The Lost Treasure Map 2017 (Novelette I)

By V Bertolaccini

A classic action-packed treasure hunt thriller set in New York of the adventures of explorers searching for lost treasure, ancient lost Transylvanian treasure, buried away for centuries at an ancient mansion, once an ancient Transylvanian castle, and of their investigations of strange ghost formations and phenomena, and explorations of the colossal desolate mansion and its ancient legends!
The explorers are fanatical with discovering the last clue to what they think is a treasure hunt competition, left by the last owner, and deceased billionaire, and they explore the colossal mansion and vast desolate estate racing to get it first.
Leading paranormal scientists and investigators are brought in after they encounter strange unidentified hauntings, and extraordinary ghostly energy formations, and they uncover the source in a secret chamber, with lost Transylvanian tombs.

• Language: English
• Publisher: CosmicBlueCB
• Release date: Apr 22, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370109869

V Bertolaccini

A 21st century publisher/author famous for his unique classic mind-bending beyond space and time, alien artifact, and exploration themed science fiction, who did his first mind-boggling science fiction classic From Beyond Space and Time in 1998, who likes and writes 21st century potential blockbusters, headline action thrillers, high quality action-packed movie-style science fiction horror.

Book preview

Prologue

The Lost Treasure

Over centuries old Transylvanian folklore gave descriptions of lost treasures being buried away at the ancient Transylvanian castle.

Out of the ordinary accounts of events that led to the castle’s construction and extraordinary wars by great gallant and evil counts, distinguished noblemen, and later of the dormant castle buried away in the woods, lost in time, like a deadly ghost castle, and of the desolate estate, inundated people with alarming accounts of evil, unexplained magic, and malicious creatures, dwelling in its boundaries.

Inhabitants in villages gave meticulous accounts and warnings of unexplained occurrences in its province.

Of the worst, travelers on horseback escaped encounters and encountered the remains of gypsies and other ancient travelers, found in the deep dark depths of forests, surrounding the castle, with signs of being attacked and chased by deadly things with horrendous sounds, coming out the night, shifting wildly through thick vegetation and down from trees.

Investigations, and most by regional authorities, habitually concealed and disregarded findings and claims of supernatural phenomena, and newspapers concluded it was Transylvanian superstitions, ghost stories, and the desolate region and castle’s hideous presence and evil history.

Early explorers searching for lost treasures, mentioned in the old folklore, died carrying out investigations and treasure quests, and few survived, and some told of hideous occurrences and sounds of malicious demons and elementals tormenting the woods and confines of the ancient castle.

Part I

The Lost Treasure

Chapter 1

Howard Eisenberg’s Treasure

The lawyer of Howard Eisenberg rushed in the door and the others were left speechless, and John Eisenberg realized how much Howard Eisenberg had influenced and terrified them, and he watched his uncle’s aged lawyer and his peculiar reactions to everything trying to grasp why he was not reacting the way he should be, and he conclusively recalled him from when he was younger, when he visited his uncle.

The lawyer stopped in front of them and nervously held out a document, and Eisenberg instantly realized how valuable it was, and especially to him, and he knew it had something important.

Amusement appeared on the lawyer’s face and Eisenberg realized again he knew something he should know, and the lawyer bent his head close and opened out the document and peered at it.

When he never did anything Eisenberg glanced over at Kurt shifting out his seat to the window behind him, where he looked down the side of the giant building to the New York traffic below, and the city streets glowing in the dying rays of sunlight, and to the sun sinking into the distant skyline.

Eisenberg shivered when a cold breeze blew across the back of his neck from an open window, and he never moved and kept his eyes fixed on the room and lawyer not wishing to miss anything, and watched the room grow silent, with the suspense, and he studied the six remaining members of the Eisenberg family.

After nothing occurred again they began whispering and adjusting their seats and Eisenberg observed the lawyer anxiously leave and go and get an old video with a typed label out a box, which he showed to them, by rotating it in his hand, with a glint of surprise, followed by sadness, and he stopped in front of them, and Kurt rushed back into his seat.

Your deceased uncle, Howard Eisenberg, he announced to them all, requested that you watch the video …

He went to the door and signaled someone, who arrived with an old video player television and set it up and keenly took the video off him and gently fitted it into it.

The picture surprised Eisenberg as it was really ancient and with signs of deterioration, with the colors making it resemble an old war movie.

The camera showed his uncle in an office by himself, behind a large desk, puffing away at one of his large cigars, and Eisenberg felt sick looking at it, and shifted in his seat, and wondered how much he inhaled it, and if he would suddenly look sick.

The picture flickered to his amusement, and he studied him wondering what he missed about him as some of the things about him in the papers and the rest of media were unbelievable, and some definitely created by him for effect, and he realized he might never grasp what he was altogether like.

Howard Eisenberg sat back cheekily staring straight into their eyes from the screen and they sat silently, not budging, wondering what he intended, and what the eventual outcome would be.

He sat upright, and stared more deeply, and came to a conclusion, and grabbed a bottle of whiskey and unscrewed the cap, and Eisenberg realized how little objects in it were dated, even though the film was clearly old, and he listened to distant vehicle and voice tones absurdly mingling, and he recalled old memories, and silence seemed to engulf the room.

Howard Eisenberg seemed different somehow and doing something and he tried to grasp what, and saw strange reactions from him to things, and he stared straight at them, and as though he was staring directly at him, like he once had done.

He unhurriedly muttered, Each one of you will get one of my personal estates … But I want the ownership of the businesses, and wealth, to go to one of you, who’ll do as I wish!

He sat back and looked through documents on his table and Eisenberg sat staggered wondering how much he had profited, and tried to recall his estates and where he stayed, and from what he had heard, and the media, and realized he never even knew where he stayed, but knew he had lived on his own, and had not remarried, and he wondered which of them he intended his businesses and wealth to go to, and why he insisted one person should run them, and why he had never allowed any of them to be involved with them.

Eisenberg thought of his six cousins there – and who was the most experienced, and realized he had to have made a mistake.

Eisenberg realized he should have done what he once intended to do and become experienced in the businesses Howard Eisenberg had, and not just become the private detective that he had become, and he realized how lucky he was that he had actually got one of his estates, and for a few seconds wondered if they were far bigger than he imagined, and that Howard Eisenberg had given them what they wanted, and he never needed to give them the companies.

To his surprise the lawyer left the room and returned and gave each of them an envelope, with their name on it, and kept a large brown envelope.

Eisenberg quickly opened his and glanced at the documents inside and saw he got some form of country mansion, which surely was away out in some desolate rural region, and he was not so sure he had really profited.

Howard Eisenberg looked up from what he had been doing and stared straight at them again, and the others stopped discussing what they got, and Eisenberg realized two had got large city buildings, and that they might have profited far more.

After considerable thought, Howard Eisenberg continued nervously, I’ve been unable to come to a conclusion on who should get the businesses …

Eisenberg gasped and sat looking confused, wondering what he wanted, and what he wanted the person to do, and if he was given it if he could carry it out and he considered getting someone else to run it for him and he wondered why he never did that himself, and what the hell he was up to, and he sat watching him, and studying him, and saw how mysterious he was, and wondered how he had managed to accumulate his wealth, and recalled stuff about his accomplishments.

Howard Eisenberg searched through his documents and threw them over at his side, and shouted, "I’ve decided to choose the person I want with a little game I’ve come up with, giving you a little adventure ... I’ll give you a clue that’ll lead to a harder one, followed by other clues, which will take you to a treasure chest, and the person who returns with the contents shall win ... The first clue is: A lake I’d avoid. In a giant skull."

Chapter 2