The Backwards Day

Little Maya was tucked in bed when suddenly - her eyes popped wide open! "Good night, sweetie!" called her mom, opening the curtains. But wait... it was dark outside! The moon was shining bright and the stars were twinkling! "Time for dessert!" called Dad cheerfully. Maya rubbed her eyes. Dessert? This was weird! She went to the kitchen. Mom put a big slice of chocolate cake in front of her. "Here you go!" Mom said with a smile. Maya's mouth dropped open. Cake for breakfast? She took a big bite. DELICIOUS! After the cake, Dad served pizza. "And now for dinner!" he announced. Maya giggled, confused! But she was hungry, so she ate it all up. "Let's get ready, we have to go to school," said Mom. School? At night? Maya looked out the window. The moon was still up there, big and bright. Mom handed her pajamas. "Put these on!" "But... these are my pajamas!" said Maya. "Perfect for a day out!" said Mom. Maya put on her pajamas and followed her parents outside. WHOOOOA! Everyone in the neighborhood was walking BACKWARDS! Mr. Chen backed down the sidewalk. STEP. STEP. STEP. Mrs. Rodriguez backed past them pushing a stroller - backwards! "Goodbye!" she said as she rolled past. Even the cars were driving in reverse! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Maya looked up. The birds were flying backwards through the sky! A dog walked by, pulling its owner backwards on a leash! "What's happening?!" Maya laughed as they arrived at the playground. Kids were playing everywhere - but something didn't seem right! Children were sliding UP the slide! WHOOSH! The swings were swinging backwards! The merry-go-round was spinning the other way! Maya's friend Jake ran over - running backwards! "See ya later!" Jake said, his eyes sparkling. As Maya played, she suddenly noticed something. The sky was getting lighter. The stars were fading. The moon was disappearing. The sun was coming up! "Wait a minute..." Maya said slowly, looking around. "Everything is BACKWARDS!" She grinned. This was the coolest day EVER! Maya slid up the slide. Whoosh! She swung backwards on the swings. WHEEE! She walked backwards in circles until she got dizzy and fell down laughing. The bell rang and everyone headed to school - backing through the doors! "Goodbye, class!" said the teacher as they came in. They did tell-and-show, subtraction instead of addition, and read books from back to front! Maya was having the BEST time ever! Before she knew it, the bell rang. "Good morning, everyone," the teacher said as they packed their things to go home. They backed all the way home as the sun rose higher and higher. "Breakfast, then bed!" announced Dad as they walked through the door. "Bedtime! In the morning?!" gasped Maya. Dad kissed her forehead. "Good morning, sweetie. Sweet dreams!" Maya yawned and hopped into bed. "Backwards day was fun, but... but..." Her eyes started to close. "Maybe some things are better the normal way," she mumbled sleepily. The End.