This adventure story is a collaboration between me and my seven-year-old granddaughter Gemma.
We have been socially isolated for several weeks. One of us would write a segment of the story before emailing it to the other to continue.
During the process, we received valuable assistance from Gemma’s younger sister Claire and her mum.
‘Come on, Claire,’ said Gemma. ‘We can have a snack a bit later.’ Gemma adjusted the straps of her day pack as she continued to walk.
‘Coming,’ replied Claire, munching on one of the biscuits her Mum had made earlier in the morning. ‘Yum. These biscuits are just too delicious to ignore.’
Gemma and Claire had finally convinced their Mum and Dad to let them go on a day hike by themselves. Now she was seven, Gemma believed she was responsible enough to take her younger sister with her. The girls got on well together and usually agreed on things, though they sometimes argued as all siblings do.
‘Just remember,’ their Dad had said as he dropped them off in the car at the beginning of the path. ‘You are going on this journey together so you should work together as a team. I’ll meet you here at 3.00 o’clock this afternoon. Have a great time!’
That seemed a long time ago. The morning sun was warming the day and the girls strode on together, telling each other jokes as they went. The path was well-marked and the girls felt happy and excited about their adventure. After about an hour, they sat down beside a stream for a snack.
‘You’re right,’ said Gemma. These biscuits are delicious. Mum’s cooking is usually good, but she has really excelled herself with these. Good thing Dad didn’t try to cook them! Remember the last biscuits he made? They were so hard we had to throw them out!’ The girls smiled at the memory. They ate two biscuits each and had a drink from their water bottles.
Soon they were on their way again. As they walked, they enjoyed the sound of the birds, the lovely aroma of the wildflowers and the majesty of the tall gum trees. After about an hour, they paused for another drink.
‘My feet are beginning to hurt,’ said Claire.
‘Don’t worry,’ replied Gemma. ‘Just enjoy the sights and sounds and you will forget your feet.’
‘Hmph’, said Claire.
In the distance, they could make out what appeared to be a sign beside the path. As they approached the sign, they could see that it marked a crossroad. One arrow on the sign pointed to a path that led to a beach. The other pointed to a path that led deeper into the forest.
‘Let’s take the path to the forest!’ cried Claire. ‘It looks really exciting and mysterious.’
‘I’d rather take the path to the beach,’ replied Gemma. ‘I think we’d have more fun there. We could explore along the shore, collect shells and even have a quick swim.’
‘Well, why don’t you go the beach and I’ll go the forest?’ asked Claire. ‘Then we can both have what we want.’
‘Remember that Dad said we were a team,’ said Gemma. ‘We should really stay together.’
The girls talked a bit more about what they should do, then came to a decision.
Was it the right one??
The girls decided that they would go to both because each walk was one hour long. They would walk to the beach first for half an hour and do Gemma’s choice, and then they would turn back and walk into the forest for half an hour.
The girls had a lovely time at the beach. They collected shells, climbed the cliffs, went fishing and had a swim.
‘It was a good thing that Mum and Dad had packed a lot of food, otherwise we would have run out of things to eat,’ said Gemma.
‘I agree,’ said Claire.
Once they had left the beach and entered the forest, it got really, really dark. They had missed the 3.00 pick up!
‘What are we going to do now?’ said Gemma.
‘I think we should walk back,’ said Claire.
Gemma looked around for the trail, but it was so dark they couldn’t see anything. Gemma started to wish they had brought head torches and tents.
All of a sudden there was a rustle in the bushes.
“What’s that?” asked Claire. “Is it a fox or a lizard or a dinosaur or a snake?”
Then they heard the sound again.
What could it be?
‘Sit still and listen, Claire,’ said Gemma.
The forest was silent again and the two girls relaxed. Moments later, they heard another rustle, closer this time. Suddenly, a large creature crashed through the bushes and rushed toward them. The girls froze where they were and closed their eyes. The creature started sniffing them – first Claire, then Gemma – then it seemed to sit down beside them with a contented sigh.
After a moment, the girls opened their eyes. Staring at them with soft brown eyes through a mass of curly hair was a large black dog.
‘Crikey!’ cried Claire. ‘What is he doing here?’
‘I don’t know, but he looks friendly,’ replied Gemma. ‘And very hairy. Maybe he’s with someone or maybe he’s lost. Let’s call out.’
Both girls started calling at the top of their lungs. The sound echoed through the dark woods, but there was no reply. They looked at each other, then at the dog, who stared back at them with a questioning look.
‘What are we going to do now?’ asked Claire.
‘Stay where we are,’ replied Gemma. The dog is obviously lost. There is no point wandering through the woods in the dark. We’ll have to wait here till morning, then walk out.’ She knew that her parents would be very worried, but she was aware that she needed to keep a clear head to ensure their safety. As the older sister, she also needed to keep Claire calm. The dog grunted and lay down on the ground.
‘Let’s lie down on either side of the dog,’ said Gemma. He doesn’t look like going away and he will keep us warm.’
Earlier in the day, the girls’ parents Mim and Dave had had a pleasant time by themselves. Mim had gone for a run and Dave had gardened and done some cooking. After lunch, the couple sat down to enjoy a cup of tea before Dave headed out to pick up the girls.
‘I hope they’re having fun,’ said Mim.
I’m sure they are,’ replied Dave. ‘They love being outdoors and both are becoming experienced and responsible in the bush … Oh, would you like one of my biscuits? I cooked some more just like the last ones. The girls enjoyed them so much, they were eaten before I could try one!’
That was a long time ago. Now, Dave was waiting in the car at the start of the path and very concerned. The girls had not returned at the agreed time and were still nowhere to be seen. Mim was sitting anxiously by the phone, pretending to read and waiting for an update from Dave.
In the forest, the two girls and the dog (they had named him ‘Hairball’) lay on the ground. Claire had dozed off, but Gemma forced herself to stay awake. She knew she had responsibility to manage their safe return. She tried not to think about her parents (or Popsy and Grandma). Grandma would be calm, but Popsy would be very nervy.
As time passed, she became aware of a gradual lightening in the sky. There was a full moon rising. As it climbed higher, details of the forest came clearly into view. Gemma could now see the path not far from where they lay. She roused Claire who had been quietly snoring beside the dog.
‘Come on, Claire,’ she said, shaking her sister gently by the arm. ‘Time to go. I can see the path. And give Hairball a nudge. He is coming with us.
What happens next??
Hairball, Gemma and Claire walked back down the path until they reached the crossroad again. By now it was midnight and the forest was very quiet and still.
All of a sudden Claire heard another rustle in the bushes. It was a big rustle. A big, human size rustle!
Gemma screamed. ‘Arrrgghhhhhh!!!.’ Claire screamed too. ‘Arrrrrrrghhhhhhh!!!!’ Hairball started growling.
They looked at each other and Claire said, ‘Run for your lives!’.
Holding hands, Gemma and Claire ran off into the bush. They left the path and plunged into the undergrowth. It was like a game called runaways that they used to play at home.
They crashed through the bush for what seemed like a really long time. They were exhausted.
‘What’s that?’ Claire said. The girls had come across a cliff, and in the cliff was a tiny hole. Gemma bravely peeked into the hole and found a small cave, just big enough for two girls and a big hairy dog. They crept into the cave.
‘What do you think made that rustle, Claire?’ asked Gemma.
‘I don’t know,’ said Claire. ‘But we’re safe here in this cave. Let’s stay here until morning. Then we can find our way back.’
‘Gemma! Claire! Where are you?’ he cried. But his voice seemed to disappear into the bush. ‘Gosh my tooth is sore.’
Dave rang Mim to tell her the bad news.
‘The girls are missing!’ he said. ‘Do you want to come out and help me find them?’
‘Yes, definitely!’ said Mim. ‘I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’ll see if Grandma and Popsy can come along to help.’
While Dave was waiting, he decided to retrace the path that Gemma and Claire had followed. He found the beach, the crossroad and the forest. But there was no sign of the two girls.
He decided to leave the path and go into the bush. While he was doing this, he heard the sound of two sets of small feet creeping through the bush. Suddenly he tripped and fell and bonked his head, making an almighty rustle in the bushes while he did so.
The sound of two girls screaming resonated through the bush but Dave couldn’t hear a thing.
‘Aaaaaaaaaaaaa-hhhhhhhhhhhh-gggggggggggg-hhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!’
‘Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa-hhhhhhhhhhhhhh-gggggggggggggggggg-hhhhhhhhhhhh!!’
‘Oh no!’ said Popsy. ‘That sounded really bad.’
‘Uh oh,’ said Grandma.
‘Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-gggggggggggggggggggggggg-hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!’ screamed Mim as she bolted off into the bushes.
Gemma, Claire and Hairball huddled together in the small cave, their hearts thumping in their chests. They listened carefully. Everything was now silent, apart from the wind in the trees and the distant sound of the sea pounding on the shore. The night was cold but clear.
When she felt calm again, Gemma decided that it was time to take action to resolve the situation they found themselves in. She understood that her Mum and Dad were probably frantically looking for them and that Popsy and Grandma might be searching as well. Gemma looked at her sister with affection. Claire looked vulnerable and younger than she remembered, but Gemma knew she was brave and very determined. Claire was handling the difficult situation well and Hairball was a comforting companion.
First things first. In spite of all the eerie sounds in the bush, Gemma knew that monsters only existed in the imagination. So, with a full moon shining, she felt it would be safe to find a way back to the path and on to the crossroad. Once there, she could assess the situation and make a decision on what to do next.
‘Claire. I have decided it is time to walk back to the path. Everything is quiet and we have the dog to keep us company.’
Claire looked intently at her sister. She sensed that Gemma was confident in the decision and that it was not worth arguing. ‘OK,’ she replied. ‘Come on Hairball. We’re on the move.’ The dog scrambled to his feet, yawned and shook himself. ‘Yikes! cried Claire. You sure have a lot of hair! And a pretty strong smell!’
Gemma and Claire carefully picked their way through the rocks and bushes, their task made easier by the luminescence of the moon. Both were struck by the awesome beauty of the natural environment at night and they came to understand that they were only two small pieces of a much larger puzzle.
They plodded on carefully for several minutes till Gemma spied the path in the distance. ‘OK, Claire. We’re back where we left the path. Let’s head back to the crossroad. It is probably the best place to make contact with whoever is looking for us.’
As they walked, the girls kept their eyes peeled and ears alert for signs of anyone who might be searching for them. Hairball trotted along beside them, content to be their company. Gemma noticed that Claire was walking with her hand on the dog’s back. ‘Thank goodness for Hairball,’ she thought. ‘We are now officially a team of three.’
After what seemed an eternity, they arrived at the crossroad.
‘OK’, said Claire. Let’s start shouting and see who is out there looking for us.’
‘I think that might make everyone panic,’ replied Gemma. ‘I know … It’s your birthday next week, Claire. Why don’t we sing “Happy Birthday to Claire” at the top of our voices? People will then know who it is!’
‘Great idea!’ said Claire. ‘How could I forget my birthday?’
The girls started to sing, over and over again.
‘Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to Claire
Happy birthday to you (me)!‘
Inspired by their singing, Hairball decided to join in: ‘OWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!’
Suddenly, from three different directions, people came crashing through bush and arrived at the crossroad flushed and out of breath. First came Dave with a big smile on his face and a large bruise on his forehead caused by his fall. Then came Mim, bubbling and babbling with joy and relief as she spied her daughters. Finally, Grandma arrived with Popsy who was carrying Louis in his arms. Louis took a quick look at Hairball and growled low in his throat. Although he was ten times larger than Louis, Hairball retreated, whimpering and trembling in terror behind Claire who ruffled his fur. Everyone joined in a very long, group hug.
‘Well, you had better introduce us to your new friend,’ said Mim.
‘Of course,’ said Gemma. ‘This is Hairball. We don’t know his real name, but Hairball seemed to suit. He found us in the bush and has become a faithful friend, especially to Claire. There is a phone number on his collar, so we can call the owners when we get home. They must be worried.’
‘I think it is time we all went home,’ said Dave.
‘Good idea’, replied Grandma. ‘But why don’t I take a picture of us all first?’ She fumbled with her camera before taking a shot.
‘Grandma,’ said Gemma. ‘You are holding the camera the wrong way. I think you just took a photo of your eyeball!’
‘I wonder if there is a café open somewhere,’ said Popsy. ‘I could use a strong cappuccino’.
‘Popsy!’ cried Claire. ‘It’s the middle of the night. Nothing’s open!’
‘Let’s go!’ said Mim. ‘I’m exhausted.
At home at last, Gemma decided it was time to call Hairball’s owners.
‘Hello. My name is Gemma. I’m sorry for calling so late. We have your dog with us. He found us in the bush during the night and has followed us ever since. He has been a great friend to us, but I am afraid we don’t know his name. I’m sorry, but we have been calling him Hairball.’
‘Thanks so much,’ said the voice on the other end of the phone. ‘What a relief! And no need to apologise. His name really is Hairball! We’ll come and pick him up in the morning. But we would like you to feel free to visit him and take him for a walk whenever you like.’
‘We’d love to!’ cried Claire, giving Hairball a big cuddle.
Following the phone call, the family spent time debriefing on the events that had happened and discussed ways to ensure that it did not happen again. ‘The important thing,’ said Mim, ‘is that we learn from our mistakes. You girls (and we too) made some errors but you also made some great decisions. I think we are all wiser for the event.’
‘To celebrate our family reunion,’ said Dave with pride and excitement, ‘why don’t we have some of the beautiful biscuits I baked?’ As he handed the biscuits around the group, he noticed that everyone hesitated to take a bite. ‘OK. I’ll go first. Ow!’ he cried, wincing in pain. ‘I think I broke my tooth!’
‘Dad!’ shouted Gemma and Claire at the same time. ‘Didn’t Mum say we were supposed to learn from our mistakes?!’
Gay’s golf and bowls