Adopted by Jennifer Lawrence

[5:] Take Risks

Maddie

It's May 29th, 9:00 AM.

Bad thought: I think it's Saturday. And a holiday weekend. What if trains don't run on holiday weekends?

I don't know how long I can live on sour berries...

* * *

3:00 PM.

It was about 11:00 AM, and I had just filled my Gatorade bottle with water again when I heard the rumble, way off in the distance.

"Yay!" I shouted. "They're running!" And I packed everything up quick.

I went over to the tree, made my way about half way out on the branch, then you know what I did?

I panicked.

This was crazy! I was up way too high! It could not be done!

I might die.

I took a deep breath and told myself, "You can do this. You can do this..." Then words started chugging through my brain in rhythm with the train:

Chuga-chuga, Chuga-chuga...

(You can do this, you can do this...)

Chuga-chuga, Chuga-chuga...

(You can do this, you can do this...)

I looked back and forth, waiting. I couldn't tell which direction the train was coming from.

Then it rounded the bend.

It was westbound!

You can do this, you can do this.

The train was chugging slower than before. But the closer it got, the faster it seemed to be going.

You can do this, you can do this.

I scooted out farther from the branch. The whole tree shook as the locomotive approached and passed underneath me.

You can do this, you can do this.

This was it. It was time!

I swung my leg around. I lowered myself until I was hanging from the branch.

You can do this, you can do this.

The cars weren't the open-kin kind. They were flat cars with logs and bricks and pipes.

I couldn't land on those!

You can do this, you can do this.

More bricks, more pipes, more logs. I hung there for an eternity. My arms were beginning to ache.

You can do this, you can do this.

No, I can't! It's too far down!

You can do this, you can do this.

The whole train is passing by!

You can do this, you can do this...

I can't hold myself much longer! I'm going to die!

Then I saw something.

Potatoes?

Yes! Three cars of potatoes.

You can do this, you can do this.

The first two passed under me, under me, then gone.

Do it, Maddie - do it, Maddie - do it, Maddie, then the whistle blew, DOOOOO - IT!

And I did.

Don't think I landed on marshmallows. I landed hard, then catapulted forward and slammed into the rear of the car.

I think I passed out for a minute or two, I could barely move my arm, at least nothing's broken. Now here I am, safe and sound on a mountain of potatoes, getting a free ride west.

Woo-hooo!