The Keys to freedom

The little old lighthouse

The wind whipped around them as they stood at the edge of a rugged cliff, staring at the looming silhouette of the abandoned lighthouse in the distance. Its jagged, dark outline stood against the deepening dusk. The air smelled of salt and damp stone, and the sound of waves crashing violently against the shore filled the silence.

"All signs point west," Jessper muttered, squinting into the horizon,"I hope this is it."

The lighthouse stood tall, crooked and weathered by time, as though it had been waiting for them, daring them to enter.

"We better not have come all this way for nothing," Grayson said, slinging his pack over his shoulder. "If there's no treasure here, we're making Jessper walk home,"

She shot him a look. "You're just mad that you didn't think of it." she snorted, tapping the side of his head as if implying he didn't have the brains to figure it out.

"You looked it up on your phone, you nit,"

She roles her eyes. "Well, you didn't think to look it up on your phone,"

"Shut up you two," James said not bothering to look at them.

"Besides, this place practically screams 'treasure hidden inside.' Look at it." Jessper continued.

Eric tightened his grip on the flashlight in his hand. "It also screams 'stay out.' You know how many people never come back from entering places like this in the movies?"

James stepped forward, motioning for them to follow. "We've come this far. Let's not lose our nerves now."

"You can't lose what you never had," Eric muttered, swallowing hard.

"Oh, is the big, tough six-foot football player afraid of a little old lighthouse?" Jessper teased.

"No, he's scared of what's in the little old lighthouse," he replies.

"With any luck it's a big chest of golden treasure," Grayson says.

As they approached the building, the air seemed to grow colder, the ground beneath them littered with sharp stones and the remnants of what must have once been a cobblestone path. The door to the lighthouse was ajar, creaking softly with the wind. It was thick, old wood, and the rusted iron latch clanked with each sway.

Oz ran her fingers along the worn surface of the door before giving it a push. It swung open with a loud groan, revealing a spiral staircase rose into darkness, its steps slick with moisture and years of neglect.

"This place gives me the creeps," Jessper whispered.

"It's not supposed to be cozy," Oz said quietly, stepping inside.

Eric and Grayson followed, their flashlights flickering against the crumbling walls. James was the last one in, closing the door behind him with a loud thud. The noise echoed ominously through the hollow structure.

They stood at the base of the staircase

"What now," Jessper asks looking around.

Oz shines her flashlight up the stairs case. "Now, we go up," she said simply.

One by one, they ascended the spiraling stairs. Each step echoed in the quiet, and as they climbed higher. At the top, they reached a small room, where a cracked window let in the traces of the moonlight. The room was mostly empty, save for an old, rusted chest that sat in the center.

"Please be golden treasure" Grayson whispered, a grin spreading across his face as he rushed forward and flipped the lid up and saw nothing but dust and rust.

"Well, that's disappointing," he frowned.

Oz laughed with a scoff, "you didn't think it would be that easy did you? Besides we got 3 more keys to find before we get even close to the treasure."

He frowned, putting his bottom lip out in a pout before shutting the chest.

"Hold on," Jessper said, squinting at the remains of a brass plaque on the wall. "There's something about light... "may the light guide you, on your quest," She looked up, her face alight with realization. "Could that be apart of the clue?"

"One way to find out," Oz said as she stepped past them and headed toward the winding staircase leading to the lantern room at the top of the lighthouse. "Let's check it out."

With the sound of creaking steps beneath their boots, they followed Oz up the narrow stairway, the smell of saltwater growing stronger the higher they climbed.

When they reached the top, they were greeted by a surprisingly intact lantern mechanism, its massive Fresnel lens standing tall like a glass behemoth. Dust coated every surface, but the machinery itself seemed well-preserved, as if waiting for someone to reignite its purpose.

"This place is ancient," Eric said, his voice low with awe. "But it looks like it could still work."

James wiped a thick layer of grime off the control panel and nodded. "Let's see if we can fire this thing up."

With a few flicks of switches and a twist of a lever, the machinery rumbled to life. A low, mechanical hum filled the room as the lantern flickered and then burst into light, illuminating the darkening sky.

They all stared in wonder as the beam began to rotate slowly, casting a powerful light out over the sea.

"Now turn it west," Jessper reminded, her voice taut with anticipation.

Grayson and Oz worked together to adjust the direction, the ancient gears grinding as the light turned toward the horizon. The beam swept over the ocean, and for a moment, they saw nothing but endless waves crashing against the cliffs.

But then, something caught Eric's eye. "Wait! Did you see that?"

He pointed frantically, and the others peered through the grimy window in the direction the light was pointing. There, in the distance, a small but unmistakable glimmer reflected the lighthouse beam. It was faint, just barely visible against the waves, but it was there.

"It's a glare off something," Grayson said, narrowing his eyes. "But what is it?"

"Maybe, just maybe where the second key is." Jessper said with a grin.

Eric squinted. "It's too close to be a shipwreck. Too small. Could it be—"

"A buoy!" James interrupted, realization hitting him.

Oz nodded. "That must be it. The key isn't in here... it's out there. Whatever that buoy is marking, has our next clue."

They all looked back at the distant glimmer, their excitement renewed. The lighthouse had revealed more than just a view of the ocean—it had shown them the way forward.

"Well," Grayson said with a grin, "looks like our adventure just got a whole lot wetter."

James slapped him on the back. "You ready to get your feet wet, Gray?"

He laughed. "For treasure? I'll swim all the way out there myself if I have to."

The group exchanged determined smiles before heading back down the staircase, their next destination clear: the buoy, and whatever secrets it was hiding beneath the waves.