The Pearl Mouse

[my very first original story - written when I was in 6th grade with the help of my best friend Dawn]

     Carmen was in bed. It was late at night. She could hear a scratching noise. She slipped out of bed. Her hand shook as she opened the door. A small pearly white mouse sat on the floor.
     "Come with me!" It said.
     Carmen's eyes opened wide. Had it actually spoken?
     She followed the mouse outside and onto the street. It was very dark, but she followed it anyway. It led her along the sidewalk. When it stopped, the sidewalk opened and a marble stairway was visible. It was very shiny and steep.It went down. Carmen could not see the bottom.
     The mouse hopped down and Carmen followed.
     They went down and down and down and down and down.
     "Oh let's stop and rest. Just for a minute," Carmen begged, "I'm so tired."
     "Come on! Hurry up!" The mouse said, "If I get to the bottom before you, you'll never get out."
     Carmen hurried after the mouse who was disappearing down the stairs but still leaving a faintish glow behind him.
     They finally reached the bottom and a wall opened before them. Carmen stepped out and found the mouse nowhere in sight. She looked around. A Chinese girl who looked her age came over to her.
     "Hello, I'm Lo-Tsen."
     "Where am I?" Carmen asked.
     "In Peking, China."
     "Ohmygosh! I live in the USA!"Carmen exclaimed.
     "The Pearl Mouse must have brought you here. He is bad. If you hurry you might make it before the door closes."
     Carmen thanked the girl and slipped back into the stairway. She hurried up the stairs and hoped the door at the top wouldn't close. She went up and up and up and up and up.
     She looked ahead. She could see the top. The door was starting to shut. She tried to go faster. The door was shut.
     "They tricked me," she cried, "They all tricked me! Now I'll never get out. I'm stuck in here forever."
     Carmen cried.