The Dangers of Cybercrime

    

     In this modern day and age, screens are all around us. Your school now requires you to join an online class or your job needs you to attend a zoom meeting, a TV set is now a staple in living rooms and in restaurants and or cafes. Waiters and hosts at dining places take your order and seat you all on a tablet, and you never go anywhere without your phone. Of course, devices like these make our lives much easier, not to mention the fact that with the invention of the internet, communicating with others is reduced to a click of a few buttons and hitting send. You can videocall or voice call your friends and loved ones, send pictures and voice messages to tell them how you're doing. You can even post videos and photos, and even words publicly. When you do this, you interact with others in social media, which is a part of cyberspace.

    Cyberspace is the digital environment in which you and countless other human beings from across the globe can interact. With the rise of the internet, almost everyone can be found online. In fact, anyone with a phone will likely be on some form of social media. It has become a separate world from reality, where people can choose how they want to present themselves as, where they can remain anonymous if they so wish to be. People nowadays absolutely adore social media, and you probably do too.

    It's not hard to see why. Social media is a fun, random space where endless pieces of entertainment perfectly tailored to your tastes is fed to you by the algorithm, and a place where you can talk to others, regardless of whether you know them in real life or not. It makes communication no longer rely on distance, entertainment quick and enjoyable, information easy to access, and it provides a place for you to express yourself.

    Now that's all well and good. However, social media can also have some negative effects on you too. Other than the dangers of addiction, lack of socializing- and the draining effect it has, another bad thing that can come from interacting with others in the cyberspace is.....cybercrime. As the name suggests, cybercrime is the term for criminal activities carried out by means of a computer and or the internet. So basically, it's bad stuff done inside the cyberspace. This includes hacking, identity theft, phishing, credit card information stealing, and countless other nefarious acts carried out on innocent people.

    In August of the year 2013, for example. The Yahoo email system got majorly hacked, sending numerous spear-phishing spam emails to the users. A Yahoo employee was tricked into clicking one of the links in 2014, and their private information got stolen. Doubtless, this happened to many others as well. And phishing (a person with ill intentions posing as something/someone trustworthy) isn't all. Even things that aren't generally considered crimes, like cyberbullying, hate comments, and posting others' private information happens all the time if you don't have proper security and aren't careful with what you post and who you interact with.

    And so, "How do I stop this from happening to myself?" you ask. Well I have some good news for you: taking some safety measures against cybercrime and cyberattacks in general can be quite simple. First of all, DON'T trust anything and anyone with your personal information unless you know them in real life or if you know it is a trustworthy source. Don't go posting everything about yourself in social media, and make sure a website is secure before filling in your personal, private info. Do not click every link you see and accept every message or DM you receive, and be cautious when interacting with people you do not know personally. Remember, you don't know who these people are. Highly refrain from sending them pictures of yourself, talking about your private life, or even sharing sensitive information (how rich you are, your age, where you live, etc). If you are a minor, make sure your parents know what you're watching and who you're talking to. Getting a text or call from an unknown number? Ignore and block them. Getting repeated messages from a suspicious-looking source or site? Erase it and block them.

    In short, cybercrime is a very real and very dangerous modern threat that can happen to you at any time if you're in a cyberspace. It could be everything from making an account and pretending to be you to  stealing your personal data and selling it to third parties. However, you can stop this by being careful online, making sure everything you interact with is safe and secure, and being wary of what you post on the internet. I hope this small blog post you took the time to read can remind you about internet safety, and being aware in general. I love you all! <3

Author's note: Here are the sources I used for reference. www.overtsoftware.com, www.csis.org, the online dictionary, and go.crowdstrike.com.

Under The Purple Umbrella

 On one particularly wet autumn day, I skipped around the block to get on the 9 o'clock bus. Today I decided to take the longer path to get there. It's not as if I have school today or anything -it was a holiday, and I was just meeting my mother at a cafe. Unfortunately, my favorite purple umbrella snagged on a barren branch along the way and was torn in one section. 

 It isn't much use now is it? I thought, slightly scolding myself for being so careless, Mum will not be pleased. 

 Luckily, I spotted a dull coloured bus stop in the distance. I gratefully trotted up to it, disturbing a few puddles along the way. It wasn't my usual bus stop, but I glimpsed a schedule with the 9 o'clock bus on it. I moved to sit on the bench, but it was soaking wet already, so I looked up and noticed that there were a few holes in the once seamless glass roof. 

 Looking around for another place to sit, I spotted a young woman in a double-breasted trench coat. I couldn't see much of her face so I didn't know who she was, but I decided to strike up a conversation to pass the time. 

 "Is purple your favorite colour too?" I asked, addressing her umbrella that was my favorite shade of purple. 

 "Oh umm... yes it is." The woman replied, though she looked quite startled. 

 Perhaps she didn't see me I thought to myself. 

 "Your umbrella is broken," The woman continued, pointing to the gaping hole in my umbrella. She then pointed to her own umbrella and said "why don't we share this one?" 

 I nodded thankfully and sidled up to her. She smelled very nice - like mum's expensive perfume that she only wore on special occasions. Looking up at her, I noticed she was staring at me disbelievingly, as if I were a long extinct animal that suddenly turned up in her backyard. Just as I opened my mouth to ask her about it, my bus came. She walked me to the sliding door and waved me away, her eyes still regarding me suspiciously.

 About an hour later, I arrived at the cafe. I had to run out of the bus so as not to get too wet, and proceeded to stand under the thing above the entrance door, trying to shake off the excess water. 

 "Where have you been?" asked mum, suddenly materializing behind me,  "Oh! You tore the umbrella too! Here's a handkerchief, wipe your legs and step inside." 

 Immediately, a wall of sound and warmth slammed into my face. I stepped into the warmly lit restaurant, a vast contrast from the dreary downpour outside. People were chattering, cutlery was clanking, music was playing, and there was the usual hustle and bustle of waiters and chefs. Ah well.. at least the spaghetti was nice. 

 I was jolted back from my reverie by mum saying "We are fixing that umbrella as soon as we get home young lady." 

 I just nodded, still pondering about the nice lady I met at the bus stop. Mum kept her promise, as soon as we got home and changed out of our going-out clothes, she made me sit down and patch up the umbrella while telling her every single detail of how it got torn in the first place. I left out the lady I met at the bus stop, but I wasn't quite sure why. 

 I'm 23 now, and that purple umbrella is still in wonderful shape, though it is rather weatherworn after being used for 13 years straight. I brought it with me here - all the way in America where I'm studying on a scholarship. Though it is quite lovely here, I still miss my mum. Luckily, I'll be able to meet her soon, since dad is coming home from the military and I plan to go back and surprise them both. 

 Ah.... home sweet home. Everything had more or less stayed the same, except for a few furniture changes here and there. Of course I was greeted with a big hug from mum and dad, and I soon felt thoroughly at home again. It was the usual warm welcomes, chit-chats, and a big feast to induce everyone present into a food coma. 

 During such feast, I accidentally spilt a bit of tea on my blouse, and I excused myself to change into another one. Mum came in to check on me and remarked on "how much I've grown up", as she usually does. This time she offered to spray some of her favorite perfume to make sure I didn't smell like Twining's teabags. Soon after, I had to set out to the hotel I booked for the night, since I'd meet up with some old friends the next morning. 

 So, I waved goodbye to Mum and Dad, stretched out my loyal purple umbrella, and stepped out to the wet pavement covered in fallen leaves. It was nice to see so many lights stretching out from house windows, signs that no doubt there was a family celebrating a return from the military like my own. It was a bit of a nuisance though, when one of the tents being put up for the welcome-home party blocked the way to my usual bus stop. So I went the long way, tightening my scarf and pulling my coat tautly around my arms, listening to the sounds of the seemingly constant autumn rain. 

 "Ugh my wellingtons are wet. I just bought them too.." I muttered to myself, finally reaching the bus stop and making a small mental note to dry my boots near the hearth once I get to the motel. "Why must it always-" 

 "Is purple your favorite colour too?" Chirped a familiar sounding voice. 

 I turned around to see a young girl - no older than 10. 

 Oh dear... I didn't notice her walking up to me... I thought quickly. Do I know this girl? Hmm.... better answer. 

"Oh umm.... yes it is." I replied, somewhat robotically. 

The girl was still looking up at me expectantly, clutching a torn purple umbrella. I wondered where her parents were, the girl looked so lonely and- 

A purple umbrella.... 

A TORN purple umbrella..... 

On a wet autumn day..... 

"Your umbrella is broken." I blurted out. 

I still couldn't believe what I was seeing and I was partly horrified by it. 

Okay... stay calm... stay calm.

I pointed at my own umbrella - the patched up, worn down umbrella that I remember bringing all those years ago (or I guess... on this very day) and decided to say 

"Why don't we share this one."

Authors notes:

Hey guys, I know I haven't posted in a long while. This story is a small one fueled by late  night inspiration, but I hoped you enjoyed it. I tried writing in a different style, so lmk if it's good. I actually have several things in my drafts (including this one), that I plan to post soon. Which includes a series of poems about (I'm not telling you). So keep a look out for new stuff! 

PS: The art I used for the cover DOES NOT belong to me. I found it on Pinterest so credits to the artist.

The Fairy Forest: Chapter three

 

“Magic?” Echoed Crystella, somewhat disbelievingly.

“If you don’t believe me, then you jolly well don’t need to come.” Retorted Pixie huffily.

“Alright, fine. I believe you.” Said Crystella “It’s just a bit hard to believe. That’s all.”

Pixie shook her head disbelievingly. “You find Magic unbelievable” said Pixie through gritted teeth. “But you don’t find talking to a fairy unusual?!”

Crystella opened her mouth to retort something, and closed it again. “

That’s what I thought” said Pixie again. “Besides, the spell won’t work if you don’t believe in magic.”

Crystella shot Pixie a look of enraged defeat.  “Fine” she said. “I really should believe in magic now that I am talking to a fairy”

Pixie pulled out her wand and said “Close your eyes” Crystella shut her eyes as Pixie chanted:

 

Across the stars and way past Mars

Fairy forest is not far

Take us there as fast as you can

Take us to that beautiful, enchanted land

 

 

As soon as Pixie said those words, the floor beneath them began to crack, they began to fall, and at the same time everything was spinning.

When Crystella opened her eyes, she swore she saw stars and Mars zip past faster than a bullet. They started to slow down when they came nearer to a sort of planet.

It seemed like a planet, but it was flat. It was flat, but very thick. It was surrounded by a glittering bubble that shimmered prettily.

Crystella felt Pixie grab her hand and they went right through the glittering bubble. Then they fluttered down gently onto a nice, solid ground.

“We’re here!” said Pixie breathlessly.

Crystella looked around eagerly to see what Fairy Forest was like.

Up above them the sky was a dark blue, slowly turning purple as the sun was beginning to rise (or set. Crystella couldn’t really tell which) There was no sign of the glittering bubble at all. The ground was quite springy, like the bottom half of a shoe, and it seemed to be a colour of reddish brown. Around them there were trees, trees that looked a lot like our trees except for the fact that their bark and branches were twisted so thickly that you couldn’t tell which was the tree and which were just weeds or dried wood. The leaves of those trees seemed to be glowing a calming purple glow, and there seemed to be a soft singing or humming in the distance.

Pixie smiled to herself as she saw Crystella’s head bobbing around, trying to take everything in.

“But we can’t explore yet” said Crystella sadly. “I really need to sleep”

Pixie looked surprised. “But it’s 6:00 in the morning!” said Pixie, a look of concern on her face.

Crystella was as confused as ever. “But it was 12:00 midnight in my place!”

Pixie chuckled and said “Oh yes of course. I forgot that time is different here. Come with me, I’ll take you to my house, where you can sleep.”

 Crystella, still looking confused, followed Pixie into the thick forest, where all her adventures would begin.

The Fairy Forest: Chapter two

 

Late that night, Crystella couldn’t sleep. She was still thinking about what had happened that afternoon.

Just when something exciting was going to happen in her miserable, boring life…... Hello, what’s that? There was a subtle but definite knocking sound that was coming from her bedroom window.

Crystella stood up to investigate, but the knocking stopped abruptly. She opened the window and glanced outside quickly, but she saw nothing

“Hmm...” thought Crystella leaving the window open to let in some fresh air. “it must’ve been my imagination”

she climbed back into her fluffy feather bed, not seeing a small speck of light flitting through the opened window.

The speck of light drifted down to Crystella’s bed, where Crystella was already sound asleep. The speck prodded Crystella’s cheek to wake her up.

“Oh bother” thought Crystella, Not opening her eyes. “What is it now?”

The speck prodded again.

“Alright, alright, I’M UP!” she muttered. She looked down and saw the very same fairy she had seen this afternoon!

“I must be dreaming” mumbled Crystella disbelievingly. “There is a fairy in my room. The very same one I saw this afternoon. I must be going loony”

“You look perfectly sane to me” said the speck, which was actually Pixie the fairy.  “I apologize for frightening you. My name is Pixie by the way. Pixie the fairy.”

After introducing herself to Crystella, Pixie said “You know, I quite like you”

Crystella blushed hard at this. “So, I would like to take you somewhere special”

“Really?” said Crystella eagerly. “Where?”

“My home,” said Pixie.

“I would love to go!” said Crystella. “But how will we get there? It’s 12:35 in the evening!”

“By magic” said Pixie calmly.

The Fairy Forest: Chapter one

 

The Fairy Forest

 

Somewhere in the world, in a small boring town, a girl named Crystella with cascading brown curls and jade green eyes was picking flowers in the garden. Suddenly, a pair of wings appeared.

They were unlike any wings she had seen before; they were silver and glittered in the sunlight.

“It must be a butterfly” thought Crystella, “But what a peculiar butterfly it must be!”.

Crystella stood up and followed the pair of wings. When she was close enough, she clasped her hands around it, careful not to damage the wings or the thing of which the wings belonged. The wings felt so soft it felt like silk. When she opened her clasped hands, instead of a butterfly, she saw a fairy.

The fairy had hair as golden as the sun and eyes bluer than forget-me-nots. She was wearing a dress made of bluebells and, though Crystella did not know it, her name was Pixie.

Crystella was so shocked she couldn’t move for a few seconds. In that space of time, Pixie zipped out of Crystella’s hand as fast as a bullet.  

“Wait!” said Crystella, trying to catch Pixie again “I just want to be-“

But it was too late, Pixie had vanished in a whoosh of sparkles.

“Friends” finished Crystella gloomily. She sighed and said “Just as something exciting was going to happen in this boring town”

Meanwhile, in a different world entirely, Pixie was talking to another fairy.

“Did you really get caught by a human again Pixie?” said the other fairy sounding half amused and half exasperated.

“Yes?” said Pixie guiltily.

The other fairy sighed and said “Well, bring her here then. She might be the one”

Pixie nodded.

 

The Doors of the Valley, Chapter Two: Exploring....... And a New Friend

 AUTHOR'S BORING NOTES: Hello Reader. This is the second part of the story. And I hope you are enjoying it so far. I hope you enjoy this chapter too. I also would like to apologize in advance for any awkward word choice, grammatical or spelling errors in my story on this chapter and the next chapter. Warning: This chapter is quite long. speaking of length, This story might be  longer than the Lucinda story before this. But I hope you enjoy just the same. Now, enough with my Rambling, Let's Begin!

Chapter Two

Exploring…. And a New Friend

 

“What did you do that for?” said Billy. Referring to when Mary pulled him into the valley.

“I don’t know” Replied Mary. “I Just Did”

“Well, no use arguing now” Said Billy Sensibly “It’s already happened.”

Mary nodded in agreement before flopping down on a stool shaped rock a few steps away from her. Billy Sat down on a fallen tree beside Mary. Mary looked about and saw how peaceful the valley was.

She sighed and said “We wished something would happen. And now something has happened! And we can’t get home” She looked depressed for a second before her face lit up again. “While we’re here, we might as well do some exploring!”

 Before Billy could reply, Mary had tugged him off the log he was sitting on and dragged him to the edge of a stream.

The stream had snow white pebbles lining the bottom. And was a fresh, blueish colour, with just a hint of green. Ferns lined the banks of the stream and other various plants grew in, on top of, and beside the water. The stream was very beautiful.

Mary Bent down and tasted the water, while Billy crouched down beside some ferns examining the plants that grew there. The water in the stream was fresh, drinkable water. Nice and cool too.

Mary was about to tell Billy all about the water when Billy called out to her. “Hi! Mary! Come here! I’ve found something!”

Mary rushed over to Billy as fast as she could. “What is it Billy?” Asked Mary anxiously.

“I found some Berries” said Billy Pointing to some berries that grew on a very weedy looking plant.

The berries looked a lot like Bilberries, except they were a light shade of purple, and the leaves had a reddish tint. The plant was thin, weedy, and rambling, and it grew everywhere.

Mary took one and bit half of it. It was chewy and the inside was a pure white. It tasted very sweet but also a bit sour at the same time, out of the berry oozed some clear juice and it was unlike any plant that Mary and Billy had ever tasted before.

When Mary got to the part where the pits or the seeds were supposed to be, she found small, diamond-like crystals that were, in fact, edible. Mary offered some to Billy, who ate them and said they were delicious. 

They decided to call them Crystal berries, named after the edible crystals found inside. When they had eaten until they were full, they sat for a bit and talked. Then, Mary found some big leaves in which they wrapped a couple dozen of the Crystal berries, and continued exploring.  

“I think we should follow the stream” Said Mary thoughtfully “That way, if we do get lost, we can find our way back by following the stream back.”

Billy nodded his approval and together, they walked downstream until they came to a beginning of a small forest. They walked in with ought many a-fear but a slight doubt was lingering at the back of her head.

After a few minutes of walking, Mary was beginning to wonder if they were the only living creatures in that forest, except for the birds, bees, and bugs and stuff.

 They began to feel very hot, so they decided to have another drink in the stream. The doubt in Mary’s mind was growing larger by the second. While stooping down to drink, Mary heard a soft S P L O O S H. Mary turned around quickly.

“What’s the matter?” asked Billy anxiously,

“I thought I heard...,” said Mary “Never mind.”

Billy shrugged and began to eat some Crystal Berries, when he felt something cool and soft brush against his neck.

“Wha-?” exclaimed Billy as he sat up quickly.

“What is it?” said Mary, not really paying attention.

“Something touched me!” said Billy in an unusually large voice.

Mary was about to reply when they heard a soft giggle, like the gurgling of the stream.  

“Who said that?” said Mary sharply

“I did silly!” said the same voice, it was a tinkling sort of voice, like light rain on a roof. Then, in about a second or so, they could see a figure standing in a sunlit clearing a few steps away.

It was a little girl, about a year older than Billy and Mary. The girl had straight hair that was a curious shade of Jade green, the colour of water weeds. She fore a greenish-blue dress of floaty material, and she had a heavy tan from the sun, and her eyes were a piercing blue. 

She gave the tinkling laugh again.  “You humans look so funny when you’re surprised!”

Billy shrank behind Mary, trying not to be seen. The girl saw this and grinned, flashing pearly white teeth at them.

“You shouldn’t be afraid of me! I shan’t Bite you!” She said

“But we don’t know what you are!” Said Mary sensibly “How do we know you’re not a demon or something?”  

The girl looked thoughtful for a second. “Fair point” The girl said shortly. “But I’m a Cutoa. We are guardians of the water. If you think I’m a demon then...”

she stepped out of the clearing, away from the sunlight, and she immediately vanished into thin air.

“Where are you?" Said Mary, afraid that the girl would attack them or something.

“I’m still here” said the girls voice “I’m just invisible”

Mary felt a poke on her left arm, though she could see nothing.  “Hey!” Mary exclaimed. “Stop it!”

Once again, they heard the laughter of the girl.  In a few seconds they saw her again in the clearing.

“I get it” said Billy in a quiet voice “You can only be visible in direct sunlight, can’t you?”

“Yup!” said the girl “Oh, my name’s Brook by the way. And for your information” here she shot Mary a look “I am not a demon. I am a water guardian. Otherwise known as a Cutoa.”

Seeing that Brook was apparently not a threat, Billy came forward and introduced him and Mary. He invited Brook to sit down with them in the clearing, so they could plan what to do next.

Mary however, was not as welcoming. Her instincts were telling her not to Trust Brook. Mary felt Brook was not telling them something. And Mary wouldn’t rest until she had found out everything about Brook, and anything Brook might be hiding. 

Mary refused to join in the planning and Merry-making, though she listened intently at the plans.  Mary would get to the bottom of this, whatever this is.

The Doors of the Valley, Chapter One: The Book and The Doors

 Hello Reader. I am in the middle of  editing the last story so as not to be a boring story. But in the meantime, I wrote a story about a girl, a boy, and (as the title suggests) The doors to a mysterious Valley. I won't give away to much so  you can read by yourself. I have tried to derive my writing style from the Author of The Chronicles Of Narnia, C.S. Lewis. And it has been considered (So far) My biggest masterpiece. I hope you don't think it is too boring. But... ENJOY!

The Doors of the Valley

 

 

Chapter One

The Book and The Doors

 

 

Mary Maddison and Billy Geoffrey were sitting on a bench outside Mary's house. They had been there for an hour, thinking hard what they should do next. Farmsville wasn't the kind of town where you could play games. It was a dull, desolate place, cut off from any big cities, it was practically a desert of a town.

Even people who lived in Farmsville thought it was dull. And they weren't wrong. there weren't any parks to play with, no rivers, ponds, or sea nearby to go swimming, the houses were squat and dirty looking, and trees were scarce.

Of course, the villagers didn't want to live there. But where else could they go? Farmsville was in the middle of nowhere! Literally! But no one hated living there more than Billy and Mary.

"That's it!" said Mary in a frustrated voice. "I'm tired of just sitting here and doing nothing! Let's go walk around a bit. My legs hurt and there's nothing else to do anyway."

Billy said nothing. He rarely ever did say anything. Nonetheless, Billy followed Mary out of the faded red gates that surrounded Mary's house.

Together, they walked all the way around Farmsville. Which didn't take long, considering how small Farmsville was. They saw nothing interesting, amusing, or out of ordinary at all. they were soon at Mary's house again. By this time, Mary had run out of ideas of things to do.

"Ugh! Nothing interesting ever happens here! what do you think we should do Billy?" Said Mary defeated.

"Climb the tree?" Said Billy in a shy, timid voice. He was a very shy boy. Unlike Mary, who was confident and outspoken.

"Okay then. we have nothing better to do" said Mary, she then started walking briskly towards the back of her house. where their favorite tree stood. 

It was a skinny little birch tree that was, (as far as they knew), the only birch tree in Farmsville. It was a very unimpressive tree. Skinny, with long, spindly branches, and miserable clumps of yellowing leaves were splotched here and there.

But Mary and Billy still loved it. Because it was very high and the branches were shaped like seats. So, if you climbed up and sat on a branch, you were able to see everything. They climbed up and sat there for a minute. Then Billy saw something.

"Look Mary!" Said Billy, nudging Mary in the ribs "The stable door is open! Your uncle must have forgotten to close the door!"

"What?! where!" Said Mary in response.

Mary had a horse called Adven, and, though she only owned one horse, she insisted that Adven had a stable. And Mary, seeing the stable opened, quickly scrambled down from the tree to go visit her beloved horse. Billy landed with a slight thump behind Mary. But Mary was already running towards the stables.

When Billy arrived, wheezing from trying to catch up, Mary was stroking Adven's nose, staring fondly at the horse.

"She is such a lovely horse don't you think?" said Mary gazing proudly at Adven's soft black fur and the eye-catching white spot on Adven's forehead.

"Ye... Yes... She... Is" said Billy through his panting.

"Aren't you the prettiest girlie?" said Mary to the horse then "Ow!"

"What's wrong?" asked Billy

"Tripped" said Mary from the ground "Wait a sec, What's That?"

"What's what?" asked Billy.

"That hole,” said Mary. Pointing at a yawning hole. Just big enough to crawl into (if you are a child). Mary started to crawl into the hole.

"No! Wait! Mary!" said Billy. But Mary had already crawled through. "Oh! why do you do this all the time!?" said Billy, then, addressing the horse, he said "Wait right here"

then crawled in after Mary. after a few minutes of crawling, he reached a big, circular room painted green. in the middle of the room there was a roughly cut wooden plinth. With Mary standing beside it.

Billy ran over to Mary. "Whoa! we have to get out of this place!" said Billy

"Ooh! Billy! Oh please, Pleeasee let us stay a little longer. I want to see what's on this book.

Billy edged closer to a book on the plinth. He and Mary read out loud:

Come, stranger but take heed

of what awaits the sin of greed

for if you seek beyond these doors

something that was never yours

we promise you won't last that long

if you do what you know is wrong

 

Brr!  The walls at the far side of the room opened like doors. Revealing a grassy valley with flowers and rivers trees and mountains looking like they touched the deep blue sky.

Both Mary and Billy gasped. Hey had never seen anything like that valley before. The sky was mostly a dull grey in Farmsville, and the trees were not as beautiful as the trees in the valley.

"What on earth?" began Billy. But Mary had grabbed his arm and tugged him toward the doors and they both made it into the valley.

And BAM! The walls/doors shut behind them.

They were stuck.  

I know! I know! no one likes cliffhangers. But I do so love leaving them. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And I will try to come up with new Ideas to keep you interested. Until next Chapter! Bye!