Deep in a land far away, it was said that if you found a stone that sparkled like a thousand stars, you’d find a friend for life!
One day, Jackson was playing with his toy dragon in his room in Dallas. He liked to make his dragon fly all around, whooshing past his head. "Higher, dragon!" Jackson said, making his dragon soar. Then, Mom called from downstairs, "Jackson! Come see what I found!" Jackson, curious, scurried down the stairs.
There, on the table, was a sparkling stone. It glittered with all the colors of the rainbow! "Wow!" gasped Jackson, his eyes wide.
"It's beautiful," whispered Mom, her voice soft. "Maybe it's the magical stone we read about!"
Jackson carefully picked it up. It felt warm in his hand, like holding a sunbeam. Suddenly, the room started to spin! When everything stopped, Jackson and Mom were standing at the bottom of a giant, steaming volcano!
"Whoa!" exclaimed Jackson. "Where are we?"
The ground was covered in colorful pebbles that shimmered with heat. The air smelled like a mix of hot cocoa and something exciting, like fireworks.
"I think...we’re at Erupting Volcano!" Mom said, her eyes wide with surprise. "Look!"
In front of them, little creatures with fuzzy, rainbow fur and big, sparkly eyes popped out from behind the rocks.
"Hello!" said one, bouncing on its tail. "Welcome to Erupting Volcano! We are the Glitterbugs!"
The Glitterbugs explained that the sparkling stone Jackson found was a magical key to their home. They loved making friends and sharing their volcano's warmth. "Do you want to be our friends and play with us?" another Glitterbug squeaked.
Jackson, thrilled, looked at Mom. She smiled and nodded. "Yes, we would love to!" Jackson said, his robot arms whirring with excitement.
The Glitterbugs cheered and took Jackson and Mom on a tour of Erupting Volcano. They slid down slopes of smooth, warm stones, played hide-and-seek in caves filled with glowing crystals, and even rode on the back of a friendly, fire-breathing lizard (who loved to munch on special volcano flowers that made his breath smell like cinnamon)!
As they played, Jackson learned that friendship was like the Erupting Volcano - warm, exciting, and full of surprises! He knew he'd always treasure this special adventure and his new friends, the Glitterbugs.
Soon, it was time to go. The Glitterbugs hugged Jackson and Mom goodbye and gave them each a tiny, sparkling stone to remember their time together.
Holding the stone, Jackson and Mom closed their eyes. The world spun again, and they were back in their living room in Dallas. The stone shimmered one last time and then looked like an ordinary stone again.
But Jackson knew it wasn’t ordinary. It was a reminder of the magical Erupting Volcano, his new friends, and the day he learned that friendship, like a sparkling stone, was something truly special.
