Stories to follow · Chapter 1
Wet Footprints Outside the Gate
After the rain, footprints lead to a hidden visitor. Coco and Mimi leave room for an answer that is not ready yet.
Original fiction · Ages 7–10 · Read together with a guardian
Scene 01
What the Rain Left
The rain stopped late in the afternoon. Coco was brushing drops from the garden gate when a line of footprints came into view.
One, two, three. The wet marks reached the gate, then turned toward the leaves beside the fence. There were no tracks leading away.
“Mimi, someone came by.” Coco lowered their voice.
Scene 02
Wanting to Run Ahead
Mimi brought a dry cloth. Coco was already holding the latch. “They might be lost. We should find them.”
“They might,” said Mimi, looking toward the leaves. “Or they might be resting. Let's ask first.”
Coco's hand stopped. Wet footprints alone could not tell them which was true.
Scene 03
An Answer Behind the Leaves
“Is someone there?” Coco asked. A single drop fell from the tip of a leaf.
After a pause, a very small voice said, “Yes.”
“Would you like to come in?” asked Mimi. The leaves moved a little. “Not yet.” Coco stopped the next question before it slipped out.
Scene 04
Within Reach
Mimi set the cloth and a cup of water on a low stone beside the gate. “We'll leave these here. You can use them if you need them.”
Coco took two steps back. Where Coco had been standing, there was now a clear way from the leaves to the low stone.
They returned to the little roof inside the garden. No answer came from beyond the leaves.
Scene 05
Time to Dry Off Too
“Can they see the cloth from there?” Coco asked. Mimi pointed to the stone. “Yes. They can reach it from under the leaves.”
Coco kept looking at the gate, then noticed drops falling from a wet sleeve. “I need a cloth too.” The two friends dried their wet clothes beneath the little roof.
As the light faded, they lit a small lamp and went indoors. Beside the gate, they placed a broad leaf over the resting spot to keep off any more rain.
Scene 06
The Folded Cloth
In the morning, there was a little less water in the cup. The cloth had been neatly folded. Coco picked it up, then set it down again.
A leaf was tucked into the latch. Its tip divided into soft, rounded points. Coco had never seen one like it inside the garden.
Again, the footprints stopped just before the doorstep. Coco stayed by the gate and looked at the leaf instead of following any farther. “Where did this leaf come from?” Mimi leaned closer to look too.
Scene 07
Lighting the Lamp Again
That evening, Coco and Mimi opened the gate halfway and lit the lamp. They washed and hung up the used cloth, then put a fresh one in yesterday's place.
Coco moved the unfamiliar leaf into a little dish. Tomorrow, in the daylight, there would be time to look at how it differed from the garden leaves.
No footsteps sounded on the path yet. Coco brought a chair. This time, there was somewhere to sit without hurrying.
At the end of the story