My Life In Code

11. I Am Lion, Hear Me Roar! Ha, Okay...

Chapter 11

I Am Lion, Hear Me Roar! Ha, Okay…

“The Chain Bridge,” I said as the four of us stood on it, looking over the Danube.  “It was built in the 1840s, becoming the first permanent stone-bridge connecting Buda and Pest.  But at the end of World War II, the retreating German troops blew up all of the bridges, including it.  The only thing that was left was the pillars.”

The noise of the traffic going of the bridge made me talk a little louder just so they could hear me.  But other than that, it was a beautiful day out.  It wasn’t too hot and the sky was clear.

“So whatever the next clue is,” Drew started as we walked toward the end of the bridge with the stone lions, standing as the bridge’s guardians.  “It’s supposed to be on one of the lions.”

“Well, probably not on the lions,” Max said, smiling and rolling his eyes.  “It’s probably on the pedestal they sit on.”

“But whatever we’re meant to find will probably be on the outside, facing the water.  They wouldn’t want anyone to just walk up and find it,” I said.  “Though they wouldn’t really know what it was if they saw it.”

We walked up toward the lion that was on the left side of the bridge.  There were a few tourists taking pictures under it, so we had to stay back for a few moments before we could get up close. When we did, though, I jumped up to sit on the ledge before swinging my legs around so I could stand on the other side. 

“What are you doing?” Max practically yelled at me.

I looked at him with my eyebrows raised.  “What does it look like I’m doing?  I’m trying to see if there’s something on the other side since there wouldn’t be on the other.”

“But you don’t have to kill yourself in the process!”

Drew snorted.  “Chill out, man.  You’re acting like an overprotective boyfriend.”

“And it’s not like she’s never done anything crazy like this before,” Ben went on. 

Max had his eyes narrowed, but he never took them off of me. 

“I’ll be fine,” I said, and started to inch closer toward the lion’s base. 

"Callie!" he yelled, but I wasn't listening.

I moved my feet sideways, holding onto the ledge of the lion's pedestal until I was completely out from the bridge.  Looking over, I could see the three of them leaning out to watch me.  I couldn't let their nervous faces distract me.

I had enough distractions with the cars speeding on the road below me.  I didn't dare look down.

So instead, I forced myself to focus on what I had done this crazy stunt for. 

The stone was worn with the years of weather, but was completely blank of any writing. 

That was until I looked right under the ledge below the stone lion.

There, carved so small that you would have missed it from any distance away than a couple of inches, was a strange symbol that I had trouble distinguishing at first.  It was about an inch in height and was worn just like the rest of the stone.  But once I looked at it for a few more moments, I could make it out. 

It was a V and a K overlaying each other.  I tried to think of anything from World War II that involved a VK or KV, but I couldn't off the top of my head.  Standing on the ledge of a bridge really didn't help with my concentration either. 

"What's going on, Callie?" Max called. 

"Can you get me some paper and a pencil maybe?" I asked, moving back toward them.  They looked at me expectantly.  "There's a symbol carved in the middle.  I need to shade over it so we know what it exactly looks like later."

Drew pulled the backpack from his shoulders and dug around for a few moments before pulling out a piece of paper and a pencil.  Taking it from him, I had to move myself back while holding on with only one hand. 

When I made it back to the spot where the symbol was, I balance myself without holding on and placed the paper over it.  Using the pencil, I shaded over it so I could see an exact copy of it on the page. 

"Callie, come on," Max said.  "You're starting to grow a crowd."

"I think they're calling the police, too!" Ben laughed.  "So get back before we get arrested!"

I folded the page and stuck both it and the pencil between my lips before I started to move back toward them.  I didn't even have to lift myself over.  Max had immediately put his hands under my arms and practically dragged me over the ledge.  My knee caught on the stone and I hissed when it scrapped against it.

"What in the heck was that for?" I asked once I was back on my feet and my knee throbbed.  "You made me scrape my knee!"

"Yeah, well, it's better than getting arrested," he said through his teeth as he took my hand and started dragging me toward where we'd parked our car. 

"Max, slow down!" Ben called from behind us.  "And don't pull the poor girl's arm out of socket!"

"Yeah, listen to your best friend!" I said, pulling against him to try and get him to stop.  "Max, stop!"

"Wait until we get to the car," he said.

It wasn't until he practically shoved me into the back of our car that I saw the crowd of people standing at the bridge where we'd just been.  Max slammed the door and got in the driver's seat before yelling out the window for Ben and Drew to 'hurry their arses up'.  I was still fuming in the back when Ben slid in beside me and Drew got in the front.

"What in the hell is your problem?" Drew asked, looking at Max as he peeled into the street.

"I don't have a problem," he said, keeping his eyes trained on the road. 

I snorted.  "You could have fooled me," I said.

His eyes cut to me in the rearview mirror for a moment before he looked ahead again.

The paper in my hand completely forgotten, the only thing that I wanted to know was what was up with him.

***Whoo!  We're getting somewhere with this, aren't we?!?  What did you guys think?  Yay, for strange symbols, right?  Love it!

But can we sense a little trouble in paradise with Max and Callie?  >:)  Mwu-ha-ha!!!1

And I know it's short, yet again, but I haven't had time to write as much for this chapter today as I would have liked.  Plus I have to get up and be at work by 5...IN THE FREAKIN' MORNING!!!1  So yeah, it's complete torture, but I get to go home at 11, so that helps!

Comment, Vote, and Like!!!1***