The Cheat ... by Ari

It was spring and time to move back to Fluffy Land. No one wanted to move, but they had to. Otherwise they would be the baldest people in the whole of Fluffy Land. It would be a disgrace to be bald. But that’s not the worst of it, they would also be punished by the King of Fluff, the harsh ruler. The punishment involved being viciously cold and mentally blank each time an attempt was made to go to sleep.

The only way not to be punished was by beating the Blanket of Truth in a sleep off.

It was a cold Saturday. Tom walked out of the house to find hundreds of deck chairs with bright red pillows and white blankets with aqua stripes, so Jack sat in the nearest one which was like sitting in something so comfy he just felt happy.

Then Tom, his best friend came and said, “Hey Jack. Why are you here? Why don’t you want to go to Fluffy Land?”

“Because I don’t want to be bald and go back where the King of Fluff will punish me."

“Then, I will talk to the fluffy King. It will be a long journey and we will have to go to the fluffy castle in the heavens."

Tom and Jack went to the roof of the house where there was an old military helicopter. It was for display but was still good for flying.

When they got down from the roof they decided to change their tactics and train for a big sleep off.

The sleep off was a way of challenging the king. If they sleep for a long enough time they could avoid punishment.

“We will have to make you sleep for around a week. Well to start, I will have to train you for a good 5 days. It would help to start by becoming a bit fatter or putting on a few new blankets and we’ll sleep for as long as we can. I will time you. Let the sleeping begin."

Four days later Jack woke up, but he didn't feel rested. He felt so bad and sick. They didn't have more time to practice so they went up to the roof to leave.

Jack was still nervous about becoming bald and the punishment. He found a way to win - cheat. "I'll just take some sleeping pills." So Jack went into the house and got a pack of sleeping pills and decided he would definitely win.

They travelled in their helicopter which struggled to journey to the heavens but eventually they arrived at the castle. They went up the stairs and said the password for the doors, and finally came into the throne room.

A magnificent fluffy cuddly blanket came into the room and said “hello young one, I see you are starting to become bald".

“Yes Sir. We are here to have a sleep off so I can reverse that.”

“Ok get in the beds" said the blanket of truth, “Let the sleeping begin.”

At that second Jack secretly put the sleeping pill in his mouth and started sleeping.

The Blanket of Truth woke up and woke Jack, very angry. “You might have won but you cheated, which means you will still have to be punished. I don’t like cheats” he roared and he did not look so cuddly at that moment.

Jack had cheated; he was going to lose his hair and would have terrible sleeps. Fluffy Land was not going to be a cozy home for him.