Hi everyone! Just a story I wrote for a science/language arts project. It covers photosynthesis and respiration, not my stronger points of study, but writing this helped, so maybe it'll help others. Apparently other people liked it too, because my language arts teacher read it aloud to the class. Well, hope this helps anyone who's not the best with biology!

P.S The underlined words are vocab that we had to underline so the teachers could see. I'm too lazy to clear it up.

A Cell Story

“We’re MOVING??!” I screeched. Mom and dad, the oxygen atoms in our carbon dioxide molecule (I’m the adopted kid and carbon atom), nodded.

“We’re headed for the stoma of that tree. We’ll get there in just a few minutes.” Dad explained.

“And you didn’t even TELL me?” I asked disbelievingly. How could mom and dad do this to me?

We’re sorry, sweetie, but we’ve been airborne way too long and photosynthesis needs us.” Mom soothed.

“I can’t believe it, you’re signing us up for something I’ve never even heard of! I hate you!” I yelled right as the green lips opened up to accept us into the darkness.

“You’ll see.” Dad said simply, and then the lights turned out. It was so hard to see in here! We got pushed and shoved and jostled until we landed somewhere filled with liquid.

“We’re in the chloroplast about now.” Dad claimed softly, and as I adjusted to the utter black surroundings, I thought he was really astounded.

“What are you talking about?” I asked timidly. Nothing could amaze dad, so this must really be something.

“Nothing, Emmy, you’ll see for yourself very soon.” Dad addressed me and led us to some rod-shaped organelle where a lot of the molecules were headed. We hung around in a short line, and then a door opened and we drifted in. In that strange place that mom called mitochondria, unseen forces basically ripped our molecules apart. I hardly noticed what was happening until mom and dad were pulled away from me!

“MOM! DAD!” I yelled after them. A second later I thought I heard a muffled “Emmy!” and then there was nothing but the surprised yelps of the other molecules. I waited out the rest of the photosynthesis process in mute stiffness, waiting exactly where I was in case my parents tried to find me again. When I finally opened my eyes ( after the shaking stopped) there were about twenty-three other atoms stuck to me. Apparently they mixed us carbon dioxide molecules with water molecules to make something else. The nearest atom, an oxygen molecule, saw me.

“Have a nice nap then?” He grinned.

“I wasn’t napping.” I protested stubbornly. “I was just lying perfectly still with my eyes closed. Where are we, anyways?”

“We’re in a glucose molecule, I think. Not many molecules have this many atoms so we’re not the other result, oxygen.” We both took a second to survey the other atoms. “I’m Milo, by the way.” I faced the boy, Milo, and saw he was gazing at me with interest.

“Emmy. Look, you haven’t seen my parents, have you? They’re oxygen molecules, like you.” I pleaded. Even if they were always keeping secrets from me, they were my parents, I love them, and I had to find them.

“Sorry, haven’t. There are a lot of my kind out here. How can they be your parents, anyways? You’re carbon.” Milo sounded rather confused.

“I’m adopted.” I shortly responded before turning around and surveying the area I could see, hoping for some trace of my parents’ presence.

For the next few days, as we drifted through the cytoplasm to various places, Milo and I desperately searched for my parents. At night, when most of the atoms in our glucose group were resting, Milo and I would stay up and swap stories. I’d tell him vague memories of my past, and he’d tell me what was happening to us now since he was so experienced with that kind of thing. One night, I just had to ask the inevitable.

“Milo, will I ever see my parents again? I don’t want to loose them forever like I lost my real parents.”

“I don’t know, Emmy, I doubt you’ll NEVER see each other, but the chances are pretty slim that you’ll meet again really soon. But hey,” he nudged me, noticing how my face fell. “I’m sure they’ll be proud of you for holding out this long. And in the meantime you can be my adopted sister.”

“Okay, brother.” I smiled for the first time in what seemed like forever, but a sudden lurch made us jump. I turned to see that we were headed for the dreaded mitochondria once more and gasped. I was glucose now, what more could it want with me? “What’s happening, Milo?” I panicked.

“Oh no, I went through this when I was part of a water molecule! The cytoplasm’s already broke us apart into smaller molecules, and now it’s sending us to the mitochondria again so we can be crushed and made into energy for the cell. It’s respiration, it’ll turn us back into carbon dioxide or water, and it might split us!” Milo summarized rapidly as we were sucked into the torture chamber again. Split us?? Not again, I was NOT going to loose another friend and now an adopted family member.

“Milo, whatever you do, DON’T LET GO!” I half screamed and clinged onto him as the roller coaster began. Everything started rumbling and shouts for loved ones mingled everywhere. I buried myself into Milo and didn’t let my grip slacken for a second. We were going together whether this stupid cell liked it or not!

“Emmy!” A distant and familiar cry reached my ears. Somehow I managed to keep Milo in my grasp and look up at the same time. Through all the chaos my parents were racing towards me!

“Mom! Dad!” I squealed, but didn’t dare to let go. Maybe if we all hung in this together then I could have a complete family, and not just fragments. “I missed you so much! Oh, and this is Milo, he’s my best friend.” Now was not the time to mention us being siblings.

“Hi.” Milo stuttered as the quaking got worse.

“Sweetie, I can’t believe we found you!” Mom beamed, but couldn’t manage any more because the rumbling got so bad that my grip from Milo was suddenly ripped apart, and in a blink my best friend had integrated with the crowd.

“MILO!” I screamed and tried to race after him with mom and dad at my heels (literally- they missed me so much they couldn’t let go). But it was no use. He was gone.

After the worst of the respiration procedure was over, I was back in my original form with mom and dad as part of my molecule group. But this time, things just didn’t feel the same. Now I was aware of what could happen to everything I knew and now I knew what it felt to loose a friend and family member. Sure, I missed Milo, but his words kept coming back. I would see him again, somehow, someday. And in the meantime, I got my parents back!

I was planning to have some more, but word limits...yuck. Please review!