Hiking

By: Ruby Gene Topple

Hello! I’m a shoe, a hiking shoe to be exact. The giant who wears me says that my twin shoe and I are her favorite. She wears me everywhere, so much, it’s too many to count. I have so many precious memories, good and bad, you know… I think I’ll tell you a story now! Should I tell you about a good time or a bad time… well, a good time is happy, but a bad time would be more interesting. I think I’ll go with, bad!

Ok, I’m not that good at telling stories, but here goes! Once upon a time, I think it was last Tuesday, or was it Thursday? I always get those T’s mixed up…. Anyway, the point is my owner took me hiking. I love being outside, but hiking isn’t fun, not, not fun at all, especially if you have to be my girl’s shoe. She jumps, runs and skips and hops, and is so heavy on her poor little shoes. Although hiking is terrible, the actual hiking wasn’t even the worst part. This trip in particular was horrible, in fact, I can hardly believe that I’m not in the trash right now waiting to die. 

How it happened was, my girl picked me up and ran out to the car. I was so excited I was getting to go somewhere! I shouldn’t have been though, especially because of the do- wait! I shouldn’t tell you that yet, I don’t want to spoil the story. Anyway, after a longish car ride, my girl (I keep calling her “girl”, I think her name is Eliza, but I’m not sure, anyway) she put me on and hopped out of the car, YAY! Then comes the horrible moment when I realize that we are at a trailhead, “Noooooo…” my brother groans. I quickly arrange my face into a smile and try to act like the older brother (I came out of the machine and on to the conveyor belt first, you know), “It’s okay, she seems a little less, how do I put this, energized today.” The moment I say this I know I am wrong, because she is jumping around like a pogo stick, this one. Let me warn you she’s just a little crazy.

Now, once we start the hike, I start thinking that what I said was actually true. I’m sort of right. It isn’t that long, so it isn’t nearly as dreadful as usual, but it is super hilly, porpoising up and down, which is a good thing, don’t get me wrong, making Eliza go much, much slower. 

Finally about thirty minutes later, we are at a big, beautiful waterfall. 

There, my girl rips her hiking clothes off to reveal a swimsuit underneath. Then, she pulls me and my brother off and runs into the lake. “Phew! I’m glad that’s over,” says my brother as he exhales a humongous breath. “Me, too bro, me, too,” I replied, trying to sound cool, but not weird at the same time. Suddenly, we hear this loud growling. I slowly turn around and do a big gulp. Standing right behind us is a huge ferocious dog. 

Before I even know what’s happening that beast takes us by our shoelaces and swings us round and round and round. Next, he slams us down, and sets his big slobbery mouth on us, and starts chewing, chewing, chewing. Finally, after what seems like ages Eliza glances up at us and screams, “Squiggles! Bad dog, bad, bad, dog!” Thankfully, she came to our rescue (I was about to be shredded to pieces). The moment she said this, that furry creature whimpered, and set us down. Like I said, I can’t believe I survived. 

Thank you for listening to my rambling. I actually was a better storyteller this time, but it wasn’t perfect. Good-bye!     

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