A Girl's Journey

Chapter 24: Attempt to Start Again

A.N: This part's extremely short, sorry ahead of time!!!

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Right at that moment, something within me changed. That's when I figured out that this was the one person I wanted to be with for the rest of my life. My tears stopped, and I was ready to start back up on the journey. Nothing felt better than having Jake by my side and knowing he was there for me.

I looked up at him, my eyes still slightly red, but otherwise, I looked as normal as before. I knew there was blush on my cheeks, but I didn't care. At that moment, all I wanted was to stare into those seemingly depthless blue eyes of his. I smiled at him, reassuring him that I was okay with the action he had just made. Jake smiles back, and his cheeks start to turn bright red, as well. I nod at him, my signal that I was ready to start again. No words were needed at this time, so we didn't use any until the riddle was needed.

As I fumble with the paper dropped by ghost Derek, I find I have trouble unfolding it again. My hands were trembling, and I tried to steady them. I was able to slightly steady them to get the paper open. I reread the riddle, trying to puzzle it out, but nothing could come to mind.

"Jake, do you have any ideas? I can't get anything out of this. The riddle is go to the place where ashes are found, people work away, and souls are wasted. What could that mean?"

Jake looks down at the ground, pondering its meaning. As he thinks it over, I can tell a lightbulb went off somewhere in his mind.

"I've got it! It's so simple! Where are ashes typically found? In a graveyard or crematorium, right? Where are people working and souls wasted? At a crematorium! That's where we need to go next!"

I look up at him, stunned. He found a meaning to a riddle from my older brother who, by the way, is extremely good at making them. Some of the riddles he's made I still haven't figured out. Maybe I could show them to Jake.

"That's genius! I'm so bad at riddles. Well, let's get going! The sooner we get going, the sooner we'll find this place, the sooner we'll get our next clue, and the sooner we'll find Chris!"

I jump up from where I was kneeling on the cave floor, ready to start the next part of the journey of my lifetime. Jake, a slight bit slower, stands up as well. I start sprinting up the tunnel, turning back around to wait for my companion. Little did I know that at the crematorium I'd find would be a nightmare come to life.