August 12, 2025 • 20 mins
With the library finally reopened after the fire, it’s finally time for Marie to see what damage was done to the Rare Books Room and whether the book that held so many clues had been destroyed. And unexpected news from Christian proves helpful in their quest.
---
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Previously on Adventures on AO Wei Island, Marie's surprise
observations about the two dragon clues opened new
possibilities as to what and where the oldest thing on AO Wei
Island might be. Will JJ and Christian agree?
(00:25):
Welcome to adventures on Awe Island.
Chapter 5 Dragon Part 2 The following afternoon, Marie put
her detective's journal in her backpack, slung it over her
(00:47):
shoulder, and headed back to thelibrary a bit early.
She told her parents she would be back before dinner.
It had been exactly one week since the library closed.
Deep beneath the building, behind a locked door labeled
RESTRICTED at the bottom of a carved stone staircase, the rare
(01:07):
books room had caught fire due to old electrical wiring.
Marie was anxious to see if anything had changed since the
library had reopened. Most importantly, Marie wanted
to know if the secret spot, the book where they'd found the
treasure map and the third Riddle had been damaged since it
(01:29):
had been located in the room where the fire took place.
Walking through the first set ofdoors, she was greeted by the
familiar scent of pine and the fountain gurgling away near the
entrance. Quickly, she headed through the
second set of doors and into themain lobby.
She stopped and looked around, taking it all in.
(01:51):
Everything appeared to be unchanged, as if a fire had
never occurred. In fact, it felt quite anti
climactic. Marie wasn't sure what she was
expecting exactly, but she expected something to be
different. She headed to the information
desk and saw Sal, the librarian,helping a patron.
(02:13):
Marie got in line to wait her turn for assistance.
Hi Sal, I'd like to go to the rare books room please.
She said in her most businesslike tone.
Hi ya kiddo. Sal greeted Marie.
I'm sorry, but that's not open yet, they're still finishing
repairs. Marie just stood there for a
moment. She hadn't anticipated this
(02:35):
possibility and was crestfallen.Do you know if any books were
damaged? She asked, hoping for any
information. Some were ruined, but I'm not
sure which ones. We haven't been allowed
downstairs yet. The books in the affected area
were sent out for restoration ifthey were not too damaged.
(02:56):
Sal replied. I think it's going to take about
a week before the area is safe to go into.
They have to replace all the lighting and electrical down
there and clean up the soot. Oh, OK, thanks.
Marie said sadly. She was more worried than ever
now. Even if the secret spot hadn't
(03:16):
been completely destroyed, if ithad been sent out for
restoration, perhaps vital clueslike the Riddle written on the
inside of the dust cover would be lost.
Just thinking about it made her stomach lurch.
Marie was about to turn away from the desk when she
remembered that she, JJ, and Christian were meeting next and
(03:38):
needed a place to talk privately.
I'd like to use a collaboration room, please.
She said to Sal, pulling her library card from her pocket.
After signing out the collaboration room, she went
back to the lobby to meet JJ andChristian.
JJ was already there, waiting. Upon seeing Marie, JJ smiled.
(03:59):
I brought my notes. She whispered to Marie.
Me too. Marie replied just as Christian
walked through the entryway doors and joined them.
He looked much more chipper thanMarie felt, going so far as to
hold his hand out in a thumbs uppose.
Marie was uncertain what inspired the gesture at this
(04:21):
moment, but she made a thumbs upand pressed her thumb to
Christians. JJ did the same so that their
three thumbs met in the center. It wasn't really a handshake, at
least they hadn't called it thatyet, but to Marie it felt like
one. For lack of a better descriptor,
(04:42):
it was a symbolic gesture, confirming that they were in
this together. What was that for?
JJ asked. I've got great news, Christian
said. He opened his mouth to tell them
right there in the lobby, but Marie cut them off.
Come on, I've got a collaboration room signed out
(05:02):
already, let's talk there. She said, leading the way to the
room they'd been assigned. Once they were inside the room
and could talk freely, Kristen'supbeat mood had Marie and JJ
smiling without even knowing what they were smiling about.
OK, so what's up? JJ asked as she took out her
notebook. Marie also set her journal on
(05:25):
the table and opened to her notes on Dragon.
If it was possible, Christian's smile broadened even wider.
I found out where Dragon lives in the forest, he said.
Then in a victory chant, he said.
What gives? What gives?
I know where dragon lives. Bouncing his shoulders in time
(05:47):
with the rhyme. Oh my gosh, Marie said.
Of all the things Kristen could have said, she was not expecting
this news. That's fantastic.
How'd you find out? JJ asked, voice awash in
admiration and excitement. My parents knew, Christian said
(06:08):
matter of factly. They found Dragon's home on a
forest hike a while ago. So where is it?
Marie said, unable to contain her curiosity.
Kristin chuckled. It's right at the center of the
forest. My mom says you take the hiking
path that starts near the park in the pavilion.
(06:29):
Every time the path splits, you stay to the right and after
three splits you come upon a really old oak tree growing next
to a small cave. Dragon lives in that cave.
Wow. Marie said, making note of
Dragon's home in her list, alongwith the instructions about
(06:50):
staying to the right at the three forks in the path.
JJ was also writing furiously inher notebook.
That sounds pretty easy. Let's go now, she said.
Well, it's not that simple, Christian said.
Marie and JJ exchanged looks. Why not?
(07:10):
Marie asked. My mom says that if you walk at
a good pace, it will take at least an hour each way,
Christian explained. An hour?
Oh no, Marie cried. This was terrible news.
If it was going to take them an hour to walk there each way,
plus the time they spend lookingfor the symbol, the odds of
(07:34):
getting all the way there and back without any adults finding
out seemed unlikely. How are we ever going to sneak
away for that long and not get caught?
She said. I didn't know.
Maybe we can run and get there faster, Kristen suggested.
That's a lot of running though, he concluded, making a face as
(07:57):
he said this. No kidding, that sounds
miserable and impossible. Marie said.
She stuck her elbow on the tableand leaned her head in her hand
to think a minute. It seemed like every time they
got a break in the case, there was something in the way of it.
She sighed and reminded herself that setbacks happen to every
(08:21):
great detective, and that's whena detective's critical thinking
skills were extra important. But no ideas came to mind at the
moment, and she sighed again. Why don't we just ride our bikes
on the path? It'll be much faster that way.
JJ said, raising a knowing eyebrow at her friends.
(08:44):
Kristen did a dramatic face palm.
Of course, bikes. He said with a laugh.
We always just walk everywhere since it's so close.
Bikes are the perfect solution. He smiled slyly, adding.
And if anyone catches us, we canjust tell them.
(09:04):
We wanted to ride a little bit into the forest to see what was
there, and we got lost. Marie regarded her two best
friends with an admiring grin. This was why it was so important
to do this quest as a team. Not only was it more fun with
friends, but it also made it easier to problem solve
(09:24):
together. That's brilliant.
She exclaimed. The relief she felt having a
solid plan of what to do next was palpable, and the thought of
seeing where Dragon lived and hopefully finding the symbol
there was incredibly exciting. When do you want to go?
She asked. After a quick check of their
(09:47):
schedules, they ascertained thatthe next afternoon they all had
free was once again Thursday. That would be the big day.
They would ride their bikes to school in the morning and tell
their parents they were going tothe library after school for a
few hours before dinner. But instead of going to the
library, they would actually ride to the park, find the
(10:10):
trail, and bike all the way to Dragon's Cave as fast as
possible. Marie really didn't like having
to wait so long, but this was something they had to do
together. It felt like a really important
step. When Marie ate dinner with her
parents that night, she asked them if she could ride her bike
(10:32):
to school on Thursday and go to the library with JJ and
Christian afterward. She assumed their answer would
be yes, because it usually was, except this time it wasn't.
I'm sorry, sweetie, her mom said.
You can't go this Thursday. You need to come home right
(10:52):
after school because we have plans.
Remember, that's the day we're going out to dinner with some
colleagues of mine that are visiting from out of town.
And after dinner we're going to see the new play at the
Playhouse. Marie had completely forgotten
about these plans. No, she said emphatically.
(11:15):
I don't want to go, do I have to?
Marie usually didn't argue with her parents, but she was really
looking forward to finding whereDragon lived, and she didn't
want to have to wait even longerto go looking with JJ and
Christian. What's gotten into you?
Her dad asked. You were so eager to go when mom
(11:37):
told you about it a few weeks ago.
They have a daughter your age, Added her mom.
I'm sure she really wants to meet you.
I know, Marie said hesitantly. Truth be told, she had been very
excited about the plans when hermom had mentioned it.
She really enjoyed meeting kids her own age, and going to see
(12:00):
productions at the Playhouse wasone of her favorite things to
do. Marie had simply forgotten that
this Thursday was the night theywere going.
You can ride your bike to schoolanother day, her dad said.
OK. Marie agreed, begrudgingly
pushing some of her green beans on her plate back and forth.
(12:22):
She didn't feel much like eatinganymore.
After dinner, she messaged Christian and JJ.
Can't go Thursday, can you go Friday?
The answer was no. After going back and forth a
bit, they concluded that the next possible day they were all
available was the following Thursday, 10 whole days away.
(12:48):
They agreed to go then. Ten whole days.
Ten whole days. A great detective did not wait
10 days to explore important leads in their case, Marie told
herself despairingly, that seemed like forever, but she
didn't see any way around it. On the following days leading up
(13:12):
to Thursday, Marie was anxious, feeling like the entire
adventure was slipping away fromher.
While she sat around and waited to go to some boring dinner and
play on Thursday, Marie felt particularly restless and
irritated. Throughout the day, her thoughts
kept drifting to the Awe Island forest.
(13:35):
She went home right after school, did her homework, and
got ready to go out to dinner. Then she clipped her belt bag
over her shoulder on an angle. It contained her journal and a
pen in case she had any unexpected breakthroughs or
ideas she wanted to jot down about the case.
Doing all of this made her lousymood even worse because it
(13:59):
reminded her of what she was missing.
She really just wanted to be with JJ and Christian.
Finding Dragon's Cave. As they loaded into the car to
go to dinner, Marie's mom noticed her daughter's sour mood
and raised an eyebrow. Please try to be cordial, she
said to Marie. This colleague is a friend from
(14:22):
medical school and her daughter hasn't had anyone her own age to
hang out with yet while they've been visiting.
You wouldn't want someone to be grumpy if you were visiting
them, would you? No, Marie agreed.
She still felt grumpy nonetheless, but resigned
herself to the evening's plans. They met her mom's colleague,
(14:45):
Dr. Barbara Schmidt, along with Doctor Schmidt's husband
Harrison, and their 10 year old daughter Saskia, at a local
restaurant. As they ate, Marie found herself
pleasantly distracted, which helped to lighten her spirits.
Saskia was outgoing and cheerfuland interesting to talk to, and
(15:07):
she didn't shy away from big topics.
I know I don't look like my parents.
That's because I'm adopted, she told Marie.
Marie was surprised by Saskia's openness.
She didn't seem sad or upset by the topic, just matter of fact.
Oh wow, said Marie. Do you know who your birth
(15:30):
parents are? Saskia shook her head.
I've never met them and I don't know anything about them.
My mom says she wasn't given anyinformation except for a sealed
envelope that I can only open when I turn 13.
Whoa, that sounds like a pretty big deal.
(15:50):
Marie said, unsure what else to say.
Marie didn't know a lot about adoption.
She hadn't imagined what it would feel like to be adopted
and have another family out there in the world.
Saskia shrugged. I guess it is, but that's still
(16:10):
three years away. As the two girls chatted more,
Marie also found some things they had in common.
Saskia really liked art, and in particular painting with acrylic
paint. Marie liked art too, and Saskia
loved animals. Her family had a little dog
(16:32):
named LD which stood for Little Dude, so named because he was a
tiny dog with a big dog mentality.
Marie loved animals as well and hoped to have a dog of her own
someday. After dinner, the group walked
over to the Playhouse that was just a few buildings over from
(16:53):
the restaurant. There was quite a crowd
assembled out front. This is a world premiere.
Her mom explained as they joinedthe queue to enter.
Marie looked up. The name of the play was glowing
in bright lights on the marquee.Obscuratus Island.
(17:14):
Oh, interesting title, Marie thought to herself.
Walking down the aisle of the theater.
Marie noted that the setup was in the round, with the stage in
the center of the room and seatsarranged all around it.
The free form platform was raised about a foot off the
ground, but its size and shape made the stage itself feel like
(17:39):
an island. They had front row seats and
Marie was so close to the stage she felt like she was
practically on it. She immediately tucked her
Playbill into her belt bag. Although she usually liked to
read the director's notes and the actor's profiles right away,
she was having such a nice time chatting with Saskia, she
(18:03):
figured she'd read them later. Soon the lights dimmed, and when
they came up again, there were three teenagers on the stage,
standing facing out in differentdirections with their backs to
each other. They looked like they were
dressed for an adventure. And so the story began.
(18:23):
To her surprise, the main character in this play was also
named Marie. Hearing her own name spoken on
stage made Marie feel like she was part of the story herself,
which drew her into the mystery immediately.
The play followed the three teenagers who were stranded on a
(18:45):
mysterious island, Obscuratus Island.
As they explored the island, they met a variety of humans and
creatures, some friend, some foe, and encountered strange
magics. Over the course of act one, the
teens solved an ancient mystery,fought a great battle, and
(19:08):
finally found a way to return home.
But just when the adventure appeared to be over, they
realized they had to go back to the island because they had
really only solved part of the mystery and fought 1 battle, and
there were more secrets to uncover, more dangerous to face.
(19:29):
At this cliffhanger, the lights came up and intermission began.
Marie blinked a few times as hereyes adjusted to the brightness.
This story felt so real, so incredibly real, it was almost
jarring to return to the ordinary world.
Marie didn't want to talk, didn't want to think.
(19:52):
She just wanted to stay in the story and see what was going to
happen next. After a long wait, it's finally
time for Marie, JJ, and Christian to go into the AA Way
(20:13):
Island forest. Will they be able to find the
home of the young dragon and seeif the strange symbol is there?
Find out when the adventure continues in our next episode of
Adventures on AA Way Island. Thanks for listening to
(20:35):
Adventures on Awe Island. Be sure to follow us on your
favorite podcast player so you don't miss an episode.
Previously on Adventures on AO Wei Island, Marie's surprise
observations about the two dragon clues opened new
possibilities as to what and where the oldest thing on AO Wei
Island might be. Will JJ and Christian agree?
(00:25):
Welcome to adventures on Awe Island.
Chapter 5 Dragon Part 2 The following afternoon, Marie put
her detective's journal in her backpack, slung it over her
(00:47):
shoulder, and headed back to thelibrary a bit early.
She told her parents she would be back before dinner.
It had been exactly one week since the library closed.
Deep beneath the building, behind a locked door labeled
RESTRICTED at the bottom of a carved stone staircase, the rare
(01:07):
books room had caught fire due to old electrical wiring.
Marie was anxious to see if anything had changed since the
library had reopened. Most importantly, Marie wanted
to know if the secret spot, the book where they'd found the
treasure map and the third Riddle had been damaged since it
(01:29):
had been located in the room where the fire took place.
Walking through the first set ofdoors, she was greeted by the
familiar scent of pine and the fountain gurgling away near the
entrance. Quickly, she headed through the
second set of doors and into themain lobby.
She stopped and looked around, taking it all in.
(01:51):
Everything appeared to be unchanged, as if a fire had
never occurred. In fact, it felt quite anti
climactic. Marie wasn't sure what she was
expecting exactly, but she expected something to be
different. She headed to the information
desk and saw Sal, the librarian,helping a patron.
(02:13):
Marie got in line to wait her turn for assistance.
Hi Sal, I'd like to go to the rare books room please.
She said in her most businesslike tone.
Hi ya kiddo. Sal greeted Marie.
I'm sorry, but that's not open yet, they're still finishing
repairs. Marie just stood there for a
moment. She hadn't anticipated this
(02:35):
possibility and was crestfallen.Do you know if any books were
damaged? She asked, hoping for any
information. Some were ruined, but I'm not
sure which ones. We haven't been allowed
downstairs yet. The books in the affected area
were sent out for restoration ifthey were not too damaged.
(02:56):
Sal replied. I think it's going to take about
a week before the area is safe to go into.
They have to replace all the lighting and electrical down
there and clean up the soot. Oh, OK, thanks.
Marie said sadly. She was more worried than ever
now. Even if the secret spot hadn't
(03:16):
been completely destroyed, if ithad been sent out for
restoration, perhaps vital clueslike the Riddle written on the
inside of the dust cover would be lost.
Just thinking about it made her stomach lurch.
Marie was about to turn away from the desk when she
remembered that she, JJ, and Christian were meeting next and
(03:38):
needed a place to talk privately.
I'd like to use a collaboration room, please.
She said to Sal, pulling her library card from her pocket.
After signing out the collaboration room, she went
back to the lobby to meet JJ andChristian.
JJ was already there, waiting. Upon seeing Marie, JJ smiled.
(03:59):
I brought my notes. She whispered to Marie.
Me too. Marie replied just as Christian
walked through the entryway doors and joined them.
He looked much more chipper thanMarie felt, going so far as to
hold his hand out in a thumbs uppose.
Marie was uncertain what inspired the gesture at this
(04:21):
moment, but she made a thumbs upand pressed her thumb to
Christians. JJ did the same so that their
three thumbs met in the center. It wasn't really a handshake, at
least they hadn't called it thatyet, but to Marie it felt like
one. For lack of a better descriptor,
(04:42):
it was a symbolic gesture, confirming that they were in
this together. What was that for?
JJ asked. I've got great news, Christian
said. He opened his mouth to tell them
right there in the lobby, but Marie cut them off.
Come on, I've got a collaboration room signed out
(05:02):
already, let's talk there. She said, leading the way to the
room they'd been assigned. Once they were inside the room
and could talk freely, Kristen'supbeat mood had Marie and JJ
smiling without even knowing what they were smiling about.
OK, so what's up? JJ asked as she took out her
notebook. Marie also set her journal on
(05:25):
the table and opened to her notes on Dragon.
If it was possible, Christian's smile broadened even wider.
I found out where Dragon lives in the forest, he said.
Then in a victory chant, he said.
What gives? What gives?
I know where dragon lives. Bouncing his shoulders in time
(05:47):
with the rhyme. Oh my gosh, Marie said.
Of all the things Kristen could have said, she was not expecting
this news. That's fantastic.
How'd you find out? JJ asked, voice awash in
admiration and excitement. My parents knew, Christian said
(06:08):
matter of factly. They found Dragon's home on a
forest hike a while ago. So where is it?
Marie said, unable to contain her curiosity.
Kristin chuckled. It's right at the center of the
forest. My mom says you take the hiking
path that starts near the park in the pavilion.
(06:29):
Every time the path splits, you stay to the right and after
three splits you come upon a really old oak tree growing next
to a small cave. Dragon lives in that cave.
Wow. Marie said, making note of
Dragon's home in her list, alongwith the instructions about
(06:50):
staying to the right at the three forks in the path.
JJ was also writing furiously inher notebook.
That sounds pretty easy. Let's go now, she said.
Well, it's not that simple, Christian said.
Marie and JJ exchanged looks. Why not?
(07:10):
Marie asked. My mom says that if you walk at
a good pace, it will take at least an hour each way,
Christian explained. An hour?
Oh no, Marie cried. This was terrible news.
If it was going to take them an hour to walk there each way,
plus the time they spend lookingfor the symbol, the odds of
(07:34):
getting all the way there and back without any adults finding
out seemed unlikely. How are we ever going to sneak
away for that long and not get caught?
She said. I didn't know.
Maybe we can run and get there faster, Kristen suggested.
That's a lot of running though, he concluded, making a face as
(07:57):
he said this. No kidding, that sounds
miserable and impossible. Marie said.
She stuck her elbow on the tableand leaned her head in her hand
to think a minute. It seemed like every time they
got a break in the case, there was something in the way of it.
She sighed and reminded herself that setbacks happen to every
(08:21):
great detective, and that's whena detective's critical thinking
skills were extra important. But no ideas came to mind at the
moment, and she sighed again. Why don't we just ride our bikes
on the path? It'll be much faster that way.
JJ said, raising a knowing eyebrow at her friends.
(08:44):
Kristen did a dramatic face palm.
Of course, bikes. He said with a laugh.
We always just walk everywhere since it's so close.
Bikes are the perfect solution. He smiled slyly, adding.
And if anyone catches us, we canjust tell them.
(09:04):
We wanted to ride a little bit into the forest to see what was
there, and we got lost. Marie regarded her two best
friends with an admiring grin. This was why it was so important
to do this quest as a team. Not only was it more fun with
friends, but it also made it easier to problem solve
(09:24):
together. That's brilliant.
She exclaimed. The relief she felt having a
solid plan of what to do next was palpable, and the thought of
seeing where Dragon lived and hopefully finding the symbol
there was incredibly exciting. When do you want to go?
She asked. After a quick check of their
(09:47):
schedules, they ascertained thatthe next afternoon they all had
free was once again Thursday. That would be the big day.
They would ride their bikes to school in the morning and tell
their parents they were going tothe library after school for a
few hours before dinner. But instead of going to the
library, they would actually ride to the park, find the
(10:10):
trail, and bike all the way to Dragon's Cave as fast as
possible. Marie really didn't like having
to wait so long, but this was something they had to do
together. It felt like a really important
step. When Marie ate dinner with her
parents that night, she asked them if she could ride her bike
(10:32):
to school on Thursday and go to the library with JJ and
Christian afterward. She assumed their answer would
be yes, because it usually was, except this time it wasn't.
I'm sorry, sweetie, her mom said.
You can't go this Thursday. You need to come home right
(10:52):
after school because we have plans.
Remember, that's the day we're going out to dinner with some
colleagues of mine that are visiting from out of town.
And after dinner we're going to see the new play at the
Playhouse. Marie had completely forgotten
about these plans. No, she said emphatically.
(11:15):
I don't want to go, do I have to?
Marie usually didn't argue with her parents, but she was really
looking forward to finding whereDragon lived, and she didn't
want to have to wait even longerto go looking with JJ and
Christian. What's gotten into you?
Her dad asked. You were so eager to go when mom
(11:37):
told you about it a few weeks ago.
They have a daughter your age, Added her mom.
I'm sure she really wants to meet you.
I know, Marie said hesitantly. Truth be told, she had been very
excited about the plans when hermom had mentioned it.
She really enjoyed meeting kids her own age, and going to see
(12:00):
productions at the Playhouse wasone of her favorite things to
do. Marie had simply forgotten that
this Thursday was the night theywere going.
You can ride your bike to schoolanother day, her dad said.
OK. Marie agreed, begrudgingly
pushing some of her green beans on her plate back and forth.
(12:22):
She didn't feel much like eatinganymore.
After dinner, she messaged Christian and JJ.
Can't go Thursday, can you go Friday?
The answer was no. After going back and forth a
bit, they concluded that the next possible day they were all
available was the following Thursday, 10 whole days away.
(12:48):
They agreed to go then. Ten whole days.
Ten whole days. A great detective did not wait
10 days to explore important leads in their case, Marie told
herself despairingly, that seemed like forever, but she
didn't see any way around it. On the following days leading up
(13:12):
to Thursday, Marie was anxious, feeling like the entire
adventure was slipping away fromher.
While she sat around and waited to go to some boring dinner and
play on Thursday, Marie felt particularly restless and
irritated. Throughout the day, her thoughts
kept drifting to the Awe Island forest.
(13:35):
She went home right after school, did her homework, and
got ready to go out to dinner. Then she clipped her belt bag
over her shoulder on an angle. It contained her journal and a
pen in case she had any unexpected breakthroughs or
ideas she wanted to jot down about the case.
Doing all of this made her lousymood even worse because it
(13:59):
reminded her of what she was missing.
She really just wanted to be with JJ and Christian.
Finding Dragon's Cave. As they loaded into the car to
go to dinner, Marie's mom noticed her daughter's sour mood
and raised an eyebrow. Please try to be cordial, she
said to Marie. This colleague is a friend from
(14:22):
medical school and her daughter hasn't had anyone her own age to
hang out with yet while they've been visiting.
You wouldn't want someone to be grumpy if you were visiting
them, would you? No, Marie agreed.
She still felt grumpy nonetheless, but resigned
herself to the evening's plans. They met her mom's colleague,
(14:45):
Dr. Barbara Schmidt, along with Doctor Schmidt's husband
Harrison, and their 10 year old daughter Saskia, at a local
restaurant. As they ate, Marie found herself
pleasantly distracted, which helped to lighten her spirits.
Saskia was outgoing and cheerfuland interesting to talk to, and
(15:07):
she didn't shy away from big topics.
I know I don't look like my parents.
That's because I'm adopted, she told Marie.
Marie was surprised by Saskia's openness.
She didn't seem sad or upset by the topic, just matter of fact.
Oh wow, said Marie. Do you know who your birth
(15:30):
parents are? Saskia shook her head.
I've never met them and I don't know anything about them.
My mom says she wasn't given anyinformation except for a sealed
envelope that I can only open when I turn 13.
Whoa, that sounds like a pretty big deal.
(15:50):
Marie said, unsure what else to say.
Marie didn't know a lot about adoption.
She hadn't imagined what it would feel like to be adopted
and have another family out there in the world.
Saskia shrugged. I guess it is, but that's still
(16:10):
three years away. As the two girls chatted more,
Marie also found some things they had in common.
Saskia really liked art, and in particular painting with acrylic
paint. Marie liked art too, and Saskia
loved animals. Her family had a little dog
(16:32):
named LD which stood for Little Dude, so named because he was a
tiny dog with a big dog mentality.
Marie loved animals as well and hoped to have a dog of her own
someday. After dinner, the group walked
over to the Playhouse that was just a few buildings over from
(16:53):
the restaurant. There was quite a crowd
assembled out front. This is a world premiere.
Her mom explained as they joinedthe queue to enter.
Marie looked up. The name of the play was glowing
in bright lights on the marquee.Obscuratus Island.
(17:14):
Oh, interesting title, Marie thought to herself.
Walking down the aisle of the theater.
Marie noted that the setup was in the round, with the stage in
the center of the room and seatsarranged all around it.
The free form platform was raised about a foot off the
ground, but its size and shape made the stage itself feel like
(17:39):
an island. They had front row seats and
Marie was so close to the stage she felt like she was
practically on it. She immediately tucked her
Playbill into her belt bag. Although she usually liked to
read the director's notes and the actor's profiles right away,
she was having such a nice time chatting with Saskia, she
(18:03):
figured she'd read them later. Soon the lights dimmed, and when
they came up again, there were three teenagers on the stage,
standing facing out in differentdirections with their backs to
each other. They looked like they were
dressed for an adventure. And so the story began.
(18:23):
To her surprise, the main character in this play was also
named Marie. Hearing her own name spoken on
stage made Marie feel like she was part of the story herself,
which drew her into the mystery immediately.
The play followed the three teenagers who were stranded on a
(18:45):
mysterious island, Obscuratus Island.
As they explored the island, they met a variety of humans and
creatures, some friend, some foe, and encountered strange
magics. Over the course of act one, the
teens solved an ancient mystery,fought a great battle, and
(19:08):
finally found a way to return home.
But just when the adventure appeared to be over, they
realized they had to go back to the island because they had
really only solved part of the mystery and fought 1 battle, and
there were more secrets to uncover, more dangerous to face.
(19:29):
At this cliffhanger, the lights came up and intermission began.
Marie blinked a few times as hereyes adjusted to the brightness.
This story felt so real, so incredibly real, it was almost
jarring to return to the ordinary world.
Marie didn't want to talk, didn't want to think.
(19:52):
She just wanted to stay in the story and see what was going to
happen next. After a long wait, it's finally
time for Marie, JJ, and Christian to go into the AA Way
(20:13):
Island forest. Will they be able to find the
home of the young dragon and seeif the strange symbol is there?
Find out when the adventure continues in our next episode of
Adventures on AA Way Island. Thanks for listening to
(20:35):
Adventures on Awe Island. Be sure to follow us on your
favorite podcast player so you don't miss an episode.
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