Aiden Opens the Lantern — Under the pine trees, Aiden held the camp lantern with both hands. The handle felt cool and bumpy. Read the full story →
Under the pine trees, Aiden held the camp lantern with both hands. The handle felt cool and bumpy. He wanted to carry it all the way to the fire circle by himself. Crunch, crunch, went his boots over dry needles.
The campfire popped orange sparks. Smoke smelled like toast. Aiden set the lantern beside the logs and whispered, “I did it.” Then the lantern gave a tiny clink from its round bottom.
He turned the base. Out slid a folded paper star, warm from the little flame. On it was a map to the best marshmallow stick, hidden behind the left pine. Next time you see the moon above AIDEN’s fire, can you guess which tree kept the secret?