A Stargazing Summer Chapter 2

Lily opened the door as quietly as she could not wanting to wake her Gran if she finally settled to rest. The familiar hum of the television greeted her once she stepped inside. It was one of the daytime soap operas her Gran loved watching; the kind where the characters’ lives were always more dramatic than reality.

The living room was bathed in the soft afternoon light streaming through the lace curtains. Her Gran was on the couch, wrapped in a red plaid blanket that had seen better days but was still her favorite. A cup of tea was held loosely in her hand as she snored gently, her head tilted back, mouth slightly open.

Lily tiptoed over to where her Gran was sitting. She hated to wake her but was worried the teacup would fall if she didn’t move it. As she gently pried the cup from her Gran’s gnarled fingers, her eyes fluttered open in surprise.

“Oh, Lily! You’re home already! I swear I just closed my eyes for a moment. Did you find anything interesting?” Gran’s voice was a mix of surprise and warmth.

Lily smiled, feeling a familiar wave of affection.

“Sorry to wake you, Gran. Yes, I found something unexpected, but it’s not mine to keep. Not yet, anyway.”

Gran’s eyes, sharp despite her age, widened with interest as she noticed the rolled-up star map Lily was holding. Lily quickly explained what had happened at the antique fair, the encounter with Ethan, and how they were to take turns studying it for clues.

“I don’t understand why she wouldn’t just sell it to me,” Lily complained with a sigh as she sat down beside Gran, the couch cushions sinking comfortably under her weight. “Now I have to waste the next week and a half going back and forth with Ethan because they believe this map is some sort of magic.”

Gran raised an eyebrow, her expression a mix of amusement and curiosity. “Ethan Lawson? Well, I’ll be darned. That is interesting.”

“You know Ethan?” Lily asked, surprised.

Gran laughed, a rich, warm sound that filled the room. She stood up and walked to the kitchen cupboard, opening the container of molasses cookies she and Lily had made together the night before.

“Oh, Lily honey, everyone knows Ethan. He’s our local celebrity. He was nice enough to sign my copies of ‘The Cursed Gems of Blackwater Bay’ and ‘Mysteries of the Moonlit Cove’.”

Lily’s jaw dropped.

“You have his books?”

“Of course I do! That boy can spin a tale like nobody’s business,” Gran said with a twinkle in her eye. “And now you’re working with him?” She dipped a cookie in her tea and took a bite. “Better be careful or he’ll put you in one of his stories.”

Lily shook her head but couldn’t suppress a smile as she chose a cookie for herself.

“Gran, he writes about treasure hunts, not small-town girls like me.”

Gran gave her a knowing look. “Ah, but every great treasure hunt needs a smart, spirited heroine. And you, my dear, fit that bill perfectly.”

Lily sighed.

“Well, I’m not looking to become anyone’s story. I just want to figure out this map so that Mrs. Hawthorn will let me buy it.”

“I know, dear. Everything will work out just fine. You’ll see. Agatha wouldn’t have turned it over to the two of you if she didn’t think you could handle it. You better get started though. The day will be over before you know it.”

With a resigned nod, Lily spread the map out over the kitchen table. The parchment was intricately detailed, with shimmering constellations, mystical symbols, and ancient runes. It was undeniably beautiful, but she wasn’t an expert in astronomy or ancient languages. She traced the lines with her finger, feeling a little lost.

She squinted at the constellations, hoping something would jump out at her.

“Cassiopeia? Or maybe that’s Orion’s Belt?” she muttered to herself. She turned the map sideways, examining the mystical symbols, but they were just squiggles and dots to her. The runes looked like the doodles her friend’s kid made with crayons.

After hours of staring at the map, cross-referencing with some old astronomy books, and trying to make sense of the runes, Lily was no closer to a breakthrough. She sighed deeply, frustration mounting. She needed a fresh perspective, but that meant handing it over to Ethan tomorrow, and the thought of him smugly deciphering it was unbearable.

The next day, feeling a bit defeated, Lily pushed open the door of the Willowbrook Diner. She had spent the morning driving Gran to a string of doctor’s appointments, which meant it was already late afternoon before she could finally meet Ethan to pass on the map. She was prepared for him to be annoyed by the late hour, but to her surprise, he didn’t seem to mind when she spoke to him on the phone. Did he always just roll with the punches? she wondered.

The bell above the door jingled softly as she entered, and she spotted Ethan already seated in a corner booth, sipping on a cup of coffee. He looked up and flashed her a warm grin, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

“Good afternoon, Nancy Drew. Solve any mysteries last night?” he quipped.

Lily slid into the booth across from Ethan, setting her purse down with a soft thump.

“More like spent the night staring at squiggles and dots. Your turn, Hardy Boy.”

Ethan chuckled, taking the map from her and spreading it out on the table.

“Let’s see what we’ve got here.”

They both leaned in, their heads almost touching as they scanned the map.

“By the way, how’s your Gran doing? You mentioned she had some appointments this morning?” Ethan asked, still examining the map and missing the look of surprise on Lily’s face.

“She’s fine, it was just some check-ups. Thanks for asking,” Lily stammered, taken aback by Ethan’s concern.

“That’s great,” Ethan said, glancing up at her with a warm smile. “Ellie’s a sweetheart. She always comes to my book signings. I’m glad you came to stay with her. Not many people would uproot their life like that. She’s lucky to have a granddaughter like you.”

Lily stared at him, dumbfounded.

“Well, she’s all I have,” she managed, her voice soft with emotion.

Ethan nodded, sensing her discomfort, and turned his attention back to the map. He traced a constellation with his finger.

“This is definitely Cassiopeia. And this here looks like Draco.”

“I know that, Ethan. I went over every inch of this map yesterday and didn’t find anything out of the ordinary. Nothing that would make it more than a pretty decoration or a collectible for someone to hang on their wall.”

Ethan opened his mouth to speak, but the words were lost as something extraordinary happened. Coordinates began to appear on the map, right where his finger had been pointing. The numbers glowed faintly, almost as if they were coming to life under their gaze.

“Did you see that?” Lily asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Ethan stared at the map, wide-eyed.

“I did. It just appeared out of nowhere.”

Lily signaled frantically to the waitress.

“Can I get some coffee over here? Actually, just leave the whole pot. I must have gotten less sleep than I realized.”

Ethan shook his head, his excitement barely contained.

“You’re not overtired, Lily. The coordinates really did appear. This map is an actual magical artifact. The legends are real!”

Lily frowned, still skeptical.

“Things don’t just appear out of thin air Ethan. Our eyes must have been playing tricks on us. That’s the only explanation.”

Ethan leaned back, his smile widening.

“Why is it so hard for you to believe there’s more to life than what we see on the surface? There’s magic in the world, Lily, and we’re seeing it firsthand.”

Lily crossed her arms, her curiosity piqued.

“Sure, whatever you say. Let’s just figure out where these coordinates lead.”

Ethan pulled out his phone and entered the coordinates into a GPS app. After a moment, his eyes widened.

“You’re not going to believe this.” He turned his phone around so that she could see for herself. “The coordinates lead to Shadowbrook Cemetery.”

Lily’s heart skipped a beat.

“The cemetery? Why would a star map lead us there?”

Ethan shrugged, his eyes lighting up with excitement, making them seem an even deeper shade of blue.

“Only one way to find out. If you’re scared, I could always go alone. It is my day with the map, after all.”

Lily stood up and finished the last of her coffee, her mind racing with a thousand questions. There’s the Ethan she remembered from yesterday — selfish and determined to get what he wants. The idea of spending more time with him wasn’t exactly appealing, but she wasn’t about to let him take all the credit when it came time to tell Mrs. Hawthorn what they had discovered.

“We’re supposed to work together and that’s what we’re going to do,” Lily responded, her eyes locking onto Ethan’s, silently daring him to protest.

He was right after all. Her time with the map was up and she hadn’t uncovered anything of value until this afternoon, with him.

Ethan just shrugged and put some cash on the table to pay their bill.

“Suit yourself.”

As they stepped out of the diner, the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across Willowbrook. The cemetery was just a short walk away, its ancient trees and weathered gravestones barely visible in the twilight.

Ethan looked at her, a serious expression replacing his usual playful demeanor.

“You know… this might be more than just finding a buried key or some old relic. We could be stepping into something much bigger than we realize. The Hawthorns have a lot of secrets.”

Lily felt a shiver run down her spine, a mix of excitement and unease.

“Stop trying to scare me. You know as well as I do this is just some glorified treasure hunt the Hawthorns set up,” she said, trying to mask her apprehension.

As they approached the cemetery gates, the air grew colder, and a strange, almost palpable energy seemed to hang around them. Ethan paused, glancing at Lily with a look that was both reassuring and challenging.

“You ready for this?” he asked quietly.

Lily took a deep breath, her grip tightening on the map.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Together, they pushed open the creaking gate, the shadows of the gravestones stretching out before them like dark phantoms. Whatever awaited them in the depths of Shadowbrook Cemetery, Lily knew one thing for certain: it was too late to turn back now.

***

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