The Girl They Couldn't Find

Chapter 49

Maya's POV
2nd August 2020
Saturday

It's strange when you're dangling over the cliff of life, waiting to slip and fall into the abyss of death.

Fear quickly takes action, engulfing my body in a blanket of terror. My breathing quickens, and I rub my stomach, sending silent, telepathetic apologies to my children.

We attempt to swim out, but the water pressure is too forceful.

Water fills the chamber, and I close my eyes.

What will heaven be like?

Will my children be there with me?

Will they have grown?

My lungs beg for air, and pain shrieks inside me.

Just as my lungs are about to burst, and the world gradually begins to grow darker, Zay forces the door to close, and all the water vanishes.

Heaving coughs fly from inside me, and I breathe the air.

I'm alive.
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Phase 3: Sneak into the treasure room, find Riley's message while acting like peripatetic tourists. Oh, and manoeuvre through the darn laser beams.

After a climb up a rickety ladder, Farkle pushes through a hole in the ceiling, and promptly falls over. 

I edge out carefully, and bite my lip in surprise.

The scarlet ceiling is sloped and intricately designed with swirls, curls, and Chinese inscriptions. The walls are ancient, and the floor is made of marble. I can hear the bustle of tourists, far away on the other side of the wall.

"Well, this ain't gonna be fun," Zay drawls, as we all finally climb out.

Red strings of warning fly across the room, protecting the treasures within.

With the agility of an Olympic gymnast, we glide through the maze of scarlet, cautiously advancing.

But then again, I'm pregnant.

And pregnant ladies are famous for being slightly awkward on their feet.

My foot slides through the red bar and an alarm instantly blares through the building.

Oh no.
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Charlie's POV

I snatch Maya's hand away from going through another beam and ironically, we dash through them and crawl into the treasure room. It's filled with ornate golden artefacts, but it's kinda hard to admire them when there are alarms blaring all over the place.  

"Sh*t," Zay cusses, as he grabs a piece of blank white paper and rips it up in frustration. 

"Zay, that could have been from Riley!" Lucas argues. 

"It was from Riley! All she said was: 'Didn't you listen to my Instagram post?" Zay replies. 

Without notice, a lanky teenager with ash blonde hair stumbles into the room. He's holding a torch. 

"Who are you?" Maya interrogates, staring at him rudely. 

He smirks and answers, "I'm Luke Hemmings."