Hi! My name is Shasta. I live in an old barnyard with a lot of friends and we talk a lot about all kinds of things that go on in the world. I once had this close friend named Coke. She died an unusual death.

One day we were both out on the moist grassy plains when a big man came straight for us, and I remember that he had a big bag, and he stopped. Then he grabbed Coke and, even though she hollered and screamed, he wouldn't let her down. He threw a big bag over her body and tied her up. I can still picture him with his stinking cigarette, throwing it on the ground and ashes falling and the grass burning from the butt of the cigarette. It was a nightmare!

It was worse later. Coke was stuffed and cooked in a 475 degree oven for seven hours. Then she was butchered into bits and pieces and eaten with potatoes, cranberry sauce, salad, pies and everything else. OOH! What a thing to imagine!

Every time it rains I get really scared because I think that man is coming to take another of us for turkey dinner. But so far they have come only to feed us every day.

The day finally came though. It was raining like a mad dog and we could see his shadow slowly walking towards the shack with the same old bag in his hand. Slowly he opened the door and stepped inside our screeky old shack. OOOOOOH! He is coming towards me! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! Help, help, help, he's got me! Now it's my turn to be butchered into pieces and eaten.

By: Maureen Fitka