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Sylvia ran through the trees, feeling happy and carefree in the warm summer air. It was in the middle of the school holidays and she had gone to the forest with her parents, who had rented a small cottage there. She could play all day out among the plants and animals. As time passed, she met some other children to play with. They had been in the forest for many years and knew all its secret places and mysteries. They all liked her very much and they all became good friends.
Sylvia loved the forest and she loved summer. The strange thing was, it never seemed to get dark, and because she didn't have a watch, she didn't know what time it was. None of the other children had watches either, and she never thought about going back to her parents at the cottage. She didn't feel hungry either. It was all a little strange and as more time passed, she started to forget about her life back in the city; it all seemed so long ago.
Sometimes a man and woman came through the forest. She thought she recognized them but couldn't remember who they were. A few times she even said hello to them, but the woman looked sad and didn't seem to notice her at all. How strange! Sylvia wondered if she was invisible? When she spoke to them, the woman looked even sadder, and said to the man, it was cold and they should return home before it became dark.
Sylvia's mother stood at the window of her modern apartment in the city, looking out across the rainy streets. A tear dropped onto the wooden floor. There were many others already there. Her lovely daughter had been missing for exactly one year. And every weekend, she and her husband drove back to the forest where Sylvia had disappeared and looked for some trace of her. Sometimes she thought she could hear Sylvia's voice like a whisper blowing through the leaves. But then it always turned colder and it only made her feel sad. Deep inside her heart, she knew her daughter was safe, but where was she?
Sylvia knelt beside a small pond in the middle of the forest. The air was very still and the surface of the water was like glass. She looked at her reflection and thought she appeared different but couldn't remember what she used to look like. Her skin was now dark brown, and her long thick hair seemed just like the branches and leaves of the trees. She smiled a big, wide smile. Sylvia was so happy. Some of her friends called out for her, and she jumped up and ran off to find them.
Adjectives
carefree:
With no problems or anything that worries you.
strange:
Not usual and difficult to understand.
invisible:
When something is invisible, you cannot see it, but it is there.
missing:
When a person is missing, nobody can find him/her.
still:
In this case meaning 'not moving'.
Verbs
recognize:
To know who someone is because you met them before.
notice: To
suddenly know that something is there.
wonder:
To think about something and try to decide what is true.
kneel:
To sit down on your knees.
call out:
To speak in a loud voice to make someone hear and notice you.