The Rink of Time

Chapter Twenty-two

One good friend is all you need

RIVER LADISTON

"What do you mean?" I ask her confused, why wouldn't it be on the map?

"But why wouldn't it be on the map?" Dexter voices out my thoughts, looking over at Skai waiting for her response.

"Esse isn't a place" Skai and Emily conclude in unison, they turn to face each other, bursting into fits of giggles.

"What do you mean?" Elijah turns to face both of them intrigued.

"It's a word" Emily informs us "It means essence"

"Or essential nature" Skai adds "So, would that mean we are to find somewhere that is essential to nature?" she asks.

"I don't know how you guys know this stuff but I'm glad you do" Dexter chuckles.

"I guess you could say hanging out with Emily a lot pays off" Skai shrugs making Emily smile.

"This seems too easy" I mutter under my breath but I am sure none of them heard me. "Can you not be skeptical for once in your life?" Skai groans, of course she heard me.

" 'tis perceived that life begins and death doeth cease" Elijah reads out loud.

"That's easy, somewhere that is essential to nature where life begins and death can't happen, I guess" Dexter says and in the most sarcastic and dramatic tone ever I responded to his statement "Wow, I would have never guessed, OMG Dexter Malachi Bardo, you are sooo smart" I make sure to stretch the 'so'.

"Gee thanks" Dexter copies the way I spoke.

"Guys" Emily turns to face both of us "It's the lake of life"

.............

"The answer it seems within a few feet" Elijah assesses the surround as we were by the lake of life, which we shouldn't be, but as long as Mrs. Bolvera doesn't see us, we're fine.

"I'm starting to agree with River guys" Emily looks around nervously, kicking at the ground. "What if we're being led on?"

"Better an oops than a sorry, Em" Skai flings her arm around Emily's shoulder in comfort "Right?"

"I guess" she mutters.

"So do we just start digging?" I ask them and we all share stares, not really knowing what to do.

"I think I have an idea" Dexter looks down and we all wait patiently for his suggestion.

He sits on in the ground—criss cross apple sauce style—placing both hands besides him he closes his eyes sucking in a deep breath.

Little flowers begin to grow out of the grass. I look around in awe, he lifts his left hand and in a swift movement, plants begin to grow in the far left, he repeats the motion on his right and I notice something different in that region, near a rock.

There is an absence of flowers in that spot. Emily seemed to have noticed it too as she ran over to the area.

· She begins to dig the ground, with the help of Skai, Elijah and I walk over to them. "Bingo" she breathes out, pulling a paper from the dirt.

Opening this paper, the words were not hidden. "Dexter you can stop" I call out to him , remembering he is still growing flowers.

Land and sea, across this ditch,

the final dose or ye poof?

.............

It's been two weeks, and we have had zero luck deciphering the second clue, we're completely hopeless at this point.