The Watering Hole | Teen Ink

The Watering Hole

December 24, 2010
By PerfectMGymnast DIAMOND, Parker, Colorado
PerfectMGymnast DIAMOND, Parker, Colorado
57 articles 25 photos 633 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you don't leap you'lll never know what it's like to fly"


It's their secret and they won't tell anybody else. Until they leave on Thursday. That's when they'll tell my brother the secret and then he'll tell me. 4 houses down lives Mark, Lauren and Ryan Richardson. Mark's a lot older than me and the other two are younger. Them and my neighbors from next door Joseph, Julia and Jeff Geving have a secret place. It's hidden somewhere in our neighborhood. No one knows where it is except them. Now that Mark, Lauren and Ryan are moving the Gevings are going to need someone else to go to the secret place with. They'll tell my brother because he's their second best friend.

We went to the secret place for the first time. The Gevings call it the watering hole. That's because there is this mini lake like the ones animals in the jungle use for water. In plain sight the watering hole is disguised as trees and beautiful scenery for people to look at when they are jogging and walking their dogs on the bike path. If you go closer, down into the tangled vines and weeds there is an arch. This arch is like a doorway into a different universe. A place where imagination can run wild. Once you cross through the arch there is a narrow pathway. A dirt trail clear with no plants. Trees grow up against the path like a tunnel.

Walk a little further down the pathway and there will be a huge tree as big as a grandfather clock. It grows right in the middle of the pathway. Spray painted in cherry red on the tree are the words, “up here come.” Then on the side of the tree are nails as big as my foot. The Gevings told us they are there so that we can climb up the tree. I was afraid to climb it,but the others weren't.

There's a big piece of wood up there that you can sit on, they said.

There was also random writing about fish written on the wooden board with pen. We must not be the only ones who know about this place. Past the tree is a ditch filled with blocks of wood of all different sizes. They call it the junk yard. Past the junk yard is a bridge someone must have hand made one time out of wood from the junk yard. The bridge leads us across a small narrow river filled with mini tadpoles and fish. It can't hold more than two people at a time so we had to take turns crossing.

We explored on to see more until it happened. Cheep. Squawk. And a noise like scraping metal. That's when we saw the houses that lay at the end of the trail. Through the window we saw him. A shadowed figure. Spying. Looking. Spying. Looking. And at who? As our faces turned white like a ghosts we decided not to stay and find out. We screamed, running all the way. Through the arch. Jumping onto our bikes like a rodeo rider does to his bull. Zoom. Hurry. Zoom. Hurry. Finally we make it home and sigh with relief. That's the last time we would ever go to the watering hole.



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This article has 27 comments.


on Mar. 26 2011 at 11:39 pm
PerfectMGymnast DIAMOND, Parker, Colorado
57 articles 25 photos 633 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you don't leap you'lll never know what it's like to fly"

i went back and made this piece a lot loger and clarified on things!! if you'd like to read the revised version i would appreciate the feedback! :)

on Mar. 26 2011 at 11:37 pm
PerfectMGymnast DIAMOND, Parker, Colorado
57 articles 25 photos 633 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you don't leap you'lll never know what it's like to fly"

i went back and added some dialogue into the revised version if you'd like to read it! :)

on Mar. 26 2011 at 11:36 pm
PerfectMGymnast DIAMOND, Parker, Colorado
57 articles 25 photos 633 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you don't leap you'lll never know what it's like to fly"

i added more detail and made it longer if you'd like to look at it! it's called The Watering Hole (Revised Version) :)

on Mar. 26 2011 at 11:35 pm
PerfectMGymnast DIAMOND, Parker, Colorado
57 articles 25 photos 633 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you don't leap you'lll never know what it's like to fly"

and i wrote a revised longer version if you'd like to take a look at it!! :)

on Mar. 26 2011 at 11:33 pm
PerfectMGymnast DIAMOND, Parker, Colorado
57 articles 25 photos 633 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you don't leap you'lll never know what it's like to fly"

And i posted a longer revised version of this article!!! :) Thank you all for all the feedback!!

on Jan. 14 2011 at 11:01 pm
PerfectMGymnast DIAMOND, Parker, Colorado
57 articles 25 photos 633 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you don't leap you'lll never know what it's like to fly"

Hey guys i posted another story similar to this called My Second Home (which is published on this website) Feel free to check it out and comment and rate it!

on Jan. 6 2011 at 11:38 pm
PerfectMGymnast DIAMOND, Parker, Colorado
57 articles 25 photos 633 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you don't leap you'lll never know what it's like to fly"

That's funny i never thought about it before, but it kind of does! I wrote this from a real experience tho! :)

on Jan. 6 2011 at 11:37 pm
PerfectMGymnast DIAMOND, Parker, Colorado
57 articles 25 photos 633 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you don't leap you'lll never know what it's like to fly"

Thanks! I love to describe things so that when you read it it feels like you're there!

on Jan. 6 2011 at 11:36 pm
PerfectMGymnast DIAMOND, Parker, Colorado
57 articles 25 photos 633 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you don't leap you'lll never know what it's like to fly"

THANKS! i'm glad you enjoyed it!:):)

on Jan. 6 2011 at 11:35 pm
PerfectMGymnast DIAMOND, Parker, Colorado
57 articles 25 photos 633 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you don't leap you'lll never know what it's like to fly"

THANK YOU!

on Jan. 4 2011 at 10:36 am
Sinister-Von GOLD, Shawnee, Oklahoma
11 articles 0 photos 49 comments

Favorite Quote:
never stop doing what you love, The past makes you who you are today. Live for today and not for tomorrow

i love this i really good work

on Jan. 3 2011 at 11:03 pm
Ellawind PLATINUM, Seattle, Washington
40 articles 0 photos 77 comments

Favorite Quote:
What doesn&#039;t kill you only makes you stronger.<br /> <br /> Don&#039;t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.<br /> <br /> Dream like you will live forever, live like you will die today.

Ooo, I really like the descriptions you used for this place! It's unique, although it sort of reminds me of Bridge to Terabithia (the book). The beginning is a little confusing, but other than that it's really interesting. I actually like it a lot. Keep writing!

on Jan. 2 2011 at 11:05 pm
stubborn411 GOLD, Jamiaca, New York
13 articles 0 photos 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
Nothing is impossible, just highly improbable

It is beautiful how discriptive youare in this piece. I could fully see the tunnel and the tree and the junk yard. Everything was so vivd. Very nice

hawksblack86 said...
on Jan. 2 2011 at 3:06 pm
Wow! This is good! I'm surprised it hasn't been published in the magazine yet! You were so descriptive and you had excellent word choice and used good verb choices!! I enjoyed reading this and can't wait to read more of your work!!! I rated this a 5/5 stars!! Great Job! d:)

Esperanza GOLD said...
on Jan. 2 2011 at 12:39 pm
Esperanza GOLD, Twinsburg, Ohio
15 articles 0 photos 106 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Don&#039;t tell me &#039;sky&#039;s the limit&#039; when there are footprints on the moon.&quot;

very well done ...but maybe you should make it bigger to me it's way to short you get interested in the article and then BANG! it's done!

on Jan. 2 2011 at 2:52 am
PerfectMGymnast DIAMOND, Parker, Colorado
57 articles 25 photos 633 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If you don&#039;t leap you&#039;lll never know what it&#039;s like to fly&quot;

Thanks everyone! It's kind of exciting to think that I have an idea i could use to write a book! :):)

on Jan. 2 2011 at 2:51 am
PerfectMGymnast DIAMOND, Parker, Colorado
57 articles 25 photos 633 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If you don&#039;t leap you&#039;lll never know what it&#039;s like to fly&quot;

That's a great idea! THANKS! :):)

on Jan. 2 2011 at 2:50 am
PerfectMGymnast DIAMOND, Parker, Colorado
57 articles 25 photos 633 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If you don&#039;t leap you&#039;lll never know what it&#039;s like to fly&quot;

Thanks i appreciate the positive comment! :):)

on Jan. 2 2011 at 2:49 am
PerfectMGymnast DIAMOND, Parker, Colorado
57 articles 25 photos 633 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If you don&#039;t leap you&#039;lll never know what it&#039;s like to fly&quot;

THANKS! I'll do that! I'll try to expand on my story more! :) :)

on Jan. 2 2011 at 2:48 am
PerfectMGymnast DIAMOND, Parker, Colorado
57 articles 25 photos 633 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If you don&#039;t leap you&#039;lll never know what it&#039;s like to fly&quot;

It's funny usually i write too much, but with this short story i need to write more!! :) ;) Thanks for commenting!