Grammar Quest
In 2002, while at Chapman University earning my teaching degree, I came up with an idea for a fun and challenging game for fourth graders. I had so much fun writing it, plus I made myself laugh each time I killed off the characters.
When I finally did this lesson in the classroom, I found an issue with it. The student’s wouldn’t read the entire page. They just skipped to the bottom to see if their character’s died an then requested another location. They were supposed to figure out what type of grammar was used for the underlined words, look at the map, and then request the next location. It just didn’t quite work out as I had hoped. I’m sure with some tweaking I could get it to work, but I didn’t have the time.
Since I never used this story again, I will present it to you in the proper order. After the story concludes, I will present all of the wrong choices which always lead to the death of the main characters. I would consider these Dead Ends to be Bloopers.
School
In the small town of School, on the north-western border of Prefix Lake, Strayam sat in the dirt leaning against the front of the General Store. He twirled a small stick in his right hand between his index finder and his thumb. He gazed blankly down Main Street with his eyes almost closed.
“I’m bored,” he thought. “Nothing exciting ever happens here.”
To his left, from around the side of the building, Strayam heard the sound of someone running.
Whump, whump, whump.
Strayam closed his eyes knowing who was coming. The footfalls rounded the corner and came to a skidding halt, spraying Strayam with pebbles and dirt.
Strayam sighed.
“Oh, man,” Fleck laughed, “sorry ’bout that.”
Fleck squats down beside Strayam and asked, “Whacha doin’?”
“The usual,” Strayam replied. “Nothing.”
They both leaned back against the front of the building and watched the people go about their business. Being in fifth grade in a small town can be really boring. Both of the boys longed for adventure, like in the stories that their parents occasionally told them when all had gathered in front of a fireplace on a rainy night. Stories of bandits, missing gold, dragons, adventure, and so much more. It didn’t seem fair that they were stuck in this little dump of a town.
“Hey guys,” Sarena said as she and Jayla approached. Sarena shifted a large, leather-bound book that looks quite old to her other hand. Her face beamed with excitement.
“What’s up?” Fleck said peering at the two girls with his right eye.
“Well, you guys look bored to tears.” Jayla said with a giggle.
Both boys frowned.
“Yeah, bored to death is more like it,” Strayam said.
Sarena held the book out toward the two boys. “I was digging around in the back of my folks’ closet and found this old book under a loose floorboard. I can’t read the title very well. I think it says something about a quest, but I can’t make out the first word.” She ran her finger over the lettering on the cover that has all but disappeared. “Some pages are missing at the beginning of the book, but the first page appear to be all there. It seems like a pretty mysterious book to me.”
“May I see it?” Strayam asked.
“Sure,” Sarena said as she handed over the book.
Strayam opened the book, noting the torn out pages and flipped to the first page. It read:
Adventures await,
For those who dare,
Face their fears,
In a dragon’s lair.
This book is the key,
So turn the page,
Be you a Swordsman,
Or possibly a Mage.
Travel you must,
Over the water and land,
Be you by yourself,
Or with a merry band.
So, if you are young,
Or even quite old,
Figure out this puzzle,
For some dragon gold.
“Wow!” Strayam said, almost dropping the book. “Did you guys hear that? Gold! Dragon gold! No one’s seen dragon gold in centuries. Do you think this book could help us find some?”
Fleck looked doubtfully at the book. “I don’t know . . .”
Strayam turned the page and a map with the entire known world appeared, with some locales on the map the kids have never heard of.
“Look at all of these neat places. I wonder where the gold is?” Sarena pondered.
Fleck raised his hands into the air and shrugged his shoulders, “It could take months to find the dragon’s gold, if it really exists.”
The two girls looked at each other, turned back to the boys and said, “Let’s do it!”
“Okay,” Strayam said, “what else have we got to do. Everybody go home, eat lunch, and grab your bookbag. Fill it with extra clothes, a blanket and food, as we may be gone for a few days. Tell your parents that we are going camping down by the lake. Be back here in an hour.”
* * * * *
When Strayam, Fleck, Sarena, and Jayla had gathered in front if the General Store with their bookbags, Strayam opened the quest book to the page that followed after the map.
“Hey, the page is blank!”
He flipped through the following the pages and found them all to be blank.
“Wait a minute. This doesn’t make any sense!” Strayam said in disgust.
Fleck grabbed the book out of Strayam’s hands and opened it to the second page. As he looked at the page, words slowly appeared.
“Cool,” he said.
“What?” Jayla asked.
“The words,” Fleck said pointing at the page, “they just appeared, like magic.”
Turn the page,
Look over the text,
Figure it out,
Don’t become vexed.
It’s not that hard,
So talk and share,
Then close your eyes,
And you’ll be there.
“Turn the page, turn the page!” Sarena yelled.
Jayla held up a hand and said, “Wait a minute. Let’s figure this out first. The poem implies that we may be looking at text, or something. I guess we’ll have to figure something out when we see the text for the first time. One thing I do know is that we’ll have to work together on this. Then, after we figure out whatever it is that we are supposed to figure out, we need to close our eyes and . . .”
“Do you think we will just appear wherever we are thinking about?” Sarena asked.
“Maybe,” Strayam replied. “Let’s try it anyway. What have we got to lose?”
He took the book back from Fleck and turned the page. An arrow now appeared on the page pointing toward school.
“I think we need to follow the arrow and head toward schoolhouse,” Strayam said.
As they walked toward school, taking different roads, the arrow moved so that it always pointed in the same in the direction as the schoolhouse. When they reached their school, the arrow on the page turned into an “X.”
“An X,” Strayam said. “Hmmm . . .”
The X slowly faded away with following text replacing it:
Trolls sit and wait for young creatures at play,
Orcs hunt the night, but can be seen in the day,
Goblins abound underground or in the hills,
Dragon guards her gold and waits there still.
They all leaned over the book and read the text.
“Wow! That’s a tough one,” Fleck said. “I see some words are underlined. That must be the clues we need to work with. What are they? I was never good at figuring out this kind of stuff.”
“Hey,” Sarena said, “I know what they are. Let me see the map.” She pointed to the map and said, “See, this is where we need to go. Do you all agree?”
“Yep,” Strayam said, “I believe you’re right. Everyone close your eyes and think of that place.”
Nothing happened.
Strayam opened one eye looking at his other three friends. Fleck was looking up at the clouds passing by, as if he was still thinking about the question.
“Fleck,” Strayam said with a sigh, “close your eyes and think about the place that Sarena pointed at.”
“Oh, sure . . . sorry,” Fleck said. He closed his eyes and thought.
Pop!
They disappeared.
Conjunction Lake
“Wow! It sure is beautiful here,” Jayla said as she looked around at all the beautiful trees.
“Which way do we go?” Fleck asked, looking around for the body of water. “The lake must be around here somewhere.”
Strayam opens the book to the correct page. “The arrow points to our right,” he said pointing.
“Well, that’s the way we go then,” Fleck said as he started tromping through the dense underbrush.
After about half an hour, they started to see something sparkling through the trees. They soon walked past the edge of the forest and into full view of Conjunction Lake.
“This is spectacular,” Sarena said while sitting down on a log to gaze at the lake. The sun reflected off the ripples in the lake. A small white cloud hovered over the water. A light mist fell toward the surface and a rainbow hung over the lake making it one of the most beautiful sites the kids had ever seen.
Strayam broke the silence by saying, “The arrow has turned into an X. Wait . . . here comes the text.”
An elf hopped from rock to rock over the dry riverbed.
He made one really big jump, landed on the side of a rock, and twisted his ankle.
“Ouch! That really hurts!” the elf screamed as he fell to the ground.
“Darn! I think I twisted my ankle!” he said as he rubbed his sore extremity.
“Hmmm . . . what are those things called?” Fleck wondered aloud.
“I think I know,” Strayam said laughing. “My dad uses them all the time, only his are much worse.”
He pointed to the map and all of them agreed.
“Yep. That’s it. Alright, everyone close your eyes.”
Pop!
Interjection Desert
“Man, it’s hot out here!” exclaimed Fleck, wiping sweat off of his brow.
“We need to find shade,” Sarena said, raising her right hand up to her eyes to block out the sun as she looked around for a tree, or anything that would provided some shade.
“Guys, let me check the book,” Strayam said as he opened the book to the correct page. “The arrow points to the south.”
“Well, let’s hope there’s some shade that way,” Jayla said looking straight up at the sun.
They turned to the south and started walking. As they walked, the sun beat down upon their heads. It didn’t take long before all were soaked with sweat.
“Did anyone happen to bring any water?” Jayla asked, panting.
“I wish,” Sarena said, licking her swollen lips with her dry tongue.
Fleck stumbled and fell to his knees. He looked up at Strayam and said, “Still an arrow? No text yet?” Shuddering, he slowly struggled back up to his feet.
“Nothing,” Strayam said, shaking his head. He looked in the direction the arrow was pointing and saw a dot in the distance. “We need to keep going. I see something ahead.”
They arrived at a boulder a short time later and sat down in the shade of the large rock. Strayam looked at the book and saw an X on the page. A few seconds later, some text appeared.
A boy and the dog were running across a grassy field,
With a goblin chasing them swinging his sword,
The boy, thinking he knew which way to go,
Turned left and ran right into the goblin horde.
“Hmmm,” Sarena said, “I think I know. Can I see the map?”
Strayam flips to the page with the map. Sarena points to Preposition Bay.
Fleck shook his head, “I don’t think so. How about here?”
Jayla nods her head, “I agree with Fleck.”
“Sorry, Sarena,” Strayam said, “I also agree with Fleck.”
“No biggie,” Sarena said. “I wasn’t sure anyway. Okay, everyone close your eyes.”
Pop!
Present Participle Island
“Wow!” Jayla exclaimed, letting out a long breath, “What a beautiful beach.”
All four adventurers stood on the northwestern beach looking out into the water. The mainland was just barely visible. The sand was reddish-brown in color and extended about 100 feet until it reached the thick forest. Small crab-like creatures scuttled over the sand.
Fleck laid down and made a sand angel. Then he took off his shoes and ran around in a circle laughing. “Boy, this is fun,” he panted.
Strayam smiled as he opened the book to the correct page. He looked at the arrow and then in the direction it pointed. “Looks like we’re going into the trees again. Come on, let’s go.”
Fleck grunted as he put back on his shoes, sorry that he couldn’t play in the sand some more, but he wanted the dragon gold just as much as anybody else. He stood and followed.
The forest was thick and there was no sign of a trail. After an hour, all of them were bleeding from tiny scratches from the closely-knit branches.
“Are you sure we’re going the right way?” Sarena asked, looking at her arms.
“Yep,” Strayam said as he opened the book and checked again.
A short time later they came to an opening in the forest. It was roughly circular and about one hundred feet across. As they entered the clearing, Strayam looked down at the book.
“Hey, an X, which is now disappearing,” Strayam said. “Here comes the text.”
The Captain approached his ship at dock,
He was having it filled with stock,
The first mate said, “She is quite a ship.”
The Captain nodded, “Aye, she is a pip.”
“‘She’ is underlined twice,” Jayla said. “Are they referring to the ship?”
Fleck scratched his head, “I think so. If that is so .. . Strayam, can I see the map?”
Strayam opened the book to the map page. Fleck looked over the map and finally pointed at a locale. “I do believe this is where we need to go next.”
Sarena thought about it for a few seconds, “I have always wanted to go there. Cool! I am so excited! Okay, everybody close your eyes and think of this place.”
Pop!
Feminine Lake
Splash!
Sarena surfaced spitting out pink water. She looked around, water dripping off of her bangs. “Wow! Neat! The water tastes like strawberry soda!”
Fleck surfaced beside her, “Big deal, a pink lake. Just what I didn’t need . . . a bath.”
Jayla turned to him, “Are you kidding? Yes, you do need a bath! You smell . . . ha, ha, ha.”
All four swam toward the northern shore. Once on the sand, Strayam opened the book to the correct page and looked at the arrow. It pointed back into the water toward the center of the lake.
“Wha . . . oh man,” Strayam moaned. “Looks like we have to go back out into the water,” he said as he pointed across the lake. The other side was not visible.
“You’re kidding, right?” Fleck asked in disbelief. “Back out there?”
“Looks like it,” Strayam said as he put the book away and started back into the water.
They swam for about an hour. Strayam kept checking the book about every ten minutes. They soon reached a point where bubbles were rising to the surface of the lake and popping.
“Hey,” Jayla said, “I can float.”
“Me too,” Sarena said after she stopped treading water. “Must be the bubbles.”
Strayam took advantage of the situation to look at the book. “The arrow is still . . . wait. There it goes. Here comes the X. And now the text.”
The dragon’s gold is not easy to find,
Keep your eyes peeled and have a sharp mind,
There are places to visit, and places to go,
Where you will end up, there’s no way to know.
Fleck laughed and said, “This is easy. We need to go to Rhyme Reef.”
Strayam sighed, “Rhyme Reef is in the story we read in Language Arts last year. Besides, it’s not even a real place. Didn’t you notice all the underlined words don’t rhyme?” He flipped to the map page.
“Oh,” Fleck said, crestfallen.
“Guys,” Jayla said, “look here. I think we need to go here.”
Fleck smiled, “Oops . . . didn’t see that. Okay everyone, close your eyes and think.”
Pop!
Comma
They appeared in the middle of a bustling city. Comma is the largest city in the Suffix Tundra. Peopled mostly by Snow Elves, it is a place of cold temperatures and magic.
“Oh man, I’m freezing,” Strayam said. “We have to get out of these wet clothes.”
A passing Snow Elf heard them. “Let me help.” He waived his long, spindly arms and chanted in his strange language. They felt a tingling around their bodies.
Poof!
All four of them were instantly dry.
“Neat!” Jayla exclaimed patting her clothing to make sure she was really dry.
They thanked the passing elf and put on their warm clothes and wrapped their blankets around their shoulders. It may have been summer back in School, but it was winter up here.
“Brr . . .” Sarena said, shivering. “Which way does the arrow point?”
Strayam turned to the correct page in the book. “The arrow indicates down this street,” he said pointing.
They walked a little bit, their toes getting colder and colder in their shoes.
“Oh, man,” Fleck said, shaking his right foot, “I just stepped in a slush puddle.”
Strayam laughed and looked to the left. He noted a building that was named The House of Heat. “Well, this sounds promising. Let’s go in there and see if we can get warm.”
They all walked in the front door and were instantly assaulted by a wave of heat.
“Ah,” Sarena sighed, shedding layers, “that’s more like it.”
They gathered around the fire and ordered hot cider from the man behind the bar. As they sipped the warming beverage, Strayam took out the book and noticed that an X was now on the page. All four stared on as the text appeared.
A Yellow Goblin wandered in the Black Forest,
He’d lost his weapons and was feeling annoyed,
As he saw a band of Rock Orcs his hopes were dashed,
And when they attacked his body was destroyed.
“Ew . . . but I think I know where we need to go,” Sarena said pointing. “Everybody think.”
Pop!
Compound Verb Hills
“Say,” Fleck said smiling, “I like this place. The hills are nice and green. No more snow! And it’s nice a warm here. Ahh . . .”
Strayam sat down in the thick grass. The sun was low on the horizon as he turned to the correct page. No arrow appeared. There was already text there. “Weird,” he thought as he read.
“Guys,” Strayam said a momnet later, “it looks like we need to bed down for the night. There isn’t an arrow, but a message did appear saying that since it was getting dark, it’s not a safe time to travel. The book also said to check it again in the morning. So, let’s make camp.”
“Okay,” Fleck said. “I will gather some wood for a fire. Jayla, would you like to help?”
“Sure,” she replied, “that way we can get enough for the entire night.”
Strayam and Sarena made a lean-to under a large tree and laid out the blankets. They took out some food and awaited the return of Fleck and Jayla, who soon came back with an armful.
As they ate some of their provisions around the fire, they talked about their adventures and how much fun they were having. Growing sleepy on full stomachs, the girls and Strayam went to sleep while Fleck stayed up for the first two-hour watch, promising to awaken Strayam for his turn. The night passed uneventfully.
In the morning, everyone felt much better after a good nights sleep. The fire had been kept going all night, so they broke their fast and packed up. Strayam checked the book and noticed that an X was already on the page. It faded and was replaced by some text.
Four tired adventures slept peacefully at night,
One always awake sitting beside the light,
They soon packed their dew-covered blankets with glee,
Not knowing what their amazed eyes would soon see.
“This is one about us,” Sarena said, “I think . . .”
“What do you think we’ll see next?” Jayla asked. “Something amazing?”
“Maybe,” Strayam said, “but we have to figure out where we are going. At least I already know this one.” He flipped to the map page. “See? Right here. Okay? Everybody close your eyes and think of this place. I bet it’ll be amazing after all.”
Pop!
Mt. Adjective
“Whoa!” Fleck exclaimed looking up the magnificent mountain. “This mountain is humongous!” He turned to Strayam and asked, “Do . . . do we have to climb this?”
Strayam open the book to the correct page. “Looks like it,” he said as he shut the book.
Fleck sighed, “As if we haven’t done enough already. Where do you think this dragon gold is anyway? Maybe it’s in a cave here on Mt. Adjective.”
Strayam shrugged his shoulders. “Could be. I sure hope so. If not, it’ll be somewhere else. All I know is that we are going to find it and be rich, rich, rich.”
As they hiked up the steep mountain, they had to rest often. It was a very tiring trek. After climbing for two hours, they reached a plateau. On this plateau, in the distance, was the opening of a cave. They all stood there panting, looking at the cave warily.
Strayam took out the book and noted that the arrow pointed directly toward the cave. “Looks like we going into that cave. Fleck, find something we can use as a torch. We’ll need light.”
Fleck made a torch out of a stick and some moss. He lit it and they all entered the cave. It quickly grew darker the deeper they went. They began to see sparkles in the walls.
Jayla went over to a wall and ran her hand along a gold vein. “This is gold. Can’t be dragon gold, though. This is not a horde. And, it’s still in the wall.”
The mountain shuttered at her touch. “Hey, what’s happening?”
Strayam flipped open the book and watched and X fade away. Text soon appeared.
The mountain always protects it’s own,
When it begins to shake, rattle, and moan,
The veins run deep and are quite old,
You shall never have this enchanted gold.
“Why did you have to touch the gold, Jayla?” Sarena screamed as bits of the cave fell around her. She raised her arms up to protect her head.
“Forget that,” Fleck said. “We have to find out where we have to go next, or we’ll get crushed. Okay . . . I think I know. Let me see the map, Strayam.”
Strayam flipped over to the map page and Fleck pointed. “Here! Close your eyes.”
Pop!
Noun Island
“Whew, that was a close one,” Jayla said, shaking dust out of her hair.
“Yeah,” Sarena agreed, “I hope nothing like that happens again. No more caves.”
While Fleck emptied his left shoe of a pebble, Strayam opened the book to the correct page. “Hmm, looks like we head south.”
After dusting themselves off, they began making their way across the island. The going was pretty easy, but as they traveled, more and more hills appeared. Soon, they were walking through another forest. As they walked, they listened to the birds singing happily in the trees.
Around noon, they stopped beside a fallen tree and ate their fill. As they were packing up, Strayam checked the book again. The arrow still pointed south.
Just then a big booming voice was heard, “Who dares tred on me island?”
The adventurers froze in their tracks. They looked around and saw nothing. Then a twig snapped behind them. A centaur stepped out of the brush and stopped. None of them had ever seen the fabled race of half man, half horse that lived on Noun Island before. They were amazed by his beauty and the power he radiated. He was stronger than all four of them put together.
“We’re just passing through, sir,” Strayam said. “We’re on a quest and should be off your island very soon.” He glanced down at the book in his hands and noticed the arrow had been replaced with an X. The text soon appeared. Strayam read the text aloud.
The young prince walked the castle hall,
He smiled as he passed one and all,
For his father would soon hand over his ring,
And the prince thought, “I will be king, I will be king!”
“‘Tis an easy one, me friends,” the centaur bellowed. “Can ye not figure it out?”
Sarena looked at Strayam. “I think I know. Can I see the map?”
“Uh, sure,” Strayam said still in awe of the centaur. “Just a second.”
Sarena pointed to a locale on the map.
“Let me view the book, lad,” the centaur said approaching. “Aye, that be it.”
The adventures all closed their eyes. The centaur looked at them in confusion. “Why . . . “
Pop!
Future Tense Sea
Whoosh!
“Oh my,” Jayla said as they fell through the air.
“Aaahhhh . . .” Sarena screamed.
All four adventurers fell through the air, gaining speed. Thousands of miles above the Future Tense Sea, they fell like rocks toward the water.
Strayam struggled to hold onto the book and turn it to the correct page. The pages fluttered, and an arrow pointing down toward the surface appeared on the page.
Fleck tried to look at the page. “Is there text on the page? We only have a few minutes until we smack into the water. That’s gonna hurt!”
“We’re all gonna die!” Jayla screamed as she started to freak out.
“Wait,” Strayam said. “An X! I see an X! Yes! Go, go, go!”
“Come on!” Fleck screamed, looking at the water quickly approaching.
“Here is it. Let me read it to you.”
Falling fast through the sky,
Can they figure out why?
For they surely cannot fly,
Are they all going to die?”
“What’s underlined?” Sarena screamed. “We only have a few seconds left!”
“‘Why’ and ‘die’.”
“Turn to the map!” Jayla screeched.
“I see it! I see where we need to go!” Strayam said turning the book around in his hands, almost loosing it as the wind tore at the pages. “Right here!”
“I can’t see it!” Fleck bellowed. He leaned forward and moved in closer to the Strayam. “Okay! I’ve got it! Everyone close your eyes and think!”
As the water approached closer and closer, Jayla opened one eye and screamed again. She closed her eyes again and her scream lasted until . . .
Pop!
Question Mark Cave
“Wow!” Fleck exclaimed brushing down his hair. “That was a rush! Say, did someone turn out the lights? I can’t see a thing in here. Someone find something we can use for a torch.”
All four adventurers felt around on the cave floor for something that would burn.
“I found a stick,” Jayla said, holding up what felt like a nice-sized stick in the dark.
“Can I have it?” Sarena asked. She wrapped her scarf around the end of the stick. Then she cracked open her lighting device and poured the liquid fire onto the cloth. It saturated the cloth instantly and then started to smolder. After a few seconds, it caught fire and illuminated the cave. The cave was large and dark. Over in the corner sat a large, broken down bed and table. Human bones were piled in the corner. Lots of human bones.
Sarena looked at the torch and drew in a breath.
“What is it?” Jayla asked. “Do you see something?”
“This stick isn’t a stick. It’s a bone!” Sarena almost dropped the torch, but held onto it.
Strayam opened the book to the correct page. “This way,” he said heading deeper into the cave. They all followed, as the light was not very bright and none wanted to be left behind.
The cave opened up into a large cavern. In the darkness on the other side of the cavern, something moved. Nervously, Strayam looked down at the book and saw an X. “Whew.”
Across the cavern, a huge Cyclops banged his club on the floor and stepped into the light. “A tasty treat I see. All of it is for me.” He licked his lips in anticipation of an easy meal.
The party started to back up as the text appeared on the page.
The Cyclops cannot be killed by man,
So the adventurers turned and ran,
The feet are not the answer, use the mind,
Time draws near for dragon gold to find.
Sarena peered at the text. “Oh, I know this one! Strayam, turn to the map page!”
The Cyclops’ single eye blinked and he pounded the club on the floor as he approached. “I see you four. Soon to be no more. Yummy, yummy, in my tummy.”
“Right here guys,” Sarena said pointing to the map. “Hurry. Close your eyes and think.”
The Cyclops’ club descended to bop Fleck on the head.
Pop!
Verb Valley
“What an incredibly beautiful valley,” Sarena said, looking at the grass-covered, wooded valley. In the distance to the east, the Sentence River could just be seen dissecting the valley. Fleck extinguished the torch by rolling it on the ground, but still held onto it for a weapon.
Strayam turn to the correct page while his friends looked around. “This way,” he said.
They walked for an hour before they reached the river. Strayam checked the map again and saw that the arrow had changed direction and now pointed north. “That’s never happened before.”
“What?” Fleck asked trying to peer over Strayam’s shoulder at the book.
“The arrow changed direction. I guess we go this way now,” Strayam said pointing.
They walked north and soon found another cave. Luckily, Fleck still had the bone torch and relit it. They all walked warily into the dark, sulfur-smelling cave. The stench was horrible.
“Who dares enter my abode?” a deep voice boomed.
Strayam gulped and said weakly, “Just four adventurers.”
“More beings after my gold.” A snort of flame erupted from the dragon’s nose as she pondered this situation, briefly lighting the entire cave. The dragon was enormous, filling over half the cave. In front of her lay a pile of gold almost as tall as the ceiling.
“Answer me this riddle and the gold is yours. If you fail, well, I am quite famished, having not eaten in a century or two. Do you agree with these terms?”
The four talked this over. Strayam looked up and said, “Yes, we agree.”
The dragon nodded her head and said, “I can taste you already. Here is the riddle.
“Some are large, some are small, some have wings, some not at all,
Most breathe fire, and are quite bold, and all guard treasures untold.”
“Geez,” Fleck said. “That’s easy. It’s a pbbtt . . .”
Strayam covered Fleck’s mouth with his hand and whispered in his ear, “Wait a second. We all need to talk about this. I don’t want to end up being this dragon’s next meal.”
“Sure,” Fleck said as Strayam uncovered his mouth.
They talked for a few minutes while the dragon tapped one claw on the floor impatiently.
“Well?” asked the dragon, scowling. “I’m quite hungry, you see.”
Strayam cleared his throat to answer and Fleck yelled out, “The answer is ‘Dragon’.”
The dragon belched fire at the adventurers as they disappeared along with all of her gold. Her bellow was heard for miles around.
School – Part II
“Whoa!” Fleck shouted as he patted out the small fire on his shirt. Just for safety sake, he fell to the ground and rolled around in the dirt. “Man, dragon fire! What a rush!”
“Good thing you were the one in front,” Jayla giggled.
Sarena started laughing along with Jayla.
“Guys,” Strayam said from behind them. “Why don’t you turn around?”
Fleck, Sarena and Jayla turned and all three mouths dropped open. Strayam stood atop a massive pile of dragon gold grinning. “I do believe we’ve outfoxed the dragon and are now richer than anyone else in the land.”
Fleck, Sarena and Jayla ran toward the pile of gold screaming and jumped onto the pile, sinking up to their knees. They grabbed handfuls of coins and let them run through their fingers while they laughed merrily.
People of School exitted their shops to see what all the laughing was about. Most were so shocked by the huge pile of gold that they just stood frozen in their tracks. Not the banker, Mr. Moolay, though. He dropped the ledger that he had in his hand and ran over shouting, “Everyone stay back. This is official bank business,” he shouted with a huge grin.
Strayam’s father, Yerney, exited the General Store and saw his son atop the gold and walked slowly over, thinking things through. He stopped at the bottom of the pile of gold and moved the banker out of the way. Strayam hopped down the pile and stood in front of his father.
“Son,” Yerney said, “what’s this all about?”
“Pa,” Strayam said as he hugged his dad. “Well, it all started with this book.” Strayam then proceeded to tell him the entire story, with his friends chipping in. The entire town, which had gathered around, listened intently. When he finished his tale, everyone cheered loudly.
“Strayam, I’m proud of what you did, but I’m very disappointed that you didn’t tell me you were leaving. We were worried.” Then he pulled his son to him and gave him a big hug.
The entire town soon dispersed, except for the banker who was calling for his employees to get out there and help him take the gold into the bank and split it four ways for all the adventurers. Fleck stayed with the money just to make sure none of it ended up disappearing.
The next evening the entire town gathered for a cerebration. Minstrels had already written songs and played them on their lutes as the feast began. It was the happiest day in School’s history.
Strayam, Sarena, Fleck, and Jayla were all named heroes.
Wrong Locations
All of the following locations are Dead Ends. For each Dead End, I killed off the characters. To me, this was the most entertaining part of the story to write. I do remember struggling to come up with so many ways to kill them off.
Enjoy the Dead Ends.
Adverb Range
“What in the world are we doing up here in these mountains?” Jayla asked, looking around.
Sarena clasped her arms around her chest and shivered. Looking quite miserable, she chattered, “I d . . . don’t know, b . . . but it sure is c . . . cold here.”
Strayam opened the book and noted that the arrow pointed toward a pass slightly north of the direction they were facing.
“Man, these Adverb Mountains sure aren’t what I thought they were going to be,” Fleck said miserably.
No one had thought to bring their fire popper, so they had no way to start a fire. This really didn’t seem to matter since they couldn’t see a single tree for firewood anyway. They were near the top of the mountain range standing about one foot deep in snow. The snow seemed to go on and on.
“Well, we’d better start going this way,” Strayam pointed in the same direction as the arrow. He started walking through the snow whistling a merry, little tune often heard in School when the first snowflake fell.
Fleck shook his head in amazement that his friend was feeling so chipper.
They trudged their way through the snow for about an hour, steadily climbing up the face of a mountain. As they approached a large wall of snow, Jayla called out that she needed to take a short break. They all sat down on their bookbags so they wouldn’t get the seat of their pants wet. Serena dug into her pack and pulled out some bread that she had stored. She tore off a piece for each person and handed it to them, putting the remainder back into her bookbag. They ate in total silence.
Strayam looked at the book again just to make sure they were heading in the right direction. They were. He laid to book down on his knees still open to the page with the arrow.
“Why did you the book open to a page that has a skull and crossbones on it?” Fleck asked, staring at the book on Strayam’s knees.
“Huh?” Strayam said as looked down at the book. Sure enough, there was a skull and crossbones on the page. “I haven’t a clue? Where did that come from?”
Just then, Fleck sneezed. Now, this wasn’t a normal sneeze, it was a really, really loud sneeze. In fact, it was so loud it started an avalanche just above where the kids were sitting. They only had time to turn their heads toward the rumble of the tumbling snow before it overtook them. They never knew what hit them. None survived.
This is a Dead End.
Exclamation Marsh
“Ew! What is that smell?” Sarena exclaimed.
“Hey!” Fleck shouted. “I’m sinking!”
“Yuck! This place is totally gross,” Jayla said, holding her nose. “Which way does the arrow point?”
Strayam opened the book to the next page and saw an arrow pointed straight ahead, right toward the heart of the marsh.
“Darn it! It says that way,” he said pointing into the thick and steamy water-logged country.
Mosquitoes hovered over the water looking for victims. Wakes could be seen in the water as something moved around, just waiting for an innocent victim to past by. This adventure had just turned from being fun into something else.
“I have heard tales of people entering this marsh and never being heard from again,” Fleck said while grimacing.
“Fleck! Please don’t say things like that,” Sarena said. “I’m already grossed out and don’t need to be scared too.”
“Sorry, just thinking out loud.”
The foursome started plodding deeper and deeper into the marsh. With every step, they had to pull each foot out of the gooey muck and water that went up to their knees. As they progressed, it got harder and harder to pull their feet out. Fatigue started to set in, as the water got deeper.
“I can’t take much more of this,” Jayla complained. “I’m so tired.”
“The arrow is still pointing strait ahead. Wait, it just changed into a skull and crossbones. What do you suppose that means?” Strayam pondered.
“Eek! Something just brushed up against my leg!” Sarena screamed, flailing her arms around in circles trying to keep her balance. She turned around to see how Jayla was doing, and saw that Jayla was no longer there. “Where’s Jayla?” she screamed in a panic.
When Sarena turned back to face Strayam, both Strayam and Fleck were no longer to be seen. The only thing that remained was the book floating on the scum-covered water, showing the skull and crossbones. A few ripples in the water were heading right for her.
Sarena screamed as she was pulled under.
This is a Dead End.
Masculine Lake
“Where are we?” Strayam asked, looking around at the low-lying hills. “Where is the lake?”
“Turn around,” Jayla says with a sigh.
“Oh man, what a beautiful lake.”
The lake appeared about half a mile down in the valley they were looking into. The lake water wasn’t blue, like Prefix Lake, which they had grown up swimming in, but was actually purple, a very deep purple with little purple waves and red sand.
Fleck rubbed his chin, as if in thought, and asked, “You guys ever see anything like this before? Pretty weird, if you ask me.”
Sarena shook her head. “Nope. Pretty cool, though.”
Strayam opened the book to the correct page and started to head toward the lake. “This way,” he said as he stepped over a fallen log.
As Strayam cleared the log, he heard a scream from up in the trees. He looked up and his eyes widened in horror. On a branch high in the nearest tree squatted nine grungy harpies. The half bird, half woman creatures all started shrieking as they plunged downward toward the group of adventures.
“Harpies!” screamed Jayla.
All four took off running in different directions. Strayam ran toward the lake as fast as he could. He could hear the flapping of wings of two harpies behind him. He dodged between the trees and tore through some bushes, ignoring the cuts he received on his arms and face.
He was almost to the lake when his foot snagged on a root and he went tumbling. The book flew from is hands and landed open on the page that showed the arrow.
As Strayam tried to get up, a harpy hit him on his back and he was forced to the ground. The harpy tore into his back with her claws, shredding his clothing and his back. Strayam screamed. The other harpy landed on his head, causing his head to turn so he was looking uphill. He saw three other clumps of harpies tearing into his friends. Then his eyes settled on the open book. Just before the harpy on his head plucked his eyes out and ate them, he saw a skull and crossbones displayed on the page.
This is a Dead End.
Neuter Lake
The four appeared on the edge of a rather dull, gray lake. There was nothing impressive about it. It was just there. Not a single wave lapped upon the shore. No life could be seen anywhere. There wasn’t a tree to be seen or a bird heard to be singing. The place was . . . dead.
“Yuck,” Jayla said as she looked around. “This place needs some color.”
Sarena nodded, “I know what you mean. Talk about drab!”
Strayam open the book to the correct page and noted that the arrow pointed to the east. “We go that way,” he said pointing along the edge of the lake to the right.
They began walking down the shoreline through the gray sand. The going was tough as the sand was dry and very soft.
After about thirty minutes, they all took off their shoes so they could travel on the sand easier. Even though the warm sand was an ugly color, it still felt good between the toes.
“Man,” Fleck said, “this sure feels a lot better. I love sand.”
Eventually, the sun set and darkness quickly approached.
“We’d better bed down for the night,” Strayam said while looking at the arrow in the book. “Looks like we still have more hiking to do to get to wherever it is we need to go.”
Since there were no trees to be found, they could not have a fire. So, they took out their blankets and sat on them while they ate some of their rations in the dark. The place was deathly silent.
“This place gives me the creeps,” Sarena said as she looked around at the moonlit shore. “I can’t wait for morning so we can get out of here.”
“Me to,” Jayla said as a shiver slid down her back.
After they finished eating, they all curled up under their blankets in the soft, gray sand. Everyone was fast asleep in minutes, having had a long day of puzzles and adventure. Around midnight, if anyone were awake, they would have noticed something funny about the sand. It was vibrating, ever so slightly, as if it was alive . . . and hungry. The sleepers never felt it, but they slowly starting sinking into the sand. It only took fifteen minutes, but when it was over, only the blankets, bookbags, shoes, and the book remained laying on the sand. On the open page of the book appeared the figure of a skull and crossbones.
This is a Dead End.
Past Participle Island
“Gosh! This sure is a beautiful island,” Sarena said, looking through the trees and the lush undergrowth. “It’s so green here.”
“The trees make me uncomfortable,” said Jayla. “There are too many and they are so tall.”
Strayam opened the book to the correct page. The arrow pointed toward the heart of the island. “We go that way,” he said pointing.
“Cool,” Fleck said.
They started walking through the trees. Jayla remained nervous while the other three enjoyed themselves greatly. They stopped for lunch, and then continued walking in the direction the arrow pointed. The trees were getting thicker, and the vines that hung from them were also multiplying. Hours passed by and the sun began to set.
Strayam looked at the book again. The arrow was still there. “Well, I guess we need to set up camp for the night. At least we’ll have some shelter under this huge tree,” Strayam said while walking through the vines toward the trunk of a gigantic tree.
Fleck, noting that it was starting to get a little cold, found some of the hanging vines that appeared dead. He broke some of them off that looked dry, walked back to his friends, and built a fire. He made sure that he was far enough away from the hanging branches so them wouldn’t accidentally catch on fire. The others laid their blankets around the warm fire.
“Ah,” Jayla sighed, warming her cold hands over the fire, “that sure feels good.”
Sarena lay back on her blanket and watched the firelight dance on the vines hanging above their heads. “Guys, does it look like the vines are moving?”
“Maybe it’s just the way the firelight makes them look,” Strayam said as he laid back upon his blanket. “But I did think that the vines were hanging lower before we lit the fire.”
“Maybe . . .” Sarena said, yawning. “I’m sleepy. Gonna sleep now.”
“I’ll kept the first watch,” Fleck said.
After an hour, everyone was sound asleep and Fleck was fighting the urge to lay down his head. The fire was almost out. He got up and walked over to where he’d broken off the vines before and collected more. When he returned, his friends were gone. The book lay open on Strayam’s blanket and a skull and crossbones appeared on the page.
“What the . . .” Fleck said as a vine wrapped around his neck and pulled him upward.
This is a Dead End.
Past Tense Sea
Splash!
All four of the adventures kicked furiously toward the surface of the undulating sea. As their heads broke through the surface of the sea, they called out to each other.
“Fleck!” Jayla cried, “Strayam . . . Serena!”
“We’re over here!” Serena returned the call.
Jayla turned around and swam over to the other three. Gasping for breath, and spitting out salty seawater, she said, “What happened?”
“I don’t know,” Strayam said while trying to keep afloat and still hold onto the book. “Let me try and open the book and see where the arrow points.”
As Strayam fought to open the book and keep his head above water, Serena spit out some water and said, “Why would the book send us here. This just doesn’t make any sense.”
“Um, guys,” Strayam said softly, “the arrow seems to be pointing straight down.”
“What do you mean ‘down’?” Fleck says with a little panic in his voice. “We have to swim down there?” he said pointing toward the darkness below. “I’m not going down there!”
Strayam sighed and closed his eyes. “I know this looks hopeless, but what other choice do we have? I certainly don’t see any land that we can swim too. And we have to do it now before we get too tired.”
“But we could all drown!” Jayla wailed. “I don’t wanna die!”
Sarena swam over to comfort her friend.
“Be that as it may,” Strayam said, “we can’t keep trying to stay afloat up here forever. At least I know I can’t. I’m already getting tired.”
Fleck looked down and didn’t see anything but darkness. Then he saw a shape pass underneath. It wasn’t just big, it was huge!
“Uh, I think we have a problem,” Fleck said. “I just saw something down there, and it wasn’t small. I think it was a Shredder.”
“Oh, no,” Sarena said. “Do you think . . .”
That was all she had a chance to say before the Shredder swam upward and swallowed her and Jayla in one bite. The boys only had a seconds before they too were eaten by another Shredder. As book slowly sank into the darkness, a skull and crossbones could be seen.
This is a Dead End.
Period
“Wow! The city of Period,” Sarena exclaimed. “I never thought I would see this place.”
Strayam looked around, “This used to be the center of commerce. Trade goods would be shipped here and then be sent to towns all over the Pronoun Plains up to the Adverb Range. But now it’s a ghost town. Everyone died when a volcano erupted centuries ago and covered the city in ash. Now only the skeletons of the buildings remain.” He opened the book to the correct page. “Looks like we get to walk down the main street, anyway. The arrow points that way.”
As they headed down what was left of the street, Jayla said, “This place gives me the creeps. Just thinking about all the poor people that died here. I feel so sorry for them.”
“They’re dead,” Fleck said, always the realist.
“I know,” replied Jayla. “I’m just sorry that they died so horribly. Suffocation . . . by ash,” Jayla shuddered just thinking about it. As she walked down the street, she imagined what the city had looked like once, bustling with activity, people going places in a hurry, children playing in the street, noise everywhere. “Wow,” she murmured.
“What?” Fleck asked.
“Hm, oh, nothing,” Jayla said in a daze as she walked along.
“This way,” Strayam said, turning left into an alley. The buildings rose high above their heads as they walked down the small, dark passageway.
Fleck noticed something sparkling ahead. As the others passed him, he stopped to look at what had attracted his attention. It was a jewel of some sort embedded in a wall. He took out his knife and tried to pry it out. It was stuck, so he started digging.
Sarena turned around and noticed Fleck digging into the wall. “Hey, Strayam! Fleck is up to something.”
Strayam turned around, put the book down and walked back to Fleck with the two girls following. “What’re you doing,” he asked Fleck.
“There’s something here. I’ve . . . almost . . . got . . . it!” The jewel popped out. But the building was very old and unstable. Fleck’s efforts caused the wall to topple toward the adventurers. They looked up and screamed as the wall came crashing down upon them.
When the dust settled, a skull and crossbones appeared on the dust-covered page of the book.
This is a Dead End.
Prefix Lake
“We are so close to School,” Jayla said.
“Yep,” Fleck said, “just on the other side of the lake. It’s amazing, I’ve never been on the south side of this lake before. I’ve lived such a sheltered life.”
“This way,” Strayam said, looking at the arrow in the book. He started down toward the lake through the trees and rocks.
After ten minutes of climbing over the rocks, Strayam noticed a cave on his right. “Hey guys, there’s a cave over here!”
“Far out!” Fleck yelled, almost falling over himself to get to the cave first.
Standing in front of the cave, they peered into the darkness.
“What do you think is in there?” Sarena asked, sounding a little nervous.
“I don’t know,” Fleck said, dropping his bookbag, “but I intend to find out.”
“Fleck!” Jayla said, “You can’t go in there. It might be dangerous!”
“That’s what I am hoping for,” Fleck said as he stepped into the cave. He walked in about twenty feet and turned around. “See, nothing to be afraid off.”
As the three outside the cave watched, Fleck disappeared, as if something had pulled him into the darkness. They heard a muffled sound, and possibly a growl.
“Fleck?” Strayam said cautiously. “You girls stay here. I’ve gotta check on Fleck.”
“No. Don’t leave us,” both girls said together.
“You’ll be fine. Just stay right here.” He handed the book to Sarena.
Strayam entered the cave very slowly. “Fleck? Fleck, are you there?” He moved in deeper and deeper into the cave.
The girls watched him, holding hands for comfort. Sarena was just about to ask Strayam if he could see Fleck, when something grabbed Strayam with a roar. He also disappeared. The girls screamed, panicked and ran.
Out of the cave soured a Manticore; a lion with wings and the head of an eagle. He pounced on Jayla. It only took a second to finish her off. He raised his head and looked at Sarena. She was standing by a tree staring at the book. It showed a skull and crossbones on the page instead of the arrow. When she looked up, the Manticore was flying straight at her.
This is a Dead End.
Preposition Bay
Splash!
All four surfaced in the calm waters of Preposition Bay.
“Man,” Fleck exclaimed, “this bites! I thought we would’ve at least appeared on the shore. Now we’re out in the middle of the bay.”
“At least,” Sarena said pointing, “there are some rocks over there we can swim over to.”
Strayam tucked the book into his bookbag. “Let’s go. I’ll check the book once we get out of the water,” Strayam said as he started swimming over toward the rocks. The others followed, struggling to swim fully clothed and carrying their heavy bookbags. Shortly, they all perched upon the rocks.
The bay was very calm and the water looked like glass.
“Okay,” Strayam said, taking the book out of his bookbag and opening it to the correct page. “Let’s see. Hey! The arrow is fading away. How lucky.”
“Good,” Jayla said, shivering a little from being wet. “I don’t think I could make it all the way to shore . . . it’s too far. Here comes the text.”
Four adventurers fell from the sky to landed with a splash,
They perch upon rocks waiting for the wave to crash,
For the sirens are coming to claim the rocks they know,
Ready to take them to their watery grave below.
“Hm,” Strayam murmured. “There doesn’t seem to be anything for us to figure out.”
“Say,” Sarena said hesitantly,”Do you think the text is about us?”
“Gosh, I sure hope not,” Jayla said, looking wildly around. “At least there aren’t any waves. So we can’t be waiting for them to crash. Right? No waves so . . . oh good golly!” she said pointing out to the open sea.
A large wave was building. On top of it rode two beautiful women with arms upraised. They were singing a harmonious melody that reeked of magical power.
“Strayam,” Jayla said, “what should we do? Strayam?” She touched him on the shoulder. He didn’t respond. He only had eyes for the sirens, as did Fleck
“Strayam! Fleck!” She looked at the book on Strayam’s lap and only saw a skull and crossbones.
“Oh crud,” Sarena said as the tons of water crashed down upon them.
This is a Dead End.
Present Tense Sea
Splash!
Fleck surfaced spluttering water. “Hey!” Rain pelted him in his face followed by a wave washing over him, filling his mouth with water. He surfaced again, coughing.
“Can anyone hear me?” he screamed into the roaring wind.
There was no answer. Just then something grabbed his ankle and he screamed.
Strayam surfaced next to him. He grabbed Fleck’s shoulders and drew him closer. “Have you seen the girls?”
Fleck shook his head as another wave took them under for a few seconds. The gusting wind caused the rain to fly sideways, which made it almost impossible to see more than a few feet away. But Fleck thought he saw something over Strayam’s shoulder.
“That way,” he said pointing.
They both swam underwater and soon met up with Sarena and Jayla. They were happy to be back together again. While Fleck and the girls shouted back and forth at each other, trying to be heard over the wind, Strayam struggled to open the book to the correct page. Finally, fighting the wind, rain, and waves, he noted that the arrow pointed straight down. Puzzled by this, but not knowing what else to do, he informed the rest of the party about where they were supposed to go.
“What do you mean?” Fleck asked. “Down? Straight down? We’ll drown!”
“What other choice do we have?” Strayam shouted back. “The book says to go down.”
“I’ll go!” Sarena yelled. “I’m getting tired anyway!” She took a deep breath and dived.
“Let’s go!” Strayam roared. They all took a deep breath and dived.
As they descended, the water stopped being turbulent. The phosphorescence in the water gave them dim light. What looked like a bubble of air appeared resting about fifty feet below the surface. Fleck pointed at it and motioned everyone to head for it. Fleck burst through the edge of the bubble and fell to the bottom, gasping. Then the others tumbled in right behind him.
“Man, that was close,” Sarena gasped as she peered outside the bubble, gulping in air. “I think . . . we are . . . descending. Pretty fast, too.”
Fleck looked out and said, “Yeah, wonder where we’re going.” He turned to Strayam and said, “We should check the book.”
Strayam opened the book and saw a skull and crossbones.
“Huh,” he said as the bubble popped.
This is a Dead End.
Pronoun Plains
“Not much out here,” Fleck said looking at the rolling plains. “Not very many trees, or anything. I sure hope the wind doesn’t pick up. There isn’t much shelter out here.”
Just then, the wind started howling.
“Figures,” Fleck mumbled.
Strayam opened the book to the correct page and said, “This way guys,” and started north toward the Adverb Range, which was just barely visible in the distance.
“This wind is horrible,” Jayla said, wrapping her sleeping blanket around her shoulders.
“And its getting c . . . colder,” Sarena stammered, shaking just a little as she walked.
They trudged on for a few hours and the sun began to set. As they approached the only hill around, they noted that it was covered in large boulders.
“What’s that?” Fleck said, pointing to a light on the hill in the rocks.
“I think it’s a fire!” Strayam said, excitement in his voice. “Maybe they’ll share their fire with them.”
“I thought I once heard that Rock Orcs live out here in the plains,” Jayla said, looking at the light doubtfully, but still needing to get warm.
“No such thing as Orcs,” Fleck said. “Leastwise, I ain’t never seen one.”
“Well, we need to get out of this wind and near a fire. So, let’s go see who they are. Probably traders out of Comma or School, or something.”
They climbed up the rocky hill, knocking quite a few rocks loose, which bounced down the hill making a lot of noise. If they were trying to sneak up on the people with the fire, they failed miserably. They finally came to an opening in the boulders. It was sheltered by a ledge from the wind and they could see the roaring fire. It had a large pot sitting in the flames and something was cooking. They approached the fire and looked around.
“What’s in the cauldron?” Sarena asked, peering inside. “Oh, vegetables and water.”
“Smells great though,” Strayam said, looking hungrily at the soup.
All four stood in from of the fire staring at what the hoped would be their next meal. They heard a noise behind them, like a large footstep crushing a rock. They turned around just in time to see four Rock Orcs with raised clubs.
“Supper!” the four Rock Orcs said as they bashed each adventurer on the head.
This is a Dead End.
Suffix Tundra
“Whoa!” Fleck said as he slip and fell onto the frost-covered ground.
“Watch it, Fleck,” Strayam said, trying to keep his feet in the icy conditions.
“Wow, this sure is beautiful,” Sarena said, “but I’m really not dressed for this weather. Did anyone think to bring some warm clothes?”
“I have a sweater you can borrow,” Jayla said as she scrounged around in her bookbag. “Ah, here it is.” Jayla handed Sarena the blue and orange sweater.
“Thanks,” Sarena said as she pulled the sweater on over her head. “That’s much better.”
“Which way does the arrow point?” Fleck asked, looking around.
Strayam opened the book to the correct page. “The arrow points that way,” he said as he pointed northeast. The way looked pretty desolate.
“Well,” Fleck said as he started walking in direction Strayam was pointing, “we might as well get going. Don’t want to freeze to death just standing around in this brisk wind.”
The four friends walked for half the day with Strayam constantly checking the arrow in the book. They soon reached an overhang that sat on the edge of a deep chasm.
“Man,” Fleck said, “would you look at that? This is one deep gorge.” Fleck leaned over the edge and peered down into the inky darkness. “I can’t even see the bottom!”
As Strayam looked at the book once again, the following text appeared:
Four friends hike through the icy terrain,
Not know whether it is to snow or rain,
Looking for clues and not knowing why,
Soon they will all be able to fly.
“Hey,” Strayam said. “There isn’t anything underlined. How are we supposed to figure out this clue?”
“I don’t . . .” Sarena paused. “Did you hear something?”
Just then, they heard a loud crack. The overhang they were standing on tipped. They scrambled back toward safety, but the ledge fell away too fast. Strayam only had a chance to glance at the book before they began their plunge into the darkness. All he saw was a skull and crossbones.
This is a Dead End.