Chapter One Mystery Challenge:
What word do the aliens have for moonlight?
Story Mystery Challenge:
Which path can Cade and Blake get past the defenses to the top?
If you have a guess, leave a comment below. The answer for the Chapter One Mystery Challenge will be revealed in the next post.
CAROLMIRE LIGHTS PROPHECY
“The aliens will stake their claim to the towering mountain top
They use mirrors to watch for intruders they need to stop
Dark shadows flash across the sharp stones and clay
They use their grand dreams to keep them away
The aliens have deep pools to keep away the citizens of Carolmire
Cade Mayson will have strong determination fire
The aliens have their lights that shine so bright
Cade’s mysterious movements flash across the night
The aliens have great ambitions to always be the best
Cade and Blake will be relentless in their mission quest”
CHAPTER ONE:
Icy blue clouds rushed across the sky looking like sharp arrows in the night. Cade looked up at the green light flashing out five times at the steep top of Carolmire Mountain. He stood behind a line of large black marble stones. Soft white light through broken moonlight reflected across his short dark hair falling low to his intense eyes. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped. He spun around to see his friend in the sixth grade with a smile across his thin face.
“What did you do that for, Blake?”
“What?”
“You could have said something.”
Blake zipped up his black coat and ran his hand over his short, matted sandy hair before answering, “I didn’t want to startle you.”
“How is suddenly feeling a hand not going to startle me? What’s wrong with you? There’s dark spirits crawling all over this place.”
“Dark spirits don’t have hands.”
“Yeah they do!”
“Not like ours.” A sour horn blared out from the top of the mountain. Chilling winds rushed down the steep mountain slopes sweeping through the Cercas Evergreens with their widespread branches holding sharp long green leaves. They formed tall, unbalanced triangles shifting back and forth looking like they were dancing in the winds.
“It’s time,” said Cade. “We have one hour to get past the defense.”
“What you mean we have one hour?”
“We can only make it in total darkness. Moonlight lights up this mountain every night except for midnight to one o’clock. We’ll start up that path.” He pointed up a smooth curving slope between the trees spiraling around the mountain towards the top. The slope was mostly snow covered with many black square shaped rocks scattered throughout called Sonars. Winds whistled as they grew stronger around them. Cade gave a quick wave toward the slope to their left. Blake jogged quickly around the stones heading toward the slope. Then he slid to a stop. Turning back he saw Cade scrambling up the large stones, then jumping dramatically into a snow drift with his hands out like he was flying. Blake just shook his head, then shrugged. “Let’s go, let’s go,” said Cade flying ahead of him up the slick slope. They sprinted across the lower slope cutting between several Sonars. Darker shadows fell across the upper slopes. Blake glanced up to see black arrow shaped clouds rushing through the night sky. Cade stayed focused ahead with his sharp gaze. Dark shadows crawled across the forest on both sides.
“Where are the defenses?” asked Blake. Several bright green lights shot out from deep inside the forest ahead of them, shooting down the mountain slope. The kids got down flat in the snow. Cade glanced at his watch: 12:13.
“Over here,” Cade whispered. The lights buzzed loudly as they started roaming back and forth. The kids crawled over to a Sonar and hid behind it. One distant voice whistled with a dead tone.
“It’s them,” Blake whispered. Several more voices whistled from the other side of the forest.
“Let the games begin.” Cade shot out up the slope between the lights. Blake sprinted after him. “Stay low.” They struggled up the slippery slope. Dark shadowy figures began to appear at the edges of both forests. Another lone whistle shot out. Several more answered, sounding closer. Both lights switched, closing in on them. “Follow my lead.” As the lights crashed in on them, Cade dove to the left. In an instant he shot back to the right. Blake glanced back as they hurried up the slope. Several dark shadows moved quickly to the left behind them.
“We fooled them,” said Blake.
“We’re too smooth.” Cade slipped back. Blake jumped off to the left just missing him.
“You were saying?” Cade waved him off and started up again toward a cluster of tall slanted black marble stones called Eve’s. Blake glanced up at the breaking clouds at a close distance above them. They stopped at the cluster of black stones. Cade got down low and gazed down the long narrow pass between them curving far up the mountain. Dark shadows flashed back and forth rhythmically. Soft white light reflected off the shimmering Eve’s. Cade checked his watch: 12:24.
Cade turned to Blake with eyes lit and said, “Let’s go.” The kids pushed their way through the narrow pass. Green lights flashed past them. Dead whistling started up all around them. “Hurry, hurry.” Dark figures appeared on both sides. “Stay with me, if you can.”
“Are you kidding?” Cade disappeared behind a rock to his right. Blake cut through a narrow slit. He looked around seeing only flashing shadows. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped.
“See what I mean?” Cade flashed him a smile then sprinted ahead. Blake followed after.
“I knew it was you all along.” Cade turned sharp right. Then he scrambled up a slanted stone. He jumped down, faked left, then turned sharp right between another narrow pass. Blake glanced back. Dark figures darted in and out behind them. “Is your plan to make them sick trying to follow you?” Cade just shrugged. Several short whistles shot out behind them. Several more short whistles answered. The Eve’s lit up bright green around them.
“Stay low,” Cade whispered. They weaved around a sharp turn. Blake glanced back. Dark spirits appeared around the corner gliding up fast toward them.
“We need to move, like really move.” Cade nodded and sped up the slope. They turned sharp right past a towering rock. Cade stopped cold, then sprinted left. Blake followed close. They pushed through kicking up snow. Cold winds whistled through the dancing evergreens on both sides. Blake glanced back. Dark spirits were far behind. “We’re getting ahead now. Pretty soon…” The kids slid to a stop. A short distance ahead a crowd of dark spirits were lined up. Behind them stood rows of towering black stones. “We can’t get past them,” said Blake.
“In the forest.” The kids hurried under the swaying trees.
“What time is it?”
“12:42.” Blake looked ahead straining to see in the dark forest ahead. Dark figures began to appear.
“We’ve got to go.”
“Maybe, or maybe not.” Cade sprinted up slope diagonally left. “We can get around them.” Dead whistling started up behind them and ahead.
“They’ve got us surrounded Cade.” They pushed further to the left. Cade suddenly pivoted and turned up to the right. More dark figures lined up ahead. Alien lights flashed brightly at the mountain top. Sour horns blared out a short distance up the mountain. More dead whistling played out on all sides at the same time. “We can’t get there and we’re running out of time.” Cade checked his watch: 12:46. He sighed heavily.
“Let’s get back.” As they turned back they saw dark spirits rushing up slope toward them. “What we do now?”
“Follow my lead.” Cade charged down the slope toward the oncoming ghosts. He faked left, then right, then he sprinted left, faked right, sprinted further left. Dark spirits closed in together, then Cade turned sharp right with Blake right behind flying past the confused ghosts. The kids scrambled down the rocky slope under the dancing trees. Breaking moonlight began spilling in, lighting up the dark green short grass on the slope. “We’re out of time. We’ll come back tomorrow night,” said Cade nodding confidently. “They won’t know what hit them.”
