Protectors of the woods

The tree branches curled and waved with the wind; Gemma was certain it was moments before they snapped. It had been a long time since there was a wind storm this bad. Seven years ago, Gemma moved to upstate New York with her parents and brother. At first, Gemma was excited to explore the woods and paths surrounding their new home; anything outdoors made her heart sing.

But right now, Gemma was anything but excited. Why did they have to move to this stupid town? Why did her dog Ziggy have to run after anything that moved? Why was there so much wind?! Zipping her parka up to her chin, Gemma braced herself against the weather and looked for signs of the path. She had walked this area dozens of times, yet nothing looked familiar, and it was getting late. At least her brother was with her.

"Jack," Gemma said, "Does any of this look familiar"? Gemma wondered how he could read with the wind fighting against the pages. Jack just mumbled and kept walking. Though only 2 years apart, Jack and Gemma couldn't have been more different. Jack preferred the company of his books over people. Not wanting to be by herself, Gemma had promised him a slice of pizza if he joined her on her walk. He countered with 2 pieces and that he could bring his new book on code-breaking with them. Reluctantly Gemma agreed- it was better than walking alone.

"Jack!" Gemma asked again, adding more urgency to her voice. She shifted Ziggy to her other arm. After chasing him for 15 minutes, she was not about to risk the chance of it happening again. He was the reason they had to go off the path to begin with. "Jack! It is getting dark, and I don't-" Gemma swallowed. She took pride in always being able to find her way back, no matter what. "I don't want to be late."

She looked back. Jack was totally oblivious to the world happening outside the pages of his book. Gemma wondered what would happen if she hid behind a tree. Would he keep walking? Letting out an exasperated sigh, Gemma snatched the book from his hands. "I was reading that!" Jack cried, reaching for his book. "It was just getting good. I was learning about---". "Jack! We are….Oh, thank god!" Gemma exclaimed and began jogging towards the familiar sight. Confused, Jack hurried to catch up with her.

Gemma had never been so happy to see an old gazebo. They were back on the path. Emma let out a sigh of relief. A little out of breath, Jack stumbled up the steps, "As I was saying. I was learning about how the FBI used ciphers to send secret messages between offices". Jack paused and looked around, "Hey! We played here as kids." Gemma smiled, "We used it as our secret hideout, pretending the deer were spies sneaking across the borders."

Though 17 and 15 weren't far off from being kids themselves. Gemma was at that delicate age of desperately wanting to make her mark on the world, yet still clinging to the familiar aspects of her youth. "I wonder if any of our old letters are still under the step!" Forgetting about his book, Jack bent down and reached under the paint cracked board. His fingers closed around something hard.

Jack pulled his hand out to find he wasn't holding old letters but a small book. It was black, and the binding appeared to be hand-sewn. He didn't remember making any books when they were kids. Ignoring the cobwebs covering his sleeve, Jack stood up and turned towards his sister. "Gemma, look at this." He handed her the book. "A book?" Gemma questioned, turning it over in her hands, "But we always left letters." "Maybe some other kids had the same idea as we did," shrugged Jack. It had been a few years since they abandoned their covert protection of the woods. The wind had started to pick up again, and Jack shivered. He never wore enough layers Gemma thought as she flipped the book open and began reading. Her eyes went wide.

"What is it Gem?!" Jack asked, his tone edged with curiosity. "It's… it's addressed to us", Gemma responded. "It's what?" Jack questioned, and Gemma handed him the book. "Look!" Gemma pointed, "To the protectors of the woods." Jack's eyebrows raised. But how? He flipped to the next page.

"To the protectors of the woods, a task I give thee. Answer the riddles, for there are three. If you get them right, you'll find riches beyond your wildest dreams. Listen to the whispers. They repeat what has been seen. No longer three, but five. Find the water. All you race against is time."

Jack and Gemma stared at each other. Gemma always hated riddles. They confused her. But Jack was in his element. "The old bank!" he exclaimed, hardly able to contain his excitement. "What are you talking about?" Gemma was now thoroughly confused. "It's just a silly riddle." "No! It's a cipher! A code!" Jack moved to stand beside his sister. "2358 Woodland Street. Two of us, three questions, the number five, eight sentences. Also, the old bank has a big clock on the front.". Gemma stared at her brother in amazement. He smiled and held his hand out for his book.

The sun was setting as they crossed into their yard. If they were lucky, they would make it to the bank before closing time. Gemma dropped Ziggy in the house before grabbing her keys and meeting Jack at the car. It was 5:10 pm, and the bank closed in 20 minutes. It took 15 minutes to drive into town. They just might make it.

Jack spent the car ride giving Gemma a summary of codes, ciphers, and the type of pizza he wanted to get on the drive home. She still owed him two slices. Sensing his sister was only half paying attention, Jack turned his attention to the book they found. All but the first page was blank. Did the creator forget to finish? Gemma pulled up to the bank, and though the drive was short, her head hurt. Jack talked fast when excited, and now, he was over the moon.

The bank lights were already off when they got out of the car. Jack looked up at the clock overhead. "But we still have 5 minutes", he tried the doors again. Locked. Gemma pointed to the paper taped to the door. "Plumbing issue has created a river inside. Closing early. Will open first thing tomorrow". A bit of the excitement gone, Jack and Gemma got back in the car. They would have to wait till tomorrow.

Gemma always woke before Jack. She threw on jeans, her favorite sweater and sat down on her bed. "Couldn't hurt to examine the book a bit more until Jack woke up." She was momentarily surprised to find the pages empty. Had Jack noticed? She vaguely remembered him saying something about a codex and blank pages. It was way too early for out-of-the-box thinking. She needed more coffee. Gemma tucked the book into her jeans pocket and headed downstairs.

To her surprise, Jack was already in the kitchen. Tightening the lid to the thermos, he looked up when she walked in. "Ready to go?" he asked, handing Gemma the thermos. "I think my dream from last night may help us."

On the drive to the bank Jack told Gemma about his dream. They were in the forest with their friends, throwing rocks into the water and watching the ripples chase each other. Everything about the dream seemed normal, except hardly anyone talked. And when they did, you had to strain to hear them". "Listen to the whispers" resonated in Emma's head as she asked, "Do you remember what they said? Jack's eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "It was hard to hear. I don't remember exactly. Something about a tree, I think". Gemma was quiet for a moment and took a sip of coffee, her jaw tightening reflexively. She'd forgotten Jack drank his coffee without sugar. She smiled gratefully in his direction.

The same sign was taped to the door when they arrived at the bank. Frustration clear on his face, "Now what?" Gemma was surprised the idea came to her first and not her brother. "We go to the river," she said. "Gem…", responded Jack, his annoyance clear. "We need to find the next riddle first before we go trotting into the woods." Gemma smiled as she pointed towards the sign, "But there it is." "What are you talking about?" replied Jack, clearly confused. "The sign talks about a river and your dream….." Gemma paused, hoping her brother would catch on. "The book told us to find the water. There is a river not too far from the old gazebo. They got back in the car and headed to the woods.

The sun was shining through the branches as they crossed into the tree line. They had gotten the first of the riddles right and found the bank- 2358 Woodland Street. Jack's dream and the sign on the bank door had led them to the river. But what the third riddle? Faint voices broke through Gemma's daydream. Voices? Hardly anyone came to the river this time of year.

As Jack and Gemma moved closer to the river, the voices became more audible. They were not voices of panic or secret, but voices of excitement. Jack and Gemma picked up their pace and pushed past the last bit of trees and out to the river's edge. They arrived to find a group of people wading through the water, clearly looking for something. One girl was going on about "value" and how "it has to be here," a notebook held close to her chest. Another guy was kicking over rocks when his friend smacked him with what looked like a book, "Tom, if you keep churning up dirt, we will never find it!" Gemma turned and whispered to Jack, "Are they holding…?" "Yes!" Jack responded, not matching his sister's discretion, "They are holding books like ours!". The people in the river looked up.

For a moment, everything was still- the air crackling with curiosity and unanswered questions. Then, as though it was a scene from a well-rehearsed play, everyone started talking at once. "They have a black book"… "Riddles are not the same"… "Number five." Gemma knew they were overlooking something. She could feel it in her bones. The black books and riddles had brought them together, but there had to be something more. Three was a symbol of strength. The Triad. All.

"That's it!" Gemma thought aloud. "Guys, I know what we have to do!" Everyone stopped talking and turned to Gemma. "The number three is a symbol of strength and unity. Its power is universal. We all received riddles in threes. Three groups of three." She pressed on. "We need to find a way to put our messages together." "A new Triad!" replied Tom, falling in step with Gemma's train of thought.

"What stood out for Jack and me was the symbol of a tree. Did any of your riddles mention a symbol?" Gemma asked, hope dancing across her face. "Tom and I had a bridge," replied the other boy. The other girl added, "And mine mentioned large stones." A tree, bridge, and stones. All symbols of strength. As if reading each other's minds, the group turned and faced the bridge.

Through cracks and falling stones, Gemma could make out a tree. The others must have seen it too, for they started eagerly towards the bridge. As if showing the world the answer to the final riddle, the branches pointed downward and into the water. Directly beneath the tree rested a neatly placed pattern of rocks, completely undisturbed. Moving together, each person grabbed a rock and stood up. Revealed underneath, shimmering in gold, would change their lives forever.