The Riddle

Chapter 9

They reached the outside of the pavilion.

"More pebbles?" Joseph exclaimed.

"Red pebbles," Robert smirked. "Not green this time. Red."

Robert gave Joseph a frown and started walking. Joseph followed.

They trotted down the red pebbles for what seemed like miles. The boys started to pant like two St. Bernard dogs looking at beef jerky on a billboard, after about an hour.

"We almost there?" Robert questioned, exhausted.

"Do you think I would know?" Joseph argued. "I didn't set up these pebbles!"

They continued walking for a few more minutes, when they decided to sit down at a bench by a rich, residential neighborhood. Joseph opened his backpack and pulled out two water bottles, and gave one to Robert. Immediately, Robert opened the bottle and gulped the whole thing down.

"Alrighty," he said as Joseph looked at him weird. "Done. Let's go."

Joseph pulled himself up off of the bench and followed Robert back to the pebble trail. Sooner than they thought, they reached another pavilion, just like the one before, with a locked door on it. Without any further hesitation, Robert quickly pulled out they key they had gotten from fighting the mutant, and tried to unlock the door. However, there was one problem.

It didn't fit.

"Is there a different key?" Robert panicked as he put the key back in his pocket.

"Nope," Joseph replied. "But I think I have a bobby pin."

Robert started laughing as hard as his lungs could take it, while Joseph pulled the bobby pin out of his front pocket.

" Bobby pin?" Robert cracks up.

"Shut up," Joseph said. "Do you want to get through, or not?"

Joseph tried to pick the lock but to no surprise, it failed.

"You know," Robert said. "Pirates pick locks with gold coins."

Joseph sighed in frustration of Robert's annoying pirate facts.

Suddenly, a bird flew by. Its wings created a loud, thunder-like sound when they flapped.

"Look!" Robert yelled, pointing at the bird's feet. "A key in it's talons!"

The bird landed on a seven foot-high telephone wire, the key still with it.

"I never knew a bird could do that!" Joseph exclaimed. "Here, let me give you a boost."

He locked his hand about 14 inches from the ground. Robert stepped on, and Joseph somehow lifted his arms up, even with all the weight on him.

Robert reached up as if he were trying to grab a star. By the tiniest chance, he grabbed the wing, when Joseph fell to the ground. Down went the bird, and the boys.

"Ow," the boys exclaimed, simultaneously.

Robert yanked the key out of the slightly-injured bird while Joseph comforted it in sadness, like he does his pet bird to get it to sleep. Robert put the key in the lock of the door on the pavilion.

"It fits!" Robert exclaimed excitedly, looking back at Joseph and the bird.

Joseph sprung up to his feet as the bird flew away, still injured. He followed Robert through the door.

When they walked in, the darkness filled their eyes. The only visible item in the room happened to be a glowing stick on the cold, hard ground.