CREEK WEEK 2023 PROMPT NO.1: 'SWAPPED PLACES'
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Note: I do not own Craig of the Creek or its characters; this is a fanwork of the characters. Please do not accept this story as Canon, nor think it is correlated to the actual show in any way (because it is not). With that in mind, please enjoy the story, and if you'd like, reblogs are always accepted :)) just please do not claim this fanwork as your own and please do not regenerate this work into AI. Thank you :))
Rating: E for Everyone :3
"The Winter Wall" (Story Below Cut)
"Mom, what's for breakfast today?" Craig chirped, sliding down the stairs and climbing into his usual seat at the kitchen table.
"Mornin' baby, I'm making pancakes and eggs this morning. What are your plans today, little man?" said Craig's mother, with a bright smile across her face as she flipped the doughy, flat pancake in the pan.
"Hm, me, Kelsey, and Marie are all going to the creek like usual. We're gonna meet up with the horse crew and try and find this cool new area," Craig excitedly moved in his chair, reaching into his bag to retrieve his trusty map. He then opened it to point to a yellowed field of grass? wheat? Nobody knew, but it was a yellow field of something.
"JP, one of the horse boys, gave us the tip when he was grazing the grass near our Stump the other day. He's pretty cool, though." Craig turned back around as his mother placed the plate stacked with eggs and two pancakes alongside a glass of apple juice in front of him.
"That's nice baby, make sure you wear your coat and mitts today. It's starting to get chillier and chillier this time of year. I don't need you catching a cold, Craig." His mother warned playfully, handing Craig his pinkish red sweater and mitts.
As Craig began to shovel his food down like it was his last meal ever, he grabbed the coat and mitts and, begrudgingly, placed them upon his person. He shot a slightly annoyed look at Jessica, his little sister, for laughing snidely as Craig was forced to wear his outside battle gear. He then rushed to the door before he was halted by his eldest brother, Bernard, and forced to put on his heavy-duty snow shoes instead of his usual play ones.
A deep sigh fell from Craig's mouth. All these rules, all these regulations, man; wasn't America supposed to be for the free? He wondered as he placed each boot on each foot, lacing the ties like so.
After having Bernard check his work, he felt pleased with himself for having the 100% okay to finally play outside. Opening the door, he was greeted by Kelsey and Marie, who were excited to have a fun, new day of play.
Unfolding his map as they walked into the creek, small droplets of snow began to drift slowly, drift, drift, and drift to the ground. Kelsey giggled playfully, commenting that the winter faeries had granted them the pleasure of a good adventure ahead of them; Marie simply sighed as if not wanting to be there and wishing to do something else. Though, this was usual for her. She could never find a place where she felt as though she belonged. Except maybe once with cow kid.
"So, according to JP the Stallion, there should be a slightly overgrown path that we can slip through if we're careful that leads to the Everyellow." Craig says enthusiastically, searching around him for signs of any sort of entrance, even sending Kelsey and Marie on their own to find one. However, the snow continues to fall silently to the ground; their hopes of finding a path in the current climate thwarted.
"Craig, I think we should go back to the stump, it's getting pretty thick out here and most of this area is uncharted," Marie shivered through chattering teeth, the cold getting to her through her hoodie…"We could seriously get hurt."
Craig paid no mind to his friends' cries, only focusing on the sole task at hand: finding that entrance! As Craig looked around him and the snow began to fall faster and harder, Kelsey and Marie became mere fragments in Craig's eyes as the snow created a strong, white wall between them. Their muffled voices sounded defeated, even afraid, at the sudden onslaught of the storm. The turning autumn leaves began to hurl themselves around Craig, as he imagined himself to be in an episode of that show his parents watch, Game of Thrones, or whatever.
He imagined a towering wall made of ice and snow…he imagined the leaves to be fairies and sprites hurling around him. As he squinted his eyes to the southeast, he could make out…but just barely, the shape of a rough, tracked through passageway covered in bramble. As the wind moved some of the lighter snow, it must have made the passageway more visible!
Craig began to have a calmer mind, passing through the bramble; and the storm slowly began to let up. The snow began to cease falling, but the cold lingered in the air; Craig's breathe the only source of heat in any of this unforgiving creek. As he struggled near the end of the passageway, he hurled himself forward and broke the light, dying vines that covered it; landing himself in a scene of beautiful, golden rows of a wheat-like plant.
As Craig glanced around, he noticed that the sun was now out, and some of the snow had begun to melt.
"Craig!" He heard a familiar voice cry out; "Craig!!" He heard another.
Turning around, he sees both Kelsey and Marie waving their hands and running towards them.
"The sun came out; and as some of the snow melted, we noticed that we found a you-sized patch in some vines and bramble and followed it here. Dude, this is amazing!" Marie excitedly ran around in the wheat.
"This…is not what I expected, but it sure is beautiful." Kelsey mentioned, motioning her hands in front of her to really catch in the scene's beauty.
In the distance, the shallow galloping of hooves and human produced neighing can be heard. Had JP been watching over them this whole time? Craig wondered this but shook it off. He decided to take in this moment in his heart drive forever.
"This was the best day ever, Craig!" Marie's voice rang in his head over and over; words neither of them-Kelsey nor Craig-thought they would ever hear.