Run and Hide by Robi Crusoe (little readers .TXT) 📖

This event happened not long ago in the little town of Golden Arrow, Kansas. Golden Arrow was a quiet and peaceful town, but it was in grave danger!
The story starts on May 21, 1992, which happened to be the day of young Anna Coppertree’s birthday. Anna was a sweet girl, but did not live a fairytale life. Her parents, Alana and Eric Coppertree, were very mean people. They smoked, did drugs, and were just plain awful! Her sisters, Carina and Shanna Coppertree, were even worse. They pulled her hair and stole her glasses. One time, they even mixed up her folders and got her in trouble with her teacher. Her teacher’s name was Mr. Anthony. He treated her very unfavorably compared to all the other students. He gave her grades she didn’t deserve and treated her like scum. Most of her peers treated her horribly as well.
Her only friend in the entire school was Hannah Charles. She and Hannah sat with each other at lunch and had been on many play dates. They had been friends since second grade. Anna cherished the moments that she could leave the terrors of her life and spends some time with her friend.
Today, she recieved only one present, which was fine with her. It was a Deluxe Weather Kit! Anna loved her present. You see, Anna was a meteorologist, or a person that studies the weather. She could look at clouds for hours or predict what the temperature was just by standing outside. After Anna thanked Hannah about a million times, they headed off to school.
Arrow Elementary was an old run-down school on the outskirts of the city. They had just finished installing perfectly sound-proof windows just as Anna and Hannah got through the door. They quickly sat down in their seats and waited for announcements. In a few minutes the stern voice of Principal Treasures boomed out above them.
“Today for lunch we will be having egg rolls, rice, and puréed fruit.” she announced. At this all the children groaned.
“Oh, quit your whining!” shouted the voice on the intercom. Instantly all the children were silent.
“Good, now have a nice day.” said the principal. Then the intercom clicked off with a loud beep. Anna looked out the window as she always did after announcements, and saw something strange. It was a large black funnel, descending from the heavens and causing mass destruction where it landed. Suddenly, Anna recognized what it was, and immediately filled up with dread. She looked around, but nobody seemed to see what she saw. A tornado, heading straight towards them!
She alerted Hannah as soon as possible. When she heard the news, her eyes filled with fear.
“What will we do?” she asked quickly. "Principal Treasure has never held a tornado drill, so none of us will know what to do!"
“Don’t worry Hannah, I have an idea!” Anna said softly to her friend. Then she showed her the essentials of her plan.
The two girls took little time to work out the kinks and soon had something they could work with. They would sneak into Principal Treasure’s office and use the intercom to broadcast their message around the school. It would be hard, but the girls believed they could do it!
Soon it was 12:30 and the tornado was getting closer by the minute. The girls then put their plan into action. Quietly, they both slipped into the hallways and raced into the principal’s office. But something was wrong with the electrical system! Because of the tornado, it was going haywire! All around the principal’s office sparks of electricity shot out of old severed wires. Instantly, the intercom microphone caught on fire! The burning blaze lit the discouraged faces of the two children. Then Anna had an idea. She ran over, grabbed a fire extinguisher, and sprayed it all over the microphone. Then she wrapped her hands around it, flipped it on, and spoke as loud as she could into the head. In a few seconds her voice rang throughout the building.
“Run, hide everyone.” she screamed. “Go down to the shelters, a tornado is coming. It’s coming!” Everyone ran to safety as quickly as they could. That is, everyone except Anna. For just as she finished a large chunk of cement broke off of the wall and fell on the corner of her dress, trapping her.
“Run Hannah, run!” she yelled, not knowing her friend wasn’t there. Then the winds picked up around her and the tornado picked her up, carrying her far, far away.
Soon the tornado ended and the people came out to see their precious town in ruins. The library was the only thing left standing and even it had some of its shingles torn off. The tornado sirens ended and the teachers started rounding up their kids. Then and there, they noticed their grave mistake.
“Where’s Anna?” asked Mr. Anthony. All of the kids shrugged their shoulders.
Then Hannah stepped forward and told them all of Anna’s plan and how she sacrificed herself for those she loved. When she finished, all the staff and students were crying. They alerted Anna’s family of the tragedy and they cried too. The entire town felt the loss of the Coppertree family. They erected a memorial of her in the town square. Since the incident, her story has been told to all of the children who have passed through the walls of that same elementary school, now rebuilt. Hannah lived on to become Hannah Wilson. She told it to her children, and they to theirs. The legacy of Anna Coppertree lives on to this very day.


The End

Publication Date: 12-29-2011

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