CH.1 - The Pink Line, The Old Lady, and The Copper Pot
They hid behind the cobblestone fence. The day-long search to find the mysterious, glowing pink line had suddenly come to an end, but now what? Artemis felt the cool surface of the weathered and eroded stone wall against her cheek. She peeked over a section of the waist-high barrier where the top row of rocks had fallen off—probably from a leaping stag, imagined the young, free-spirited girl.
An old lady in a flowing dress of bright yellow fabric was standing just feet from the beam of light—a line that stretched all the way from the closest peak of the Smalls Mountain Range to the heavily used chimney of the old lady's outdoor kitchen.
“We should just go,” Artemis said in a nervous whisper.
“I’m telling you now, Artie, I ain’t going back without finding out more about this beam,” Ambros said, not nearly as quietly as he had been moments before.
Artemis raised her head a little more to get a better view of the old lady and her strange little house, which was surrounded by some of the biggest trees she had ever seen on a property. The largest tree stood in the center of the backyard; countless lamps hung from its massive limbs, decorating it from the crown to the trunk.
Thanks for taking an early look at the story! Just a quick reminder that this is an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) and not the final finished draft. Because the story is still evolving, please don't copy, redistribute, or share this text anywhere else. Enjoy the sneak peek!