Christmas at Wildwood Farm
by
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Despite giving it their best, they could not gain traction on the slope, and constantly lost their footing, sliding all the way down to the bottom. Drew kept at it, believing his hopes and dreams rested on victory. To him, failure to conquer the slope meant failure in life. Although the others knew that wasn’t true, Drew felt spiritually lost, and this was all he had left.
Each run they made met with no success. Ethan was so exhausted he remained at the bottom, unable to continue. Sofie and Jeff were running on empty as well, and tears welled up in Sofie’s eyes. Drew, however, refused to quit. He slid down the slope, opened the box on the sled, and took out the rope. Then he scurried back up the mountain, telling his friends to stay there and wait for his signal. He found it easier to move without the extra weight of the sled, but still had some issues with speed. When he felt himself slipping, he grabbed onto a tree, using it as leverage to gain further altitude. He was able to advance thirty feet, and at that point, tied one end of the rope around a tree, and tossed the other end down to his friends. "Okay,” he said. “Climb up!” Reluctantly, Jeff took the rope and began climbing. Sofie did the same, but Ethan did not join them. He looked down at the sled and called back to Drew. "What about the sled?” he asked. "Forget it,” Drew said. “It’s too much. We won’t make it up the mountain.” "But what about our supplies?” Ethan cried. “The tent? The blankets?” "We’ll get them on the way back,” Drew yelled. “Now pick up the rope and climb!” Frustrated and angry, Ethan took the rope and tried to pull himself up the slope. Unfortunately, he didn’t get more than five feet before he lost his balance and fell flat on his stomach. This sudden jerk in the rope caused Sofie to fall as well. She hit the ground hard, cracking her knee against the frozen earth. She cried out in pain, and slid down the slope landing on top of Ethan. Jeff, too, had lost his footing, and was desperately trying to hold onto the rope to avoid sliding to the bottom as well. Drew saw the chaos below, and reached around the tree and grasped the rope. He started pulling Jeff in his direction, hoping to get at least two of them to the top. But such was not the case, and Jeff lost his handle on the rope, skidding all the way down to the others.
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About the Book
There are few places in the world as awe-inspiring as Wildwood Farm, especially during the holiday season. A year-round tourist spot, Wildwood Farm is home to many activities and attractions, as people journey from both near and far to witness its beauty. Wildwood Farm is also home to nine-year-old Jeff Markham, who, along with a small group of pals affectionately known as the Wildwood Gang, takes full advantage of the breathtaking surroundings in a never-ending quest to find the next great adventure.
As Christmas approaches, the gang finds one of its own at a spiritual crossroads, and the only way to help is to take part in a very exciting, yet dangerous journey into the White Mountains in search of the one and only Santa Claus!
Christmas at Wildwood Farm follows the lives of four young friends as they discover the true meaning of loyalty, honor, and friendship.
About the Author
Mark Gallant was born and raised in the Bay State. Highly influenced by 80's pop culture, he found an interest in storytelling, primarily through visual media. He drew comics and made videos throughout his teenage years,and ultimately decided to go to film school. He spent ten years as an independent filmmaker before turning his attention to writing. He spends his days wearing many hats... a cog in the corporate machine, novelist, and most importantly, husband and father.