Look Up to the Moon

"I got it!" I screamed.

Though it was nearing the witching hour of 1:00 a.m., I felt wide awake. Throughout the night, I had been tediously working on an oversized locket I had found in the abandoned and condemned ruins left in Europe. Which part of Europe, however, is hardly of any importance. The locket itself was my biggest mystery. Where had it come from? What did it symbolize? Who owned it before me? Why did they melt the lock into the casing before they buried it? Why was it placed beneath the bricks on of an old abandoned chapel?

All of these questions were yet to be answered. I had sat for hours and examined the frontal design on the oval locket; one full moon placed between two crescent moons, both facing in opposite directions. Oddly enough, even with my life of adventuring and historical integration, I was lost on it's meaning.

My curiosities were forgotton as my fingers broke open the case letting it fall to the floor and the sound of the metal and glass hitting the marble vibrated throughout the room.

"Dani, what in heavens glorious name are you doing?" asked Brad from the bed across from me.

I look up from my fallen locket to see Brad sitting straight up in bed and the twins both simultaneously poking their heads out from underneath their covers.

"Dani? Dani! What the hell have you done now?" Brad asked forcefully.

"I... I'm sorry. I've been up all night... Trying to open this thing and then it opened and then... " I stuttered. I got up and realized that the locket had broken apart into several pieces. I began searching for all of them and my brother and sisters began to follow suit and search as well. After we were satisfied that all of the pieces had been gathered, we set them down onto the desk I had been sitting next to. The oval locket seemed to be made out of some type of emerald and onyx marble and had a silver frame. Inside, however, we found an inscription which none of us, each knowing at least 6 different languages, could translate.

I looked at my siblings faces and Brads seemed to be the most interesting. He sat with a thoughtful look, but not puzzled as I would have expected. His expression almost seemed worried.

"What is it?" I asked him suddenly.

He looked shocked for a split second before he easily recovered and said "It's nothing, sis. Just think this writing is pretty weird."

I gave him a look of disbelief, grabbed the locket, and started to reassemble. Then, underneath a frame which more than likely at one time contained a picture, I found a map. I couldn't make out the specific country it referred to, and all of the named territories were in that awkward language that was still lost on me. The map was also entirely too tiny to read clearly without a magnifying glass.

"Well at least we know where we will be headed next.. " I said as I presented the map to Brad and the twins.

"But.. I dont want to leave again Dani." Jane suddenly spoke up. The twins were usually a quiet pair, never talking more than they believed was necessary. Half the time it appeared as if they spoke their own secret language to each other that included no words, only slight nods and occasional smiles.

"If I must, I will go by myself." I said as I fingered the locket. Of course I assumed they knew that saying "by myself" meant me and Brad. He had been my faithful sidekick for years, of course he would come if I asked.

"Dad's up." Jane said. "You better put this stuff up before he finds out." I turned to look at her and when I looked back, Brad had already cleaned up, organized and hid all of the evidence. My father is a historian who hates being stuck in buildings. He wanted to go for the "Indiana Jones" deal. If he found out about this, we'd be packed and gone within two days and if I was to go by myself, and spear my poor sisters, it would have to be kept a secret.

"Hey kids, what are you doing up so early?" Dad said while stretching and scratching the sleep out of his eyes.

"Just having fun on our vacation like you said we should Dad." I quickly replied. After years of constantly moving around the globe with our fathers job, he had decided that a calm and cool few weeks living the normal life in Bo-Donk Mississippi would be a much needed break. If he only knew how excited I was to get back on the trail again, to discover more treasures and fulfill more adventures. Even though I had always seen him to be the same way, his recent actions (like trying to stay in the same place for a week with out going on any safaris or adventures) are starting to make me curious as to if he's still enjoying his occupation as much as he used to. I've also been questioning how stable this life is for my younger sisters.

He smiled at us from the threshhold "That's wonderful! I knew you guys would come around. And you won't believe what I did yesterday; I signed all olf you up for school!"

"What!?" Me and Brad screamed at the same time. The twins, however, remained completely silent.

"Isn't it great? Dani, Brad, you two will be going to Cornell High School. And Gem's, you'll both be attending Chimney Rock Elementary." He said matter-of-factly with a giant grin spread across his face.

"Dad, we wont even be staying long enough to attend a month, let alone a year. Why start school when were just going to get pulled out?" I asked, still in disbelief.

"Well, as I have it planned, you should be here for at least half of the school year." He contradicted with a mischievous smile haunting his tanned face.

This was terrible. How was I supposed to leave? He apparently doesn't want us going anywhere for a while. Outlook not good, Houston.

"What about your work?" I asked desparetly. It might not be what the twins wanted, but it was my only last-ditch effort.

"I can always take a break." he said, deeply disappointing my soul. "Dani, I almost forgot, do you remember talking to me about that locket you lost in Europe?"

I nodded slightly. He saw it when I had found it on our fourth exhibition in that particular area. I had later played it off as if I had lost it when I realized this could not only be my first stand alone mission but could also give my sisters a much needed break.

"Well I'm starting to believe the inscription had something to do with 'New Found Land' which was the Americas when they were first beginning to be explored and founded. I know it's too late now, but I just thought it might be interesting to you."

I nodded and he smiled then turned back into his room, shutting the door behind him.

"I suppose I won't be researching this then." I said as I place the locker inside the desk drawer.

"Maybe another time, Dani." Brad said as he placed his hand gently on my shoulder.

He turned toward the twins with a bright smile. "Okay Gems, time to get some sleep." They showed a false annoyance but quickly climbed into their full bed.

Brad gave me a look that I couldn't quite place and then returned to bed himself. The lights were soon turned off and I was left sitting in my chair. My disappointment seemed to grow as I sat. How could this be? I finally make my own discovery, I start to follow in the great steps of my father and my chances are snatched away from me by the great man himself.

I eventually shrugged off the sadness and climbed into bed next to Brad. Setting my wire rimmed glasses on the nightstand, I closed my eyes and laid my head to rest on the comfy inn pillows.