Treasure Map

When the three friends were younger, having a mysterious drifter hand them a cryptic map would have been a dream come true. A total Goonies situation. As teenagers, it was still pretty cool. Of course, they had to try to follow it, despite the drifter’s warning as he attempted to staunch the bleeding cut on his arm.

“Burn that. Don’t show it to anyone else, just … Just get rid of it.”

The moon broke through the clouds, and the three of them stood there, frozen, waiting for something to happen. This had to be the place, they were sure of it. They were in the middle of an open field, the moon a spotlight that was better than any X marks the spot.

Suddenly, without warning, the ground cracked open right in front of their feet. Amy lost her balance, saved only by Emil’s quick reflexes. He pulled her to his chest, and the two of them ran toward the fence. Brent was three feet ahead of them the entire time. He vaulted over the fence just as another tremor shook the field. This time, both Amy and Emil fell to the dirt. Pushing up to her hands and knees, Amy looked back over her shoulder.

A light, brighter than the moon, radiated from the wound in the earth. Something from the depths cried out and threatened to pop her eardrums. The air she gasped stank of sulfur, decay, and rotten garbage. Breathing in the noxious fumes seared her throat.

She turned to Emil’s terrified face.

“I don’t think that map was leading us to treasure.”