Volume 2

Mom ran her fingers through my hair and planted a kiss on my forehead.  “Good morning!” she chimed.  “Happy Birthday!”  

Finally, it was here.  My day!  I couldn’t wait for the chocolate cake with chocolate frosting that would be coming after dinner! 

Being Saturday, the whole family was home to have breakfast together.  We sat at the table, taking turns filling our tummies as the crisp, steamy waffles finished cooking.  I was watching Mom closely though, because she had a smirk that said there was something more exciting than waffles and chocolate cake happening on this day. 

As breakfast was wrapping up and we were clearing the table, the doorbell rang.  Dad went to answer it.  A minute later, he walked into the room carrying a package. 

“It’s here!” mom shouted gleefully.  We all stared at her, wondering what was up!  She took the package, sat on the sofa, and called me over to sit next to her.

That is when she told me with great enthusiasm about her uncle, my great uncle – an adventurer that had traveled the globe until a couple years ago when he became confined to a wheelchair.  I had never met nor heard of him before and wondered why.

“My uncle sent this for you.  Go ahead and open it,” Mom said as her eyes twinkled and she handed me the package.

With fingers that were shaky with anticipation, I pulled off the string and unwrapped the paper.

 

Now it is your turn!  What happens next? 

What is in the package?

 

Volume 1

It is autumn.  The air is crisp and cold.  The trees are nearly bare, but the ground is not.  It is covered in leaves -- orange, yellow, and brown. 

That is why I am bundling up to head outside.  Mom has asked that I rake up the leaves and get them put into the yard waste bin to be picked up tomorrow.  Normally, I would love this chore.  The sound of the leaves crackling as they are piled up into giant mounds waiting to be jumped into is one of the great joys of the season.  Not today though.  It rained last night, so the leaves are wet and clumpy. 

Our yard is big.  This is going to take awhile.  I walk to the far end to get started, even though I am tempted to start in the middle.  "Be systematic," my Dad always says.

I'm getting hot and sweaty under my jacket, but I'm  nearly done.  I just need to get the area underneath the biggest tree.  As I unenthusiastically move my rake over the ground at the base of the tree, wishing the leaves would just clean themselves up, one of the tines gets stuck on something.  A root perhaps? 

I tug.  No luck.  I try to lift the rake up; but it is still stuck, so I pull harder. 

CLANK!

The noise was so loud that I jumped.  I look around.  All up and down the street, everything is quiet.  I turn back to the task of retrieving the rake.  Again I give it a yank. 

It moves slightly, and I hear a creak.  I don't think my rake is caught on a root!  It has to be something else.

I drop the rake handle and walk over to where the tine is caught.  A metal ring!  I try to pick it up and discover it is attached to something.  I pull.  An area of the ground begins to lift and open up, dirt and all! 

A door!


What happens next?

Finish the story.  Add a title.  Then, post your tale in the comments section for others to read and enjoy.