"Stolen Children"


Stolen Children
by Annabelle Morton
     “Sarrinne, where are we?”
     “I don’t know. Now will you please shut up, Sakitt the Twit. We’re trying to, to . . . whatever. I don’t want to talk about it.” The two sisters had gotten themselves lost in a dark forest with no food or water. They didn’t know where they were or what they were doing.
     Earlier that morning, they had gotten so mad at their stepdad. So mad that they ran away just after midnight. Now they weren’t sure where they were going. They finally sat down. Sakitt picked up two sticks and began trying to make a fire. BOOM! Thunder began to fill the sky. Soon it would be raining. That’s when they heard their stepdad’s voice. “SAKITT! SARRINNE!”
     “Run!” Sarrinne shouted.
     Sakitt threw the sticks down on the ground and both girls ran. Fear of their stepdad kept them from going back and being his slave. They could hear their stepdad’s footsteps close behind. They came upon a railroad track. They jumped over it just in time to miss a train that was passing by. Panting fearfully, Sakitt asked, “What do we do now?”
     Sarrinne relied, “Just keep going.” There was blood on Sarrine’s leg dripping onto her bare feet.
     “Are we going to die?” asked Sakitt.
     “Let’s try not to,” answered Sarrine.
     Their hair was now soaked from the rain. They ran farther down the path into another forest. They hadn’t gone too far when they suddenly smelled smoke. They walked into a clearing and saw a crackling fire. Their legs were tired from running so they sat.
     “Hello there,” said a voice.
     “H-h-h-hello,” said Sakitt.
     “Look down,” said the voice.
     “I’m talking to a frog!” said Sakitt.
     “You look a bit hungry,” the frog said as he glared quite slyly.
     “Oh, yes,” nodded Sarrinne.
     “Do you trust me?” asked the frog.
     “Yes,” answered Sarrinne.
     “N-n-n-yes,” agreed Sakitt.
     “Rip, oh that’s spectacular! Yes, yes, indeed it is. Now follow me, girls.” Their ripped up dresses dangled on their bodies as they followed the frog to an old hut.
The frog opened the door.

     An unkempt girl stood there smiling, coldly looking them up and down. “Thanks, little servant.”
     “Servant?” said Sakitt.
     “SHUT UP, SAKITT!”
     “Sakitt? How do you know my name?”
     “Ha, ha, ha. I’ve had my eye on you two for quite awhile.Your stepdad has been my slave and has been making you into slaves for me.”
     “SO WHAT!” yelled Sarrinne. The hateful girl took out strips of cloth and tied Sarrine to a chair. Sakitt reached in a pouch she had sewn and pulled out a pocket knife and cut the cloth to free Sarinne. Then turning to the girl, she stabbed her in the stomach. She fell to the ground, dead. The frog sat there amazed and stared at the knife. He couldn’t believe what Sakitt had just done.

     Sakitt, looking at the frog, said, “Go! You’re free!”
     As the frog hopped to the door, he thought about what it would be like to stay and be the girls’ pet. Just before he reached the door, Sarinne said, “Wait. Can we live here?”
     “Of course,” the frog answered, “why not?”
     “Then will you live with us and be our pet?” asked Sakitt.
     The frog couldn’t believe that she read his mind! “Yes! Yes! Yes!” he replied.
     So he did, and they all lived “hoppily” ever after.