Fun Day 9/7

Christina and The River Rescue

Christina Wagner hurried down the long hallway of the house. She had to hurry because the human

kids would be home from school at 3:00. She glanced at her watch-- 2:30. She quickened her pace.
"Christina, Hurry!” yelled her cousin Beth from the bottom of the stairs.

"I’m coming.” sighed Christina with a irritated edge to her voice as she slid down the stairs and raced

into the kitchen. “Don’t be so inpatient!”

"I’m not impatient! You’re the one who spilled the…..” Beth started to say but that is as far as she got

because from behind them came a loud voice.

"What is going on in here?”

The dolls spun around to see Christina’s older sister Josie standing there.

Oh, Josie!” Christina gasped. “You scared me! I thought you were Amanda!”

Amanda was the human girl that owned Christina and her sisters. She had a sister named Lizzy and

Lizzy owned Beth and all of Beth’s sisters. That is why they were cousins.

"I didn’t know you could sound so fierce!” giggled Beth.

"Well I guess I can sound fierce if I want to,” grinned Josie “And you should be glad I am not Amanda,

or you would be in bigger trouble than you are now. So tell the problem.”

"She spilled the water!” whined Beth pointing at Christina.

"But she’s the one that pushed me!” exclaimed Christina. The dolls argued for several minutes about

whose fault the spilled water really was.

Josie shook her head, “Girls stop it! I have had it with your arguing! We don’t have

time for it! The humans will be home from school soon and we still have to clean up this mess!”

Suddenly the dolls heard the family dog barking. “Someone’s here!” cried Beth.

"Quick. Upstairs!” ordered Josie. The dolls ran up the stairs as fast as they could and crawled up into

their spots on the dresser, where they stood still listening.

“Josie?” Christina said in a whisper.

Shh” hissed Josie.

"Josephine?” Christina questioned.

"What?” asked Josie.

"What about the water? We didn’t get it cleaned up.”

At that moment the dolls heard Donna, Amanda’s mom, yell, “Who split the water in here!?”

"We didn’t do it.” Amanda’s brothers said.

"I didn’t do it ether.” said Amanda

"I wasn’t even in the kitchen.” answered Lizzy. Donna sighed and began to clean up the mess.

"I feel bad about this” said Christina.

"Me too.” said Beth. “I am sorry I pushed you.”

"That’s OK” answered Christina.

"Girls I am proud of you. Let’s Go get some ice cream.” Josie said.

"Ya! Ice cream!” Beth shouted

"Shh” Christina said. “I think I hear someone.” The dolls froze in place as one of the human boys

walked past the door.

"Whew. That was close! Maybe we should wait till later.” Christina said.

"I think we can make it down.” said Beth. “Come on let’s go!”

"OK" said Josie as the dolls slid off the dresser and hurried down the hall, ducking behind things if

they thought that someone might be coming. Soon they were in the basement next to the freezer. Josie

held open the lid and Christina and Beth crawled in.

"Brrr, it's cold in here. I will have to remember to bring my shoes next time." Beth said as she stepped

off an ice pack. Christina rolled her eyes. Suddenly the doll heard talking. Christina and Beth dove

under a box of fish and Josie shut the lid and hid behind the freezer.

"I can't believe this!" said Amanda excitedly as she and Lizzy walked down into the basement. "We

actually get to go camping this summer!"

"I know" said Lizzy and then more to herself than to Amanda, "I hope we get to take some of the

dolls.” Amanda rambled on "Mom said that there was other family's coming but she didn't say

who.

I hope the Hawbaker’s are one of them."

"I want the Castles’ and Royer’s to come." said Lizzy reaching into the freezer for an ice pop and

coming dangerously close to the dolls that where in hiding.

"I guess we will have to wait and see," said Amanda as the girls walked back up into the kitchen with

their treats. With the girls gone, Josie ran over and opened the lid.

"Are you guys OK?" she asked..

"Yea, we are fine." said Beth

"Oh boy, oh boy!" exclaimed Christina "I hope I get to go!"

"You can't" Beth said

"Why not!" Christina asked as she started to look like she might cry. "Because it's too cold, you know

you can't go camping in February!" answered Beth.

"Oh you silly goose!" Christina said a look of relief washing over her face "You really had me going

there for a moment!" All the girls laughed as they headed back up stairs with their ice cream.

　

Finely June rolled around and the bags had been all packed. Christina, Beth and Josie had been the

lucky dolls chosen to come on the trip. Christina had been stuck in the same bag as Beth and

Christina was in a bad mood. Humans never could be careful enough, and the bags jerked moving

Beth's elbow into Christina’s ribs.

"Hey!" cried Christina.

"Hay is for horses, Christina," Beth said softly.

"Will you quit being such a smarty?!" Christina retorted.

"Why are you in such a bad mood?" Beth asked.

"Will you just be quiet!" complained Christina.

"Fine I will, I don't need to talk to you." replied Beth as she looked the other way.

　

Soon they were on their way: the Hawbaker’s, Castles’, and Royer’s. The boys climbed into one of the

cars and the girls into the other. As the cars pulled away from the parking lot the dolls unzipped the

suitcases, bags, and carriers that they were in and climbed out. They crawled down among the bags,

blankets, and sleeping bags to a spot near the bottom that was big enough for them all.

As Christina looked around she saw all her friends. There were the Castle girls: Julie, Elizabeth, and

their little sister Chrissa. The Royer’s were also accounted for: Kaya and her little sister Savannah.

The crowd also included Rebecca Hawbaker and her own sister Josie and cousin Beth. She knew she

loved them but sometimes they got on her nerves. Like today when they were packing and Beth was

extra bossy. Or the other day when her twin sisters were playing tricks on her. Sometimes Josie was

just plain grouchy.

Oh well maybe it would get better, and in the mean time she didn’t need to take it out on other

people. Christina sighed and looked around again. She noticed Rebecca looking at her. Christina raised

a questioning eyebrow and Rebecca scooted over and asked,“Is everything all right?”

"No.” Christina sighed. “I’m mad at Beth”

"Why?” ask Rebecca

"Well, yesterday morning I accidentally split some water on her. Then she got mad and yelled at

me. This morning all she seemed to do was criticize everything that I did. I am older than her but

she still makes me mad.”

"I know what you mean. Rachel is the same way but she is older than me.” said Rebecca “I think we are

supposed to be kind to them, but we definitely don’t feel like it.”

Christina nodded her head.

Maybe you should just sleep it off.” Rebecca suggested.

"I think I will.” Christina said as she laid back and closed her eyes.

　

Christina woke up when the car came to a stop, the dolls were hurried back to their bags.

Presently she felt her bag being lifted out of the car and set down. When the unpacking was done and

the tents were set up, the girls decided to play with their dolls.

"Where should we play?" asked Heather, Rebecca's owner.

"Maybe we should play down by the lake on the sand bar." answered Amanda.

"Yes let's!" said Kendra, Julie's owner. Dolls tucked into their arms, everyone headed to the lake. There

they set the dolls down and began to build in the sand. By the time they where half done the dolls could

tell what they were making.--a doll house for them. The dolls where very excited! After the sand house

was completed, the girls played with the dolls until they heard Donna yell

"Time to eat!"

"Come on," Amanda called "we will be back later."

After the girls left, the dolls continued to play in the house without thinking for a moment about the

time.

"We’ve been here a long time. Look! It's getting dark.” said Rebecca

"Now what?" asked Christina.

"Maybe we could camp out here." answered Kaya "The girls left our sleeping bags out here."

"And besides the girls will probably be back" said Julie sensibly, as always.

Christina nodded her head. She understood that letting humans know they were alive could be a

disaster.

"Too bad we can't get our night clothes on." said Elizabeth.

"I know" said Beth "but if the girls where to come back and find us in our night clothes who knows

what would happen." When the dolls had finally settled into conformable positions, the girls had still

not come back.

"Does anyone have a watch?" ask Josie

"I do" said Rebecca "It's 10:30"

"Why haven't the girls come yet?” asked Chrissa.

"I don't know" said Julie "Maybe they forgot us."

“OH! NO!” shrieked Elizabeth in a very high voice. Kaya quickly put her arm around her.

"Left alone!?!" Savannah cried and she grabbed on to Kaya, who now had a comforting arm around two

girls.

Christina sighed and laid her head back and looked up at the sky. Suddenly she gasped, "The situation

is not getting any better. Look at the sky!"

All the dolls looked up to see a giant storm rolling in. Suddenly the wind picked up and Rebecca cried

"It's going to rain!" The thunder rolled and the lightning cracked as the dolls looked worriedly at each

other.

"What do we do?" ask Julie in a worried voice.

"Maybe we should go back to camp. The girls probably won't remember us." said Josie.

Yeah maybe,” said Kaya “We had better decide real soon.” At that moment thunder

cracked and Chrissa and Savannah screamed. That’s all it took to send the dolls scampering down the

path and to the woods. They ran until they reached a fork in the path.

"Which one do we take?” asked Rebecca.

"I don’t remember.” said Beth as the rest of the dolls shook their heads.

"Let’s take the one to the left” said Julie.

"But” Christina said to protest. Another crash of thunder sent the dolls hurrying down the

left path. As the dolls dashed over the rough surface. they began to hear the sound of

rain on the leaves above. The occasional crash of thunder kept them going. Soon the younger

girls began to tire.

"Guys! Wait up!” called Elizabeth.

As all the dolls slowed down Christina snapped, “You guys are just plain slow!”

"We are not slow!”shouted Elizabeth.

"Yes, you are! And you are a big baby too!” Christina shouted back.

Nut uh” cried Savannah.

"Yes, you are and I would be better off without you!” Christina said and as the other dolls stood open-

mouthed. She twirled around and marched off. But by the time she had walked ten steps away

she heard Josie yell. “Christina come back!”

Tina whirled around.“Why!” she demanded.

"Well,” Josie said and she lowered her voice “We have to stay together.“

Christina sighed and walked back to the group but she still walked a little ways ahead of everyone and

did not talk to them. She walked along with her eyes on the ground when suddenly she stumbled

and fell backward. Christina and the other girls gazed up at the huge wall of rock in

front of them.

"Now what?” ask Beth

"Climb.” answered Christina as she started up the wall’s rough edges.

When she was almost half way up the wall an icy gust of wind nearly blew her off, but Christina kept

going. Down below the other dolls watched her ascend. They really didn’t want to go up there.

Suddenly Elizabeth screamed, “Eyes! Big yellow Eyes!” Everyone turned around saw them too!

"Quick up the wall!” Kaya cried as she made a jump for it. Everyone followed in fright. After everyone

had made it to the top they began to look for shelter. The rain was soaking their skin, wet and cold.

Christina looked around. In front of her the ground sloped to the lake, to the right was a forest, and to

the left was…… a Cave!

"Quick girls, over here! Before we get to wet!” called Julie.

Everyone settled into their own little little corner. Christina was almost asleep when she heard Elizabeth

complain “I’m cold.”

"OH be quiet!” Julie snapped.

"But I am!” Elizabeth cried.

Christina sighed and laid her head down on her arm and looked up at the roof. She was tired but there

was no going to sleep. She kept thinking about how Julie had snapped at Elizabeth.

"I bet that’s how I sounded today!” she thought. “I bet everyone has off days. No!” She decided “I have

to tell everyone I am sorry.” She heard the other girls snoring and the sound of rain drumming on the

cave.

She sighed and sat up. “Maybe I will explore the cave and see how far it goes back.”

Walking back into the cave with her hand on the wall so she would not get lost, she stepped carefully.

It was dark and she could not see much. Suddenly she felt something soft and fluffy. “That’s strange” a

she felt a little more. “It feels like my teddy bear. And here is the nose and….. Huh!” she gasped “I

think that is a real bear!” Tina said a little too loudly. Just then the bear turned its head and growled at

her. Christina screamed and turned to run. The bear started after her.

As she was running she tripped over Beth and went face first into the dirt.

Beth rolled over. “What ARE you doing!?!” she asked.

"There’s a bear chasing me! Christina panted.

"Oh don’t be silly!” scoffed Beth.

"But!” Christina started to protest but at the moment the heard the bear growl again. That woke all the

dolls up.

"You weren’t kidding!” Beth cried.

"Let’s get out of here!” cried Josie.

They ran down the hill with the bear right at their heels. They reached the edge of the lake and ran

along the sandbars. The waves where high and they were coming in fast as the rain pounded down.

They could barely see.

Suddenly Josie yelled "There’s the dock! Come on!" the dolls ran to the dock and jumped into

the boat that was tied at the end. "Quick!" called Josie "Untie the boat!"

Before anyone could get anything loosened, the bear let out a ferocious roar and swung his

giant paw. Elizabeth shrieked and jumped back just as his swing missed the boat and hit

the dock pillar with a crash, shattering it into a hundred pieces. The dock collapsed with the weight of

the bear, tumbling the furry beast growling into the water. The waves carried the dolls out into the lake.

Josie broke the silence with a question, "Do we have any oars?"

"I don't see any." said Kaya.

"OH NO!" cried Elizabeth for they were out in the middle of giant waves and pouring down rain,

alone, on a lake.

************

Back at camp Amanda was restless. She could not go to sleep, something in the back of her mind was

telling her she had left something somewhere. She rolled over.

"Amanda is that you?" ask Heather.

"Yeah, can you not sleep ether?" Amanda ask

"No" said Heather

"Maybe we should play with our dolls." Amanda said sitting up. "Yeah let's, but we will have to be

quiet." said Heather. The girls crawled over to the big pile of stuff that was in the center of the girls

tent.

"I thought we left the doll right here" said Amanda

"Aren't they there?" asked Heather

"No, they’re gone!" gasped Amanda. The rain drummed on the roof of the tent.

"You don't think we left them outside do you?" asked Heather.

Amanda gasped, "I think we did"

　

"OH NO!” exclaimed Heather.

"Oh no what?" asked Kendra.

"We left the dolls outside!" said Amanda. At that everyone woke up.

"We had better go find them" said Shantel, Kaya's owner.

"In our nightclothes?" asked Lizzy .

"Sure why not?" said Kendra, so the girls jumped to their feet and Shawna, Elizabeth’s owner, opened

the door.

"I hope no one sees us" said Amanda as they set off.

*********

　

Back at the boat the dolls are frantic trying to get the boat to the shore.

"I wish we had some oars.” said Josie

"I do to.” said Elizabeth

"I know this is a bad time to bring this up" said Christina "but I have been a brat today and I want to

say I am sorry. Can you ever forgive me?" she asked.

At that moment the canoe struck something hard. It made the dolls lurch forward and Chrissa

and Savannah started screaming as the canoe spun around in a circle and a giant wave crashed over the

edge. Savannah was crying and Kaya was trying to calm her down. The canoe hit another rock.

Savannah was flung backwards and went flying over the edge into the water.

"Somebody do something!" cried Kaya.

Suddenly Christina flung herself into the water and swam over to the spot where Savannah had gone

under. The others watched as Christina dove under the water. She swam down looking for Savannah.

She surfaced and then dove again. Christina heard Kaya crying and Rebecca trying to comfort her when

she came up. She was getting tired. Then she saw it. A head come up out of the water. Battling waves as

she went, she grabbed Savannah and wrapped her arm around the drowning girl’s neck and swam back

toward the canoe. Julie saw them coming and she reached down and lifted Savannah out of the water.

An unexpected wave caught Christina and flung her under the water. She tried to swim but she was too

tired. She gasped for air but all she got was a mouth full of water. She saw nothing but water. Then

everything went dark.

The next thing Christina knew she was lying on a sandy beach and the early morning sun was shining

down on her. She blinked and sat up slowly. She reached up and felt her head. A big cloth was wrapped

around it and when she touched her head it hurt. "Christina!" gasped Beth running over and throwing

her arms around her. "You’re awake!"

Christina looked bewildered and asked, "Why are you so happy I am awake?"

"I thought you would never wake up!" Beth exclaimed

"You where knocked out" Julie explained

"I was?" ask Christina

"Yes you were" said Elizabeth

"How did that happen?" asked Christina.

"Well, after you saved Savannah a big wave came and pulled you under." said Julie "And you didn't

come up for a long time.”

Well we where all hovering over Savannah when all of a sudden Rebecca ask

'where's Christina?'"

"We all gasp and ran to the side of the canoe" added Rebecca. “Suddenly we saw you come up out of

the water and it didn't look like you where breathing. Well Beth dove into the water and pulled you to

the canoe. We had just pulled both of you guys when another big wave pushed the canoe to land.

Rebecca paused and Kaya spoke up.

"So here we were stranded on a strange shore with no sense of direction. Josie took charge. She told

Elizabeth and Julie to get some firewood and then she told me and Rebecca to get wood to make

a shelter. Beth and Josie went to take care of you." Kaya paused and Elizabeth offered Christina some

berries she had found, which she gladly accepted. Josie continued the story.

"When I reached you I noticed a bad bump on your head. Beth’s skirt made a

good head wrap for you. The rain had stopped and the wind had slowed down so we built a fire and all

set around it talking. We had moved you closer." she added.

"I guess you guys do like me." Christina said "I'm glad we're all still friends."

"That's it!" cried Julie "F.R.I.E.N.D.S.! it's a acronym. Friends Rest In Each-other, Never Dies, Sticks-

together. We could be a group of F.R.I.E.N.D.S.!"

"Yeah!" cheered the other girls. Then Christina yawned

"I'm tired."

"Me too." said Julie. The girls stretched out on the ground and went to sleep.

**********

Meanwhile, the girls were looking franticly for the dolls. They had given up during the

night because their flashlights went dead. They had gone back to bed to take up the search the again the

next day. Shawna was the first to awaken. She rolled over and looked at the clock.

She yawned and sat up. “I might as well get dressed.” she said. As she walked over to her suitcase she

tripped over Lizzy and fell right on top of Shantel.

"Oh” Shantel said “Get off me!”

"Sorry’ Shawna said a little too loudly.

"Will you girls be quiet?” demanded Amanda “I’m trying to sleep”

But it’s morning!” protested Shawna

"No it’s only 6:00. It is not morning yet.” Amanda said as she buried her back into her pillow.

They were all soon up and breakfast eaten. It was time to search for the dolls.

"Let’s split up in groups of two” said Kendra “That way we can cover three times as much territory.”

"I want to go with Amanda!” said Heather

"I wanted to go with her.” said Shawna

"I want to go with Kendra” said Shantel

"And I want to go with Shawna” added Lizzy

“Then it’s decided.” said Amanda “Heather will go with me. Here each of you take one of these.” She

handed a whistle to each of them. “And one of these maps.” she said as she gave one to each group.

"Kendra, you and Shantel look over by the cave and woods. Lizzy and Shawna you look around the

tents and when you are done there you can look by the stream. Heather and I will look around the

lake.” She paused to catch her breath.

"What about the whistles?” ask Shantel “And what is we find the dolls?”

"If you find the dolls blow the whistle three times really loud. If you hear the whistle you should echo

the whistle three more times. Then meet back here at camp.” answered Amanda. As they went their

separate ways in groups of two, Heather was quiet.

"What’s wrong. Heather?” asked Amanda “You normally are so talkative.”

"Oh I was just thinking about the dolls,” Heather answered. “Mom will be so mad if she finds out.”

"Lets just hope we can dry them off.” replied Amanda. Soon they reached the edge of the lake and began

to search around it. An hour later they had gone all the way around the edge and they had not found the

dolls.

"We’ve looked everywhere! I don’t think they are here.” Amanda sighed.

All of a sudden Heather shouted, “LOOK!”

Amanda followed where Heather was pointing. There, in the middle of the lake, was an

island. It wasn’t very big, just big enough to have a small clump of trees and a beach.

"Let’s go check it out.” Heather suggested. The girls walked over to the dock.

"Was it broken yesterday?” asked Heather.

"I don’t think so.” answered Amanda “The storm probably did it.” They got into a waiting canoe, and

rowed toward the island. As they got closer Heather called out,“Look! It looks like there is another

canoe over there!”

The girls rowed hard and soon they had pulled up on land. They looked around.

Higher up on the bank the dolls lay fast asleep. They had covered up the fire with sand, so the girls

couldn’t see it.

"Heather, look!” Amanda said grabbing Heathers arm. “The dolls!”

Heather gathered the dolls and put them in the canoe while Amanda blew the whistle. Soon they heard the whistle back.

"I wonder how they got over here?” asked Heather.

"I don’t know” answered Amanda. “It’s weird.”

Christina looked over at Julie and winked, They knew. They knew that the sun had dried them off.

They also knew that they were going to have the best summer ever!

The End