One Day Mystery - Ending

It is a good thing I have established a certain time and day to post on here, otherwise I'm afraid this blog would get forgotten because Fridays just have a way of sneaking up on me.:}

Last evening I had my second online writing class. There were lots of technical problems at first, but they got fixed. One thing about that class was that Mrs. Morecraft, the instructor, read my assignment to the entire class! (Okay, this is not just a class of a hundred people. There are nearly 1,000 members signed up and I'm sure many of them are families which means that there were even more!) Mrs. Morecraft really liked my story and praised it as well as offered a few suggested changes. (She did get my permission first.) That is the first time someone besides friends and family have read any of my stories. Now there is a contest going on in class. If I want to enter, I have to write a poem or story that is no fewer than 17 words and no longer than 1,000. It can be on anything I want. Hmmm. I'll have to think about it. I have until Oct. 14th to get it in.

Does anyone want to read the assignment I sent in?
And now, here is the rest of last weeks story.

One Day Mystery - Part 2

It was nearing three o’clock before the Prescot family embarked on their expedition. After careful examination, the children had agreed that the islands marked were one and the same which made things easier, however, each map had a different part of the island marked. Dad decided to head for the point closest to the mainland first.

Because of the rocky ground, it took a little while to find a place where they could safely land. Tying the boat securely and pulling out the maps, they set off with Ren in the lead. No one talked much as they quietly moved along through the beautiful fall colors.

Although not certain they were in the exact place marked on the map, Ren figured they must be close enough and the four searchers began their hunt. For nearly fifteen minutes they sought for the treasure which had been placed there two weeks before. At last the chest was found by Mrs. Prescot in the hollowed stump of a tree hidden by bushes.

The chests used by Uncle Fremont never opened with a key, instead they had a hidden spring which opened them. When Mom touched the spring, the lid flew open revealing several Indian arrowheads, a fine bead necklace and a beaded purse. There was a note typewritten as usual in the bottom.

“I knew you were studying Indians in school, so I thought you might enjoy these genuine Indian pieces I picked up in my travels. Ren, see if you can figure out how to attach these heads to some arrows and try shooting with them. It is more difficult than you think.
I hope you all enjoyed your hunt.
Uncle Fremont”

Hardly had the note been read and the contents examined briefly when Leann begged, “Please can’t we go follow the other map now?”
Ren added his plea to that of his sister’s though it wasn’t needed. Mr. Prescot had already set off back to the boat.
“Oh, I wonder what we’ll find!” Leann could barely sit still for excitement.
Swinging their small boat around the island, Dad guided it towards the spot marked on the unknown map.
“There’s a little cove to the left, Dad,” Ren called out pointing ahead.
“I see it.”
Leann looked at the map again and squealed, “I think that is the place!”
Before they had even landed, she was peering around at all the trees which sheltered the little cove. Did one of them hold a secret? Where was the answer to this map to be found?

Clambering up the steep slope a few minutes later with Ren beside her, she whispered, “What will we find?”
“I have no idea,” Ren answered. “That note could have been floating around for years, I suppose. We may not find anything.”
Nothing daunted by this thought, both children set to work examining every place someone might hide a note. Not knowing what they were looking for made the search all the more difficult, but neither one would give up. Mom and Dad were looking as well, yet the sun was rapidly moving towards the western sky and the cold wind had picked up before anyone noticed.
“All right everyone,” Dad called when the fast falling light drew his attention to the approaching night. “Only ten more minutes before we have to leave and head back. It’ll be dark soon.”
Ren and Leann, each determined to find whatever it was they had come to find, redoubled their searching. It just had to be here.
Then, just as Dad called that the time was up, Leann gave a shout. “I found it! Dad! Ren! Mom, come see!”
Hurrying to her, the others discovered that she was trying to climb a tree in which, securely fastened on a large, rather high up branch, was what looked like a watertight bag of some kind.
With a boost from Dad, Leann was able to climb up to the bag. However, it wasn’t until Ren joined her with his pocket knife that they managed to get it off. The light was just about gone as first Leann and then Ren were helped out of the tree.
“Let’s wait to open this until we get back to camp,” was Dad’s suggestion.
“I think that would be a good idea,” Mom assented. “Do you all want to eat now?”
“I’m too excited to eat, Mom.” Leann sat holding the mysterious bag with both hands.
Mrs. Prescot laughed.

It was very dark, and the cold wind coming off the water gave a feeling of oncoming winter. Soon a fire blazed up and all sat around it with cups of hot chocolate in which they dipped their peanut butter sandwiches. When at last the simple meal was over, Leann handed the bag to Dad.
All eyes fastened on him as he opened it, reached in and pulled out some paper. Spreading it out to see the writing by the firelight he read:

‘To whoever finds this,
If you found this, we hope you also found a bottle with a map in it. If you didn’t find the map, would you please put this back so the one who finds the map can find this? Thanks.
If you also found the map, congratulations! We put the map in the bottle and set it afloat on July 4th of 2006 from along the Michigan side of Green Bay. How long did it have to wait to be found? We hid this note only two days after that when we were camping.
It is our hope that you will write to us telling about finding the map and note. Here is our address.
Sincerely,
Don, Andrew, Catherine, Alyssa and Emily Mortonson’

“And they give an address of Bayfield, Wisconsin.”
“Oh, let’s write to them tomorrow!” Leann’s enthusiasm was contagious. “Why did they leave a note and send a map in the first place, Dad?”
Mr. Prescot shrugged and stirred up the fire some more until it blazed brightly. “Why don’t you ask them when you write.”
“We will, won’t we, Ren?”
Ren nodded, adding thoughtfully, “I wonder how old everyone is and if they homeschool too?”
Mrs. Prescot laughed. “That would be rather fun, wouldn’t it?”
“Just think,” Ren went on, “we couldn’t find Uncle Fremont’s note so we had to search for it, and then we found both his note and this other one. I’m glad we had to look for Uncle’s note.”
“Me too!” Leann yawned. “I like mysteries that can be solved in one day.”
The rest of the family laughed.

The End

So, did you like it? Oh bother, I just realized that I have forgetten to get a picture of the picture that went with this story. :{ So sorry. Do you still want it?