CHAPTER 3

I sat up with a gasp, rubbing my eyes. My brain seemed to be still taking a nap. The first thing I did was look around. I couldn’t figure out where I was. I stood up and looked some more. The giant branches of a cloud tree reared its head above me. A fresh scent of wet earth, full and rich, perfumed the air. I sucked in my breath with shock. I mean, what’s going on?

This was not Mrs Aich’s garden. I was in the middle of a bamboo grove with a small hut facing me in the clearing. It was empty when I walked around it, hoping to clear my head. The leaves on the bamboo trees danced in the breeze and the call of a bird floated by.

“What is this place? How did I get here?” I groped confusedly for answers, walking away from the silent hut....

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