The Balloon
The sun shone bright, shining on all the grapes that grew beneath it in Napa Valley. In a nearby field, hot air balloons were stationed on the ground, prepared for take off. Some were already in the sky, their colorful envelopes dotting the blue, cloudless sky.
A few miles away in a red car, Pegaleanna and her brother Jeohnn argued. Pegaleanna insisted that the two of them get cotton candy before getting on the hot air balloon, while Jeohnn said that he wanted to get popcorn.
"Jeohnn, I've told you a billion times. We're getting cotton candy first!" Pegaleanna angrily shouted at her brother.
"No! You always get to do everything your way. It's not fair. This time, we're doing it my way. We're getting popcorn!" Jeohnn shouted back.
"Children! Silence yourselves!" their mother, Mrs. Fift said, "You're going to distract your father! Do you want to get into an accident or something?"
"But Peggy always gets things her way! It's not fair! Why can't I get to choose something that I want?" Jeohnn complained.
Mrs. Fift looked at her daughter, who was glaring at Jeohnn. "Fine. We'll get popcorn and cotton candy. But if you two continue to argue, I won't buy you guys anything."
The children smiled with satification as they began to chat about how fast they were going to finish their food at the fair. Mrs. Fift breathed a sigh of relief as she relaxed into her car seat.
When the family finally arrived at the fair, they immediately bought cotton candy and popcorn. While the children ate, Mr. and Mrs. Fift looked around the fair to see what activities the children might like. Then, they saw it. Hot air balloon riding! After the children finished their food, they all went to the air balloon riding area.
Mr. Fift kept watch over the children as Mrs. Fift bought the family tickets for the next ride. As she came back to where her family was, she began to hear her children arguing again.
"You're not as brave as me, Peggy. I'm gonna do a handstand on the edge of the basket. I'll show it to you when we get on," Jeohnn said smugly.
Scoffing and turning red, Pegaleanna shouted, "That's the dumbest idea I've every heard! What are you, crazy? You'll fall off and die! And you can't even balance on one foot, much less do a handstand on such a narrow place hundreds of feet in the air!"
"That's why I'm gonna try it, Peggy. Just see. Jeohnn's gonna be the best handstander in the world!" Jeohnn said as he made weird faces.
"Handstander isn't even a real word! And mom and dad will never let you do that! So don't even think about it! Ugh! You're driving me crazy!" Pegaleanna yelled in an angry sisterly tone.
"Pegaleanna! Calm down! You don't have to pay attention to what your brother says. Your father and I will keep a close watch on you and your brother during the ride, so you don't have to worry about anything. Got it?" Mrs. Fift said.
"Ugh, whatever," said an annoyed Pegaleana.
After a few mintues of waiting, Jeohnn came up to Pegaleanna." "Peggy, do you want to sneak onto one of those balloons?"
"No! We're not allowed to do that and it's not safe," Pegaleanna said.
"But we've been waiting so long and I'm getting bored. It's not going to be bad or dangerous. We'll just jump into one when no one's looking, and be off with the wind!" Jeohnn said excitedly.
Pegaleanna thought about it for a bit. "Ok, but if we do do this, you have to pinky promise that you won't do a handstand on the edge."
"I promise," Jeohnn said as he stuck his pinky out.
After the two made a pinky promise, Jeohnn went up to their father. "Dad, I need to go to the bathroom. Can Peggy come with me?"
"Sure sweetie," their father said without taking his eyes off of his phone.
The siblings giggled as they raced to the air balloon station. They hid behind a crate as they looked around for an empty air balloon.
"There! The one with the red and yellow pattern!" Pegaleanna said as she pointed.
The siblings ran to the balloon, their little feet pattering against the grass. Pegaleana dumped her brother into the balloon first, before hopping in and cutting the lines. As the balloon began to float away from the ground, the siblings began to laugh and giggle.
"Woah! This is actually really fun!" Pegaleanna exclaimed.
"See! I told you!" Jeohnn said.
The two of them moved their heads so that they could see the ground below them. It was getting farther and father away by the minute. Pegaleanna could see the upturned faces of people, who were just dots to her. They seemed to be waving to her, and so she waved back. They seemed to be yelling something, but she couldn't hear it.
Then, Jeohnn did the unthinkable. "You remember that promise we made on the ground? Well I'm gonna break it. Sorry, sister."
"Jeohnn! How dare you! I'm never gonna trust or talk to you again. You're the worst brother ever," Pegaleanna said.
At this point, Jeohnn was already climbing up to the edge of the basket. Pegaleanna's face turned white, and her mouth opened in fear as Jeohnn tried to stand on the edge of the basket. Then, he fell over.
Luckily, Pegaleanna was able to catch him. She held on to her brother's arm as he began to cry. Then, with a great effort, she dragged him back into the air balloon.
"I wanna get off. I wanna get off. I wanna see mom and dad. I wanna be on the ground," said a hiccuping and crying Jeohnn.
"This is why you shouldn't do that ever again. And now you've gotten us in big trouble. This is all your fault!" an enraged Pegaleanna said.
"I'm sorry, I should have listened to you. But I still wanna go back to the ground," said Jeohnn as he put his snot and tear filled face on Pegaleanna's shoulder.
"I'm pretty sure someone's gonna com rescue us soon, so we don't have to worry. But this is still your fault," Pegaleanna scolded.
A few miles away in a red car, Pegaleanna and her brother Jeohnn argued. Pegaleanna insisted that the two of them get cotton candy before getting on the hot air balloon, while Jeohnn said that he wanted to get popcorn.
"Jeohnn, I've told you a billion times. We're getting cotton candy first!" Pegaleanna angrily shouted at her brother.
"No! You always get to do everything your way. It's not fair. This time, we're doing it my way. We're getting popcorn!" Jeohnn shouted back.
"Children! Silence yourselves!" their mother, Mrs. Fift said, "You're going to distract your father! Do you want to get into an accident or something?"
"But Peggy always gets things her way! It's not fair! Why can't I get to choose something that I want?" Jeohnn complained.
Mrs. Fift looked at her daughter, who was glaring at Jeohnn. "Fine. We'll get popcorn and cotton candy. But if you two continue to argue, I won't buy you guys anything."
The children smiled with satification as they began to chat about how fast they were going to finish their food at the fair. Mrs. Fift breathed a sigh of relief as she relaxed into her car seat.
When the family finally arrived at the fair, they immediately bought cotton candy and popcorn. While the children ate, Mr. and Mrs. Fift looked around the fair to see what activities the children might like. Then, they saw it. Hot air balloon riding! After the children finished their food, they all went to the air balloon riding area.
Mr. Fift kept watch over the children as Mrs. Fift bought the family tickets for the next ride. As she came back to where her family was, she began to hear her children arguing again.
"You're not as brave as me, Peggy. I'm gonna do a handstand on the edge of the basket. I'll show it to you when we get on," Jeohnn said smugly.
Scoffing and turning red, Pegaleanna shouted, "That's the dumbest idea I've every heard! What are you, crazy? You'll fall off and die! And you can't even balance on one foot, much less do a handstand on such a narrow place hundreds of feet in the air!"
"That's why I'm gonna try it, Peggy. Just see. Jeohnn's gonna be the best handstander in the world!" Jeohnn said as he made weird faces.
"Handstander isn't even a real word! And mom and dad will never let you do that! So don't even think about it! Ugh! You're driving me crazy!" Pegaleanna yelled in an angry sisterly tone.
"Pegaleanna! Calm down! You don't have to pay attention to what your brother says. Your father and I will keep a close watch on you and your brother during the ride, so you don't have to worry about anything. Got it?" Mrs. Fift said.
"Ugh, whatever," said an annoyed Pegaleana.
After a few mintues of waiting, Jeohnn came up to Pegaleanna." "Peggy, do you want to sneak onto one of those balloons?"
"No! We're not allowed to do that and it's not safe," Pegaleanna said.
"But we've been waiting so long and I'm getting bored. It's not going to be bad or dangerous. We'll just jump into one when no one's looking, and be off with the wind!" Jeohnn said excitedly.
Pegaleanna thought about it for a bit. "Ok, but if we do do this, you have to pinky promise that you won't do a handstand on the edge."
"I promise," Jeohnn said as he stuck his pinky out.
After the two made a pinky promise, Jeohnn went up to their father. "Dad, I need to go to the bathroom. Can Peggy come with me?"
"Sure sweetie," their father said without taking his eyes off of his phone.
The siblings giggled as they raced to the air balloon station. They hid behind a crate as they looked around for an empty air balloon.
"There! The one with the red and yellow pattern!" Pegaleanna said as she pointed.
The siblings ran to the balloon, their little feet pattering against the grass. Pegaleana dumped her brother into the balloon first, before hopping in and cutting the lines. As the balloon began to float away from the ground, the siblings began to laugh and giggle.
"Woah! This is actually really fun!" Pegaleanna exclaimed.
"See! I told you!" Jeohnn said.
The two of them moved their heads so that they could see the ground below them. It was getting farther and father away by the minute. Pegaleanna could see the upturned faces of people, who were just dots to her. They seemed to be waving to her, and so she waved back. They seemed to be yelling something, but she couldn't hear it.
Then, Jeohnn did the unthinkable. "You remember that promise we made on the ground? Well I'm gonna break it. Sorry, sister."
"Jeohnn! How dare you! I'm never gonna trust or talk to you again. You're the worst brother ever," Pegaleanna said.
At this point, Jeohnn was already climbing up to the edge of the basket. Pegaleanna's face turned white, and her mouth opened in fear as Jeohnn tried to stand on the edge of the basket. Then, he fell over.
Luckily, Pegaleanna was able to catch him. She held on to her brother's arm as he began to cry. Then, with a great effort, she dragged him back into the air balloon.
"I wanna get off. I wanna get off. I wanna see mom and dad. I wanna be on the ground," said a hiccuping and crying Jeohnn.
"This is why you shouldn't do that ever again. And now you've gotten us in big trouble. This is all your fault!" an enraged Pegaleanna said.
"I'm sorry, I should have listened to you. But I still wanna go back to the ground," said Jeohnn as he put his snot and tear filled face on Pegaleanna's shoulder.
"I'm pretty sure someone's gonna com rescue us soon, so we don't have to worry. But this is still your fault," Pegaleanna scolded.