The Special Surprise Trip

Prompt:
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It’s the best half-birthday present ever! I’m standing up on tiptoe, trying to make myself as tall as possible to see out of the basket. I never knew the sky is so blue when you are flying so high up. And I’ve never especially thought about the mountains before, but now I can see that they’re actually really pretty! And the fields are so tiny below on the ground, like small green carpets. Everything’s just like it is in ‘Noddy Rides a Hot Air Balloon’.

“CAREFUL!” yells Daddy. His voice is a bit annoyed, but I’m not going to be offended, because I’m too sensible for that. I know he’s only scolding me for my own good (because it would be dangerous to fall from the sky, I don’t want to get Stitches because they hurt a lot). It’s so fun being out with Daddy on a Special Surprise Trip. I didn’t even know it was my half-birthday today!

This morning started off really normal. I said goodbye to Mommy, and I finished eating my cornflakes and started looking at the pictures in my book of Noddy stories. Then Daddy came home. I was so confused, because it was way too early for him to come back from Office, and also he banged the door and was walking around loudly and frowning really hard and his face was red like a tomato. I thought something had gone really wrong. But then he saw me reading my book, and he stopped walking. And very slowly Daddy’s eyes started shining and his frown started to turn upside down into a smile, and then we got into the car and came to the special Tourist place where you can get hot-air-balloons!

And it’s such a great trip. There are so many other balloons in this sky, like big colourful birds. I’ve used up all my fingers to count them. I want to ask Daddy if I can use his too, but he has his hands in his hair, so I can’t see his fingers properly. He has a nervous-face on, and he is staring at the big bag which he had brought from our car boot. I think he is worried that I won’t like the present he has bought for me in the bag (because Mommy usually picks out presents), but I’m really excited to open it. It’s so big and heavy and floppy, I wonder what it is! It’s a pity that Mommy is at work and couldn’t get a Holiday Leave today because she has a Boss-Meeting. I mustn’t tell her about the trip even when she gets back tonight, because Daddy says she would be way too sad that she couldn’t come. But that’s ok, this can be our Secret Special trip.

Now Daddy is making the balloon go a bit faster. All the other hot air balloons are getting smaller and smaller and so far away, till they are little specks, like a burst of day-time stars. The white, empty mountains are so close, I can see that their peaks are actually not as pointy as pencils! We are all alone in the beautiful nature. It is also so calm and lovely, the only bad thing is the slight smell in our basket, but I think that is the smell of hot-air-balloons.

Daddy’s picking up the big bag in his arms - maybe now I can go over and see what’s inside-“MOVE, kid!.” He is suddenly very mad! I only opened a bit of the zipper, but he pushed me away from the bag so I fell over, and shut the bag very very quickly. I think maybe Daddy thought I was being rude and that rude children don’t deserve half-birthday presents, because after this he quickly heaved the bag up over the edge, and threw it down far below, out of the basket and into the white mountains! He is not looking at me now, but out into the sky. I want to tell him I’m sorry, but I'm a little scared.

Daddy didn’t notice that a small thing fell out of the bag when I had opened a zipper. It rolled towards me and I picked it up. It’s a small, pretty blue hairclip, with a bit of red hair still attached to it. I wonder whose it is, because Daddy, Mommy and I are all blonde! Maybe there wasn’t a present in the bag after all…

But that's ok, because a surprise hot-air-balloon ride is still the best half-birthday gift ever.

Word Count - 756

Written for PDG Advanced Short Story Workshop - Lesson 2