Sam's Quest for the Crimson Crystal -- The Mirrored Pool

The narrow dirt path made a turn at the bottom of the hill and continued through a patch of large ferns. Sam hesitated. The woods would be dark soon, but she’d come so far and she really wanted to see where the path led. She parted the delicate ferns and stepped through. “So beautiful!”

The path ended at a small pool that reflected everything around it like a giant mirror. An ancient underground stream above seeped through invisible cracks in layered stones, gathered and tumbled gently down in a cascading waterfall. Sam’s eyes widened as she stepped closer to the pool. Clear crystals lying on the sandy bottom glimmered in the last rays of the sunlight. She put her hand in the waterfall and let it splash. The sun fired a shaft of light into it and created a rainbow, painting her hand with the colors. “This is beyond cool!” As the sun dropped below the ridge of the mountain the rainbow disappeared.

Sam cupped the cold water in her hands and drank. Then she stretched and yawned. The trip from New York to Grandpa’s farm had tired her more than she thought.
I’ll rest my eyes for just a minute, she decided. She gathered a handful of tall mountain heather to make a pillow and sat down at the edge of the pool. The just-pulled grass released a moist, pleasing smell that added to her drowsiness. The mountain formed a warm cradle for the mirrored pool, and the lightly splashing waterfall sang a soothing lullaby. She kicked off her hiking boots, dangled her bare feet in the water, wiggled her toes and sent rings of tiny waves bumping against the opposite bank.

She lay back, and saw a giant gnarled oak that stood guarding the pool. A long time ago it had been hollowed out by a lighting strike or had caught fire somehow. That’s one ugly tree, she thought. The enormous damaged trunk looked out of place among all the blossoming delicate flowers and vines that nestled around the pool.

Finding this special place is the best thing I’ve ever done at the farm. There has to be more for me to discover, she thought as she fell asleep.

A sharp sound woke her. Had a tree branch snapped? Sam heard leaves rustling close by. Whatever made the sound was hiding in the ferns only a yard or so away. Suddenly a furry intruder bolted into the opening. In a flash, it was in her lap and a long wet tongue snaked toward her nose. “Patch!”