11  Achada da Cruz: Floating to a Secret World

“Have you ever dreamed of flying, Mia? Of soaring high like me and seeing the island from above?” Little Bird asked one morning.

Mia nodded eagerly. “All the time!”

“Then today is your lucky day,” he said. “I’m taking you somewhere very special.”

They arrived at the edge of a cliff so high it touched the sky. Below, Mia could see a patchwork of green fields and a sparkling blue sea.

In front of them stood a strange machine with long cables stretching from the cliff top to the world below.

“What is it?” Mia asked in awe.

“It’s a teleférico—a cable car,” chirped Little Bird. “It will take you down to a hidden village called Fajã da Quebrada Nova.”

As the doors opened with a soft ding, Mia stepped into the little glass cabin. Little Bird fluttered outside, promising to meet her at the bottom.

As the cable car glided down, Mia felt like she was flying. The island unfolded beneath her like a giant painting—cliffs, gardens, sea, and sky.

When the doors opened at the bottom, a black-and-white cat was waiting for her.

“Hello! I’m Smudge,” said the cat, stretching. “Welcome to my village. I’d love to show you around.”

“Nice to meet you, Smudge. I’m Mia, and that’s Little Bird.”

Together, they wandered down stone paths where wildflowers peeked from every corner. The air was salty and sweet.

“This village is mostly quiet now,” Smudge explained. “Only a few farmers and my cat family live here all year. It’s peaceful and full of secrets.”

Mia loved it. It felt like a place forgotten by time.

When the sun began to lower, it was time to return.

“Thank you, Smudge,” Mia said, giving the cat a warm hug. “I’ll come back one day.”

She stepped back into the cable car, and as it rose into the sky, she looked down at the tiny village, waving to the sea, the fields, and the friend she had made.