The Very First Step

A treasure hunt! That was the thesis topic that poofed into the mind of seventeen-year-old freshman Anna. It was simple, really: have her friends find a valuable gift she concealed somewhere on the university campus courtyard, and record their behavior. And it was a loving way to give back to the community.

So here were the rules: The gift was in something not so obvious. Searchers would have exactly until the beginning of sundown to find the hidden package. Everyone would be monitored on efficiency and strategy.

When Anna was done explaining, there was definitely something in the air that hung like a chime waiting to sound.

“Strategy? Meaning what?" Malika Kincade raised a brow, reluctant to ask questions for another vague answer.

“Knowing Anna, probably the art of playing nice.” Davina Henley rolled her eyes slightly.

Younger brother Magnus Henley joined them, "Sportsmanship is everything, ladies."

There was a fourth contestant who stayed feet away from their little pack. His name was Guy. But was that his birth name, or sarcasm?

After opening her black notebook and readying a page with the clip of her pen, the rich girl projected her voice, "Ready...set…GO!”

Malika’s foot sharply jabbed a rock, causing her to stumble into her failed momentum where the grass beneath her laid. Davina was sprinting with Magnus barely keeping up, and Guy remained stationary while surveying the location.

"A little help?"

She deadpanned as Guy traveled to her and gave her a sickening high five. He traveled north before wishing her a tepid "good luck".

"I oughta high-five his..." she shook her head and did a reverse burpee back to her feet, adrenaline churning in her throat like lava.

The orchids made a subtle wave, grass blades whipped and swayed

…..

Malika didn’t know how long that school had been around, but if gravity had a stronger tug on her there would have been a lawsuit for sure. She inspected her boot for any scuffs. All good considering...

Her opponents had already disappeared into the more beautifully obscure parts of the courtyard. And thank God this search was reduced strictly to a courtyard. Traveling the entire two thousand acres of the University was a workout in itself.

But back to this money: Anna said it was not going to be in something conspicuous. Perhaps it would be wrapped in a dark velvet bag? Maybe literally growing from trees? Who knew?

…..

“Why are you even doing that?” Magnus managed to tear one eye away from his sister while scanning the area for the slightest rustle of grass.

“This tree gives us the perfect vantage point! And I can see exactly how wayward everyone else is being!” she grunted and perched herself on the widest branch of the tree.

Magnus thought she was being a little too tactile for a treasure hunt. And he stiffened the sting of laughter in his throat watching her take out binoculars like the soldier she was. Sure, the money might have been hiding on a roof or something like that…

“Okay, the maze! I bet she hid it there!”

“Is it open?”

“I’m gonna make a way. You go ahead and scout the area; I’ll keep up here!”

He nodded and started jogging to the dark cutout of hedges.

…..

Malika recognized the many shapes and forms of plant-life here in the maze. Some have dwelled for two hundred years with their slightly ashen branches yet still vibrant leaves. One large tree greeted her from feet away. It couldn’t have been a weeping willow, not with its violet leaves that made a shower of confetti on the floor. Along the ivy-cushioned walls were lays of flowers that were freshly planted: salvia decorating the corners in alternating plum and pinks.

At this point, she really could have used a clue. There was nothing else out in the open. And while the container the money was in remained inconspicuous, that did not mean the location it was in wasn’t.

The aroma of a memory from ten years ago wafted in her consciousness: of burning incense and vanilla extract. She had borrowed a stick that smelled like sage and dipped it in the stuff. It burned the most vibrant yellow and furious orange, which was like a siren call for her mother and father. She was sent to her room as punishment, forced to work on more important things like fractions and rearranging decimal places.

Finding the money would make years of childhood shenanigans worth it. Imagine having a place to experiment with aromatherapy, where making fires was part of the process...

Her brows bent at the sound of breathing, no, more like huffing. She turned to find Magnus doing a double take and attempting to sprint off. She called after him, but it was like he was never there.

…..

Magnus checked the entries for all strange-looking packages, and for some leaves that might have been nicely designed coin pouches. Anything! He had been at it for an hour now. Malika was standing ground at the other half of the garden, so it was better for him to survey what she was doing to save some effort.

When she saw him, he played the invisibility card. See no evil hear no evil, and especially speak no evil. He was a figment of her imagination.

Somehow his brain made room to remember the remains of his childhood: Davina raising him when she was thirteen despite being a mere five years older than him. She would exchange first dates and group outings to the skating rink for selling stolen candy and stoic charisma. She forwent prom for her first training session in the armed forces.

At twenty-one, Davina was well in cahoots with sacrifice. And knowing this did not soothe the swell in Magnus’s throat whenever he expressed his own desires to live his life. All they had to do was split the money and they would go their separate ways. He would become emancipated.

Because they both needed this. They deserved it, right?

…..

Guy hated school. He could make a game of Trigonometry and Statistics in his sleep. All his life, it was drilled into him that doing this stuff would make him rich and set for life. Then he could get away from his entitled uncle and leave him to learn how to manage his own household.

The social aspects of making a living could go away. At least until he would apply to a gameshow to make the rest of his living with his intellect. Then he could truly say and believe he was set for life.

But running around trying to find something was never his claim to fame. It was better to sit and think: to explore the few areas that remained untouched on campus. Fountains were very useful when it came to burgeoning insight: the crystal clean trickle of water created such a pool of thought. And no wonder it was the perfect center point for something as intricate as a maze.

“I think I’m lost!”

“Where’s Davina?”

“Literally sitting in a tree like some frickin’ day owl or something!” He pouted. “I already have my two cents on how she’s treating this hunt, but I’m really not in the mood to get yelled at…”

Malika rolled her eyes with a straight line for a mouth, “Well you saw how she stopped to help me up. Did you hear her laugh at me?”

“That’s sounds like her competitive little she-devil coming out.”

Malika meekly joined her pointing fingers at the tips, “I’m literally asking you if she laughed at me…”

“It’s that rat race.” Guy lifted his leg to rest his forearm on his knee, “It’s every man for himself. A dog-eat-dog world. Although that would be cannibalism…but people seem okay with that these days.”

"Umm...how did you get in here before we did? You were way over there..." Malika's brows furrowed as she pointed to the main courtyard area.

All the wise guy did was motion to a rather narrow opening of a maze wall that, frankly, would have been invisible to the naked eye.

"Nice demonstration of chivalry back there, by the way. Mama sure raised you right." She spat.

All Guy did was shrug, "Uncle raised me."

The boy sighed, “That would be messed up if the money was, like, tucked under her dress in a fanny pack. And she’s over there watching us run around like chickens, with her cutesy little laugh…”

Malika smirked and caressed a petal of an iris, “You think her laugh is cute?” she cooed.

Magnus rubbed his neck, tilting away with a hint of strawberry hueing his cheeks, “I mean, she never does it, so…”

They were so close in age. She seventeen and he being almost sixteen. They could’ve made a perfect not-so-secret pair.

Malika stood to stretch, panicked when a dull pain settled in her shin. The consequences of wearing stiff-heeled boots were catching up and maybe running into that piece of concrete wasn’t helpful… something washed over her in an ocean wave of “a-ha”.

As the young woman stormed away from them suddenly, Magnus and Guy exchanged competitive squints and followed her trail closely.

Malika caught on, now dashing and swallowing her alarm as the two guys behind her were mere inches away matching her pace.

…..

Anna closed the black moleskin she made her notes in and looked up, rubbing her cheek. A small sound escaped from her throat as she witnessed Malika, Magnus, and Guy rushing from the maze area and back to the main courtyard. Davina materialized from nowhere it seemed, joining them in the sudden race.

Malika fell to her knees as the others clamored around her and the spot where she tripped. A loose stone was thrown from the area and cries of astonishment filled the area.

“What is it?”

“Is that…”

There was a case, and Malika managed to pry the box open with the ruins of her acrylics. And the cries finally crescendoed to boisterous whoops.

Inside were stacks of bills neatly tied with pink and silver ribbons. Bills closed behind a key locked glass case.

They demanded to know who won. Malika was the one who found the case, but maybe…

Anna pulled her hair behind her ear and stood up straight, “I find it kinda funny how all of you assumed it was money. What if it had been keys to a car or a house?” She shrugged with a small pout.

Davina pointed to the book she made a small scribble in, “What kinda notes are you keeping on us, doc?!”

Anna clasped the book shut with her left palm and looked straight at them, “It’s easy. The winner is Malika!”

“Are you serious?” the women and Magnus wailed in unison, leaving Guy with his arms dangling in defeat.

Malika felt weakness escort her to the ground below. If the butterflies weren’t so great at making her stomach weak, it could have easily been the invitation of reality. She could continue with school! Her lab was waiting for her to take advantage of and ooh what she could concoct from her dreams!

And to cement that dream further coming true was Davina’s face red with admonishment, charging after a stiffened Anna.

“Why was she the winner?! Yeah, she discovered it, but we were right there, too! Explain yourself!”

And that would remain a secret right along with where Anna got her sudden track-star ability to sprint.

As the two women shrunk from view, Magnus snuck to Malika's peripheral with cheekiness curving his eyes, "So...Malika? If I go and retrieve that journal, will you slide me two thousand?" he concluded while rubbing the fingers on his left palm together.

All she did was peer at the little con artist with her mouth mildly agape and head tilted.