By: Melissa Romberg 

In a time not too different from our own, there was a little polar bear named Lola. Growing up, Lola lived surrounded by tall, shimmering windows. Lola’s mother always told her that “beyond those windows was a glorious haven for all polar bears with  fresh air, blue skies, and ice caps as far as the eye could see.” Lola, however, desperately wanted to escape what she perceived as a prison. Her mother continued to be a voice of reason: “You see Lola, those ice caps are melting and a lot of good polar bears are going to die if they disappear.  I’m afraid that if we were out there, we too would be endangered.” Lola never liked when her mother reminded her of this. She hated her home. She always felt it was like a cage and there was nothing for her to do. At the beginning, she would watch Netflix and chill, play the video game: Snow Runner, and listen to Foreigner but after a while, Lola was so bored that not even eating snacks made her happy. All she wanted was to go outside and get a whiff of the breezy air or rest her paws in the chilling snow even if it was only just for a moment .

 

“Are you sure we can’t go out?” Lola always asked.

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“NO, little Lola, unless the ground is solid and the air freezes  I’m afraid we might never go outside.” Her mother replied. 

“Are you sure there is nothing I can do Mama?”

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“You can stay in here.” 

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“Okay.” Lola would mumble. She always felt that her mama was wrong. She felt as if there was more that she could do. More that she could feel. And then one day, it came to her. While staring out those big shimmering windows she had always come to know all too well, Lola noticed something new that she hadn’t before: a face. Nothing remotely similar to hers, but a flat, teethy, smiley face that was smooshed up against her window. It had the strangest paws too. With 5 sticks on the end of it. How peculiar! She knew she had seen a couple before but as she looked around her windows she saw more... and more... and more... and more than she could imagine counting! “If I could only convince them to help.” She thought, “Maybe the polar bears could be saved.” So, she ran over to the window and shouted, “Please! Please! You have to help the polar bears! They're in trouble! They could die!”

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“Not my problem.” One said.

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“Why should I care.” Moaned another.

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“If I was a polar bear, sure.” Jerked a third.

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“No please!” She cried out, “If you don’t help the polar bears, think about what might happen to you! You might lose your own ice caps!” They click their tongues in skepticism and start to walk away. “At least do it for me!” She yelps. “Help young polar bears like me experience the real world instead of this dingy old prison.”

It’s up to you now. That’s right this is one of those adventure books where you choose your own ending…

1. Help Lola

2. Walk away

 

1

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It seems as though Lola’s words had reached through the glass and into the hearts of the creatures outside. 

“Let’s band together!” They cheered. “If we all do our part then maybe we could help the polar bears of today!” The efforts of these creatures were heroic, saving the lives of hundreds of polar bears that led to a treaty between the polar bears and the humans- as those creatures prefer to be called. It stated that the humans would try to do more in order to help out those around them and the polar bears promised an unlimited supply of Coca-Cola bottles. And Lola? She spent the rest of her polar bear days out in Antarctica where she finally breathed in the frosty air and played in the silvery snow with her mother. The end.

 

2

 

The end of both the polar bear and human races went off without a hitch. In fact, after meeting with Lola, it only convinced these creatures that they should be enjoying their lives more since they were not polar bears and therefore could not suffer the consequences that polar bears had to face…. or so they thought. After a while it would seem, the human race was in more trouble than their tiny brains could comprehend. First it was the earthquakes, then it was the floods, and finally the pandemic. The pandemic that forced the humans into their own private cages and prisons. Thanks to their lack of kindness and support towards Lola the polar bear, all they could think of in their last moments was what they should’ve done, could’ve done, would’ve done… but it was all too late. The end.