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Fiction Fantastic 2023 Winning Story: “Goblins Around the World” by Saharsh Chireddy and Owen Rudzek

The story below is a winner from our Fiction Fantastic Young Writers Contest, open to all youth in Lane County. For more information on this contest, including how to enter, visit here. Support this program with a donation.

You can purchase this story in the 2023 Winners Anthology, Enter the Imaginarium here.

“Goblins Around the World” by Saharsh Chireddy and Owen Rudzek, Gilham Elementary School

Third Place, Elementary Level, 2023

Goblins Around the World

Saharsh Chireddy & Owen Rudzek

Gilham Elementary School

Chapter 1: The Tobos Situation

“I love Tobos!” yelled Gobber.

“Did you eat more Tobos again?” asked Gabe.

“Nooooo, totally didn’t eat like seven of them.”

“You know that the pediatrician said not to eat that many Tobos, right?”

“Fine, but can I have one more? We’ve been spelunking for hours and I’m starving.”

“No,” said Gabe. “We’ve got lots more cave to explore. Besides, we’re goblins, we don’t need to eat at all. Besides, why are Tobos taco shells blue?

“What are tacos? But either way I know we don’t need them, but they taste so good!”

“Let’s just keep going.”

The two goblins continued through the cave. After a short while, Gabe said, “What’s that green glow in the distance? Let’s see what it is.”

The closer they got to the glow, the cave kept getting narrower. At last they found the source of the light. It was a large emerald ring of fire at the end.

“Holy moly! What is this? Are we hallucinating?” Gobber asked.

“I don’t think so. What do you think it is?”

“Let’s touch it!”

Gabe grabbed Gobber’s backpack to stop him, but it was too late. As Gobber touched the glowing ring, they both disappeared into it in an instant.

Chapter 2: France

They woke up in the middle of nowhere, or so they thought.

“Where are we? And where is the weird glowing ring?” said Gabe.

“I don’t know, but I think the glowing ring was a portal. A oneway gate,” said Gobber.

“Well, I guess we’re stuck in a very big city. There! It says we’re in France?”

“Actually! I heard there is something called a pastry.”

“It’s weird . . . but I want to try it.”

“Sounds good, let’s find it,” said Gabe.

After an hour of looking, they found the so-called pastry.

“Is that it? It looks good.”

“Uhm, excuse me. Can I have a pastry?”

“Hello, little guy, you want a pastry?” asked Alex, the pastry man.

“Yes, please,” said Gobber and Gabe.

“Here, have it,” said Alex.

As Gobber and Gabe finished their pastries, they saw something in the distance.

“What’s that strange tall weird thing?” asked Gobber.

“Oh. That is the Eiffel Tower,” said Alex.

“Gobber, race you to the top.”

“Wow, it looks a lot bigger close up,” said Gobber.

“I really don’t want to climb it or else my back might break or I might sprain my ankle or hurt my finger and I’m really scared to climb it . . . so can we not?” asked Gabe.

“Sure. I’m getting the same feeling.”

“Ahhhhhhhh! It’s a monster,” said an old lady.

“You mean me? I’m a goblin,” both Gabe and Gobber said.

“I’m calling Animal Control!” said the old lady.

“What’s Animal Control?” said Gobber.

“Beats me.”

Chapter 3: Animal Control

Shortly after, Animal Control pulled up, opened the truck, and got out.

“Is that Animal Control? They have a cage. Wonder what they’re gonna use that for?” said Gabe.

“I think they’re trying to put us in that cage and lock us up forever! So let’s run.”

“Lady, are these the weird animals that you called us for?” said Animal Control.

“Yes, and get them now.”

“Yeah, let’s start running,” said Gabe.

As Gobber and Gabe circled the Eiffel Tower for about fifteen minutes, slowly but surely Animal Control caught up. It was at that very moment that Gobber tripped.

“Oh, no, I tripped. Go on without me!” said Gobber.

“OK.”

“What? No, I didn’t actually mean it! You’re supposed to say ‘No goblin left behind,’ and come rescue me.”

“I would, but then we’ll both get trapped,” said Gobber.

“Oh, yeah, nevermind.”

“We got one. Let’s get the other one tomorrow,” said Animal Control.

I must get him back—with their worst nightmare—angry dogs, Gabe thought. It’s time to get Gobber back! The plan is simple. First, I’ll have to scare off Animal Control by rounding up a bunch of dogs, and since I’m a goblin, I can understand any kind of animal. Next, I’ll start an angry mob of dogs. Then I’ll sneak out of the mob to break Gobber out of the cage. Operation GGB (Get Gobber Back).

Chapter 4: Operation GGB

Ok, now how do I get a bunch of dogs you might ask? By stealing them! So far I found six dogs I can steal. Here they are . . . Sally who lives near Alex, the pastry man, and Nate, her brother. Then we got Ben, who lives on Bakers street, which is near the Eiffel Tower. Next is Vin, who is across the street, whose owner also adopted another dog named Cake. We also got Molly, but she just wanders around from place to place. I do know that she does like cats. OK, first up is Sally and Nate, so let’s go steal them and maybe get another pastry.

“Hi, Alex.”

“Hi, Gabe. Where’s Gobber?”

“Soooooo Animal Control got him and I’m totally not stealing a bunch of dogs to break him out.”

“Oh. I see. Wanna pastry while you’re at it?”

“Yes, but I better get going. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Now where are Sally and Nate? Uhm. Why are Sally and Nate in a ghost costume?

“Hi Sally and Nate who look very creepy. Will you help me make a mob of dogs and attack animal control in your scary costumes?”

“Oh. Hi, weird goblin. I hate Animal Ccontrol, too; they took my best friend Pete the Cat from the show!” said Sally.

“So, is it a yes?”

“Yes!” said Nate.

“So come to the front door of the Animal Control office and . . . wait a minute is that Molly?”

“You mean me? I’m Molly.”

“Will you also help me?”

“Sure,” said Molly.

That was easy, Gabe thought. OK, so now I got to find Ben, Vin, and Cake. And here’s Bakers street.

“Hi, Ben.”

“Hi,” said Ben.

“Will you help me save my friend at animal control? And at three feet you are the biggest dog that is gonna be there.”

“Sure, but what do I get?”

“You get a good job.”

“OK.”

“Now I just need to find Vin and Cake. And what are you doing here?!”

“You said mine and Cake’s name?” said Vin.

“Which includes me!” said Cake.

“Will you help me with this?”

“Yes, as long as I can kick some butt,” said Vin.

“And I can eat cake!” said Cake.

“OK. Now let’s start Operation GGB part two.”

Chapter 5: Jail Break

“OK, here’s the plan. I marked out a vent system to get to Gobber. There is a vent to get into what they call the Hall of Animals. All the dogs jump out to make a distraction, then I’ll get Gobber, and me and the dogs jump back into the same vent, and we’ll go through the back vent to escape. And the order is Vin, Ben, Cake, Sally, Nate, and Molly. And maybe get another pastry. Maybe. Maybe even right now. Dogs, I will be back in a sec.

“OK, now since I got my pastry, is everyone ready to jump into the vent?”

“Yes!” they all said.

“OK, everyone get in the vent.”

“Now let’s see. Uhm. It should be a right, then a left, then we go straight, then we get another past—I mean, then a left, and finally a right.”

“Do you know what you’re doing?” asked Vin.

“I don’t know, I’m just following the blueprints you guys made. It should be right here. Is everyone ready to leap?”

“What do you think? We’ve been in here for an hour!” said Nate.

“We have? Well, everyone jump out when I say g—” CRASH! “Guess they already went,” said Gabe. “Now, I just gotta free Gobber.”

“Hi, Gobber, it’s a long story of how I got a bunch of angry dogs to get you back, and we even made a whole operation called GGB, which means Get Gobber Back, and a lot more.”

“Oh. THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I AM GONE?!”

“Yes.”

“Let’s get out first, and then can we get a pastry? I’m starving!”

“You do know that Goblins don’t need to eat like I said in the beginning of the book.”

 “I KNOW!”

“Dogs! We got Gobber. You guys get back to the vent, and Vin, you lead them through the back vent,” said Gabe.

“OK, on it,” said Vin.

Ten minutes later . . .

“Is everyone here?” asked Gabe.

“Yup,” said Vin.

“Phew. You dogs go back to whatever you guys were doing at your homes; me and Gobber are gonna get a pastry. And Gobber?

“Yes.”

“I might have eaten another pastry without you.”

“Really! Well at least I found this. It’s a map to the NASA shuttle space station where you can meet someone named Elon Musk? Do you want to check it out?”

“Sure.”

“But I get a pastry. And you don’t!”