They turned and waved to Abbi, who waved back. “This looks like a trail,” Dink said, looking down. The kids kept their eyes on the ground as they moved deeper into the trees. Soon Abbi and the cabin were out of sight. The land was level for the first few minutes, then it angled sharply upward. The kids hiked in single file, with Josh leading and Dink last in line. Fallen trees, roots poking out of the ground, and jagged rocks made walking difficult. “I don’t see any trail at all!” Josh wailed when they stopped to look around. High above their heads, tall trees blocked out the sky. “I think we should just keep going up,” Ruth Rose said. “If we get out of these trees, we might be able to see that dead one Abbi showed us.” They kept climbing. Dink could hear Josh and Ruth Rose taking deep breaths. He was sweating and swatting at mosquitoes. After about twenty minutes, Josh stopped. “It better not be much farther,” he panted. “It’s not. Look!” Ruth Rose said. She pointed uphill behind Josh.
