The Keys to freedom

Somewhere on earth

"So, tell us again," Eric said, leaning forward from his seat on the couch.

James let out a heavy sigh. "We've already told you... three times. Nothing's changed in the past 10 hours,"

"Okay, well, I've slept since then," he shot back with a shrug.

James shook his head, exasperated.

Grayson, lounging in a chair across from them, tipped it onto two legs, balancing effortlessly as he smirked. "So, why are you just now finding out that you're descendants of rich psychopaths?"

"Psychopaths?" Oz raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah!" His grin widened. "I mean, come on—who leaves their kids a treasure map instead of a normal will? That's not just eccentric, that's full-blown lunatic behavior."

Oz let out a soft, amused laugh. She  could only imagine how greedy their ancestors' children must have been for them to take such desperate measures—turning their inheritance into a game, a punishment rather than a gift. To spend a lifetime giving, only to watch your children demand more... maybe, in the end, this was their way of forcing them to see the error of their ways, to not take their generousity for granted.

But Oz knew next to nothing about her family tree. Her father had rarely spoken about his relatives, and when he did, it was always in vague, dismissive remarks.

Still, she did remember one moment—years ago—when she had asked him about their family history, just out of idle curiosity. Without hesitation, he had waved the question away with a dry chuckle and said, "We're all just descended from a bunch of twisted loons."

"I don't know." She finally replied. "For all we know, it could all just be some elaborate hoax,"

"But if our dad risked his life to get this to us, I want to know for sure," James added.

Grayson threw both of his hands up looking around, "But why now? If this treasure hunt has been around his whole life—why is he only telling you now?"

"He didn't want to put us in danger I guess," James rubbed the scruff under his jaw in thought. "He said someone stole the key, and Im assuming getting it back didn't quite go as he planned." He swallowed with the thought of his father being killed for something they now hold.

"So now what," jessper asked, her head darting  around to everyone.

"Now, we figure out what this opens," he said holding the key up for them all to see. "Solve the  second clue. Find the next key," james shrugged, like it was an easy solution.

"And what's the second clue?" Grayson asked, leaning in with interest.

Oz pulled out the piece of paper tucked inside the envelope their father had sent them. Clearing her throat, she began to read aloud. "All signs point to west."

They stared at her in silence for a few moments, their eyes lingering on her as if they expected her to say more.

"That's it?" Eric laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "That's the clue? What's the next one going to be? I'm somewhere on earth?"

Grayson, seated beside him, scoffed, crossing his arms. "No wonder no one's been able to solve this hunt. How the hell are we supposed to figure it out with that?"

Oz straightened trying to stay positive. "Well, there are five of us, so at least the odds are more in our favor." She glanced around at her friends, her gaze lingering on each of them. If they found the treasure, she and James would split it evenly with everyone and they'd all get a fair share. The treasure wasn't just about wealth; it was about freedom, and they'd all earned the right to that.

Jessper leaned forward, her voice low and serious "I hate to be the pooper of this party but... if your dad really did  die trying to find just one of the keys, isn't it dangerous for us too?"

Silence fell over the group. She was right, it was danger cloaked with the promise of riches. Whoever had stolen the key could have gone to murderous lengths to do it, and now they were following that very same trail. They were playing a game with rules they didn't understand, with stakes that could cost them their lives.

Grayson broke the silence with a bitter laugh. "Yeah, but if we don't die, we'll all be rich. We'll be able to leave Martha's Vineyard and see what else this world has to offer." He shot them all a grin. "For once, we can be the rich assholes."

Jessper ran a hand through her light blonde hair, her brow furrowed in doubt. "Where do we even start, though?" she asked quietly. "That clue... it's not much to go on."

The room grew quiet again.

Oz checked her phone—12:58. Almost time for Pyke event. Her stomach twisted, not from the thought of going, but from the fact that she'd be spending the entire evening with him.

With a quiet sigh, she stood. It would take her at least thirty minutes to bike to Pyke's place. "I'll catch up with you guys later," she said, slipping her phone into her back pocket. "I've got to take care of something."

James gave her a sharp look. "Where?"

She didn't answer. His brow furrowed in frustration. "Oz, we can't afford distractions right now. This needs to be our only focus."

She met her brother's gaze, her expression firm. She had made a commitment, and she wasn't the kind of person to break her word, no matter the circumstances or who it was to. "I'll be back in a few of hours," she said, her voice steady. "You can start without me." Without waiting for a response, she turned and headed for the door, leaving the group behind. They exchanged puzzled glances, their brows furrowed in confusion, wondering what had piqued her interest enough to make her vanish twice in just two days.