Chapter 161: Cave Explorer

Unschooling was a little harder to commit to than Emily had imagined. She knew that there were plenty of learning opportunities for Mandy at home, but sometimes work demands, or just wanting a bit of time to herself made her reluctant to teach the kid.

It was early September, and the unschooling had been going on for a week. Emily was working on her sketches in her home office while Mandy watched an educational program in the cinema room.

It didn't seem like too much time had passed, but when Emily looked up from her sketch, the house felt unusually quiet.

She went into the cinema room and saw that Mandy must have finished her program and dutifully turned the screen off. She was an amazingly responsible child in some respects.

"Mandy!" Emily called, "Where are you, Mandikins?"

An eerie silence filled the large house. Emily checked all the rooms, but her daughter was nowhere to be found. Surely she wouldn't have gone outside all by herself? For a chilling moment, she thought the