Spooooooky Story!: The Hot Dog Broom Retold

By Sydney S.

Before school on a very, very foggy Halloween day, my friends dared me to climb the tallest tree by our school. We all called it the Sky Touched Tree because it always seemed to touch the sky. On this particular day, it appeared extra menacing, but I could never turn down a dare. . . . . and I still had some time before school officially started. I mean, I really had no choice if you think about it.

I started to climb, and climb, and climb. I kept thinking the tree must end somewhere, and I must be getting close because I could almost touch the clouds, but it just didn’t stop, and I just kept climbing.

Then I saw it. Green, wicked-looking people standing on the clouds with brooms. At that moment, I had a quick thought- witches - and I knew I had to, just had to keep going. I was on the middle school's newspaper, and maybe the witch-like people would be okay with an interview?

Thinking that sounded like it made complete sense (even though it really didn’t), I started getting up off the tree and walking towards the great people. They didn’t seem to notice, then all of a sudden I saw a store! Almost like Ace or Walmart- except all I could see they were selling were hot dogs! What could anyone possibly do with so many hot dogs? It was wild, crazy, and unbelievable how many hot dogs there were as I started getting closer, and as I inched closer, I saw that those hot dogs were glowing green! A strange, bright, and terrifying green!

If I were really thinking about doing a newspaper article on this, I'd better ask some questions, I thought as I started walking to the witches - by that time, I was positive that they were real live witches. I walked closer and saw they were all wearing black as well. I suddenly ask, “Excuse me, but why are there so many hot dogs lying around?”

The smallest witch quietly answered, “Why, little one, these hot dogs are filled with the fuel that makes our brooms work!”

“And the fuel is very healthy, in fact, we eat it some days when we’re really hungry,” another witch put in.

“Umm . . . I don’t think that is very healthy. In fact, because you eat that bright green fuel, I think you turn green.” After I said that, a nearby witch spat out a piece of hot dog. Ooops. Maybe it just tasted really bad?

“What is your name, little miss know-it-all?” shrieked a witch.

“They call me none of your business. Thank you for wondering.”

All of the witches laugh, large laughs—maybe they aren’t evil? After my amazing ice breaker, the witches start telling me all kinds of cool, interesting facts, like did you know that clouds taste like hot dogs, not cotton candy? I even got to try it myself!

Anyway, I started to relax, and the witches all became my friends! I told them about the latest school drama (Clara McBarn drank milk too fast and it shot out of her nose), and I told them about my new chickens (Zoey, Eva, Evie, Cloud, Cotton Candy, Violet, and Bob).

As I am explaining how science works, the witches screamed and ran for their brooms. Did I really scare them that much with the fact of cells? No, that can’t be it. All of a sudden, I see the witch police! (You can tell they are the police because their brooms have blue and red flashing lights.) Someone must have tattled that I, a human, was here in the clouds! Maybe it was Lucy or the mean and rude Worm! Well, I guess I’ll never know, but I have to go right now!

I run towards the tree and start climbing down as fast as I can. I hear the local fire engine. That’s weird, maybe a cat ran up a tree. Oh no! They’re here for me! Oh gosh, I’m going to be in soooo much trouble! As I jump down the last bit of the tree, my mom comes running and hugs me. My friends look like they’ve been crying. Maybe they thought I got hurt? Anyway, I didn’t have to go to school that day because of my awesome time on top of the tree—so I found a way to skip middle school for an entire day! I should write a story about this! I’m going to call it . . . . . The Hot Dog Broom!!!