Tag: aliens

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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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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…

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CHARACTER FUN FACTS: IS RYAN CARDADE THE SPY?

“THERE’S ALWAYS A WAY THROUGH”

The citizens of Cashes Dade are hiding in the mountains, trapped in the underground, surrounded by the aliens. But the enemy is also within. An alien spy is among them, secretly trying to take them down. But Cade Mayson and his friends are on the case, and the greatest revelation may come at an unexpected time, in a concert…

The prophecy hints at someone from Cashes Dade preparing to turn on them, preparing to give them up to the aliens. Ghostly whispers are heard in every distant, dark corner. Cade, Blake, and Drew are running constantly, trying to keep track of everything the seven Army Leads are doing and saying, but it’s hard to keep up with everything that’s going on. The aliens are coming after them with everything they have.

Ryan puts a lot of energy into the underground concert where they plan to play Bloody, Bloody Friday for the first time. Is he focused on sending a message to the aliens? Or is the concert meant to be some kind of distraction? The prophecy also refers to a ghost singing in the moonlight…

Its time to check out the seventh and final suspect. There is no significance to the order of the suspects in these posts because they are being presented in alphabetical order by first name. Ryan Cardade is one of the seven Cashes Dade Army Leads. One of them has to be the spy, because someone was seen by Cade and his friends, talking to the dark spirits in the tunnels, getting ready to give away Cashes Dade’s key secrets. They couldn’t be seen or heard clearly enough to be identified, but a dark orange star patch was seen on their shoulder marking them as one of the seven leads. Now that we’ve seen all of them, leave a comment below if you think you know who it is. Cade, Blake, and Drew are on their way back to Cashes Dade to help out their people in their war against the aliens. Will they be able to figure out how to break through? The prophecy hints at a mountain they can escape to where they will be protected from the aliens. But the key to solving this mystery will be figuring out which one of these seven army leads is the spy. Who is it?

Ryan Cardade is somewhat awkward with short, wild dark hair shooting out every which way.

He is rough, wild, and kind of crazy.

He is really into music and loud crashing sounds.

He talks pretty calmly and to the point.

He takes the fourth position in the formation for the army leads.

He is a really strong fighter. He’s great at holding the line and firing powerfully at the enemy.

Ryan owned a guitar shop in Cashes Dade. He loved to make the most unique and loud guitars possible. He dreams of playing legendary concerts while playing legendary guitar solos.

One time Ryan was working on a new guitar he called “Hell Crasher.” I’m not sure exactly what that was supposed to mean, but basically, it was meant to be loud. He was on stage at the grand blue crystal concert hall dimly lit by dark orange chandelier clusters through the three levels, preparing for a concert that night, most of all testing out this new guitar. They don’t have electricity but they have a way of mixing certain powders that amplify the sound in the guitar. He kept trying it out on stage, playing strong, powerful chords that shook the arena, but every time he did the same thing, just walked away shaking his head. “It’s not loud enough. It’s not loud enough. I want this place to feel like it’s about to collapse.” He mixed stronger powders into it. Several people warned him about it, but he just waved them off. He played several chords, and the guitar started on fire. “You’ve got the hell part right,” one guy said close by. Ryan shot him a fiery intense look. Then he went back to work.

It’s kind of a mystery how they make their instruments play so strong and loud, a mystery that even the aliens are trying to figure out.

Around the time of the concert, Cashes Dade scouts see a lot of activity happening around a massive, green-lit alien complex. They see dark spirits streaming in from various directions, sleek, triangular shaped alien ships in fiery blue glows flying through the deep blue streaming clouds landing somewhere near the top of the stretched, curved complex. Dark golden lights glow like slow moving flames inside the grand windows. Sour horns blared out loud and strong, shaking the walls. A sonic boom overtook the sky, shutting out every other sound. Blurry moonlight spilled across the high rooftop where several lead aliens met, preparing for an announcement…

The final clues are Ryan’s three best known quotes:

“Let’s rock it”

“Play it loud”

“Any way you can, get your message heard”

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WHAT DOES CASEY CARDADE KNOW ABOUT THE ALIENS?

“THERE’S ALWAYS A WAY THROUGH”

No one knows exactly where the aliens came from. They claim to have a supreme, vast empire across the universe with great kingdoms and cities on numerous planets they’ve conquered. Once in a speech to the citizens of Cashes Dade they displayed a massive picture of the spiral galaxy of stars showing bright, intense white clusters showing where their empires were established. One of the students sitting in the audience during this speech was Casey Cardade, and through his bored gaze he noticed something mysterious…

It’s time for the next mystery challenge. The aliens’ intense fountain lights are making students really sick across Cashes Dade. Todd Mardade and six other citizens are developing a plan to destroy it. The rest of the people are building up weapons and supplies in their massive underground network in the mountains to prepare for war. Meanwhile Cade, Blake, and Drew are getting ready to return from their mission to attempt to destroy the crystal crown located in an alien school in Marcaydas. The crown lights are giving students a deadly illness. The kids are trying to figure out how to destroy it, but the problem is the crown is set on top of a giant statue that’s floating high in mid-air. How can they reach it? Find out what happens in the first book of the series called:

MYSTERY OF THE ALIENS’ DAYLUSTAR STATUE

In this mystery challenge, see if you can find the key word in the prophecy at the end of the post that offers another clue about what’s really going on with the aliens’ intense, destructive fountain lights. Can you figure it out? Leave a comment below if you think you know. The words in the previous three mystery challenges, along with this one, and the next two will form the sentence that reveals the answer for the mystery of the alien lights. The key clue for this mystery challenge is to figure out what the aliens are looking for…

Casey Cardade is a sixth grader with short, kind of choppy dark hair that slants slightly and falls low over his dark, deep set eyes. He’s a quiet, intense, mysterious kid who doesn’t say much, but when he does you better listen, because he does not like to repeat himself. He is great at making furniture and carving in intriguing designs. No one ever knows what the designs are supposed to be, yet they always look just right for whatever the furniture piece is. He sat back in his chair, gazing with an icy stare at the distant stage as the alien messenger continued the aliens’ message to Cashes Dade:

“You cannot even begin to imagine the vast knowledge we hold. Your students should follow our One Way because we know the way to succeed, and it’s not by exploring new ideas, trying to be creative, trying to find new ways. Every planet we conquered has a different light in a different colour. This light will shine through everything; all the towers, structures, landforms, forests, and ships glow with this light. The dark powers of this land will defeat you because you all try to go your own ways instead of being united in our One Way. We bring in ships from every planet we conquered to this land, bringing in every power we have to help your countries. There is a cancer still among you, but soon our lights will burn it out completely…”

One day Casey was working on a black marble table in his parents’ shop. He carved in a spiral design, showing numerous stars in various shapes and sizes. In fact each one was slightly different. Later that afternoon, two aliens entered the shop to inspect the business and collect their share in the profits. They walked slowly around the shop while Casey worked hard and fast to put the finish on it, making the surface smooth and shimmering. Casey didn’t notice them because he was too focused on his work. Legend has it that a cow once entered the shop and Casey still didn’t look up. No one really knows whether this really happened. When they saw his table, they stopped and stared. Casey watched as their crescent moon eyes went really dim, almost dark. Then they looked away. That night, the fountain lights mysteriously shined directly into his room and he came down with the illness. Within the spiral design on his table, he had also carved various clusters that were all the same exact shape. The stars glowed various colours in different lights, but the clusters all shined with the same white light, all moving in the same direction, as if searching, searching in the direction of earth…

Intense, neon green lights will fill the sky

Our greatest enemy will appear so high

But dark secrets in the shadows lie

Wait for the table to turn in the night

We are determined to stand and fight

Their reflecting lights will try to see

But they don’t know what we are, we’re free

Alien eyes are shaped like the moon

That’s because their light will die soon

They try to gaze through a window at us below

But mirrors only show what you already know

They will struggle to figure out our true name

They will try to inspire us to want great fame

But the silent student has discovered the key

The aliens are not what they claim to be…

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WHY DO THE ALIENS
HATE CHASE’S GAME?

“THERE’S ALWAYS A WAY THROUGH”

Chase Casdade is a quiet, mysterious kid with a hidden energy that only comes out when he’s working on or playing the game he invented. He’s a struggling, BlackStar Student who has the awful sickness caused by the alien’s DadeLuce Fountain Lights. The aliens claim the lights aren’t really making students sick, but helping those who are struggling to find their way if they’re willing to work hard. The sickness is mysterious, but what’s even more mysterious is what happened right before Chase came down with the sickness…

It’s time for the next mystery challenge introducing various students from Cashes Dade who have come down with a terrible illness caused by the mysterious alien lights. This is why Cashes Dade citizens protested and since they were murdered, war has been declared. See if you can figure out how to help these students heal by solving the mystery of what’s really behind these alien lights. This mystery challenge will be to find the key word in the prophecy at the end, the one word that is the key clue of the prophecy. Keep track of all the key words and it will form a phrase that will solve the mystery. Can you figure out which word it is? Leave a comment below what word you think it is. The answer will be revealed in the next Character Fun Facts Feature. The key clue is that you must dig deep to find the word.

Chase Casdade has never seen the movie Office Space, nor does he know what a movie is, but when it comes to school and grades he says the same thing the main character says, “It’s not that I’m lazy, I just don’t care.” But the aliens claim he is lazy and perhaps just stupid because he doesn’t finish his assignments. He barely puts any effort into his projects and he doesn’t study for tests. What he does care about is his game called “War of the Worlds.” Do you like playing certain card games or video games? Are they complicated or difficult to explain, especially to adults? Do you ever get in trouble trying to play any of those games at school like Chase has? Leave a comment below. The aliens claim he must be either too lazy or too stupid to understand complicated concepts, but his game is just about the most complicated game ever invented, and he’s the only one who understands the entire game.

In this game, there is a large paper showing seven countries with a bunch of cities and key places marked on the map. They’re drawn on the map in bright colours. Each city, place, and country is worth a certain number of points. The point of the game of course is to capture the entire world, placing your kingdom marker on every city and place in every country. They all have made up names that are kind of hard to pronounce. Each player begins with the same amount of citizen and resource cards, and money. In other words, they each start with a group of people, some key resources like food, water, supplies, medicines, etc. and the same amount of money. Then they start the game. They also divide up playing cards and go head to head. These are initial battles. It’s like the card game “War” except they choose the card to play and decide how many cards to put at stake. Whoever wins gets those cards. Then they use those cards to turn their people into soldiers of various ranks, and get weapons. They can also trade in other resources for this purpose. It’s basically a game that’s half monopoly, half risk. Are you starting to get confused? Well, guess what? We’re only just getting started…

There are all kinds of things that can happen during these card battles depending on what cards you play. It isn’t just about having the higher card, it’s about the right combination. Certain combinations you have vs. certain combinations they have can earn certain soldiers, weapons, resources, and even places on the map. Each card can mean different things depending on what the other card is. See? I told you it’s complicated. One of Chase’s favorite things is to actually play this game during school with the other students, but they have to be pretty stealthy to pull it off.

One day Chase was playing his game at a table on the side of the channel in the city with a few other kids. Dark gray clouds streamed across the sky through the calm, warm day. Pale shafts of gray light blended with the massive green shimmering alien towers looking down over the city. As they played, the game got more and more intense. Then other kids started joining in, and the game got really intense as they all got really into it, all wanting to take over Chase’s made-up world. That’s when the DadeLuce Fountain lights of the aliens suddenly burst out and struck Chase directly, knocking him back. He’s been sick ever since…

They have a dark secret, whispers in the night
It’s what they try to hide, far out of sight
The key is in the alien lights shining strong
They shine so brilliant you can’t stare for long
But there’s a reason they don’t want you to look
They are afraid of what you might read in the book
Cade discovered a clue yet to be revealed
There is a twist regarding how to be healed
The lights hide a secret buried right under the glare
But it’s not at the flashing lights you should stare
The glare of the alien lights are not for what’s there
They hate what they can’t see behind the stage
You see, their lights are looking for the hidden page…

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DARKCORNER LAND FEATURE:
THE MYSTERY OF GALAXY PEAK

“THERE’S ALWAYS A WAY THROUGH”

Cade and Blake have climbed many mountains around Cashes Dade, but one of their favorites is Galaxy Peak. It’s rough, steep, and kind of dangerous, which is why they like it. But the aliens didn’t want students climbing that mountain anymore. No one knows why, but Cade believed there must be a secret hidden that the aliens didn’t want them to find. Check out the prophecy at the end to see if you can figure out what the secret of the mountain is. Leave a comment below if you think you know. This post also gives a clue that can reveal who the spy is. Can you figure it out? The aliens watch the mountain during the day, so the kids only climb it at night, following the glowing lights, while the aliens watch other places, yet it seems to be at night when the secret of the mountain is revealed…

Galaxy Peak was the most iconic part of the City of Dayces Cameron, but what was really special was at the top, the Galaxy Peak Shop. This is what the kids really climbed the mountain for, until it was destroyed in the first alien attack. What’s bizarre is that no one was there when the aliens shot it down, exploding in a brilliant flash. Galaxy Peak is a tall, slick mountain made of black stone, with three sides. There are hidden pools within the forest of really tall Aysos Evergreens with their three cone shaped points. Glittering waterfalls can be heard but never seen somewhere hidden behind the Aysos Evergreens.

Cade and Blake climbed the mountain many times at night. Now, it is usually not a good idea to climb a mountain at night, unless you’re starting a climb early in the morning before sunrise and you have good, strong lights and are on a trail, not trying to do any major climbing yet. The author knows the problem of getting stuck in the mountains at night all too well. But this particular mountain kind of glows in the night just enough that the kids could see the slopes well enough to climb safely at night. Of course, with Cade and Blake, they always can find a way to make an experience not so safe.

Cade and Blake always raced to the top, and they would challenge eachother to crazy moves up the mountain like who could jump the farthest, who could jump over the largest rock, who could jump across the widest creek flowing down the mountain. They wanted to be the first ones to find a waterfall. They would try by following the creek through the many twists and turns. Sometimes they could see the lady of the mountain’s lantern light reflecting in the water as she sang. She would always sing the same song with no words, with a haunting, yet hopeful melody hidden deep within as she stood at the top. Her voice would carry down the mountain, sometimes sounding distant and sometimes sounding closer. Cade discovered a secret, that if you stopped and listened to the song, you could hear which direction her song was coming from. You see, the top could never be seen and was confusing to find. But Cade realized that if he could follow the music, he could find the way to the top, but he never told Blake why he always found the way to the top first.
The best feature of the mountain shop at the top was the high rounded ceiling showing all these glittering stars in the galaxy with these white lights spread throughout, some in clusters, in random points among the spiral haze of glowing gold stars. The lady would sing with her song echoing throughout blending in mysterious ways. Cade would do the same thing every time, literally every time, he would go to the window overlooking the city below. Cade would lean out the window and pretend to fall, but with terrible acting. A large painting of a glittering waterfall hung next to it hidden behind blue mist that looked haunting, yet with a hopeful bright look deep within where the water glowed.

The darkness will a long time hide the dawn
You will feel the glory days are long gone
You will see no strong foundation to stand on
Yet what you see looking back is an illusion
The picture you see is blurry with limited vision
One day you will wake up in the night
Into darkness will go your last light
Yet you will not have lost your key sight
The lady of the mountain will someday reveal all
It’s what the kids found in the Caymisdorm Hall
But there is a secret that you cannot see
Keep climbing higher, higher, and higher, free
Then the deepest dark will reveal the key
The aliens will look for the sign to show the way
Galaxy Peak reveals how this happen that day
Look for what appears on the mountain at night
Yet remember that you will not find it by sight
Galaxy Peak reveals this secret in the mark
Some lights only shine in the deepest dark…

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CHARACTER FUN FACTS:
IS BENNIE MAYSHER THE SPY?

“THERE’S ALWAYS A WAY THROUGH”

Gold and red lit triangular crafts flooded the sky with brilliant flashing lights. Alien ships moved ahead in a cluster, blazing through the sky, with a sonic thundering pushing down on the Cashes Dade Army lined up in the hills. Then the alien ships suddenly spread out wide at an incredible speed. A crowd of citizens hurried across the wide field toward them. Several ships dropped down. That’s when Bennie Maysher led the charge to defend them and something mysterious happened that’s hard to explain…
Its time to check out the next suspect. It’s important to remember there is no significance to the order of the suspects in these posts because they are being presented in alphabetical order by first name. Bennie Maysher is one of the seven Cashes Dade Army Leads. One of them has to be the spy, because someone was seen talking to the dark spirits in the tunnels, getting ready to give away key secrets. They couldn’t be seen or heard clearly enough to be identified, but a dark orange star patch was seen on their shoulder marking them as one of the seven leads. Do you think you can figure it out? Leave a comment below if you think you know whether Bennie Maysher is the spy. But before we check out his profile and an intriguing story about him, it’s time to reveal the answer for the last mystery challenge. If you haven’t read the previous post called WHAT’S HIDDEN IN BRENNAN’S PAINTING? check it out to see if you can solve the mystery for the post and perhaps even figure out the greater mystery of the alien fountain lights in Cashes Dade. Here is the answer:
The key word in the prophecy was: aliens

Bennie Maysher is relatively short with rough, blonde hair.
He’s always active, always moving, and quite impatient.
He has a half-trimmed beard.
He’s kind of odd, and always seems to be somewhat agitated, talking fast in short sentences.
Bennie takes the second position in the formation for the army leads.
He is a tough fighter who loves to charge out in battle. He is really good at overwhelming the enemy with power and speed.
Bennie has always dreamed of being a great war hero, leading a great, legendary charge against all odds in battle. He is a master at riding horses and loves to challenge people to races. For him, the rougher the path, the better. He is really ambitious, always wanting to prove to others what a great rider and fighter he is.
After seven protestors were shot dead by the aliens on what will be forever known in Cashes Dade as “Bloody Friday,” they declared war on the aliens. Brilliant lights of all colours shot out across the night sky in blazing streaks. The soldiers huddled down in their trench. The dark green grass and soggy soil lit up almost like during a bright sunny day in the spectacular lights. Bennie stared at the slowly approaching cluster of seven alien ships with a mixed look of awe and excitement. Their red and gold lights flashed in fast, rhythmic waves from the center ship out left and right through the other ships. The ground hummed in a low tone sounding close yet far away. In the distance an alien ship shot out a blue laser light striking the mountains with a brilliant flash.
“They’re going to see them,” said a soldier to his left.
“They’re getting ready to drop,” Bennie said in a low voice.
At this time further back in the mountains, Cade, Blake, and Drew were traveling up the massively wide river with David and Callie on a small, dark boat. They could see the brilliant alien lights flashing across the dark water waves striking their boat hard from both sides. Dark spirits gathered at the far right bank. Cade pretended to try to take the oar away from Blake which was followed by fake crying. The kids spotted the dark spirits. Cade smiled, knowing they would never fall for their trap. Blake quietly drove the boat toward the left bank. From the shadows Cade waved goodbye to the ghosts waiting on the far side. Dark shadows stretched across the glittering waves. Whispers flew in the chilling dark as the dark spirits on the left coast waited for them to dock…
After the ships dropped, Bennie in a sudden flash, grabbed a small flame shooter full of powder and jumped on his horse. He charged across the field. The seven hovering aliens ships glowed like burning red fires. The ground underneath hummed. They shot out a bright blue laser light from the center directly at him. He ducked out of the way slightly before it hit the ground. He charged ahead, watching the ships. At a rapid pace, from close and far away, the lasers shot out one after another in rapid succession. He shifted back right, before the next two lasers struck. He kept riding ahead as two more shot out at his left and right, followed by two more further to the left and right. Another one shot directly at him but he moved to the left just before it hit. Two more shot out as he moved back right. He kept dodging them, one after another, moving right before they hit or charging right between them. Then he held up his flame shooter, set the fire, and shot out the blazing dark orange light at the center ship where the fires exploded out, driving the ships back. Then he turned sharply and led the people across the field while the dark orange haze kept the ships back until the people were able to reach the underground. The soldiers couldn’t believe what they had seen. Was Bennie just lucky, or did he somehow know exactly how the aliens would fire on him? But how did he know?

The final clues are Bennie’s three best known quotes:

“I can’t stand the birds that never stop chirping.”
“The battle belongs to the one willing to lead the final charge.”
“Shoot first, and the rest will fall into place.”

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WHAT’S HIDDEN IN BRENNAN’S PAINTING?

“THERE’S ALWAYS A WAY THROUGH”

The school hall was completely dark as fourth grader Brennan Cairdade followed the alien messenger toward the dim green light barely spilling out into the hall. The messenger’s shoes tapped loudly across the dark marble. The door to the School Leader’s Office was just cracked open. Brennan gazed around with his strong wide eyes. His short sandy hair slanted to one side caught the glint of the fiery green light as the messenger opened the door and waved him in. The office was dimly lit by low hanging green-lit chandeliers lighting up the dark blue marble floor, walls, and ceiling. Brennan was directed to sit down on a small black chair in front of the glossy multi-crystal desk set before the massive white crystal glass window. Then the messenger began speaking in an elevated, solemn voice:
“We found your drawings, and we have a message for you, that you best follow.” The large chair behind the desk spun around as the alien turned to face him…

The next six mystery challenges will each feature a student in Cashes Dade who has come down with the terrible sickness caused by the intense alien lights from the DadeLuce Fountain in Cashes Dade. This is what leads to the war that the next book will feature. Get ready for MYSTERY OF THE BLOODY FRIDAY SPY. The aliens claim that if a student gets sick from the fountain it’s actually good for them because they claim the lights reveal those students who are failing. They say getting sick from this shows these students that they need to improve and learn how to successfully follow their standard to do well in school. They say the lights even help show the way. Each mystery challenge will tell the story of what has happened to each student and show a prophecy that offers clues as to what might be the answer for them. The mystery challenge will be to figure out what is the key word in the prophecy that appears after the story. The answer will be revealed in the next Character Fun Facts. Can you figure it out? When you have all six key words they will reveal a message, a message that will reveal a key secret about the aliens…

“Your drawing is a waste of energy and time,” the alien messenger continued, as the alien’s eyes stared down at Brennan. He shifted in his chair nervously. “From now on, you must learn the concepts by writing out all notes and show what you understand by writing out your answers.” Then the alien reached out with his long arm and grabbed his pack. He took out Brennan’s paintings, placed them on a silver platter, and burned them.

Brennan was at Caysher Park when it happened. He was doing what he always did there, painting, that is, after stopping at Marshar Coffee Shop. He always did the same thing. He’d walk in slowly and quietly as if he was trying to sneak in, kind of looking around anxiously at the people sitting at the tables, before pacing up and down the front display case showing the various breads, desserts, and small candies. The shop owner would always smile and shake his head knowing he would pick something, then change his mind, then pick something else, then change his mind, then finally pick three things, usually from the small candies. Then he would get his coffee. He would explain all the details even though it was always the same and by the time he was done explaining, they’d hand it to him. Brennan was always quiet and mysterious, but also really friendly.

It took him awhile to settle into his usual place on a bench next to a small pool with shooting fountains on both sides. Through the waterfall ahead he could see the city towers and he began to paint. His hands flew across the canvas so fast, so smoothly as all these colours splashed across. He smiled as it appeared to be a mess until all the sudden the picture appeared. Then all of the sudden the bright green flashing lights of the alien fountain hit him, knocking him back. They appeared like a massive green star blurring everything else around into murky darkness. He’s been sick ever since, always alternating between chills and fevers, always shaking, feeling sick and dizzy. His parents saved his painting of the inside of the museum of Cashes Dade under eerie green light. But it’s more than that. If you look closely, you see what is hiding in the dark…

When you dream about what is new
They will be hovering far above you
When you look for new, great places
They stare down at you with grim faces
When you must see in order to learn
They will only look to what you can earn
The key will be turning your ideas into revealing fire
The aliens will strike three times from a place higher
What you think about must become a picture that’s clear
Then you will know that they are the ones burning for fear
The painting will reveal what Cade will see
The aliens are not what they seem to be…

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DARKCORNER LAND FEATURE:
WHAT SECRET DID CADE DISCOVER
IN CAYSHER PARK?

“THERE’S ALWAYS A WAY THROUGH”

One of Cade’s favorite places to go was Caysher Park in his home city of Dayces Cameron. He and his friends played “Music Tag.” In Caysher Park music would be playing, but then suddenly disappear, and then come back again. If you were standing in a place where the music played, you were safe and couldn’t get tagged. But if the music faded away, then you better run. Cade had a strange way of always knowing where to go to be in the music. But that wasn’t the only mysterious thing about Caysher Park. While the adults at the park would get annoyed by the kids constant running and splashing in the pools and waterfalls, distant eyes watched them from high in the towers that overlooked the city, white half-moon shaped eyes of the aliens…

These next six DarkCorner Land Features will go to an intriguing place in Cashes Dade that was destroyed by the aliens in the first attack. There is something mysterious about these places, but what’s really mysterious is why the aliens destroyed them. Music sounding like a brilliant, energetic symphony played through the silent waterfalls of smooth, blue water falling in sheets. But no one could figure out where the music was coming from. Who was playing it? Can you figure it out? Cade figured out the secret of the music, do you think you know? After you read this, leave a comment below if you think you discovered the same secret Cade did, or perhaps a different one. One moment the music would sound really close, the next, it would be gone. As you stare at the bright reflections of the city towers blending with the flashing green lights of the alien towers you wonder, “Where did the music go?”

Caysher Park was located in the center of the stadium shaped City of Dayces Cameron in Cashes Dade. This is one place where Cade maintained his perfect record of never getting tagged in tag. He didn’t care how he had to get away; running through one waterfall after another, charging through a cold pool, crawling through and somehow disappearing in one of the green gardens of colourful flowers and small evergreens close together with sharp pointed leaves. He would always get away, and just when you thought you had him cornered, the brilliant symphony music would play in strong, fast rhythms through the colourful reflections blending within the sheets of waters falling. They’d wait for the music to fade away, but when Cade found it, it didn’t, at least not right away. Cade would just stand there and smile, driving the kid, who was it, crazy.

Bizarre, twisted images reflect through the sheets of pure blue water. At first you just see the dazzling blue city towers rising up in rows as well as the shimmering green alien towers further in the distance looking down over the city. That’s where the aliens keep watch over the citizens, sometimes blaring white lights roam through the city to check on their activities. They also watch the kids playing in the park, just standing on one of their balconies, staring down at the kids with burning, intense eyes. They seem especially interested in the games of tag, but no one knows why…

It isn’t just towers that you see in the waters. People report seeing murky shapes like crowds moving, ghostly citizens in bright dazzling lights moving around in strong, fast rhythmic circles. The ghosts were silent. This is when the dazzling colours of the towers blended together with the moving ghosts. The new colours would travel in one direction or another through the sheets of falling water. The kid who was it would stand ready to tag Cade, ready to be the first one, but would start to get impatient, because Cade would start to walk along the waterfall as the music moved, but he would stay in the music. No one else knew where the music would go, but Cade somehow knew.

Cade would keep moving with the music until stopping again. The one who was it would think he finally had him, until Cade turned to him and smiled. Then he would give him a wink. The music kept playing and playing and playing. Cade would wait for just the right moment. One moment he’s completely still, the next, he flies past you at a moment when you get slightly distracted. Something always happens in the waterfalls that gets them distracted and Cade knows exactly what it is, and exactly when to fly past them. Then, after Cade is well past them, the music fades away. How did Cade know?