"Dedicated to Preslie, you saved the runaway train! You are the best conductor (and sister) in the whole wide world, happy 3rd birthday pretzel — Haven Zillman"

Preview audio:

storyj.mp/ahpkv7gmzph3

Prologue...pg 3

Preslie's Powerful Pigtails...pg 4

The Terrible-Two Turbo...pg 5-7

Tiny Boots, Big Steps!...pg 8-10

Chugga-Chugga-Uh-Oh!...pg 11-13

Epilogue...pg 14

All About The Authors...pg 15

Most people think trains run on coal, electricity, or diesel. But the was different. It ran on something much louder: Toddler Energy. It required the exact power of one afternoon daydream to move. While the world saw a little girl in pigtails staring at a toy train, Preslie saw a shimmering locomotive waiting for a pilot. She didn't just want to watch the train; she wanted to the breeze in its whistle

PROLOGUE

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Preslie. She is 2 years old. That is how many fingers you hold up! ✌

Preslie has very, very special hair. Her mommy pulls it up into two fuzzy bumps on top of her head. They are called Pigtails. They don’t look like pigs, they just look like fluffy clouds!

One pigtail points to the sky. Boing!
The other pigtail points to the door. Boing!

When Preslie wiggles her nose, her pigtails wiggle too. When she runs really fast, they go flap-flap-flap like tiny bird wings. Preslie thinks her pigtails give her Super Strength.

"I am big!" Preslie said. She put on her sparkly shoes. Stomp, stomp, stomp!

She grabbed her favorite snack, which was ham and cheese. She also grabbed her favorite blankie. She was ready for a big, big day. She didn't know it yet, but a runaway train was coming!

But Preslie wasn't scared. Her pigtails were standing up straight, which meant she was ready to be a hero

Chapter 1: Preslie's Powerful Pigtails

Chapter 2: The Terrible-Two Turbo

My mom says when babies turn two, they get a "growth spurt," but I think Preslie got a rocket booster instead. Yesterday she was just crawling and dropping Cheerios. Today, she is a pink-and-purple blur zooming down the hallway! She doesn’t just walk; she vibrates. I call it her Terrible-Two Turbo. When she’s in Turbo Mode, her pigtails fly back like tiny wings, and her diaper makes a swish-swish-swish sound that means she's moving at max speed.

The Turbo doesn’t just make her fast; it makes her strong. She figured out how to open the "indestructible" plastic baby gate. She didn’t use a key or a tool. She just gave a giant toddler roar—“MINE!”—and pushed it over like she was the Incredible Hulk in a tutu. I tried to block the kitchen with my beanbag chair, but she pushed it aside with one hand while eating a ham and cheese snack with the other. There is no stopping the Preslie Express!.

Chapter 2: The Terrible-Two Turbo

The worst part about the Turbo is the "Cargo Drop." As Preslie zooms through the house, she leaves a trail of destruction behind her.

The Kitchen: A half-eaten cheese stick and a trail of sparkly shoe glitter.

The Hallway: My favorite gel pen (minus the cap) and a headless Barbie.

The Bathroom: Every single square of toilet paper unrolled like a giant white carpet.By the time I catch her, she is standing at the window, pointing her ham-and-cheese-sticky finger at the real tracks outside. "Choo-choo!" she yells. Little did I know, the real runaway train was already on its way.

Chapter 2: The Terrible-Two Turbo

The "runaway train" wasn't a locomotive, and it wasn’t another toddler. It was the sound of a heavy engine idling in our driveway and the screech of a literal air brake.

"Preslie, wait!" I yelled, but the Turbo was already in high gear. She scrambled away from the window, her sparkly shoes skidding across the toilet paper carpet in the bathroom. She wasn't headed for her toys this time. She was headed for the mudroom.

By the time I caught up, she was sitting on the floor, grunting as she tried to shove her left foot into a miniature hiking boot. These weren't her usual light-up sneakers. These were her Tiny Boots—heavy, leather, and built for serious miles.

"Outside!" she commanded, pointing a sticky finger at the door. "Big steps, [Narrator's Name]! Big steps!"

I looked out the sidelight of the front door. It was the moving truck. The "runaway train" was actually our entire life packed into boxes, and today was the day we were leaving the only house Preslie had ever known. My heart did a slow somersault. I wasn't ready for big steps. I was still trying to find the cap to my favorite gel pen.

"Wait, Preslie," I whispered, kneeling next to her. I took the boot and helped her tiny heel slide into place. Thump.

As I tied the laces, I realized that while I was busy worrying about the glitter on the

Chapter 3: Tiny Boots, Big Steps!

floor and the headless Barbies, Preslie was already prepared for the horizon. She stood up, stomped her feet once to test the grip, and marched toward the door with a determined wobble.

She reached for the handle, her small hand barely wrapping around the cold brass. She looked back at me, her face smeared with the remnants of her ham-and-cheese lunch, and gave me a look that was way too old for a two-year-old.

"Come on," she chirped.

The door swung open, and the bright sun hit the driveway. Beyond the moving truck was a whole world she was ready to conquer, one heavy, clunky, tiny step at a time.

Chapter 3: Tiny Boots, Big Steps!

You've previewed 9 of 15 pages.
To read more:

Benefits:

Full access to our public library
Save favorite books
Interact with authors

DOWNLOAD
LIKE

(2)
COMMENT

()
SHARE
SAVE

BUY THIS BOOK (from $2.99+)

BUY THIS BOOK
(from $2.99+)
BUY THIS BOOK
(from $2.99+)
DOWNLOAD
LIKE (2)

Liked By

COMMENT ()
SHARE
SAVE
Report

Encourage this author

BUY
LIKE

(2)
COMMENT

()
SHARE

Excessive Violence
Harassment
Offensive Pictures
Spelling & Grammar Errors
Unfinished
Other Problem

"Preslie And The Runaway Train"

Name: Preslie And The Runaway Train
Author: Thecottagechroni

Thecottagechroni, TheCottageChronicle1, cottagechronicles2, ella123456girl

"Preslie (also known as Pretzel!) has a very big secret: her imagination is the engine for the Sparkle-Express 5000! When her daydream turns into a real-life runaway train, Pretzel finds herself in the conductor’s seat. Can one brave three-year-old save the day before naptime? A magical adventure about the power of play!"

(15 pages)

Privacy level: PUBLIC

33 reads 2 fans

Report