The Near-Doom Incident (Longer Version) by Peri Gordon, 11   We were hiking. I didn’t want to stroll. I stretched my legs and launched ahead of my parents, feet flying freely over the sandy trail. The foliage glittered around me like green and brown angels, but I paid no notice. I arrived at a place where a family was, positioned as if struggling to see something, but all I saw was rough, brown ground. They called for me to stop.    My parents caught up. “Peri, they were taking a picture!” But no, they were not.   The family pointed at a small, slithering thing snaking its way up the path.   A rattlesnake.   We showed our gratitude to the family that had saved me from doom, and we were on our way.   No more running.

The Near-Doom Incident (6-Word Version)   Dashing ahead. Snake. Could’ve been doomed.