Treasure Hunt

Ah, thought James, at last. Spring is here.

    Winter had been rough this year, worse than normal. It was already the middle of April, spring break to be exact, and yet there was still snow on the ground. But, the snow was melting and the temperature was increasing, meaning summer was on its way.

    James had always hated winter, simply because he didn’t like the cold. He wanted to live somewhere warm, but his parents would always say no. They also made him ride his bike to his friend’s houses, as he was doing now. Said it was good exercise or something. It felt like a long ways, even if he was going one block.

    Another problem was that, since James didn’t like the cold, he didn’t go outside much in the winter, meaning he couldn’t do the one thing that he loved: adventuring. The town he lived in was small, letting James be allowed to explore. Life was hard, especially for a teenager. Everyone had their own way of coping with it. James’s was just a bit different from others.

    He was on his way to his friend Andy’s house. Andy loved adventures as well, and they were going to plan their first one of the year.

    But something stopped James. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a glint of something shiny sticking out of a snowbank. What was it? 

    James got off his bike and pulled the object out of the snow. It was a plain and small metal box. James shook it, wondering what it was. He opened it and found an piece of paper. Why was this particular paper special enough to be put in a metal box? 

    James wondered if Andy would know. He was definitely more observant than James. So, placing the paper back in the box, James set off to his friends house.

    The two boys stood in Andy’s room. Andy didn’t know what the paper was for. He did say, however,  that it was odd it was in a box if it was blank. Unless…

    “James? Can you bring me my black light from over by my bed?” Andy said.

    James retrieved the object and Andy shined the light over the paper.

“That’s it!” Andy exclaimed.

“What’s it?” James asked, trying to see what Andy had found.

“It’s a note, written in invisible ink.” 

“Well I got that, but what’s it say?” 

Andy handed James the paper, “Here. See for yourself.”

It looked like some sort of letter. 

To whomever finds this,

Greetings. I have created this in order to keep a certain object out of the wrong hands. What is that object? Well, I cannot tell you, for you might be the enemy. If you aren’t, then you’ll soon see what the object is.

Here is your first hint:

Long ago I once thrived, but I was struck and now I’ve died.

“What does that even mean?” asked Andy.

James shrugged, “Beats me.”

Andy thought for a moment, “What if it’s a treasure hunt sort of thing? You know, where we have to follow some clues that lead to something?”

“It could be,” James noted, “It says there’s an object that can’t fall into the wrong hands. Could that be what’s at the end?”

“Possibly.”

“So, let’s find out!” 

Andy sighed, “Alright. But first, we have to figure out what this clue means.”

“Let’s see…” Why did James feel like he had seen this letter before? “Well, being struck and dying could mean being stuck by lightning. The question is, what was struck by lightning?”

Andy clapped his hands together, “The old tree in Clarkston Park! The one we used to climb around in when we were little.”

James nodded, agreeing with Andy’s conclusion as Andy grabbed his backpack, “Okay. Let’s head to Clarkston Park.”

“It could be anywhere.” said James. They were standing in front of the great tree. It had once been the largest in the park, but then it had been stuck in a lightning storm and was killed. Nobody felt like cutting it down, though, so it remained standing.

“There!” Andy pointed toward a branch in the middle of the tree. “There’s something up there!”

James, being the adventurer he was, climbed onto the first limb and made his way toward the small object.

This time, it was a dark, wooden box, in order to keep it hidden among the branches. They’d been right. James climbed back down and showed Andy the box.

“Open it!” Andy exclaimed, “What’s inside?”

James opened the box, revealing another piece of paper. He turned to Andy who put the empty box in his backpack.

“You brought the black light didn’t you?”

Andy nodded and handed the flashlight to James.

Well done! You solved the first clue! Now hurry, the enemy could be close behind.

Sparkling water, statues of stone, find your next clue where coins are thrown.

Again, why did James have a feeling he’d seen this before?

“What’s it say?” Andy asked excitedly.

James looked at his friend, “It says we have to go where coins our found. So, we have to go to the fountain.”

    Andy smiled, “Looks like we’ve got some work to do.”

    Round and round town the boys went, solving clue after clue after clue. By the time they reached the tenth one, James was getting worried. His parents would want him back home soon.

    Luckily, as they pulled the paper out of the box they’d found at the Ice Cream Shop and read it under the black light they noticed the first sentence said that this was the last clue. 

    “Finally,” said Andy, “We’ve been going around in circles for quite some time now, and my backpack’s getting heavy.”

    James read the rest of the note.

    Alright, it said, you’ve nearly reached the end. This will lead to the secret object I’ve told you so much about.

    This day has been fun in the cool April sun…

    “More like April clouds,” Andy sighed. It definitely wasn’t sunny outside, that much was true. James continued reading.

    The yellow slide in the cool of the shade is where you’ll find the object, I’m afraid.

    “Afraid?” Andy asked.

    “Probably just there so the phrase ryhmes,” James told him.

    “Yellow slide…” Andy was thinking, “But that’s in…”

    “My backyard.” James finished.

    “Why would there be a secret object hidden in your backyard?”

    James shrugged, “Might as well find out.”

    The two rode their bikes to James’s house, where they went to the backyard and to the small, yellow slide. The slide was made for little kids, but no one had gotten around to getting rid of it yet.

    “It’s right there!” said Andy, “under the slide.”

    “For someone who wants to keep this hidden,” James said, “They didn’t do a good job. And, another question: how long has this been here and I haven’t noticed?”

    Andy shook his head. “Don’t know. Just see what’s inside the box!”

    James grabbed the box from under the slide. It was larger than the other ones they’d found, and heavier too. What was inside?

    “Well,” Andy said, growing impatient, “Open it already!”

 Inside would be the object they’d been searching for. The object they’d ran all around town to find. James closed his eyes and tore the lid off.

“What is it?” Andy asked trying to get a closer look.

James peeked in the box. It was...two candy bars? King size, no doubt, but...candy bars?

Andy grabbed the box from James. “Give me that.” 

He saw what was inside and immediately grabbed one of the candies.

“This is a great treasure!” Andy said, mouthful of chocolate.

“I guess.” James looked at the ground. “I was just hoping it’d be something cooler. I mean, the letter about the enemy getting the prize, the invisible ink, it just seemed like it’d be something better than...candy. Besides, you don’t know where that candy came from. It could be poisoned.”

Andy stopped chewing, “Really?” He examined the wrapper of the other chocolate, which was completely intact. It didn't look as if someone had done something to it.

Andy swallowed, “It tastes normal.” 

James took the other candy bar out of the box. Then his phone from inside his pocket beeped. He looked to see who it was.

“It’s my parents.” James said, “I have to go inside”

“Well then, see you later, James.” Andy hopped on his bike. “Can I keep the boxes?”

“Sure, Andy.”

“Bye.”

Andy left and James went inside through the sliding glass door.

James walked in and saw his parents watching the news.

“Hi honey,” said Dad.

“How was your afternoon?” Mom wondered.

“Good.”  

His parents turned back to the TV.

“Where’s Abby?” He asked, wondering where his little sister was.

Dad answered him, “She went outside to play some sort of treasure hunt with her friends.”

James rolled his eyes. Fourteen-year-old girls. James had always thought of his sister as little, even if she was only two years younger than him.

Then it hit. Treasure hunt...sister outside...familiar clues. They all connected. He’d accidentally done his sister’s treasure hunt she’d planned to do with her friends. That’s why the notes had seemed familiar; he’d watched her write them. James felt like an idiot.

Suddenly, Abby came through the door with her friends, and she did not look happy.

“Mom! Dad!” She whined.

“What is it, Abby?”

She crossed her arms, “Somebody stole the boxes I placed around town. They’re all gone!”

“I’m sure someone just thought they were trash and they-”

“It was me,” James admitted, feeling extremely stupid, “I accidentally did your treasure hunt. I found the first box in a snowbank and followed the clues to the end. I forgot you made it for your friends.”

Abby didn’t buy it, “How could you forget? I made those clues up literally yesterday!”

“I know,” James said, “And I’m sorry.”

Abby’s two friends stood on either side of her awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

“Come on,” Abby told them, “We’re going to my room!”

Abby stomped off to her room with her friends following.

“She’ll get over it.” Dad said.

“I just feel so stupid.” James told them, “I guess the thought of adventure got to my brain.”

Mom stood up and put a hand on James’s shoulder, “We all make mistakes.”

James smiled, “That’s true.”

James looked at the candy bar in his hand. “I’ll be right back.”

He walked up to his sister’s room and knocked on the door.

“Go away!” Abby yelled.

James sighed. Abby had made a mail slot in her door a few years back. He slid the candy through the slot and walked away. 

Later that evening, after Abby’s friends had left, Abby finally came out of her room. She walked to the living room where James was watching TV. 

“James?” She asked.

James paused the movie, “Yes?”

“I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

James stood up and hugged his sister. “I forgive you. Can you forgive me for forgetting?”

Abby laughed. “Of course.”