Chapter 1
The Journey Begins
It was a breezy November night. Grace Williamson set out on a mission, probably her most important one yet. Through the trees and past a small pond, she ran and ran. The weight of her backpack slowed her down a bit, but she didn’t care, for it was filled with everything she needed for her journey.
Grace leaped over small boulders, flowing rivers, and muddy swamps. She had trained for this night since her career as an explorer began.
“Nothing can stop me now!” she exclaimed with a determined smile on her face. Leaves crunched under her feet, cheering her on. More fell from the trees to join them. As she bolted across more land, the grass got higher. Still, she kept on running, for she wouldn’t stop until she reached the airport.
Her legs started to burn and she was out of breath. “Only 1 mile to go” she weazed, exhausted. She took a quick water break and munched on a granola bar. Now she would have to continue, because her plane left at 10 o’clock. She couldn’t slow down now, for it was already 9:45. She started up again, though it was hard to move very fast because of the tall grass.
Finally she got to an area where the grass was not as high, yet it was very wet and swampy. Her feet got drenched through her shoes, making a squishing noise every time she stepped. The wet mud made her feet cold, for the air was chilly. She winced in pain. Her toes felt frozen, but she had to carry on. She couldn’t stop now. Not when she was almost at the airport.
Now it was 9:55. Grace could see the airport, but barely, for the dark fog was thick and in her face. Grace ran like she never did before. She had to catch this flight. If she didn’t, the treasure could end up in the wrong hands. She couldn’t let that happen.
Grace sprinted the rest of the way to the airport. The plane got bigger as she got closer. Soon she could really see how massive it was. She went through a quick security check and then started to board the plane. Fortunately, the flight was a bit delayed so she had time to get to the entrance. She climbed the slightly dusty stairs, aching. When she reached the top, she met a steward.
“Lovely seeing you here, Grace Williamson” he said in a slight British accent.
“Why thank you, but I really must get to my seat. The plane will leave soon.” Grace gasped, out of breath.
“Ok then. I’ll lead you to your seat.” he said with a seemingly pleasant smile.
