Chapter 1: The Whispering Wind
Twelve-year-old Mia stood at the edge of the gorge, her boots crunching on dry leaves. The wind whistled through the trees, carrying a sound that made her pause—a faint whisper, like someone calling her name. She turned to her cousin Jayden, who was busy sketching gum trees in his notebook.
“Did you hear that?” she asked.
Jayden shook his head. “Just the wind.”
But Mia wasn’t convinced. The whisper had felt…intentional. She peered into the gorge below, where shadows danced between rocks and twisted roots. Their school’s bushwalking camp had warned them not to stray from the trail. But something about that whisper tugged at her curiosity.
Practice Questions:
- What is the setting of this chapter?
- Why does Mia feel uneasy?
- Find a simile in the chapter and explain its effect.
- What might the whisper symbolize?