"Good morning sweet heart" Clementine woke up to see her mother Dianna sitting on the edge of her bed. Dianna ran her fingers through her daughters curly black hair. "We're leaving in an hour, are you too tired to come have breakfast?" Clementine sat up and rubbed her eyes, as she moved her body the walkie talkie that clung to the edge of the blanket fell on the floor.

"No, i'm awake" Clementine said as she yawned. She got out of bed and followed her mother out in to the main part of the house. Her father Ed, was already at the kitchen table drinking coffee and reading the local newspaper, a morning ritual of his.

"Good morning pumpkin" he said

"Morning" Clementine responded as she sat up on the chair next to her father,

"Did you sleep well princess" her father asked still looking at his newspaper.

"Yea, the thunder woke me up but I was brave, I wasn't scared this time" her father put down his newspaper and looked at her

"Good for you honey, you're becoming such a big girl" he was proud of Clementine, but wanted to make sure she knew that being scared, wasn't always a bad thing. " Remember, if you ever get scared during the night me and your mom are never far away" he reached in to his pocket and pulled out the other walkie-talkie. Clementine smiled, then remembered she didn't have hers, she ran back to her room and picked it up off the floor before returning to the table.

"And I always got this too dad, just in case you or mom ever get scared" her father smiled and took a sip of his coffee.

Dianna walked over to the table and placed a bowl full of nuts and seeds in front of Clementine

"Do you want to feed Appleseed sweet heart?" Clementine nodded eagerly and brought the bowl over to Appleseed's cage, the fluffy brown hamster was asleep in the corner, Clementine had a bit of trouble opening the cage. One night, Appleseed had escaped and when they found him the next morning he had eaten half a bag of cookies, ever since then Clementines parents had made the cage extra tricky to open to prevent another escape. Eventually Ed came over and helped out, Clementine placed the bowl in the middle of the cage then returned to her spot at the table. Her father got up and walked over to the coffee pot to refill his mug. On his way back he brought Clementine a glass of apple juice. Clementine loved apple juice.

"Slow down there kiddo, save some juice for your breakfast". By this time breakfast was ready to be served. The family of three sat down and enjoyed a breakfast of bacon and eggs with toast.

After breakfast Clementine helped her father with the dishes while her mother finished packing a few last minute items then started to get dressed for the trip.

After the dishes Clementine went out to her tree house in the back yard while she waited for her babysitter Sandra to arrive. This was Clementines favorite place to go, it was just the right size for her. Up in her tree fort, anything was possible, her imagination was all she needed to entertain herself.

Clementine heard the knock on the front door from her tree fort and knew that Sandra was there. Clementine got down from her tree fort and was walking up the back step when she heard her mother greet her

"Sandra come in, you're just on time" Sandra walked in and placed her little suitcase on the couch, "Thank you so much for looking after clementine" Dianna continued.

"It's no problem at all, we're gonna have a great time, just us girls, right Clementine?" as Sandra finished her sentence she gave Clementine, who had now made her way back in to the house, a friendly wink. Clementine gave Sandra a shy grin

"Yea, i guess so" she said nervously.

Ed loaded their suitcases in to the car while Dianna said goodbye to Clementine she walked over to the table where Clementine was sitting and gave her a hug,"be a good girl for Sandra sweet heart, I love you very much, we're going to call you as soon as we get to the hotel". Clementine walked to the front door and watched her mom get in the car.

Ed walked to the front doorstep where his daughter was standing

"Can't I come too?" Clementine said in a whisper, just in case Sandra might hear, she didn't want to hurt Sandra's feelings by making her think she wasn't a good babysitter.

"I'm sorry pumpkin" he said" he gave clementine his walkie talkie "Put this on the charger so that when I get back, it will be all ready for us to use again"

"You're not going to bring it to Savannah?" Clementine said

"I'm sorry honey, they won't work that far apart" Clementine walked in the house to do what her father asked Ed could see that she was scared. This was going to be the longest they had ever been apart. He walked over to where Clementine had place the walkie talkie.

"How about, before I go, I tell you a little secret" Clementines eyes widened

"Okay!" she said,

"Do you remember that baseball cap i gave you for your birthday"

"Yea" Clementine said "It's in my tree fort"

Ed looked over one shoulder, and then the next, making it obvious to Clementine that this was an important secret.

"There's something I never told you about the hat, it's a special, magical hat" he whispered, "who ever is wearing it, is granted the bravery of a thousand warriors, nothing can frighten them"

Clementine ran out to her tree fort and collected the baseball hat immediately putting it on, she then returned to her father

"I'm still going to miss you guys, she said, even if i have a magical hat"

"Of coarse you will sweet heart, it won't be long though tell we're all back together again" He gave Clementine a big hug and then got in to the car. Her parents waved goodbye as they pulled out of the drive way, and left for Savannah.