Life In The Gumball Machine Read online

  “Come on, let’s go out back and play catch,” Patrick suggested. They got up and started toward the kitchen. Daisy took one last look out the window at the new girl. She looked so lonely.

  CHAPTER THREE

  THE GUMBALL MACHINE

  The next morning, Daisy slowly opened her eyes. She could hear the robins tweeting outside her bedroom window. Suddenly, she remembered that today was her birthday! Yay! She was finally ten years old, just like the guys – and just like Violet. Her heart sank, and her excitement vanished as quickly as it arrived. She decided not to think about Violet – not just yet anyway. This is my birthday, she told herself, and I’m going to enjoy it.

  She put on her robe, ran downstairs and immediately searched the kitchen, and then the living room, for a special present. When she looked into the living room, her face lit up. There, in the middle of the room, sat a HUGE box. It was colorfully decorated with paper, ribbons and bows. A banner taped to the side of the box read:

  HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAISY!

  She laughed out loud as she ran to it. Her dad had been standing in the hall where Daisy couldn’t see him. He wanted to see her face when she first saw the present. He was almost as excited to see her expression, as she was to open the present.

  “Go ahead, open it,” he said, as he came into the living room. Her dad was very tall and thin with short brown hair, and a warm smile. She looked up at him and saw the twinkle of excitement in his brown eyes. She sure did love her dad. Daisy knew what was in the big box. She ripped the paper off and saw a plain box underneath.

  “Help me Dad!” she said. She began pulling and pulling at the edges of the cardboard.

  “Here, let me show you how easy it is.” He lifted the box straight up, and Daisy grinned from ear to ear. She couldn’t believe it. Right in front of her sat a beautiful pink bicycle, with a flowered basket on the front, and shiny paper streamers coming out of each handlebar. The seat was pink and sparkly and – oh boy - it was big. She hoped it wasn’t too big. Oh well – it didn’t matter. She LOVED it!

  She had wanted it ever since she and her dad saw one in the department store at the mall. It had been on display near the store’s entrance, and she asked her dad to wait while she watched another girl sit on it. Daisy remembered thinking that it was the most beautiful bike she had ever seen. She laughed when she thought how much Patrick and Michael would hate the girlie-girl pink color. After the other girl left, she walked up to it and touched the handlebars. She turned to her dad and told him how much she loved it, and how much she wanted it.

  “Oh, please, can we get it, Dad? It is the most beautiful bike I have ever seen,” she pleaded. Her dad told her that they couldn’t get the bike that day because it was too expensive, and he couldn’t afford it. “Maybe someday,” he told her. Someday – that means never, she thought sadly. Now, that very bike was in her living room! She still couldn’t believe her eyes.

  Giving him a big bear-hug, she said, “Oh Dad. I love it! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I knew you would get it for me.”

  “How did you know I would get it?” he asked. “I told you I wouldn’t buy it for you because it was too expensive.”

  “Oh come on Dad. I knew you were just joking,” Daisy said, as she turned back to admire her beautiful bike. She couldn’t wait to ride it.

  “Can I go ride it right now? P-L-E-A-S-E? Can I, Dad?” she pleaded.

  “Well, first you have to get dressed, sweetheart. You can’t ride your bike outside in your pajamas. What would the neighbors think?”

  “Oh, right! Whoops!” Daisy laughed.

  “After you change, you can take it for a spin. But remember to wear your helmet, and be careful.”

  Daisy started running up the stairs to change. “Don’t worry Dad, I will,” she shouted as she climbed the stairs. “Thanks again! You’re the best!” Oh boy. Wait until Patrick and Michael see what I got for my birthday, she thought excitedly. This will make their bikes look like junk, she chuckled to herself.

  Daisy quickly changed into a pair of shorts, a red t-shirt and her tennis shoes. She brushed her hair, and ran back downstairs to her bike.

  “This is so cool, Dad. I can’t wait to show all the kids at my party.”

  “That’s a great idea,” her dad said, as he started for the kitchen. “Oh, by the way, have you decided whether you will invite our new neighbor to the party? Your mother said you were thinking about it.”

  “I was thinking about it, but I haven’t met her yet,” Daisy said, without enthusiasm. Her dad stopped and turned back toward Daisy.

  “Well, what are you waiting for? Go over there and introduce yourself. Welcome her to the neighborhood,” he said. Daisy looked down at the floor.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m afraid,” she said.

  “What are you afraid of?” he asked.

  She didn’t want to tell him what her rotten brother, Joe, said. If she did, then Joe would get in trouble; and if Joe got in trouble, only one thing would happen next. He’d come looking for her, and she didn’t want that. He had come after her plenty of times in the past and pounded her arm – hard. No thanks!

  She especially didn’t want to admit to her dad that she was actually afraid she’d have less friends and presents if she invited Violet. She knew that was wrong, but yet she couldn’t help thinking about it, and she was afraid it might be true. Maybe she would lose all of her other friends. She then thought – I wouldn’t lose Patrick or Michael. They already told me that. What kind of friends would the rest of them be if they acted like that? Does she even want friends like that? Are presents more important than a person’s feelings? She knew the answer to that question, and it made her ashamed that she wanted presents so badly. She was so confused. Her dad interrupted her thoughts.

  “Come on, Daisy. Tell me what’s bothering you.”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe she won’t want to come to my party, Dad.”

  “Don’t be silly. Just go over there. You’ll never know until you ask her.”

  “Okay, Dad,” she said quietly, still looking down at the floor.

  Just then, Patrick and Michael knocked on the door. Daisy’s dad went to answer it. “Hello there, boys. Come on in,” he said cheerfully.

  “Hey, happy birthday Dais’,” Patrick said.

  “Yes, happy birthday. So – you’re finally ten. It’s about time,” Michael said with a smile.

  “Thanks,” Daisy said. She started to smile again. “Hey! Look what I got!” she said, as she pointed to the new bike.

  “Whoa, dude!” shouted Michael.

  “Cool!” Patrick added, touching the smooth handlebars.

  “Let’s take it for a spin. Do you guys have your bikes with you?” asked Daisy.

  “No, we walked,” said Michael sarcastically. They all laughed, as they rolled the new bike out the back door and down the two steps to the ground. The three of them put on their helmets, mounted their bikes and started down the driveway, laughing and joking, as usual. They turned their bikes to the right, and went up the street toward the playground. Daisy slowed down a bit and glanced over at Violet’s house as they passed it, but she didn’t see her.

  “Hey wait up you guys,” she shouted. She pedaled quickly to catch up with the boys.

  ***

  From her upstairs bedroom window, Violet heard voices and laughter coming from outside. She peered around the curtain at the three kids, and watched them disappear up the street. She never felt so lonely. She wished she was riding with them, wherever they were going.

  ***

  Daisy, Michael and Patrick were riding side-by-side down the street, when Michael suggested they take a shortcut down an alley so they could get to the playground faster. He hooked a left, and the other two followed him, talking and laughing as they pedaled as fast as they could, trying to race each other. Michael was in the lead, when Daisy and Patrick noticed he was slowing down. They caught up to him as he was stopping, and Daisy ask
ed him what was wrong.

  “Look over there!” Michael whispered. He got off his bike and put the kickstand down. The other two did the same.

  “What are you looking at?” shouted Patrick.

  “Shhh. It’s a little bunny. I saw it run back here,” whispered Michael, as he walked around an old shed which was standing next to a rundown garage. Near the shed and garage, was a short sidewalk leading up to a wooden fence with chipped, brown paint. Beyond the fence, Daisy could see two piles of trash, and a couple of old tires. Just beyond the pile of trash sat an old, worn-down house. It too had chipped, brown paint, and most of its windows were broken. Daisy thought the house looked a little haunted. There was no one around, and it was quiet, and spooky.

  “I don’t think we should be here,” she said uncertainly. “This doesn’t look too safe, and that house is kind of scary. Come on, forget the little bunny. You’ll never catch it anyway. Let’s go.”

  “No,” Michael begged. “He’s trapped back here. There’s no way he can escape. I think we should try to capture him. He could be our little pet,” he added.

  “Michael, we don’t need a pet. We all have dogs. Besides, good luck trying to catch a bunny. Do you know how fast they are? It would be a million years before we caught him. Come on, let’s go,” she said sternly. But now, Patrick was back there with Michael trying to figure out a way to catch the bunny.

  “Look inside the shed and see if you can find anything we can use to trap him,” Patrick said to Daisy.

  “Ugh.” Daisy didn’t want to mess with a bunny. She wanted to ride her new bike. But she kept it to herself and pulled on the door to the old shed. It was very heavy and she could barely get it opened. She groaned, as she continued pulling on it until she finally got it to move.

  “Shhh! Daisy, keep it down. You’re scaring him,” Michael whispered. Daisy ignored him, and peered into the shed. It was very dark, and dirty. There were tiny slivers of sunlight peeking through the slots of wooden walls, and there was barely enough light to see where she was going. She nervously walked inside. She was two feet into the shed when suddenly, the shed door slammed shut behind her, scaring her silly. She screamed, startling the boys, who came running up to the closed shed door. Together they struggled to open it.

  “You alright Daisy?” asked Patrick, peeking into the shed.

  “Yes, but that door scared me half to death! Prop it open with a rock or something, so we don’t get trapped in here. I think I found something cool.” Patrick propped the door with a large brick he found lying outside of the shed.

  “Is it something to put the bunny in?” Michael asked.

  “No. Forget that bunny,” she said.

  “What did you find Daisy?” asked Patrick, coming to stand next to her.

  Pointing, Daisy said, “Look. It’s an old gumball machine. It’s a big one, too!”

  The gumball machine was almost as tall as she was, and it was filled to the very top with colorful gumballs. It was also very dusty! She wiped the dust away from the large, clear globe and smeared it on her shorts. Moving closer, the three of them peered in to admire what looked like a thousand gumballs.

  “Look at all of those gumballs! They’re huge!” Daisy looked at the money slot to see the price for one gumball. “Does anyone have a nickel?” she asked, without looking up.

  “Are you sure you want a gumball that looks like it might be a hundred years old? You might break a tooth,” Patrick said, reaching into his pocket and handing her a nickel. The thought of chewing one of those old gumballs made him a little sick.

  “Yeah, Daisy, come on. What’s the big deal, anyway?” asked Michael, who was anxious to get back to the bunny.

  “Well, they might still be good. I’ve never had one this big before. Besides, I love how they come swirling down this tunnel here,” she said, pointing to the spiral slide that led to the opening at the bottom. “This is a long tunnel, too, so the ride will be even cooler.”

  The two boys rolled their eyes, and watched as she placed the coin into the slot and turned the crank. She heard the gumball start rolling down, before she actually saw it. And then . . . there it was – a red one!

  “Here it comes, you guys,” she said. “Watch.” The three of them bent forward a bit and watched as the red gumball rolled around and down the spiral track, until it landed at the bottom of the machine, near Daisy’s ankles. She crouched down and, reaching in, took the red gumball out of the slot. She placed it near her mouth, and the boys groaned as they put their hands up to stop her. “Don’t eat that Daisy! You’ll get sick or something,” cried Patrick, as he banged his fist on the bowl holding the gumballs. Suddenly, they heard a noise like a bump, behind the gumball machine.

  “It’s the bunny!” whispered Michael, as he peered around the machine. They heard another bump. This time, it was louder, and they all jumped back in fear. “No bunny makes a sound like that,” said Daisy.

  “What the heck was that?” Patrick whimpered, as he grabbed Michael’s sleeve.

  “I don’t know,” said Daisy. She placed her hands on top of the gumball machine to look behind it. As she touched it, the whole thing rumbled a bit, and then an orange gumball started rolling down the shaft. With their mouths hanging open in shock, the three of them stared, as it rolled down the twirling course. When the orange gumball landed at the bottom, Daisy looked at the two boys and hesitated, before reaching in to remove it. As she touched the slot, she immediately noticed a funny feeling in her hands and arms.

  “Whoa! What was that?” she said, yanking back her hand.

  “What? What do you mean?” asked Patrick, who was starting to get a little nervous about the whole thing.

  “I don’t know. I just felt – something. I don’t know – something – weird. Like a vibration. You know – like a buzzing. Buzzzzzz,” said Daisy. She was rubbing her hands.

  “Maybe we should get out of here,” Patrick suggested.

  Michael ignored Patrick. “A vibration? Are you sure?” he asked Daisy.

  “Yeah, I’m sure. Go ahead. Try it. It’s weird,” she replied.

  “Okay,” said Michael. “Give me another nickel.” Patrick checked his pockets. “I’m out,” he said.

  “Wow, you’re rich,” said Michael. He then checked his own pockets, and took out a bunch of change. He grabbed a nickel and inserted it into the crank. He too immediately noticed a strange vibration in his hands and arms. Buzzzzzz.

  “Hey. That’s kind of cool,” he said, giggling. They watched as a large yellow gumball traveled around the tunnel and down into the slot. Michael bent down and removed his yellow gumball.

  “Let me try,” said Patrick. He was still nervous, but he wanted to see what they were talking about. He took a nickel from Michael’s hand, and inserted it into the coin slot. As he slowly turned the crank, he felt a tickling sensation go up his right arm, across the back of his shoulders, and down his left arm. It continued to travel all the way down his left leg to his toes. As he finished turning the crank, he let out a big hiccup. “H-i-c-c-u-p!” A green gumball began rolling through the tunnel, toward the opening at the bottom.

  “Oohh! That is so weird!” he squealed.

  “Let’s do it again!” said Daisy. She was giggling with nervous excitement.

  “Is this thing plugged in or something?” asked Michael, looking around to the back of the machine. They all looked around and behind the machine, but could see no electrical cord.

  “It’s not plugged in. Isn’t that weird? How could it be making any noise, or rumble like that, without electricity?” Michael wondered aloud.

  Daisy took the green gumball out of the slot and handed it to Patrick. So far, none of them had been brave enough to put one in their mouth. She then placed Michael’s last nickel into the coin slot and turned the crank. This time, as she turned it, she too hiccupped, and started to wobble back and forth.

  Daisy’s whole body shuddered. “Whoa – whoa!” The vibrations were stronger than before, an
d it felt like electricity was charging through her entire body, causing her to stiffen up like a board. As another red gumball came swirling down the tunnel, Daisy’s body started to jerk. The boys gave her a strange and fearful look. Still jerking back and forth, she reached down to grab the gumball. She tried to shake off the strange feeling in her body, which was beginning to frighten her – but it wouldn’t go away. She gave the boys a look of concern, mixed with fear. As she touched the red gumball, she felt her arm being pulled into the slot! She started to scream.

  “AHH! YOU GUYS, HELP!” cried Daisy. She was terrified. Michael and Patrick reached for her, but when they touched her, they too started hiccupping and wobbling back and forth. The electric charge coming from Daisy’s body jumped to Patrick and then to Michael. All three of them now felt the strong vibrations flowing through their bodies, and they all looked like stiff boards.

  Instantly, their bodies started to jerk, causing them to bump into each other. What happened next shocked and frightened them. They felt their bodies starting to curl up. They tried to straighten up, but they couldn’t do it. They quickly realized that they were shrinking! As their bodies shrank in size, they felt a sucking force – like a strong wind – pulling them down toward the opening at the bottom of the machine. The force was so strong, they couldn’t fight back. It was pulling them through the slot, into the swirling tunnel, and up into the gumball machine!

  The children were terrified and screaming loudly, as they were quickly pulled up, and around, in a spinning motion. Round and round they went, getting dizzier by the minute. Daisy was first. Patrick was right behind her, and Michael was directly behind Patrick. Their arms were flying wildly above their heads, as they spun out of control. At the same time, a loud, roaring sound blasted in their ears, as they swirled around and around, and up and up.