RIF's Back-to-School Writing Contest: Winning Essay

The Secret Staircase 
By Jennifer H.
Age 10
Great Falls, VA

One day a new girl came to the school. Her name was Jenny. She went to school just like any other kid. But she wanted to know what the teachers did at recess. So before she came to school she formulated a plan to follow one of the teachers during recess.

When it was time she followed one of the teachers to a secret staircase. It was a secret because you had to hit camouflaged buttons hidden behind a window curtain. She memorized the combination and after a few minutes she went in.

She went in and saw a mirror, yet she didn’t see her reflection! Then it hit her – she had turned invisible after entering. She then decided she wanted to turn back. But the door was shut and she couldn’t get it open! So she kept on going up the steps.

At the top of the staircase there was a door that had #70 printed on it. She knew the doors in her school only went up to #69. She went inside. No teachers could see her because she was invisible. She was safe.

When she got inside she noticed there was something peculiar about what appeared to be a second school. Then she realized it was an arcade! There were video games, air hockey tables, pinball machines and more! She then played almost every game there was to play.

Then she saw a Golden Door! Inside the Golden Door she discovered an empty, white room. She saw a sign that said: “Imagine whatever you want and press this button.” Jenny imagined a giant rain forest with both mystical and real animals. Then, she pressed the button and found herself in a humongous rain forest with all the animals she imagined.

There were sloths and unicorns! She saw parrots and fairies! She saw a big, hairy tarantula and a flying tiger. She stayed away from those animals as much as she could. She discovered a talking tree! She had seen those in movies but not in real life.

Then Jenny heard a bell. She knew it was the recess bell, but she figured as long as she was invisible she could stay in the rain forest until the day was over. She then heard one teacher yell from the arcade room, “Let’s get out of here!” She heard a big rush coming from the arcade room.

When all of the rest of the kids and the teachers were back in class, one kid said, “Where’s the new kid, Jenny?” The teacher said, “Where’s the new kid, Jenny?” The teacher said, “Oh no!” She then told the class, “If you stay in your seats and keep quiet while I’m gone, there will be no homework for a week! I’ll ask the teacher next door to keep an eye and an ear on you.”

The teacher returned to the Secret Staircase. She then turned off the invisibility feature, checked every room and then went into the imagination room. She found Jenny and came back to class without her. No one ever saw Jenny again. Some say she got everlasting detention; some say she just vanished. We’ll never know!

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