Prologue: The Trail Begins
Charlie arrived just as the morning mist drifted through the trees.
The forest near Mount St. Helens felt different from anywhere he had been before—quiet, but alive, as if the ground itself were listening. Snow dusted the branches, and the air held a clean, earthy scent that made Charlie pause and breathe it in. This place had a history. Not the kind written in books, but the kind whispered by roots and stones.
Toto bounced ahead on the narrow path, his paws quick and eager. Thunder walked more slowly, stopping now and then to study the ground, his ears lifting at every sound. Together, they felt like a team again—ready, curious, and alert.
Charlie adjusted the strap of his backpack and unfolded the map. The trail was marked only by a few careful lines and a small star drawn in pencil. It wasn’t much to go on, but somehow it felt enough.
Look Inside: Charlie’s Adventure: The Secret of the Crystal Trail
“Whatever it is,” Charlie said softly, mostly to himself, “we’ll find it together.”
They followed the path as it curved between tall trees and over smooth stones. Sunlight slipped through the branches in pale ribbons, catching on bits of frost and making them sparkle. Now and then, Charlie thought he saw something glimmer near the ground—just for a moment—before it disappeared again.
The trail didn’t rush them. It invited them forward, step by step.
And somewhere ahead, just out of sight, waited a secret that had been resting quietly for a very long time—ready to be discovered by those who knew how to look.
Charlie took a steady breath and stepped onward, the forest opening around them as the journey truly began.
