The Parade

A narrative essay, starting with a predetermined sentence.

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She was thrown forward as the bus screeched to a halt. As she recovered from the shock she looked around her... Where was this place? People around her were rummaging through bags and reaching for cameras. She breathed on the dirty glass and wiped it with her sleeve.

There was a huge parade of people coming down the street. It sounded like there was possibly more than one marching band, trumpets and accordions lent their voices to the murmuring crowd. Alongside the street, befuddled shopkeepers and their customers were exiting the shops and gaping at the stream of human bodies.

Red, blue, green, and yellow! a mish-mash of colours adorned the parade as liberal amounts of confetti were sprayed around. The people swirled around the bus. The bus doors were opened, and a man strode up the steps.

"There she is!" he said, once he'd seen her. He poked his head out of the bus. "We've got her!"

She rose trembling from her seat, clutching her bag tightly.

"Me? What's... what's happening?"

"Alyssa Everdeen? Congratulations." he grabbed her hands and pulled her out past the stunned bus driver.

The noise was even louder outside. As she emerged, people started screaming.

"Alyssa! We love you!" "Congratulations!"

A woman yelled at her, "I wanna be just like you, Alyssa!"

The crowd was hysterical, their voices hoarse. Alyssa basked in their adoration.

A crown was placed upon her forehead, she was adorned with flowers. A shadow fell, and she gasped to see a huge blimp flying overhead. Her name was printed on it.

"Quickly!" said the man, " we mustn't be late."

"Late for what?" she asked, not wanting to leave the people.

Her people. They loved her, and she loved them.

She tried to resist, but he pulled her away from them.

"No! Let me stay!" Her tiara threatened to topple.

Smiling faces whirled past, a shopkeeper shook her hand and gave her a watermelon, his words muffled by the crowd. People kept bumping into her, yearning for her touch.

"Bless my daughter, Alyssa!"

"Save the pandas!"

"Only you can do it!"

The man led her up a beautiful white float, pulled by six golden horses. Standing on top, was her dream man. He turned and smiled at her with those pretty teeth and took her hands. Alyssa blushed. He knelt at her feet and said, "Alyssa, will you marry me?"

Alyssa didn't know it was possible to have her face turn that red.

"I don't know what to say..." she said.

"Don't say anything," he said. "Just say yes."

She looked into his deep blue eyes and handsome features. The surrounding crowd broke out into a chant, "Kiss her! Kiss her!", she nodded her head... and fell off her chair.

The people around her looked at her curiously.

"Are you okay?" one tubby boy asked.

She burst into tears. "I just had the most wonderful dream."

Alyssa sobbed all the way off the bus and back home, consoling herself with a large tub of ice-cream and her favourite movie. As she nodded off, she heard familiar strains of music beginning to play. She smiled.