Sam and Luna

Chapter 1

Sam closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of cars

rumbling by, the occasional police siren, and distant
laughter. It was the song of the city, the same lullaby that
sung him to sleep each night. Sam drifted off to sleep,
thinking about the science presentation that awaited him
tomorrow.
When Sam came back to the world of the awake, rising
through layers of sleep, the first thing he heard was a very
strange bird call. Sam had never heard a bird quite like that.
The second thing Sam heard was the sound of a rushing
river. By the time Sam blinked his eyes open, he was
certain that he was still dreaming.
Sam was surrounded by majestically tall and colorful trees.
A canopy of purple, orange, pink, and blue leaves nearly
blotted out the sky. White birds flitted from tree to tree, and
something resembling a giant ladybug swooped by, a little
too close to his head. The sudden sound of rushing
footsteps startled Sam out of his awe.
Sam tried to jump out of the way as a huge fox came
crashing through the underbrush. To Sam's surprise, the fox
called out to follow her. Sam obediently ran after the
creature, asking where they were and what was going on.
The fox said her name was Luna and they had to keep
moving.

Chapter 2

Sam ran behind Luna, doing his best to keep up, stumbling
over huge roots and jumping over small streams. Sam asked
if something was chasing them as he glanced over his
shoulder. Sam could hear the sound of rushing water
getting louder. Luna explained that they were almost at the
river and that they would be safe on the other side.
Sam didn't know how much further he could run, but he
knew he had to keep up. He took a giant gulp of air into his
burning lungs and urged himself to run until every muscle
in his body felt like it was on fire. Suddenly, the river was
before them.
Sam skidded to a stop. Luna was running across the river
on a beam of light. She yelled back at Sam to follow her
exact path to get safely to the other side. Sam looked down
at the rushing water, and without thinking twice, stepped
out onto nothing and ran across a beam of light.
Sam took one wrong step and almost slipped into the
rushing water. After a moment that seemed to stretch on for
ages, he recovered his balance and kept going. When Sam
made it to the far bank, he collapsed in the soft grass. Sam
laughed, trying to catch his breath and believe that he just
ran across a river on a beam of light. Luna asked Sam if he
was ready to meet her friends. He eagerly consented.

Chapter 3

As they walked, Luna explained that while she was

exploring the far side of the river, a mysterious creature
appeared as if from nowhere. It made horrible sounds and
trampled the plants. Luna took off for the safety of the river
and stumbled upon Sam on the way. Sam silently wondered
if this creature came from his world.
With a rustling in the underbrush, three creatures appeared
before them. Luna introduced Sam to her friends, Rocky,
Oliver, and Zoe. They welcomed Sam with some suspicion,
but not unkindly. Luna explained that Sam woke up in the
forest and didn't know how he had gotten there.
Zoe led the way to their campsite. Around the fire, they
shared their stories and their food, while warming to the
newest member of their group. Sam learned about the
enchanted forest and how this unlikely group of friends
came to be. They worked together to keep the forest safe
and help any creatures in need.
They set a plan. In the morning, they would go to the other
side of the river where they would deal with the frightening
creature and try to get Sam back home. All of the animals
slept soundly around him. Sam drifted to sleep to the
sounds of the forest, the smell of a campfire, and the most
star-filled sky he had ever seen.

Chapter 4

The group woke early the next morning and set out to
confront the mysterious creature. They crossed over the
beam of light with Sam carefully following in their tracks.
Luna led the group as Rocky told Sam stories of their past
adventures, Oliver swooped overhead, and Zoe followed
close behind.
Sam heard a horn blaring far off in the distance. He thought
it was out of place in the forest, but had learned recently
that nothing was impossible. As they drew closer to where
the creature had been sighted, everyone dropped into
silence. Keeping as quiet as possible, the group slowly
approached while staying hidden in the bushes.
Peering nervously through the dense bushes, Sam realized
that the creature wasn't a creature at all. It was a taxi that
had somehow appeared in the forest, just like him. It was
then that Sam realized there must be some connection
between his city and the forest that allowed him, and the
taxi, to travel between the two worlds.
As Sam walked towards the car, all of the animals gasped
in fright. Luna called out for him to come back, but Sam
assured her that it was perfectly safe. The car's horn kept
honking, its headlights flickered on and off, and it had
trampled a path through the forest on its way to where it
now rested. It was no wonder the forest creatures were
terrified.
 Chapter 5

Sam opened the door on the driver's side and carefully

leaned over to reach for the keys. The car suddenly jerked
forward. He was able to grab the keys and pull them out of
the ignition. With the loud honking silenced, the forest
sounds returned. Sam suggested that if they followed the
tracks the taxi made back to their origin, they may be able
to find the connection between their worlds.
They approached a clearing and saw a door in the distance.
The door flung open and, before it shut again, they
glimpsed the city park for a brief moment as a confused
pigeon flew through. The door opened again, this time
revealing City Hall before closing. The door was opening
up at random spots, letting things slip through. Sam, a
notorious sleepwalker, must have sleepwalked right through
the door and out into the forest.
Sam spotted a large skeleton key laying in the grass and
knew what to do. He explained that he would go through
the portal and they would have to lock the door after him.
Luna and the others protested that it might not be safe and
that Sam could stay if he wanted. Sam was touched by their
pleas but knew he had to go home.
Sam handed Luna the key and went to the door. He grabbed
the knob, took a deep breath, and pulled the door open. He
waved goodbye to his new friends and stepped through the
portal. A twisting, wrenching sensation took over Sam's
body and a second later, he was standing on the sidewalk.
He took one look back at his friends through the door,
hoping he would see them again someday. Sam headed
home to change, grab his backpack, and head to school to
give his science presentation.