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Melody stood and stretched her arms over her head. She'd been sitting behind the visitor's

center desk for a few hours, but her shift was coming to an end.

Melody was a natural history interpreter, meaning it was her job to share

information with visitors about this national park. It was one of the most

popular places to visit in the larger Tongus National Forest.

Sometimes she led interpretive walks along the wooded trails. Other times she

took groups of kids on nature hikes to learn how to identify local plants and

wildlife. But since it was the start of a long weekend she only had to work a

half day. She'd have the next two days all to herself.

Now it was time to pack up her bag, put on her green jacket and close up the

small building until the start of next week. Melody zipped up her jacket, flipped

off the light switch and turned the small brass key in the lock on the visitor

center door. She stopped on the front porch of the building to take in the

beautiful surroundings. They never ceased to amaze her.

The center was nestled in a pocket of forest, a few hundred feet off of the

main road through town. Dense trees muffled the sounds of the few cars and

trucks that occasionally drove past, though they seldom came this far out the

...