Help, I'm Trapped

This was a creative writing essay for 7th grade English. The assignment was that we were trapped somewhere, and only had three things in our pocket.

I really got into this one. I decided that one of the "things" in my pocket was actually a little ten centimeter man, and went from there. As usual, the amount I wrote far exceeded the actual assignment. I stuck with this for a few days, but I wasn't getting any of the rest of my homework done so I eventually gave up on this, and just tacked on an ending half finished.

This is my first attempt at writing humor, and as you can see the results are mixed. The jokes are really run into the ground. I'd like to think that's just how 7th graders write humor, but maybe it's just me.

Nevertheless, I like this because it is the first piece of writing I have that shows any sense of pacing. Of not rushing on to finish the story, but simply taking my time and enjoying the scene for what it is.

I'm locked in the boy's bathroom. In my pockets are a ball of yarn, a phaser stuck on stun (how I got it is a long story) and a ten centimeter person named Jim.

Jim is a nice, short, good-looking sort of guy. He's a little on the weird side, but most of his midget friends (and me) are willing to overlook that. He has a T.V. show he never misses that's called, "If Midgets Ruled the World." He carries a jackknife everywhere he goes to combat large hungry spiders.

It was Saturday the 14th. Yesterday my friend David mysteriously disappeared after study hall. (For more on that, ask him to read his, "Help, I'm trapped in English class," essay to you.) Detectives had come to search the school for clues and I was one of the many people who came to watch the excitement. Just when everyone was leaving, I had to go to the bathroom. After I did, I found that some smart aleck had locked me in. I called for help, but everybody had left the school.

I leaned against the wall and wondered what jerk had done this to me. As I thought, Jim poked his head out and said in a mocking tone, "Clean your pockets. It stinks down here."

"If you don't like it you can get out," I said, picking him out of my pocket and tossing him up in the air. He landed in a toilet. There was a temptation to flush him down, but I didn't. Instead I helped him out and gave him a paper towel to dry off with.

"You threw me in the toilet on purpose," he angrily accused.

"No I didn't," I said. "I just threw you up in the air. I didn't know where you were going to land. Honest! No hard feelings I hope."

Jim shook himself. "No, I guess not," he replied. "I just wish people would flush this toilet once and a while. May I have another paper towel please?"

"Here, have two," I said as I handed him the paper towels. "We've got to find a way to get out of here."

"Good point," said Jim. "I'm missing my T.V. show."

"It's not for three more hours yet," I pointed out.

"That's how long it might take us to get out," Jim moaned.

"Well then, let's try and get out," I said. We both tried to think of a way to get out. I looked at my surroundings. Two toilets and two sinks were there, and a box of paper towels and a box of kleenexes. A window was three meters up, but even if you got up to it, it was too small to crawl through. I looked at the window, and I looked at Jim (who was still drying himself off) and suddenly a great idea hit me.

I explained it to Jim. "No way," exclaimed Jim as he backed away from me. "I hate heights and , and I could get hurt."

"Fine," I said. "Of course if we don't hurry up and get out, you might miss your T.V. show."

"Let's hurry up and get on with your plan," said Jim excitedly with a hint of reluctance in his voice.

I should explain that my plan is to tie one end of my ball of yarn to Jim's leg. Then throw Jim on the window sill, have him open the window and jump out. He will dangle by the piece of yarn. Then I will slowly lower him down. Once he gets down, he will cut the yarn off his leg and run to get help.

I just finished tying yarn to Jim's leg and was ready to proceed with the rest of my plan when Jim stopped me. "Don't you think we should test how good of a hold this rope has on me?" asked Jim.

"It's yarn Jim not rope," I said. "But I guess you're right about trying it out."

I held a bit of the yarn and let Jim dangle. "I guess it works pretty good," I said, no sooner had the words escaped my lips when Jim's leg slipped through the knot and Jim hit the floor. "Looks like we'll have to make that knot tighter," I said.

"Another sigh that we're dealing with pure brilliance," said Jim sarcastically.

"Listen, do you want to get out or not?" I asked. I finished re-tying the yarn around Jim's leg. "Besides that wasn't funny," I added.

"There, that knot's finished," I said. "Let's try it out." I let Jim dangle and once again the knot failed us and Jim met the floor. I tied the knot again. "There," I said proudly. "I'd like to see that come undone." It came undone. I tried again. "That definitely will hold," I said. "There's no way that will come undone." Guess what happened. I then tied the knot real tight.

"Ouch! Ouch! Stop that! You're cutting off my circulation," protested Jim. "Ouch!"

"Jim calm down," I said. "We got to get it tight or you'll slip right through the knot and hit the floor."

"That part I know," said Jim. "Ouch! Don't tie that stupid, dumb, idiotic knot so tight."

"Let's test this knot now!" I said.

"I hope this works, complained Jim. Call me cranky if you like, but I'm tired of falling into the hard floor."

We tested the yarn and it worked. Then Jim said, "I don't think I want to do this."

"What?" I exclaimed. "Don't tell me you're getting cold feet now."

"Well, all the tests were I slipped through the yarn made me think that I could slip through the yarn three meters up."

"You're being a wimp," I said.

"I don't care," said Jim. "I'm still not going to do it."

"I'll flush you down the toilet."

"I don't care."

"I'll never give you another piece of food."

"I don't care."

"I'll put you in my pocket and won't let any part of you out."

"I don't care."

"You'll miss your T.V. show."

"On second thought I'll take a risk and try your plan," said Jim, forcing a smile.

I picked Jim up and looked at the window. I took a deep breath and threw Jim at the window as hard as I could. I missed the window and Jim crashed against the wall, then fell down and hit the floor.

Jim sat up rubbing a bruise on his head. "If at first you don't succeed, try try again," I said.

"This stuff is pretty hard on me," complained Jim. "Isn't there a simpler way to do it?"

"Well," I said, "we could wait for school to start on Monday. Of course you would miss your T.V. show twice."

"Let's try again," said Jim. "We might make it this time."

This time, instead of throwing, I picked up the ball of yarn and twirled it over my head. Jim, tied to the other of the yarn, went flying around in circles.

Once I had enough speed I let go and Jim went flying towards the window.

"He's gonna make it," I thought. "He's gonna make..." Jim didn't make it. He crashed into the wall less than two inches short of the wall. He then fell down to the ground.

Dazed, Jim got up. "I don't think my T.V. show is that important," he said. "Besides it might be a repeat."

I paused, then realized that if Jim had given up on his TV show, it would be easy to change his mind. "What if its not a repeat and they never show it again? Of, if they repeat one of the great ones, like Nomes taking over the castle. Come on, let's try again," I said.

"Okay," said Jim. "I threw Jim at the window once more. The handle that opened the window was sticking out. Jim grabbed it. He then pulled himself up to the window sill.

He pushed against the handle and tried to open the window. He pushed against the handle so hard he fell off the window sill. I took my phaser and threw it at the window. The window broke and Jim was able to get out. (I had to throw him again).

He got help and I got out.