by T. L. Clarke
Gabrielle gestured widely to Jessica and Zora. “Well, don’t you think we’re all tired? Relax, okay.” Suspiciously, she looked at the object. Exhaling, she reached down and tried to yank the top off of the gold cylinder but her hands slipped off from the sheer effort.
Jessica looked on anxiously, biting her lip. “Gabi, you have to pull harder.”
Gabrielle looked over at her and rolled her eyes. “Uh, thanks, Jess, for your brilliant advice but don’t you think I tried that? The cylinder is wedged in there tight; it won’t budge.”
Zora quickly wiped her damp hands on the front of her shirt. “Okay, let me try.” She reached down and tugged at the sides of the cylinder but her fingers also slipped off.
Gabrielle plopped down tiredly onto a pillow, causing Jessica to follow.
Zora tugged at the cylinder again but it would not budge. With frustration, she plopped down onto a pillow and looked at them with gloominess.
Angrily, Rosalinda slapped her hands onto her curvy waist, tapping her foot on the ground impatiently. “This is no time for a break.”
Zora looked over at her and sighed. “Rosalinda, do you have a better idea how to get that thing out? Because we sure need one right about now.”
“Of course I do. Just pull that thing from the table. The cylinder has the clue as to how to get out of this place,” Rosalinda screamed.
“Rosa, you are not telling us anything we don’t already know. But in case you didn’t notice, we can’t pull that thing out,” Gabrielle yelled.
Jessica jumped up from the pillow excitedly. “I got it…it’s a trick, just like the one at the wall.”
They looked at her tiredly.
Jessica bit her bottom lip. “Don’t you see? Remember what the hieroglyphics said? ‘Untold secrets will reveal when sisters work together to unseal.’”
Zora looked at her with exhaustion. “Yeah, yeah, yeah…exactly what are you getting at?”
“W-well, I think we should try to pull the cylinder out together. Four hands pulling at that cylinder is better than one,” Jessica stuttered nervously.
Rosalinda shrugged her shoulders. “Look, at this point we have nothing to lose by trying her idea.”
Gabrielle looked at Rosalinda with surprise. “Oh, my goodness, she finally has something positive to say. Catch me, I think that I’m going to faint.”
Rosalinda grumbled nastily under her breath.
They tiredly gathered around the table, placing their hands along the sides of the cylinder; huffing and puffing, they yanked and pulled on it but it did not budge one bit.
Gabrielle looked over at them tiredly. “Okay, does anyone have another idea? Because this one is sure not working.”
Jessica walked around the table, glaring at the cylinder with frustration; suddenly, her eyes lit up. “Okay, I have another idea. This might sound a little dumb but there are five pillows on the floor. I think that everyone should have a seat.”
They looked at her tiredly.
Jessica’s face flushed with frustration. “Chop, chop! Gabby Girls, we don’t have all day.”
Reluctantly, they plopped down on the pillows. “Okay, so what’s next?” Rosalinda asked.
Jessica looked at them a little uncertainly. “Umm, I guess…let’s try to pull the cylinder again. Gabi and Rosa, you grab the bottom part, and Zora and I will grab the top part.”
They shrugged their shoulders wearily, placing their hands around the cylinder and tugging this time with all their might.
This time a loud scraping sound pierced the air as the cylinder slowly shifted up. Excitedly, they tugged harder and the cylinder completely popped up from the table. They looked at each other with shock when they realized that the cylinder was firmly gasped in their hands.
“Yeah! Gabby Girls, we did it,” Gabrielle screamed.
“Well, open it already, Gabi,” Jessica said.
Gabrielle shook her head. “No, Jessica, I think that you should open it. After all, if it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have gotten it out of the table.”
Jessica smiled shyly as they handed the cylinder over to her.
She yanked off the top, pulling out the yellowed, tightly rolled-up piece of parchment paper. Carefully she unrolled it and read aloud:
The end is near and crystal-clear. Just walk right through it if you dare. And if you’re feeling faint at heart, let that person make a start.
Rosalinda gave Jessica a puzzled look. “That’s it? The end is near and crystal-clear? What does that mean?”
They looked at each other in confusion.
“Oh! I give up,” Gabrielle said as she rested her head on the table tiredly.
Jessica repeated the clue:
The end is near and crystal-clear. Just walk right through it if you dare. And if you’re feeling faint at heart, let that person make a start.
Rosalinda ran her hands through her hair anxiously.
Zora rubbed her eyes with a sigh and quickly put on her glasses. “Well, I’m clueless, Gabby Girls. Let me walk around a little; maybe I’ll come up with something, anything, to get us out of this sticky situation.”
She slowly stood up, shaking out her legs, and walked toward the pillars. Noticing a light smudge on her glasses, she pulled them off and wiped them on her shirt. But the more she rubbed, the more the smear stretched across the lenses. “Oh! This is absolutely hopeless.”
As she started to shove her glasses into her backpack, her ears perked up at the sound of soft, thumping water. She smiled ironically as she spotted the gushing waterfall. She casually walked toward it, a little mystified by the crystal-clear water that beckoned her.
Zora quickly leaned over and stuck her hand into the water, watching gleefully as it trickled across her fingers. Welcoming the crisp coldness, she stuck her other hand into the water, giggling deliciously as she splashed the water over her face and hair.
Twisting and turning her arms, she watched with fascination as the water cascaded and danced in the light; she blinked quickly when she noticed the soft gold light that reflected through the water. Curiously, she pushed her arms deeper and deeper into the water, recoiling with shock when she felt a strange, cold air tickling her fingers. Quickly, she pulled her drenched arms out of the water with excitement.
“I found it! I found it!” Zora screamed.
Gabrielle raised her head tiredly from the table, looking over at her with irritation. “You found what?” she snapped.
“I know what the message on the scroll means. ‘The end is near and crystal-clear. Just walk right through it if you dare. And if you’re feeling faint at heart, let that person make a start,’” Zora said excitedly.
Rosalinda tiredly walked over to her. “Okay, Zora, you’ve got my attention.”
Zora shook with barely contained excitement. “It’s the waterfall—it’s crystal-clear, and look…” She swiftly shoved her hand into the water. “When I stick my hand in, it goes straight through to the other side. I can actually feel an opening on the other side.”
Jessica and Gabrielle walked over, looking at the gushing water skeptically.
Rosalinda gave her an incredulous stare. “Are you serious? Because I’m not stepping one foot into that water again. I almost drowned in there.”
Gabrielle looked over at her, snorting with disgust as she confidently jumped down into the water. Her body bobbed up and down in the water as she stuck her arm into the waterfall. “Yep, Zora’s right. There’s an opening behind this waterfall.”
Jessica bit her lip nervously. “All right, then, let’s go.”
Rosalinda looked over at Jessica with shocked eyes. “Are you serious? How are we going to swim through a waterfall? Besides, it could be dangerous; we don’t know what’s behind there waiting for us.”
Jessica’s eyes lit up with confidence. “Rosalinda, we’re still alive, right? Besides, we can’t give up now; we’ve come too far. Anyway, I don’t believe that whoever brought us this far means us any harm.”
Rosalinda looked at them with tired acceptance. “Okay, I guess, as usual, I’m outnumbered on this one, so who’s going in first?”
Jessica gave them a brave smile. “I will. I’ll go first.” She stepped down into the lagoon, the force of the waterfall pushing her body around effortlessly.
Gabrielle’s body bobbed up and down effortlessly in the water. “Good job, Jessica. I’ll go last, just to help if anyone needs it.”
“Stop, Jess, don’t move an inch,” Zora screamed.
Jessica and Gabrielle looked up at her nervously.
“Remember the message on the scroll. It said ‘if you’re feeling faint at heart, let that person make a start.’ So I think Rosalinda should go first because she is the most scared of going in.”
Rosalinda backed away.
“Come on, Rosa, we know you can do it. Besides, this end of the lagoon is really shallow, see?” Gabrielle encouraged as she pointed to the visible bottom. “You can practically stand up in it with no trouble.”
Rosalinda looked over at them for support; they smiled at her confidently. She gritted her teeth with determination. “Okay, I will go first.” She cautiously stepped down into the water, yelping like a scared puppy dog as the cold water swallowed her legs.
Gabrielle waded through the water to support her. “Okay, stand up, Rosa. Get your footing. I’ll stand right behind just in case, but don’t worry; I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Rosalinda carefully stood up, her clothes drenched from the cold water. She shuddered fearfully as she bit her bottom lip. Breathing in deeply, she held her breath and walked slowly through the waterfall.
They watched in amazement as her body quickly disappeared.
Jessica smiled nervously as she waded through the water. She breathed in deeply, held her breath, stepped through the waterfall, and disappeared.
Zora stepped down into the water and waded toward the waterfall. “Well, I’m next, Gabi; see you on the other side.” She took a deep breath and walked through the waterfall.
Gabrielle looked around the brightly painted room one last time and smiled. “Yes, Zora, I’ll see you on the other side.”
She held her breath; stepping into the waterfall, with cold water softly running over her body, she quickly disappeared.
Gabby Girls Clue #8
The key you seek is near your heart and it will lead you to the very start.
Gabby Girls Clue #9
20—8—5—19—5—3—18—5—20—3—9—18—3—12—5—12—9—5—19—23—9—20—8—9—14—5—1—3—8—15—6—25—15—21
T-H-E-S-E-C-R-E-T-C-I-R-C-L-E-L-I-E-S-W-I-T-I-N-E-A-C-H-O-F-Y-O-U
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The Gold Compass
Coughing and gasping for air, Gabrielle looked around the brightly lit cavern. Shivering from the cold air, she briskly rubbed her hands together for warmth.
“The first thing I’m going to do when I get out of here is take a long, hot shower,” Rosalinda muttered softly as she squeezed the water from her long hair.
Shivering from the cold air, Jessica rubbed her arms together for warmth. “I second that, Rosa.”
“Wow, it’s absolutely freezing in here,” Zora whispered as puffs of cold air circled her lips with each word she uttered. Looking around the cavern curiously, she dug into her backpack for her glasses. Putting them on, she adjusted them and looked at the lit torches that lined the walls. Her gaze stopped at the corner of the cavern, her mouth dropping open at the sight of a golden chest neatly tucked away.
Quickly, she walked over to the chest, kneeling down to take a closer look. With hands carefully gliding over the scarlet stone-encrusted top, she smiled with appreciation; these stones were similar to the ones in their pendants.
Gabrielle stared at the chest with wonder. “This whole thing gets weirder and weirder by the minute.”
Startled, Zora jumped at the sound of Gabrielle’s voice so close behind her. “You scared the bejesus out of me.”
“So, what’s the deal with the chest?” Gabrielle asked as she pointed down at it.
Zora looked up at her. “My guess is that it’s another clue.”
Rosalinda and Jessica walked over, hovering curiously around the chest.
“For Pete’s sake, just open it already,” Rosalinda demanded impatiently.
Jessica bit her bottom lip. “Yeah, open it—oh, wait…but open it slowly, okay? It might be another trick.”
Zora placed her hands on top of the chest. “Okay, here goes nothing.” She held her breath as she cautiously pried up the heavy top. Looking around greedily at the contents of the chest, she breathed out with relief. “Awesome!”
They all leaned over to take a closer look, fascinated by the chest lined with bright burgundy cloth.
Jessica jabbed a finger at the soft mound nestled in the center of the chest.
“Okay, so what’s that?” she asked.
Zora cautiously ran her fingers over the soft mound then quickly pulled it out, holding it before them. They looked in awe at the dangling robe.
“Oh, que linda, it’s so beautiful. Look at the color; it’s the same color as our pendants,” Rosalinda exclaimed.
Gabrielle reached over, softly touching the expensive-looking burgundy velvet. She quickly glanced down, pointing to the inside of the chest. “Oh, look, there’s more inside!” She reached in, pulling one out.
The robe was identical to the one that Zora held in her hand.
Rosalinda looked at them with wide eyes. “Okay, does anyone else think that this is weird? For goodness sake, there just happens to be robes in a chest.” She waved her hands around wildly. “And let’s not forget all of these lit torches behind a strange waterfall.”
Jessica looked over at Rosalinda with obvious annoyance. “Rosalinda, in case you didn’t get the memo, everything about this day is weird. Jeez, even I figured out that someone deliberately left the robes for us to wear because they knew that we would be wet from the waterfall.”
Gabrielle snickered, causing Rosalinda to give her an irritated glance.
Zora adjusted her glasses then quickly pulled on the robe. “And obviously the lit torches are here to guide us on our journey through the cavern.”
Gabrielle pulled on the robe that she held in her hand, quickly pulling her damp, curly hair from her ponytail and squeezing out the water. “Whew, that feels much better,” she said gratefully as she rubbed her hands together for warmth.
Jessica reached into the chest and pulled out the remaining two robes, handing one to Rosalinda and putting on the other.
Rosalinda looked around. “So, I guess I’m the only one that cares about who left the robes here. This is crazy…you’re all crazy.”
Gabrielle rolled her eyes in frustration. “Okay, Rosalinda, get a grip and get with the program. Girl, you are wasting so much time with your constant yapping. So, as soon as you put on your robe, we’ll continue our Gabby Girls Adventures and finally find out what or who is behind all of this craziness.”
Breathing out angrily, Rosalinda pulled on the robe. “Fine,” she said huffily.
“Okay, let’s go,” Gabrielle instructed as she turned on her heels and stomped away.
Zora squinted at the chest. “Wait! I see something else in there.”
Gabrielle stopped cold in her tracks.
Zora reached in, carefully pulling out a yellowed piece of parchment paper, and read it aloud:
The key you seek is near your heart and it will lead you to the very start.
Rosalinda looked at them. “Okay, so should I even ask what exactly does that mean?”
Jessica laughed softly and hugged her. “Nope…don’t even bother, Rosa.”
Rosalinda looked at her sternly then burst out in uncontrollable laughter. “That’s what I thought.”
“Wait, that’s not all; it has some mysterious numbers written along the bottom of the parchment paper,” Zora added.
Rosalinda threw her hands in the air
with exasperation. “Great!”
Gabrielle rubbed her hands together with anticipation. “Okay, so what do we do with the numbers?”
“Well, I think they have something to do with the gold compass that we found,” Zora responded as she pulled her notepad, pencil, and the compass out of her backpack. She twirled the compass around between her fingers.
“I think I got it—look at the two dials on the compass. One dial has letters of the alphabet and the other has numbers. I think the numbers should match the letters of the alphabet.”
“What!” Rosalinda screamed hysterically. “This makes no sense at all.”
“Jeez, Rosa, would you please calm down! She’s trying to tell us something and I can’t hear her over your constant yapping,” Gabrielle yelled.
“Thanks, Gabi. As I was trying to say, the numbers should match the letters of the alphabet. Okay, let me show you what I mean. Jessica, please read out the numbers and, Gabi, you write down what I say, okay?” Zora asked.
They both nodded in agreement as she passed the notebook and pen to Gabrielle and the clue to Jessica.
Jessica held the yellowed paper, reading aloud: “Twenty, eight, five…”
Zora adjusted her glasses. “Okay, slow down, Jessica.”
Jessica smiled. “Sorry.”
“Okay, twenty equals the letter T because it’s the twentieth letter in the alphabet,” Zora stated.
“You’re right, Zora. Let’s go…we’ll have this clue solved in no time. Keep reading, Jess,” Gabrielle responded somberly.
Jessica continued: “Twenty, eight, five, nineteen, five, three, eighteen, five, twenty, three, nine, eighteen, three, twelve, five, twelve, nine, five, nineteen, twenty-three, nine, twenty, eight, nine, fourteen, five, one, three, eight, fifteen, six, twenty-five, fifteen, twenty-one.”
Zora chirped out the letters confidently: “T-H-E-S-E-C-R-E-T-C-I-R-C-L-E-L-I-E-S-W-I-T-I-N-E-A-C-H-O-F-Y-O-U.”
Gabrielle scribbled the letters furiously in the notebook.