Echoes of the Trail

Lexile: 950 | Grade: 7

Passage

The first steps of the hike were easy. Ava and her father followed the gravel path that twisted through the trees, dappled sunlight dancing across their jackets. Ava had been looking forward to this weekend trip for weeks, eager to escape the buzz of city life and endless homework. But an hour into the trail, the sky changed.

Clouds drifted in without warning, and the temperature dropped. The trail narrowed, and the trees seemed taller, darker. Her father, usually calm and joking, had grown quiet, checking the trail markers more often than before.

'Are we lost?' Ava asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

'No,' her father replied. 'Just want to make sure we stay on the right path. It’s easy to miss a turn when the trail looks different.'

They kept walking, but the silence between them grew heavy. Ava’s legs began to ache, and her enthusiasm faded into worry. This wasn’t what she had imagined. She had pictured open skies, cheerful conversations, and campfire stories. Instead, the wind whistled through the trees like a warning.

Then they reached a fork in the trail. One path looked worn, with fresh footprints and broken twigs. The other was overgrown and unmarked.

'Which way?' Ava asked.

Her father paused. He pulled out a faded map, brows furrowed. 'I think… left. That one should lead us to the lookout point.'

Ava hesitated. 'Should we turn back?'

He looked at her, surprised. 'Do you want to?'

She shook her head, more from stubbornness than certainty. 'No. Let’s keep going.'

They took the left path. It led uphill, and every step seemed to test her resolve. Her feet slipped on loose rocks, and her backpack dug into her shoulders. But she didn’t complain. She didn’t ask to stop.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the trees opened. A rocky ledge jutted from the mountain, overlooking a vast valley below. Forests stretched out like waves, and clouds floated far beneath them. Ava stood silently, breathless—not from the climb, but from the view.

'Worth it?' her father asked.

Ava nodded. 'Yeah. It was harder than I thought. But I’m glad we didn’t turn back.'

Her father smiled. 'Most good things are.'