With one sentence being said, They knew what they had to do. They started to prepare for the long journey ahead of them, lacing up their converse, putting on travel clothes, tightening their pony tails, and finally getting the backpacks with everything they would need, food, water, a blanket to sleep on, a extra set of clothes for the competition (that is if they found it) along with the most important thing, their violin's.
They realized the easiest way to tell their parents, was to not tell their parents, if they won the violin competition their parents would understand. If not, they were in big trouble.
As they headed out the basement door throwing the backpacks over their shoulders, they walked into the warm month of April. As they were walking down the hill, there was one thing running through all three of the girls heads, "Will I find this violin competition?" "What if I don't?" "What if we don 't win?" Everything was making them scared, but all they could do was have was hope. Hope that they would find it, hope they could win.
Lydia was trying hard to remember the map in her head, she couldn't bring it with her because the website would not allow her to screen shot or print the map, there would be absolutely no service in the wild. She had always had a good memory, but this would be the real test.
They headed down into a creek the map mentioned, turning to the right towards what looked like a never ending creek. They kept going straight, where else was there to go?
Eventually as they got off the rocks and into the water they took of their converse because they didn't want to ruin the only pair of shoes they had for this journey.
They kept walking and walking, and looking and looking. Lydia was scared out of her mind, walking down the path, she was positive this is what the map had told her to do. Amy was trying her best to stay calm, but it was hard when the only faith she had was put into Lydia. Lily however was trying her best not to throw rocks and scream. They knew they wouldn't find the competition over night, but they were hoping for some sort of sign to guide them. For hours on end they kept walking, the only thing they had to do.
Finally Lily and Amy looked at each other with a look of giving up.
"Where are we Lydia?" Lily asked her in a harsh tone.
"I don't know." She replied, defeated.
"What? Why would you say you knew where we were if you didn't? Now were stranded out here!" Amy raising her voice, which happened on rare occasion.
"Do any of you have a compass?" Lydia asked.
Lily looked up at them with a twinkle in her eye, "No, I don't have a compass, but I think I have something better."
She took Amy and Lydia's bows and tied a white fluffy ball to the end of them.
They both knew what this meant.
Then she tied a puffer fish to the end of her violin.
"Their called puffy's, they can lead us where we need to go."
Puffy's were brought out on rare occasion, so to have these was like having the Queen of England inside your homes, you have to treat it well and with respect.
When she handed them to us, we had to bow, it was a Puffy. Not bowing before a puffy was like not wearing your seat belt in car, sure you don't have to do it, but you can be badly hurt if you don't.
Then they had to do the magic words. First Amy, then Lydia, then Lily, then all 3 of them.
"Guide!"
"Guide!"
"Guide!"
"Guide us puffy's!"
______
As we continued with our puffy's to guide us Amy felt herself going the opposite way. "Wrong way puffy! Wrong way!"
She was being lead up what looked like a dangerous path, with sharp rocks and thorn bushes.
"Amy!" Lily yelled retrieving her from the path that lead her astray. Both breathing heavy they went back onto one of the rocks.
"I heard the noise is everything Okay?" Lydia who was only a few steps behind had asked."
Amy and Lily both looked at each other and smiled as Amy said, "Nobody's perfect, not even the puffy's."
