Mara was the first to see the funnel-shaped tree. How we all didn’t spot it at the same time is astonishing. It was such a dark green that it almost looked black in color. In tandem, we skipped toward it as though an invisible being had opened its arms and wrapped them around us. Gina slipped under the narrow end of the funnel tree and then vanished. The rest of us were astonished but for some reason, not afraid. Then Lulu and Mara ran in and also disappeared. I was the last, unafraid but hesitant. I turned around and started to speed walk home when I heard my friends yelling at me to come back. Their voices were muffled and sounded further away than they were. Mara was screaming for me to help them. Terrified, they were terrified!

I was frozen in shock but broke through it and raced home to find someone who could.