1.

The hot air balloon

f Saguaro had realized she was going to run away, she might have planned her trip

more thoroughly. But if there was one thing for which her mother had always admonished her, it was her impulsivity. The balloon stood at the other end of the forest, and Saguaro rushed towards it. Her heart raced, and the cool, June wind brushed her face. Thoughts and were cast aside as she concentrated on finding her balloon. She was just running, running away from it all. Crickets chirped. Her feet crackled against the fallen leaves and acorns as she ran. An owl called, and she nearly tripped on a branch that littered the path. Saguaro looked around, but the coast was clear. No one had heard her. The fresh forest scent filled her nose, the ground beneath her damp, softer than usual. Beside the path, a variety of wildflowers rose in a cluster, beyond which swayed grass and ferns. Saguaro lingered on the grasses vibrant color, nearly emerald in the moonlight. She had run this path many times before, often angry or upset, but never this close to midnight. She entered a small clearing, where the surrounding treetops almost covered the night sky. Just as Saguaro crossed the clearing, a whispering startled her. It sounded like the

call of her name. She searched about. In front of her, nothing crept from the bushes, and she turned around to find emptiness in the clearing. When she looked behind a tree, the whispering murmured again. This time, Saguaro recognized the call as the wind. Relieved, she journeyed on, but the terror did not leave her chest. Distracted, Saguaro tripped on a gnarled root and found herself face down in a bed of rough leaves. A stick dug into her ribcage, and her ankle throbbed. A thought occurred to her, more painful than her still aching ankle. What if she could not walk? She rose and took her hands off the ground, placing her weight on one foot, then the other. Her legs supported her. Still, Saguaro felt nervous, remembering how loud her fall had been. What if someone had heard her? Her ankle still hurt, but she forced herself to move faster, limping towards her hot air balloon. There were not many people in Cascadia. Most likely, it would have been neighbors, their houses only a short distance away. But Saguaros stomach grew tighter, acknowledging who else it could have been. Her parents. Truly, she needs to know, her father had reminded her mother, waking Saguaro up with the familiar argument. How do you expect her to understand anything if you dont even give her the basic facts? But for whatever reason, Saguaros mother had not given in. Given the choice, Saguaro would have sided with her father, since she remained completely uninformed about her parents pasts. She resented the fact that her parents had not allowed her to decide whether she was ready for the truth. She did know a few things about their pasts. They were both from Oz and had moved to Cascadia about a year before she was born. Her mother had a sister, for whose death she continued to blame herself. Saguaro also suspected that her father had once been human before his mysterious transformation. In some ways, these facts depressed Saguaro even more than knowing nothing. The absolute uselessness of the information bothered her. She didnt know the names of their old friends, where in Oz they had grown up, or if her fathers family was still alive. She did not even know her mothers family name. Although she had not heard many things about her parents lives, she had heard about Winkie Country. When she was seven or eight, her father had told her stories about a rebellious Winkie Prince named Fyre. With grass as tall as she was and stone castles laced with secret passageways, Winkie Country sounded beautiful. Saguaro could not wait to enter Winkie Country, the Land of Oz closest to Cascadia. The path twisted, and she found herself in another familiar clearing. Rippling waves

stretched beyond the rocky beach, and angular houses perched above her. She glanced around and was relieved to see no one around. Still, Saguaro did not want to draw unnecessary attention, so she slowed her pace. She finally reached the far end of the beach, where another trail began. These woods were smaller and less visited than the ones that bordered her property. The path was crowded by trees and bushes, which made it less visible to the common eye. Saguaro continued jogging until she reached a broad oak tree, behind which the hot air balloon had been hidden. It was just as she had left it. The neatly woven basket, just big enough for her to fit, had been found in someones junk pile, its former holes now mended. Dried on the basket was a sticky glue of honey, seaweed, paper, and slime, which had cemented several loose ends. The worn ropes that tied the balloon to the basket were a discarded set from an old, abandoned sailboat. She heaved a sigh of relief, recognizing the burners she had crafted according to the instructions of a how-to book. Tucked between the straw lay her parents bronze compass, ready to guide her. She next studied her favorite part of her creation: the balloon itself. It was sewn together from old, discarded dresses, which were sealed by another sticky concoction to hold the air. Excitement surged through her. She was finally ready to explore the Lands of Oz, finally ready for the truth! She could not believe that she was about to embark on the journey she had dreamed about her entire life. As she tugged the balloon onto the beach, she did not even register its heaviness. Im going to do this, Saguaro thought, almost breathless with excitement. She finished pulling the balloon onto the beach. Im not going to be a stranger in my own family any longer. When I come back, Ill know the truth! A soft mist sprayed her face and interrupted her daze. She looked up to see the Great Falls crashing into the boulders not far from where she stood that led beyond to the open water. The waterfalls foamy streams seemed to greet her, beckoning like a wave. Cascadia was named after its two waterfalls. The Lesser Falls were located on the far eastern side of the island, and the Great Falls were located on the opposite shore. The Great Falls were almost twice the size of the Lesser Falls and more than twice as loud. She had to strain to hear above the intensity of the crashing water. She crouched next to a pool of still water and cupped her hands to take a drink. The water felt cool and fresh. But as she drank the water, Saguaros gaze locked on something else. Her reflection. Saguaros thick, curly brown hair (supposedly inherited from her auntie Nessa) was loose and unkempt. Her straight nose and her fathers small mole beneath her left eye stared back at her. Mosquito bites dotted her face. But none of that concerned her. Filled with repulsion, Saguaro looked past her deep brown eyes and high cheekbones and her narrow

face with the dimple on her chin. These traits were clearly her mothers, but Saguaro had been trying to avoid the feature that most resembled her. Yet the moonlight betrayed her before she could turn away, illuminating her just acquired emerald green skin.