The Time Mage

Chapter 5: The Puzzle

Toby handed me an envelope similar to the one I had found in my bag at the bakery. Sure enough, my name was written across it. 

"Good thing I corrected the book placements, huh?" said Toby, smiling as he watched my face for a reaction. 

I rolled my eyes. He knew I hated admitting when I was wrong. I forced myself to swallow my pride, but couldn't stop myself from grimacing when I replied. 

"Wow Toby, what would I ever do without you and your weird habits?"

His grin stretched farther across his face to express how pleased he was with my reply. Before he could nag me any further, I quickly opened the envelope and shifted my focus to the paper inside. I read it aloud. 

To Emmaline Jera Turner,

Our meeting was unsuccessful.

Please try to show up on time to the next one.

I will be waiting for you at Ancient Park by the Pyramid entrance.

Can you get there by 10:30?

Know that I will not arrive any earlier and will leave if you're late;

And if you make it on time, then I'll give you a hint on what the magic words are.

So please, do choose to come.

I will be expecting you.

Do you really have anywhere else to go,

Emmaline, bearer of the ring, mage of time?

"At least this letter seems to make more sense," I said, looking back at Toby. He somehow had an even goofier expression on his face than he had a minute ago. 

"What's with your face?"

"I told you so!" he replied, nearly shouting the words. 

"Told me what?"

"I told you there would be some kind of magic word or spell that would activate you're ring's power!"

"Just because the letter mentions magic words doesn't mean that those words will make this ring do anything special," I countered, refusing to admit a second time that Toby had been right.

"Say whatever you like, but once we get the magic words from whoever wrote this letter, I'll expect an apology; preferably in the form of a free meal."

"Come on," I said, ignoring him and turning to lead the way out of the library. "If we want to get to Ancient Park on time, then we need to leave now."

*****

We made it to Ancient Park at 10:25. Toby parked in a spot where we could easily see the pyramid entrance. 

Ancient Park was large and modeled after the Egyptian Art Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There were playgrounds and water features for children to enjoy. When I was younger, my friends and I would go to the pyramid section and hangout inside the pyramid-shaped plastic hut. We would sit there and talk or play card games. As we got older, we eventually outgrew the pyramid and found other places around town to hangout. 

"When should we head over to the pyramid?" Toby asked. 

"Based on the letter, we need to make sure we're on time. If we walk over at 10:29, then we'll only need to wait for a few seconds."