To the Sky

​Charlotte, a girl with brown hair, soft bangs, and eyes the color of a summer sky, stood in her backyard. She bounced on her trampoline, feeling the familiar give of the mat beneath her feet. But it wasn't enough. Charlotte wanted to soar higher than anyone ever had before, to touch the sky itself.

​She bounced, and bounced, and bounced, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get her feet much higher than the tree branch that hung over her yard. She remembered hearing that a heavier person could get more bounce, and an idea sparked in her mind. She scrambled off the trampoline and walked to the far edge of the garden, where she found the biggest rock she could possibly carry. She tied the heavy stone to her dress and returned to the trampoline.

​With the extra weight, she bounced with all her might. She went higher this time—so high she almost brushed against the tree branch—but it still wasn't enough. Her goal was to touch the clouds, and they were still a long way off. She looked around the yard for something else to help, and her eyes landed on an old spare tire tied to the back of the family car.

​With a determined yank, she unhooked the tire and tied it to her waist, right next to the rock. Back on the trampoline, she began bouncing again. With the combined weight, she launched herself higher than the tree, higher than the roof of her house. But then, a new problem arose. The trampoline's legs, groaning under her new weight, began to buckle with each jump. The more she bounced, the closer she got to the ground. She was going higher, but her landing was getting lower.

​She got off the trampoline, frustrated but not defeated. There had to be another way. She looked down at her pockets and had an idea. She ran to the driveway, where she scooped up a handful of loose rocks and stuffed them into every pocket of her dress.

​With the weight of the rock, the tire, and all the rocks in her pockets, she stepped onto the trampoline one last time. She bounced, and jumped, and pushed with every ounce of strength she had. She soared past the tree, past the roof, and kept going. The ground became a distant patch of green, and the world below shrank. She was almost there, so close she could feel the dampness of the clouds on her face.

​Just then, an airplane sliced through the sky beside her. The plane's wing caught on a snag in her dress, and Charlotte was yanked along for the ride.

​"Wheee!" Charlotte cried out in surprise and a little bit of fear. The plane was moving so fast, she didn't know what was going to happen next. As she hung there, a flock of birds flew past.

​"You're not supposed to be up here!" one of the birds chirped.

​"Please, get me off this plane!" Charlotte pleaded. "I'm stuck!"

​The lead bird nodded. "We can help, but you have to be lighter. Drop the rock first."

​Charlotte unhooked the big rock from her waist, and it tumbled through the air. The birds followed the plane as she dropped the stones from her pockets, then the heavy tire.

​"Just a little more!" the lead bird called. Three birds flew close and grabbed a hold of her dress. One of the birds carefully pecked at the piece of her dress that was attached to the plane, until it tore free. Together, the birds guided Charlotte gently back down to earth, like a feather drifting on the wind. She landed softly in her front yard, right beside her faithful trampoline.

​From that day on, Charlotte was content to stay right where she belonged, with both feet on the ground. She knew that some adventures were best left for the clouds, and that sometimes, the greatest joy was found right in her own backyard.