The Hidden Forest

The Hidden Forest — page 3 — The Hidden Forest 4 ago Now it was just her mother her younger brother Louis and last but definitely not least Dash their Jack Russell terrier Adelaide lay in her four poster bed thinking She grabbed her explorer’s head lamp hanging from one of the bedposts put it on and flicked on the high beam Adelaide looked like a fairly normal girl of twelve years old but she wasn’t Blond hair blue eyes and a love of blueberry pie would put her right in the mix but really she loved anything that was different Adelaide hated the ordinary All she wanted was to be grown-up and become the world-famous explorer she knew she was deep down inside and go off in search of the extraordinary There was so much to do and see that her time as a kid was just being wasted she thought as she stared at the posters of exotic places on her walls There was one of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt and who could re sist the map of the lost city of the Incas Machu Picchu in Peru She looked over at the aerial photograph of Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean close to where Amelia Earhart disappeared during her solo flight around the world How brave she was Adelaide thought as she reached for her dog

The Hidden Forest — page 4 — Anywhere but Here 5 eared biography of Amelia She didn’t open it just held on to it something she loved to do at night when it was dark and she felt all alone Someday she’d follow in her footsteps she’d make sure of it Adelaide thought as she drifted off to sleep

The Hidden Forest — page 5 — Chapter 2 CHANCE o Addy have you finished packing for Nantucket You need to help your brother too Adelaide’s eyes flew open when she heard her mother’s voice Her neck was stiff from falling asleep with the head lamp on Oops Adelaide said as she slipped it off and turned off the high beam She looked over at the map of Nantucket Island on her wall next to the poster of the Great Pyramid of Giza Nantucket looked so small and flat Not exactly Kilimanjaro she mumbled as she hopped off her bed and grabbed the pair of binocu lars that she kept on her bedside table She opened 6

The Hidden Forest — page 6 — Chance 7 the window and looked through them down into the backyard where Louis was playing catch with Dash She adjusted the focus and couldn’t help but laugh when the tennis ball bounced off the dog’s head and into the bushes Outstanding she shouted down to her brother Dash loves it Come down and see Louis shouted back He was four years younger but he liked to pretend they were the same age Kid stuff Besides Mom said you’re supposed to be packing for Nantucket Are you Louis asked grinning because he knew she wasn’t None of your business she said as she closed the window She didn’t want to go There weren’t any pyramids on Nantucket as far as she knew What was she going to do there staying with her grandparents It was just another ploy of her mother’s to shuffle them off Who could blame her really Adelaide thought A sadness clung to their home like the kind of dampness that’s only in the British Isles At least that’s what Adelaide over heard her aunt Julie say to her mother one night when she and Louis were hiding on the back stair case eavesdropping It was true Adelaide felt it ev ery time she walked by her dad’s empty study It

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