Not a beetle stirred in the swaying fields of the simple town of Bellabie. It was truly a perfect paradise; a place where everyone was friendly, and everyone knew each other's name, but the townspeople were not so placid as they appeared to the eye. Bellabie folk were as unique and individual as snowflakes.
"Adelaide, dear! Grab the biscuits from the oven, please," Mrs. Ronnel shouted, rippling the silence that hung in the summer air. Adelaide groaned and swung her legs off of her bed, knocking an array of dried flowers and buttons onto the floor. She flew down the stairs like a rocket- swinging around the railing which was loose from a daily routine of her tugging and pulling. Adelaide quickly threw open the oven and put the biscuits out to cool. She didn't need oven mitts, much less a thin rag. With hands riddled with calluses from her many expeditions with Rico, she would be surprised if even lava could burn her hands.
Rico was the closest friend of Adelaide's. They were most known in Bellabie for their mischievous behavior, which would often stir the simplicity of the town. Rico and Adelaide would stop at nothing to find a good adventure in the woods outside of the borders of Bellabie. From fighting the Shadow Beasts that lurked in the forest, to saving a Faerie from the bloodthirsty carnivorous plants, they always found a way to waste away the seasons together.
"Did you get the biscuits?" Adelaide's mother, Cecelia, asked.
"Yes, mom. Anyways, can I go hang out with Rico? I swear I'll be back tonight! You know I haven't gotten lost yet, and I haven't been outside for a whole week," Adelaide pleaded with all her might. She was itching to drain her energy on something fun, unlike the crafts she was destined to do during the storm.
"Well, I suppose," Cecelia sighed, "but you ha--" Adelaide cut her off with a shouted, "Thanks mom!" and ran out the door. Shaking her head, Adelaide's mother tended to the cooling shortbread biscuits. "That child is going to get killed one day," she mumbled to herself. Adelaide rushed towards Rico's house, elated to finally unite with her best friend after the storm.
