Tom)" they threw me out. In the forest, I endured many hardships. Of course, I was strong enough! But one hardship drove me out. The return of my arch nemesis!" 

                                                                                The Piano
                                                                                    ~Part 3 


       Tom's mom pulled into the driveway and rushed into the house. "Tom! Tom! Where are you?!' she called, frantically searching her house.The house was strangely silent. Even the pets seemed missing, that is, until she found the cat, hunched in a corner of the couch, its fur sticking straight up. Tom's mom reached out to pet the cat, but it arched its back and hissed angrily at her, causing her to retreat. Tom's mom slumped into a chair, trying to figure out where her son was. A howl filled the air, filling the mom with fear.
                                                     -------------------------------------------
      Tom cringed and inched slowly away from the creature. It just curled up and let out a mournful cry. Tom stared at the fox.
      "Who are you?" he whispered. The fox looked up and let a sorrowful sigh. Then, it spoke.
      "That's what they all ask. Who am I? That's simple. I'm a black fox, an outcast," the fox replied in a raspy voice. Tom couldn't help it as a feeling of curiosity arose in him. Tom said one word which summed up all his questions.
      "Why?"

                                                             The Piano
                                                                  ~Part 2


      Tom groggily sat up, wincing as pain shot through his head. He slowly stood up but almost immediately fell down again as his legs crumpled beneath him. After a few more attempts, he was able walk a little ways while holding onto the wall. Tom looked around so see what had knocked him over. Then he noticed a small black lump a few feet away. Tom didn't exactly want to know what this creature was but curiosity finally convinced him to go investigate the lump. He was  slowly making his way over to it, when the lump began to unfold. Tom backed away as the creature sat up. It was a black fox. Tom relaxed but then fully realized that a black fox had gotten into his living room. Tom ran to the phone and dialed his mom's cellphone number.
      "Hello?" his mom asked.
      "Hi, Mom, this is Tom.Uh, Mom? I know this will sound super strange, but somehow, a black f--".
      "What? A black what?" his mom answered, confused.
      No answer.
      "Hello? Tom? Are you still there?"
      Still no answer. Tom's mom quickly hung up and raced to the front of the store, out the door, into her car, and speedily drove home, completely forgetting her purse.
      A old man hobbled over to her abandoned cart and stealthily rummaged through her purse, but disappointingly found nothing, because in her hurry to leave her house to get her shopping done, Tom's mom had forgotten to bring any money.                                  

                                                                      The Piano
                                                                             ~Part 1



     Once upon a time there was a young boy who loved music. But he didn't like to practice his piano songs. On one especially hard day, he was hiding under his bed as his mom called for him.
       "Tom! Come practice your piano!" she yelled, entering Tom's room. Finally she found him.
       "There you are! Now go practice your piano." Tom forlornly trudged over to the piano and sat down as he opened his books.
       "I'm going to go to the store now so don't open the door to anyone!" His mom instructed him. Tom nodded.
       After a few minutes, Tom tiptoed to the door and peered out the peephole. He grinned and ran back to his room. Just as he passed the room with the piano, he heard a pitiful wail! Tom shivered at the sad wail. He listened for it again. When nothing happened, he shrugged and started back to his room.
       "Waaaaaaahh! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh!" Tom froze. There it was again! Tom sighed. He just had to know what that sound was. He crept to the door of the room. He slowly opened it.
       WHAM!!
      Something bowled into Tom. Tom screamed! And then, everything was silent.
      Unusually silent.



    

You might have heard a version of this story. But, I bet you haven't heard this version.

                                                        Liars Won't Be Believed


      Once upon a time, there was a young girl who lived in a village at the foot of a mountain. Every day, she watched their town's crops because her father had cautiously warned her, "Look out for avalanches because it will ruin the town's crops."
      One boring day, the girl was so bored that she thought she would die. Suddenly and idea popped into her head which had been filled for days with unpractical ideas of what to do. Jumping up and waving her arms frantically, she shouted,
      "Avalanche! Avalanche!" The villagers rushed away to their emergency shelters. The girl laughed so hard she almost burst. When the villagers returned, they were very angry at the girl because of what she did. But the girl promised not to do it again. But, one day, because she was more bored than ever, she jumped up and screamed,
      "Avalanche! Avalanche!" Once again, the villagers rushed away and came back soon, expecting to find rubble and ruined crops but instead a cheerful, laughing girl.
      "Never do that again!" they commanded her, furiously. And she didn't.
      As she was watching the mountain, a booming sound filled her ears, similar to the thick dust which filled her eyes and mouth, causing her to choke.Her terrified scream,"Avalanche! Avalanche! Help!" barely made its way to the villagers. But, because of her pranks, they ignored them.
      "Avalanche! Avala---!" At this, the villagers looked at each other, not sure if it was just a prank. When they spotted a cloud of dust approaching them, they knew it was real. Unable to help her, they instead rushed to their emergency shelters. All except the girl's family, that is. They stayed behind to try and help her. When the villagers returned, the girl and her family were nowhere to be seen.
      One villager remarked,"Just goes to show that you shouldn't lie because no one will believe you and you could die like her!"

                                                                   ~THE END~

                                                            Asha's End



      The dwarf struggled in the sorceress's grasp. Arms flailing, it shouted,"Great wizards! Help, I say, help! Somebody! Help me!"
      The sorceress said nothing, only gripped tighter, preparing to strike with her wand. She raised her arm to strike. Seeing this action, the dwarf stopped struggling and prepared itself to die. But the blow never came. The sorceress's shriveled, old hand was held back by the power of the wizard! He had snuck up behind and quickly tapped her hand with his wand. The sorceress was as still as a stone. The wizard strode around to face the dwarf.
      "Well, Burnff, my dwarf.You've gotten yourself in quite a large fix. No matter. You'll be free in the swish of a wand."
      As he said this, he had seemingly carelessly tapped the hand that held Burnff and then caught him in another hand.Setting Burnff down with his friends, the wizard turned to the sorceress.
      "Asha, you have long plagued this land. Each day I yearned to destroy you. Now I must," he said. Asha scowled at him as she strived to free herself. The wizard simply tapped her heart. The dwarfs stared in disbelief. With one stroke, the wizard had defeated someone they had fought for years. Asha was gone.

                                                                     ~The End

                                                                  An Object of Magic


          As Katelyn sat drawing, a quick knock on the door signaled the arrival of the mail. Jumping up, she ran to collect it. Once she had it, she carefully sorted it until she came upon a small piece of paper.
     
                                            ART CONTEST: ALL AGES
                                                Entry fee: $5.00 per artist
                                          Entries must be entered by May 1

         Katelyn rushed to her mom."Mom! Mom! Can I enter?! Please!"
         "Enter what?" her mom laughed.
         "This art contest.Its only five dollars. I'll pay!" Katelyn replied, showing her mom the ad.
         "I guess."
         "Thanks, Mom!" Katelyn hurried to get her drawing equipment.Sitting down at a table, she looked through her artbook, trying to decide which one to submit.
         Eventually, Katelyn realized that she would have to draw a new one. But what should she draw? A pasture with horses? An alien ship abducting humans? A birthday girl blowing out her birthday candles? Katelyn liked to draw animals best so that was what she would draw. Soon the scratching of pencils was all Katelyn heard. A picture of astounding beauty was created as her pencil swept here and there. The beauty was abundant but the talent was a sight to behold! Katelyn sat back and viewed the finished product. A sun shone warmly on a green forest glade. Fan-like leaves seemed to flap in a small breeze.Chipmunks and squirrels chattered in the trees as birds chirped their morning song. A doe and her fawn nibbled the grass as rabbits bounced around them.
            Katelyn stared at her work.
           "I did this?" she whispered, amazed. Her mom came over.
           "Oh, Katelyn! Its, its so... so lifelike and serene!" she breathed.
           Katelyn never submitted her her piece of art but instead put it in a frame on her desk. It was only a decoration to her friends and family, but to herself, it was an object of magic. Every night she dreamed about the fairytale world she had created. She never boasted of it but only said humbly when friends asked,
          "I made it for a contest but I never sent it."

           To this day it sits on her desk.
                 
                                                              ~THE END~