Amelia Blayke and the Broken Clock Tower

By Moses Gonzales

Join Amelia Blayke as she becomes a vital member of a grand adventure. She and her long-lost uncle of 23 years must unite, along with several other characters, to embark on a quest to not only save the new world from an evil Tyrant, but to find her uncle's memories. While the evil king searches for them, they must battle magical foes and mystical creatures to find Anthony's memories and figure out why he was sent to this strange land. Furthermore, discover a way to defeat a seemingly all powerful foe who is now their mortal enemy. Explore the new world, and the introduction to a new universal concept in which may take an unexpected plot twist in future books to come.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 29, 2023
• ISBN: 9781669864714

Moses Gonzales

Moses Gonzales is a humble technician who works for a well known Ag and Turf Dealership for a living. He loves to write in his spare time and create worlds that others can enjoy along side him. Writing started as a hobby for him and has long since become a deep passion which fuels his determination to create the next big series. His writing is for all those who enjoy a great story, relatable characters, creative imaginations, and for all those who yearn for magical worlds.

Book preview

Copyright © 2023 by Moses Gonzales.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 01/27/2023

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

848150

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 The Coin Toss

Chapter 2 The Wait

Chapter 3 A Familiar Face in the Abandoned House

Chapter 4 The Broken Clock Tower

Chapter 5 The Wolf King

Chapter 6 The Calm before the Storm

Chapter 7 The Long Road Ahead

Chapter 8 The Forgotten Fortress

Chapter 9 The Pit of Vipers

Chapter 10 Bridgetown

Chapter 11 Fight or Flight

Chapter 12 The Smile of a Thousand Words

Chapter 13 The Power of Fulmen

Chapter 14 Eyes in the Sky

Chapter 15 The End of an Old Friend

Chapter 16 Into the Darkness

Chapter 17 The Keeper of Acheron

Chapter 18 The Castletown of Steele

Chapter 19 The Foot of the Tower

Chapter 20 The Battle for the Tower

Chapter 21 The Timekeeper

Epilogue

In loving memory

Anthony Tostado

Zack Haveron

Blake Daniel

For

My baby Amelia

My loving wife, Kayleigh

Christina Mendoza

All my brothers

Olivia Rodriguez

Kenzley and Isiah

Alejandra Daniel

And those whose lives were touched by these amazing people

CHAPTER 1

THE COIN TOSS

N ot everybody was born to be faced with a quest or have their will, their integrity, their wit, and their heart tested. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t people who do though. Amelia Blayke, for one, had no idea what was in store. Amelia was almost as tall as her mom, standing just over five feet tall. She had extremely light brown hair, and in some lighting, it could even be described as sandy blonde. She had her mother’s eyes, which were golden in color, and, in the right lighting, shone with dazzling blues and greens. She was an average thirteen-year-old girl, who had above-average expectations for herself. She had the determination and integrity of a queen, yet she had the humility of the humblest of servants. She lived with her mother and father and a few fur siblings in a cozy country home found on the outskirts of Bryan, Texas. There were the old lady Roxi, her mom’s favorite; old lady Chloe, who was her dad’s favorite; her German shepherd Daisy and a little orange devil who went by the name Crash, her cat.

This weekend, the same as every weekend, Amelia and her parents were on their way to her grandparents’ house. Abuela and Abuelo she called them. They were two very kindhearted people who always saw the good in the world, no matter how much bad was thrown their way. Maybe that’s what made Amelia love them so much. No matter her failures, her faults, or her shortcomings, Grandma Chris and Grandpa Tomas loved her more than words could express. Not that her parents didn’t love her though; her dad was a full-time mechanic somewhere in town who was doing well, and many people in town knew Moses Gonzales. Amelia’s mom, Kayleigh Gonzales, was so good with animals and giving them the utmost care that she was eventually able to open her own pet rescue, which turned out to be extremely successful. This particular Saturday morning was brilliant as if the middle of July couldn’t have been any hotter. On top of that, her birthday was only one month away, and she couldn’t wait to be fourteen. Normally in Texas, her birthday month, August, was the hottest in the year, but this July felt like it was cutting close. The sun felt as if it had shone its best in centuries, yet Amelia still couldn’t help but feel a cold chill down her spine. Something was wrong, maybe even misplaced, or forgotten. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she knew for sure something interesting was going to happen this day. Let me tell you, she had no clue whatsoever, maybe not this day, but very soon.

As they began to enter the small city of Calvert, she saw all the familiar sceneries: the big water tower, cute downtown Calvert, and the corner store that her dad always made fun of Uncle Frank about. While looking at it all, she seemed to be looking for something that wasn’t there, something big. The buildings downtown were always opening and shutting down with small businesses. Her eyes passed all the signs that beckoned for tourists to enter their humble little shops, but still no sign of the missing object that silently called out to her. She just shrugged her shoulders and started conversing with her parents the rest of the way to Grandma Chris’s house. Although she tried to take her mind off the subject, it still seemed to mock her from the far corners of her mind.

Abuela and Abuelo’s house was a cute little house off to the side of a small highway. It had a tin roof and was a soft beige color with dark-green trimming. They had a decent-sized yard with a neighbor to the left, who just so happened to be Aunt Jessie’s. To the right, however, was a lush forest full of opportunities calling for adventure. The forest was indeed a place of adventure for all the kids, and even adults, who went to their house. The only thing separating their house from the neighbor and the neighboring forest was the five feet tall wired fence that surrounded the entire property. They pulled up to the driveway with the gate still closed. Abuelo and Abuela were patiently waiting on the arrival of their princess Amelia, enjoying the blissful day. They had been sitting in their rocking chairs on the front porch, taking advantage of the relaxing silence and enjoying any sort of breeze that blew their way. Abuelo slowly made his way from his rocking chair to the gate and opened it for them. As they entered, Amelia saw the big smiles on her grandparents’ faces and couldn’t help but mirror their expression. She was always extremely excited to be there.

Shortly after arriving, Amelia was already having a blast. Abuelo let her drive his prized little John Deere mower and instructed her on how to make a straight line to do the precise cutting. Amelia’s dad laughed because he knew that Abuelo was getting a free yard cut from her and that it was all a part of his scheme. Abuela was patiently waiting in the living room for Amelia after her hard work. Mowing the lawn wouldn’t be much fun for some kids, but Amelia loved it. She felt as if this alone was the part of her that was like her other grandpa who had passed away a year before she was born, Pawpaw Zack. As Amelia walked into the cozy living room, she couldn’t help but admire all the live plants that surrounded the living room windows, and the cute antique cabinets filled with all kinds of valuables. To the right side of the window that faced the neighbor’s house, there was a cluster of photos hanging. There were her dad, her uncle Tally, her uncle Victor, her uncle Raymond, and her uncle Anthony all in their graduation gowns. To the left of the graduation photos was a large photo of Uncle Anthony leaning against some sort of large building. This photo was taken during his pre-wedding photo shoot. He was a handsome man who was well-built, yet short in stature. He wasn’t dark-skinned like her father, maybe more of an olive tone, and his hair was cut short, the same as his goatee. They were trimmed neatly and not only had great volume but had defined edges. It looked like he took great pride in his appearance and kept a pearly white grin on his face, usually accompanied by a friendly smile. He looked to be so happy; you could even see it in his eyes. Those warm, loving dark eyes seemed to follow the viewer wherever they went.

She sat on the beautiful leather couch and checked each display case that was filled with foreign trinkets. Most of which were from her abuela’s time spent in the military overseas. The number of nutcrackers standing guard over the living room was incredible, easily over fifty, ranging in different shapes and sizes. Anywhere from the size of a soda can to the great big five-footer standing in the corner of the living room. Abuela had sweets and Mexican candies laid out over the wooden chest she used as a coffee table. They were all for Amelia to eat to her heart’s content. Amelia spent a few minutes telling her abuela all about the past week she had at school. After half an hour of talking with Abuela and eating Mexican candy, her mouth began to feel parched and in desperate need of quenching.

Why don’t you wash down all that candy with some of Ray’s famous limeade, insisted Abuela. She said. Luckily for Amelia, Uncle Raymond had just finished making a pitcher of his famous fresh-squeezed homemade limeade. One thing about Uncle Raymond, he loved filling up pitchers with Kool-Aid, limeade, or punch of pretty much any flavor. Uncle Raymond wasn’t an ordinary uncle, mind you. Uncle Raymond was diagnosed with autism a long time ago, roughly forty years. Amelia loved her uncle Raymond regardless though, and he loved her just as much. Uncle Raymond was a stout man who was short but well-built. He had a small beer belly but large legs and thin muscular arms. He had a full beard, peppered with black and white, that matched his hair. His hair was scruffy and curly and never got longer than an inch. He was standing by the blender, next to the sink, blending ice to go in his pitcher. As Amelia looked into his eyes while she was getting her glass, she could sense there was something more behind those keen eyes, almost a flicker of amusement, or adventure. He knew something, she thought. It’s like he could see right through me.

He walked outside carrying the pitcher, leading Amelia outside with her cup. Wait up, Uncle Raymond. I want a cup of your limeade, Amelia said, following him to the table and chairs that stayed on the porch. He sat the pitcher down and looked at Amelia with a mischievous smile. Amelia didn’t know what to think. However, she went ahead and poured herself a glass. She took a long, refreshing gulp and savored the smooth flavor that danced along her taste buds. After a few more gulps, she finished her glass and accidentally let out a loud belch. Excuse me, she said with a blush. This didn’t bother Raymond though. He still stood at the edge of the porch watching Amelia. It sure is good, Uncle Raymond! she said earnestly.

Yes, Good Uncle Raymond, Baby Amelia, Raymond replied. His eyes still had that beckoning glow in them. Now that he had Amelia’s attention, he began to slowly back away, keeping eye contact. As anyone who is well informed about autism would know, one of the main things that individuals with autism have a hard time with is keeping eye contact, and Amelia knew this. She was now intrigued to see what Uncle Raymond had planned. He made it to about halfway to the carport, then looked back, a slight smirk on his chin. AMELIA TO COME HERE! he said in an excited tone, as he slowly extended his arm out in a gesture to come here.

Amelia, with slight hesitation, allowed her feet to guide her step after step, not knowing what Uncle Raymond had planned. She had heard stories of how he’d been mean to other kids when he was trying to play; she wondered if this was a similar occasion. When she got close enough to grasp his outstretched hand, he grabbed her hand and held it tightly. Amelia to come here, he said again in a forced whisper. This time with pure curiosity, Amelia let him lead the way. As she was led, she looked around at the yard before her. The two-car carport stood in the middle of the yard at a slight angle. There was a large tree that was dead center of the yard, which gave shade to a large radius including the carport. There was a small shed that was directly right of the carport upon leaving the back door. When facing the shed, there was a small homemade garage that stood directly to the right of the shed and held Abuelo’s prized riding lawn mower. This small garage, as well as the small shed, ran parallel to the fence that separated Abuelo’s yard from the forest. They were headed toward the garage, and Amelia was still oblivious as to what Uncle Raymond was trying to have her do. As they approached the garage, Amelia couldn’t help but admire the sounds of the forest nearby: the songs of the various birds filling the air with their wonderful music, the squeaking of the squirrels and other small creatures that scurried about their day, the soft rustling of branches as summer breezes chased one another through the leafy green canopy. The clear blue skies gave it their all in presenting its addition to such a scorching, beautiful day. Not to mention the smell of freshly mowed grass still hung in the sweet country air.

They finally made it to the fence, and upon arrival, Raymond rested one hand on the fence and still held her hand with the other. He looked up into the forest as if he were able to see through the tangle of brush and branches with ease. His eyed fixed on a certain target and let out a short sigh.

What is it, Uncle Raymond? What do you see? asked Amelia anxiously. Raymond slowly slipped his hand out of Amelia’s and into his pocket. To Amelia’s surprise, instead of one of the normal-colored loops that Uncle Raymond always carried around, it was a small band, similar to that of a watch, but without a face. In the place where the watch face would be, there was a slotted indention that had strange ancient rune-looking carvings in it. It kind of resembled cracked and broken antlers or maybe even an old dead tree losing branches, she thought. On the other part of the band was the opposite. There was also another tree on the opposite end of the band, yet it was full and lush. An acronym was engraved beneath the tree. SOE, it read. What was SOE? She eyed the mysterious band with immense curiosity, wondering how and where on earth Uncle Raymond would’ve acquired such a trinket. She was just about to ask; however, Raymond interrupted her with a soft Anthony to come back. Then again and again after that. Amelia was stricken with grief. She knew Uncle Anthony well from spoken memory and how courageous and adventurous he was. Everyone loved him and everything about him. A one-of-a-kind man, a real one in a million, so to speak. It pained her to still hear her uncle begging for his long-lost brother after all these years. Time doesn’t really heal all wounds like most say; it just becomes a new normal. The new normal is what becomes easier over time, easier to live with. Although Amelia never knew him, she wanted to be like him and yearned to be the next star of the family.

Her mind was racing at a million miles per second with thoughts and actions she could achieve when suddenly she noticed something. While Uncle Raymond continued his soft chant, he was pointing at something off into the brush. At first, she thought it was the huge tree sitting in the middle of the woods with its long massive dark oak branches spreading in all directions. She rubbed her new band while admiring the similarity between the etchings and the large oak. SOE, did it have to do with this tree? she thought to herself. The tree loomed over a large portion of this part of the forest. It was dark and mysterious; however, something told her that Uncle Raymond was not pointing at this massive tree, but something a little less visible. She looked back to Raymond and noticed he was aiming a little more to the right side of the tree. She followed this point of view and saw nothing but brush, so she squinted her eyes to try to get a better look. Just when she was about to give up, she caught a smidgen of white and noticed that the white had been part of the old house that sat close to the middle of the woods. The abandoned house! she said softly in awe. Are you pointing at the big white house, Uncle Raymond? Amelia asked.

YES, HOUSE! YES, BIG WHITE HOUSE! ANTHONY TO COME BACK HOME, ANTHONY TO COME BACK. This outburst startled their family, for Raymond said this in a raised voice, almost a yell. Everyone who had now been sitting outside turned their attention straight to them, standing by the fence.

Millie bear, what are you doing over there with Uncle Raymond? asked her dad.

Amelia looked up in slight confusion. When she had walked outside with Uncle Raymond, no one seemed to be around. She shook the thought out of her head and answered, He was showing me something. She paused, then decided to tell the whole truth. He was showing me that big abandoned house you all used to talk about.

Her dad had a smile come over his face and said, Oh, that place! He looked away for a second as if he were talking to someone, then looked back to Amelia and said, Raymond’s never even been there before.

At this, Amelia looked back and saw Uncle Raymond standing next to her. She could tell that he well understood what his younger brother was saying but that Moses also didn’t know the whole truth. Can I go check it out? asked Amelia boldly. This response took her dad by surprise because at heart, he was always down for an adventure. However, they were here for other purposes than just visiting. Deep down, she knew there was a chance.

I’ll tell you what, said her father, how about we let a coin decide? Hope immediately flooded Amelia with excitement. A fifty-fifty chance?

You’re on, Dad! said Amelia, relieved that her instincts were correct. She hastily dug around in her pockets for some change but found none.

I got you, sweetie, said her dad, as he removed one of the quarters from his pocket. Heads says we go today. Tails says we go next week, he offered.

Bet! said Amelia. Let’s do it. Amelia was so anxious that the world around her went silent as time seemed to slow down. She watched the coin flip to the top of its arch, then slowly back down. She could hear the deafening sound as the coin landed in her dad’s palm. The suspense was killing her from the inside, only to be replaced with a sudden drop in her stomach as she heard the Sorry, sweetie, from her father. It’s tails, he said, showing her the side facing upward. He saw the look on her face and knew that this revelation hurt her as much as it did him. He couldn’t let her be down though, so he quickly tried to help cheer her up. Hey, Millie bear, her dad started, keep your chin up, love! We will be back next week as sure as can be, I promise! Think about it. He chuckled. You think Abuela and Abuelo are going to let us keep you away longer than that?

Amelia giggled and said, Yeah, I don’t think they’d let that slide.

Her dad laughed once more. They’d hunt us down and kidnap you before we could do that! This made Amelia feel loads better. It didn’t remove the disappointment from her heart; however, it restored just enough joy to numb the small stab of pain. With that being said, they both walked back toward the house sharing a few giggles. Amelia knew that no matter how much disappointment or hardships came her way, she could always rely on her loved ones to show the love and support she needed to get through her troubles. Before she took the last step to go inside, she looked back and said to herself, I’ll be back next week for sure, and I’m going to that abandoned house. She then walked into the house behind her dad. After all, she was famished and ready to eat.

CHAPTER 2

THE WAIT

T he days dragged ever so slowly. They seemed to creep slower and slower with every passing hour. Monday was an eternity, she thought. Tuesday was just as dull, if not more. The thing about school for Amelia was that it was hard to maintain her interest. Sure, she liked reading and writing; those came with unbelievable ease. She thoroughly enjoyed her English I teacher’s class. Mrs. Luman was by far her favorite teacher. She could control a crowd not only proficiently, but effectively. One minute she has everyone laughing along with jokes and puns, but when it came time to focus, her eyes could sound like whips cracking through the ambiance of laughter. She had a good sense of humor and wore a wise, caring smile. However, she had razor-sharp eyes and keen ears for those who liked talking while she was. Amelia would always chuckle when Mrs. Luman would put her index fingers to her temples and send telepathic messages to students who asked redundant questions or made unnecessary remarks. This was always followed by a forced yet polite I am sending you a telepathic message, Mr. or Ms. So-and-So. Did you get it by chance? Amelia thought the sarcasm was ingenious. Aside from this class, and the wonderful times she had in it, the rest of the school classes went on for an eternity at a time. As far as most Tuesdays go, this one was one of her least favorites by far. Finally, as if it were a cheer for freedom long yearned for, the dismissal bell rang throughout all the halls. The ride home that followed wasn’t so bad, and before she knew it, she was at the dinner table with her parents, complaining about the day she had. After attending to her daily chores at home, including homework, she plopped onto her bed and lay staring at the ceiling.

She now lay in her bed. The lights were off, but she dreaded sleep. Sure, sleeping would help the weekend come faster, but it was the rest of the school week she was resenting. She hated being this anxious. However, she couldn’t help it. The need for adventure ran in her veins, and she longed for a good one. Wednesday wasn’t any better unfortunately. However, she still held on to hope, awaiting the loud cries of freedom that she looked forward to every day. She continued to go through the motions until finally, it was the last class period of the day. She spent time reading her library book in hopes that it would help pass the time a little more quickly. Forty-five minutes later, it was time to go home for the day. Even the time spent at home began to drag. It had nothing to do with her parents, just the lack of patience. As ambitious and well-mannered as she was, she had a weakness, and it was waiting. Her parents could’ve argued though, but in Amelia’s eyes, procrastinating and being forced to wait are two polar opposite feelings. She could procrastinate her homework until just before bed and feel fine. After all, it was in her control. However, if she had to wait until just before bed to do her homework and had no other choice, the lack of patience would kill her. With this in mind, she proceeded to do all of her homework, catch up on her shows, and even get a little cleaning done. Despite her feeble attempts to make time fly, it still seemed to drag.

Slowly but surely Thursday came creeping along. Amelia was still counting down the days, anxiously waiting. Waiting for what, she didn’t know exactly, but she was anticipating adventure. One would think she was counting down the minutes as much as she looked at the clock. The curiosity was consuming her, little by little. She couldn’t get the events of last Saturday out of her head. How strange Uncle Raymond had been. What is this strange faceless watch or bracelet thingy? she thought to herself, holding it in her fingertips. She studied the designs closely. The etchings, the acronym SOE, the huge oak tree, and the abandoned house all flooded her thoughts and dreams. She repeatedly tried to make a connection, to understand why Uncle Raymond wanted her to go and see what was inside the house. What, or who, was SOE, and most important of all, how could any of this bring Anthony back? He’d been gone for so long. How would this bring him back? One thing is for certain, she thought aloud, the only way I’ll find out is by going in there myself.

The classes began to go a little faster once she began to drift into her thoughts. On several occasions, the teachers asked her questions to which she was snapped back into reality, and still the deep oceans of her mind came wave after wave with endless possibilities. She finally decided to write some of her thoughts down in a notebook, some at school and some when she got home. She wasn’t sure why, though, but she knew that there may be an importance to the details that kept recurring in her mind. The way the information continued to present itself to her led her to believe that there was something in the works here. She also thought that maybe having it down on paper would allow her to see it from a different perspective and give her an answer that could’ve been hiding in plain sight. With her mind wandering as such, she continued to be a zombie until finally the school bells rang, dismissing the students for the day. Amelia hastily shoved the books in her bag and threw it around her back while speed walking to the buses.

The bus ride home was much faster than usual, she said to herself, but I’m not complaining.

Kayleigh, her mother, was waiting patiently at the bus stop for her little Amelia. She stared toward a nearby tree, reminiscing the old days and the things she used to do. She was pulled out of her daydreams and back to reality by a loud Hey, Mom! coming from the familiar voice of her little angel Amelia. Amelia climbed into the car and let out a deep sigh of relief. She clicked on her seat belt and said, Am I sure glad to see you! I’ve been ready to get home since this morning when you dropped me off!

After looking toward her daughter with all the love a mother could give, Kayleigh asked, So you mean to tell me you’ve been anxious about coming home all day?

"Yes, ma’am,’ replied Amelia.

Just like your mother! Kayleigh sighed with a grin. She turned on the car, and they turned to go toward the road that led home. As they drove home and passed all the familiar houses and landmarks, they jammed out to Kayleigh’s classical pop songs. They sang and danced the best they could until the car began to slow down as they pulled into the driveway. Amelia’s mom put the car in park and said, Finally, with a sigh of relief. Amelia grinned at this and hurriedly gathered her things. She was ready to get out of the car and into the house. The second Amelia walked into the house, she was overwhelmed with hunger. Her mouth watered at the sweet, savory aromas that filled the air within the house. Dad had made some of his delicious quesadillas with freshly mashed avocado as a dip. Amelia could not wait to get her hands on some of her daddy’s cooking. As usual, her dad had some of his classic 2000s rock blasting over the speakers in the kitchen, just singing along like no one was watching. Amelia loved her dad’s music, and his singing too. She hopped in for a quick jam session with him. After she played air guitar for a little bit, her dad laughed and said, Go wash up for dinner, sweetie. Amelia ran to her room and threw her bag on the floor. She grabbed some clothes to change into and headed for the bathroom. As she showered, the thoughts came back flooding into her mind. It was almost as if the visions in her mind were transposed on the steam that came from the scalding hot water. She watched as the smoke images passed before her eyes. The two trees—one dead and the other alive—the mysterious band, and what went in the slotted part. What was in the house, and what was the significance? Before she knew it, her mom had knocked on the door to check on her.

Be out in a minute! she hollered. She finished up what she was doing, got dressed, and headed for the kitchen. The smell was overwhelming, and she could feel her mouth beginning to water at the thought of biting into one of those savory, cheesy three-meat quesadillas. She was ready to dig in, yet she patiently waited as her dad precut the quesadillas into quarters. He laid the triangles in the platter that rested in the middle of the table. Next to the quesadilla platter were the mashed avocado, sour cream, rice, beans, and queso dip. Amelia couldn’t take it anymore, but before she could say or do anything, her dad said a prayer for the food. After he finished, he said with a smile, All righty, you lovely ladies, let’s dig in.

Shortly after Amelia made her plate, her father turned off the music, then proceeded to make his and Kayleigh’s plate so they could all eat together. They ate and talked about their days. Amelia even tried to get out of going to school the following day, but that conversation didn’t amount to anything. Nice try, sweetie, but I’m not falling for that were her father’s final words on that subject. After the beast in her stomach was sufficed, she finally decided it was time to ask her dad a few questions. Dad? she asked softly, that abandoned house you’re taking me to, what’s so special about it?

Well, said her father, the thing is, it’s not really special at all love. It’s been there forever, well, as long as I can remember, at least. He paused for a second, giving Amelia time to respond. However, she leaned in closer. He began again, Well, back then it wasn’t as ragged as it is now, but it’s always been abandoned. After she nodded for him to continue, the storyteller in him came out. Anthony, Victor, Tally, and I always went there in the cold. We knew that house inside and out. Even Aunt Gloria used to go there with us. We went through all the rooms, upstairs and down. There was a lot of old junk all over the place. There were only a few things we ever kept out of that house, and one of them was cursed, or so your aunt Jessie put it, he said with a smirk.

Something cursed? asked Amelia excitedly, like legitimately cursed?

Apparently, said her father, your uncle Frank and I found it one day.

Before he could say or add anything to that statement, Amelia quickly asked, Are you for real, Dad? How?

He chuckled as he said, Well, Frank and I were attempting to go back upstairs 100 lb. later, if you catch my drift. Anyhow, one of the stairs gave, and I lost my footing and began to fall backwards, but instead of hitting the ground, I caught myself against the wall. The wall, however, was weak and gave in, creating a decent-sized hole. We saw a glint of something within the wall, so we began to make the hole wider. After we had a good-size chunk taken out, we found a mirror still partly wrapped in old newspaper. It was obvious the mirror was an antique, so we decided to keep it. However, Frank suggested we give it to his mom because she collected antiques. When we took her the mirror, she was immediately excited. She said the mirror must’ve been really old. She said it had to have been around for ages!

So what was the curse? What happened to Aunt Jessie? Where is the mirror now? Wh—

Whoa there, sweetie, no need to interrogate, baby girl. I’m about to answer all your questions, he said, then cleared his throat to continue. So anyhow, Aunt Jessie had the mirror for like three nights total. She said she kept feeling like someone or something was watching her constantly. She also said that as long as that mirror was in her house, no matter where she napped or slept, she was haunted by nightmares. Some like she’s never seen before. After that incident, Frank and I decided to smash the mirror to pieces. I don’t know if there’s anything else to find in that house honestly, especially since it’s so beat down and rugged.

I guess we will see Saturday, said Amelia.

That we will, replied her father. Now you need to go get some shut-eye. You’ve got to be up bright and early to go to school tomorrow, love.

Yeah, you’re right, Daddy, replied Amelia. The sooner I go to bed, the closer I am to my adventure, she said with a smile. Her dad couldn’t help but mimic his little adventurer’s expression. After she deemed herself exhausted and ready for bed, she couldn’t help but feel that cold sensation began oozing its way back down her spine. It’s getting closer, she said. Whatever it is, I can feel it. She slowly drifted to sleep, watching the symbols and shapes that riddled the band dance in her head. The mental image changed to the cracked mirror with several broken disfigured faces looking back through it as they mouthed the letters SOE. The thought of one of them crawling through it made her shudder beneath her blankets. ANTHONY TO COME BACK HOME! ANTHONY TO COME BACK! the words echoed in Uncle Raymond’s voice. She saw Raymond, standing in the house, pointing into the darkness. ANTHONY TO COME HOME. The more she watched him, the more she was convinced that he knew something. Something that no one else knew, perhaps an untold truth. What is really hidden inside that house? she wondered. What is the cold dark dread hanging down all around her, ready to bust at the seams? Slowly but surely the images got darker, the pictures faded, and everything seemed to go still once again. Shortly after, Amelia fell sound asleep. No more nightmares tonight. All was peaceful and quiet.

Friday morning came like every other Friday, but to her, it felt like she was getting all that she waited so eagerly for. Immediately after Amelia woke up, she remembered that she was supposed to jot down details of her dreams and experiences, thus making a mental note to do so later. Amelia’s dad was excited. It was his last day of the workweek. He was so ready to be off for the next couple of days. Apparently work had been superbusy this past week, and he needed a break. Amelia’s mom shared her husband’s excitement. She too was ready for a break from work. Amelia, on the other hand, was only excited about this Friday in particular, because it was one day closer to her unsolved mystery. This excitement, unfortunately, didn’t help her at all in terms of passing the day. She did her normal routine of getting ready for school in the morning and even had enough spare time to knock a few chores out. She knew that it was going to be another long day, considering the fact that the bus ride was dragging. For the day to start dragging on the bus ride to school was not a good sign. She popped in her earbuds and began to listen to some of her dad’s Spotify playlists. Despite how she felt about the day in regard to time, the sunset was a beautiful thing to watch. Just as she was about to nod off due to boredom, the bus came to a halt on the side of the school. The agitation of impatience kicked in as she began to walk off the bus. She hated the school; the stupid gates and guards made it seem more like a prison. There were eyes on them almost the whole school day. Cameras littered the hallways, classrooms, and sidewalks. She couldn’t help but have a short fuse today. She was excited about the following day. However, it just wouldn’t come fast enough. To her disappointment, she didn’t even have an appetite. At this revelation, she drank her apple juice, dumped her tray, and headed to class. What a start to the last day of the week, she thought. She was determined to power through this.

Once she got around to Mrs. Luman’s class for the day, it seemed to get a little better. Mrs. Luman’s humor always helped Amelia when it came to bettering her overall mood. Today’s assignment was to write a short story about what you were going to do this weekend, and Amelia couldn’t have thought the timing to be more perfect. She hastily wrote down a more than brief story of an adventure she would be having in a haunted house. The haunted house creepily stood in the middle of a small forest awaiting adventurers to discover the hidden treasures deep within its bowels. Same as always, she was first to turn in her writing assignment, with full confidence that she had another A in the bag. Other than that, the day continued to drag once again. The day was more than halfway over at this point, but to her, it still felt as if she had to wait longer.

Finally! she said with a sigh. The clock was ten minutes until 3:15 p.m. She was already out of her seat when the bell rang and continued to rush toward the bus. The bus ride home came and welcomed Amelia, as she was beyond ecstatic to get away from her prison. She kept her focus on the passing traffic and background scenery. They finally approached the bus stop, and Amelia was easily able to spot her ride. Once again, Kayleigh was waiting patiently for her daughter to get off the bus so they could make their way home after another long day. This time, however, she was in her beautiful black Dodge Challenger, complete with pink racing stripes. When Kayleigh brought out her hot rod, Amelia knew they’d ride home blasting oldies and riding with the windows down.

It’s Friday! her mom said excitedly with a broad smile on her face.

I know! Amelia said, matching her mother’s energy. After an excellent jam session with her mother, they finally made it home,