Ken the Pen

The Adventures of Ken the Pen

Ken was just a regular blue ballpoint pen, yet also a pen of wisdom and peace with dreams and imagination just like you and me. He was curious and daring, and dreamed of being remembered as a great hero. Ken lived in a classroom where pens, pencils, erasers, and even whiteout had a conscious and thought for themselves. They could move around on their own and often wrote up homework and projects for their owners. They were all able to talk and think, but none were like Ken. Ken had dreams and cared not only about himself, but about others as well.

He wrote for Steve, a student in fifth grade at Holy Family Catholic School which was just like any other classroom. A whiteboard in the front, and the teachers desk and lockers in the back. In between was an array of desks where students sat.  The two were the best of friends. They had always shared everything that troubled them and helped with one another's problems.

Steve would sit and watch as Ken twirled across the paper following his instructions on what and how to write projects, and assignments.

Ken remembered a time from when he was young where he had wanted to fly, and so Steve helped him achieve his goal. Steve, with the help of his friend, created a catapult using pulleys and a lever. He used it to help Ken fly. Flying was even better than Ken had ever imagined. As he soared through the crisp cool air, Ken looked around and saw how small everything else likes from his newfound height. The whiteboard was covered in the usual homework and math equations, but they were all much closer then before. Ken looked ahead at the fast approaching teachers desk and noticed all of the details that covered its surface including a calendar, computer, and tons of gift bags from students saying happy birthday and cards all around the surface. Then he began to worry about how he was going to land and realized he was going to crash. The other pens and pencils watched in horror as he sped in toward the teacher's desk, and slammed into its smooth cold surface with a loud Crash! Ken had felt completely free from worries and problems, and that feeling was worth the pain he felt when he had crashed. Steve was also there to help him when Ken cracked in the crash.

When he was fixed, Ken was given a special, private inkwell that gave him wisdom as an ointment so he did not get hurt again that Steve had found in the teachers desk. Instead, it gave him knowledge above any other pens and was revered by all. Except for the evil Vencil, who wanted to control all of the writing utensils. Soon Ken was given the position of King among the classroom objects by the pens, pencils, and erasers.

At this decree, Vencil had decided that enough was enough. Vencil had always been jealous of the fact that all pens were permanent, yet his work was easily erased. He hated that fact and so therefore made a plan to make his writings permanent. That night he stole Ken's Inkwell of wisdom. When Ken found out, he went with an army of pens to Vencil's desk. He got his inkwell back, but it was too late, and Vencil had acquired too much knowledge and now knew of the Grand Inkwell, which refilled all of the pens' ink in the night and connected all pens to itself. He had also pored ink on his tip so he now wrote in a lead that could not be erased.

On the last day of school, Steve created an eraser prison for Vencil. The prison was a room made entirely of erasers that traded positions with other erasers once a day, and would not allow him to write anything.

Ken smiles at the memory of Steve. Then he hears Ben racing across the desktop, coming toward him at a speed that Ken had ever seen Ben reach before.

"Ken! Vencil has escaped and declared himself King of the Pencils!" Ben told Ken. "He is gathering all of the pencils to join his army with smooth words and empty promises. He plans to attack us soon. He is using the sharpeners at a rate where he will be ready in a matter of hours.

"Then we must defeat him. Rally the pens of all colors. We must protect the Inkwell!" Ken declared. For in his wisdom he knew that this time the way to peace would include war, and therefore the pain and suffering that war caused.