Stuck in a Tree

by Mr. Animator

Lincoln, Luan, and Lynn try to find a way down from a tree

At the Royal Woods park, Lincoln was walking by with his face buried in a comic book. He goes near a tree and hears a voice.

"Hey Lincoln!"

"Who's there?"

"It's me, Luan!"

Lincoln looked around. "Luan? Where are you?"

"Up here! I'm in the tree!"

The white haired boy looked up and saw his prankster sister sitting on a tree branch. She waved at him.

"Hey."

"What are you doing up there?"

Luan took out a twig. "Oh, just gettin' twiggy with it." She laughed. "But seriously, I'm stuck."

"Stuck?"

"Yep. Stuck. I wanted to get a good view of the park from up here. But then I remembered I have a tremendous fear of climbing down trees. I've been waiting here for hours, hoping somebody would come by and help me. You're the first person I've seen."

"Don't worry." Lincoln put his comic away. "I'll get you down."

"Thanks Linc. You're a true brother."

Lincoln climbed up the tree. He was almost up onto the same branch Luan was on, but then the branch under him broke off and fell. Lincoln held onto the higher branch in a panic.

"Lincoln! Hang on! I've got you!" Luan pulled him up onto the branch.

"I guess we're both stuck now." Luan said in an optimistic way.

"Yeah, I guess we are." Lincoln said, a bit worried.

"Don't worry. I'm sure someone will be here any minute to save us."

"Right. How long have you been up here anyway?"

"No more than two or three hours."

Lincoln looked unamused.

Lincoln and Luan have been waiting for someone to come over for a while.

Luan sighs. "Yep. Any minute now."

"Luan, can you please stop saying that? You've been sighing like that, and saying any minute now every minute for the past hour."

"Gee Lincoln, I'm just trying to be optimistic."

"But every time you say that, it feels like we've been stuck up here even longer."

"Oh, it hasn't been that long. At least it's a beautiful day." Luan sighs. "Yep. Any minute now."

Lincoln sighs irritatedly.

"Argh! Gimme back my football ya dang squirrel!" The athletic sister, Lynn, is seen below chasing a squirrel who has her football in its mouth.

"Hey Lynn! Up here!" Lincoln called.

Lynn looked up and saw her two siblings. "Huh? What are you guys doing in that tree?"

"We're stuck."

"Stuck?" Lynn starts laughing. "You guys are stuck in a tree? Man, you're so stupid!"

She laughs some more and Lincoln looks annoyed.

"Yeah, real funny. Now could you just help us down?"

"Sure I could. But one of you owes me a new football."

"Dibs not it." Luan said quickly.

"Dang it." Lincoln said. "Fine Lynn. I'll get you a new football."

"Sweet. I'll be right back!" Lynn runs off and comes back with a ladder. She puts it against the tree. "So I found this ladder leaning by the water tower. There was a guy up there but I didn't think he'd mind if I borrowed it."

At a water tower, a guy falls down since he didn't notice the missing ladder. We cut back to the siblings.

"You guys are so stupid!" Lynn mocked. "You're lucky I'm here."

Lynn gets onto the branch they're on, but accidentally knocks down the ladder with her foot, causing it to fall and break in half.

"Man, I'm so stupid!" Lynn whined.

"It's okay, Lynn." Lincoln said.

"At least you tried." Luan said.

"But how are we supposed to get down?" Lynn asked. She pointed to a lower branch. "Maybe if we try to reach that branch-"

"Forget it Lynn." Lincoln said. "We've been up here for hours trying to figure out a way to get down. There's no way."

"Well, what are we supposed to do then? Just wait here?"

"Unfortunately, I think we have to."

"Oh, I can't believe this."

"Don't worry, Lynn. I know someone will come by to save us." Luan said optimistically. "Yep. Any minute now."

"Aww, how long's it been now?" Lynn complained.

"I'm not sure." Lincoln said. "Too bad none of us brought a phone."

"Well, judging by the position of the sun, I'd say it's been another hour at least." Luan assumed.

"We're gonna be stuck here forever!" Lynn whined. "Nobody comes to this part of the park!"

Lynn tears up and hugs Lincoln. Lincoln pats her on the back, comforting her.

"It's okay Lynn."

"I don't wanna die."

"Hey look, someone's coming!" Luan pointed to a guy driving a lawnmower and listening to music on his phone. The siblings called him to get his attention but he had headphones on.

"Aw, he can't hear us." Lynn said.

"Maybe if we throw something at him, we can get his attention." Lincoln suggested.

"That's a great idea, Lincoln." Luan said. She pulled over a tree branch with cherries on it. She and Lincoln took one cherry and Lynn tore off the branch. Lincoln threw a cherry, but missed. Lynn threw the branch, but it landed on the ground and the lawnmower ran over it. Luan threw a cherry right onto the man's head, knocking him out while the lawnmower was still going.

"Well, he went out like a light." Luan laughed. Then Lynn felt something poking her. She saw a woodpecker pecking the side of her head.

"Ah, stupid woodpecker!" Lynn waved her arms to get it away.

"Looks like he was giving you a head in-PECK-tion." Luan punned.

Lynn got annoyed. "Shut it, Luan! Just shut it!"

Then they heard someone. It was Darcy who was walking by.

"Hey, it's Lisa's friend Darcy!" Lincoln said. The siblings called Darcy and she noticed them.

"We're stuck." Lincoln said. "We need you to go get help."

"Hey, you're Lisa's siblings! I'll help you, but first I'm gonna buy ice cream."

"Go to the fire station. Tell them we're stuck in a tree and we need help getting down. Go directly to the fire station without stopping for ice cream. You can get ice cream after you go to the fire station."

"Got it. Go to the fire station. Tell them we're stuck in a tree, don't stop except for ice cream."

"No. Go to the fire station. Tell them we're stuck in a tree and don't stop for ice cream."

"Go to the tree. Tell them we're stuck in a fire station and don't stop except for ice cream."

"No. Listen carefully and repeat after me. Fire station."

"Fire station."

"Stuck in a tree."

"Stuck in the tree."

"Don't stop for ice cream."

"Don't stop for ice cream."

"That's it. Now repeat it back to me."

"Go to fire station."

"Uh huh."

"Stuck in a tree."

"That's right."

"But first, stop for ice cream."

"No. Don't stop for ice cream."

"Don't stop for ice cream."

"Right. You've got it. Now go."

Darcy walked off, repeating the task. "Go to fire station. Stuck in tree. Don't stop for ice cream. Go to fire station. Stuck in tree. Don't stop for ice cream. Stuck in fire station. Go to tree-"

"She's not coming back, is she?" Lynn said.

"Nope." Lincoln said.

"Oh, sure she is." Luan said happily. "They'll come back smiling and singing. And who knows, maybe Darcy and the fireman will bring us some ice cream. Like an ice cream float parade." Luan sighs. "Yep. Any minute now."

Lynn held up a fist in anger and Lincoln tried to calm her down. Then they noticed the guy with the lawnmower, and he was still knocked out as the lawnmower was driving off. The three kids had to wait even longer in the tree. Luan was still positive and smiling while Lincoln and Lynn were both dying of boredom.

"How long's it been now?" Lynn asked.

"About another hour, I guess." Lincoln replied.

"Oh, we'll never get out of this tree!" Lynn whined. Her stomach growled. "Ugh, I'm so hungry! Wait, we're in a cherry tree. We can eat the cherries."

"But how do we know if they're edible?" Lincoln questioned.

"Only one way to find out." Lynn grabbed some cherries and ate them.

"Hmm, not bad." She said with her mouth full. Then she turned green and felt nauseated. She puked as Lincoln and Luan cringed.

"Yep. Definitely not edible." Lincoln said.

"Don't worry guys." Luan said positively. "I just know Darcy's on her way with the firemen to save us."

It looked like it was evening now.

"Oh, we'll never get out of this tree." Lynn whined.

"Take it easy, Lynn." Lincoln said.

"Why should I take it easy, Stinkcoln?! I'm gonna end up living in this dang tree with you two, eating tree worms and bark! Picking splinters out of my butt every night! I'm never gonna grow up or go to college or get married! I mean, who am I gonna marry? That squirrel?"

Lynn pointed to a squirrel who was at the bottom of the tree, storing its nuts. The squirrel glared at her.

"Hey, I recognize you! Yeah, thanks for stealing my football ya dumb squirrel!"

The squirrel chattered and continued storing its nuts.

"We're going to get out of here." Lincoln assured Lynn.

"What if we don't?" Lynn said, losing hope.

Lincoln imagined their future.

We go seventy years into the futuristic town of Royals Woods. We see elderly Luan, Lincoln, and Lynn still stuck in the same ol tree.

"Luan, stop shaking the branch you old brace faced fool." Lynn scolded.

Luan put some leaves and cherries on her hair, as if they were hair accessories. "Sorry Lynn, but I want to look nice for tonight's celebration."

"What are we celebrating?" Lincoln asked.

"Today is our anniversary. Another year to CHERRY-ish all our memories of living in this cherry tree. We've been living here for seventy years."

"Seventy years?" Lynn exclaimed. "No!"

"Don't worry Lynn, any minute now Darcy will return with the fire department to save us."

"What are you talking about? It's been seventy years. She's not coming back!"

Lynn sees a gray squirrel, who's talking to her. It's the same squirrel who took Lynn's football many years ago. And Lynn was married to him. (Yes, it's a male squirrel)

"I told you I can't clean out the bird nest tonight." Lynn told her squirrel husband. "I'm playing checkers with my siblings."

The squirrel chatters angrily.

"Don't argue with me. I do all the cleaning around here and all you do is complain." Lynn turned to face her two siblings. "Take my advice, don't get married."

"Especially to a squirrel." Lincoln said to Luan. Luan noticed a group of people.

"Hey, here come our siblings.l"

The rest of the Loud siblings are now elderly. They're seen on a travelator.

"Too bad they're all deaf." Lincoln said. "Otherwise they could hear us and go get help."

Then the man with the lawnmower was seen. And he was still knocked out while the mower was still going.

"How has he not run out of gas?" Luan questioned. Then she let one rip and smiled. "Speaking of gas."

Lincoln frowned.

We go back to reality. Lynn is crying. Luan tried to cheer her up.

"It won't be so bad, Lynn. We'll have fresh air, and the stars at night, and maybe we'll make animal friends who'll bring us food."

Lynn glared at her older sister. "If you don't shut the heck up Luan, I'm gonna pound ya!"

Then a woodpecker came over and pecked on Lynn's head. "Ow. Ow. Ow."

It was officially nighttime. As the three siblings were still stuck in the tree, Luan decided to tell jokes to pass the time.

"Why do trees hate riddles? Because it's too easy to get stumped! Why did the tree get stumped? It couldn't get to the root of the problem! What's a tree's favorite drink? Root beer!" Luan laughed. Lincoln looked annoyed and Lynn was beyond annoyed.

"Please stop telling tree jokes!" The jock yelled. "I can't take the tree jokes!" Lynn held her head and freaked out.

"Calm down Lynn." The whited haired boy said as he tried to comfort her.

"This WOOD-n't be the first time I've told tree jokes." The comedian laughed.

Lynn screamed in frustration. "I'm trapped! I'm trapped and hungry and-"

"A little scared?" Luan guessed.

"No, I'm not scared!"

It was getting a little cold and windy.

"We're gonna be fine." Lincoln assured as he felt a little chilly. "You just have to have a little faith that everything will work out. Look at Luan. She's looking on the bright side."

Luan was whistling.

"I know Lincoln." Lynn said calmly. "But that's because she's living-" Her tone became angry. -"in her own little pretend land!"

"Just try to have some faith. If we think positive and stick together, something good will happen."

Then lightning flashed and it started raining. Lynn glared at her brother.

"Lincoln's right." Luan said optimistically. "We're going to get down from this tree. Come on. Clap your hands if you believe!"

Then Luan began to sing. "Every seed turns into a flower. Every minute turns into an hour."

"Stop it!" Lynn said. "Stop singing that idiotic song!"

Luan was still singing.

"That's it! You're gonna get it!" Lynn bounced on the tree branch.

"Lynn, seriously. Someone's going to get hurt." Lincoln warned.

Luan was still singing.

"Luan, I'm going to break your face!" Lynn snapped.

Lincoln glared at his two older sisters. "Cut it out, both of you!"

"It's a life saving rope." Luan sang.

Lynn held out her fist. "You asked for it, you little-"

"Lynn, stop!" Lincoln warned.

Lynn was about to hit Luan, but knocked Lincoln out of the tree instead.

"Lincoln!" Luan quickly grabbed her brother's right foot and Lynn grabbed his left foot. Lincoln's comic fell out of his pocket and onto the ground.

"Gee, I guess we should try to pull him up." Luan said.

"That would be good." Lincoln said scared.

"Pull him up?" Lynn said. "I'm trying as hard as I can just to hold on."

"Well, if you can't pull me up, at least don't let go." Lincoln said.

"I don't think I can hold on." Lynn struggled. "He's too heavy."

"I am not that heavy!" Lincoln said, slightly offended.

"Come on Lynn, you're the strongest one here." Luan encouraged her little sister. "You have to have faith. Just believe you can and you'll be able to."

"Listen to Luan, Lynn." Lincoln advised.

"Ok, I won't let go." Lynn said, trying to stay calm. "I won't drop Lincoln and he won't fall and break both his legs."

Lincoln looked more scared now.

"I know what'll help." Luan said. "An inspirational song."

Luan began to sing. "So never let go of hope.

Lynn and Lincoln joined in. "It's a life saving rope. And like that seed grows, dreams come true. Just because you're you!"

"Hey, I think it's working." Lynn said proudly. "I think I can hold him now."

"I told you." Luan said. "All you had to do was believe."

"Yeah, all I had to do was believe."

"Ah, I bet any minute now we're gonna be rescued."

Then they heard sirens. They saw the fire truck coming their way with the fireman and Darcy, who was wearing a firefighters hat. Lincoln smiled with relief.

The kids were getting rescued in a cherry picker.

"I knew everything would turn out alright." Luan said happily. "Darcy came with the fireman and we're safely in the cherry picker. Here we go."

The fireman controlled the lever on the machine, but then it malfunctioned and the cherry picker stopped working.

"Ahhh!" They yelled.

"Gosh, first we're stuck in a cherry tree, now we're stuck in a cherry picker." Luan said, still being positive. "Isn't life funny?"

"Luan, I'm gonna pound you!" Lynn said angrily.

Lincoln looked annoyed. "Lynn."

The unconscious guy on the lawn mower is seen one last time.

The End