Camping in BestTown was fun, because I ran all over the town! As a penguin, I prefer swimming, but on that day I did something different. I'm glad I did, because otherwise nobody would've warned me.
I wasn't really looking where I was going, and I crashed into a goat with black fur. We both fell into the dirt. I stood up and asked, "Are you okay, ladybro?"
The goat said "I'm fine," then stood up and asked, "Who are you? I haven't seen you in town before."
"I'm Roald, the muscular champion!" I said proudly.
"I'm Nan!" the goat replied.
"I'm camping in town today! It's so fun, ladybro!" I said happily.
"Oh no." said Nan, her eyes wide in fear. "You're not the mayor's dreamie, Stinky, and you don't sound like a cranky, a personality the mayor wants. You're doomed." A tear ran down her cheek.
"What?" I said. "I'm going to DIE!?!?"
"No," Nan said sadly. "Worse. If the mayor doesn't invite you to live in our village by 6 a.m., you'll go to The Void. It's where all the unwanted things go. It's cold, garbage is everywhere, and nobody cares about you because they're so concerned about their own survival. Good luck." Nan and I said goodbye.
I was too miserable to finish my workout, so I walked back to my tent. I sat in silence, with my beak in a frown. Then, the flap of my tent opened and A PUMPKIN HEAD CAME INSIDE! I was about to make a run for it, but then the pumpkin head said, "Hi, I'm Mayor Audrey." Whew! It was just the mayor wearing a mask from Halloween.
THIS IS MY CHANCE! I thought.
"Hey, ladybro!" I said to the mayor. "What are your hobbies and interests?"
Audrey said, "I like reading, running-"
"I LIKE RUNNING TOO! We could run together, ladybro! However, if we're going to run together, it would be easier if we were in the same village. I should move here!" I smiled, hoping that Mayor Audrey would agree with my idea.
"Your friends back home will probably miss you. Besides, an old friend is going to return to the village and run with me. " replied Audrey.
As much as I lied about my hobbies to try to convince the mayor to let me move in, she never agreed. Eventually she said, "It's been nice chatting with you, Roald, but I have to attend to mayoral duties." Then she left.
I saw her around town and talked with her. I tried my best, but night came and the animals were going to bed. Audrey said she was tired and had to go to sleep. I was starting to get tired too. It was time to give up.
NO! A champion never gives up! I thought. I ran to Audrey's house and knocked on her door. She opened it, looking groggy and angry. "I was just about to fall asleep... What do you want?" Clearly, she thought I was annoying for constantly asking to move to BestTown.
"To move to this village! I'll leave you alone if you let me. And we can run together!" I smiled. She would probably do anything to make me leave her alone.
But, once again, she declined my offer. I knocked on her door multiple times, and we both became more tired and irritated. Finally, I decided to give up. Nothing would convince her to let me move in. Like Nan said, I was doomed.
I decided to gather fruit so I wouldn't starve in the cruel Void. I filled up my pockets with full baskets of fruit so I could keep myself alive for at least a little while. I then thought about water, so I filled bottles so I wouldn't thirst during Void workouts. Then, I wondered if there were fights in the Void. Probably, with such limited resources and no laws. I bought some medicine to help heal cuts. I had to drop some food to make space for water and medicine, but it was worth it. I was then ready to go to The Void.
I ran back to my tent and curled up in my sleeping bag. I had a terrible nightmare about The Void.
Animals screamed as they tried not to be crushed by falling furniture. Many died, and the survivors fought over a winter coat they found in a heap of unwanted things. Animals were shoved and hurt, until a tiger won the coat. The rest of the animals were bleeding and shivering. A cat with a huge bloody gash on her cheek said, "Roald, this is your last chance! You are a champion, and if you try your best, you won't end up like us!" She was then tackled by a rhino, and all of her peaches were pulled out of her pockets.
I woke up in my tent, sweating in fear. I had to listen to the cat's advice! But then I remembered the mayor's annoyed, tired face. There was nothing I could do to avoid my fate.
I looked at my watch. It said 5:57. Only three minutes left!
My tent flap opened, and Nan came inside. "Hey, ladybro," I said sadly.
" I wanted to say goodbye to you, so I woke up a few minutes early." Nan explained. "Good luck surviving in The Void. A pig named Rasher survived and escaped from The Void. I hope you can too. If you do, you should write a book about it. It would be an interesting book for me to read. Nice meeting you, Roald... Goodbye." said Nan, tears rolling down her face. "Goodbye, Nan. Nice knowing you," I said, checking my watch. 5:59. "Nan, one minute left! Get out of the tent, before you're voided with it!" I shouted. Nan ran out of the tent, and I stared at my watch, waiting.
Just as my watch said 6:00 a.m., I felt me and the tent falling. The wind blew the flap open, and I fell forward. I screamed, falling out of the tent and into the darkness.