A/N: Because I came across one of my Mary Pope Osborne books and went, "Awww…" If you haven't read The Magic Treehouse series you are either a cruel parent or have never had a childhood.

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A New Adventure

The sky was still purple and the stars were still out when Jack was dragged out of his warm bed. "It's the first day of school," he complained. "No one gets up this early for it. Ever."

"We'll have time for school, too! But first, let's go!" Little hands roughly shook him awake.

Too sleepy to argue, Jack stumbled after his sibling. She'd be more annoying if he just ignored her.

"This way!" Annie called over her shoulder as they tramped through the forest's undergrowth. The woods was just a short walk from home, but it already felt like miles to her brother.

Jack groaned, still shrugging on his jacket and rubbing out the sleep sand from under his glasses. His little sister really had lost it now. It had been a year since Morgan deemed them Master Librarians and twelve long months since she'd left them. The tree house wasn't magic any more. It just had books, plain old books that didn't take you anywhere real no matter how much you used your imagination.

"Hurry up, Jack!"

He sighed.

Annie still visited the tree house regularly; just last week her brother had learned the word for the behavior: denial. He was in the fourth grade now, he didn't have time for kiddy games or playing make-believe. This was his reason for not going to the tree house anymore. He wasn't a little kid anymore like Annie.

"Well, maybe I just like reading," she had responded confidently. Jack knew better. Sometimes, when he'd pass by the tree house, he could see her pointing uselessly at the books' pages, probably still pleading "I wish I could go there."

"How's this time going to be any different?"

Annie whirled around so fast Jack staggered backwards trying not to bump into her. "I know it will be," she announced, hands on hips. Digging into her jeans' pocket, she pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and waved it in Jack's face. "We've got a new assignment." Drawing in a quick breath, Annie read:

"Find a small treasure.

Men seek it, demons fight it.

Its strength conquers all."

"That one didn't even rhyme," Jack mumbled.

"That's because it's a haiku! It doesn't have to!" Annie retorted.

"How do I know you didn't write that yourself?"

Annie twirled away, yellow braids whipping angrily, and took the last steps to the tree house's rope ladder. "Do what you want. The book was already open and I thought I'd share it."

Jack scuffed his shoes in the dirt, suddenly feeling guilty. He quickly climbed on the ladder after his sister. "Hey, I was just asking!"

He scrambled aboard just in time to see his sister plop a huge red book on her lap, its pages already wide open. Annie pointed at the picture of an old well and the strange dog-eared boy with silver hair who stood beside it. "I wish we could go there."

Jack started to whisper a "yeah right," but the words caught in his throat.

The wind started to blow.

The tree house started to spin.

It spun faster and faster.

Then everything was still.

Absolutely still.

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A/N: Can't say how honored I am to write those immemorable five lines. So enjoy the trip down memory lane and I'll update soon.