He turned the key in the lock and opened the door. To his horror, he saw… (Part 1)

May I just say, my first thought (well, after something frightening) was the crazy aunt from Uninvited guest (http://lynneklet.blogspot.com/2012/09/uninvited-guest.html which for some reason is my most viewed post… I like the story, but I don’t completely understand why it’s the most popular). Anyway, let’s do something different, but still unexpected.

            He turned the key in the lock and opened the door. To his horror, he saw… the mess his roommate had left. Not just dirty dishes in the sink, but clothes everywhere, dirty clothes, dirty boxers of all things! His roommate, Josh, was more of a neat freak than he was, but he had told Josh that he was bringing his girlfriend over to their apartment for the first time. He should have known that Josh was too much of a prankster to be nice.

            He turned back to Jessica, “Just a second. My roommate left a bit of a practical joke.”

            Jessica smiled, “I can take it.”

            “No,” Kevin blurted out, closing the door as she tried to look around him. “It’s more like a…just wait here.”

            Kevin rushed into the apartment and picked all the clothes as quickly as possible. As a bit of revenge, he put them on Josh’s bed even though it wasn’t Josh’s dirty laundry. That choice would probably come back to bite him later on, but Kevin didn’t care right now.

Something wrapped

I guess I’m supposed to write about something wrapped. I feel like going unconventional…

            I’m sure we’ve all heard the phrase, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, that’s why they call it the present.” (Do they have that phrase in other languages?)

            But how do you unwrap the gift that is today? I mean, gifts don’t do any good if they are always wrapped and never used. Or is today unwrapped when you take off your pajamas? And that raises a whole bunch more questions and disturbing pictures, so let’s just skip over those and say that most people would consider the days they get to stay in their pajamas a gift (but not the days they only get to stay in them because their sick. Those days are no fun).

            Is it unwrapped when you first open your eyes? Some people open their eyes in the morning like the door is being opened to let their executioner in. But that is kind of the point. Not everyone sees the value of every gift. Just because we aren’t excited when opening the gift doesn’t mean it won’t be great.

            Yeah, I like that idea. I want to open my eyes in the morning like I’m opening the best gift in the world. I want to think of every morning being Christmas or my birthday. I want to value every day that way. Because everyday isn’t everyday, it’s today, another day to live, love, laugh, and experience all life has to offer. Some days seem big, but are they really better than the everyday?

Good versus evil

            Not super excited about this prompt, but it is what I pulled from the bucket. Not sure I was really feeling creative anyway… So here we go!

Does it truly exist?

            Yes. There are the good people fighting to keep the English language alive and those who try to kill it. It is sad, but it is true. Our schools are battle grounds with this fight, along with math being important and history doomed to repeat itself. (shaking my head)

What are the gray areas?

            The naïve people who just don’t realize how vital this battle is. They are not evil, but neither do they fight for the good.

Do good people do bad things?

            Sadly, yes. And I am ashamed to say that I am sometimes one of them. No matter how I try, sometimes I misspell words or use improper grammar. I am sorry for my failures, but I do believe in the good fight to save the English language! Stand with me.

Remarkable experience

            I’ve written about being a music major, but I don’t think I’ve ever written about the amazing experience that lead me to that. And that is a very weird way to put what I’m about to describe… It’s been one of those weeks…

            So, I was a freshman in college—actually, I don’t think classes had officially started yet… meh, details (No, classes had started. I was wearing a green shirt and a black skirt, so that I looked a bit dressy for the audition but not over dressed for classes)—and I was re-auditioning to be a music major. A few weeks/months before that I had found out that I was pre-music. I thought that I was just an undeclared major because I hadn’t been accepted into the music program. Well, for this audition, it was just me and the man who would be my private lessons teacher for clarinet. We were in his office which never seemed large because he had a desk and filing cabinet, but mostly it was the table-display-case-thingy that took up the most room. It had old clarinets and the like in it.

             So, I start playing this piece and it’s not good. My tone is eh, I don’t have any confidance, it’s just not at all up to par for being a music major. And then I get to a note in the middle that is held for a measure or two, and it is beautiful. It has the air support, and the tone is nice, and nothing like what I had sounded like. It was just that one note, but I’m sure that that is the only reason I was allowed to stay pre-music.

            Looking back on that moment, I can imagine my teacher doing his amazed face that I eventually learned. He would lean forward and his eyes would bug out. He was probably wondering, “Where did that come from?!”

            Anyway, without that one beautiful note in a sea of gibberish, I would probably never have made it into the music program. And though I wasn’t a music major for long, I know it’s lead me to some great places and introduced me to some truly amazing people.

Purse

"Ow!" She said as he squeezed her shoulders a little too tightly. A back massage had been a nice idea, but her back was too stiff for his rough hands.
"Do you have anything but knots on your back?" he asked.
"I don't think you can squeeze the knots away," she retorted with a twitch of pain.
He continued the rub. "They have to be worked out. It's not my fault your back is so bad."
"Are you blaming me for the pain?"
"Yes," he answered. "You are the one who chooses to carry around a heavy purse and lift things with your back."
Her face cringed. "We live in a dry climate, I need to carry around a water bottle. It's not even that big of a water bottle."
"And at least one book--"
"You never know when there might be time for reading!"
"And sunglasses, nail clippers, GPS, wrist brace--"
"I'm prepared for anything!"
He turned her around to facing him. "What don't you have in that purse? Duct-tape fixes everything, do you carry that around too?"
She gave him an innocent smile, "There have been times when I have."
"No," he said in disbelief. "Why would you carry around duct-tape?!"
"It is really helpful when dancing barefooted on hardwood flooring."
He rolled his eyes, "You would probably look like a kidnapper or criminal. You don't have a pocketknife in there, do you?"
"Don't be silly," she told him. "That goes in my pocket."
He looked at her with disbelief so she pulled out her small pocketknife and laughed at his expression.

Note to self

So, I don’t know if you’ve ever done this for a class or anything, but every once in a while I’ll write a letter to myself to look at a year or so later. Sometimes I realize how temporary or silly I was, and other times I realize how wise I used to be, and why am I not like that now?! Most of the time, it’s a combination of both. I didn’t write a date on this letter, but it was from about 3 or 4 years ago. I just thought I’d share it with you for something different today.

Dear me,

1^st things 1^st: make sure God’s 1^st in your life & is the reason your [sic] doing things. Don’t continue w/ this letter till you ask His forgiveness & thank Him for everything—even what seems bad. I wish you’d pray nightly, keep a religious journal, & read more (in & out of the Bible).

I’, not sure if you’re a music major or not, but never forget that 1^st semester & the lessons you’ve learned. Don’t procrastinate! Life [is] so short, be thankful for every moment you’re given. Be there for it, feel it, trust yourself & believe & hope & above all else LOVE!

Not so long ago you were so in love w/ life & maybe even a guy, you praised God & you were willing to give everything to that guy.

And that’s all I wrote. I guess I got distracted by something else I had to do.

So, yeah. There’s me. Me before I was an English major…

I want to feel

I want to feel

I want to feel real

to know my life is real

know it really means something

I want to feel loved

not just told I’m loved

I want it proven beyond a doubt

so I will never forget that moment

that it was proven to me

I want to feel more

more than myself

more than what I’ve felt

more than I can hold inside

I want to explode

I want everything I’ve held inside

to become my outside

I want to share it all

I want to let go

to stop pretending

that I’m the one

in control

I want to feel like myself

not who I think I should be

not who I want to be

not who others want me to be

but simply me

I want to allow myself to feel

to feel everything

to feel nothing

to be everything

to be nothing

to hold it all

with open hands

and not cry

when it flies away

Cute

Look, another free write! Yay. So much to think about at the end of the year (yeah, this was written last year, I'm just now getting around to posting it...), but sometimes it is nice to think about something else for a while.

Finally got him down for his nap. Babies are usually cute, but they are definitely cutest when they're sleeping. You can't be tired of or annoyed with babies while they're sleeping. You forget about how hungry they always are, how loud they can scream, and how much they can stink--well, as long as they don't stink while they're sleeping. For just that little bit of time that their eyes are closed they have a look of complete serenity and peace.
One of the cutest experiences is watching a baby fall asleep as you sing a lullaby. Babies sleeping are adorable, but watching them fall asleep is even sweeter.
Babies in general are the cutest. They kind of have to be. If they weren't so freaken adorable, people wouldn't be as inclined to have them. Who wants something that isn't adorable but costs a fortune and makes your hair turn grey? If you don't believe me, go change some dirty diapers, watch the same show 20 times in a row, and try to stop a baby from crying. And clean up after feeding them. Bathe them. Read the same book again and again. Hurt your back by lifting and spinning them too much.
But despite all that, they are the cutest. Helpless little beings that make you helpless to do anything but love them and take care of them. It'd be pretty manipulative if they actually knew what they were doing. But they don't so it's the cutest.

Transformation

            I’ve been reading Spinning Straw into Gold: What Fairy Tales Reveal about the Transformations in a Woman’s Life. I find that sort of thing fascinating. I’ve always loved fairy tales, even while I still hated reading. Maybe it was the pretty pictures or how magical they were or just that they were short. Anyway, I think it’s a fascinating book.

            So, I’m reading a chapter on Cinderella and Gould talks about outward appearance changing being a reflection of an inward transformation: “In real life as well as in stories, any radical change in body weight, dress shoes, hair style or length…is an outer signal that transformation is underway. If a career woman with short hair lets her hair grow long or dyes it another color, keep a sharp lookout for the romantic development that’s sure to follow.”

            Yeah, that’s true…

            And I’m realizing my appearance has taken a turn. Last year I quit being a beauty consultant for Mary Kay, but I continued wearing makeup, until NaNoWriMo happened… And I donated my hair to locks of love, which I do a lot (this was my sixth time). And because of my job and how busy I feel, I stopped wearing jewelry.

            Oh my goodness, I feel like I’ve given up hope of finding a guy?!

I can go back to Mary Kay at any time. I was recently invited back, and I thought about it. It’d be nice to look nice again, but then I’d have to shave my legs more often so I can wear skirts and going to bed would require taking off makeup (mascara is kind of a pain for me), etc. I opted not to.

            I have always liked donating my hair to locks of love. In college in one of my English classes we talked about how nuns cut and cover their hair as a form of hiding their sexuality. I kind of liked cutting my hair short for that reason. I never had a boyfriend and cutting my hair was kind of a way of admitting I didn’t want one at the time (or to suppress the desire for one). My hair is growing out, but I’ve just been pulling it back in a ponytail, which is kind of hiding it. And I’ve kind of had the desire to do a pixy cut again because then I could just ignore it—until it needed to be cut again…

            The clothes I’ve recently bought have been to show off my love of literature, but they also are pretty. But does a bookworm intimidate guys? I do want a guy who can talk literature… And the chances of that happening are?

            Yep, I think I have given up on guys for this time period. Sad, but I’ve had other things to focus on. I do have enough nice clothes and time to make myself look nice, but I guess I’ve just decided that it isn’t worth the time and effort. I’m sure guys are worth the time and effort, but I can’t miss what I never had, right? 

Response to "Sincerely one of many girls who care"

Okay, I’ll admit it, I’ve been on a bit of a feminist mood lately. I’m not a feminist, but there are a few things that I do agree with them on. A few of my guy friends posted this article on facebook: http://bemalleable.wordpress.com/2013/12/31/sincerely-one-of-many-girls-who-care/ . It does have some really good points, but it is pretty much completely one side—oh, guys, you poor things for having to deal with this culture we live in!

Ummm, news flash, girls struggle too! So here is my response to some of the things she says:

“I’m sorry that you see hundreds of advertisements every week showing half-dressed women.”

I’m sorry us women have to see those. They never cause body image issues at all… Oh, wait. They do. And she goes on to talk about how all the reporters and sports announcers are pretty too. We are surrounded by images of young, attractive women.

And what about those ads with half naked men portrayed as sex objects? Yeah, there aren’t as many of those, but aren’t they stumbling blocks for women (And might cause guys to have body image issues)?

“I’m sorry every time you go to the beach or your neighborhood pool you can’t look in any direction without seeing a girl basically in her underwear.”

I could go to a neighborhood park and see plenty of guys without shirts playing sports or exercising. Do they ever have to worry about a girl making a move on them or calling them immodest? I’ve had to get over the fact that guys have bodies. Maybe it’s harder for guys to get over the fact that women have bodies? I don’t know.

It’d be really great if we could all just be modest and cover up. But, I’ll admit, I’m not always great at that. I wear tank tops under every shirt, but sometimes the tank tops aren’t made with much higher of a neck line. I am immensely glad that long shirts are in style, but they still sometimes ride up. As long as I’m trying to be modest, is that good enough? Why don’t guys ever have to worry about that sort of thing?

“Not only are you surrounded with a world that’s obsessed with worthless, cheap sex and relationships that mean nothing outside of sexual appeal, you’re encouraged to take part in seeing women as only objects of sex and instant pleasure.”

Women are taught to not take risks—always watch your drink, don’t go down dark allies or anywhere alone, always be on guard. Women have been degraded and taught to fear. But where in the public sphere are we teaching guys to try to control themselves? It’s taught in churches, maybe a mention of it in a class or two, but never as much as the need for women to protect themselves. Why?

I’m afraid that more women are falling prey to the idea of “meaningless” and “cheap sex”. Not enough places are talking about sex being more than just pleasure. Even outside of churches, doesn’t anybody realize sex without love doesn’t bring any good? One night stands might bring pleasure for that one night, but does it really change anything later? Best case scenario: nothing comes of it. Worst case scenario: an unplanned pregnancy or STD. Middle case scenario: regret or you just not finding what you really wanted. Am I wrong?

Porn.

Probably more men are addicted to porn or have at least seen it. But women have more temptation when it comes to books. There’s all sorts of romance novels (with sex scenes or not, I’m not sure it matters). Plus, I’ve read war novels for college that had some pretty hot scenes in them. It doesn’t really matter what genre you go for, there will probably be a mention of romance if not sex.

So, to sum it up: both sexes have to deal with temptation and body image.

This house

 If I weren't so familure with this house, it'd seem creepy. The way the plants are hunched over, looking forlorn. The way the ivy hangs on the house like its the one who owns it. The way three or four clocks tick loudly off of each other, like they don't know if time is passing too quickly or too slowly, but either way its going without you. The way all the ceiling fans are on, causing cool drafts. The way light doesn't seem to invite life. The way dirt and dust collects all too quickly.
This house isn't creepy though. It might be neglected, but it's not abandoned. Everything has made this house its home: the plants and ivy, theclocks and fans, the dust and dirt, and maybe even the real owners

Happy New Year!!

 Hope you all had a great end to last year. And I hope you have even more to look forward to this coming year. It is always great to have goals to work towards and dreams to look forward to.
Right now, I'm really looking forward to watching Sherlock series 3! I haven't gotten that far in the books & stories yet, but it's super exciting! I've really come to love the late 1800's sense of humor. Maybe Sherlock doesn't completely capture it, but it's pretty close and amazingly accurate considering it's set in modern times.
I'm such a nerd, but I really like it that way. And I now have 3 nerdy Out of Print Clothing shirts to prove it (Pride & prejudice, Their Eyes were Watching God, and The Hound of the Baskervilles). They make me so happy! Yep, simple but I know they'll make me very happy in 2014.
So, I guess by now you've figured out this is just another rambling blog & not free writing or inspirational. Well, if you're a nerd like me it might inspire you to let your nerd out.
Let's see here, what else? I feel like there are already too many things out there about "New Year, New You!" and go do it! Nice, but keep it realistic as well. And measurable! It is always good to have goals that are measureable. Don't do "Get in shape." Instead do "Be able to do x amount of x in x amount of minutes" (1 mile in 8 minutes. Or 50 crunches in one set). And make it something that will last the year, like read 50 books this year (that's one of my resolutions).

The squirrel

So this story is very short and incomplete (and probably odd). It's a free writing blog, get over it.

 Climbing up a tree, Sammy the squirrel could hear the dog barking after him. The dog had chased him across the yard where Sammy had been sniffing around for food. All he'd found were empty wrappers though.
Sammy stopped. It was partly because he was out of reach of the dog, but mostly because he got distracted by something shiny. Aproaching the glittering object, Sammy realized that it a plastic costume ring little girls like to play with.
Sammy took the ring and looked around for the little girl who might have lost it. Not seeing any girls playing outside, he climbed higher in the tree. He still couldn't see any girls playing outside, but he did see that one of the houses had a babydoll in a stroller outside. A bird must have taken the ring from that house and dropped it while flying over the tree.
Sammy jumped from tree to tree until he was at the house with the doll and stroller. He dropped

Four days till Christmas

 It feels less like Christmas time if I just stay home. But it's begun snowing, which makes me very happy.
That reminds me, I don't think I've ever written about why I love snow so much. Let me start by saying, I don't think the same way a lot of people do (in case you haven't noticed). My grandma died some years ago around Christmas, and that is probably my most memorable Christmas. Not my best Christmas, but it wasn't as bad as you might expect. It was full of family and a few small miracles.
She had told my grandpa that she was going to get everyone home for Christmas, and most of the family did stay around for Christmas day. She had loved snow. As soon as everyone had made it safely to the town, a light snow began. My grandpa said she was cleaning up the world. And that's my favorite way of looking at snow. It covers everything in peace and beauty. Snow is the most beautiful weather to me (though I do hate driving in it!).
So Christmas is a special time to me. I want to share my love for the season with everyone. I want everyone to feel the true meaning of Christmas. It is the vest time of the year.

Five days till Christmas

 You're starting the day right when you are able to donate a large haul of cans to the food bank (Caroling for cans is amazing!), get coffee from Starbucks (paid for by a gift card), and are able to give the remainder of a $50 gift card to someone else because it expires at the end of the day & you won't use it (okay, for the sake of wanting to be transparent, I'll admit the it was a Secrets Rewards cards, so I helped another woman buy a bra basically...). And that was all before 9:30am.
Now I get to enjoy some time writing in a fairly quiet house in front of a fireplace (Have I ever talked about how much I love fire places?)
Christmas is the best time of the year. It's all about joy, love, and giving. People may complain that it's gone commercial, but it's really not that hard to ignore that. If the commercials are bothering you, turn off the TV and read a book or play a game with your family. Don't like the rush of shopping, make a gift or shop at odd times.
Okay, I'll admit, there's lots of cleaning, decorating, and planning to do, but it isn't supposed to be stressful. Blare that Christmas music you love (or whatever you want to listen to, movies work too) as you clean, and why not sing at the top of your lungs? Sometimes I even dance (and since nobody can see me while I do it, I have no shame).
Really, whatever brake you need for or from the season, take it. Do what you need to do to feel joyful and spread that joy!

Mine

            I was listening to the radio yesterday and “Wanted” by Hunter Hays came on. I’ve heard it plenty of times, but suddenly the line “I want to call you mine” stood out to me. It’s probably not the first time that has happened. You see, there was something that made me realize how nice it would be to be able to call somebody mine and to be his. And last night was the first time I’ve heard that song since knowing that that particular relationship isn’t going to work out.
            And I realized that as much as I would like to say I’ll do better next time or I’ll be better at showing my feelings, I’m not sure I honestly could. There was a time when I said too much, and that is still probably the biggest regret of my life. People always say it’s the things you don’t say or do that you regret the most, and a lot of times this is true. But there are definitely times when you can say or do too much. If it makes you seem in anyway stalker-ish, safest bet is not to do it. I’m still figuring out what the right amount to say and how to say it is.
            Actually, I’m feeling okay about this not having worked out. Sure I could have done more, but I did do some things to give hints about how I felt. He didn’t see them or didn’t want to see them. We’re friends and that’s probably what I need most right now anyway.

            And on a somewhat related note, being single during the holidays isn’t the scariest thing ever! Trust me, I’ve spent 25 years of holidays single. Another thing I’ve realized this year is that I’d rather be happy being single over the holidays than fretting over whether this relationship is working out or looking for a guy to fill an emptiness. There is no emptiness in singles’ hearts over the holiday seasons. It’s a myth. There is way too much love from God, family, friends, and even strangers this time of year to feel alone. Go out and really celebrate the season with family and friends! And if you still feel like there’s emptiness, it’s not a boyfriend or girlfriend that you need. Never expect another human to be able to fill your every need because you can’t fill their every need either! Don’t put that kind of pressure on people or yourself. Just enjoy the company you do have.

It isn’t going to be easy

            Can I be honest? I have never let Christmas be a hard time of year for me. I have always tried to make it the best season for everyone. I go caroling, participate in a concert or production, play carols, etc. I have been preparing for Christmas for months already. Learning music, doing Operation Christmas Child, making presents, etc.

            Then December hit. I started watching the Christmas movies, and even though there is more cheese in them than in Wisconsin, they made me want to cry. Is it a sign of aging that everything makes you want to cry? But the silly Christmas movies made me realize I never really let myself mourn for my grandma who died the week of Christmas nine years ago. I have always thought that I’ll honor her by making it the best season because that is honestly something she would like. She’s the reason I love snow so much.

            But I’ve started wearing myself really thin. I’m all ready for Christmas, so there’s nothing to preoccupy myself with. Well, there’s the book to write, but writing isn’t so much of an escape from reality as a plunge into it. There’s books to read and music to practice too, but I’m tired of trying to avoid it. For once, I wish that there was someone who wanted to make my Christmas the best ever. I don’t even know what that would look like. It wouldn’t be a gift. It wouldn’t be like the cheesy movies. I don’t know. Someone does though. And one day I’ll have it. One day I’ll have a Christmas that I will never forget because of how amazing it was.

            Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas. I love helping others and spreading cheer. Maybe I just need to take a break from trying to do it all. Sit back and enjoy the season.

Waiting

            So, I guess I don’t know what age tends to read this blog, but I want to give a warning that this is about abstinence and sex. So, heads up….?

 

            Okay, so I finally read a blog a couple of my male friends posted: http://themattwalshblog.com/2013/11/09/abstinence-is-unrealistic-and-old-fashioned/ It’s got some real nuggets of truth in it, but it also has some real negative, shaming remarks.
            I kind of feel like it should be mentioned that except for Adam and Eve, it probably has been a struggle for marriages to stay sacred. Our culture has just tried to remove the stigma from it. There have been prostitutes, cheating spouses, and relationship drama for thousands of years. It’s always been more acceptable for men to “play the field” than women, but that doesn’t mean it has ever been a wise choice. Read about David or Solomon in the Bible, and you might not want to have multiple wives any more (It leads to way too many children too). If we really wanted to keep things simple, the best way to do that is to wait for someone who deserves you and who is committed to you (meaning marriage).
            I am a virgin, but I can imagine wondering and having doubts about if I had slept with a guy. Was I good enough? What happens now? What if I get pregnant?
            Also as a virgin, I can understand the frustration of waiting. Losing virginity sometimes sounds like this big, scary thing. What if it doesn’t go smoothly? Sometimes it seems like the not knowing how it will be is the worst. But that’s just a reminder that I want the man I give my virginity to the man who I know loves me and will never leave me. It seems much less scary and awkward if I have that to rely on.
            So, how do we stay away from all the sex in this culture? I have no idea! The best solution I have found is to just be too busy with other stuff (Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. –Philippians 4:8). What you put in front of you (through movies, books, TV, ads, etc.) really does make a difference.
            Keep waiting and trusting that one day it is totally going to be worth the wait.

My thoughts today

            Grrr! Grumble, grumble, grumble! NaNoWriMo started off pretty well. There was even a day I wrote 2,600 words. I the past five days I have written a total of 1,812. It isn’t writer’s block—I’m actually at a pretty exciting part. I have been thinking about this scene for over a year. I’m not afraid I’ll get it wrong or that it’s too big.
            I don’t feel like a writer. And the oddest part of that: the only thing I do need to do to feel like a writer is to write! Writers write. No amount of coffee, tea, or pinning writing inspiration else will make me feel like writer than just writing would.
            Instead of writing, I want to have an adventure! My life seems so small right now. I want to do something for the first time (there’s plenty I haven’t done). I want to get my hands dirty. I want to be awed. But I can’t think for the life of me what I want to do for the first time (Well, I can. But they aren’t things I can do right now with where I am in life…). I need a good jump—a risk to take that for better or worse will give me inspiration. Close my eyes. Spread my arms. Fall.

She opened the old book

Look, creative writing! Yay. Right? Can I get a yay...?

 She opened the old book. The binding cracked and dust lifted and dances in the candle light. It was filled with runes she was not familiar with, but as she looked the runes rearranged themselves into her native language.
That should have been exciting enough to make her want to read the book, but she was a slow reader. She hated reading. The only thing worse than reading was reading out loud in front of the class. She could feel every eye on her, judging her for taking forever.
Instead of reading, she turned the pages until she came across a picture. It was an engraving depicting a woman in a fancy dress with a surprised look on her face. The caption was short enough that she read it, "The queen leans forward, lifts a finger, as if to say beware!"
Ugh. Being alone in a spooky tunnel with an old book wasn't going to help her find her group back. Why couldn't she have been separates with Greg? That kid liked to read. He probably would have read an old book like this for fun on weekends. The thicker the book the better.
She turned a few more pages until she came across a map. She wasn't very good at maps either, but at least it wasn't a page filled with words. Then again, she would have loved to see the words "You are here" on the map.