^{Designed in Canva}

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Will and Jake ignored the gloomy sky that promised rain. They lay on the green field, completely engrossed in the book that Jake held on his lap.

“This is the best part!” Jake exclaimed, following the page with his finger as he read out loud to his big brother. Will agreed, fascinated by the story even though he had read it before. It was different to hear Jake’s voice make the words come alive with excitement.

The boys loved to come to this field behind their house, looking for peace and nature as a break from being stuck inside. Although they had read this book many times. But the story always felt new and surprising. Every reading was a new adventure.

“What do you think Tom will do next?” Jake wondered, stopping to gaze at Will with eager eyes.

Will rubbed his head thoughtfully. “Well, Tom is always up to something. I bet he’ll trick Sid or his Aunt Mary somehow. He’s very sneaky!”

Jake chuckled. “Yeah, and he’ll probably get in trouble again too. But it’ll be hilarious.”

The brothers grinned, both picturing the antics the book’s hero would come up with. The books they read opened up magical worlds for them, sparking their imaginations and giving them a sense of freedom and fun.

Original image taken from the announcement post of the contest

As Jake read on, Will picked a long grass blade and started folding and bending it. His hands moved skillfully to make a simple grass whistle. When Jake reached the end of the chapter, Will blew the whistle to his mouth and made a loud shrill noise, surprising his brother.

“Wow, you made a whistle!” Jake said. “Can I try?”

Will gave it to him and Jake tried to copy him but only made a faint hiss. “I think mine is broken,” he said with a laugh.

“Here, you have to squeeze it like this while blowing,” Will said, demonstrating the method.

After a few attempts, Jake made the whistle work, his eyes shining. “I did it!”

They heard the sound of raindrops then. They looked up to see the clouds getting darker as a light rain started.

“Maybe we should go inside for now,” Will said, always the caring older brother.

“Just a little more,” Jake begged. “We’re almost done with this chapter. Please?”

Will gave in and nodded, lying down on the grass with his brother. As the rain fell gently around them, they cuddled under Jake’s bucket hat, eager to see what the story would do next. The rain hid the rest of the world from them. But the storm made their reading spot more cozy, reinforcing the bond they shared through books.

When the chapter ended with a suspenseful moment, Jake moaned. “Not a good place to stop! Can we keep reading, Will?”

With a smile, Will shut the book and got up. “Sorry, buddy. We should go in before it rains harder.”

Jake made a dramatic sigh but agreed with him. They packed their things and walked back home through the wet grass. But they couldn’t stop thinking and talking about the story. Their imaginations remained in that world of mischief, childhood joy, and adventure. The rain couldn’t erase the magic books brought them or the wonder they felt as two close brothers.

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I trust that you enjoyed reading this story. 😊

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^{I would like to invite @patjewell, @dove11, @paholags, @fjjrg, @dove11 and @weisser-rabe to join this contest through this link, if they have not already taken part in it.}

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^{Author: @waqarahmadshah | Date: 10-Nov-2023 | Achievement 1}