Kaya wiped hot sweat from her eyes and continued to pull the heavy load of wool. She felt warm blood trickle down her right calf from being beaten, but tried to ignore it. Kaya wondered which station Mama and Papa were in; Diary, Wool, or Food. Dairy was the easiest; the Indians' even liked it, but the soldiers didn't know. "Faster, 489, faster!" Without realizing it, Kaya had stopped dragging the cracked wooden wagon. She felt rough leather hit her bruised back, and stumbled. Kaya felt the whip again and again, until she finally started to run with the wagon down the dirt road, with the guard close behind.

That night, Pap gently wrapped a strip of cloth around Kaya's injured leg as Mama leaned on an empty barrel, rocking Almea, Kaya's one year old sister. The family was int their beat-up and patched red cloth tent the wretched Mr. YamYik had provided for them. Grandmama fed Cat celery pieces the family had gathered from the ground during the day. "Ma, are things going to get any better?" Kaya complained as she limped faround the tent to see how fast she could walk. "Kaya!" Mama shook her head, slightly amused. "Kaya, Kaya, Ka-ya! Soon they will be, honey bear, but we have to wait, so that Mr. Cole won't get suspicious. God will provide." Papa nodded. "We have decided that the safest place to escape this hellhole would be the mountains, Kayita. Be patient." Almea laughed and clapped her tiny hands, as if she was actually looking forward to the long journey to the mountains. Suddenly, a guard clanged and banged his way into the tent. "Hey! Group #502!" He spoke in a papery voice, as if a bunch of sandpaper had been shoved down his throat. Kaya scowled in disgust: the guard didn't even know what a family was! "Why so much laughter?" without waiting for an answer, the guard continued,"Get up! For that, you have some late-night work to do. You too, 558!" Mama, Papa, Kaya, and Grandmama wearily staggered up. Just as the guard bent to pick Almea up, Kaya quickly snatched Almea and clutched the crying baby to her chest. Kaya limped to where her family was lined up. The guard was shouting orders. "Dairy, Booth #3!" He yelled, addressing Kaya. She started humming quietly to Almea because she was crying so loudly. The soldier dragged her by the hair to a dirty red-brick building. It had a sign sloppily nailed to a grey post with white, faded letters declaring, "Dairy" in big captial letters. Kaya pulled some grapes from a long vine and popped them into her mouth. Kaya savored the taste as she chewed. This was the reason others longed for the Dairy station. Grabbing the whole tangle of vines for her family to enjoy for dinner later. When Kaya noticed the guard looking, she quickly scrambled over the rocks and ran inside.

Guess who wrote that?
[MARK TWAIN!]
[CHARLES DICKENS!]
[CORNELIA FUNKE!]
[HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN!]
[PHILLIP PULLMAN!]

Nope, not any of the above.

I wrote it. And that was from 3rd grade. I'm a genius. :D