“EVEN IN THE DEEP DARK, THE WAY OUT BEGINS WITH A SPARK”
The December sky flows like blood close overhead. The aliens called me a loser, a lazy student. But I’m smart enough to know exactly when the Christmas Ghost Express will arrive. I’m always the first one to see them. I can see the sky through my dark blue glass window dusted with ice crystals, especially at night when all my gold dust stars in my room glow bright. I have them all over my walls…and ceiling…and door…oh yeah, and on some my clothes. Okay, all of my clothes. I have planet stickers all over too. My room is a galaxy. When they start glowing bright, that’s when I know it’s time, to check out the sky.
I keep track of all the stars’ movements and planets, but mostly, I keep track of all the alien movements. I know way more about them and what they’re doing than they realize. I wonder what other civilizations are out there, far away, maybe completely isolated and alone, and no one knows they exist, just like me…
Outside the fields are flat, gray, and dead, until the snow falls. On this cold, snowing night, I gaze out at the vast, white empty landscape. The shrill winds constantly change the shapes, making all kinds of hills and spiraling designs over the fields. As darkness falls I can still see the three neon blue ice bluffs among the never ending hills and valleys of snow.
I just finished designing a new galaxy. I like how the lights cross over the planets from different directions, making really awesome colours at different times of the day. You should see it. It’s the best looking galaxy in the universe. What was I saying? Oh yeah, I get distracted sometimes…all the time.
I look to my left and then to my right at the fading candle lights in the windows of the other small homes and shops on our single street. Our village is surrounded by cold emptiness. I look up at the wet, falling snow, falling like sheets so much that all the dark, hazy distance disappears and that’s when it happens, that’s when I hear it…
Deep humming starts up in a fast, driving rhythm. Then they start singing in low, quiet voices: “Christmas lights are here, Christmas lights are here, Christmas lights are here.”
Have you ever seen the Christmas Ghost Express? Cade, Blake, and Josiah are about to go on an adventure into the frozen north in the darkest time of the year to find it. No one knows where the ghosts first appear. But they aren’t just trying to find it for themselves, they’re hoping to help out some people who have been forgotten. There are some kids who live far in the north, a place no one ever visits. They live isolated and alone in a vast, empty place. But now, the aliens have made it so no one can reach them…
In the Kingdom of Carolmire, the land where it’s always Christmas, the people are in serious trouble. The citizens of Cashes Dade, who now live on the top of a high mountain since their kingdom was destroyed by the aliens, have seen a ton of alien activity and alien lights. The aliens clearly have them surrounded and blocked in so that no one can visit them, nothing can be sent to them. They must be running out of key supplies, important medicines. They have to work long hours in the mines, so many of them are probably getting sick. Also, friends and family can’t send letters and gifts to them. But there is one way through that even the aliens can’t stop…
If Cade, Blake, and Josiah can find the exact place where the Christmas Ghost Express begins, they can jump on board and take all kinds of medicines, supplies, letters, and gifts to the people of Carolmire. They know this happens somewhere along the northwest river between where the river turns up to Caden Ivys and the dead end into the river flowing north to Dascade Iris. No one knows exactly where they first appear, and when they do, they leave immediately and fast for the secret path up north ending here in Carolmire. But they start at one of the following four places on the south side of the northwest ice flow river. Can you solve the mystery? Can you figure out which one it is?
*AT THE FAR WEST IS A ROW OF FOUR SLOW RISING MOUNTAINS, ALL CONNECTED, EACH ONE HIGHER TO THE RIGHT. THE PEAK OF THE FIRST THREE IS RELATIVELY ROUND AND WIDE, BUT THE LAST ONE IS MORE NARROW, SHOOTING STRAIGHT UP. THEY HAVE TOWERING RISING EVERGREENS WITH CONE SHAPED TOPS THAT GLITTER GOLD AT NIGHT.
*AT THE CENTER LEFT ARE TWO ROWS OF MOUNTAINS RISING UP FROM LEFT AND RIGHT LIKE A STAIRCASE LEADING UP TO A WIDE LEVEL MOUNTAIN TOP. THEY ARE DOTTED WITH ONLY A FEW SMALL WIDE EVERGREENS AMONG DARK GREEN FIELDS AND COLOURFUL FLOWERS THAT GLOW AT NIGHT.
*AT THE CENTER RIGHT IS A SPIRALING MASS OF TOWERING MOUNTAINS WITH A NARROW VALLEY CUTTING DOWN TO THE RIGHT COVERED WITH LUSH BLUE RED AND GREEN EVERGREENS WITH REALLY TALL SPIRALING BRANCHES RISING FROM THE BRIGHT GREEN FOREST FLOOR COVERED IN GOLDEN FLOWERS.
*AT THE FAR EAST EDGE, THERE IS A SPIRALING CLUSTER OF SMALLER MOUNTAINS WITH ONE MASSIVE AND TALL ONE IN THE CENTER. THEY ARE COVERED WITH NEON BLUE EVERGREENS IN A REALLY HEAVY FOREST THAT GLOW BRIGHTLY AT NIGHT.
One of these places is where they begin, but you have to be there right when they appear. The key clue is the song, Silent Night. When you see the bright, intense gold-lit trail of ghosts flying fast across the ice, you will know you’ve found the Christmas Ghost Express and you can reach Carolmire. The key clue for which place it is, can be found in these four letters written by students from Carolmire several years ago. Can you figure it out?
Winter has been rough this year. Sometimes the darkness falls down in waves. But I wait until the silence of the night. Even though I feel alone, and it gets so quiet, that’s when I feel at peace. I can see a lot more when all goes still, when the winds die down through the empty hills.
We are surrounded by our enemies digging our graves. But like Israel we have a mysterious power to fight. The alien lights are like a massive fence all around us, but the more I see them, the more hope I have, because I realize they can’t destroy us. Our strength is renewed by fire.
There have been so many students like me who get rejected. Nothing is ever good enough for them. They don’t notice how hard we try. They only see what they think is important. We have suffered so much rejection and pain. But I find peace and truth in continuing to do what’s right.
It’s such a long, hard journey through the heavy snow drifts. When the snow is falling in sheets, the cold winds are stinging my face, I know all I have to do is just keep moving forward, one step at a time, and I’ll get there. It’s hard to see hope in the deepest dark terrain. But that’s when I hear their singing, glowing bright.
The Kingdom of Carolmire is in trouble and they need help. They will look to Cashes Dade, looking for kids who are courageous enough and crazy enough to break through the alien defenses to follow ghosts in the night. They need Cade Mayson’s ghost like running skills, Blake Candade’s intense determination and strength, and Josiah Mardade’s creative vision and ideas. Will they find the way through to reach Carolmire? Soon, we will find out and the answer to the mystery will be revealed. But there’s another danger. The kids aren’t the only ones trying to find the Christmas Ghost Express…
“My name is Cade Mayson, and this is my response to the aliens’ big lie. My response won’t be like theirs, because it will reveal the truth so you can see it for yourself. I won’t go on and on and on like they do, well, at least not about some kind of fancy talk that no one can understand and doesn’t mean anything anyway. They say sometimes I start going off about some random thing, like maybe I talk about kites or something like that. I do talk about kites sometimes. There actually is a lot to say about them. I mean, some of them can really fly. This one time I saw this crazy, bright red kite in the shape of a star with a crazy face on it. It was a creepy looking face too, and it was looking down on all of us. This kite I’m telling you right now was insane. It just kept slowly drifting back and forth, back and forth. It went really high, but it kept shifting so that creepy face was staring right down at us. But let me tell you about this other kite I saw once, it was…well, never mind. What was I talking about? Oh, right, the aliens’ lie.
You see, they claim they are our heroes, our saviors, but what have they done? Have they defeated the dark spirits? Have they healed the dark illnesses? Hard to do that when you’re the ones creating them. They claim they are out there looking for answers, exploring the mountains to find new minerals that might heal the dark illnesses and maybe drive off the dark spirits. The aliens are doing all kinds of secret activities out there, but there is something mysterious that I think is a key clue that they are lying. Much more than looking for answers out in the land to find the resources to win the fight, they constantly watch us. More than anything, they seem to really want something from us…“
It’s time for the next mystery challenge. Look up the previous post titled: WHAT IS THE ALIENS’ BIG LIE? See their report and explanation of what they’re doing, then read Cade’s response and see if you can figure out who is lying. Leave a comment who you think it is and why. Tell us what you think the clues are. The answer will not be revealed in these posts, you’ll have to read the rest of the series to find out, but in this post, there will be a key clue of who’s lying, and that key clue will be revealed in the next post. Can you figure it out?
“The aliens claim their way is the best, the ONE WAY as they call it. Now give me a second to throw up. They don’t believe being creative and exploring new ways is the way to succeed and find the answers for defeating the dark spirits but let me tell you a story that proves they are wrong. Blake, Drew, and I once set out to climb a mountain called Sinking Peak. No one had ever reached the peak, not even the aliens. But there was a mineral near the top that made a powerful medicine against dark illnesses. But the mountain is made of really heavy soil that is really unstable. You can’t really climb it because when you walk on it, you just sink deep into it, which sounded cool to us. It seemed impossible, but we’re the ghost strikers, so we thought we could figure out how to climb it.
We started out heading west from the new Cashes Dade. We had to duck down into a hidden valley between two broad, rounded peaks holding alien towers. We had to be secretive because they wanted to capture anyone from Cashes Dade. But they weren’t going to see us under the blue dazzling, flowing sheets of cold icy mist covering the soft grass valley. We reached the row of ridges where a narrow river with rough dark blue waters and rapids cut through like a winding snake. The soil was really spongy, not sure if that’s a word, but whatever. It makes the grass really dark green and dull looking. It was really bouncy among the ridges, really soft so we could jump really, really high. Blake did cannon balls and flew really, really, and I mean really, high. Drew kept spreading out and falling back flat with arms out wide. It took us about five hours to make it to the top of the ridge. That would be about one hour to get across, and four hours of jumping. Then we looked out to figure out our next move.“
“Just ahead was a long, and I mean really long, flat field with large black rocks reflecting the gray lights pushing through the clouds all throughout. We usually would play hide and seek for hours in there, but we were on a mission. So after I won the hide and seek, we made our way to a broad mountain. We couldn’t really see what was past it. But we knew Sinking Peak was just past it. We looked up the long grassy slope covered in heavy forests of Sunday Evergreens, glowing blue among the large black shadows reflecting the streaming gray lights between in the chilly late afternoon. Dark gray clouds were flowing really low across the sky, making the Sunday Evergreens glow brighter, casting dark shadows through the lower forest floor up the slopes. We looked for a good path. Chilling winds brushed through the Sunday Evergreens, bending in opposite directions away from a large black shadow halfway up the slope. I smiled, knowing which way we were about to go, and knowing how much Drew would carry on about it. We entered the black tunnel cutting through the mountain.”
“We came out and saw a hidden soft grass valley leading directly up to Sinking Peak. Blue dazzling, flowing sheets cut through the bright green shimmering grass. They shifted and turned as we carefully worked our way across the fields. Okay, we weren’t that careful. We basically flew across. After a short time, we reached the mountain. When we thought about what we just did, racing across the valley, and as we looked up at the cold dark clouds rolling across the sky, and as we thought about how cold it was getting, and as it started to rain, and we thought about how much colder it would get that night, we all turned to each other and smiled. We knew sometime in the middle of the night; we would be standing on top of Sinking Peak.”
“I know a lot about the truth, but I know a lot more about lying. I know how to lie, and why people or aliens lie. But you see, the thing is, the best way to lie, is when it’s mostly true. The best way to lie, is when it’s actually true, just not in the way you think. Maybe they really did come to save us. Maybe the aliens aren’t really our true enemy.”
“Have you figured it out yet? Do you know how we did it? It’s a secret we keep from the aliens, but not from you. Are you ready? Are you sure? Okay, here it goes. You see, we noticed how the spongy grass on the soft grass field was now frozen solid when the icy mist fell over it. That’s when we realized if we waited for the freezing rains to fall, they would ice over the Sinking Peak soil and make it hard enough for us to climb up. We dug out some of the minerals for the medicine, then we reached the top. When we did, we planted the DadeStar flag at the summit. If you want to know who to believe, who is right, who is truly fighting for good, all you have to do is look toward the Sinking Peak summit. All you have to do is see that the flag is still there…”
There’s something happening in the schools of DarkCorner Land, something secret, something big. The aliens run the schools of DarkCorner Land, and they have high expectations for every student. Imagine having an alien in your classroom at all times, watching you, staring at you. But you have no idea what they’re thinking. Maybe you think your own school is really run by aliens! Maybe you think your teacher is really an alien. Maybe they are… But in DarkCorner Land, you still have human teachers, but what would be the principal for them, they just call them the School Leader, is an alien. Imagine seeing the teacher go over to the alien watching the class and the alien points to you. Then a messenger will tell you what the alien wants you to know, and it’s probably not good.
They are really strict about behavior, and make students do large amounts of schoolwork every day. They challenge every student to succeed, but only in a certain way. If you’re great at art, they don’t care because they don’t see how art offers any answers for the dark illnesses. If you’re great at sports, they don’t care because they see those activities as a waste of time altogether. If you’re great at music, they don’t care because how will that solve the dark illnesses? If you’re great at history, there’s nothing there about dark illnesses so they see that as a waste. If you have really cool ideas, are creative, can make things, you guessed it, they don’t care because they see themselves as far more advanced than us so they don’t see how some kid is going to figure something out about the dark illnesses if they haven’t. They only believe the subjects of math, science, and reading about their civilization are important. They have now unveiled what they call “The Path to Freedom.” It’s a written document sent to all the kingdoms, including the new Cashes Dade. The aliens claim that this is the way to lead all the people to freedom from the dark illnesses that come from the dark spirits who haunt the land. But students like Cade Mayson, Blake Candade, and Drew Marsher think it’s a big lie…
It’s time for the first mystery challenge. This will be a two-part mystery challenge. In this post, we’ll look at the aliens’ document about “The Path to Freedom.” We’ll see how they explain it in their own words, and how they try to prove that they are the ones to save the people from the dark spirits. Then, we’ll see the response from Cade and the other students who believe the aliens are lying. The answer will not be revealed in the posts, you’ll have to read the rest of the series to find out who’s lying. But after the second part, we will reveal a key clue that hints at the answer. Can you figure out who’s telling the truth? The clues will be there. Decide what you think. Leave a comment below if you think you know the answer and tell us what clues you think you have seen. Are the aliens really lying? Could Cade and the ghost strikers be lying, or might they just be mistaken? But maybe the real question is, if the aliens are lying, why?
THE PATH TO FREEDOM
We have the greatest empire in the universe. We saw your planet in our explorations and saw a planet in great distress with many problems. Your schools were a complete mess. You students fight each other constantly. You are so greatly divided, in so many ways. You have contests fighting over who has the best pictures. You hate those who play for or cheer for other teams. You get jealous of those who are popular on stage. You break up friendships about what happened in the past. You ignore those who stand out too much. Meanwhile, you can’t even come together to fight deadly illnesses…
In your dark corner kingdoms, you are haunted by dark spirits. We have captured some of them and put them to work for us. But the others are still free, developing stronger dark illnesses that overtake you. First, they give you terrible nightmares that seem all too real. You become scared of what you might become, a loser all alone. Then you see things that aren’t real, you begin to see only darkness and everyone and everything becomes distorted and dark. You look in the mirror and see a twisted, dark reflection that makes you feel inferior to everyone else. Then it shuts you down until you can’t move, you have no desire to do even the things you used to enjoy, and finally it leads to death. But we have the answer. That’s why we’re here, to save you, if you’ll trust our way…
The answer is in our schools. If you have what it takes-intelligence and discipline, you can achieve the high standards that will lead to finding the answer for how to defeat these dark spirits and overcome their dark illnesses. When you understand high math and science, then see how we used that to build our supreme towers and cities, you can discover the answer. You can chase after dreams that turn into ghosts. You can go run around in the mountains or the hills or the fields and play uselessly, finding nothing, there’s nothing to find out there, or you can reach high, sit still and study our way to find the real answer. The choice is yours…
The aliens are working on a secret project. Austin, Ryan, and Cameron are now allies on a mission to find out what the aliens are doing. The aliens claim they have to work on finding the answer before the dark spirits do which is why they must be secretive. They claim they must find the answer without letting the dark spirits figure out how to respond and overcome them. The kids work in the shadows, trying to find their way to gain strong positions to discover what the aliens are developing. Maybe the aliens are developing some kind of new weapon to destroy them all. But the kids are working on figuring out how to defend themselves against any alien attack.
What is a lie? The key point to remember about lying is it doesn’t mean you’re wrong, it means you know the truth but tell something different, something you know is wrong. Those who lie tend to hide. They hide their actions so they can hide the truth. So, who’s hiding? The aliens are hiding their actions, being really secretive, but Cade has something to hide as well. He is keeping a deep secret, and it’s not what you think…
“Something changed with your parents, like they had a new dream.” This was something an old man, who did a lot of business with Cade’s parents, told him. A big part of that dream was climbing Izmad Peak, the highest mountain in DarkCorner Land. No one knows whether they reached the summit, but the aliens ranked them as WhiteStar after that, and invited them to take on a high position in their city, Arapreshday. His parents gained a lot of respect and admiration from the people, and the aliens, after climbing the highest and most dangerous mountain. The mountain is too far north and iced over to mine. The mountain has no resources so there would be no other reason to climb it, or would there?
A spark was lit during the play at Lincon Bereen School when Cade led the students out. The spark might be enough to start the fire of the DadeStar Revolution. The next schoolyear brings a lot of anxiety for students in DarkCorner Land, worried about the intense days at school, being watched by aliens. They dread the piles of schoolwork and high expectations for behavior and grades. BlackStar Students worry about whether they can meet their standards or be sent to the Dathmore, the cold underground prison. Austin, Ryan, and Cameron are on a mission to go to the other schools and set more students free. Cade Mayson is on his own mission, but there’s something holding him back, something he can’t yet overcome. Can you figure out what it is? The clues will be there. Through the summer the rumors spread to every school. They begin to whisper about escaping and becoming free. But others begin to whisper about taking back their schools, and kicking the aliens out…
So why did Cade’s parents go to Izmad Peak? That’s what Cade will be trying to find out. His mission is to go there and climb to the top. In the summer following the play at the Coldor Auditorium in Dayascade, Cade began preparing for the big climb by developing his mountain climbing skills. He believes his parents may have left a secret message there for him. But it’s that line, what the old man said about his parents having a new dream, that plays in his mind over and over and over again…
Cade Mayson has an unusual method in deciding which mountains he wants to climb. Does he pick the tallest ones? Does he pick the most challenging looking ones? Does he pick the ones that are most safe from the aliens? You would think he would do that last one for sure, but you would be wrong. No, Cade picks his mountains by which one has the best name, not the name it’s actually called, the name he comes up with. But that’s not the strangest part, it’s the names he comes up with. Cade has come up with such amazing names as Twisted Sister Happy Shoe, Upside Down Clown Face, Sad Tangerine Giraffe, Clapping Fat Cat, and Dancing Left-Eyed Cow. Let me explain that last one…well…I can’t. How he comes up with those names is really the greatest mystery.
No one prepares for a mountain climb the way Cade does. Discovering what’s in Cade’s backpack is more of an adventure than the mountain climb itself. What will you find in his pack? Some things are what you would expect, like bottles of water, sometimes a ridiculous amount of them. Yet somehow, some way, he always runs out. Cade has solved some complicated puzzles and mysteries, but figuring out how to save enough water for the whole climb is just too hard to solve. Cade knows he might run into trouble on a mountain climb. He knows he might get stranded, so does he bring extra food or water? No. Does he bring a blanket? No way. Does he bring some kind of first aid kit? Not so much. But he does bring a few model horse-drawn carriages, because of course his biggest concern is what if he’s stuck out there with nothing to play with?
One of Cade’s favorite things about a mountain climb is finding his way to the top, and I mean his way. Late in the summer, he decided to try climbing a mountain called, well, to be clear, a mountain he called, The Tombstone Snake. Don’t ask. The clear path to the top is a slow rising ridge lined with tall, spiked rocks that shoot up into the sky. But Cade doesn’t take the clear path. Instead, he blazed a slanted path from the start toward the top, then climbed up a complicated cluster of large black stones on the back side. The stones were really slick, so how did he make his way up? Did he wear special shoes? Did he find footholds and work his way up? No and no. Instead, he would slide between two rocks, get wedged in so he had a strong position, solid footing, then with a burst of bright energy he would lift his way up between them. He did this fifteen times until finally reaching the top. It usually takes about an hour to reach the top. It took Cade three hours.
One question that haunts Cade is, why didn’t his parents warn him they were leaving him behind to join the aliens? They could have at least told him, without revealing the real reason why they were joining them. But they didn’t tell him anything. They didn’t prepare him for that day he would come home to an empty house. Cade wonders if maybe everything that’s happened so far has led to this moment, to going for the highest mountain. He believes his parents have been leaving him clues, beginning with leading him to go to Daylustar to bring down the alien weapon. After all, it was in Daylustar where Austin heard Cade’s playing which led to him seeking out Cade to help him get the fountain back and lead the students out. That in turn led to finally finding someone who worked closely with his parents, someone who may have seen hints of what their new mission might be. But Cade isn’t really going to Izmad Peak to see some kind of message left by his parents. He’s going there to see what they saw, to discover the secret of the aliens…
Cade Mayson and the ghost strikers are about to find themselves locked in a struggle between the BlackStar Students, who believe in exploring new ways and new ideas, and the WhiteStar Students, who work for the aliens. But there’s another ghost, a WhiteStar Student secretly working for the aliens, who is scheming against them.
MYSTERY OF THE COLDOR CRYING GHOST is available on Amazon. To buy the book, click on one of the links below:
Cade Mayson has just received a mysterious invitation:
Cade Mayson,
A new play run by the aliens is about to begin in Dayascade. But the students are in grave danger. The aliens have a sinister plan for them. I need your help; you and your friends. I know who you are. My country needs the Glittering Fountain. The aliens stole it. They have it hidden deep in the school. They’ll only bring it out on stage during the play. That’s our chance. We must make a great escape with this before all the stars go dim. We have to save the students, help them escape the punishment. If you help me pull this off, I’ll lead you to the one you’re looking for, someone who knew your parents, someone who can help you on your quest. Meet me at the top floor balcony of the Devon in Dayas Caradames on Sunday night, April 17th at 11:00.
There is a mysterious puzzle to solve in order to find a ghost locked in a secret room in the school. The following prophecy offers clues as to how to solve the puzzle which will lead to figuring out which object in the school can be turned to find this room the ghost cannot escape.
There is a glittering puzzle to solve to set them free
You must put all the pieces together to reveal the key
Each piece will appear as a glowing word when you stare
Each one look to what inspires you, the answer will be there
But do not be deterred by the one single spelling error
The first piece will be found where the student plays
How does this visionary lead them through the haze?
The second piece is where the popular student can fly
But you can’t see it, blazing through, from so far up high
The third piece is where the grand symphony plays fast
Look for the answer to be found in the ship’s mast
The fourth piece is around the bend where the aliens lie
The head-strong student tries to reach, but too high
The fifth piece will be found through the missing sign
The student stares at the glitter, blind to the design
The sixth and final piece will be found inside the show
When the bright students dance at once, follow the glow
The trap will be set where the students believe they can go
The true way out for them will be the door lit by the glow
The ghost who haunts the halls is locked in a cold gloom
Solve the puzzle to find where he must live out his doom
Some object in the school can be turned to find his room
Then you will hear his message to avoid the intense light
The stars must be determined to show the way in the night
The greatest tragedy is not failing to reach the glittering peak
It’s when you miss the chance to go after the glory you seek
When you hear the ghost crying in the dark, then you’ll know
The aliens with their brilliant light are afraid of the stars’ glow
But if you don’t find the ghost in time, Cade will die in the show
Check out this guide showing the layout of the school. Do you think you know where the secret entrance might be?
LINCON BEREEN SCHOOL:
1ST FLOOR:
GRAND CENTER HALL
*CENTER ROTUNDA-GATHERING
*ROUND STUDY ROOMS
2ND FLOOR:
*CLASSROOMS
3RD FLOOR:
*STUDENT HOME ROOMS
4TH FLOOR:
MASSIVE CIRCULAR HALL
*GRAND AUDITORIUM
*GRAND DINING ROOM
*GRAND STUDY ROOM
*GRAND BOOKS ROOM
*GRAND VISIONS ROOM
There’s something mysterious about this ghost, and about the play being run by the aliens. They have a sinister plan for the students in this school, the ones they don’t consider “elite.” Do you think you know what they have planned? Here is a description of the ghost:
Brendan Diyas:
*He was a music teacher who could never quite figure out how to arrange his students. He was one of the top ranked teachers with highly successful concerts famous for strong music from up high. Many of his students went on to great success as musicians, even in the great concert halls of Arapreshday.
What happens in this school will change their world forever. The aliens have a trap waiting for the ghost strikers. Can they solve the mystery? Can they lead the students out before it’s too late?
The first boom shook the mountain. The second crash rocked the upper slopes. Several more nailed the peak. Fires rained down over the lower forest. Alien ships blazed across the night sky in all directions, crossing right past each other, seemingly switching places instantly. But David and Callie stood still at the fort top.
A sonic boom, followed by a brilliant flash knocked Josiah to the floor. He put his hands over his head, shaking. Relentless booming started up from all directions. The sounds overpowered each other, drowning out everything else in the chaos. Then Josiah felt a hand on his shoulder.
He began to hear calm, peaceful singing, a bright voice with a mysterious power. Callie sang quietly, yet her slow rising song could be heard among the rocking booms. He stopped shaking, sighed heavily, then looked up at David holding out two lanterns, swinging the left one slightly back and forth, while flashing the right one.
Josiah clapped several times, then stared closely at the stones holding the DadeStar flag. While the fires fell and the attack raged on, he stared closely at the stones, waiting.
“She always sings to keep them calm,” he heard Drew say.
“That’s not the only reason,” said David. “She sings over the sounds of the blasts because the sounds of the alien weapons can make the young kids really sick. Callie sings so they hear her instead.”
“Then they won’t get sick.”
“That’s right.”
Josiah kept staring at the stones, then the jagged blue glowing lights appeared. He ran his hand over the rough black stones. Looking closely as the alien lights flashed overhead, he saw the jagged lines line up, then blend together in a single, pure blue shine.
“David, David, I got it.” He hurried over to him, nearly bumping into him. Cade, Blake, and Drew gathered behind him. Talking incredibly fast he continued, “It’s these stones, the ones we build the fort with, but it’s how they’re built. It’s how they’re built. It’s probably because you took so much time with this pile, you fit them together exactly right, a puzzle, you know? It’s a puzzle like my dad said, well, that’s what he meant. Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go.”
Josiah looked up at David, who stared back at him with a seemingly confused gaze. “Oh, you didn’t get any of that did you? You see, it’s these stones, the ones…”
David held up his hand. “No, I got it.”
Then he swung the right lantern in a slow circle as the fiery blue rays struck all over the lower mountain. He raised the left lantern high in the air, flashing it a fast pace. A few moments later, several soldiers hurried up to him.
David quickly gave them the instructions to pass down to all the miners and some soldiers, to reinforce all the fort walls and tunnel entrances building the stones by fitting them together by the jagged glowing lights.
“I’ll go help them,” said Josiah.
“Yeah, we all will,” added Cade.
“Are you guys going to be able to hold the fort long enough for us to get all the walls re-enforced?” asked Josiah.
David nodded, but held up his hand, saying, “Hold up one minute.” He gazed up at the cluster of alien ships hovering low in the sky. Around them were several ships flying around erratically. “It’s a distraction.” David gazed around at the upper slopes behind them. Sunday Evergreens waved slowly back and forth in the passing winds.
Dark shadows darted in and out between the slick black rocks across the high slopes near the peak. A few gold lights sparkled among the rocky clusters just down to the left of the peak.
“Will they try another surprise attack?” asked Josiah.
“If they find a vulnerable spot,” said David.
“That spot near the pointy rocks is vulnerable,” said Josiah. “But they’re not hitting it yet.”
“What are they waiting for?” asked Blake.
“They say if the glittering gold stones are placed all up that slope, it could collapse the entire mountain, destroy the fort completely,” said Josiah, shuffling his shoes in an odd pattern. Cade stared up at the bright glowing rock clusters pointing up to the dark flowing sky.
“No one would do that,” said Drew, as more fires rained down on the lower slopes.
“Not if they knew that would happen,” said Josiah. “But what if they think those glittering stones will be the answer?”
“I saw some guys checking them out the other day,” said Cade, “They seemed to think the glittering stones are the answer.” Heavy booms rocked the mountain around them.
“What did they look like?” asked Josiah. Cade shrugged. “Were they dressed in old, worn-out white suits?” David kept his focus on the lower slopes, signaling to the soldiers.
“Yeah, that’s them.”
“They wanted to take over the fort, but David said no. Maybe they’re going to try to show everyone how strong the glittering stones are, that they can save the fort. Where would they demonstrate that?”
“Right there,” Cade said in a low voice, pointing to the high pointy rock clusters. Another sonic boom split the sky, pushing down on the kids like powerful, invisible waves.
“They already have some glittering stones up there,” said Drew.
“They’re going to fill up the slope, demonstrate how strong it holds up,” said Cade.
“But the aliens will strike it hard, won’t they?” asked Drew.
“That’s why they’re doing all this distraction,” said Josiah. “The aliens knew David would turn them down, and they knew those guys would look for a place up high, easy for all to see to demonstrate why they should be the leaders.”
“They set us up,” said Cade, “why the dark spirits planted them here.”
“We have to stop them,” said Josiah, turning to David. “The ghost strikers and me, we can stop them.” Intense lights exploded out across the sky in brilliant flashes.
“You mean just the ghost strikers,” said Cade.
“I can help,” said Josiah.
Blake stepped up to him and said, “That’s what we meant. You’re as much a ghost striker as the three of us.” Josiah smiled brightly.
“Actually, you’ll be replacing Drew,” said Cade.
“Hey!”
“Just kidding.”
“You better be.” With a crazed expression Drew added, “Or you’ll have to face this!” He moved his arms around, then threw them out wide, jumping and landing awkwardly in front of Cade.
“Oh, we wouldn’t want that.”
“We’ll need Casey, too,” said Blake. The four kids discussed their plan, then all four of them did the ghost striker handshake, bumping fists fast, then drawing their hands back flat making the sound, “Shhhh.”
Josiah turned to David and said, “Think you can hold down the fort until we get the glittering stones buried?”
David nodded. Then turning to Josiah, he said, “They’re going to try to overwhelm you. Stand strong, wait, and look closely at what you have. Make the most of it, and it will be enough.”
“Cool,” said Josiah with eyes lit. “Let’s roll.”
Bright lights flashed back and forth in the sky. Heavy booms rocked the lower mountain every few moments, sounding remarkably distant. Excited whispers played back and forth across the upper gentle slope. Shadows moved fast. Glittering lights quickly spread over the flat, smooth black stones.
Cade, Blake, Drew, and Josiah waited behind a small cluster of rocks. Josiah got up on one knee, then two, then slid back on his side. The kids watched as the slope lit up brighter next to the intense glowing pointed rock clusters.
“He needs to get here soon,” Cade whispered.
“He will,” said Blake calmly.
“They’re getting really…” Cade looked over to Josiah, stretching out again on the slick grass. “Are you okay?”
“I’m not used to this yet,” Josiah answered, still struggling to find a good position.
“Just do what Drew does.” Josiah’s gaze turned sharply confused and amazed seeing Drew sprawled out in all directions behind the rock. He just shook his head, then laid partly on his side.
Cade looked down slope anxiously. “I don’t see him anywhere.”
“See who?” Cade flinched, turning to see Casey pushing a small cannon up to the rocks. “How did you…where did…” A heavy, dramatic sigh stopped him. Cade turned to see Josiah struggle again to find a new position. Another heavy sigh turned his attention back to Casey. “What is it?”
Blake gazed up anxiously at the dark flowing sky. Several hazy gold and blue lights appeared high above the clouds.
“Can’t shoot from here,” said Casey.
“Better find a place fast,” said Blake.
“Why?” asked Cade.
“They’re here,” Blake said in a low voice. Casey looked around at the slick soggy grass. Cade watched nervously as the slopes grew intensely bright, flashing like glittering gold stars.
“Now’s our time,” one soldier said. Josiah sighed again.
“Now what’s…” Cade turned to see the large rock sliding down slope. He looked even more puzzled to see Casey pushing it. “What are you doing?”
The four kids spread out wide and waited while Casey slid his smooth, shiny shoes in quick, upward motions as he pushed the heavy rock down slope. A few minutes later, Casey shot out three smoke bombs into the upper slopes. As the smoke filled the slope, the five of them rushed up the slope, gathering all the glittering stones. Frantic whispers shot back and forth around them.
“Who did that?”
“That was one of our cannons.”
The kids flew down the slippery slope. They hurried down into the dark, misty shadows rolling across. The kids cut sharp left, passed through a thick cluster of Sunday Evergreens, then snuck into a hidden meadow. Intense alien lights spilled out over the upper slopes behind them, lighting up the pointed rock clusters.
“We need to hurry,” said Josiah. “Casey and I will dig; Cade and Drew bury them deep. Blake, you fill the holes. Let’s move.” The frenetic alien lights over the sky flashed on as the kids worked fast. Blake kept glancing around anxiously at the falling shadows. The alien light beams from three sleek, narrow triangular ships spread out.
“We can’t let them find where we’re burying these,” said Blake.
“You’re right,” answered Josiah. “Go up slope and watch out. Whistle if you see any ghosts approaching.” Blake nodded and jogged up slope. Eerie whistling cut through the night above and behind them. The shrill notes slowly expanded.
Intense lights flashed behind them. The ships drifted out. A heavy boom off to the left of the peak rocked the mountain.
“Keep going, hurry,” Blake called out. “They’re trying to get us to run.” Sour horns blared out. Ghostly whispers played out at various points up slope. “Hurry, hurry.” The battle raged on as the kids filled in the holes.
“I’ll get some miners to build a stone floor over this,” said Casey, before quickly disappearing.
“Then they’ll never get to them,” said Josiah as Blake jogged down to them.
“They’re getting close,” said Blake.
“We can’t be seen here,” said Cade. “Get the shovels, and let’s head them off.”
“We need them to think we still have the glittering stones with us,” said Josiah.
“Let’s go,” said Cade. “We’ll find them, then we’ll lose them.”
The kids crept up slope. Another distant boom rocked the lower slopes. Eerie, low-key whistling shot across the sky from left to right. The blue bulb shaped leaves of the Sunday Evergreens flashed faster and faster in the heavy dark.
Blake waved them to the right. The kids worked their way along the heavy soil. Dirt filled their shoes as they slogged through. Shadows stretched slowly in their direction. The blue lights went still. Josiah turned up to his left. Black, sunken eyes met his gaze.
“It’s on,” he called out. The four kids went flying down the rough slope. “Drop the shovels.” Blake glanced back. Dark spirits in a wide line glided down after them. A few tripped over them. Others swerved around.
“How we going to lose them?” Blake whispered. Dark spirits started angling in behind to their right.
“Keep edging left,” said Josiah, as they sprinted down. His shiny shoes caught quick reflections of gloomy blue moonlight. “We hit the slick grassy slope and once we’re out of their sight, break hard left, disappear into the tunnels.” Several quick three note whistles echoed out behind and ahead of them.
Alien lights flashed across the sky from left to right. The line of ghosts filled out further left. The kids worked their way more and more left. Drew started falling back. Josiah glanced back as dark ghosts closed in.
“Drew, pick up your feet, run on top.” Drew exploded out of the thick soil. Cade flew across low to the ground while Blake powered through, kicking up dust everywhere. Dark gray mists covered the ground. Dark spirits rushed directly from their right.
Josiah watched wide-eyed, then with a quick shake, his blonde sweaty hair flopping to one side, he called out, “Sprint down, then hard left.” The ghosts whispered excitedly. More filled in the line coming down on them. Three quick whistles echoed out several more times behind and ahead. “Now, left.”
The kids hurried left as the ghosts up top glided in fast. They felt the slick grass under their shoes. Josiah glanced right. The ghosts were further back. “Straight down. Now’s our chance.” The four kids surfed down the slick slope, pulling away from the chasing ghosts.
A row of large, dark stones ran across the slope down below. Three quick whistles behind them were answered by three quick whistles down below. Josiah glanced back. A heavy line of dark spirits filled in at the top of the ridge, curving in from the far left and far right. The kids stopped cold.
At the bottom of the slope, dark spirits filled in behind the rocks, spreading far left and far right. Josiah glanced around anxiously, breathing hard.
“It’s a trap,” said Cade. “They know we buried the glittering stones.”
“They’ll capture us and make us tell them where they are,” Drew said quietly.
“What we do now?” asked Blake.
“We can’t slide past them with those rocks,” said Cade. “Can we launch over them?”
“Any ideas Josiah?” asked Blake. Josiah knelt down on the wet grass. He closed his eyes for a moment. “Josiah, you with us?”
He whispered to himself, “Stand strong, wait, look closely at what you have.” He stood up, gazed across the dark spirits surrounding them in the flashing lights, then he looked down at his shoes.
“We could try drawing them in,” said Cade, “breaking through a weak point in the line.” Josiah stared down at the curved lines and flattened parts of the soaked grass on the long, gentle slope leading down to the waiting ghosts. Then he slowly broke a smile.
“Make the most of it,” Josiah whispered. “I know how we’ll break through,” he said excitedly. He whispered his plan to the other three. “Let’s roll.” The four kids took off down the slope. Intense lights flashed from left to right. The crowd of ghosts waited. The kids slid faster and faster straight for the row of stones. The dark spirits stood poised.
Just then, the four kids put their hands out, and pushed the large stones down slope, bowling over most of the ghosts. With a wild yell, Drew flew out from between two stones. Two ghosts reached for him. He spun through. Then spun again, kicking his feet out tripping them.
Blake exploded out, lowered his head, and pushed past several slow reacting ghosts. Cade slipped out slowly. Three ghosts blocked his way. He shot left, sprinted right, slid, shot back left, faked right, then as the ghosts fell, Cade waved goodbye and sprinted left. The three kids disappeared into the heavy shadows and reached the tunnel entrance.
“Where’s Josiah?” asked Blake.
“He’s still back there,” said Cade. Three ghosts got in position. Two more fell in line, waiting.
“What if they got him back there?” asked Drew. Just then, Josiah emerged from the stones. He jogged down slope straight for the waiting ghosts. They reached out for him as he approached fast. In a sudden burst, he sprinted straight for them.
In a flash, he dropped straight down. They reached for him, but he slid past. Then he shot straight left. They turned around, but he was gone. Blake clapped as they made their way down the dim, dark orange lit tunnel.
“Yeah, how was that?” asked Josiah, smiling brightly. “Am I a ghost striker or what? That was awesome. We left those ghosts in the dust.” The other three kids slid to a stop. Cade turned to Josiah as the dust fell from the low rock ceiling.
Slowly breaking a smile, he said, “Yeah it was. Just wait until they go back to the aliens and tell them there are four of us now.” The four kids did the ghost striker handshake, then hurried through the dim, dusty network of tunnels.
“It’s quiet. Anyone notice that?” asked Drew.
“I got so used to the sounds,” said Blake, holding his head, “I can still hear them.” Cade shot him a questioning look.
“Are they regrouping?” asked Drew.
“They might be,” answered Josiah. “I don’t think they’re done. I say we get to the fort top and see where things are at.”
“Let’s go,” said Cade.
Sleek, dark purple clouds rolled across the empty, silent night sky. A chilling breeze whistled through the dome top as miners worked hard and fast rebuilding, refitting the stones. It whistled through the small square open window with an arched top, then echoed out throughout the entire mountain below. David and Callie stood together, watching the sky.
“Where did they go?” asked Josiah.
“They disappeared behind the mountains,” answered David.
“You think they know about the stones?”
David shook his head. “We have a chance, but we need to hurry.”
“You think they’ll be back,” said Blake. David nodded.
“Then we better get to work,” said Josiah.
The four kids hurried down the steps and started working. Josiah started singing a fast-paced bouncy song. Intense neon green light lit up the stones.
“They’re back,” he whispered, before looking up. Sleek, long triangular ships lit up in neon green lights covered the sky. A low humming came from the ships. The lights flashed at a slow rhythm. Eerie whistling cut the silence around them. David raised both lantern lights. Various soldiers shouted directions. Shrill whistling expanded fast across the sky.
Green fires rained down far to their right. The explosion rocked the mountain side. Then came the boom, knocking everyone back. David waved his right lantern back and forth. The kids gathered at the fort top, looking over at a gaping hole where the fires hit. A cluster of Sunday Evergreens were ablaze.
“They came back with something stronger,” said Blake. Loud humming grew louder above them. Eerie whistling faded out slowly. The lights flashed throughout the sky as the ships hovered. Neon green fires rained down on the lower mountain off to the left. They braced themselves for the next sonic boom.
“We better get back to work,” said Josiah, “if we don’t finish the fort soon, they’ll overrun us. We won’t outlast them.” The kids started off when neon green light waves spread over the mountain slopes and fort top. It stopped them in their tracks. They fell. The green waves hit them relentlessly.
They tried to move, struggling, but couldn’t. The pounding waves carried the sounds of eerie, high pitched whistling and sour horns. The whistling came from up high, from the glittering ships hovering in the sky for people to look up to them, taking their position in a place they could never reach.
The four kids covered their ears. The whistling attempts to sound sweet, but it’s too sweet, and can’t make music. Josiah strained to see in the intense green waves but could only see murky green lights. The horns blared down on them with strong power, relentless strength pushing them down.
Sounds of working stopped. Sounds of fighting went silent. Neon green lights blurred across the lower slopes. Alien weapons rained down over the mountain, hammering the fort, and breaking down every defense. Flashing alien lights grew brighter across the sky as the ships lowered down, prepared to overtake the entire fort. The soldiers were paralyzed by the alien fires, unable to overcome the intense sounds.
Alien ships fell lower and lower, prepared to overrun the unprotected fort walls. Josiah crawled slowly across the stone deck. Another heavy boom rocked the fort top. Through the fiery green waves, he could barely see the silhouettes of David and Callie. In between, he could just see the murky shape of the DadeStar flag remaining completely still against the punishing waves.
“I found the answer,” said Josiah, calling out to the sky, shielding his eyes, gazing up into the green waves flowing across. “I figured it out. But I never found you. I didn’t hear any message.” Josiah struggled forward a few more inches. “I just wanted to hear you one more time.”
A tear streamed down his face. Another boom rocked the fort. Then he heard her voice. Her voice was mysterious. She sang a dream that drifted right through the frenetic green flashing lights. Josiah began to sit up. Her dream was searching, reaching for somewhere distant, far away.
Callie’s song roamed through the night air, floating, but moving through, not pushed back by the alien waves. Her song played slow and sad, but it was also rising, flying through. While her song was reaching out, reaching high, it was also reaching down to lift up others with the song.
“Stand strong, wait, look closely at what we have,” Josiah whispered energetically, “and make the most of it.” He could only hear her song rising through the lights, completely overpowering the aliens’ noise. He stood up and looked over to see David waving his blue lantern lights back and forth with Callie standing and singing next to him. “Make the most of it,” he said stronger.
“They can’t fight,” said Cade tensely, “they can’t respond.” Josiah looked around at the fort top. He closed his eyes and listened. Callie’s beautiful voice carried through the night, blending with the whistling winds. Josiah watched as the chilling winds whistled through the small square open window with an arched top, then echoed out throughout the entire mountain below.
His eyes lit up. “Stand here, Callie, stand here,” he said pointing to the open window. “Sing here, and everyone else will hear it.”
Blake walked up to David and quietly said, “Sooner or later they’re going to strike here.”
“You guys get back to work,” he answered, “we’re going to hold this fort.” Josiah, Cade, and Drew hurried down the steps.
Blake turned to David with a concerned gaze. “If any soldiers take a direct hit, the aliens could still punch through and overrun us.”
“I figured out how to know where each strike is about to hit,” he said confidently. “Watch for my signal. If you see the two lantern lights come together going dim, that means you all need to take cover right away.”
Blake nodded and hurried down to continue re-enforcing the fort walls. Josiah worked fast and hard, singing along with Callie’s song, putting words to her song that overpowered the alien attack. As he worked, he kept his gaze on David, who stood firm signaling with the lanterns, and on Callie, who stood still at the window, singing out to the entire mountain.
He kept watching, as the blue lantern lights flashed to the rhythm of Callie’s song across the stones. The lights also reflected across her and David, burning bright blue as they fused together, blending into shimmering blue shine.
Another tear streamed down Josiah’s face as he watched and listened to the brilliant song play, and whispered the words his dad told him:
“You will find my final message at Ghost Peak
There is a mysterious power the aliens seek
Look closely and wait to see the pieces appear by light
Then you can solve the puzzle to hold the fort at night”
Callie kept singing her dream-like song, slow, but driving a hopeful, energetic melody slowly rising, higher and higher through the night. Josiah sang to it, putting words to the song.
“This has been a really long and dark night
The aliens keep on striking us in this fight
We all are working hard to build the fort strong
Once it’s finished, it will hold all night long
I thought we were going to lose this war
But then I heard Callie’s beautiful song soar
The notes kept rising making our hope increase
Her voice was like an angel, her song was peace
Her voice was quiet, yet it blocked out all the aliens’ loud fear
You see, her singing was so beautiful, it’s all you could hear
Then I finally heard my dad’s final message in the night
The puzzle pieces were David and Callie shining bright
His message was not made of words, I should have known
His message became revealed by what the lights shone
I have seen and heard my dad’s final message in what they do
It’s the way they stand strong and firm that shows the way through
The magic wasn’t really in the stones, it was Callie’s song of peace
Her leading, caring that forms a strong foundation that won’t cease
The magic wasn’t really in the flag, it was David’s beacon light
His rock-solid character and leadership outlasting every night
This has been a really long night, and I don’t yet see dawn
But even now, as the alien assault is relentless, our hope’s not gone
Hour after hour they hurt us, overpower us, yet I won’t despair
For when I look up to where they stand, the flag is still there.”
“I’ll never forget that day. My name is Cade Mayson, and this is my journal I write just in case the aliens capture us. I think they want to destroy us all, but for some reason they can’t yet. I don’t really like writing that much, because to write I have to sit down and be still. How do I know this? Well, I tried writing this while playing tag, but my writing looked like this:
So I guess I’m stuck sitting down and writing, as fast as I can, but writing really fast didn’t work so good either. Anyway, I have to write this, so here goes nothing. I’ll never forget that day, when school ended, and I played tag with Blake on the way home. I let him get close three times, and all three times I got away. The best part was when I ran up the side path toward a big burger stand. A lot of people were there. There was no way through. Blake thought he had me. But he didn’t see the small boat running along the channel next to me. I kept slowing down so we were even. Then, just as he was about to get me, I jumped in the boat, and sped to the other side. I laughed all the way home, but I stopped when I got inside, and saw all the furniture gone, except for in my room. My parents were gone, and they took everything with them, except me…
But I think they’re on a secret spy mission to figure out how to destroy the aliens from the inside, and they’re sending me clues. I think the time is coming when the revolution will begin, and we will reunite to fight them together. In my school in Cashes Dade, before the aliens destroyed it, I saw a small painting of a massive tower lit up under a bright, dazzling light shining from the top down reaching almost every corner. The golden lights across the surface and in the windows glowed in the dark. It wasn’t there before. My parents told me about this tower once. They saw it on one of their business trips. It was pretty much the only thing they ever told me about their business trips. Now all the sudden I find it in a hidden hall? I think my parents put it there, knowing I would find it…
Last year, when we fought our battle against the aliens in the mountains, and won, and they couldn’t catch me either, I was really fast. I faked them out so many times I think they’re still chasing me. You should have seen it. I was like a blazing fire that disappears, like a blazing ghost, no, a ghost on fire. That doesn’t make sense. Ghosts can’t catch on fire, so…what was I talking about? Oh yeah, the battle. I saw a clue, a big one. Actually, I didn’t see it, I heard it. I heard a lady singing in the distance, and I thought it might be my mom. She sang opera, with no real words, just pure music soaring through the mountains. The last thing my mom told me was, ‘Take the bridge.’ Our friend Casey told me he heard my mom once in a furniture store where he helped finish chairs. He heard her tell someone else about a bridge, a bridge that connects across great distances. The bridge was music…
Now, I just got this letter:
Cade Mayson,
A new play run by the aliens is about to begin in Dayascade. But the students are in grave danger. The aliens have a sinister plan for them. I need your help; you and your friends. I know who you are. My country needs the Glittering Fountain. The aliens stole it. They have it hidden deep in the school. They’ll only bring it out on stage during the play. That’s our chance. We must make a great escape with this before all the stars go dim. We have to save the students, help them escape the punishment. If you help me pull this off, I’ll lead you to the one you’re looking for, someone who knew your parents, someone who can help you on your quest. Meet me at the top floor balcony of the Devon in Dayas Caradames on Sunday night, April 17th at 11:00.
This is what I’ve been waiting for, exactly what I’ve been waiting for, to talk to someone who my parents would have shared their secrets with. Blake and Drew think it’s a trap, but I don’t. I think it’s my chance to finally solve this mystery…
Sometimes I still remember what it was like with my parents. They didn’t talk to me that much, especially about their business. I heard a lot of whispering. We didn’t spend much time together. I was busy, playing tag, playing other games, exploring, scaring my neighbors…Well, they were gone a lot too. They didn’t seem like they wanted to talk to me, especially at the end, and sometimes I wonder about that. Sometimes I wonder why they were like that. But there’s something missing, something mysterious about it all that I just can’t quite figure out…
The flash was intensely bright every time. Ship after ship after ship landed somewhere between the three neon green shimmering alien towers. Each sleek blue craft reflected the slow flashing green light as it disappeared between the three walls slanted at odd angles. Fast whispering played back and forth behind him.
Josiah turned to see several soldiers, appearing to be in their 30’s, standing at the entrance to an underground tunnel. One gazed around anxiously at the upper slopes near the peak, then whispered something to the other. The two of them quickly turned and disappeared down the tunnel.
A loud roar overpowered the upper mountain slopes. Dark mud and rocks slid down from the three high spiky rock clusters, glittering even in the dreary dark gray morning, at the high left steep slope near the peak. Josiah watched with sharp concern. The mudslide rolled all the way down to the bottom.
He started quietly humming again, turning back to the crumbled rough, black oval shaped stones the entire fort was built with. He walked along the rubble, slipping in the slick grass as the soft drizzling continued, stopping at the corner of the wall still standing. He looked over the rough, black oval stones, running his hand over the dusty surface, studying them intensely.
A loud boom shook the wall. Dust fell on him, with small crumbling rocks cascading off the remnant. Josiah turned to see Casey pouring powder into a small cannon at a lower flat meadow surrounded by glistening blue Sunday Evergreens.
Josiah looked over the meadow with sharp curiosity, running his hand through his wet, matted down blonde hair flopped slightly to the side. Cade appeared, standing on a slick rock, right at the edge. Next to him, Blake was crawling up a small rock cluster. Josiah broke into a smile when he looked over at Drew standing far back from Casey, in a heavy coat with his hood pulled down low.
Josiah jogged at a straight diagonal down slope toward Casey, singing a semi-fast rhythmic song with a bouncing melody. He slid to a stop next to Casey, who barely looked up from the cannon.
“What are you doing?” Casey just stared intensely into the barrel.
“We’re shooting the different rocks and jewels we’ve found,” said Cade, sliding awkwardly as he turned. Josiah turned to see Casey put his hand up. The cannon fired ahead into a small stack at the end of the meadow. The kids sloshed across the slick meadow toward the rubble.
The kids looked over the pile showing crushed slim, dark arrow shaped stones, dusty small blue and white speckles, broken pieces of flat, octagon shaped gray stones, multi-coloured dust, broken black rough, gravelly stones, crushed small bright jewels in different colours, and broken up small, smooth black stones.
“Looks like none of these are the one,” said Blake, looking over at Josiah just staring sullenly.
Cade dug through the rubble and pointed to some glittering small jewels and small, glittering gold glowing marbles. “These jewels and marbles held up well, do we have any more?”
“Piles,” said Casey, pointing off to the left.
“Let’s build two walls, see how each one holds up,” said Josiah with a shrug. The kids got busy building up a small wall of jewels and a small wall of marbles. A sonic boom shook the sky. The kids stopped cold. They gazed up at the dark gray masses slowly moving in different directions across the sky.
A low flying creamy blue alien ship shaped like a wide triangle drifted slowly overhead. Several soldiers shouted out, “GET DOWN, GET DOWN!” Casey held up his hand, staring intensely at the drifting ship.
“Move back to the rocks if they drop anything,” Blake said quietly. The kids waited in silence. The birds went quiet. Everything stopped. Sonic waves pulsed out. The ship began to turn. It angled to the left, drifting slowly over the three high pointy rock clusters toward the peak on the left. Then it picked up speed before disappearing over the mountain. Casey put his hand down. The kids went to work piling up the jewels and marbles.
“They’re going to attack again tonight,” said Blake.
“I think they’re going to hit us hard,” said Cade.
“Then we better hurry up and find the one that can hold out against them,” said Drew.
Rain began to fall harder as the kids finished building the two walls. Casey shot the blazing dark orange fire at each of them. Josiah jogged up toward the two walls anxiously, but his eyes fell with a heavy sigh as the two dusty rubble piles came into focus.
“We got nothing,” Blake said quietly. Josiah walked off hurriedly. He sat down on a flat stone near the broken fort wall. Several people worked on the wall, clearing the rubble, placing new stones, setting them in place, rebuilding the wall.
Josiah just stared at the workers. He stared with an empty, distant gaze. His eyes drifted up the empty mountain slope. His gaze just drifted, searching, but his eyes had no shine in them. He sat there completely still on the slick rock as the rains fell hard.
The scattered trees remained still among the silent, empty upper slope of the mountain. Water cascaded down through the spiraling branches holding thick clusters of small, bulb shaped leaves. The rain sounded like distant, but empty applause.
The bright blue leaves shimmered in the falling water drops. The grassy patches underneath the various evergreen clusters glistened. Vague, stretched images reflected across the slick black rock clusters rising up the mountain slope. The images kept bouncing out, falling back, then bouncing out, then falling back in a steady, slow rhythm, over and over and over again.
The dead images kept stretching out, reaching, but never formed any clear pictures. The noise of the rain droned on, becoming the sound of silence, cold silence droning on in the dreary, dark gray day.
Josiah pulled out of his pocket a small, smooth blue stone. He looked at, rolling it over in his fingers, slowly, slowly, just staring at it with an empty, distant gaze staring right through it. A few tears streamed down his face.
Sweet, peaceful singing cut the silence. Josiah gazed up curiously. Callie appeared, bringing in a pile of stones. A few moments later, David appeared with several tools. Josiah sat up, watching as David worked on the wall, carefully placing one rock after another after another, fitting them together to rebuild the wall.
Callie worked along the upper slope, finding small, arrow shaped rocks, then bringing them to the others along the wall as they placed them among the stones to hold them together. Josiah stood up and approached David.
“I thought you guys were leaving.”
“No,” David answered, barely looking up.
“You’re still running the fort?”
“That’s right.”
Josiah watched him working hard and fast for several long moments. “We’re getting nowhere finding the stone or jewel. None of them are holding up. I’m not even sure where else we can look.”
“Did you talk to the miners?” David asked, looking up at Josiah, meeting his gaze.
“No,” he answered, looking away.
“Thought you wanted to find it.” Josiah just stared back. David went back to work as Callie worked fast through the slope behind him, singing quietly.
Later that afternoon, Josiah worked his way deep into the lower tunnels, following the distant sounds of clanging and shoveling. He rounded a dark corner, then saw an elderly couple working along a wall. The man was digging into the rough soil. He was mostly bald with a few long strands of gray hair and had a hard face.
The woman was cleaning various tools. She had short gray hair falling back slightly and had a kind face. Josiah approached them slowly and said, “Can I talk to you, ask you some questions?”
“If you help us finish our work,” said the man. “Then you can ask all the questions you want.” Josiah turned and walked away. The man sighed and shook his head.
“I think I saw a shovel back here,” said Josiah looking around the tunnel corner.
“I could use help cleaning these tools,” said the woman.
Josiah spun around, flashed a smile, and said, “Cool, my favorite thing.” He glanced up momentarily and said, “Stop laughing.” The man shot him a curious look, before shaking his head again. Josiah worked quietly with the couple for several hours as the dark orange lantern lights began to fade.
Later that afternoon, the couple led him to their home on the other side of the mountain. Josiah sat down at a small, black marble table on a large porch overlooking the lower, smaller dark green rounded mountains stretched out far to the west.
“My name is Bob, and this is Ardis,” the man said, sitting down to his left. Ardis handed Josiah a cup of tea, and placed a plate of bread on the center before sitting to his right.
“You have a really nice home,” said Josiah, gazing out at the various wide, triangular shaped evergreens called Vaysas with light green twisted leaves. Several rose up high in front of them on the left and right leaving a wide window in between.
“So what do you want to know?” asked Bob.
“My dad told me there’s a stone or jewel that can outlast any alien attack, any weapon. We’ve looked everywhere, tested so many of them, have you seen any deep in the mountains no one else has seen?”
“I’ve seen all kinds,” Bob answered, “but we build with the best ones.” Josiah shot him a confused look. “You’re going about it all wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll never just see it, you have to build them up. Whatever stone it is, it’s not going to have any power by itself, but only when stacked together with a bunch of them. For that, you have to look close and take your time.”
“But we’re running out of time,” said Josiah, glancing up at the dark gray rushing clouds. Soft drizzle continued to fall over the lush green valleys below. “This rain isn’t helping either. I saw a mudslide today.”
“From up high, near the bright, pointy rocks left of the peak?” asked Ardis.
“Yeah, how’d you know that?”
“That location is always a weak point in this mountain,” Ardis answered.
“What if the aliens find out?”
“They already know,” Bob answered, “but striking it won’t crush the mountain unless they placed a ton of bright minerals there to ignite the cave ins. We won’t let them do that.” Josiah nodded with a half relieved, half concerned look.
“Did you guys know my dad?” Josiah asked quietly.
“Definitely,” Bob answered, as Ardis nodded. “We worked with him all the time in the mines when he established the fort. He was a great leader.”
“One night I realized I had left my necklace in the mines. It was given to me by my Grandma. I went down there, this was hours after our shift, and I saw your dad still working down there. I didn’t even know, but he did that all the time, putting in extra work. But he did it secretly.” Josiah listened with wonder. “And we’re glad he picked David to take over if something happened to him.”
“David knew my dad?”
“They met a few times when Todd would travel to Marcaydas, back when David was a miner there,” Bob answered.
“I thought David and Callie were going to give up, after what I heard.” The couple chuckled.
“That’s not going to happen,” said Bob, with a smile.
“I guess David believes there’s a special stone here too,” said Josiah.
“That’s not why he values this fort,” said Bob, as the rain stopped.
“It’s the people here who are valuable,” said Ardis. “Many of us can’t really travel, and mining here is all we know. But it’s not great stones or minerals or jewels that we find that make it valuable, it’s how we build, simple but strong.”
“What we build lasts,” added Bob. Various brightly coloured birds began appearing in the trees, whistling different tunes.
“You see, the aliens think they can destroy us with all their advanced weapons, but the way to stand strong, the way to find answers is to stand still,” said Ardis.
“Stand still?”
“That’s David and Callie’s message,” said Bob. “To find the answers you’re looking for you don’t need anything special, you just need to really look, really listen, and take your time.”
“People don’t think our mines are that special until they get to know us, and see how we build,” said Ardis.
“It’s the same with this fort,” Bob added.
“My dad left a message for me here, but I haven’t…”
“Todd didn’t talk much,” said Bob. Ardis laughed quietly, nodding along. “If he left a message, it won’t be a letter, it will be the kind of message he left when he was alive.”
“What’s that?”
“An example.”
Rain began falling over the lower slopes as evening began. Dark blue and purple coloured the lower rushing clouds over the horizon. Josiah stared up at David, standing to the left of the DadeStar flag set still just behind the front gate, gazing out over the lower slopes. As darkness fell, deeper shadows stretched back further and further from the fort top wall. Several soldiers talked quietly with David for several moments. They shut the tall, arched front gate and hurried down slope to their positions.
David pulled out a single blue lantern. Blue lights flickered out across the fort top. Chilling winds rushed directly at the mountain side. Trees whistled, their leaves glowing bright blue.
“It’s quiet out there,” said Josiah, walking up to David.
“The calm before the storm,” he answered. Josiah nodded.
“What if they hit us with something we’re not ready for?”
“We don’t need to be ready for them,” said David. Josiah shot him a sharply curious look. David smiled and added, “We just need to stand strong. They can’t move us.” Josiah shrugged, and started pacing as the winds blew harder. He turned back to David, standing next to the DadeStar flag, holding still against the winds.
“How does that flag stay so still?” asked Josiah.
“The stones reinforce it,” said David, pointing to the pile of rough, black oval shaped stones at the base of the flag. Josiah stared at the small pile. Chilling winds blew harder. The evening turned into a dark night. Heavier shadows fell. Silence fell over the entire mountain.
Josiah kept staring at the stones and asked, “Who placed those stones there?”
“I did.”
“Did you do anything different with them? I mean, did you put anything else with them to hold them together?”
“I placed them together the same way I always do, but I took a lot of extra time with this pile.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted the DadeStar flag to hold strong no matter what, as a sign to everyone on the mountain.” Jagged blue lights glowed within the long, arched shadow. Josiah continued staring down at the pile of stones holding the DadeStar flag.
Just then, his eyes lit up as he turned to David. Slowly breaking a smile, he said, “I figured it out.” His smile disappeared. The DadeStar flag’s colours grew bright. Josiah gazed up. Numerous alien ships covered the entire sky.
They call him the piano playing ghost. They hear him, but they never see him. He plays strong, booming chords with higher, energetic chords played in a fun, fast rising way. Students often gather in the back rows of the dark auditorium just to listen, and many times dance to the bright songs he plays. But they also want to find him. He only plays in the dark, alone, in the chilly silence. Then he breaks the silence, and his music lights up the dark cold auditorium. No one knows why he plays in secret. Why does he hide his music? Why doesn’t he want to be seen? They’ve tried different things; sneaking up on him, hiding on stage, hiding in the upper balconies, but when they try to chase him, he runs, and he disappears, like a ghost…
In the Lincon Bereen School in the Kingdom of Dayascade, there’s a ghost they say haunts the school halls. But in many ways, he’s the one who is truly haunted. He also plays the piano, from the secret Coldor Room where he’s locked up. No one knows exactly where he is, or what object can be turned to find this hidden room. But they can hear him, or rather, they can hear his music. What’s truly puzzling though, is what happens every time he plays. His music starts out simple, with strong, rhythmic booming chords. Then he adds more and more layers, making it more and more complicated with a bright, energetic slow rising song until the sounds start to clash. Then he pounds various keys in anger and the music goes silent…
Ryan Sayvas is a nice, easy going kid. He’s relatively short with short blonde hair in a spiral, and calm, bright eyes. Ryan is really into entertainment and business. He likes talking to people and having interesting conversations that draw lots of people in. He talks fast and energetically, asking a lot of questions, trying to get into interesting discussions that explore the big questions…
Ryan is from the Kingdom of Carsenevas, City of Dayas Cadenmay. You can find it on the map if you click on the page called DARKCORNER LAND. It’s a kingdom well south of Cashes Dade, following the river down to the end. It’s considered a relatively strong kingdom in DarkCorner Land. They’re known for mysterious and cutting edge music that plays in grand rooms.
Here’s one hint about Ryan, he dreams about creating a new, entertaining business that becomes the most popular place in all the kingdoms, where everyone wants to meet. The clues are there, see if you can figure it out. Leave a comment below if you think you know what it is. Do you know? Do you think he’s the ghost?
“It’s my first night at Ghost Peak. They say the aliens have something big planned for tomorrow night, some kind of attack we won’t be ready for, but that’s not what’s keeping me awake. I can’t stop thinking about something my dad said to me once. It’s a mystery. My dad used to tell me to write out my thoughts sometimes, because he would say my thoughts are like bouncy balls bouncing around in my head. Other people said things like that too, like I have a lot of scattered thoughts.”
“I don’t think they’re scattered or bouncing, it’s just I have a lot of thoughts that run through my head all the time, and they don’t really stop. They kind of shoot through really fast like stars, like blazing stars. I can’t even catch them sometimes. That’s why I forget something then bring it up in conversation much later. My friends think it’s funny when I do that.”
“It could be way later in the conversation, and that’s when I’ll remember it, or it will come back running through my head again, or some way like that. I don’t know. Oh yeah, but there’s a mystery, about what my dad said to me one time.”
“I used to hate washing the dishes. I didn’t like it when it was my turn. My dad would say I messed around too much. It always took me awhile, mostly because I played a game, well a few games, like the dishes dance, or dish battle, or trying to set up a fountain of dishes…anyway, it would take some time.”
“But my dad was more concerned with how clean they were. He would check every time. I used to hate it when I thought I was done, but he would throw a bunch of them back in the water and tell me they weren’t done right. I used to hate when he would lecture me about getting a job done right the first time. But now, I would give anything to listen to just one more lecture.”
“People don’t understand why I like doing dishes now, and why I always do them right, every time. I still play the fountain game. But I get them clean and shiny, and I think about the things he would say, usually the same thing over and over and over. But like I said, there was one thing he told me that remains a mystery to me now, and I think it has something to do with his final message here.”
“One night, after he tossed like ten dishes back in the water, he told me something I’ll never forget. He said, ‘You need to clean it until you can see the shiny lines.’”
Callie’s calm, still singing cut through the chaos. Neon blue flames reached high into the darkness. She knelt at the back corner, singing to the kids in the bunker below. David held the left blue lantern light still. He swung the right lantern fast in a circle.
Soldiers raced across the slopes above and below. Several broad, blue triangular alien crafts dropped down low over the gaping holes in the mountain side.
Bright gold lights slowly flashed through the craft. Dark spirits dropped out of the crafts into the gap.
“What they hit?” asked Blake.
“I’m not sure yet,” said David, “but they’re heading straight for several key reserves.”
Several more blue rays shot down into the gap. Intense blue light flashed out silently. Several moments later, intense booms knocked everyone to the ground. Josiah looked up, staring with sharp intrigue at David, still standing. Drew looked over at Callie, still kneeling at the back corner, singing out strong. Several soldiers approached him.
“They’re moving in fast on Keys 3 and 5.”
“It’s going to take a lot to drive them out,” the other soldier added, pointing to the alien ships circling like vultures over the gap. Just then, numerous alien ships shot out across the sky, blazing incredibly fast. Blake watched as two ships almost instantly switched places, crossing fast in blazing lines.
Fires rained down all over the mountain. Sour horns blared out across the sky. Heavy booming rocked the slopes. Another soldier reached David.
“We’re getting pounded. We need to fire all out.” David shook his head. “Do you not see what’s happening? We’ll be over run in minutes.”
“They’re trying to overwhelm us,” David responded calmly. “If we use up all our weapons, then we will be over run.”
“What about the gap?” another soldier asked. Powerful explosions boomed out in sonic waves all across the upper slopes.
“WE HAVE A RESERVE,” David shouted over the noise, “TAKE THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE DOWN, THROUGH THE SUNDAY TUNNEL, THIRD ENTRANCE ON THE RIGHT.” The soldier nodded and hurried off. David stood firm, holding out one still lantern light.
The soldiers remained still, down in their bunkers and behind hidden fort walls. The four kids peered over the fort wall. Fires and intense blue lights flashed all over the lower mountain. The clusters of small bulb shaped leaves on the Sunday Evergreens flashed in a fast rhythm, glowing bright blue.
“What we going to do?” asked Blake, turning to the others.
“They can drive off the ships,” said Josiah, “but we need to get the ghosts out of there, or they’ll find nearly all of our key reserves.”
“The maze is close to there,” said Drew, “if we can get them in there, they’ll get lost, end up way in another mountain when they finally find their way out.”
“We need to make them believe we’re trying to move out the key supplies,” said Blake.
“How?” asked Drew, flinching with every boom shaking the fort.
“We could grab some things, make them look important or something like that?” said Josiah.
“What, like make them shiny?” asked Blake.
“Yeah, that was stupid, I don’t know…”
“I wasn’t saying…”
“Aaaauuggghhhh, maybe we could make it seem like a secret place, or…”
“That’s it, that’s it,” said Cade. Exploding lights reflected in his intense eyes as he continued, “the dark spirits were doing something secret down there. I think they set up the glittering stones they found today. That’s where they would expect us to be working, where we might have our most important tools.”
“Sounds good enough to me,” said Blake.
“We need to get there fast,” said Drew.
“Then we lead them away to the maze,” said Cade.
“Cool, let’s go,” said Josiah.
“We can’t go across the slopes,” said Drew, as the assault raged on around them.
“Take the spiral staircase down like David said, let’s go, let’s go,” Blake said strongly, clapping several times.
Dusty, dark orange lights blurred past. Booms crashed down over the dark underground staircase. The kids raced down the steps. Booms struck one after another after another in a relentless assault. Drew’s hands shook at his sides. Cade glanced back at him.
“Hang in there, Drew, the fort will hold.” With a simple smile, Josiah nodded and flashed a thumbs up. The booming became more and more muffled as they moved deeper into the underground. Dead whistles echoed out from nearby tunnels.
“They’re closing in,” said Blake in a low tone.
“We need to pick it up,” said Cade, “super sonic speed.”
“Race to the end,” said Blake with a smile. The kids moved fast down the dimly lit tunnel. Blake ran down three to four steps at a time, biting his lower lip. Cade ran low to the staircase, almost gliding down. Drew lagged behind, shaking his head.
Cade and Blake exchanged intense glances. After rounding another corner, they exchanged another intense round, stepping up their intimidating gazes. As they began to see the dim blue light at the end, they exchanged stronger looks.
“This is turning into a staring contest instead of a race,” Drew muttered. Just as Cade and Blake turned to eachother for an even more intense round of looks, Josiah flew past them, right down the center, practically dancing down the steps. They powered ahead, but Josiah reached the blue shining entrance first.
Cade and Blake slid to a stop at the same time. Drew reached them a few moments later and collapsed on the floor.
“I think…Josiah won,” said Cade between breaths.
“How…did you…”
“I’m a miner,” Josiah answered with a shrug. “You have to be ready to move at a moment’s notice.”
“That’s encouraging.” The three kids turned to see Drew sprawled out on the dusty floor in an awkward position.
“Are you okay?” asked Cade as Blake peered down the wide massive tunnel.
“Can I just take a nap?”
“No time,” said Blake. “They’re getting close.” The kids gazed down the long steep dropping slope of thick, heavy soil with two longer, smooth paths on each side along the dark rough walls dimly lit by widely spaced dark blue lanterns.
“The glittering stones are down at the end,” said Cade. Blake pressed his ear to the wall. Dead whistles and ghostly whispers echoed lower down.
“They’re way ahead,” said Blake.
“Let’s go,” said Josiah.
“Wait,” said Cade, “not the paths. I have a faster way. Follow me.” He flashed a half-crazed smile before jumping down the steep slope.
“What’s he doing?” asked Drew.
“Surfing,” said Blake with a smile, before jumping down after him. Turning back he called out, “Just dig your feet in.”
“He’s right,” said Josiah, “turn sideways, like this.” Josiah jumped down. Drew closed his eyes, whispered something to himself, and followed after. The kids half jogged, half surfed down the steep slope, digging their feet into the heavy soil, all the way down.
Chilling silence fell over the underground as the kids reached the glittering stones.
Cade pulled out a small candle and lit it up, sparking a dim blue flickering light. “Pick up a tool, any tool,” he said, pointing to the various shovels and pick axes strewn across the ground in the large cavern. “Focus on the wall.”
“How do we lose them?” asked Blake.
“We have three ways we can take,” said Josiah. “We can take the really dark, winding tunnel on the left, or the Sunday tunnel with the flashing blue lights David mentioned, or the slide down fast tunnel, just like the one we just did.” Drew just shook his head.
“We need to get them thinking they’re chasing us somewhere else,” said Blake, “so they think we took one of the side entrances into the maze.” Ghostly whispers went quiet. A strong chill overtook the cavern.
“The first and third we would just outrun them,” said Cade, “but they’d catch up.”
Drew looked at Cade’s blue flickering light, then said, “The Sunday tunnel, the Sunday tunnel. That’s the one. Do you have any more candles?”
“I do,” said Josiah, quickly pulling them out. The kids whispered their plan and waited. They took their positions along the wall, under the glittering stones above. Dark shadows fell fast. The glittering stones burned brighter. Silence filled the place. Sunken ghostly eyes moved in fast.
“Showtime,” Cade whispered. Shrill winds whipped around them. Blue lights flashed on and off, shooting out in various directions.
“Light them up. Light them up,” said Blake. Strong chilling mist rolled past the kids over their shoes. The kids began to struggle forward. The dark ghosts gained on them.
“Move it, move it, move it,” Blake urged. Several ghosts grabbed at Drew. He wiggled away. Blake pulled out several stones. He threw them hard knocking several ghosts back. The kids pushed hard through the heavy mist pulling them back. Josiah stared intensely at the thick mist flowing past them. More ghosts started pulling Cade back. Blake turned back. Cade went under.
“They got him, they got him,” he yelled out to the other two. Blake stopped and threw several stones hard and fast. A few ghosts fell back. Josiah glanced up at the dusty roof. He threw several stones at it. Heavy dust fell down over the ghosts.
The other ghosts slid to a stop.
“CADE!” Drew called out. Small ripples shot out within the mist. Blake threw another stone hard at the ghost behind it, knocking him flat into the mist. Just then, Cade exploded out.
“Go, go, go,” he called out.
“Pick up your feet,” said Josiah, speeding ahead, “high steps.” The kids began moving fast, with the mist pushing them ahead.
“Get ahead, get ahead,” said Cade. Flickering blue lights blurred past. The kids started gaining distance as the tunnel curved sharp right. Cade angled toward the wall. “Get ready.” As they rounded another corner, Cade slowed down, feeling along the wall. Blake and Josiah turned back. “Keep going, keep going,” he urged.
He reached down into the mist. Then he raced ahead. As he rounded the next corner, three dark spirits stood blocking the way. He glanced back. The crowd of ghosts moved in on him fast. Cade sprinted ahead.
As he drew near to the waiting ghosts, he faked left, faked right, then started to jump up. They reached for him. In a flash, Cade slid down past them. He got back up, then dropped the rock hard into the mist. A strong mist wall blocked the dark spirits behind him.
Cade sprinted ahead. He caught up the others as dead whistles and whispers died out.
“We did it,” said Blake, turning back at the empty blue flashing hall.
“Let’s get out of here,” said Josiah. Empty silence fell over the mountain when the four kids came back out to the higher slopes.
Later that night, inside the fort, Josiah worked his way up the steps to David and Callie’s room, humming quietly, bobbing his head to his own tune. He stopped just outside the door when he heard muffled shouting.
“Three soldiers died, that’s on you. This fort is falling apart. That’s on you. It’s about time we went in a new direction. We’re going to mine the glittering stones and rebuild the entire fort with them.”
“We can’t do that,” David answered. “Those stones will crumble fast under pressure.” Two small dark orange candle clusters on each side of the door whipped around in the still, dead air.
“You’re afraid. It’s because you’re not smart enough to see their potential. You don’t care enough to take the risks necessary to win.”
“What do you guys want?” asked David.
“We want you to do the honorable thing. Step down.”
