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When fruit come to life and set off in the search of freedom, will they be able to escape? Henry C’s story, The Grocery Shop Breakout, was one of our top 25 Stories in the 5-9 age category for 2020. You can listen to his wonderful story here!

The Grocery Shop Breakout

Once upon a time there was an orange named Otis. He didn't like being entrapped on a shelf in a grocery shop. He remembered his lovely life living in a tree in the hot sun, and wasn't very happy at all about being picked, shoved onto a plane in a box and sent to a dull shop in rainy Horsham.

Otis had made some good friends in the shop though. There was Lionel Lemon who was nice enough but a bit sour, Bob Banana who hung with his mates in a gang and Olly Onion who came from underground unlike the others.

The fruity friends were talking one day about sunshine and warm breezes and how they missed the olds days. This was the time when Otis first had the idea. "I wish we could get out of here", said Otis sadly, "I don't like being trapped in this shop". The others agreed. "I'm starting to dry up" said Lionel unhappily "And Bob is turning brown". "We need some sunshine", agreed Bob. "So Lets escape" said Otis excitedly. "You are crazy" said the others "no fruit escaped from this place". "We need a plan" said Otis.

So the fruit started to plan their escape. The next morning they were ready to make their move. An old lady came up to the fruit and picked up Lionel and squeezed him. "Ouch" he said. She put him in her shopping bag and Otis and Bob and his banana gang also jumped in. Olly Onion saw this happening and pounced in too. "I've been waiting weeks to escape" he said, happily. The old lady took the bag to the checkout and put the items on the conveyor belt. "I don't want onions, bananas or oranges" she said frustratedly. She started to put them back when Lionel squirted sour lemon juice into her eyes. She felt angry and confused. The friends rode on the conveyor belt and rolled towards the doorway.

The old lady was screaming and the security guard came. "Oh no" said Otis gloomily, we are in trouble now. The security guard arrived and picked up Olly. He peeled himself and made the security guard cry. He dropped Olly. "Well done, Olly" said Otis. "Let's roll towards to exit, I can see sunlight."

The security guard called the police who came running into the shop. "Put your hands in the air" said the police. "Oh, you don't have any - put whatever you have in the air". Just then Bob and his friends took off their skins and spread them on the floor. The banana skins made the policemen slip and they fell all around them.

The friends made their final roll out of the shop. "We made it", Otis said. "Good job, everyone. Let’s enjoy the sunshine".

By Henry C

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