---
tags: Kyle, Latest Story
---

# HS-TJ-1.8
### Theme
Acceptance

### Title
Real Parents

### Stats
Setting: Aunt's house and yard
Goal: Come to terms with the reality of her missing parents
Crisis: Fantasy is more alluring
Change: Learns to not take shortcuts to the things she wants

### Character
Ella

## Plot

### Scene 1

Ella is asleep in her bed, dreaming about her parents as she often does. She calls out to them in her sleep, and wakes up with a scream. The door opens and the light turns on, and Aunt Mary sits down on the edge of the bed. Ella cries, and tells her aunt that she misses her parents very much. Aunt Mary rubs her back and tells her it’s okay, that even though her parents have been missing for years, she will certainly see them again someday.

### Scene 2

The next morning, Aunt Mary leaves on another trip to find artifacts for her museum. She leaves Ella in the care of Vicky, her mean babysitter who never pays attention to her. Bored, Ella wanders into her aunt’s private office while Vicky watches television. She sits down at her Aunt’s desk and flips through her journal, reading about all of the ancient artifacts her aunt has found over the years.

### Scene 3

One artifact in particular catches her attention-- a magic easel that is said to be capable of bringing paintings to life. Her aunt’s notes say that these powers are most likely fake, because they have never been confirmed. Nevertheless, Ella’s jaw drops open as she thinks about the possibilities. She spins around in her chair, searching the office, and in the back of the room spots the easel leaning against a shelf.

### Scene 4

Ella, a painter, goes to her room to get a fresh canvas and paints. She returns to her aunt’s office and drags the easel to the center of the room. She sets up the canvas and gets to work, thinking about the dream she had about her parents and painting them that way, big smiles on their faces. When she has finished, she steps back and stares at the painting, crossing her fingers hopefully.

### Scene 5

Ella stares at the painting and waits, but nothing happens. Tears form in her eyes, and she is about to walk away-- but then the canvas begins to glow, enveloping the room with its light. When the light fades, Ella’s parents are standing in front of her.

### Scene 6

Overjoyed, Ella throws herself into her parent’s arms. They hug her, and tell her they have missed her so much. Ella brings her parents out to the living room, and interrupts Vicky’s television show. Vicky is annoyed at first, but becomes surprised when she sees that Ella is not alone. Ella explains that these are her parents, and Vicky can go home now. Vicky is uncertain, but finally leaves.

### Scene 7

Ella tells her parents all about her life, and plays with them in the front yard. She has never been happier, and they keep on playing until Ella is exhausted. She sits on the porch, and her parents tell her to keep playing. She tells them she’s tired, and they say they will punish her if she doesn’t keep playing. Ella’s eyes widen, and she gets to her feet and keeps playing with her parents.

### Scene 8

A car pulls up, and Aunt Mary gets out. She says Vicky told her the news, and she rushed home to see if it was true. She is shocked to see Ella’s parents, and a nervous Ella explains where they came from. When Aunt Mary learns the truth, she frowns and starts to say something. Before she can, Ella’s parents tell Aunt Mary that she needs to leave. Aunt Mary refuses, and they crowd around her menacingly.

### Scene 9

Ella tries to get between her parents and Aunt Mary. Her parents tell her that Aunt Mary needs to disappear, and if Ella doesn’t help them, she will be punished. Ella looks at Aunt Mary, and Aunt Mary tells her that she needs to destroy the painting. Ella nods and runs for the house. Her parents chase after her, but she runs faster than them. She makes it to her aunt’s office and destroys the painting just as her parents burst into the room. They scream, and disappear in a flash of light.

### Scene 10

Ella goes outside and sits on the porch. Her aunt comes over to her and rubs her back comfortingly. She tells Ella she is sorry for the way things turned out, but that the two people were not really her parents. There is more to the story about the easel-- it can bring things to life, but those things are always evil, even if it’s not obvious at first. Aunt Mary explains that magic never really works the way people want it to, and if you want something badly enough you have to earn it the old-fashioned way, without shortcuts. She promises to be home more often, and to do everything in her power to help Ella reunite with her real parents.