The Treehouse

• Declan Bowen, Grade 2
• Short Story
• 2017

Dec! Colt! Trent! Wake up!” Declan woke up. His cousins Tom, Jim, and Johnny were tapping on his bedroom window and whispering their names. Dec rolled over and woke his brothers Colton and Trenton. They all shared a room. Colton and Declan were 7 year old twins. Trenton was five. They all dressed and snuck out of the house. Outside Tom told his cousins about the light that they had seen in the field by their house.  

The six boys followed the light and found it was coming from a treehouse high up. Dec and Jim climbed the tree. The others watched. When they got to the top they saw a boy in the treehouse. He was about their age. He was reading with a torch. He looked up when he heard the noise. “What are you doing in my tree?” he asked.

“We saw a light and wanted to find out where it was coming from.” Dec answered.

“Well, now you know. You can go. This is my treehouse.” the boy said.

“It is a cool treehouse.” Jim said.  “How did you make it?”

“I made it with my dad.” the boy answered.

“What is your name?” Dec asked. “Do you live here? I haven’t seen you before.” 

“My name is Alex. I live here now, but I wish I could go back to my real home in China. I don’t have any friends here.” the boy said.

“Could we play with you in your treehouse?”  Dec asked.  “Do you have room for six more in here? My two brothers and Jim’s two brothers are down at the bottom of the tree waiting for us. I know they would like to see your treehouse.” 

“Alright” Alex said. “If you promise to keep it a secret. No one else knows about this house except my dad.”

“We’ll keep your secret.” Jim said. 

“We should have a secret password when we come up the tree so we know who is coming.” Dec said.

Alex looked pleased. “Sure, that’s a good idea. What should be our password?”

“How about China for a password?” Dec suggested.

Alex thought a minute and then said, “How about Tree Friends?”

“Yes, that’s good,” said Dec and Jim. “Can we go tell the others?”

Alex said, “I’ll go with you.”

They all slid down the pole that was in the middle of the treehouse.

Dec introduced Alex to Tom, Colt, Trent, and Johnny.

Tom said, “I know you. You are the new boy in my class. Is this your treehouse?”

Alex said, “Yes. You can come up but only if you promise not to tell anyone else about it.  When you want to come up you have to say the password Tree Friends.”

“Epic!” said Tom. We can come here after school and I’ll bring my lego and the lollies I have snuck from my mom.”

All the boys climbed up the tree to their new hideout.  This was going to be fun!