The Great Hike up Mount Liamuiga It was a bright Saturday morning in St. Kitts. The crisp morning air blew smoothly across my skin. The wind whispered, “A new adventure is waiting!” My friends and I spent days planning and researching what to wear for our adventure up the tall, lush, green mountain called Mount Liamuiga. On the day, we wore hiking boots, sun hats, and colourful shirts that danced in the forest’s breeze. Excitement filled the air as we packed our backpacks. We took with us our water bottles, a map, and Kira’s favourite snack, chocolate chip cookies. Our journey began with joyful singing EVERYBODY: “STEP BY STEP, BREATH BY BREATH, WE CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN, NO TIME TO REST!” The air smelled fresh like rain and flowers, and a hummingbird zipped by so fast that Kira gasped. (KIRA GASP) Tall trees stood like guards on either side of the trail, their leaves whispering mountain secrets. LEAVES BLOWING Jahniah picked a ripe mango and laughed as the sweet juice ran down her chin. JANIAH – LOOK AT THIS MANGO. IT’S SO JUICY. IT LOOKS LIKE I HAVE A MANGO JUICE BEARD. Everything felt magical, until the weather suddenly changed. Dark clouds gathered, and thunder rumbled across the sky. STORM SOUNDS KALIA: “UH-OH. IT’S GOING TO RAIN!” The path grew slippery, and as we hurried along. Shaniyah slipped and hurt her foot. SHANIYAH: “AHHHH, MY LEG! I WONT BE ABLE TO WALK FAST. IT HURTS TOO MUCH”. To make matters worse, the wind snatched our map and sent it flying into the bushes. We stood in the rain, cold, worried, and unsure of where to go. Just then, we heard a gentle cooing. BIRD COOING It was a mountain dove, perched on a branch, tilting its head as if to say, “Follow me.” Trusting the little bird, we followed it through the dripping forest, step by step, breath by breath, until the trees opened and we saw the breath-taking view from the top of Mount Liamuiga. EVERYBODY: GASP IN AWE The storm had passed, and the island stretched out below us. Green hills, the vast blue sea, and colourful houses shining in the sunlight. We cheered and laughed with relief and joy. EVERYBODY: CHEERING Shaniyah rested her foot on a rock while Kira shared her chocolate chip cookies with everyone. “WE MADE IT!” I SHOUTED. “WE MADE IT TO THE TOP!” Then, in joyful spirits, we chanted, “STEP BY STEP, BREATH BY BREATH, WE CLIMBED THE MOUNTAIN, NO TIME TO REST! NOW WE SEE, NOW WE KNOW, UP MOUNT LIAMUIGA TOGETHER WE GO!” That day taught us something special; even when the path is hard and the rain falls, keep climbing, because something beautiful is always waiting at the top.