Jack's Spooky Playground Adventure

Jack loved his local playground more than anything. It was a wonderland of bright yellow slides that went *whoosh*, swings that flew up to the clouds, and a sandpit that smelled like warm sunshine and happy giggles. Jack was known for being the bravest kid around. He'd climb to the very top of the wobbly climbing frame, calling out, "I'm the king of the castle!" for everyone to hear.

But one afternoon, something new stood in the corner of the playground. It was a big, dark tent with a sign that had spooky, wiggly letters: "THE MYSTERY MAZE." A little fake ghost on top wobbled in the breeze, and from inside came a funny, fluttery sound, like *whoo-ooo-ooo*. All the other kids stayed away, whispering about how scary it looked.

Jack felt a funny wobble in his tummy, a bit like when he swung too high. He wanted to see inside, but his feet felt stuck to the ground. He took one brave step, then another, but the *whoo-ooo-ooo* sound grew a little louder, and the wobbly ghost seemed to wave right at him. "Maybe... maybe I'll just play on the slide," he thought, his brave feeling shrinking just a little. *Thump-thump, thump-thump* went his heart.

He stood near the slide, but he couldn't stop looking at the tent. He remembered what his mum always said: "Being brave doesn't mean you're not scared, Jack. It means you do it anyway." He took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and marched right up to the tent. *Thump-thump, thump-thump* went his heart, but his feet kept moving. He pulled back the dark curtain and peeked inside. It wasn't scary at all! It was just a maze of colourful, silly streamers and a little fan making the *whoo-ooo-ooo* noise.

Jack laughed out loud! He ran through the streamer maze, tickling his face, and waved at the little fan. He ran back out into the sunshine, feeling ten feet tall. "It's not spooky, it's fun!" he shouted to his friends. Soon, everyone was giggling and running through the Mystery Maze together. Jack knew then that facing something that seems scary was the best adventure of all.