Kelsey's Adventure: Finding the Door

What's Behind Door #1

Kelsey wanted so badly to leave from Meredith’s house right as she got there.  She knew that if she did the others would want to know why…and she had no good excuse.  Plus she had to get her homework done, and it was nice to work with other people.  So she laid on the floor and did her math as Callie lay next to her.  They were both in the same class.  Callie was done first with her math problems.

“Callie, did you get 12 for number 3?” Kelsey asked.

“Yep.” Confirmed Callie, “Are you done with the rest of the problems?”

“I have two more,” Kelsey sighed “Can we go over the answers when I’m done?”

“Sure.” Callie sat up and began to put her math book back in her backpack.  Chavonne, Meredith, Kyla, and Dana were at the table doing English homework.

Kelsey had an English assignment also, but it wasn’t due until Monday.  So she had a few days to get it done.  She had a history test that she had to study for tonight though.

Kelsey finishes her math problems and turns to Callie.  “Okay…all done,” she says.   She and Callie go over the problems, both of them talking it out if they had different answers.

Once they had finished with the math problems Kelsey packed her things in her backpack, looking in to make sure the key was still there.

“Where are you going?” asks Meredith “I thought you had a history test to study for.”

“I do,” Kelsey says “But I think I’m going to study at home.  Just having a hard time concentrating today.”

“Okay” says Meredith, not thinking much of it.  The girls give Kelsey hugs good-bye; she shrugs on her backpack, and heads out the door.

I’ll just swing by the tree.  See if the key fits that door.  She thinks.  Then, back home to study.  Real quick!  No big deal.

She starts walking a little quicker along the path to get to the door.  As she gets to the spot her heart starts to beat faster.  I’m so nervous.  What am I going to find?  What if the key doesn’t work?

Kelsey spots the tree with the vines growing on it.  She sprints towards it, stopping a few feet from the base, tossing her backpack off her shoulders, and pulling it open as it hits the ground.  She rummages through it.  Where is it?  Where is it?  

She starts to panic as she can’t find the key.  Then…ah.  There you are.  She says to herself as she pulls the key out of the corner of her backpack.

Kelsey She pulls the zipper closed and throws her backpack onto her back. 

She squeezes her hand closed around the key, making sure it doesn’t fall out.  She creeps towards the vine covered tree, her heart racing.  She moves the key from her palm to the end of her hand, grasping it so that it is ready to open the bark door.  With a deep calming breath she pulls the vines back from the tree…and steps back in shock.

“Where’s the door?” she says out loud.  She begins to pat the tree with both hands, feeling her way around.  Looking for the edges of the door, the handle, anything.  How could it just disappear?

Frantically Kelsey searches the face of the tree, but there is nothing.  She lets the vines swing back into place as she steps back.

She looks at the tree, then looks around, then back at the tree.  Is this the right tree…or is it that one over there?  Or could it be that one over there?  I don’t remember all these trees looking so similar.

She decided to try the nearest tree.  She sprints to it, key still in hand.

Flinging the vines to the side, she sighs with disappointment as there is just bark behind them.

She runs to another tree, with the same result.  And another.  And another.

Suddenly she is back where she started.  She whips her backpack off, throwing it on the ground, frustrated that she can’t find the vine covered bark door.

Kelsey let’s out a long sigh.  I don’t understand.  Where could the door have gone? She drags her feet as she walks over to the tree.  Plopping herself down on the ground she sighs again, and looks around.   I know that we were right here when we played hide and seek.  I know it! 

“I know it!” she says aloud as she grabs her backpack.

Looking up from the ground she sees something in the distance.  She squints her eyes as something flashes light.  Kelsey begins walking towards the flashing light, cautiously at first.

As she gets closer she sees that the light isn’t flashing, it’s moving.  Squinting again, Kelsey sees that the light is an orangish color as it moves behind the tree, then comes out to the side, then back behind the tree.

She walks a little faster, but doesn’t run, afraid that she may scare the light.  How are you going to scare a light?  Kelsey thinks.  How does a light move?  Slowing, Kelsey starts to creep towards the light.  It goes behind the tree again.  Kelsey runs the few feet to the tree nearest to the light and hides behind it.  She peeks around the trunk, waiting for the orange light to come around the other tree.  But there is nothing.  Slowly she creeps towards the other tree. 

Her heart pounding, she puts her back to the trunk of the tree.  I’ve got to see what that light is.  She thinks as she whirls around the trunk to see…nothing!  No orange light.  No vines.  No door.  Kelsey huffs, shaking her head, about to give up, when she sees it.  There behind the tree that she just peeked out from is another tree, covered with vines.  A flash of light comes from behind the vines.

Sprinting towards the tree, she throws the vines back to reveal the brass handled, bark, door.

Will the key work in the door?  Find out next week!

Kelsey's Adventure: The Key

A Treasure Found

Another day came and went, and another, and another, pretty soon weeks had gone past without Kelsey returning to the strange door.  That didn’t mean she didn’t think about it…but every time she wanted to go back to look for it, something came up.  Schoolwork, sports, family; there was always something.  At some point Kelsey forgot about the door and what might lie beyond it.  That changed on an ordinary Tuesday as she walked home from school with her friends.

“Come on Kelsey,” Meredith hollered “Stop dawdling.” 

“What are you doing?” Dana asks.

Kelsey is looking up at the treetops, the sun flickering in the leaves, and the blue sky beyond.  It is beautiful.  What would it be like to be able to fly through those trees?  To soar through the blue sky, Kelsey thought.  She shook her head, snapping out of her daze as Dana questioned her.  “Oh just looking at the trees and the sky.”

“Well, catch up,” Dana says.

Kelsey begins running towards the group of girls walking in front of her on the path.  Suddenly her foot catches on a bump in the pavement.  She looses her balance, tipping forward.  Oh…this is going to hurt. 

Her running gets more spastic as she careens towards the edge of the path.  Arms flailing wildly to help her catch her balance, Kelsey stumbles forward one last time, and falls on her hands.  

Kelsey’s backpack flips up over her head, spilling its contents down the side of the path.

“Oh NO!!” Kelsey moans, getting Dana’s attention.  Dana breaks from the group, as they stop to see what happened, and walks back to Kelsey.  Dana bends down to help her pick up Kelsey’s books, pens, and other school supplies.

Dana smiles and shakes her head, “Kelsey…you are kind of a klutz.”

Kelsey smiles back, “Yeah.  Only I would be able to fall over my own two feet.”  She picks up her book and notices a few items down the embankment. 

She slowly steps down the embankment. Her foot slips and on to her bottom she goes.

Dana calls down to her, “Kelsey!  Are you okay?  Be careful.”

“What is going on?”  Meredith yells back to Kelsey and Dana.

“I’m being a klutz!” yells Kelsey as she leans forward to pick up the pen, notebook and phone that are on the ground near her.  

She puts them in her backpack and starts up the embankment, leaning on her hands for stability.  I am not falling down for a third time!    Slowly she climbs up the embankment.   “Ow!” She exclaims in surprise, as something pokes into her hand. 

Kelsey lifts her hand away from the object that poked her.  Her eyes widened as she looks at an old skeleton key.

“Kelsey!  What is taking you so long?” Dana enquires, “We’ve got to get to Meredith’s house soon or her mom will start to worry.”

Kelsey quickly grabs the key, shoving it into her backpack, and climbing up the embankment.

“Sorry.  Something poked me.” Kelsey explained.   “Sorry guys!” She shouts to the rest of the group as she brushes herself off.

“Come on”, Dana encourages.

Kelsey pulls her backpack on and Dana and her run to catch up with the group.  The group begins to walk along the path again as Kelsey and Dana reaches them.

“What the heck happened, Kelsey?” asks Kyla. 

“I fell, and my backpack spilled all over, and then I fell again, and…it was crazy.  I’m such a klutz,” Kelsey says with a smile.

Callie smiles and comments, “That’s our Kelsey.”  The girls all laugh as they walk.  They start talking about what they will do today when they get Meredith’s house.  Kelsey is not listening though.  She’s thinking about the key in her backpack.  For the first time in a month she is also thinking about the door she stumbled on while they played hide and seek.  What if this key opens the door?  It can’t!  We are nowhere near the place we played hide and seek.  But…what if it does?  It’s got to be the key for that door!  It’s got to be!

Does the key fit in the mysterious door…find out next week!

Kelsey's Adventure Begins

An Ordinary Day

This story starts as many do, with something ordinary.  No “Once upon a time” or “Happily every after”.  Just a plain, old, boring, nothing special, same as always, ordinary day…that turned into an extraordinary adventure!

Kelsey began her day as she always did on the weekend.  She woke up around 9am with her tummy telling her it was time to feed it.  

She flops her legs out the side of her bed, feeling with her toes for her fuzzy slippers.  Then willing her body up off of the bed she let out a loud yawn, stood up, and walked downstairs to get some breakfast.

Kelsey sat at the table, eating her favorite cereal and wondering what she might do today. 

Should she read one of her favorite books?  Maybe she will play with her dolls.  She could do some chores…ha.  No, Meredith, Chavonne, Callie, and Kyla will be coming over today.  They always get together on Saturday. 

Kelsey finishes her breakfast, brushes her teeth, combs her hair, gets dressed, and then plops down in her beanbag chair with her iPod waiting for the girls to show up.  

Soon there is knock on the door.  It’s Chavonne and Callie.  A few minutes later Meredith is at the door.  Finally Kyla shows up…late as usual.

“Come on,” Kelsey calls to them all.  “Let’s go outside.”

“Let’s play hide and seek,” suggests Callie.

“Don’t we always play hide and seek?” asks Meredith.

“Yeah,” replies Kyla, “But we love hide and seek.”

“Kyla, you’re right,” Meredith says “Come on.  I’ll count first.”  She runs outside with the others following her.  “Alright, don’t go past the edge of the park,” Meredith hollers as everyone starts to run to their hiding spots.

Kelsey starts towards the park.  She always finds a great hiding spot in the park.  As she gets there she 

sees Kyla has already hidden herself there.

“7…8…” Kelsey can hear Meredith getting closer to 10, she better hurry and find a hiding spot.  She runs towards the woods.  If nothing else she will hide behind a tree. 

“9…10…Ready or not here I come” yells Meredith.

Kelsey looks around frantically for a hiding spot.  Where can I hide….where can I hide?  She thinks to herself.  She hears Meredith  holler as she finds Kyla.  

Kelsey sees a dense vine covered area. 

It looks kind of spooky, she thinks.  As she contemplates whether or not to go into the vines, she hears Meredith getting closer.  She ducks into the vines, hoping there are no spiders.  

Kelsey backs deeper into her hiding spot as she sees Meredith approaching her.  

As Kelsey steps backwards one last time a root catches her foot and she stumbles backwards.  “Whaoooo!” She yells as she falls backwards and crashes into something hard behind her.

“Kelsey?” asks Meredith.  “Where are you?”

Kelsey stays quiet.  She feels behind her.  Her hands run across something that feels like a handle and a keyhole.  

She starts to turn around to see what she fell into when Meredith pulls the vines back from Kelsey’s hiding spot.

“I found you!” Meredith cheers.

Kyla peaks around Meredith’s shoulder. “Are you alright?” Kyla asks.

“Yeah.  I just tripped over a root and bumped my head against this…” Kelsey trailed off as she looks at what she has fallen against.

At first glance it looks like the tree has a door handle and key hole sticking out of it.  As Kelsey looks closer she can see the outline of a door.  The entire door is made of bark, the same as the tree’s bark, with jagged edges at the top and bottom, rather than smooth edges like a normal door. 

“What is that?” asks Kyla.  “Is…is that a door?”

“I think so,” says Kelsey.  “Pull the vines back so I can see it better.”

Kyla pulls the vines back revealing the old bark door.  Kelsey feels the handle; a circular ring clamped in the mouth of a lion.  Her fingers run across the keyhole.  Slowly she wraps her fingers around the handle and pulls.

“Don’t do that!” Meredith exclaims. 

“Why.  It’s not like it’s going to go anywhere exciting.” Kelsey says.  “Besides it’s locked.  See.”  She yanks on the handle again to show Meredith.

“Whatever…come on out of there,” encourages Meredith.  “That is definitely spider domain.”

Kelsey crawls out from behind the vines, looking back at the strange door, wondering where it might lead.  It’s probably not even a real door.   I don’t see any hinges, she thinks as Meredith runs off to find one of the other girls.  But what if it is a real door.  What if…

“Come on Kelsey,” Kyla breaks in.  “Let’s go back to the house and wait for the game to be done.”

“Yeah…yeah…sure,” Kelsey says, looking back at the vines and the door that they hide.  Another day.

Check back next week for more of Kelsey's Adventure!