Dear Kelly...

Dear Kelly,

Yes, yes. I’m sorry I haven’t written to you all summer, but things, believe it or not, have been quite hectic this year. When we departed through the school gates, our heads were filled with thoughts of holidays, beaches, ice cream, movie marathons and shopping. I’m sorry to tell you, my friend, but these thoughts went out the window the moment I got THE PHONECALL.

“Millie, you’ll be staying with Uncle Rex,” Mum announces. “He’s invited you to stay on his farm for a few weeks.”

Now don’t get me wrong, I love my Uncle Rex, he’s a great bloke, but A FEW WEEKS in the middle of the middle of nowhere?!?!

Yeah. But off I went; because Mum thought this would be a lovely chance to make up for my embarrassing behaviour at the family Christmas party (which, as I’m sure I’ve told you, was NOT my fault. It was cousin Jackie who fed me all those lollies). I arrived on the 4^th of January and was to stay until the 20^th. Joy.

I’d never been to Rex’s farm before, and I can tell you, Kel, it is seriously whacked up. It is 10 acres of bumpy, dry dusty clay, with the occasional cactus plant dotting the landscape. The house is small, with six rooms: washing room, sitting and eating room, cooking room, sleeping room, writing room (where I sleep), and the greenhouse, which is full of exotic and colourful plants. He must grow fruit on them or something, because I can’t see how he makes profit out of acres of dirt and cactus, I thought. But I was wrong.

Uncle Rex always said “Stay out of the greenhouse, alright?” and I obeyed. Now don’t get mad. You were always such a good influence on me…Ms Cherry said so. But you weren’t here. And COME ON! What else was I supposed to do with a six room house, acres of clay and summer reruns?

I snuck down to the greenhouse… all those wacky plants! One had blue leaves, another was growing weird, cube shaped red fruits. I saw no reason I had to keep out. Dang, if Ms Cherry saw these plants, all her botany lessons would go out the window (not that we listen anyway)! I was walking around, admiring them, when I heard something move. I went to investigate and…something tripped me—I fell face first into a gaping hole! I slid down a tunnel, which seemed to go on forever, then I came out into sunlight.

Kelly, if you could have seen the place I landed in…! There were huge trees, even WEIRDER than the plants in the greenhouse, and the tunnel seemed to have vanished into thin air. I saw the strangest animals; small cats with antennae and wings!! They seemed harmless enough, so I approached them. They chattered away to each other, and then they lead me to a grove of small, blue leafed trees, and, well, they took me in. I ate berries and mushroom the buttercats brought me (the mushrooms tasted like fish, but the creatures obviously had no intention of poisoning me), I drank from the stream and slept in a nest of large, dark purple leaves and grass. I explored the forest with the buttercats as they collected food, hunted golden birds about the size of pigeons, and played with their young. Time must have been slipping by without my noticing, because one sunny day, who should come striding through the forest but Uncle Rex!

“Hi Mil,” he waved. “Up top it’s the 19^th. You’d better come with me.”

The buttercats seemed to know him. They rubbed against his legs and fluttered playfully around him. Reluctantly I followed him out of the grove, up the tunnel (which had now sprouted stairs) and into the greenhouse.

“I just knew you’d give in and come look in here,” said Uncle Rex, grinning. “Have fun?”

I nodded wildly. I slept in the study that night, dreaming of winged cats and square fruit. In the morning, Mum was surprised to see me skip with delight when she asked me how I’d been.

“She can come back whenever she wants,” said Uncle Rex. And I will, next holidays. Maybe you can come to!

See you at school,

Luv Millie