The Big Wide Supermarket

Far away, in a place called Seattle there was a little girl called Lucille. Now Lucille was a very curious and friendly five year old girl. Who loved going to the big mega store with her Mother. One day, as they were just on such a trip to the store, her mother holding onto her hand as they crossed the street to the big store told her. “Now Lucille when we get into the store I want you to try staying close to mommy and don’t run off, and always remember to be polite and if we ever get separated I want you to go and wait for me at the Pizza Place, and then we’ll go to bubble blowing festival o.k?” Lucille grinned her biggest smile, the widest grin and made sure that the light glinted off her two front teeth and said with her big girl voice.
“Yes, mommy.”
Her mom smiled back and then they were in the store, and her mom made a beeline to the Knickknack counter. She smiled at the tiny china figures; Lucille smiled too. Then she went and turned the tiny keys in the music boxes; Lucille did too. Then she ran to the Ginormous TV screens and oohed over how big they were; Lucille…yawned. Then her mom went and gazed at the shiny watches and checked to make sure each one told the right time. Lucille… wasn't as through. Then Lucille’s mom went and checked out the display of cameras and made funny faces for the next person to see. Lucille… wasn't there anymore! Her mom gasped and looked around but couldn't see her anywhere. Where was Lucille!?!
Lucille in fact wasn't near her mom at all she was on the mountain of clothes. She hadn't meant to run off but she had seen this shiny trail of bubbles and it had reminded her of the famous bubble blowing man; M. Magnifique Bulle, and decided to follow to where ever it lead. She wondered if at the end she would find the Bubble Man, and if he would give away bubble blowers. She had seen two other little girls walk by talking about the bubble man, and when she saw these two girls walk by she had wanted one of her own, and so she had set off, following the silly trail of bubbles, but now she was lost and couldn't see the trail of bubbles anymore. So she climbed up high on Mt. Soft and Bouncy and tried to look around to find the trail. Instead she saw two twins hitting each other repeatedly with fluffy pillows and jumping about. Lucille climbed over the hills and dips of the mattresses to make her way over. “What are you doing?” she asked them.
“We are-“
“Having A-“
“Pillow Fight.” Saying the sentence together. “Do you wanna play too?”
Lucille thought about it. “Hmm…well my mom always told me that I should never jump on my bed. Or hit my sister with my pillow either.” She said since she was a very well-mannered little girl.
“Well, this isn’t your bed.” One of the twins said.
“And we aren’t your sister.” The other said.
Lucille smiled her biggest smile, her widest grin and said. “Hey you’re right! Pass me a pillow.” And with that she grabbed a pillow and proceeded to whack the two twins. But then she spotted a shiny bubble and avoiding the pillow aiming for her head she threw down her pillow and bounced along after it.
“Where ya going?” One of the twins asked getting whacked with the pillow that had been aiming for Lucille.
“Yeah.” The other twin asked.
“Well, I’m following after the shiny bubbles.” She replied not taking her eyes off the growing trail of circles.
The twins looked at each other then said. “What bubbles?”
Lucille pointed at the passing bubbles. “Those ones.” Lucille’s looked back at the twin’s “do you wanna come> I’m trying to get my own bubble blower, from the bubble man.
The twins put their hands to their chins and thought a quick thought, and then one asked. “Do you think we could get one?”
Lucille smiled. “Well of course you can sillies, bubbles are for everyone!”
“Then we’ll come too!” the other twin said. They all smiled at each other and then they followed after the thinning trail of bubbles.
Soon, as they were making through the canyon of toys and instruments. Lucille stomped her foot and made a face and said. “Oh, now we've lost the trail of bubbles!”
“And on top of that we can’t see over the tops of these toys!” The twins cried in perfect unison.
“Oh no this is horrible!” Lucille said plopping down on her pootie and her dress making a sound like a lazy bark. Arooffft!
“Wait…I hear something, do you hear it?”’ one of the twins asked.
“…Hey I hear it too!” The other twin said.
“Yeah…I think its music.” Lucille said standing up and smoothing out her dress.
“Let’s follow it!” the twins said together running after the sound.
“Wait a minute!” Lucille tried to say but they had already run out of view. She sighed and then ran after them. She followed after them through twisting paths and pyramids of mysterious boxes, until finally she found them. Standing in front of a grand piano; that was made of gold and ivory...Or at least white paint and gold plastic, to find a little boy about 9 years old playing the most beautiful and happy song on the piano.
“Wow…” they all said. The little boy glanced over and saw them standing there. He stopped playing and smiled shyly over at them.
“Hi.” He said.
“Wow you play really good.” Lucille and the twins said.
“Oh thanks.” he said shyly.
“Hey.” Lucille asked. “Do you know how to get out of here? We’re trying to get to the shiny bubbles.”
“Yeah we’re trying to get our own bubble blowers.” the twins said together.
“Oh,” He said surprised. “Yeah sure it’s right through there.” Pointing to the break in the toys on his right.
“Oh, thanks!” Lucille said. “Hey do you want to come with us and follow the shiny bubbles?” she asked looking at him.
The nine year old thought about it pulling on his right ear gently. “Hmm… well do you think we may go by the singing choralers?” he asked anxiously. Wringing his hands and giving a watery smile.
They all looked at each other with confusion. “What are carrotters?” they asked him.
The Boy at the piano looked surprised but happy at the question “It’s choralers’ and around this time they always want to sing songs and make other people happy.” The little ones looked a little bored so he added on. “I also heard that they live somewhere in this store where the trees glimmer like stars in time with the music.” The little girl and twin siblings oohed in awe.
“O.k.” she said. “You can travel with us.” So the little group traveled on, finding hidden treasures and hidden friends who each followed the little girl as she tried to find the end of the trail of bubbles. Until finally they got to a grove of trees, that sparkled like the stars in the sky. “Wow…” the group of brave travelers said. “This place is amazing!” turning in circles to see each brightly colored tree.
“Yes it is.” The little brave piano playing boy called out bravely. “And it will only get better if we follow the sounds of the music.” And so they group followed the sounds through the tinsel and snow covered trees to a small little grove where people with green colored robes on, and shiny silver bows; stood and sang. Oh, and how they sang! A merry little tune that enraptured the young travelers to gather round and hear.
“Oh, we wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year
Oh gather round here, close to the fake fire
And listen to the songs that we sing every year”



At that moment the little piano boy stepped forward and joined the small crowd of carolers. For that was what was what they were of course I mean who else sings Christmas songs in December? He smiled real big and stood up real tall and began to sing right along with them. The group of friends he came with just smiled sadly and moved on ready to go and finish their journey. So onward they traveled until they came to a hill, all covered in bright paint and sticky fingerprints; and what was behind that wall. Well do you think you could guess? It was none other than the bubble blowing man himself; M. Magnifique Bulle He gave each little girl, and boy of course too. Their very own bubble blowing bottle, for keeps! They ran around laughing and blowing bubbles and watching Mr. Bulle make amazing things out of bubbles untill they fell down in heaps still giggling a plenty. Until one little girl, the one who started it all. Sat down on her heels and started to cry. They hurried to her; the little girl named Lucille, and asked her quite worried, “what happened? Why are you crying?”
“Mommy!” She cried. “I can’t find my mommy!” and with that now said, all the kids were unhappy, because they realized quite suddenly. That they couldn’t find their mommy’s or daddy’s either. So they gathered together and gave a big “boohoo!” because whose every happy to lose one’s own parent. Until again little Lucille felt even worse because she realized how sad she had just made her friends. So she got their attentions and made a big point, and said “If we just go back the way we came we’re sure to find our mommy’s and daddy’s again.
“But I don’t remember the entire way back!” Cried out one of her friends. “Every single way looks the same!” Lucille got a bit worried since she realized that she didn’t know the way back either, not every single step but then she realized she didn’t have too! She had her friends who must have remembered atleast one part of the journey back. So she turned around and excitedly asked each one to remember one way the had to take to get here. There was a pause but then a hand shot up and said “hey! I remember that we took the path with the purple plant last!”
“Alright then.” Lucille said. “Everyone spread out and look for the path with the purple plant.” Everyone looked until they found the right path and then they followed it until the person couldn’t remember which way to go and then another friend spoke up about where to go next. Then when the other person couldn’t remember then another one would speak, and then another, and then another, and at each turn one more of the children found his or her mothers and fathers, but they still all followed with all the others whose parents hadn’t been found, because that’s what you do when you have good friends. Soon every little boy, and little girl’s parents had been found, all except one. And I bet you can guess who; Little Lucille who mommy was still missing. She sniffled a tear and hid the one that fell from her friends and kept trudging on her; and her friends and their families in stood by her. Soon she found the place where her mother told her to wait but she still didn’t see her. One of the twins patted her on her shoulder it's ok, we’re all here, we’ll wait with you.” Lucille smiled and sat down as she waited, and waited until out of the blue in the midst of a crowd. She heard a name.
“Lucille?” said a voice without a mouth in a crowd.
“Mommy?” she called back knowing the voice to that sound. Then the crowd parted and there was her mother running up too her and hugging her tightly. “Oh, my sweet girl wherever have you been?”
“Everywhere mommy, it was the most amazing adventure ever!” Lucille said with a grin.
“Everywhere?” her mother asked. “All by yourself, how did you find your way back here then?”
Lucille wrapped an arm around one of her new friends. “I had help from my friends mommy, If it weren’t for them I don’t think I could have ever stayed so brave, and had so much fun.” she turned and faced her new friends. “Thank you very much, I’m so glad I made friends like you guys.”
“Us too!” her friends and then everyone gave each other big hugs and got ready to leave promising that they would stay in touch.
“Lucille.” her mother said gesturing with her hand. “Let’s go home.” so hand and hand Lucille made their way out of the store smiling at the blue sky. Happily knowing that the scariest and hardest journeys could become great adventures with good friends standing by your side.
“Now then.” Lucille’s mom said standing at the edges of the parking lot. “Where did I park my car?”


THE END