Tale of Treeo: Chapter 14

Eli: Nellie and I worked things out, finally.

Nellie: And I was able to pass Eli some of the tools I’d found from the clubhouse. I wonder what he’ll make out of them.

The rocks crash to the ground in a shower of dirt and pebbles. Eli blinks through the mess and moves away some of the bigger rocks. He wipes his dusty glasses on his wet sweatshirt and squints through the dark.

Nellie is standing a few feet back, and she grins in the dim purple light when she sees him. “You did it!”

Eli beams back at her. “Now, let’s get out of here and go home.” He steps onto the pile of broken rocks and over to Nellie’s side.

Something catches his eye in the dirt. There’s a flash of white, a corner of a piece of paper, and Eli kneels down to gently pull it out from between the rocks. Its thickness feels familiar, just like the paper he has in his pocket, and his eyes go wide when he recognizes it.