QUESTION 29 - A window to the other side

Write a creative piece to the following prompt: A window to the other side.

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The Treehouse

by helen

The rays of the evening sun lit up the trees of the park, and comfortably nestled in one was a small metal treehouse. It was a ruby-red cube, with a star-shaped window on a wall and a broken, rotted rope ladder suspended in midair above one of the branches. On looked Jonathan, a six-year-old, blond-haired boy with curiosity blazing in his eyes. If he could climb up there, he could see the other side of that window!

He gently placed a hand on the rough, papery bark. Next came the other hand, the right foot, and the left. He carefully shifted himself upwards, ascending the first step, then the next, and the next... The cubby house was steadily getting closer to him. Now he could see the still-intact part of the rope ladder, but he would have to get across a thick branch to reach it–and that window to the other side!

Jonathan crawled forward like a stealth agent, blocking out everything from his vision except the rope ladder–his final step to the window. Gradually, he advanced and advanced, until he was one jump from the rope ladder. His heart was bashing against the skin of his chest. He slowly got up, eyes narrowing, and pushed off the branch. His fingertips stretched out for the rope ladder... but "Oh!" he missed!

On impulse, Jonathan spun around and hooked his hands onto the branch. "Can I still make it?" he thought. His eyes flashed up to the treehouse and remained there. "Yes. I have to see through that window." He edged to the trunk, crossed the branch and reached the treehouse! He grasped the window with his hand and hoisted himself up. His eyes squinted in excitement and his mouth curved upwards at the incredible sights on the other side of the window. What his mother had told him was ringing in his ears: if you stuck to something, you would get it in the end!