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When I walked into the backyard, the ladder was just there, leaning against the elm tree. Made of wood and kind of lopsided, I thought it had seen better days. Not knowing where it came from or who left it leaning on the tree, I went to grab it and put it away in the shed.

The sound of birds chirping made me stop and look up into the branches. Seeing the nest, I climbed the ladder. Suddenly it began to shake. Holding on as tight as I could, I felt it lifting high into the tree. Looking down, I could see the birds in that nest, but they didn’t seem in least to be bothered by me.

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When the ladder touched earth again, I was sure it must have been a tornado, even though the day had been clear and sunny. Climbing down, hand over hand, I got off shaking and kneeled to the ground.

Looking up, the shed was gone and I was staring out at a wide open plain, green as springtime and filled with grazing bison.