Mapping the Frontier

Marching back across the popsicle bridge with my prize tucked tight, I slipped right through the deck screen and returned to base camp. The coffee table was just as I left it, but the open spiral notepad was curling in the afternoon draft. I set the smooth river pebble down with a firm clack right on the top corner to anchor the page flat. Then, grabbing the ballpoint pen, I used my boots and hands to nudge its tip across the ruled lines, sketching a dotted trail from the deck stairs straight into the flowerbed. A daring explorer always records her discoveries!