LA Story Part 1

This is the beginning of my Language Arts Story. I will post a new section every Friday for 3-5 more weeks.

"Landon, come back!" I ran to catch my two-year-old cousin before he fell off the colorful playground equipment. Our small town may not have many things, but it does have great parks, including Riverside Park, where we are now. I love to bring my cousin here on sunny days.

I had agreed to babysit this energetic boy for the summer, but I would have rather been at home doing nothing, reading about faraway places, or off traveling on exciting trips. I love to travel, but my family just doesn't have the time or money for vacations. Speaking of money, there were two reasons why I took this job. One, for money to buy school supplies, and two, because no one else wanted to, and I felt bad about that. There were two other people who might have taken the job, but they both could not. My 12-year-old cousin Elsie would have to be gone at music camps or on family vacations for half of the summer, and Reagan, my 13-year-old twin sister, was always at practice for one sport or another, or playing games in the yard with her friends.

Snapping out of my daydream, I saw that Landon was toddling towards me with an old Gatorade bottle in his hand. "Summer, look," he said, with excitement in his baby voice. I gently took it from his chubby hand and was about to throw it away when I noticed a piece of paper inside. I was curious, so I opened the lid. Inside was a message that read, "Help me!" I turned it over to see if there was anything written on the back. There was another note, but I couldn't read it; it was in some type of code. Then, I had an idea; in many of the mystery books I had read, the characters used mirror message codes. I was eager for the morning to end quickly so that I could find out if this was a coded message.

Two hours later, after bringing Landon home, I checked the message in my mirror. It was a coded message! It told me about a prince stuck in an abandoned Gatorade factory, who needed to be rescued. Directions were listed, and I was told to bring friends along. Right away, I was set on going, and I already knew my companions, Reagan and Elsie. Finally, an excuse to travel!