Waves, Sunsets, & Coffee

Chapter 13.1

    "Okay! Let's go. I need me some cash." Enzo excitedly set out for the woods as the instructors started the game and both groups went on our own ways.
     We thought it best to go downstream where the lake was, thinking at least one flag was there. Plus we could talk to the old man who lives there. He might know something.
     It was a quiet walk there until the radio I was holding sounded up.
     "Team Emma got a flag. Nine flags left. I repeat, nine flags left." Ares said through the radio and I curse.
     "Dammit. Come on let's pick up the pace." I told the group and we all started jogging towards the lake.
     "Enzo, check the docks. Joyce, check the boats. Nicole... do what you want. Alec come let's talk to the old man." I ordered them and they all followed as Alec and I walked to the old shed.
     I knocked on the door and the old man greeted us.
     "Hi. I'm Alex, and this is Alec. We're the group that went fishing just yesterday." I told him.
     "Ah yes yes I remember. How may I help?"
     "Well we're playing a game and we thought Erik might've hid some of the flags. Is it alright if we checked the shed for a while?" I asked politely and fortunately, he agrees.
     "Thank you so much." I said and Alec went inside as I went around the shed to check under the bushes.
     "Alec, you got anything?" I shouted since there's nothing outside the shed.
     "Nothing here!" He replies.
     "Fuck." I went to the others and hopefully they have more luck than us.
     "I got one!" Joyce shouts from one of the boats by the docks and I run up to her.
     "Hey this is Alex. We got a flag by the lake." I said to the radio.
     "Team Alex got a flag. Eight flags left. I repeat, eight flags left." Ares says, informing the others.
     "Alright, good job. Enzo, where should we go next?" I asked him and he opened the map, analyzing it.
     "Let's try north. It's the most obvious place to hide a flag." Alec suggests and I nod.
     "Alright let's go." I led the group back to where the camp was since the north leads there.
     "You think they hid a flag here?" They asked, referring to the campsite.
     "Most likely. Come let's check just to be sure."
     We all went back to the camp, hoping we would be lucky enough to find something there.
     "Hey." I heard Joyce call for me.
     "Hey. What's up." I asked.
     "I just... okay God. I don't want to come off as a creep or whatever you might think, but uhm... alright I'll just go straight with it. I like Keith." Joyce... this Joyce said and I stopped in my tracks, both surprised and speechless at what she just said.
     "Oh no... is she taken or something?" Joyce asked, noticing my sudden silence.
     "No no! It's not like that. All I gotta say is that today's your lucky day. She's openly bisexual so, make your move dude." I told her and she smiled.
     "Any advice perhaps?" She asked.
     "If you want a serious one, then I'd say you have to be really serious about her if you have any plans on courting her. She's strictly academically inclined and has pretty high standards. But if you want to get to her, don't rush her."
     Keith is the girl I'm closest to ever since the beginning simply because we have similar personality traits.
     We're both introverts and we prefer going on a slow and steady rate. Eh... except of course if it includes the rush of adrenaline.
     "Thanks Alex. I really appreciate it. Though you don't mind do you? That I try to get closer with her?" Joyce reassures and I chuckle.
     "It's not me you have to worry about Keith. Us girls and the others have been dying to see our girl Keith to go on the dating world and we'll always jump at even the slightest chance to pair her up with someone. So, best of luck." I told her, and soon we've reached the campsite
     I checked around the place and tried to think where the guys would've hid the flag.
     "What does that chick want? I heard dating and Keith." Enzo nudges me.
     "She likes Keith, and lucky for her, Keith likes her too but I didn't say that to her." I chuckle.
     "Why though? Make her life easier if you'd tell her."
     "Eh I know. But you know Keith man. She likes a good challenge." We both wandered about, checking under the tents and such until we came across a tree with a piece of paper attached to it. I got it and read a note.
     "My rings are no silver, nor is it gold. But look within, and you'll see my age." I read out loud to the group as their faces scrunch in confusion.
     "What is that supposed to mean?"
     "It's a riddle. An easy one. The answer's a tree." Joyce answers.
     "But there's a goddamn whole lot of trees! Which one?" Alec exclaims.
     "Well, seeing that this was taped on this tree, then..." I say, looking up and there is another green flag.
     "Nice one guys. So who's going to climb?" I asked and Enzo volunteers.
     "This is Alex. We got another flag by the camp." I said once more on the radio as we cheer, being two flags ahead of them.
     "Team Alex got another flag. Seven flags left. I repeat, seven flags left. You got one hour left. One hour left to find the remaining flags." Erik says through the radio and we all now rush to find the remaining.
     Has one hour really just passed? Damn does time flies fast.
     "Where do you think they hid the others?" Joyce asked when I noticed something peeking out from the flag's pole.
     "Can I see that?" I took the flag from Enzo and I broke the end of the pole to see another piece of paper.
     "It's another clue! Check the first flag we got, maybe it'll lead us to another one as well." I say as I opened up the paper and read the next riddle.
     "The more you kill me, the more I can hurt you." I read out but nothing comes to mind as to what the answer could be.
     "That doesn't make sense." They say as I try to think of what it may mean.
     "So does this. Hear it out. An ant will fancy me, but not so a human." Enzo reads out as he flashes his light on the paper.
     It was already nightfall and is therefore much more difficult to look for these flags.
     I walked in circles, trying to crack the riddle. Any of it.
     "The more you kill me, the more I can hurt you." I whisper to myself countless times, thinking of what's something in this forest that could hurt us if we kill it.
     Hold up...
     "So if it can hurt us, it means it grows bigger and bigger the more it dies. Right?" I loudly say to the group with confusion across their faces. Oh how I hope I was right.
     "What's your point Alex?" Nicole says as I ignore her and goes to the campfire that was last lit by the guys last night.
     I scrambled around, moving away the burnt logs and twigs and soon, underneath all of it, is another small green flag.
     "I found it! Holy shit." I told the group as I gave them the flag.
     "Wait, so what's the answer?" They asked.
     "I'm not sure but at first I thought it was fire, but then you don't kill fire. So I went with wood. The more we burn wood, the larger the fire gets, and the larger the fire gets, the more chances it can hurt us." I explained to the group and they finally got it.
     "There's no clue in this flag..." Joyce said. I guess not all have clues in it.
     "It's alright. We got three flags now."
     "This is Alex. Got a flag under the campfire." I told the radio and they updated us once more.
     "Team Alex now has three flags. Team Emma now have four flags. Three flags left. I repeat, three flags left." Erik announces.
     "What the shit? They already got four?" They exclaimed.
     "Okay don't think about it now. Let's solve this other riddle." I told them.
     So what the heck does ants want but humans disgust?
     "We found this flag by the lake didn't we?" Joyce asked and we nodded.
     "Okay, but what does that have to do with the answer?"
     "Hear me out. Ants want it but humans don't, right? Where do you think a colony of ants lives?" She asks us and I realize what she's talking about.
     "I think you may be right, come on!" I shouted to the group as we ran back to the lake in the dark.
     "Can someone please explain?" Nicole asked, surely wondering why we were runnin back to the lake.
     "They must've buried the flag near the lake! I mean, ants live under small hills made of soil right? And humans usually destroy them." I explained.
     "Then why the lake?"
     "Because the flag we found by the campfire didn't have any clue, and yet it was near the flag we found by the tree that had a clue." I explained.
     "If what we're thinking is right, then the flag we found by the boats that has a clue, then there would be another flag nearby that's buried." Joyce finished for me.
     I'm liking this girl and how she thinks.
     "But there's literally a ton of soil! How the fuck will we know where the flag is buried?" Nicole exclaims once more and I'm close to knocking her head off.
     "Because it's called ant hill for a reason Nicole!" Alec exclaims, sharing the same sentiment I feel for her.
     "Alright, split up and look for what looks like an ant hill!"
     I ran around, trying to look for an ant hill everywhere, only to find none. I groan at the frustration, not wanting to lose another game.
     "I found it!" Alec shouts at us and we run towards him, just by the forest line where he stands over a small hill that looks like it has been dug and soil was put back.
     I started digging it and soon, another small green flag was sticking out. I gave it to the others and informed Erik on finding another one.
     "Team Alex now has four flags. Two flags remaining. I repeat, two flags remaining. You have thirty minutes left."
     "Hey look, another clue!" They said and my eyes widened.
     "Then that means there's another one nearby!"
     "Here's what it says. Just fuck it and look up." Alec reads out and I chuckle.
     "The heck?" We share the same confusion until it dawns on me...
     I look up, and hanging on one of the branches is another fucking flag.
     "Guys." I gestured up and they laughed.
     "Who even made this must've ran out of riddles." They say, and Enzo once again climbed up and reached for it.
     "Team Alex now has five flags. Team Emma has four flags. One remaining flag left. I repeat, one remaining flag left."
     "So it's either we find that last flag and win, or we let the other group do all the effort and it's a tie."
     "I got enough money in my pockets anyways, so I'm going back to camp and take a nap." Nicole says. "Who's with me?" She asked us.
     "I hate to say this, but she does have a point. I'll meet you guys back there." Joyce said and the two walked away.
     "Alright so, just us three." I said as Enzo and Alec decided to stay put.
     "You know, blondies have a point. I'm loaded with money, but still ain't going to lose this challenge so let's go." Enzo says, leading us back into the forest when we saw flashing lights behind us.
     Turns out it was the old man from earlier, trying to say something.
     "Since you found the third flag, I was tasked to give you this riddle. Go east, and you shall find a treasure within. There you'll find a treasure, hidden inside closed and unopened doors." The old man says and walks back to his home.
     "These riddles are fucking with my head." I groan out.
     "Well, east shall we go!" Alec surprisingly still has enough energy on him and leads the group... in the wrong direction.
     "That's west dumbass." I say.
     "I knew that. Let's go." He tried to excuse me and I rolled my eyes, mustering enough energy to walk again.
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A/n picture is by Colin Gallagher that I got from pinterest