Writing Strategies Blog

It was pitch black. I could hear voices of my companions. I did not know where they were though. Twigs snapped. People rushed by bushes. I was scared. Would we get caught? What would happen if we did? Then I heard it, and my heart stopped beating. The front door to the house we were TP-ing swung open, and a very angry man walked out. Fear bubbled up inside of me; I didn't know what to do next; run? Hide? Suddenly, I could hear it in the distance; I could hear the sirens. Just as I knew they would, they began to come into our neighborhood. I scanned the yard for my friends, they had to be around here somewhere. They wouldn't have left me, they couldn't have left me. But did they? I couldn't find anyone, and so my instincts took over-- I ran. I only managed to take a couple of strides before I tripped and fell to the ground hard. I heard a loud, "OW! Watch it dude!" and I knew right away it was Jimmy. I looked harder and saw it was all my friends, hiding underneath one of the low bushes; Jimmy had his foot hanging out. I decided laying in the cold dirt was better than staying out in the open. Quickly, I dropped down next to him. I curled up as small as I could, hoping not to be seen. Could they take you into jail for TPing? Oh man, if my dad has to come pick me up from jail, I'll be grounded forever!

Lights flashing, and sirens blaring, the police car pulled into the driveway. Our toilet paper rolls still sat on the driveway where we had dropped them. Oh no! Evidence! The police officer looked around at all the toilet paper dangling from the trees, and the basketball net. It covered all the bushes and the railings on the porch. We even wrapped the toilet paper around his car. The poilce officer grunted, grapped his flashlight out of his belt, and began to look around the yard. He stopped right in front of the bush we were hiding under, not suprisingly. The light passed over Jimmy's shiny new Nike's. "Okay now kids, come on out. I can see your shoe," he said gruffly. I could hear Jimmy curse under his breath. Nervous and unwillingly, the four of us got up and stood in front of the officer.
"This is considered trespassing and damage of property now, do you know that?" he droned, "Tomorrow morning you will all come back here and clean up this nice man's yard." Lips trembling, knees knocking, we all nodded our heads, too scared to speak.
"I won't press charges as long as I get an honest promise it will not happen again," said the man who's house we TP-ed.
"We promise! We promise!" the four of us yelled simultaneously.
The police man took us to his car, shiny and frightening, and we got in. He drove us each home, in utter silence.

My parents freaked out-- of course and I was grounded for a long time. I learned something very important that night though: do not bring Jimmy TP-ing with you, cause he never hides his feet.