Fin - Lauren Ipsum: A Story About Computer Science and Other Improbable Things - page 106

Chapter 20. Fin
The mandelbroccoli bushes got shorter and wilder until they blended in with the forest.
Laurie didn't know where she was or where she was going. But she knew how to get there.
At least, she hoped she did. By now it was late afternoon and the shadows were getting
longer.
The trees of the forest were large oaks and maple, with an occasional pine or spruce. There
were a number of saplings and bushes of various sorts. It was hard to see far because of all
the leaves, but walking was easy enough if she skirted the spruce and berry bushes.
“ Chirrrup! ”
Laurie's heart started pounding. More Jargon? How many? Where?
“ Chirrrup! ”
No running this time. She walked toward the noise as quietly as she could. It seemed to be
behind a large tree. No, not a Jargon. It was . . . a squirrel. An ordinary squirrel. It yelled
what were probably very nasty things in Squirrel, then ran up the tree to safety. And that tree!
She recognized it. It was the big tree behind her house, at the edge of the woods . . .
Laurie was home.
* * *
Lying in her own bed after a hot bath made Laurie feel happy and tired. As far as her mother
knew, Laurie had been gone only an hour or two. To Laurie, though, it felt like at least a
week since she'd gotten lost in the woods. She was too sleepy to think about it. She hoped
Xor had gotten his wish and was learning how to blend in. She was sad that she didn't get to
see her new friends again. She had promised to come back . . . after delivering . . . delivering
that letter . . .
Two seconds later, she was out of bed and tearing open the plain white envelope.