I never really got the point of school. Never have. You get up in the morning to go to a cruel place where you get educated, picked on, bullied, so on and so forth.
I get good grades and all, 4.0, straight A student. I’m smart but not the sporty type. I don’t have many friends, and these past two years have been really difficult for me.
First my parents vanished about two years ago. Before they vanished in there will they said give the farm to me and I got it.
Our farm has been passed down from generation to generation.
I know what you may be thinking; he’s not mature enough to manage a farm. I would say to that yes I can very, very confidently, because I know I can.
Anyway all of my relatives live in Wisconsin… The only one’s we have left. All of my grandparents died when I was really young. I don’t remember any of them very well except my grandmother. My grandmother had the gentlest touch. When she stroked my face with her hand it felt like being touched by an angel. Nobody ever knew how they died. One day they were playing poker late at night. The next day they vanished.
Difficult life so far huh? That’s’ just a sixteenth of how sad, weird, crazy, and twisted my life is now. Writing in this book I found is the only thing keeping me from going off my nut right now.
I am Darren House a low life loser who’s found that I have an amazing ability.
It's Friday, the best day of the week. You know that when you walk into school everyone will say TGIF (Thank god it’s Friday.) I really don’t care what day it is but most people do. I don’t care because I go home to the same boring old farm, play with the animals, eat dinner, and go to sleep. That’s my day, exciting isn’t it?
It was Saturday; I woke up with a delicious smell coming from the kitchen. It smelled like bacon and eggs.
Yummy, my favorite. I hopped downstairs ready for the eggs and bacon. When I got down there I saw a horrible sight… My aunt’s pinky was cutoff.
“Aunt Janessa what happened?” I said in a frightened voice.
“Oh it’s nothing, well actually I was riding our horse, Camessa when she bucked me off and the cow, Carissa smunched me into a pole and my finger jammed in and ripped out of its socket.” My Aunt said crying and bleeding.
“Aunt you should put a band-aid around… what’s left of your finger.”
I said trying to make her feel better. “By the way where is Uncle George?”

My Aunt started crying even harder, “He vanished.”

“What? When?”

“Last night while he was feeding the chickens.”
The realization hit me. “Oh no, no, no, no. This farm has been past down from generations to generations and everyone who’s been on it has vanished, my parents, my grandparents, and now Uncle George.” I started crying now too.
It was a long Saturday. We contacted the police… Nothing. They didn’t know what to say. They said they would keep a lookout but that’s about all they said. Sunday past, Then Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. Saturday… Aunt Janessa down in the kitchen cooking up bacon, and eggs. “Hey Janessa.” I said with a smile on my face. No answer. “Hey Janessa?” “Aunt Janessa!” There was still no answer. I raced out to the chickens. No Janessa. I went to the horses and cows. The realization hit me as hard as a bullet… Aunt Janessa was gone.
“No! No! No!” I was screaming bloody murder throughout the day. When something very strange happened. ZAP! Something came out of my finger. Like an invisible beam of light, “Strange,” I thought to myself. I looked down at where I shot. My bacon and eggs were ant size.
“There’s no way I shrunk my bacon and eggs.” I said to myself.
“I actually did.” I tried to shrink many other things throughout the day. I tried and tried. It never worked. I got so angry that another invisible beam of light shot out of my finger. I shrunk my chair.
“I can shrink things. A low life loser has the power to shrink things.”
The rest of the day, you guessed it. I shrunk things. It was so fun. It kept my mind off of my family for a little bit. I shrunk desks to chairs to tables to everything. Then I realized wait how do I unshrink this…
This is crazy. I found a book that has all this scribbling in it. I found it in the attic of the barn. It reads,
Dear Darren,
Reach for the stars,
Under the Oak,
Wait till sunrise,
Fall through the hole,
The farm animals took us there,
They are ruthless,
Come on we all have the ability
Take what you can and start shrinkin reality.

Love,
Mom and Dad

I made up my mind. Whoever’s reading this, just know, tomorrow I’m going after my parents.
Early Monday morning, the sun is out, the birds are chirping, and I just woke up when I started writing this. My mom and dad say they never made it past the farm animals, to go save Grandma and Grandpa. I’m not going to be caught, and I will save my parents. All I got to do is shrink myself. This is going to be challenging.
I got on all these black clothes, so I would just look like a little pebble, running along the ground. I got a mirror to see if I shot the mirror it would reflect and shrink me…
I was right! In an instant I got so angry that the bolt flew out of my finger, and reflected I was TINY! The first few seconds were awesome, but then I realized my first task… I have to go downstairs.
I started walking out of my room. “Uh, oh” I thought to myself. The stairs. I came to the first one. It looked like a mountain, no not just a mountain… Mt. Everest.
I was so tiny that a little 6 in. stair looked like a 50,000 ft drop. If I fell I was gone.
I saw something out of the corner of my eye. It was a pencil lying on the floor. I ran over to grab it. This pencil was heavy. It weighed to me like 100 lbs. A teeny tiny pencil was giving me a hard time because it looked like a skyscraper. I did my best to pull it back to Everest. I set it and lowered it down until it touched the bottom of the stair. I was in business.
I started to climb down the pencil. When suddenly the pencil started to rock back and forth, back and forth. “Uh, oh.” I thought to myself. I tried climbing down a little faster. That definitely did not help because it started rocking faster and faster. Until timber the pencil was falling down. I tried to stay on but the speed of the pencil going down was way beyond the speed of light. I fell.
I woke up, on the floor. It felt like it was about an hour later. I looked up and realized I had fell down all 11 stairs and survived. Oh yeah! That’s what I’m talking about. I conquered this task by failing this task. It took me a minute to figure it all out and I said, “Awesome!”
I got up and started running across the wood floor. I came to the kitchen and looked at my two options I could a. Go to the door and slip right under the crack.
Or b. Climb the cabinets, the faucet, and out the kitchen window. Which one would you choose? Well I chose a. I ran over to the door and slipped right through. I bet some of you would of taken b.

Good I was out of the house. Another challenge came quickly though… Get through the pigpen. To get to the field and the oak you must, must, must, go through the pigpen. Yes the muddy, slimy, icky, smelly pigpen.
Then I thought about something that made my stomach turn. I forgot to feed the animals this morning. Aunt Janessa said to never forget to feed the animals. Of course, I forgot. This is critical because if the animals aren’t fed, they are hungry, and when they’re hungry. You don’t even want to know.
The pigpen… I came to it very cautiously, watching my back just in case a sneaky cat saw me. I entered the pigpen.
Right when I entered I smelled a malodorous smell. The smell was so putrid I swear my nose almost liquefied and melted off. I took it a few steps at a time just in case a mad pig was deranged and decided to squish me. That would be a funeral to remember.
I took a few more steps, SQUISH. I… just… fell in the mud. I bet a few of you were thinking I just got squished, nope just fell in the mud. Still not that glamorous, but it's much better than being squished by a fat, 20,000 ton pig. Anyway the mud smelled like… pig, and I was covered in it.
The flies were all over me. The thing is they were as big as me. Have you ever seen a show where they shoot a close up of a bug and you look at what the bug is really is. Well it was a close up and it was Scary!
There were all these buzzing noises around me. I tried to swat them away, but that just got them angrier and the more angry they got, the more flies would come. It’s like they could send out signals without speaking. For all I know they do have that power.
I thought of something, I rolled a teeny tiny rock in to the mud and threw it as far as I could. Stupid flies chased after it like there was no tomorrow. There actually may not be a tomorrow for me.
That gave me a chance to run. I ran as fast as I could, but not fast enough.
The pigs were starting to run at me. Oh dear, why did I forget to feed them. They were tackling each other in the mud.
All I could do was try to just keep running faster and hope that I don’t get trampled. Just got to keep running, just keep running, running, running, running.
I hoped the pigs were more occupied with each other than killing me. Well I can at least hope. All I need to do is stay out of the pigs way for another about 30 seconds. By that time I should make it out of there and run into the corn field and continue on my journey to the big oak.
25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20. I was almost out of there.
19, 18, 17, 16, 15. I got closer with every second.
14, 13, 12, 11, 10. The last part was here, I ran out of the pigpen, and was running towards the field.
9 8 7 6 5, I was in the field, with 5 seconds to spare,
“Not bad.” I thought to myself.

Looking like a tiny pebble, running across about an acre long field isn’t all that fun. Believe me. If you don’t well you try it. You’ll see it’s not all happy and dandy.
Anyway when I got into the field it looked like another planet. There were bugs being dragged along the ground being helped by other bugs.
When I walked in there, I felt numb. It looked as if I was with other humans. Although I know for a fact I wasn’t. I tried to dodge getting looked at. They would probably take me to their ruler or something so I sneaked by, and just like that I was out of the bug civilization in the but universe in the farms field.
Weird, huh? Yeah, well it was.

I started running again. I had many emotions at this point. I was confused, tired, hungry, angry, sad, and happy. It was just an emotional day.
I started to think about how I was going to climb up the big oak. I will think about that later.
Anyway I continued running, I came to a thick part of the fields. When all of a sudden a big foot was coming down on me. The only two words that came out of my mouth were, “Uh, oh.”

It was coming down fast. I had to think of something to do in those two seconds. I rolled out of the way but barely, because if I hadn’t rolled I wouldn’t be here today writing this. The animal was charging and it was being chased, and I was at the bottom of it all.

From my perspective it looked like a cow and a horse. No wait a horse and a horse. That’s a lot worse. I wish I hadn’t of done this.
Why did it have to be me with this power? Why does a loser have this power? Why are my farm animals possessed? It makes no sense. This power is way beyond reality, it’s inconceivable. Is this even real?
Am I just living a dream, literally?
No I got to keep focused. I know this is real and in two days my parent’s and my aunt and uncle will be back home.

The horse’s hooves were pounding on the ground like a crash of thunder. They came so close to me I felt the whoosh of the wind that almost knocked me over, but I kept my footing and kept running.
About a minute later I was gasping for air. Then I saw another hoof and I wasn’t so tired anymore. The sudden rush of adrenaline rush woke me up. I bolted right out of the way.
I saw the barbwire fence that separated on of our half acres of land from another half acre.
Unfortunately the big oak was at the end of our other half of an acre. It was perfect though because the fence would stop the animals. Again, unfortunately I was wrong.

I ducked right below the fence, ”Safe.” I said to myself. Even though I really wasn’t. I’ve been out here for probably 12 hours now, and I was hungry. I guess I’m just going to have to wait until I get home... Two days later. Oh, dear these are going to be the longest two days of my life.

I thought I was safe, I thought wrong. Have I mentioned that? I was right past the barbwire fence when suddenly the horse's jumped over it. Regrettably, one made it. It was coming down on me! I ran as quickly as I could away from the horse. It was the horse Camessa. She had always been my favorite animal. Only now she was gone. I cried.
Tears came down my face like a rocky river flowing gently down a path. They were tears of joy but also tears of distress and sorrow. I grieved well I walked to the horse. Knowing she would die. When I got over there she was already a carcass.
I hugged her a farewell but I knew I had to keep going, in about 6 hours I will be at the oak. That is, if I don’t get squashed by the other horse (what’s her name again I can never remember.)

This fight between the horse and I wasn’t over. She was hollow. Did I mention that when the animals get hungry they’re ruthless?
The horse didn’t know we were in this struggle. She just wanted food and I just wanted my life. Is that so much to ask? It probably is with me behind the wheel.

I ran faster and faster with the adrenaline on my side. You got to love the sudden rush of adrenaline.
Well I do anyway.
The horse just had speed and I was no match for it (Especially being only about 1 oz.)
I was so small on the ground nobody should be able to see me. I guess I was wrong because, this horse was on me like white on rice. Something was different about this animal than all the others. Nothing jumped out at me at first, but the more I thought about it I realized. I had never seen this horse in my life.
The more I thought about that horse the more I missed poor, poor Camessa. Something didn’t feel right.

I have a plan. It’s a tricky one but I have a plan. I’m going to shrink that son of a gun horse to be my steed and I’ll be the cowboy. Yee Haw!! That was stupid. Sorry.
My plan is to ride the horse to the oak and it will take a lot less lime and I know I’ve mentioned being hungry or wait have I? Well I’m starving. I got my first shot at it, a few minutes later after I realized it wasn’t my horse.
I shot she dodged. The shot’s invisible how could she have dodged it. Interesting. It’s like she saw it coming. This horse is very unusual.
I fired again she dodged. I got as close as I could without being trampled and shot…
Yep you guessed it she jumped and dodged. Ok this was getting annoying but it kind of freaked me out. Its either this horse was getting good at dodging invisible things or this just wasn’t a horse.
That answer came quickly this wasn’t a horse. No this is something way more fearsome. It was a shape shifter, oh and um he can also become small I was I trouble.

Oh, dear I was in some agitation right now. It’s about to get a lot worse.
3, 2, 1. Now.

It’s over I’m probably going to die. This shape shifter thing is more aggressive than I predicted.
Let me tell you about what happened to me before I wrote this section of the story.
So I just told you about the shape shifter. Well he can also come to my size, and he did. He came to my size in the form of a T-rex.
He probably didn’t want to stalk around in a big T-rex (costume.) One of the neighbors might start cussing.

He came down with a thump and I didn’t know what to do. So I started yelling at the guy,

“Who are you?” No answer.
“What do you want from me?” There was still no answer.
He changed shape again and in the form of a human he had a smirk on his face, with piercing green eyes and wavy brown hair. The man was a little taller than me. It looked like he had an attitude.
“You know I figured out I had this power too, long before you were even born. My family was captured just like yours. I set out to find them on this farm 110 years ago, scary huh?” He told me still with that same smirk on his face.
“ Oh yeah, prove it.” I replied confidently.
“My pleasure.” The man said.
What I saw next was the man took shape of my great, great grandfather,
“Oh, no.” I thought to myself.

“Oh yes. I betray our family; I became a very strong ward to these farm animals. Such stupid animals.”

“It was you from the beginning of when we found out our power. You betray the House family and you betray me. I hate you!!!!”

“Yes well hate won’t do much will it?” He said to me like he was speaking to a little toddler.

“Oh, yes it will.” I charged at him, bad move. He dodged me and threw me away. Ouch.

“Foolish grandson. Trying to save your parents life. Well I have news for you. They are probably already dead.”

I charged at him again he tossed me away like I was some kind of bad burrito.

“If they’re not dead.” He continued, “I will kill them off myself.”

“No!!!!” He took the shape of a giant bird and flew towards the oak. I looked for something to throw at him to kill him. Oh yes I wanted to kill the betrayer of our family.
It’s very hard to try to kill one of your family members but I had to do it.

I looked around and saw something that would help me. It was a rock. A tiny rock. I was probably only about 50 feet away from the oak by now. Yeah, only.
It feels like about two miles and it will probably take me about an hour to get to the oak.
The rock came in handy because my great granddaddy was in shooting range, and I was the shooter.
I ran over to grab the rock. Heavy. I think I could throw it as far as the distance of my grandfather. I tried. I succeeded. It nailed him right in the jaw. He was coming down to the ground and I was about to pay him a visit.

He fell about 20 feet away from me. It should take me about 10 minutes to get there. At that point I should have something to kill him with. I bet you anything he’s knocked out I just got to deliver the final blow. Oh and believe me I was going to deliver.

I began running again. I looked every direction for something to help me. Nothing. I was about 10 feet away and I could see the silhouette of my grandfather. But, this silhouette was standing that means I only knocked him out for about oh 10 seconds. Great.

I started running towards him and he fell. Just like that flat on the ground.
I ran over it couldn’t be that easy. Well it was because, his jaw ripped off. It was lying on the ground well his head was like blown off.
I don’t know how a rock could do that but I guess it can. Scary.

As I kept running towards the great oak tree questions ran through my head, “Is he really dead?” “Is he really dead?” The answer to that is yes he was dead. That was that. On second thought that was too easy.

I finally made it. Done. I’m at the oak tree with about two hours to spare before I starve to death. Thank god I’m alive to be writing this.

I stared up at the big oak. Hopefully I kept the note my parents gave me. I searched around in my pocket. “Perfect!” I had it. I read it again.


Dear Darren,
Reach for the stars,
Under the Oak,
Wait till sunrise,
Fall through the hole,
The farm animals took us there,
They are ruthless,
Come on we all have the ability
Take what you can and start shrinkin reality.

Love,
Mom and Dad
I figured it out I have to get there at nighttime. “Reach for the stars.”
Look under the oak, “Under the oak.”
Wait till morning, “Wait till sunrise.”
A hole should appear, “Fall through the hole.”
The rest I already figured out before my journey.
All right it’s nighttime and I’m just waiting… I don’t want to bore you with me just waiting there so I will write when something exciting happens.
Ok something exciting happened. I’ll tell you what it is…
It all came true, all that they said in the note, all came true. I’ll refresh you. The poem was perfect.
It turned to dawn and I saw the hole appear.
It wasn’t a big hole at all. Of course that was why I had to shrink myself. I fell through and landed flat on my back. Ouch. I stood up and made my hand into a fist. Just in case my grandfather comes to kill me again.
This place looked like the dungeons you see in a movie like Harry Potter. It was just really creepy. I kept walking through the eerie “hallway” and realized that I may have seen this somewhere. It was like déjà vu. Except I think I’ve experienced this when I was a baby or…
Oh I figured it out. My father sketched this place many years ago. He said, “Remember this forever I’m sure it will come in handy someday.” As you can see I never forgot but still continued walking down the “hallway.”
May 9th
Hey, what do you know it’s my birthday. The reason I wrote the date today is this is the day I saved my parents. Let’s recap on what I did before I wrote this.
Oh and this will be the last entry in the book I will ever write.
Let’s go!
Walking down the long, long “hallway.” It’s narrow and disgusting. There was a terrible smell in the air and a loud piercing sound coming from the end of the hallway.
Wondering what all that is about, I started to hear ghost-like voices in my head. So I started sprinting. They got louder and louder until I fell…
…
…
…
I think I could die. My grandfather wasn’t dead. He was very much alive. Not in his own body, in mine.
He knew I would make it to this place and have hope of rescuing my family.
He knew I would almost make it and start hearing the sounds he made.
He knew everything that would happen and he turned into a spirit and joined me, and not in a good way.
He knew…
I would not give up though, “Ahhh! Get out of me! Grandfather! Ahhh!”
“Your family will die tonight, and I will make sure of it.” The sound continued.
“No I will fight!” I yelled.
I started to tense up and then I felt like I was going to explode, and that is just fine with me. If he’s in my body still then it will be good riddance to both of us.
I did. Well I didn’t necessarily explode I just got him out of me, and I shrunk him to minuscule size and stepped on him.
What a great way to end that evil villain. Don’t you think?
I got to my family; they were at the way bottom of the tree. I asked them why they just couldn’t have escaped. They replied, “Our grandfather.”
“You don’t have to worry about old pops. I took care of him.” I said with a smile. “Now can I finally get home? I’m starving. I’m so glad were all safe again and I really hope nothing like that ever happens again.”
“Don’t worry son, it won’t you figured out his weak spot.”
“What?” I relied to my father.
“Shrinkin reality.” My dad said I laughed.
“Now how about those bacon and eggs?”
“Of course. Right after you get us out of here.” She cracked a small smile.
“Of course. Well what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”