Spelled

Chapter Four

Charlene's POV:

After the last of my ladies had left for the evening, I reached under my bed and grabbed the box Mother had left me. I opened it and removed the decoy letter that laid on top and dug down into the box even farther. Under four heavy rocks, I found a pink leather bound journal with a large gold "C" embroidered on the cover. It was held shut by a small, gold, heart shaped lock. I tried to open it several times before I slammed it down beside me on the bed. It landed with the back facing up and I spied a note embroidered on the back in silver thread. It read:

"You'll find the way to open me in somewhere hidden under lock and key."

I furrowed my brow and muttered the message out loud, as if that would allow me to figure out what Mother was talking about, "'You'll find the way to open me in somewhere hidden under lock and key.' The whole darned castle is protected with lock and key, Mother!" Then, a light bulb went off in my mind, "'...hidden under lock and key," I smiled, "Oh, Mother, that's so clever."

I picked up the journal and slipped out of bed, taking care not to make to much sound as my feet hit the cool, stone floor. My pale blue nightgown swished around my ankles as I walked briskly and with purpose to the floor in the center of my bedroom. There was a pattern of differently colored stones that formed a circle with a 12 in by 12 in diamond in the center. It was bypassed by everyone except for the royal family as a simple floor-pattern. Deftly, I hopped from one stone to another, sapphire, emerald, ruby, topaz, emerald, sapphire, ruby, and finally, the center diamond. With no more sound than a slightly squeaky stair, the whole area inside the circle of jewels lowered no less than twelve feet below ground before coming to a somewhat jarring halt. 

I stepped off of the circle that had lowered into this secret room, lit only by a few dim light bulbs scattered here and there, and scurried over to the only piece of furniture in the room, a simple wooden chair. I opened the seat of the chair like you would on certain piano benches and snatched up the rusty, metal key that laid inside. Kneeling down, I shoved the key into the unobtrusive key hole hidden right beneath the tall, wooden chair. It clicked into place and popped the square inside the four legs of the chair loose. After prying it up with me fingers, I gently set it down beside the chair and placed my feet on the cool rung of the ladder that lead even farther beneath the castle. When my feet hit solid ground, I flicked on the light switch, making the room brighter than my tired eyes were prepared for. But I managed to blink several times and recover. Still, though, I squinted and began to shiver. I wished I had thought to put on my slippers before I left my room. I wondered if my Grandma thought to bring her slippers when she was staying in my room and had to seek shelter from invaders down here. I shook my head to remind myself of the task I had to accomplish and began my search.

Almost an hour later, I began to grow frustrated. I had checked every possible hiding place in the room twice over. Out of poor anger management, I punched the wall.

"Ouch," I gritted my teeth to prevent myself from crying out. Hitting a brick wall HURT. But when I looked up, I was so glad that I did it. The brick that I had hit was beginning to ease it's way out of the wall. I grabbed it and brought it down to where I could easily look inside it. It turned out that my hand could hurt a lot more than it did right now because what I had in my hands was merely the shell of a brick. Inside that brick was a small gold key attached to a short gold chain. I plopped down on a trunk full of non-perishables and tried the key in the lock. With a soft click, it opened. On the first page it read:

"Dear Charlene, 

I am not dead."

I sharply sucked in a breath. 

"I am back where we all need to be. That is all I can tell you about my location. Especially you and your six friends that I'm sure you don't remember. Amanda Lockhart, Isabella Angelo, Finn Whitman, Terrence Maybeck, Jessica Lockhart, and Dell Philby. You must find these people. You MUST remember them before you do. They don't remember you either and if none of you do, the world will become a much darker place than it already is. Charlene, all I know about their locations is that they are all located in the First Province. Do everything you can to rush the coronation. As queen, you will have much more influence when it comes to finding help in finding these people. On the next few pages, I have enclosed their physical descriptions. I hope it might help you in your search. There is also a full page of what I am hoping are trigger words for you. Charlene, try as hard as you can to remember. If you cannot, all hope is lost. Don't read any farther in the book than those pages until you remember everything. Good luck, my love.

-Mother"

I blinked. Just once. Very slowly and distinctly.

My mother was alive.

And I was the only hope of a place I didn't remember.

There was only one thing to do.

Keep reading.

And I did.