Rancho Leo
Full Member
This is a story my daughter (16 yrs old) wrote during her first creative writing class last week. The teacher gave the students 45 minutes to write a story based on a writing prompt "The herd of _______ was heading straight for ________."
Billy and Bertha at the Farm:
“Hey, Billy, do you know where we’re going?”
“Nope, I’m just following the crowd.”
“Well, what if following the crowd is a bad idea?”
“Who cares, Bertha. That human in the funny skins is promising food.”
“But what if he’s doing that so we go over there and then he kills us?”
“Well, I guess we’ll have to find out then won’t we, Bertha?”
Billy and Bertha move with the rest of the herd towards the farmer. The farmer smiles quite happily knowing he’s got a big wad of cash coming his way. The slaughter house is going to have a field day.
Billy and Bertha in the Trailer:
“Look at where your logic put us NOW, Billy!”
“Oh calm down, Bertha. The farmer is probably taking the ten of us to the Fair like he does every year.”
“Billy, do you even know what time of the year it is?”
“Not a clue.”
“It’s winter Billy, winter. The Fair isn’t in winter. The Fair is in summer. So what do you have to say for yourself? Now where do you think he’s taking us? Do you have any ideas NOW?!?!?!?!”
“Maybe he got himself a new farm and he’s taking us there a few at a time?”
“Billy, if I had hands I would slap you!!!”
“Why is that?”
“Why? WHY?!?!?! Because I saw the side of the damn truck, that’s why. I might not be able to read human, but I am pretty darn sure that a KNIFE doesn’t mean anything GOOD!!!”
“Well, uh. Maybe it’s a used truck and the farmer hasn’t had time to get it painted.”
“Billy, I think I’m going to kill you before the humans get the chance.”
“Now, why would they do that?”
“Because Billy, the humans eat meat. So when we get too old for them they send us away to get killed, and when they KILL US they EAT US!!!”
“Calm down, Bertha, I’m sure you’re over reacting.”
A rather loud snap is heard as Bertha breaks Billy’s neck in her rage. While Billy lies silently on the floor of the trailer Bertha contemplates escape.
Billy and Bertha at the slaughter house:
Bertha follows the herd as the men force them out of the trailer. She silently laughs at the shock on the men’s faces. They had found Billy’s limp body lying on the floor of the trailer.
“At least I don’t have to deal with Billy’s happy-go-lucky attitude now,” Bertha says trying not to go any further into the crowd.
Bertha watches as the empty truck leaves and the humans move them toward the room equipped with many shiny tools. Bertha fights against the crowd and, as she struggles, she hears a very familiar voice.
“Don’t do it Bertha. Don’t fight what you can’t change.”
“Shut up, Billy.”
“Why? Don’t you need me?”
“I don’t need you, Billy. If I had needed you I wouldn’t have killed you.”
“Now, Bertha, if it weren’t for you being angry all the time I would still be there with you and not some ghost.”
“Billy, YOU are the reason I’m angry all the time.”
“Anyway, how do you plan on getting out of here?”
“Well, that’s what I was working on until you showed up.”
“Hmm, you know you could try holding back and sneaking past the next truck that shows up, you could use it as cover to sneak away. Like a ninja.”
“Billy, I think that is the smartest thing you have ever said.”
“Thank you.”
“And that is probably the first and last compliment you will ever get,” Bertha says putting her, well Billy’s plan into action.
She makes it past the truck and off the slaughter house’s property unscathed.
“Now, what am I supposed to do, Billy?”
“Road Trip!!! Pick a direction and let’s go!”
“And you’re going to follow aren’t you?”
“Of course.”
“Whatever, Billy. Just pick a direction.”
“Go right! Go right! It looks like it goes north.”
“And why do you want to go north?”
“New York, Baby!!! NYC!!!”
“Why, Billy, why?”
“Because I think it’ll be fun.”
“Fine, then let’s go.”
END
(Well until the sequel, keep an eye out for “Billy and Bertha’s Adventures in New York and Other U.S. states”.)
Billy and Bertha at the Farm:
“Hey, Billy, do you know where we’re going?”
“Nope, I’m just following the crowd.”
“Well, what if following the crowd is a bad idea?”
“Who cares, Bertha. That human in the funny skins is promising food.”
“But what if he’s doing that so we go over there and then he kills us?”
“Well, I guess we’ll have to find out then won’t we, Bertha?”
Billy and Bertha move with the rest of the herd towards the farmer. The farmer smiles quite happily knowing he’s got a big wad of cash coming his way. The slaughter house is going to have a field day.
Billy and Bertha in the Trailer:
“Look at where your logic put us NOW, Billy!”
“Oh calm down, Bertha. The farmer is probably taking the ten of us to the Fair like he does every year.”
“Billy, do you even know what time of the year it is?”
“Not a clue.”
“It’s winter Billy, winter. The Fair isn’t in winter. The Fair is in summer. So what do you have to say for yourself? Now where do you think he’s taking us? Do you have any ideas NOW?!?!?!?!”
“Maybe he got himself a new farm and he’s taking us there a few at a time?”
“Billy, if I had hands I would slap you!!!”
“Why is that?”
“Why? WHY?!?!?! Because I saw the side of the damn truck, that’s why. I might not be able to read human, but I am pretty darn sure that a KNIFE doesn’t mean anything GOOD!!!”
“Well, uh. Maybe it’s a used truck and the farmer hasn’t had time to get it painted.”
“Billy, I think I’m going to kill you before the humans get the chance.”
“Now, why would they do that?”
“Because Billy, the humans eat meat. So when we get too old for them they send us away to get killed, and when they KILL US they EAT US!!!”
“Calm down, Bertha, I’m sure you’re over reacting.”
A rather loud snap is heard as Bertha breaks Billy’s neck in her rage. While Billy lies silently on the floor of the trailer Bertha contemplates escape.
Billy and Bertha at the slaughter house:
Bertha follows the herd as the men force them out of the trailer. She silently laughs at the shock on the men’s faces. They had found Billy’s limp body lying on the floor of the trailer.
“At least I don’t have to deal with Billy’s happy-go-lucky attitude now,” Bertha says trying not to go any further into the crowd.
Bertha watches as the empty truck leaves and the humans move them toward the room equipped with many shiny tools. Bertha fights against the crowd and, as she struggles, she hears a very familiar voice.
“Don’t do it Bertha. Don’t fight what you can’t change.”
“Shut up, Billy.”
“Why? Don’t you need me?”
“I don’t need you, Billy. If I had needed you I wouldn’t have killed you.”
“Now, Bertha, if it weren’t for you being angry all the time I would still be there with you and not some ghost.”
“Billy, YOU are the reason I’m angry all the time.”
“Anyway, how do you plan on getting out of here?”
“Well, that’s what I was working on until you showed up.”
“Hmm, you know you could try holding back and sneaking past the next truck that shows up, you could use it as cover to sneak away. Like a ninja.”
“Billy, I think that is the smartest thing you have ever said.”
“Thank you.”
“And that is probably the first and last compliment you will ever get,” Bertha says putting her, well Billy’s plan into action.
She makes it past the truck and off the slaughter house’s property unscathed.
“Now, what am I supposed to do, Billy?”
“Road Trip!!! Pick a direction and let’s go!”
“And you’re going to follow aren’t you?”
“Of course.”
“Whatever, Billy. Just pick a direction.”
“Go right! Go right! It looks like it goes north.”
“And why do you want to go north?”
“New York, Baby!!! NYC!!!”
“Why, Billy, why?”
“Because I think it’ll be fun.”
“Fine, then let’s go.”
END
(Well until the sequel, keep an eye out for “Billy and Bertha’s Adventures in New York and Other U.S. states”.)
Hey I met one of them Holy Cows in India once. Not the hootin and hollerin kinda experience you'd a thunk it would be. 
