by Aurora Cridland (age 11)

Once upon a time there was a girl named Skylar Banks; her parents were scientists, and they always went on adventures together. They would always overcome the dangers: except once, they went and never came back. Poor Skylar was only two when this was all going down!

When her parents never returned home, she was moved to their laboratory. It was utter chaos when she arrived! There, she was told her that she would now go by the name Bella Sullisun.

“Why?” Skylar asked, confused.

The scientist replied, exasperated, “Sigh – Skylar dear, it would be too much pressure if anyone in this city found out what had happened to your parents and knew you were still alive.”

That night, Skylar went to sleep as an orphan … or so she thought.

***

Ten years later, while Skylar was in her loft in the laboratory reading her latest mystery novel, an alert appeared up on one of the computer screens that her parents had been found. Skylar was the only one there, so she read the alert.

The computer read: Mollie and Kai banks detected. Location: unknown. Numbers: two. Status: alive.

“Mum and Dad?” she whispered, very concerned and confused.

She immediately thought, “I’ve got to get out of here!”

“Choo, choo!” went the shipping train outside.

“That’s it! I’ll escape on the trains. I’d better wait until next week so I can pack.”

She brought her lucky scrunchie, some helpful chemicals, and last but not least her mother’s necklace. She was ready! While her auntie Kate (Kate is not Skylar’s real aunt, but her mum knew Kate before Skylar was born, so it’s like she is Skylar’s aunt) was sleeping, she wrote a note saying she was going to find her parents.

Skylar heard the bell ring. Oh no! It was Auntie Kate’s night shift; she had to hurry. Just as her auntie Kate was coming out of her bedroom, the front door shut.

“Hello?” said Kate. She walked out the front door. Skylar froze; she crept behind a bush. Kate looked at the bush, then Skylar heard footsteps and held her breath.

Kate saw a lab coat on the floor and went to pick it up.

“Ugh, Jerry! Stop leaving your stuff everywhere!” she said, walking inside.

Skylar let out a big sigh of relief. She decided to wait even longer until her auntie’s day off. Next week, she snuck out to the train tracks with her supplies and her courage! Skylar didn’t know where her parents were, but she did know where they had been, so she would go to each location and look for clues.

***

Skylar loved reading mystery novels, and this was like a real-life mystery!

“Oh, wow! A real-life mystery! I guess since I’m only twelve, I’m a junior detective! Ooh, I’m so excited! Oh no I’m not! This is insane! I don’t even have any help! Ok, ok, ok! I am – OK.”

“So, they went to the Mystic Woods first. But I can’t get there by train, so I’ll go to Silk City. It’s only a little away from the Mystic Woods,” said Skylar.

She did not remember her parents very well because she hadn’t seen or heard anything from them in ten years. But she did remember her dad’s cooking. She remembered watching her mum dance. Mum would always sing to Skylar at bed time. Skylar remembered clearly, and painfully, every single time they had left her. Until they’d left her for good.

“Why did you have to leave? Mum? Dad?” Hot tears streamed down her face. She wiped them away and started reading her mystery novel. (The reason Skylar loves mystery novels so much is because the day before her mum and dad left, she had read her first book. It had been a mystery book, and her parents had been so happy with her. And she had been happy.)

When the conductor unloaded the train, Skylar snuck on, knowing she was bound to find her parents. When she thought about them, she would imagine paradise! What would she do with her parents? She dreamt of incredible things.

After days of travel, Skylar stopped and busied herself with her preparations. She was so hungry! She collected wood and bricks and built a little cubby. It was cozy and warm and, that night, she slept perfectly in it. When people asked her if she was okay, she just smiled and nodded. But on the inside, she wasn’t okay: she kept thinking, How am I going to do this?

Skylar grabbed some Totyoxadye (tote-ee-oxa-dye) – chemicals that turned leaves into cash – so she could pay for food.

“Hmm, I wonder what food they have here?” She sniffed the air. “Mmm. Oh! I smell noodles!”

She went to the noodle bar and bought some food but then something terrible happened to her – someone stole her food! Skylar ran after the thief, yelling, ‘Stop! That’s mine!” But she was too slow.

She stood there upset. Suddenly a boy emerged out of the corner and chased the thief down. Two minutes later, he returned her food and ran away. Strange, Skylar thought.

“Hey wait! Come here!” she shouted.

“Go away!” the boy yelled back at her.

“Hold on. I just want to thank you!” Skylar caught up with the boy.

“You can thank me by going away!” he said.

“Hey wait! Thank you so much, I don’t know what I’d have done if you hadn’t been there to help me. Here we can share my noodles.”

“Oh, uh, no thanks,” the boy said.

“Oh, come on, they are really good! Since you helped me get them back, they’re yours too. And I’ll tell you a mystery story about a girl, some science, and trains?”

What Skylar didn’t know was that this kid loved trains. So, he came over and Skylar told him her story.

“… And then I escaped on the train!” Skylar finished.

“Woah, that’s rough! I mean, like, having no parents for nine yea–”

“Ten,” Skylar corrected him. “It’s been ten years. They left when I was two and I just turned twelve today.”

“Oh, happy birthday! Wait, you haven’t had a birthday with your parents in ten years?” the boy asked.

“YEP!” said Skylar.

And so he decided to come with and help her.

“Thanks!” she said.

Right before they left, the boy decided to be less hostile and more friendly.

“My name is Sam Lumion. And you?”

“Bell-” she stopped and thought for a second. The scientists said I can’t tell anyone in my city, she thought. Well, sorry guys, but this isn’t my city!

“Skylar. Skylar Banks,” she replied.

“That’s a pretty name,” said Sam.

They shook hands extremely tightly, and frenemies were born.

“Wait, so let’s go over this again: we’re going to the Mystic Woods to find your parents?” Skylar nodded, vaguely aware he was even talking, and then they left for the Mystic Woods.

Sam then thought, She is INSANE. Absolutely INSANE!