THE 33 KEYS: Key 2 - ANSWER THE CALL "Listen for that Perfect Beat"

CHAPTER 60: SOLVE THE PUZZLE

The walls fall into a forest where cedar trees dominate. I can easily tell the grandparents from the parents, even the children that are strewn about dancing in the playful winds. In the clearing up ahead I see a woman standing in the middle of three cedar trees, fingers meeting above her head, slathered in moss from head to foot, her focus downward. I follow her gaze to a table of boxes, eleven of them horizontal, nine vertical.

"Fill them," she says with a booming tone.

"With what?"

"Your fingers."

"What!"

I step back.

"Relax, Mary." She says light-hearted. "I want you to write down whatever I say."

"Okay." I nod. "I can do that. Where do you want me to start?"

"Top left to right. All lowercase letters. Enter an L."

I do as she says.

"Now follow with N, E, G, L, T, R, G, L, O, W."

"Like this?"

"Yes. You're doing just fine."

"What on earth does it mean?"

"Never mind that. You'll find out soon enough. Just write it exactly as I say."

"Okay. I'll do it."

"H, W, W, W, L, R, D, O, L, N, L," she says then adds, "W, L, L, R, T, L, N, W, D, W, L."

"Three rows filled, six more to go."

"N, W, G, G, L, G, R, T, N, R, H."

"You got something against vowels?"

"They're in there," she replies. "And more will follow."

"How come you didn't say your name?"

"N, O, E, L, O, E, E, N, N, L, E," she says, and when I finish writing, adds, "I am Suke."

"Suke. Never heard it before. What does it mean?"

"Doesn't matter what it means. It's what I do."

"What do you do?"

"I create problems so I can find solutions later on."

Is that what this is? What we're doing?"

"You ask too many questions. Just write: D, R, D, N, G, L, O, T, W, R, G."

"Which one are you?" She watches me confused. "Your number or whatever you call yourself?"

"I am the green wand. Number five."

"The green wand? So that's why you're wearing that thing. Does it itch?"

"It is me and I am it. Nothing ever affects you once you become it."

"I don't understand."

"W, L, G, W, L, E, N, L, H, N, R."

I write the letters down quickly and dig in again.

"Where am I? Is this whole thing real?"

"Think of it like a game, and imagine that you're in the world you don't normally see."

"You mean, I'm still in Leer Island? On the bus?"

"N, N, E, W, N, E, L, G, T, N, L."

"Am I on the bus or in the black box the woman in white gave me?"

"The black box is the bus."

"What? Okay. You know what? Give me the last letters."

"L, W, T, E, W, N, T, N, L, L, G."

"That's it?" I ask examining the madness. "This can't be it."

"Why? You think there's something missing?"

"Well, it doesn't mean anything; so, yes."

"What do you see over there? Outside the table."

"A bunch of sticks and stones."

"Good. Now put a stone on the right side of the first L, and another one above the T and W."

"Like this?"

"Yes. Now put a stick beneath each of the other two Ls. The N and the R too."

"Done."

"Good. Now slash the E."

"How?"

"Right diagonal."

"This is crazy."

"We're not done yet."

I listen as Suke calls out letter after letter, one row at a time, and then the sticks and stones that follow. When everything is in place, we stand above the drawing, me with even more questions in my mind. I finally bring myself to ask the most burning one.

"How does this help me unlock the other door?"

"Put the copper coin in the middle. The exact middle."

"There," I say pointing.

"Yes."

I tiptoe through the letters, careful not to push anything out of place, imagining myself to be a ballerina, pointing fingers and toes upwards, then toes downward in perfect balance, sailing through it all, and wishing this bout of madness can end so I can return to the reality of goodbye.

"What now?"

"Whatever you do, don't forget this when you wake up," she warns.

"What's to remember? It means nothing to me."

"It'll be the key to saving the lot of them."

"Who? Come on. At least tell me something more before you leave."

"More will only confuse you, Mary."

"To be honest, at this point in the confusion department, I'm willing to upgrade to level two."

For some reason, this brings a smile to her face, one that manages to also drag mine out.

"Listen up! Whatever you do, don't forget what I said when you wake up." she repeats then stamps the floor with all her power.