Category: Adventure

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MYSTERY OF THE GHOST IN THE MIRROR: PART ONE

“YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE SEEN, TO BE HEARD”

“I DIDN’T SEE IT, I DIDN’T SEE IT, I DIDN’T SEE IT,” the old ghost kept shouting out in agony. Dazzling green mist crept along the crusty forest ground. The full moon stretched out behind the smooth, dark clouds in the late October night. The old ghost groaned out for a long, long time, the sound echoing out through the heavy neon green glowing forest. Dark orange light stretched out across the rough, black wall inside the front entryway. The dusty chandelier flickered on and off throwing out dark orange light over the cracked shelves. Dead, overgrown plants took over the shelves. A lady began crying in the corner. A small, shiny red painted wagon creaked along the lowest shelf between two cracked, pale green vases holding dead flowers.

Cade ran low to the ground from one towering evergreen to another, getting down behind several bushes. He stared out with a bright intensity. He slowly broke a smile. Pale shafts of moonlight lit up his short, dark spiraling hair falling low over his intense eyes. Blake shot fast across the cold ground, sliding to a stop next to Cade. His short, sandy hair glowed momentarily in the moonlight. He whispered something to Cade who shook his head. Then turning away, Blake mumbled something to himself. Both kids kept glancing back anxiously. Drew’s shadow slowly appeared. He barely crawled along the ground. Cade and Blake just shook their heads watching him moving incredibly slow. He shook his long, wild hair several times before finally reaching them. Then Cade pointed at them. The father and the mother remained still, watching the kids through the dark blue dusty window. The father held a worn out wrench, while the mother held a dusty, worn spoon. The two ghosts exchanged smiles. The father said, “They’re here.”

Cade, Blake, and Drew call themselves The Cashes Dade Ghost Strikers. They have made it their mission to start a revolution against the aliens who have ruined their school and their country. Check out the page at the top of this site called THE DADESTAR REVOLUTION to start an awesome adventure with endless, fun mysteries. If you want more great stories for Halloween, check out these previous posts beginning with this one:

CHARACTER FUN FACTS: IS CADE MAYSON A GHOST?

Also, check out the one right before this one called CHARACTER FUN FACTS: CADE’S MYSTERIOUS WAY.

It’s almost time to join the kids in their mission to solve the mystery of the Haunted Maysher House. Something tragic happened there, but no one knows what. There’s a secret message the ghosts want people to discover, but the only way is to find the ghost who appears in the mirror. Can you figure out which mirror the ghost will appear in? Who will it be? The grandfather, the father, the mother, the maid, the daughter, or the son? The clues will be there. Will you be able to figure it out? The ghosts will not let you leave if you don’t. Will you escape?

The dark blue sky turned black. The dark outlines of the trees grew still. Black clouds covered the moon. Dead leaves crunched under the kids’ shoes. The old house glowed in still murky green light. Blake reached for the door, then turned back to the other two, breaking a smile.

“Ready?”

“What do you think?” asked Drew. “What time is it?” he added, turning to Cade.

“Showtime,” he whispered with eyes lit. Blake slowly opened the silent door. Strong, bouncing dark orange light hit them as they entered the house. Chilling wind pushed them further in. Drew fell awkwardly on the black marble floor. The face of a middle-aged man appeared in the floor. He stared angrily at them. The wind knocked over several plants from the shelves behind them. The red wagon rolled across, stopping at the edge.

“Shut the door, you’re letting in a draft,” said Drew.

“What are you 85?” asked Blake. Cade turned around. The door slammed shut. A piano played a high-pitched flowing song, the same three high whistling chords over and over. “Happy now, Drew?”

“It’s still cold in here.”

“You want a blanket and some warm milk?”

“Well, a blanket and hot…”

“Quiet, quiet,” Cade whispered tensely. “Listen.” The house creaked and groaned around them. The black marble walls flashed in dark orange light flashing out from twisted chandeliers hanging high on the walls rising high. Dead whispers echoed out from the floor and walls. Shadows crept out from the black couch and black chairs set on each side of the dusty orange table holding a lamp with a dying, small flickering yellow light.

“It’s them,” Blake said in a low voice.

Cade shook his head. “No, there’s something else.” A low booming began, vibrating through the dusty, dirt covered floor. The green glowing square windows made of many smaller square panels rattled under the growing pressure. Just then, the door groaned so loud. The kids fell back and covered their ears. Then the door disappeared. Only a black wall remained. Neon green writing suddenly appeared:

THERE IS NO DOOR, NO ESCAPE, NO WAY OUT

UNLESS YOU SOLVE WHAT THE MYSTERY IS ABOUT

YOU WILL NEVER LEAVE UNLESS YOU SEE IT CLEARER

THAT IS, WHEN YOU SEE THE GHOST IN THE MIRROR

“What we do now?” asked Blake.

“Find a mirror,” said Drew with a shrug. The left chair started moving, dragging away from the wall. A faint white mist appeared. The dead yellow light flickered suddenly, then burned brighter against the black wall behind. As the kids watched, an older lady appeared, wearing a maid’s uniform. She got down and anxiously cleaned the floor where the chair was.

“Should we talk to her?” Drew whispered. The lady suddenly glided away toward the circular living room lit up by small dark orange candle clusters.

“Follow her,” said Blake.

“Stay in the shadows,” whispered Cade. They hurried into the large, empty living room. A circular thick orange carpet covered the floor. The lady got down and furiously scrubbed the carpet with a worn out rag. The dark orange candle clusters barely lit the room, not reaching the center.

“Hey, there’s a mirror,” said Blake pointing to a large, oval shaped mirror with a blue crystal border. “This is our chance.”

“If she stands up,” said Cade. The high-pitched piano chords started up again, playing slowly. A lady screamed from another part of the house. The maid just kept gliding around the carpet, cleaning with something in her hands. The distant lady began crying.

“We should check that out,” said Blake.

“No, wait until she stands up,” said Cade.

Drew sighed heavily, stood up and approached her saying loudly, “HEY LADY, CAN YOU STAND UP FOR A SECOND?” She kept gliding around in frantic circles. “CAN YOU HEAR ME?”

“She can’t hear you,” said Blake standing next to him. Fast footsteps ran above them. Loud dragging cut over the soft piano music. Finally she stood up. The kids looked to the mirror. But all they could see was the dark wall behind, even as she walked past.

“Maybe it’s not a mirror,” said Drew. Cade walked over and pointed to his reflection.

“See? See?” Then he started making funny faces, stretching his mouth in ways that didn’t seem possible.

“Okay, I get it. It’s a mirror.” A loud crash upstairs knocked them back. The kids hurried up a long, winding staircase lit by small dark orange candles. Cade and Blake hurried ahead, while Drew slid to a stop. A bouncing neon green light cut into the dark hall. Drew opened the door showing a bedroom with a massive dollhouse in the center. Numerous small green candles lit up the many different rooms of the house. Drew looked around with wide eyes, his face twisting in amazement as he scanned from room to room. One room had a bunch of slides. Another had small figurines on a dance floor. Another had small pools with a fountain flowing in the center. Another one had all kinds of tubes with colourful waters.

Then Drew turned his gaze to a young girl building a new room near the top left corner. Another loud crash shook the walls. Drew turned to see a large mirror covered with blue and red jewels. He walked up to it, straining to see the reflection not covered, but the girl did not appear.

Drew walked out of the room into the dim circular hallway. Small clusters of dark orange candles barely lit up small cracked shelves holding various flower pots. A green model wagon sat between two. A bright, shiny red horse-drawn carriage with carved horses sat between two large, towering flower pots. He passed another bedroom with small, dark orange lights along various shelves holding small objects. Loud hammering started up echoing all around him. Drew followed the sound to a massive-half oval shaped bedroom.

The bed was covered in bright, colourful blankets. The frames and headboard were black with all kinds of designs carved throughout. A man with sad, empty eyes hammered on a rocking chair in the corner. Drew saw the chair reflected in a small oval shaped mirror with a shimmering glowing green border. It was rocking, but empty all around. He turned back and saw the man hammering on it. Fast footsteps ran in the hall past the room. Drew hurried out into the hall. He saw a young boy disappear up a staircase around the corner. Drew started after him. Another heavy crash rocked the walls. All the lights went out. Total, cold darkness surrounded him. He felt along the wall, his shoes barely tapping the floor. The lady’s crying broke the silence, coming from the first floor. A strong, sharp chill rushed into the hall. Slow footsteps creaked toward him.

Drew started nervously whistling a hopeful tune. He smiled, reaching the staircase, whistling louder and faster, until he heard another voice whistling behind him. He stopped cold. Drew slowly turned around trying to see in the cold dark. The whistling voice drifted past them.

“Yeah I can.”

“No, you can’t.”

“I totally can, I totally can, you’ll see.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“It’ll be easy.”

“You’re crazy.” Drew finally saw a dim, dark orange light cut into the top of the staircase. A young boy disappeared into the top room. Drew entered a massive, wide room with high, grand blue crystal glass windows letting in passing moonlight. High winds beat against the walls. The room was full of massive evergreens holding smooth, triangular neon green glowing leaves. A small, pale bucket sat on a branch near a misty figure. Another crash turned their gazes toward the far corner where the bucket went flying high, hitting the next branch while an old man holding an axe came down a rope ladder held by the branch. He began walking the floor, gazing around at the trees with a strong, concerned gaze.

“What’s going on?” asked Drew.

“Cade’s acting crazy.”

“He’s always acting crazy.”

“No, you don’t understand, he thinks he’s climbing up there,” said Blake pointing to a high balcony with a tall, rectangular mirror. The trees had large branches spiraling around the tree to the top, each row of branches widely spaced.

“No way,” said Drew shaking his head wildly, “no way, he can’t jump that high, no way he does that, he must be joking.“

“He’s not,” said Blake. “I asked him ten times.”

“Cade, how do…where’d he go?” Blake pointed up, while shaking his head. Cade jumped on the branch and bounced up to the next one. He bounced from branch to branch, circling around the tree. Near the top, he jumped to the next branch, didn’t quite get there, grabbed the leaves, hung there for a moment, then dropped back to the lower branch.

“Well, I guess he’ll have to come down now, right?” asked Drew.

“Did you just meet Cade?” The two kids gazed up to see Cade stare up with a strong, fiery gaze, then jump and bounce up, this time almost past the next branch. A few minutes later, Cade reached the balcony. He gazed down to them with a confident smile before turning to the mirror. Just then, a lady screamed, and the place went completely dark and silent…

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CHARACTER FUN FACTS: CADE’S MYSTERIOUS WAY

“YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE SEEN, TO BE HEARD”

What scares you the most? Vampires? Werewolves? Ghosts? Demons? Clowns? Leave a comment below and tell us why. In Cashes Dade, the students like Cade, Blake, and Drew have to fight the fear of the dark ghosts who haunt the land. They work for the aliens, spying on kids, looking to capture any who might be a threat to the aliens, any who might challenge their superiority and authority. Kids have to make sure they lock their windows and don’t stay out too late or they might get captured and dragged to an alien tower. But there’s a greater fear, a fate even worse than being taken to the aliens. You see, in many ways, one of the worst things that can happen to you is not getting captured by a ghost, but becoming one…

Cade Mayson has no sense of direction, at all. I mean, he knows what the directions are. A few weeks ago Cade became determined to explore the mountains where people believe the old Haunted Maysher House is hidden. Blake showed him a map of the area with the four directions written in bold giant letters. Cade nodded along and even passed Drew’s direction test when he covered up each one. But they knew what was going to happen once Cade ventured out. He was supposed to go straight north. As they watched, he started curving right, then drifted further right when he took forever to decide where to cross the raging, wild creek…that was about five feet wide. But it really went wrong when he saw a small, pointed mountain with a bare peak. It had really heavy soil. Cade smiled, knowing what he had to do. He climbed to the top. In the distance a murky neon green forest looked like twisted evergreens made of mist, shifting and turning like dancing ghosts. Cade then surfed down, on the other side. By that time, he was heading west, then he had to work his way through a thick forest. He thought he was getting close since the forest of dazzling neon green glowing evergreens called Crosser Evergreens was getting really dense. The branches from various trees connect and get tangled up. But Cade’s smile faded when he realized he had turned south, and had made it all the way back to Cashes Dade. Blake and Drew just shook their heads in disbelief.

Cade has an amazing talent for getting lost. The second time he went out to look for the haunted house, he did what he does best, he wandered. Blake gave him a really detailed map, but Cade has no sense of scale on a map. Blake drew a forest that was supposed to be about 3 miles long. Then Cade was supposed to climb up to where two bluffs meet, looking like two old ghosts shaking hands in the dark orange sunset light. But he felt like he had gone a long time. It felt like 3 miles. After all, it had been about 20 minutes. He was still deep in the forest, so he thought he was supposed to climb up the branches connected from two tall evergreens. When he got up high, he thought there would be a curving path leading toward the forest where the house might be, but all he saw was the sky. Did he realize he had made a mistake? No, he gazed up at the dark gray massive clouds streaming fast across the sky. He saw a curving path through the clouds and figured Blake meant for him to fly. At that point, he realized this would not be possible, so he turned back. Did he then realize his mistake? Oh no. He stormed back to Cashes Dade ready to ask Blake why he thought Cade could fly.

Cade can’t follow maps or directions, so it’s no surprise he always gets lost, but that’s not the biggest reason. Cade can get intensely focused on something, so focused, that he forgets where he is and what time it is. Blake and Drew thought they did it this time. They were so sure. Blake drew an incredibly detailed map. Drew drew a nice, simple map to make it easier to follow. He even wrote out directions at every single point, I mean, basically directions from tree to tree. So Cade set off, and made it to the top of the bluff, but it was the wrong one because he had the map backwards from the start. He gazed out, looking for the forest. He saw rolling hills, mostly bare spread out leading to a row of jagged, dark peaks casting long, dark shadows over a hidden valley far to the right. Neon green mist kicked up from the ground of the hills on the left, then drifted smoothly left. Cade wasted no time. He sprinted down the steep slope to the hills and followed the mist. As the neon green mist cloud swerved left, then right, then further left, Cade followed after it. He followed it crossing a wide river, over a small mountain, and through a long, narrow valley. He just kept running after it, watching it with a bright, half-crazed intense gaze. He didn’t look at his map once and he also didn’t realize that it was night. But he just had to follow it. He didn’t know why, but he felt it. He had to see where the mist was going, so he continued to follow it, keeping up with it’s fast pace and swift moves over rough terrain. Finally, he found out where it led, it led to the Haunted Maysher House.

Somewhere deep in the mountains outside of Cashes Dade, in a really dense misty forest, is an old abandoned haunted house. A family used to live there after discovering a secret mine that the aliens have been looking for, something that shines bright green. But something really tragic happened there. No one knows what happened. For years, no one was able to visit the family. They could see their sullen faces just staring through the dark blue glass windows, but they couldn’t see close enough to identify who was still alive and who wasn’t. They would just stare for hours, completely still, with an empty gaze looking far, far away. After many years, the rest of the family died, and now their ghosts haunt the house. It’s dangerous to enter, but that won’t stop Cade, Blake, and Drew from trying. Get ready for this:

MYSTERY OF THE GHOST IN THE MIRROR

However, the ghosts do not wish to keep people out. In fact, they want people to enter so they can understand their message. But if the kids fail to solve the mystery, they will be in grave danger, for the real danger, is if they feel ignored…

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MYSTERY OF GHOST PEAK: PART TWO

“YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE SEEN, TO BE HEARD”

As night falls, the new alien tower glows bright green. Then the sour alien horn blares out across the mountains. Dark spirits crawl through the lower mountain slopes, called by the alien horn. They enter the tower through the grand flashing entrance. The top level slowly lights up in a dark golden light that spills out through the massive oval green glass windows around the circular room. Dark spirits fill in and stand throughout the room. They raise their arms high. They stare up at the brilliant gold flashing lights. Then instantly the tower goes dark. The mountains go completely silent. Nothing moves in the total stillness. A dim yellow light appears high in the sky. The dark spirits remain completely still, just staring at the light. That’s when the music starts…

It’s time for part two of the mystery challenge. The mystery to solve in this story is, how do you get to Ghost Peak? Which is the way? Is it through the forest, the rocky slope, the river, the hills, or the misty field? Leave a comment below if you think you figured it out. Did the ghost strikers pick the right path? Tell us why you think your path is the right one. Now, it’s time to join them. Will you find Ghost Peak?

The sleek, blue triangular alien ship hovered low under the dark blue clouds racing across the night sky. Gold lights flashed in a slow rhythm. Cade, Blake, and Drew stood at the edge of the ridge looking out toward the neon blue glowing Ghost Peak.

“You think he’s out there?” asked Drew. Bright, energetic singing echoed out across the dreamy landscape.

“Don’t you hear him?” asked Blake.

“Yeah, he’s singing again.”

“So where else would he be, on the moon?” Drew glanced up at the bright, clear blue shining moon appearing close, yet distant casting a blurry bluish-gold light down to the dreamy landscape.

“So is he there?” asked Cade. Drew shook his head in dismay. The alien ship drifted toward them. The kids hit the ground fast. They laid in the dewey, cold grass while the alien ship slowly moved past, with a low whistling. The ground vibrated as the ship glided off to the right. The kids looked out over the edge toward the peak.

“I heard you can only see it from a distance, but then it disappears,” said Blake.

“You have to find the right way,” said Cade, “then when you get really close you see it.” Far to the left was a forest of glittering green evergreens called Fardays. The grass underneath the forest was soaked. Next to it on the right was a wide rocky slope with massive boulders reflecting blurry, bluish-gold light. Right down the center toward the peak was a wide, rough river with choppy waves. The waters reflected gold flickering lights. To the right were empty, bare green hills twisting and turning toward the peak. Further to the right was a wide, empty field with various blue mists rising up from the grounds, but then fading away.

As the kids listened, they heard Josiah’s fast-paced singing echo out:

“The moonlight burns bright blue

Then the night fires cross the two

That’s when the Ghost Peak appears

But the only way is through your tears”

The kids struggled to see in the falling dark. Two sharp whistles shot out behind them.

“That usually means they’ve spotted us,” Blake said in a low voice. The kids turned to see two dark ghosts standing on the hilltop behind them. A group of dark spirits lined up on both sides.

“Showtime,” Cade whispered with a smile. Blake looked across the lower landscape sharply. Drew glanced back. The dark spirits moved in mass toward them down the slope.

“The misty slope,” said Blake. “We’ll lose them in the mists.”

“Cool, let’s go.” The kids flew over the edge. They sprinted down the slope. Bright blue mists kicked up around them. Dark spirits moved in a line toward them. The heavy blue mists rolled across from left to right. Whispers sprang up on both sides close behind. “Left, left.” Cade swerved sharp left. They ducked low into rising blue mist. Drew glanced back. The dark spirits moved in a fast wave toward them.

“They’re not closing in,” said Drew.

“We can’t just outrun them,” said Blake. Cade gazed ahead at the blue mists kicking up at various points. Then he glanced back at the wide-spread line of ghosts moving in fast.

“Fast, fast, fast this way,” said Cade angling sharp to the left up the slope.

“They’re gaining on us.”

“Be ready.”

“What’s the plan?”

“We’ll stop cold, let them pass right by.” Josiah’s bright singing bounced up and down, but rising slightly. It faded out, then returned strong, then faded again. “Go, go, go.” The kids sprinted faster. Ghostly voices shot back and forth, calling out. Drew glanced up. The alien ship appeared in a sudden rush. It dropped fast further down slope ahead. The kids ducked down in a heavier blue mist cloud. “Now, now.” The three of them slid to a stop. Cade pushed them together. The dark outlines appeared. “Right, right,” he barely whispered. They shuffled right and curled into a ball. Two ghosts slid past them on both sides. Cade gave a sharp nod. They jogged back up the slope. After the kids got back to the ridge, they turned around. Ghost Peak was gone. Josiah’s singing went quiet. Heavy, chilling darkness fell over the mountains, hiding the moon and the ship.

“Where do you think he is?” asked Drew. Then they heard singing coming from the distance, coming from where they saw Ghost Peak, but it wasn’t Josiah…

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CHARACTER FUN FACTS: WHO IS THE BLAZING GHOST?

“YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE SEEN, TO BE HEARD”

There is a legend developing among the aliens. It’s spreading through all the kingdoms and cities. The aliens can’t talk the way people do, but they are able to send their thoughts into someone who can then speak their message. These people are called messengers. The aliens only choose WhiteStar Ranked students and adults to be messengers. These are the people they consider elite, the best and brightest. They’ve been told by the aliens to watch for a kid they call “The Blazing Ghost.”

Throughout the summer, the rumours have slowly spread through the kingdoms. People are starting to talk about how the aliens are looking for some kid who keeps interfering with their business. This kid is secretly trying to start a revolution to overthrow the aliens and kick them out of their kingdoms and their schools. He doesn’t believe in their superiority, but instead believes they are the enemy. This kid isn’t just fast, but blazes, because he finds his own way through the alien defense. Every time the aliens think they have him trapped, he finds some way through, he turns into a ghost. The aliens don’t know who he is. Do you?

Before we continue to find out about a mysterious kid from Cashes Dade, it’s time to reveal the answer for the last mystery challenge. If you haven’t yet, check out the last post called MYSTERY OF GHOST PEAK: PART ONE and see if you can solve the mystery. The answer for how do you see Ghost Peak is based on these prophecy lines:

The moonlight burns bright blue

Then the night fires cross the two

That’s when the Ghost peak appears

But the only way is through your tears…

The answer is this: The night fires refer to stars. Crossing the two refers to the time meaning 2:00 in the morning, but it also refers to the time, the time that the ghosts dance. So if you position yourself where the ghosts dance after 2:00 in the morning, then you will see Ghost Peak appear in the distance. Can you figure out how to get there? The way is mysterious and dangerous, because the aliens are trying to reach the peak as well.

Casey Cardade is a 12 year old with short, choppy hair that slants and falls low over his dark, deep-set eyes. He likes experimenting with various stones and powders that can set fires and shoot off explosions. He will try anything, any combination, and see what happens. Through the summer, he’s been shooting off different combinations at a secret alien factory set deep in the forest in a hidden valley. Last night, he snuck out of the small room he and his parents call home in the slowly rebuilding Kingdom of Cashes Dade and disappeared into the mountains below. He took up his position on the lower left slope of the valley where the dark orange glowing, tall oval-shaped alien factory. He knelt down behind a random combination of tall blue flowers, small green bell-shaped shrubs, and short, really wide neon green Crafters Evergreens. He stared intensely out across the lower multi-coloured fields with all kinds of various plants and flowers growing together around the factory. Then the pale-yellow light spilling out from the narrow, rectangular windows all across the top went dark. That’s when the low booming music began from one high corner, followed by a bright gold flash through the factory. Then he heard the faint sound of children crying…

Casey is really into explosions. For him, the brighter the explosion, the better. He likes seeing different colours and hearing the boom. But most of all, he likes messing with the aliens. He gazed up at the rough, low flying clouds across the chilly night sky. Then he slowly scanned the valley below and the upper slope behind him. Various circular clusters of glittering flowers, shrubs, and evergreens spread out among the variety of colours under flickering pale moonlight. He got his small shooter in position, placed several different powders inside, then struck his match. He got himself ready, with an intense gaze and thin smile, he shot the explosive. A bright blue fire blazed through the air, smashed through a window, and flashed inside. That’s when a bright, intense alien light shot directly at Casey’s shooter…

Casey Cardade is a really tough runner to track. He would probably be as difficult to catch in the game of tag as Cade is, that is if he ever played. Casey is really fast, but it takes him some time to get going to a high speed. It’s so hard to chase him, because he just shoots off in one direction, and gets faster and faster until all the sudden, he makes a sharp turn, and disappears. The hot, intense alien light cut through the darkness shining on his shooter, but Casey was gone. He already shot off up the slope, but could just see his explosion from the corner of his eye. A smile broke across his face as he hurried back up the slope toward a circular cluster of glittering flowers and plants with a few short Crafters Evergreens. He shook his head, smiled brighter, and swerved around the hidden alien net, glittering in the moonlight. Two aliens stared out the window at the quiet valley and asked themselves the question, “Did the Blazing Ghost just strike again?”

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MYSTERY OF GHOST PEAK: PART ONE

“YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE SEEN, TO BE HEARD”

The two flat masses of sharp black clouds drew back like curtains slowly revealing the blue September moon. Cade stared with bright, shifting eyes at the new, sleek blue shimmering alien tower set within the mountains just to the northwest of Gold Peak where the new Cashes Dade has been established.

“Why do you think they built that there?” asked Blake.

“I think they’re trying to find Ghost Peak too,” said Cade.

“How many times have you seen it?” asked Drew.

“A few,” answered Josiah, standing completely still, staring across the sea of lower mountains under dark blue shine. His short, flat hair falling partly over his eyes was coloured neon blue. Glittering lights grew dim along the half circle roof of the alien tower. A deep humming vibrated through the rocky ground under their feet.

“They’re sending hidden ships out,” Blake said quietly.

“So what are we waiting for?” asked Cade, stepping around in a bizarre pattern.

“I always see it close to the ghosts,” Josiah answered. “Wait until they come out.”

“Then what?” asked Drew.

“Then the games begin…”

It’s time for the first mystery challenge of Chapter Three of the mystery series, The Cashes Dade Ghost Strikers. The mystery to solve for this story is:

How do you see where Ghost Peak is?

Can you figure it out? Leave a comment below if you have a guess. The answer will be revealed in the next post. These are the key lines from a song that give the clue:

“The moonlight burns bright blue

Then the night fires cross the two

That’s when the Ghost Peak appears

But the only way is through your tears…”

Bright blue moonlight splashed down into the lower valleys. Dark mist kicked up from the narrow field between two rows of small, jagged peaks.

Cade slowly broke a smile. “Showtime.”

“You said it,” said Josiah. “Follow me.” With that, Josiah disappeared over the edge. Cade, Blake, and Drew slid down the slick, grassy slope. Blake glanced up at the sky. Sleek black clouds streamed slowly overhead. The slope leveled out.

Josiah went blazing up the series of hills. The kids began falling behind.

“Did you know he was this fast?” asked Drew.

“We’ll catch up,” said Blake.

“I don’t…see him,” Cade said between breaths.

“No one’s faster than us,” said Blake as they charged over another hill. Two broad, flat mountains appeared under the soft blue breaking moonlight, crossing directly ahead.

“Then where is he?” asked Cade.

“Maybe we somehow got ahead of him?” Blake answered with a half shrug. Bright, fast-paced singing started up far ahead.

“You were saying?” Cade said with a smile.

“Why is he singing so loud?” asked Blake as they pushed up the long, rocky slope.

“He’s going to lead the ghosts right to him,” said Drew.

“Do you see him?” asked Cade.

“No.”

“Then they don’t either.” Blake checked his pocketwatch: 1:30. Cade gazed up at the sky. Blue moonlight flickered through the breaks around several dark spots. “Stay low, close to the rocks,” Cade whispered. Dark figures appeared along the top of the ridge.

“Get down, get down,” Blake whispered. Josiah’s fast singing drifted further and further away on the other side. The dark figures disappeared over the edge. “Let’s go.” The kids sprinted up the long slope. The singing suddenly stopped. The kids exchanged nervous looks.

“Hurry, hurry,” said Cade. Blake checked his pocketwatch: 1:45, as they reached the top where it flattened out to several wide fields surrounded by small, rounded peaks. The kids stopped momentarily, gazing around. Dark figures spread out across the fields to their left and right.

“I still don’t see him,” said Drew.

“Stop, listen, listen,” Cade whispered.

“It’s almost the time, it’s almost the time,” a ghost whispered close by.

“Get ready.”

“I don’t think they found him yet,” Blake whispered.

“Now where?” asked Drew. Cade pointed to a cluster of rocks just ahead and to the right. “How we getting there unseen?” He pointed to the dark spirits searching in all directions ahead of them.

“We need a good vantage point,” said Cade.

“How we getting there?” asked Blake.

“Well, they’re looking for movement,” said Cade, “so I guess we don’t move, but get there, without moving.” Drew and Blake watched him with sharply intrigued and confused expressions. “So we stay still, but get there, without moving.”

“Anyone have any real ideas?” asked Blake. Drew just shrugged. Cade looked up at the sky. Sleek dark clouds kept streaming slowly across. Soft blue moonlight blending with the distant scattered stars flickered through a few narrow breaks. Cade turned his gaze to the various rocks catching the blue reflections momentarily. Then he broke a smile.

“He figured it out,” said Drew. “Or he just thought of something funny.”

“Both,” said Cade, getting three small candles out of his backpack. “It’ll be funny sneaking right past all the dumb ghosts.”

“So what are we doing?” asked Blake.

“We’re lighting these candles with blue light,” Cade answered.

“So they’ll see exactly where we are?” Blake challenged.

“Dim, blue lights,” said Cade, “on these candes they’ll flicker off and on. We stay low to the ground and we’ll blend right in with the rocks catching the flickering moonlight.”

“Doesn’t sound any crazier than anything else we’ve tried,” said Drew. Blake shrugged and took the candle from Cade who had a half-crazed expression on his face.

“I think he’s catching too much moonlight,” he muttered as the kids crawled fast along the ground toward the rock cluster. Several dead whistles shot out around them. Neon green lights lit up in clusters as the ghosts gathered on the field to their left. Blake glanced at his pocketwatch. As the kids made their way to the top of the rock cluster, the ghosts began to dance under the flickering blue lights. Dark clouds continued to stream across the sky from the east and the west. The kids looked around anxiously. There was still no sign of Josiah…

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CHARACTER FUN FACTS: THE MOONLIGHT SINGER

“YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE SEEN, TO BE HEARD”

His dad’s last words were “Let’s Roll.” His dad loved exploring and finding distant, remote peaks before he gave his life defending his country from the destructive alien lights. Now he’s going on his own explorations, climbing by the light of the moon, and dodging ghosts.

All summer long, in the new Kingdom of Cashes Dade, a legend has slowly been born, about a kid who sings brightly from the remote peaks late at night when the moon burns blue. As the kids watch, ghosts slowly rise up from the misty meadows, and begin to move around. They appear to be dancing in the moonlight. The brighter the moon gets, the faster they appear to dance. Then the kid’s energetic singing echoes out across the mountains. No one can ever figure out where he is. No one ever sees him. But they can hear him, and so do the ghosts, because that’s when they stop dancing…

Josiah is a bright, active 12 year old who likes climbing, running, anything that involves moving. Josiah dreams about reaching the highest and most remote peaks in the world. He wants to explore and find things no one has ever found before. Mostly, he wants to discover secrets, secrets the dark spirits seem to be hiding. He also just really likes climbing. Are you like him? Do you like climbing? You see, even though you might not live close enough to climb any mountains, you might be more like Josiah than you think, because he climbs…everything. He climbs to the tops of tables, to the top of his desk, shelves, up walls to the roofs of homes if he can figure it out and get enough footholds. He definitely climbs trees and has built some really high (and really sketchy) tree houses. He even built a really, and I mean really, rickety bridge from two distant trees. No one besides him has ever been brave enough to try it. But what’s intriguing is not so much what he climbs, but how he climbs…

If you go climbing with Josiah, don’t tell him to pace himself. He will just stare at you, completely confused. He doesn’t seem to know what that means. When Josiah climbs a mountain, he starts off by shooting off like a rocket. He doesn’t do trails. He doesn’t work his way up, winding back and forth, no, he goes straight up, and he goes around…nothing. He flies over rocks. If a tree is in the way, he’ll push through it. He goes crazy fast up the mountain, but then he crashes. When you finally catch up to him, you’ll find him sprawled out in some awkward way, completely exhausted. He even complains about how tired he is and how hard it is to climb that fast. You would then think, “He’ll take it slower the rest of the way up.” But you would be wrong. After about a half hour, he sprints up the mountain again, flying up the slope. Then he crashes again, only to start it all up again. It definitely confuses the ghosts when they try to track him down.

Josiah doesn’t just climb, he sings as he climbs, but only at certain times. He sings with bright energy and really fast. For him, the faster the better, with notes always rising higher and higher. Josiah hates, not dislikes, not is kind of annoyed by, but hates slow music. He gets really agitated with slow songs. He just can’t stand them. He kind of bobs from side to side, taps his feet rapidly, and even waves his hands as if that will speed up the song, but it doesn’t work. He sings the most when he reaches the peak. He usually only sings when he finds a narrow point between two large rocks so his music will echo out through the mountains. He wants the ghosts to hear him, but not see him…

Josiah’s teachers didn’t think he was that smart because he struggles to understand complicated subjects, but no one else can figure out he reaches some of the high points he does, or how he builds bridges across trees, or how he sings across the mountains while remaining unseen. The dark spirits always stop dancing when he sings. They start drifting up the slopes desperately trying to find him. What is Josiah trying to find? Is he trying to find a key secret, or does he think he might meet the ghost of his dad? Why are the ghosts so interested in finding him? The clues might be in the lines of his song:

“The moonlight burns bright blue

Then the night fires cross the two

That’s when the Ghost Peak appears

But the only way is through your tears…”

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THE CASHES DADE GHOST STRIKERS’ MYSTERY CONTINUES…

“JOIN THE DADESTAR REVOLUTION”

The Cashes Dade Ghost Strikers Book Two is out now on Amazon. Click on one of the following links to buy it on Amazon.

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095N542R4

Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0963Q9V3S

Cade Mayson continues his mission to find the clues he believes his parents are sending him to begin the DadeStar Revolution against the aliens. If you want to learn more about the series and check out information about the first book, check out the page BUY THE BOOKS. Otherwise, you can read on to learn more about the next book in this series and check out a bonus mystery challenge at the end that will offer a key clue about the mystery in this next book.

Cade Mayson still believes his parents really joined the aliens on a secret spy mission. He’s determined not to miss the key clue he believes they’re preparing to send him. But now, the aliens aren’t just trying to destroy Cashes Dade, they’re coming after him.

New alien lights made many students in Cashes Dade terribly sick. The aliens couldn’t care less how many students would have to miss the Spring Games. They claimed the lights were a medicine, exposing those students who are just lazy and disruptive.

Seven citizens protesting the lights were shot dead on Bloody Friday. Cashes Dade declared war. Now they’re surrounded by the aliens, trapped in the mountains’ underground network. The kids heard someone whispering with the dark spirits, prepared to spy for the aliens. All they could see was a dark orange star patch meaning it was one of the seven army leads.

Cade, Blake, and Drew will have to step up their detective skills, their stealth, but most of all, their determination to fight back. How can Cashes Dade break through the trap? Which mountain can they find protection from the aliens? The key will be revealing the spy. Can the kids solve this mystery before it’s too late? Who is it?

Check out the Cardaya Prophecy to see the clues, then check out the Suspect’s Profile to see if you can figure out who the spy is.

CARDAYA PROPHECY:

The dark enemy will take advantage of what we all crave

The fences that protect them could become their grave

The ambitious one will fly through the night too high

Dark storms always hide their trail across the sky

A dark secret passes through the moon-lit sea

They are not as superior as they seem to be

Finding the blazing star in the sky will make you free

Look for the mountain among the spiral galaxy

The swinging lantern in the settling dark is the key

Staring at the brilliant light will confuse what you see

Take one step at a time while you focus on what’s key

The blazing ghost will step up to enter the great fight

Dark curtains will close on them from out of sight

The way through is by charging ahead even in the darkest night

Turn to the glowing, the green ghost singing in the moonlight

SUSPECTS PROFILE:

Austin Camdade:

*Third position in the Army

*Dreams about exploring new places

*Into mountain climbing

Bennie Maysher:

*Second position in the Army

*Dreams about being great war hero

*Into horse racing

Carlie Madsher:

*Seventh position in the Army

*Dreams about becoming legendary actor and playwriter

*Into reading and writing

Christy Caldade:

*Fifth position in the Army

*Dreams about owning a shop for rare and special minerals

*Into mountain climbing and exploring

Jonathan Cayson:

*First position in the Army

*Dreams about owning library of amazing, rare books of great discovery

*Into mountain climbing and reading, discovering

Julie Cassher:

*Sixth position in the Army

*Dreams about making unbelievable discoveries of rare and amazing jewels

*Into making and putting together puzzles

Ryan Cardade:

*Fourth position in the Army

*Dreams about playing big concerts and playing legendary guitar solos

*Into music and shooting

Now it’s time for the final mystery challenge. If you haven’t been following them, check out the first one by clicking on the post titled: WHAT’S HIDDEN IN BRENNAN’S PAINTING? The final word and overall sentence that reveals what is behind the aliens’ destructive fountain lights will be revealed after the next paragraph so don’t scroll down too far. The answer will appear directly below the next paragraph. The final clue is how Cade finds the mountain. The clue will be seen in how he responds. That will be the key…

From time to time, while the citizens of Cashes Dade are hiding in the underground network of the mountains, Cade Mayson slips away to explore the tunnels. One night, he set out to find a mountain peak called “Secret Key Peak.” They say it’s really hard to find. Cade jogged up the winding tunnels lit by dark orange lantern lights. He moved fast, jumping high on random rocks set throughout, while tapping his sides in a fast, energetic rhythm. Then he came to a three-way split. One tunnel went down to the left lit by neon green lanterns. Another one went down to the right lit by swaying gold candle clusters flickering in a fast pace. Another one went straight ahead lit by dark orange lanterns. Cade thought for a moment, then took the one with gold candle clusters. He raced up the winding tunnel until reaching the end. He climbed up a rocky slope to the top, shaped like a key. He gazed out and saw an alien tower directly ahead. It was a massive dome with green lights flashing rhythmically to a slow, steady booming. Glittering stars flew around inside the deep blue glass over the top. Dark, tall figures drifted around inside. Cade started bouncing to the beat, tapping his sides rhythmically. Bizarre alien voices called out back and forth. They were trying something, but they couldn’t quite get it right. They couldn’t make it work. It just didn’t sound right…

The final word is: MUSIC

Aliens hate students’ determined, energetic music.

Cade Mayson will discover a secret in the shiny key

The aliens are hiding who they really want to be…

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DARKCORNER LAND FEATURE: UNDERGROUND SECRETS

“THERE’S ALWAYS A WAY THROUGH”

Many years ago, the citizens of Cashes Dade built a massive network of strong tunnels underground through the mountains west of Cashes Dade. They built them with all kinds of twists and turns creating a maze that makes it really confusing for any dark spirits or aliens trying to find their way to the key locations where the people would hide. Just wait until you see the ghost strikers in action trying to get the ghosts running in circles. We’ll look at three key secret locations in this underground network. There will be a clue revealing how to figure out who the spy is as well as what might be the way they can escape. Will you see it? Can you figure it out? The prophecy lines at the end point to how you can find the clue. Leave a comment below if you think you found it. You can join Cade Mayson and the other two ghost strikers in their next mission to lead their country to victory over the aliens.

If you find a winding staircase going up steeply, in a pretty narrow passage, dimly lit by small clusters of dark blue candles glowing rhythmically, then you are on your way to find the sky room. If you can climb all the way to the top and are not out of breath, then you are a robot. The higher you go, the more the candle lights bounce to silent music playing throughout the mountains. The steps become less and less like steps, just roughly carved out of the stones. It gets to be a pretty steep climb at that point until you begin to see the intense blue light. The room at the top is built into the peak with a large oval shaped blue glass sky window. Really small windows are placed around the top so light spills in just at the top and the winds create all kinds of musical sounds.

There’s a chamber far in the underground that’s really hard to find. If you follow the blazing trail of dark orange lantern lights swerving lower and lower through the mountains, you will find it. It’s a complete secret how to get there and what it holds. Cade thinks they must be hiding a new, special weapon they’re building to completely vaporize the aliens. Blake thinks it probably holds important maps and papers that hold all kinds of secrets. Drew thinks it’s a meeting place for various alien nations preparing for the great war of the worlds. But no one knows for sure. The hall goes deeper and deeper underground. The dark orange lanterns turn to clusters of dingy golden candles spread further and further along the rough wall. Then the tunnel eventually dead ends. No one knows the secret way to the chamber.

There is a high lookout on top of one of the mountains among the underground maze. No one knows which mountain it is, and no one has ever been able to find the way to climb to reach it. But there is a long, winding tunnel lit by high, large multi-coloured chandeliers. If you find this, you can find your way to this lookout that can see the entire spiraling maze of mountains where Cashes Dade has their underground network. It’s also from this point you can see the surrounding alien towers, where more and more sleek, triangular blue glowing ships keep flying in. They’re preparing something big, and time is running out…

The answer you’re looking for is in the sky so bright

Just follow the star leading the way through the night

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CHARACTER FUN FACTS: WHAT DID CADE SEE?

“THERE’S ALWAYS A WAY THROUGH”

“I can’t stop seeing it, in my dreams, and my nightmares. I got myself just a bit, kind of, sort of, lost. I was way, way out in the mist that turned neon green suddenly. I saw it when my parents were still with me, before they joined the aliens, leaving me behind.

One day we went out to a lake deep in the mountains west of Cashes Dade just to explore. I remember being really excited because we almost never did things like that. My parents were always busy with their furniture business. We hiked around the beach for awhile, then started fishing. I caught 12 fish! Okay it was more like 7. But after awhile, when I had only caught 4, okay it was 4, my dad suggested I take the boat and go out and explore for another good place to fish way out. My dad gave me a map of the lake, put the 2 fish I caught into a basket in the water, and sent me on my way.

I went way, way out across the deep blue lake. We were completely surrounded by mountains. I gazed up to decide which ones I should climb, how daring I would be, how I would get through that zigzag rock cluster on the really tall one, maybe I could work my way in between the narrow path, or maybe there’s an underground tunnel, then I looked up and I was way, and I mean, way out. I turned back to see my parents in the distance. This gray mist around me kicked up across the water. Then I saw a shadowy person approach my parents…“

It’s time to reveal the answer for the last mystery challenge. If you haven’t yet, check out the previous post titled LET’S ROLL to see if you can solve the mystery. Otherwise, let’s reveal the answer. The answer for what word the prophecy was pointing to as a clue about the alien fountain lights is:

Energetic

Did you get it right? What do you think the final word in the sentence will be? What does it mean? Leave a comment below.

Cade can overcome a lot of things, except maps. If the aliens could turn themselves into maps Cade would be in serious trouble. He just doesn’t get them. If you see the expression on his face when he’s looking at a map you would think he was trying to read a foreign language written upside down covered in mud. He gets this seriously intense, confused look like he’s in just awful pain. Maybe he is. He can’t figure out the directions, what the pictures are, and he’s especially confused by distances. He seems to think the distance on the map is the same as the actual distance.

Cade always gets lost, then he gets more lost, and then he somehow finds his way back. He tends to wander a lot, and doesn’t seem to have any sense of purpose. One time, some of his friends watched him from a ridge as he wandered through a forest below. They watched curiously as he kept turning, making this crazy zig-zag pattern.

Cade is not so good with boats either, but at least if he falls out (which has been known to happen), he won’t drown in the water. He seems to have a great sense of direction with the currents and waves, and has this really smooth way of swimming. He kind of shoots off and glides for a good while, and just like on the ground, he changes direction remarkably fast. He almost never swims so how he moves so well in the water is yet another mystery.

“Strong waves started hitting the boat, knocking me around. I got the paddle and pushed really fast, back and forth like zigzagging. I was playing tag with the waves which means I would win. After an hour I finally got past them. Then the mist turned neon green around me. I struggled to see through the mist. I saw the shadows of my parents with another shadow. The shadowy figure was holding something, something my parents were looking at for a long time. I couldn’t quite tell what it was. It was kind of large and pear shaped. I couldn’t quite tell what it was and then the mist filled in around me so I couldn’t see them at all. That’s when I heard it…”

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LET’S ROLL

“THERE’S ALWAYS A WAY THROUGH”

The aliens have been trying to destroy the BlackStar Ranked Students of Cashes Dade. They are the ones classed as failures; lazy and disruptive. They claimed the intense, bright neon green lights were meant to save them, but only if they were willing to work hard and follow their One Way to succeed. They don’t allow students to learn in their own ways or be creative. But a bright, fast-talking, fast-singing, fast-moving 12 year old named Josiah Mardade found his own way to quickly overcome the terrible illness. It all happened during a bizarre fire fight with the aliens. His recovery was incredibly fast and mysterious. His dad, Todd Mardade, made a secret plan with six others to destroy the fountain lights. It’s time for another mystery challenge where we will check out the alien battle Josiah was involved in, to figure out the key word in the prophecy at the end. This word will be another clue for what’s really going on with the alien fountain lights. When you have all the words, you will have the answer, but the answer will lead to bigger questions. Now the aliens are coming after Josiah. Why? What does he have that they want? The key clue is revealed by the words Todd said to the other six right before they made their decision to risk their lives to protect their people. You see, the question is, what will you be? The people of Cashes Dade will never forget them, when he turned to them with strong defiance and said, “Let’s roll.”

When the seven citizens were shot dead, including Todd Mardade, Cashes Dade declared war on the aliens. Ever since the first alien attack on Cashes Dade a year and a half ago, the people of Cashes Dade, led by Todd, have been developing their massive underground in the mountains west of Cashes Dade. They built all the tunnels and undeground chambers many years ago when dark spirits began haunting the land. But after the attack, many people went to work strengthening the structures and stockpiling food, supplies, medicines, and weapons in secret places. It’s basically a massive, complicated maze where they can hide from the aliens. When the dark spirits are sent in to capture them, they can run to another secret location in the underground. Most of the tunnels are lit by dark orange lanterns, some by dark gold-lit chandeliers, and others by deep blue lantern lights. The people made the tunnels really confusing and hard to follow, thus easy for Cade, Blake, and Drew to mis-direct the dark spirits trying to find the people and key supply locations. It’s also great for endless games of hide and seek.

On Friday night, after the murders of the seven protestors, the leaders of Cashes Dade held a secret meeting deciding to declare war. They got the citizens ready to move out fast, set up their cannons, and began shooting at the alien towers on Saturday night. The sky was calm and quiet as sleek blue clouds slowly streamed across the sky. Moonlight barely broke through various points down to the slick dark green field spread before them. Josiah hid down in a trench with a group of soldiers who were good friends of his dad, with the mountains behind them. The distant alien tower glowed in a fiery green haze in the silent, chilling night. Josiah just stared out with an empty, distant gaze, shaking with sharp chills and a strong fever. Then he gazed up at the breaking moonlight rhythmically flickering through the passing clouds. High in the distance, through the passing waves, a shooting star blazed across the dark sky.

In a sudden flash, the alien tower went completely dark. The soldiers watched and waited. As they watched the calm flowing sky, seven blurry green sleek triangular alien crafts slowly appeared just hanging still in the clouds. A distant eerie whistling sound played out over the field sounding like it was slowly falling. That’s when Josiah suddenly jumped up with eyes lit. He started running up the line, singing a bright, energetic song with a fast-paced rising melody. Then the Cashes Dade dark orange fires lit up the sky…

When the alien towers burn the night

When they put out the last light

When they try to crush every student’s dream

When they shoot out their intense, searching beam

When they overwhelm the sky with confusion and dark

When the rejected creative student sits alone at the park

When cold darkness overwhelms in relentless waves

When all you can do is dream of living in the graves

When the alien’s burning white eyes stare down at you

When you feel like there is nothing more you can do

Remember what the defiant leader said before the end

It was a call to turn from despair, the loss of a friend

It was a call to be energetic, to live in the light

The sign to reveal the truth is the star shooting through the night…