01 Back into the Woods

Night of the Ninjas

Chapter 01 Back into the Woods “ Let’s look again, Jack, ” said Annie. Jack and Annie were walking home from the library. The path went right by the Frog Creek woods. Jack sighed. “ We looked this morning, ” he said. “ We looked the day before. And the day before that. ” “ Then you don’t have to come, ” said Annie. “ I’ll go look by myself. ” She took off into the woods. “ Annie, wait! ” Jack called. “ It’s almost dark! We have to get home! ”

But Annie had disappeared among the trees. Jack stared at the woods. He was starting to lose hope. Maybe he would never see Morgan again. Weeks had passed. And there had not been one sign of Morgan le Fay. Nor had there been one sign of her magic tree house. “ Jack! ” Annie called from the woods. “ It’s back! ” Oh, she’s just pretending as usual, Jack thought. But his heart started to race. “ Hurry! ” called Annie. “ She better not be kidding, ” said Jack. He took off into the woods to find Annie.

Night was falling fast. Crickets chirped loudly. It was hard to see through the shadows. “ Annie! ” Jack shouted. “ Here! ” she called. Jack kept walking. “ Here where?” he called back. “ Here here! ” Annie’s voice came from above. Jack looked up. “ Oh man, ” he breathed. Annie waved from the window of a tree house. It was in the tallest oak in the woods. A long rope ladder hung down from it. The magic tree house was back. “ Come on up! ” Annie shouted. Jack ran to the rope ladder. He started climbing. He climbed and climbed and climbed.