Cade Mayson doesn’t get to plan the Cashes Dade school’s Halloween Party for the elementary students anymore. The aliens destroyed their school and the entire kingdom while the citizens are now hiding out in the mountains, but that has nothing to do with it. Cade was fired from the planning committee well before that because of his crazy ideas. Many of his crazy ideas were shot down in the meetings, but he still tried to work some of them in to the party. Here’s what happened:
Early on during the Halloween Party, the kids were hanging out, some dancing to the scary music playing from the band in the large auditorium of the school dimly lit by dark orange chandelier lights hanging from a high dome and along the circular walls. A cake was brought it, with glittering neon green-lit candles throughout, designed like a castle. At first, it looked like what they expected, until more candles lit up revealing a ridiculously tall cake rising well over 30 feet tall. Several kids gasped, while several others whispered, “Oh no.” The cake was supposed to be large, but not this large. It looked amazing, but it wasn’t supposed to be that tall, because it was leaning, and wobbling, as the students carrying it took one shaky step after another down the staircase trying to get the heavy cake to the stage, then it happened, but it didn’t fall, it got too close to one of the chandeliers and caught on fire.
If only that was the only thing that caught on fire that night. Cade had another idea. He wanted to conduct a scary light show. He had a small cannon that could shoot out a dark powder that would put lights out. His plan was to shoot at the high chandeliers and put out the high lights so it would get really dark, then he had these special candles he was going to light up and I guess dance around with them in the balconies. They leave streaks and impressions in the air so it can look cool. The problem was, Cade didn’t do much research about the powders when he bought it at the store, in fact he didn’t do any research. He doesn’t like research. He could have asked Ben Caldade, another student in the party planning who knew how they all worked and it might have worked out right, but he didn’t. He “thought” it was the right one. It wasn’t. It was an explosive powder. Luckily he missed the lights and it fell to the floor and hit with a bang, but shockingly he didn’t get that it was the wrong powder so he tried it several more times until he hit one of the lights. It exploded, fell to the floor, and started a small fire in the seats that had to be put out. You’d think that was the last time something would be caught on fire that night, but you’d be wrong…
One of Cade’s favorite things about Halloween is trying to scare people. Sometimes he tries to get a student to think they have to go to the school basement to get something. He’ll put out the lights and dress up as a ghost or some kind of zombie and creep up silently behind them, then just be standing there with a creepy smile on his face. Sometimes he just hides in the craziest places to jump out at just the right time. For this party though, he had a more elaborate plan, and of course, it involved fire.
For weeks Cade made his “ghost” at home. He tried to make it look as realistic as possible, whatever that means. He made sure no one would see it until that night. He hung it on a string from the balcony. Near midnight, he got ready to release it, but it couldn’t just fly across the auditorium, it needed to be on fire. So he lit it up and let it fly. The kids watched in disbelief, knowing who was behind this bizarre looking ghost on fire as it fell, and hit the seats, and started them on fire.
At midnight, Cade was with the other students in the auditorium, under close watch, when in a sudden chilling rush, all the lights went out. Loud, heavy ticking echoed throughout the auditorium, the ticking of a massive clock, ticking slowly, with the clock hand dragging, dragging around and around.
Some of the students looked at him in shocked, disbelief.
“You can’t blame this one on me,” he said gazing up curiously. The clock ticked on and on and on in the chilling dark waves through the silent auditorium carrying only the dead clicks and tragic dragging of the clock hand, going circling around and around, always missing what’s right there in front of them. Then a fiery green ghost appeared in the center aisle, holding a mop. He began mopping the floor in slow, dragging strokes. He had a rough face with sunken, dark eyes. All of the students moved back toward the wall, trying to hide in the shadows, except Cade. He just stood still, staring directly at the old ghost, swishing his mop slowly back and forth. After several long moments he looked up, gazing directly at Cade and said in a rough voice, “You don’t realize where you’re going. I know your fate. I know your fate.” “What…what are you talking about?” Cade barely got the words out. Struggling to meet his gaze he asked, “What is my fate?” “You’re looking at it…”
The minute hand ticked with a dead echo, the sound dying fast into the blood red night. Flickering red moonlight splashed over Cade’s short dark hair falling low over his intense gaze.
“You ready?” Cade asked.
“Let’s go,” Blake answered, running his hand through his short, choppy blonde hair. Cade slowly broke a smile as the two kids slowly opened the old, creaking gate, glowing like a soft orange fire. The dark orange lit up School of the Arts appeared ahead past the heavy, twisted gardens full of large green and blue leaves spiraled around. The second hand groaned slowly, echoing through the empty air, groaning slowly around and around as the two 12 year olds crept up the dark orange glowing brick path narrowly cutting through the garden.
Just then black figures flashed across the sky overhead. The kids ducked down, crawling ahead in the deep shadows. A chilling wind pushed down on them. The image of the dark orange clock appeared. The minute hand left a burning orange glow. The second hand blazed across the clock face with empty darkness between them. The ghost cried out across the sky. The kids looked up to find themselves inside the garden room of the school, locked inside…
We’ll get back inside the School of the Arts in a moment. The mystery to solve is how can they get to the Lustaray Clock, and how can they escape? What’s the secret of the Lustaray Clock? Knowing that answer will be a strong clue for how to escape this haunted school. Can you figure it out? Check out the post called:
DARKCORNER LAND FEATURE: WHO IS THE LUSTARAY CLOCK GHOST?
This post will give you a description of the School of the Arts which will offer clues to the mystery. Check out the prophecy at the end which offers the key clues to finding the answer for the mystery. Click on this link to check it out:
Let’s get back to the story, but be prepared, you might not escape…
The kids gazed up at the massively high marble black walls in the gigantic room, dimly lit by numerous dark orange candles hanging from the trees throughout the hall.
“How did we get in here?” Blake whispered. Cade just flashed him a wide-eyed, confused expression. The dead hands ticked on and on and on.
“Over here,” Cade whispered, ducking into a narrow, twisted path between dark twisted green trees called Deyvas. Chilling winds whistled through the glittering green leaves, barely lit by the dark orange candles hanging from the twisted branches curling around.
“What?” asked Blake.
“I said, ‘over here,'” answered Cade. The minute hand pounded against the wall on all sides, dying into the chilling silence.
“No, I heard that.”
“Then why did you ask?”
“Because you said something after that.” The tragic groaning circled back around, never ending, never finding relief.
“Maybe I said something clever about the trees.”
“Did you?”
“I don’t know.” The deyvas closed in, falling down over the path ahead. “Back up slowly.”
“That’s what you said?”
“No, that’s what I’m saying now.” The distant ghost groaned through the massive dark chamber with the turning second hand.
“How do you not know what you said?”
“I don’t know. You remember everything you’ve ever said?”
“In the last thirty seconds? Yeah.” Dead whispers shot out from the high balconies holding more Deyvas, hanging far over the edge with long candles pulling them low over the black marble floor. “Did you hear that?”
“Yeah, it’s them,” Cade answered in a low voice. Heavy trees closed in. Candles lit up just ahead of them. The ghost cried out again in a voice searching in the dark. The kids found a narrow path cutting ahead where more whispers went back and forth. The clock groaned louder around them. Two long dark pools appeared ahead, reflecting the flickering candle lights with a single round table between them. The kids slowly crept ahead. Just then the dark orange clock appeared high above them.
“We found it,” said Blake as the kids gazed up at the clock groaning louder and louder around them. A chilling wind rushed down through the dark twisted gardens. Most of the candle lights went out. Whispers grew louder around them. The kids pushed ahead as the branches closed in.
“Stay focused on it,” said Cade, “stay focused on it.” The clock grew brighter and brighter, burning in a dark orange fire until all around them went completely dark.
“What’s going on?” Blake whispered.
“I’m not sure.” Just then eerie, sour sounding fiddle music started up around them with a cheerful but off-key melody. Green glowing ghosts began to appear, dancing in swift, sharp motions ahead of them, stretching far to the left and right seemingly endless. The kids backed up against the cold dark wall. The hidden clock ticked quietly with distant dead echoes. “I think we’re farther away.” Cade nodded strongly.
“Let’s get past them,” said Cade. The kids jogged along the wall, staring down at the designs of twisted ghostly faces, hiding from incredibly tall people looking down at them from high towers, gazing down from the balconies. Dark orange crystal chandeliers floated around in the murky dark air high above the dancing ghosts. Blake gazed out at the many complicated scenes of politcal debates and battles across the black marble floor barely lit by the dingy lights flickering to the fast, stumbling rhythm of the floating music. After several minutes the floor turned dark before complicated designs of dances and games spread out across the floor under the dancing ghosts.
A bright green ghost appeared suddenly directly ahead, mopping the floor. He held out his hand, letting go of the mop as it froze in place. His rugged face turned on them. The kids spun around and flew back down the wall.
“Should we cut across the floor?” whispered Blake.
“I’m not sure.” Cade glanced back. The old ghost started tapping his feet to the rhythm of the music and the mop fell back into his hands. Then he started gliding fast towards them.
“How are we getting away?”
“We have to disappear. Follow me.” Cade kept glancing at the dancing ghosts, moving in wide circles. “Now.” Blake slid across the floor as Cade disappeared. He turned right. Cade flew between two dancing circles. Blake sprinted after him, staying low to the slick floor. The kids took a sharp turn cutting between two more groups of dancing ghosts. “See?” Cade turned back momentarily, with a smile, “They’re too focused on their dance, as long as we don’t cut between them.” Blake glanced back at the empty darkness.
“He’s long gone,” he said, nodding rhythmically. The kids swerved to avoid another group then sprinted between several more groups before reaching the far wall. They turned around, leaning back against the cold wall, vibrating to the barely audible dead ticks of the distant clock. They could only see the dancing ghosts across the vast floor under the dingy floating shine. Just then the old ghost appeared again. The kids started to run, but he held out his right hand and they fell back against the wall.
“You can’t outrun me,” he said in a raspy voice as the kids struggled to move from the wall, but they were frozen in place. His eyes glowed in a dark, dead green stare.
“What do you want?” asked Cade.
“How are you going to find the Lustaray Clock?”
“Who says we’re trying to?” asked Blake.
“That’s why everyone enters here, looking for the secret clock. Everyone enters this school with big dreams, but they all turn to nightmares.”
“Who are you?” asked Cade in a low voice.
“I was a janitor here when this school was open. I died 30 years ago. I’ve been here ever since. I have to clean this entire floor tonight. They demand that this floor shines under the lights for the party.” Blake and Cade exchanged highly anxious looks.
“You do realize you don’t have to do this anymore right?” asked Blake. “I mean, you’re dead.” Cade nudged him hard in his side. “What? He is,” Blake answered as he felt the clock’s dead ticking heavier and heavier behind the wall.
“I don’t have a choice,” the old ghost answered. “I can’t get any other job. They won’t let me leave, and I don’t know how to escape.”
“But you’re…”
“Life continues on after death, it’s just a lot…quieter. We continue as spirits. They told me I have to do this job while I’m here, and I just can’t leave, but I’m not sure why. I just can’t leave. Ghosts can get stuck in different places for years and years, maybe never escape.” His sad, empty eyes turned downward as he dragged the mop slowly across the floor.
“Is there a God? Have you seen Heaven?” asked Cade, shuffling his feet across the slick floor as the eerie, sour music continued around them.
“I don’t know if God or Heaven exists,” the ghost answered, leaning heavier on his mop. His dark eyes began to reflect a slow hand turning, circling slowly around and around. “We don’t know yet.” The dancing ghosts and the dingy lights turned to a murky, gloomy glow behind him. “But I wish I could leave, but I never could, watching the students building their projects, creating new dances, creating amazing designs, I always thought I could do something like that, but every time I got started, it just got too complicated, they never wanted it, it was never good enough, never good enough…”
“They’re gone now,” said Cade. “The students are gone.”
“No,” he answered, with a crooked smile, “some are still here, still trying to finish their projects, especially him.”
“Who?” asked Cade.
“The one who is stuck in the underground classroom where the Lustaray Clock is. He was obsessed with it, couldn’t stop staring at it.”
“You mean the Lustaray Clock ghost?” asked Blake. “He was a student here?”
“That’s right, and he’s been expecting you.”
“What do you mean?” asked Cade.
“Didn’t you realize the real reason you’re here? He invited you, and it’s time, time to meet him.” Cold darkness fell over them. They couldn’t see anything. The emptiness around them was silent until they heard it…
Dead, heavy ticking of a massive clock, with the clock hand groaning as it swung around and around and around, never ending, never reaching it’s destination, just circling around and around slowly in the empty cold darkness, where time never stops, and no one ever leaves…
They say only students can hear it, the Lustaray Clock, hidden deep inside the haunted School of the Arts in Cashes Dade. Late at night, some students can hear it, especially in October. Every tick of the clock sounds like the boom of a cannon. They can hear the other clock hand dragging, dragging slowly going around and around, never ending, sounding like a tragic, ghostly wail over and over. Some students, including Cade and Blake, can also hear the ghost, the one who haunts the Lustaray Clock, the one they say is trapped inside the underground classroom where the massive clock glows dark orange in the dark classroom, set high on the black marble wall. They say there is a dark mystery, a dark secret about the Lustaray Clock. They say you can hear him groaning, groaning with a deep sadness, desperately hoping to escape, desperately hoping to lead someone to enter the school and help him find his way out, or become trapped there with him…
There’s only one way to enter the School of the Arts, through the dark front gate. It’s a confusing, dark twisted school. No one knows how to find the Lustaray Clock. But getting there is only half the mystery, getting out is even more mysterious. There is a secret to finding the clock and finding the way out, a secret the ghost desperately wants to discover. Can you figure it out? We’ll soon find out. But be warned, because the ghost is calling students, students like Cade and Blake, to the school, and you can be trapped in there with him forever if you can’t find the way out.
When you push through, you enter the front lawn covered by heavy, twisted gardens. Then you suddenly find yourself inside, in the garden room. Massive black marble walls rise up really high on all sides with numerous balconies holding twisted dark green trees called Deyvas. Their branches curl around and through eachother with glittering green leaves that whisper in the dark. They seem to grow and stretch around you, closing in on you. Two long dark pools run along the walls with a single round table between them. Large twisted, dead trees grow all throughout the floor holding dark orange-lit candles that whisper when they light up.
The reading room holds massive bookshelves full of large, dusty books. Ghosts appear, glowing in neon green fiery lights, floating up and down the shelves, picking out books, then showing up in the various fancy furniture to read them. There are many pieces of furniture, all with elaborate designs. At the center of the room are two circular couches on both sides of a slick, black chair. It’s best not to disturb them, or they will start whispering to you which might send you to the darker places of the school, where you could be trapped forever…
The ballroom floor has designs of twisted faces, hiding from incredibly tall people looking down at them from high towers, gazing down from the balconies. Dark orange crystal chandeliers float around from the murky ceiling to barely light up the green glowing ghosts dancing to the eerie, off-key music, dancing over the many complicated scenes of politcal debates and battles, and dances and games. Somewhere in the center is the design showing students learning in school. The music can be overpowering, and move you, but it can move you to places you don’t want to go…
The grand auditorium is dimly lit by dark orange lantern lights from the high balconies, where dark ghosts sit waiting to capture any who enter. Every seat displays a different green glowing ghostly face. If you make eye contact with any of them, a ghost will be after you in the dark aisles etched in an elaborate maze. Blood red curtains fly in from both sides across the stage, clashing at the center. When the ghosts begin to sing, the auditorium stretches and stretches seemingly forever, and it is really hard to find the way out…
Cade and Blake are determined to find the Lustaray Clock, which is held in the underground classroom. It’s a dark, empty room with just two rows of empty desks, casting long dark stretching shadows from the dark orange light coming only from the Lustaray Clock. This is the darkest, emptiest room ever found. You feel a heavy despair when you enter here, and a heavy confusion, especially where the crack runs across the floor under the long dark stretching shadows. A sharp, bitter chill fills the room in the complete silence except for the sound of the ticking clock, where the hour hand goes around, forever and ever, never reaching it’s destination. The ghost haunts this room, because he can’t get out, and if anyone enters, he will try to keep them from ever getting out as well…
Someday the students will be called by the clock To find the dingy classroom closed by a heavy lock The young student failed in the art school He tried too much, to make everyone else a fool But one day he will return, to finish what he begun He cannot escape, nor can anyone else, until it’s done The way through is revealed by the name Lustaray Fight through the heavy confusion to see one way If you try to see the light all at once, you will fail Go through the center and you will prevail They all want to shine like a brilliant light This is where you will find the way that’s right But lights only shine in the dark night…
Cade Mayson is constantly disappearing, and reappearing, though many times he will reappear far, far away, and you have to wonder, is he a ghost? There are different reasons why people call him a ghost. Sometimes he is just so fast, he can get from one place to another way too fast to be real. He’s also really sneaky. One of Cade’s favorite things is to quietly sneak up on someone and just all the sudden be standing there. It can be quite creepy. Cade also hides really well, then just shows up seemingly out of nowhere. He likes scaring people, and for that reason, and a few secret ones, his favorite holiday is Halloween.
Before we learn more about whether Cade is a ghost, it’s time to reveal the mystery challenge from the last post. Did you figure it out? Are you ready to find out? Where did Jake hide his gold? Here is the answer:
He hid his gold in the underground of the Kingdom of Cadendas, City of Heyvas Caradames.
Here are the key prophecy lines that offer the clues: The message of the ghost who sings opera is the key You must listen close to the bright music of all three Turning it around then following to the end is the key You’ll know you found the secret when you find the letter C In the end, the secret is best kept by the light Follow the directions to figure out what’s right…
Cade has remarkable speed, and it becomes the most mysterious in the game of tag. If you’re it, don’t try to get Cade. Everyone tries to get Cade, because no one ever has before, but it’s hopeless. One time in a game of tag in a courtyard in the city, under a fiery red evening, a kid had Cade cornered. Cade started to do his fake-out dance, and the kid got himself ready for him to make his move, thinking he would keep trying to fake one way then fly the other, but Cade just went for it, sprinting right past him. By the time the kid reached out to tag him, he was long gone on the other side of the courtyard. How does he move that fast?
One year, before the aliens invaded, the kids at school were planning the next Halloween Party, and Cade wasn’t invited, to the planning that is. He was more than welcome to the party, but he was not allowed to be in on the planning anymore because he has way too many crazy ideas, many of which got way out of control. We’ll find out more about that later. But the kids decided to have a secret planning meeting at a secret location which was the roof of the school at midnight. They had been really quiet about it and told no one. They checked every time they talked about it to make sure Cade was nowhere in sight. But when they finished their meeting on the rooftop, and got ready to leave, there was Cade, standing there smiling brightly in the flickering moonlight.
The biggest reason people think Cade is a ghost, is because he seems to appear and disappear out of nowhere, something only ghosts can do. One time on a class trip into the mountains, they were all gathered at a large lake. Several of his classmates went exploring down a long narrow valley. They thought Cade was going to join them later, but they kept looking back up the the grassy slope with no trees and didn’t see him. Several kids slipped on the slick grass on the way down the long slope, but eventually they made it to the end. The two mountains on both sides were really steep with slick black stones. When they reached the end, they glanced back again and still didn’t see him anywhere. One kid asked another if they thought Cade would try to climb the steep mountain rising in front of them. They all spun around when they heard a voice answer, “I think he would.” It was Cade. How did he get there?
Cade doesn’t just act like a ghost, he goes looking for them. Check out the next post to see if you can solve the mystery in the post titled:
MYSTERY OF THE LUSTARAY CLOCK GHOST
Read the story about the time when Cade and Blake went exploring the old school set deep in the mountains that students claim is haunted. What they find will shock them. But more importantly, will they be able to find their way out?
Cade Mayson is on a secret mission to start a revolution against the aliens. He doesn’t just want to take back his school and his country that’s been burned to the ground, he wants them off the planet, by any means necessary. There is a lot of mystery about these aliens: Who are they? Where did they come from? Why are they here? How did they get so advanced? What are those neon lights flashing rhythmically in the darkest nights? What scares them? No one seems to know the answer to any of those questions, especially the last one, except Cade…
In the Cashes Dade school, all the students know the rule when it comes to talking to sixth grader Casey Cardade. Look at his dark, deep-set eyes. That will tell you what kind of mood he’s in…maybe…probably…hopefully. But you better keep watching, because his mood can change in a flash.
Before we find out more about this mysterious kid from Cashes Dade, it’s time to reveal the answer for the last mystery challenge. Did you figure it out? Were you right? Here goes nothing… The answer for which feature was the Daycoryay Prophecy referring to was this: It was the third door with the blank ghostly faces painted on it, opening to the ballroom.
Casey Cardade is a fighter. He almost seems like he’s looking for a fight sometimes. He seems to win every fight, but he’s not exactly a skilled fighter. He doesn’t dance around or have any tricks, he’s just really tough. He can take any punch, but he’s not going to just stand there and take it, he will strike back and when he does, he hits hard. When he stares at you with a strong, icy stare, then slowly looks down, you know you’re in for a fight. But interestingly enough, the best way to get in a fight with him (not that you’d want to) is to get into a discussion about someone else’s fighting techniques. Casey is extremely, and I mean extremely, critical of someone who “dances around like a clown” as he puts it, or uses tricks. He wants to see two people slugging it out and the toughest person wins. He believes he can win any fight against anyone no matter how superior, and he may actually be right…
Casey helps his dad afterschool making furniture. He is great with tools and can make really cool tables and chairs. If you hand him directions for making any piece of furniture he’ll just laugh, usually, or he’ll glare at you in which case I’d suggest walking away, fast. Then he’ll probably crumple up the papers into a paper airplane (or as they call it “a paper flying craft” since they don’t have airplanes, but they do see space ships) and send it flying away. He gets intensely focused when he’s making furniture. One student actually dressed up wearing thirteen sweaters and a giant hat, walked into the store where Casey was working, and walked around. Casey didn’t even look up. The student then started doing jumping jacks, and cartwheels and all kinds of other crazy moves, and as he predicted, Casey never noticed him, or at least never paid him any attention. That student won a lot of money that day.
Casey is ranked as GoldStar which is the second highest ranking students can get. According to the aliens, it means you’re good, but not great. Recently, the aliens called him to a meeting in the school office, late at night. Three aliens sat on high glass chairs staring down at him with their crescent moon eyes shining white in the wide circular marble white room dimly lit by gold crystal chandeliers hanging over the round table. Casey sat down on the other end and slowly looked up at them with a dead, empty stare. The student messenger then told him their message. They put a lot of pressure on him to get higher grades so he can get ranked WhiteStar which opens up great opportunities and rewards. They hinted at some kind of penalty or consequence if he didn’t step it up soon. They also said he’s running out of time. Casey is a good student and a hard worker. He does well in all subjects but he struggles to understand higher concepts that he can’t picture or understand what it means. Casey didn’t say a word in the meeting, but at the end, when the messenger asked him if he understood, he gave them a half-nod with a faint secretive smile before leaving. The aliens told him maybe he just isn’t smart enough to understand complicated subjects and can only go so far, but no one understands how to make the crazy designs he makes in his furniture, nor does anyone understand what they mean.
Casey is really quiet and quite secretive. He has short, kind of choppy dark hair that slants slightly and falls low over his eyes. He won’t let anyone see the pictures he draws in his sketchbook, won’t let anyone see inside his desk at school or his room at home, and answers nearly every question with a one or two word answer, or he’ll just stare at you for a few seconds with an empty stare, then just glance away. That means “no comment.” It’s best not to ask him again. Casey is a mysterious kid, with a strange sense of humour. He has a few friends, but even they don’t know a lot about him. He doesn’t talk much, but he’s a kid always on the move, and seems to always be making sure no one is following him.
At midnight, Casey quietly snuck into the school because he knew the aliens were holding a secret meeting there. He heard them talking in their fast-paced monotone voices, gesturing toward pictures of several students. He crept down low in the shadows, close to the door open just a crack in the back hallway behind the office. He tried to see the pictures of the students in the eerie fiery green glow shooting around between the aliens, but the pictures were under heavy shadow. He couldn’t quite see who they were, but he could see that there were three pictures…
Austin Candor will never forget the first time he attended a show at the Dascade Iris Playhouse. Bright moonlight spilled across the massive three-layered castle-like complex glowing bright blue in the chilling night. Austin is relatively short and slim with short dark brown hair that shifts slightly to the right just over part of his eyes. Though on this night he had it coloured blue. It glowed in the moonlight. His bright, energetic eyes shifted sideways as his face twisted in anxiety. He didn’t like how it was built, it looked like it was leaning and too heavy on the top like it could collapse at any moment. He’ll never forget that night, because he’ll never forget what he saw.
Floating bright gold chandelier lights floated by as Austin entered, then left, then re-entered, then left, then re-entered the first hall, just practicing his fast exit. He noticed a lot of intriguing places as he kept getting away from his mom to explore the playhouse. In this story, the mystery challenge for you to solve will be what feature of one of the playhouse rooms is the Daycoryay Prophecy talking about? A feature could be a light, a clock, a table, a tree, a window, something like that but it will be mentioned in the story below describing Austin’s adventure in the playhouse. There will be something significant about the feature described. First read the story, then check out the prophecy after to see if you can figure out what feature the prophecy is describing. The feature offers a clue about who the opera singer is and where she comes from. Leave a comment below if you have a guess. The answer will be revealed in the next Character Fun Facts post. Can you figure it out?
Austin saw the lights flicker as they passed by. He shook his head with his eyes slanting and moved faster ahead. Then he heard music playing. He walked along the wall, running his hand along the smooth crystal blue, just making sure it was solid, and found a large rounded door, glowing with a burning blue light. It had a picture of a face with only eyes glowing bright green. Austin stared at the face, then looked away, then turned back, then looked away, started to open the door, then turned back, just making sure the ghost face wasn’t watching him. Finally he pushed into a massive dining room. The floor was made of blue and white dazzling tiles. Flickering moonlight spilled through the gigantic grand blue stained glass windows. The light moved constantly across the room over a table with a fancy white cloth made with a design of dancing citizens and shiny dishes set on the table. Austin wanted to look out the window, and the table was really long, so he jumped up on a chair, rolled over the table then jumped over another chair. He was about to look out when he heard clanging behind him. He spun around fast. Forks, knives, and spoons were moving, clanging on a dazzling white plate, with a flower pattern engraved in it, in a complicated musical rhythm. Austin backed up against the window feeling the passing lights. This time he dove under the table, jumped up on a chair and launched himself to the door. He hurried out, glancing back several times at the green ghost eyes, staring directly at him.
Later on, Austin found himself in a small square room with really tall walls rising high. They all held dark, dusty books. Moonlight grew brighter shining through the sky window with a pattern of red, blue, and gold crystals. The light splashed down the walls. Various books began glowing in rhythm to low, booming music coming from the creamy blue spiral shaped pool in the center of the room. Austin glanced to make sure the door was close. The slim, tall door was still glowing with a burning gold light. He turned back to see one book showing a sword, another book showing an arrow, and another glowing book showed a city tower. But it was the ghostly singing, that led him to check out another room.
Austin slowly opened the fancy creaking door, with blank ghostly faces painted on it, glowing with a green light. Austin told the door to stay quiet, but the door didn’t listen. He crept along the wide circular wall of the massive ballroom with a marble white floor that had elaborate designs throughout. Bright flickering moonlight splashed through the rising grand stained glass windows. Just then a chilling wind rushed into the room. The windows went dark. Austin leaned back against the wall looking around sharply in the complete darkness. Then he heard it, a grand piano playing in the room, a sad song with a bright, energetic melody fighting through with sour notes. The piano lit up in a glowing blue light, floating around in the room. Austin slowly inched his way toward the door. Moonlight started streaming through each window one by one. One lit up showing a blue ghost staring down, another lit up showing a green ghost looking up, while another one lit up showing a a ghost staring ahead with fiery eyes. Just as Austin turned for the door, he saw a ghostly lady in a white dress glide across the floor and leave the room…
DAYCORYAY PROPHECY
When the lightning finally strikes the tower
When the dark hand finally points to the hour
The clock will slowly, slowly turn to reveal the time
Look for the ghosts’ plan to turn on a dime
The key will be to look at the three ways
They are the ones who don’t appear in the days
Read the revealing clues line by line by line
Make sure you see what’s missing in the shine
You will not want to miss what’s coming soon
It will strike like lightning out of a clear sky at noon
The shadow elite sit up high in their tower
They’re waiting and preparing for the darkest hour
The aliens have a secret plan no one knows about
Ghosts whisper in every corner ready for the shout
The ghost leans against the cold wall flinching at every tick
Blood red moonlight will slowly light up every brick
Students with determination and intense fire
Who find new ways to climb higher and higher
Are the ones the aliens want to shut down
Through the glittering lights of the crystal crown
But these students are the ones who found the clue
Maybe the aliens are afraid of what they can do
A lady sings hidden by the mist over the pool
She sings so her dream-like song reaches the school
She can’t be seen, but only heard in the moonlight
She only sings bright opera in the darkest night
She seems to have a message for those across the blue
In the dead of winter, late at night, Cade stares out his blue glass window in his room when he’s supposed to be asleep. It’s one of his favorite things to do, to watch for the lights of Dascade Iris. The Kingdom of Dascade Iris is far to the north of Cashes Dade, yet somehow, mysteriously, bright colourful lights appear high in the sky over the mountains. They look like they are right there over the mountains. Sometimes the lights just dance around in the sky, but other times different letters appear in various colours, yet they are random. The dancing lights form different shapes in various colours, but also are random, yet Cade believes they are trying to send some kind of secret message to the world.
The City of Camdaysiah in Dascade Iris is called the city of lights. Fireplaces are everywhere and people constantly have fires going in every room since it’s really cold for most of the year. Bridges run throughout the city crossing eachother in a massive web connecting to different levels of the city towers. They strung blue and red bulb lights in heavy curtains from every bridge so the city is practically covered in lights that shine during the day and glow brightly and flash at night. The higher the winds, the faster they flash. They’re made from a special powder found in the mountains that create light. They also have pools everywhere heated by fires under the floors. Every home and business actually has pools that take up entire rooms, even the entire home sometimes. Would you want your room to be like that? Sometimes they wade through and other times they float on small rafts through their home. The city also has numerous pools that drop waterfalls throughout the city, down from the bridges. Most of them freeze part way as they fall and turn bright blue shining brightly during the days and even glowing at night reflecting the light curtains.
One of the best things they do in Dascade Iris is hold races. They have some awesome events holding races in the ice bluffs. They all get pretty crazy, but the best one they hold is the slide races. They make slides down and through the bluffs to race either on some kind of rafts or just by themselves. Sometimes they try to see how long or crazy they can make the slides. One time a citizen made a slide through a tunnel that shot you out from one bluff to another into another tunnel going down fast. That citizen, by the way, was Austin Candor.
Just like Cade, Austin also watches from his window late at night when he’s supposed to be going to sleep and be rested for school so he doesn’t fall asleep in class but that rarely happens. He watches the same dancing lights Cade does, but he watches something else as well. In the distance way up north is a massive cylinder shaped tower shining neon green built by the aliens. Eerie lights dance above the tower making bizarre shapes like it’s some kind of show. Some citizens have explored that area where the tower stands between three tall ice bluffs looking like giant waves of ice. They report seeing a single alien wandering through the ice fields but when they get close he seems to disappear and they never find him.
The most intriguing part of Dascade Iris is the playhouse. It’s a massive complex built high on the top bluff that inside and out glows bright blue. There are many twisted halls inside that rise high with windows overlooking the complex. In the center is a really large auditorium with high upper decks. The place is lit up with elaborate crystal chandeliers that shine bright gold. They actually move along the walls. What’s intriguing about this place is it’s haunted, not by dark spirits, but by a lady who sings opera. But she only shows up when the playhouse is closed and the lights are off.
Austin and his friends like to sneak into the playhouse after it’s been closed and check out the auditorium in the darkness. It gets strangely cold with waves of dark blue mist rolling through. Some of the chandeliers stay lit and float along the walls up high. It’s only at this time that the lady sings opera. She sings a mysterious song that sounds tragic, yet with some kind of hope hidden within. They can never see her or figure out where she is. Many times they try climbing the ledges along the walls to reach the high balconies fast where they think she is or they race through the halls where her singing seems to go, but they never catch her.
What do you think about Dascade Iris? Would you want to live there or visit there? What do you like about it? Leave a comment below. Who is the opera singer? Why does she show up after hours and sing opera? Is she trying to send someone a secret message? What is she hiding? Then again, what might she be trying to reveal?
When the far distant blue star lights dance The trail-blazing student will take his chance
On a blazing red March night, 12 year old Austin Candor made his way fast out of Daylustar. He hurriedly got in his boat docked at the Caras Dayermore docks near the alien school entrance. Reflections of bright golden star lights danced across the creamy blue pool. Austin drove his boat fast down the channel through the gloomy city. Green ghostly faces stared at him with completely blank faces through dusty dark blue crystal windows. Austin glanced at them with a half-curious, half-anxious expression before shaking his head sharply and looking away with a wave as if to make them disappear. He soon pushed his boat into the fast moving current down the massively wide river.
Sleek blue triangular alien ships blazed across the sky in various directions over Caras Dayermore leaving trails of fire across the night. Austin kept glancing back seeing bright alien lights roaming, searching the city, as he moved fast out of Marcaydas. He tried to process what had happened. The aliens hyped up the concert so much, inviting citizens from every country to attend, saying they would see the greatest concert the world has ever seen with unbelievable talent. But the aliens had something much more sinister in mind with this concert. When Austin found his way out of his dark dream, using his intense observation skills to figure it out, he discovered the real reason for the concert. They were looking for something, something they were missing…
Before we continue with this intriguing kid from Dascade Iris, it’s time to reveal the mystery challenge from the last post. The question was which city in the dark dream should Austin go to? The clues were there, were you able to pick up on them? Did you figure it out? Here is the answer:
The second city
Austin is all about speed. He hates it when he has to slow down to check things out, like making sure a bridge is going to hold, or making sure he kept certain doors open or closed, or checking to make sure he has a good escape plan if the place he’s inside of should collapse. But otherwise, he’s a kid on the move, and he moves fast. Sometimes he will just fly past you appearing like a lightning streak shooting by. He never really walks, even when he’s walking it’s pretty much a jog. Good luck keeping up with him because he will break into a run at any moment and just sprint up the path or up the steps. In fact, he’ll run up anything no matter how steep.
He also has great parkour skills even though parkour hasn’t been invented yet where he’s from. He likes to find the craziest and most fun way to get from one place to the next; jumping from table to table, running along the railing going up the staircase, climbing up shelves and jumping to his desk in school. Sometimes, he takes it too far, like trying to scale the school wall by stacking up boxes and trash cans thinking he could climb up those to get to the second floor window and enter his class that way. It didn’t end so well…the first time anyway…but by his seventh try he managed to find sturdy enough trash cans and boxes to stack so he could make it, and it only took three hours. There may be a time in the future when he will need his speed skills and parkour skills to get away from dark spirits.
Austin is also a really fast talker. He transitions from one topic to another to another amazingly fast. It can be quite difficult to follow if you’re not used to it. Funny thing is, if you ask him to repeat himself, he’ll look shocked like he can’t believe you couldn’t understand it. If you tell him to talk slower he’ll look even more confused. Many times he gets upset at his friends for supposedly forgetting something important he told them when most likely they just missed it since he says so much.
Austin also thinks fast and reacts faster. This is what makes him so fun to watch in the plays. At some point he will probably change the lines and the actions in the play and do something crazy. He has a way of showing the others how to respond to it. Sometimes they just keep saying the lines as they were and he finds a way to make that work too. In the future, he might find himself in a crazy play, a play designed by the aliens.
Austin has quite a strong fear of getting trapped, either by getting surrounded by some enemy or a place he’s in just collapsing and getting buried under the rubble. In fact, whatever you do, don’t say the words collapse, fall, trap, or bury around him or he will get really agitated. He’ll stare at you with a gaze like his eyes are on fire until you look away. When he enters a new place, he will check for where the doors are, or windows, and figure out the fastest ways he can leave if necessary. He’ll stare up at the ceiling and structure making sure it’s going to hold up well. He hates lights that are held up by some kind of rope because seriously those could fall at any moment.
Sometimes kids give him a hard time or even make fun of his anxieties and constantly checking things, but when they tell him he’s crazy for acting like that, he just tells them they’re right. He jokes about his need to check the structures and exits, and just has fun with it. Then he lets his cool and fun ideas like entering through windows show kids he really is kind of crazy, but cool at the same time. There’s more to Austin’s speed than just running and thinking fast. His speed means he’s always thinking ahead, and seeing important things before anyone else does, like the aliens’ dark secret.
When Austin was in his dark dream, he heard music playing, but it sounded different. He had never heard music like that before. It had a bright energy that kept rising higher and higher. It was this music that helped him figure out how to escape his dark dream. Ever since then, he’s been watching the aliens closely, and he’s discovered that in one of their towers they’re holding something incredibly valuable to them, and he’s planning on stealing it…
As Austin Candor made his way down the massive river toward Marcaydas, the dome of the Concert Hall of the Alien School of Daylustar was lit up in bright neon green lights flashing to the rhythm of the heavy driving music. Austin stopped cold. Brilliant lights from the dome shot out on him. The dancing lights lit him up in a fiery shine. He pushed ahead, holding his hand out to shield his eyes from the blinding lights shooting directly at him. In a daze, he made his way through the murky, dark City of Caras Dayermore, with ghostly faces staring at him from gloomy windows. In a blurry haze, he made his way to Daylustar and entered the Concert Hall where he was directed to his seat. A teenage singer took the stage and began singing a strong, energetic song with a band playing powerful instruments behind him. Neon green lights from the Daylustar Statue of the teenage singer hovering high above the stage started flashing out to the fast-paced booming rhythm. Austin gazed up at the statue, no doubt concerned about it crashing down since it didn’t seem to be held up by anything. Then the powerful musical lights hit him directly and the dark illness took over his mind. As the concert raged on, he became paralyzed and entered the dark dream stage of the illness.
This is the final mystery challenge for Book One of the Cashes Dade Ghost Strikers mystery series. You can find out more about this first story and you can find out how to buy it now by clicking the link below. Check it out:
In this mystery challenge, Austin Candor is in a dark dream, the final stage of the dark illness caused by the crystal crown on top of the aliens’ statue of Daylustar. He cannot move. He’s in a dream where he can move around in a dream that feels quite real, yet physically he can’t move. The only way to be healed is if he goes to the right destination in the dream. Then he will wake up and be able to move again. He’ll be free. But if he makes the wrong move and heads to the wrong destination, then he’ll die. The aliens have designed these dreams to mislead students into thinking they are seeing clear clues to the wrong destination. Check out the Camdace Prophecy below for clues to where Austin should go in the dark dream. The answer for this mystery challenge will be revealed in the next Character Fun Facts Feature. Get ready, because we’re about to turn to the next chapter of this mystery series as the stakes get higher. Can you figure it out?
It will begin with our students haunted by bright dreams for each The key secret for defeating the enemy from the skies is in reach The dark illness almost has them when they’re hurt by the light When their eyes light up green in heavy dark, they’re in the fight Our students move down the school steps in a procession of dread If they make the wrong move in their dark dream, they will be dead There’s a secret power driving them to desire the talents of any They have a desperate wish to be on stage: praised by many You must figure out how to reach and touch the statue and crown This crown must be destroyed to heal the illness taking them down The keys to destroying it are bright, helpful, yet intense in the night You must be determined, go higher and higher, over and over to light There’s one path they can’t see every corner when it goes bright It’ll be the only path that has candles in the windows at night There’s one way, one path, one hall, that can get to the concert side This music and determination together is the key to the door to hide In the Concert Hall the Student will become still The Intense Rebel must fight through the chill He must shine, lighting up the dark corner glow If he fails to see the light, he’ll die in the show
Heavy murky darkness surrounded Austin. He looked around frantically seeing nothing but emptiness. “What’s going on? IS ANYONE HERE? Where am I?” Austin slid his feet along the slick grass. He started feeling around in the darkness, slowly moving up the field. After a long time of feeling around in the heavy darkness, Austin began singing a bright, energetic song. Murky shadows appeared, stretching out further and further away from him as five cities slowly appeared in the distance. Austin stared with a deep curiosity blended with a bright intensity giving a half shrug. “Okay?! Here goes nothing.” He started jogging down the neon green grass field toward the five murky glowing cities.
Austin looked around and said, “Does anyone here have a map? Is anyone here at all? Am I talking to myself? Why yes, Austin, you appear to be talking to yourself. Wow, I think I’m losing it.” Austin gave another half shrug, then with a smile he said, “Whatever, whatever. I guess I’ll see if anyone lives in one of these cities.” The five cities grew more vivid as he jogged up the wide flat field.
The first city was a circular shaped city with three layers of rounded towers made of dark gray stone looking like a castle. Each layer was stacked on top of each other like a cake lit by candles at the top. Brilliant lights flashed to the rhythm of deep booming music set along high poles at the tops of the top stack of towers. The lights stretched down, flickering across the rough surfaces of the towers and dark empty windows. A long curving street wound its way through the towers made of rough gray stones.
The second city was built with shimmering neon green towers in a massive cluster. The towers were shaped like spears shooting high into the sky. Vibrations from the music playing from every tall, grand window. The green shimmering streets lit up the city in a bright glowing shine.
The third city was built with several massive broad complexes made with red bricks. Two merged into one in the center with slick red bridges lit up in bright golden lights connecting to various levels over a dark shimmering pool reflecting the bright candle lights in the grand blue crystal windows. On the balconies citizens sang bright, energetic dream-like songs.
The fourth city was built throughout hills winding around in a dark maze of slick, black massively high towers. Dark orange lanterns throughout the winding stone streets lit up the city in a gloomy shine. Deep booming music rocked the dark towers as they swayed back and forth.
The fifth city was built in a spiral up a massive mountain. The towers stood high with arched roofs connecting all of them. They were made with shimmering blue glass. Flickering bright lights flashed rhythmically to the grand music playing from within the tall white crystal windows made with circular designs. Powerful waterfalls rushed down through the city.
Austin’s bright gaze flashed from city to city trying to figure out which city to go for. Will he make the right choice? Austin was trying to make his decision, when he heard music playing, music that didn’t sound like any music he had ever heard before…
The glittering red lantern swung back and forth slowly in the passing moonlight streaming through the high gold crystal windows. The towering golden light deep inside slowly died. Moonlight glowed through the red crystal lantern momentarily until the night swiftly went dark over the playhouse. The audience waited in nervous anticipation for Austin’s response to the challenge. The soldiers on stage watched anxiously as Austin just threw back an icy stare, but with a gleam in his eyes.
In a sudden flash, he drew his sword throwing it high in the air, disappearing into the high darkness over the stage near the dark swaying lantern. He jumped up on the three slopes placed on the stage for hills, leaping up each one in a flash. As the sword dropped in front of him he caught it just before it slipped past. Austin stared down at them with a brightly intense gaze, then said, “We will never surrender, but fight to the end, down to the last standing soldier.”
The aliens in the balconies’ crescent moon eyes burned brighter watching him closely. With that he jumped, somehow landing in between all the soldiers. Then they broke into a wild fight on stage, which was not in the script, but Austin changed that, and they had to go with it. Austin yelled, “Oooaawwwhhhh,” with every dramatic swing of his sword. He dove, rolled over, then jumped up with a big smile in front of one kid who didn’t seem thrilled with the change in the play. Austin held his hands out in a peace-making gesture, and flashed him a half-smile. “What’s your problem?” Austin whispered. “I only had one line and I was out of here,” he said, agitated. “Now what am I supposed to do?” “Say your line and I’ll kill you,” Austin whispered while they pretended to fight. “Why don’t you want me to say my line?” “I do.” “But you just said you didn’t.” “I did?” “You threatened me.” “No, I meant, say your line…..theeennnnnn, I will kill you and you’re done. Horray!” “It won’t make sense.” “Just say it, I’ll make it work, come on, up here.” The two kids took their fight to a higher platform under bright golden light. The audience watched closely as the two kids fought with their swords clanging. Turning to a fellow soldier, the kid said, “See? I told you they would accept our terms.” Austin held back a smile while the audience watched, confused. “That’s right, we accepted your secret terms told to me before you pretended to talk about surrendering.” Then with a dramatic spinning motion Austin knocked him back. The kid fell back and rolled over. Then he quietly snuck away while the fighting raged on around him. This is what the citizens of the Kingdom of Dascade Iris have come to expect. This is what they come to the playhouse for, to see what Austin Candor is going to do and how he’s going to change the play and make everyone react to it. But the aliens have been watching Austin for a long time, and not just when he’s on stage.
Austin is from the Kingdom of Dascade Iris with the City of Camdaysiah. It is the northernmost kingdom in DarkCornerLand. The people there are known for being colourful, entertaining, and kind of odd sometimes. Austin certainly fits in well. Most citizens in this kingdom are miners and explorers who find and dig out great resources and minerals from the ice bluffs. The ice bluffs are high-shelf like cliffs that rise up really high in some areas and are covered by ice all year round. Austin has found places where you can actually slide down incredibly slick slopes down from high bluffs. You can go incredibly fast. Austin tries to find things he can slide on down the ice to go even faster. Often times he and his friends have slide races out there, despite the warnings of parents and aliens.
The City of Camdaysiah is set where two rivers meet to make one massive river flowing north with mostly ice chunks crashing from wild waves. The city is made of massive towers that look like stacked squares, each one smaller than the other. There are numerous bridges that connect to various levels of the towers up high. The towers are made of bright red sleek stones with grand oval shaped windows made with bright gold crystal glass. They also string massive red curtains along every bridge. They can’t grow any plants there so they string tons and tons of stringed gold lights everywhere inside and out, all over the streets and the towers. Austin is really nervous on bridges. He constantly checks to see if he can make sure the bridge is in good shape and will hold. He only walks directly in the center and stops every time he hears any sound that could be the bridge breaking. God help you if you’re a worker doing some kind of repair on the bridge. Austin will look over your shoulder and ask a ton of questions.
The aliens at Austin’s school held a presentation about a major music concert that’s being held next week. They invited many of the students from Camdaysiah and all the other kingdoms to attend this concert, including Austin. One of the featured players will be a piano player named Cade Mayson. Austin has decided to go. He can’t wait to see the concert, but he’s especially interested to see what’s going to happen at midnight. That’s when the aliens’ crystal crown will be finished, the one that sets on top of the massive statue floating high in mid-air, the one the Cashes Dade Ghost Strikers are trying to reach and destroy, the one that is creating a deadly dark illness, the one that when finished will send that deadly dark illness out to every kingdom, threatening every BlackStar Ranked student in DarkCornerLand…
