"Nothing here!" Called Aquamarine.
"Man! We're never going to find a clue! We're just feeling around in the dark, we don't even know what we're looking for!" Yells Peridot.
"Shut up and keep looking!" Fern yells back. She had recently appointed herself vice general after the shock wore off. Opal suppressed a snort as she dug her hands in the dirt. Though Peridot is right. We're not gonna find it. What is "it" anyway? Opal thought, frustrated. She flung dirt in one corner of the little haven.
"Argh!" Opal screams. "Shut up! I can't concentrate!" She dug through her pocket, trying to find a coin to fidget with, that always calmed her. She took it out and flung it to the eating stump with all her might. But the problem was, that wasn't a coin. It was the crystal. The crystal shattered on impact, causing everyone to flinch.
"You broke the crystal!" Thomas shouted, shocked. "That was our whole plan B!"
"I'm s-sorry. I t-thought it w-was a c-coin..." Opal stuttered, still shocked about her amazing plan B destroyed.
"Wait. Why is there a paper inside?" Fern asked suddenly, popping her head in between Opal and Thomas. Everyone huddled closer to the broken crystal, but no one dared go near it too much. Fern stretched out a tentative finger and poked the paper.
"Oh for heaven's sake!" Opal exclaimed exasperatedly. She grabbed the paper and spread out the wrinkles. "Let's see..." Opal's eyes flitted across the paper, her eyes stretching wide. "Seems like a clue. It says, 'The heir must find...' this part's blotched with ink. Impossible to read... 'in the fall of man. 2:43:24.' What does that mean?" Opal asked, eyeing each of the people who slowly became her friend, someone she trusted. Except Pearl.
"Ummmmmmm. I guess it's where to find the next clue?" Topaz guessed, shrugging his shoulders.
"Wait! There's a second paper!" Fern exclaims, grabbing at the paper that peeked from behind the first paper. "It says, 'GHJ ASHJ CTYLWD GI ADKJ. Q DK YUOCD DE GHJ KJY." (EDITOR'S NOTE: YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CRACK THIS CODE. DO NOT TRY.)
"Show me," demands Apatite. Fern gives it to Apatite.
"He's good at cracking codes." Whispers Zircon.
"Oh, I used to love these! You just put the same letters for all the words... Let's see... So this person wrote: 'YOU HAVE RUINED MY WORK. I AM GOING TO END YOU'." The words sent a shiver down Opal's spine.
"So a very mad person is after Opal. Wow. Such an amazing thing." Thomas said, rolling onto his back. "This is reassuring."
"What do the numbers mean? 2:43:24..." Asks Citrine.
"Hmmmm. Oh! How stupid of me! How stupid of me to not see this before!" Topaz exclaimed, slapping his forehead.
"Verse 2:4 to 3:24! In the Bible! Adam and Eve!" Topaz said excitedly.
"And he's a Bible lover." Whispers Zircon again.
"What's important in Adam and Eve? Oh! How could I not see this? 'The fall of man' That's describing the apple!" Topaz concluded, jumping up and down.
"Wow. That's great. Good work, Topaz." Opal tells him, getting up too. Topaz blushes, and smiles shyly at Opal. Opal caught Fern's eye and narrowed her eyes. Don't you dare say something about this.
"Okay, so apple. Apple, apple, apple...." Fern mutters, pacing around the garden.
"The apple tree!" Thomas exclaims, like a puppy waiting to be complimented. Ohhhhhh no. He noticed too. He wants to make sure I'm his.
"Oh! That could be the answer!" Opal shouts. Opal mouths to Thomas when Topaz's back is turned, I'm yours.
They raced to the apple tree in excitement.
"Maybe it's in the apple! Everyone! Take an apple and start searching!" Fern bellows, reaching for an apple.
YOU ARE READING
Let the Games Begin
Mystery / ThrillerThis story is about a girl, Opal, whose Mom died. The only thing that her Mom left her was a strange locket. The girl has to solve the mystery of her mother's death to save her home.
