Secrets of the Lost Adventurers' Club

The wind howled through the overgrown trees as Lily adjusted the flashlight in her hand. Beside her, Sam held the rolled-up map, its edges frayed and dotted with cryptic symbols they had spent the past week trying to decode. Elmwood Manor loomed ahead, its broken windows like dark eyes watching their every move.

“This place is way creepier than the clock tower,” Sam muttered, tugging his hoodie closer. “You sure we have the right spot?”

Lily gave him a sharp look. “The map doesn’t lie. And if that journal’s in there, we’re one step closer to figuring out the Lost Adventurers’ Club.”

The Lost Adventurers’ Club. Just saying the name gave Lily a thrill. The riddles they had discovered in the old clock tower had hinted at a long-forgotten group of explorers who left behind puzzles and treasures for those clever enough to find them. The clue from the clock tower had pointed them to Elmwood Manor, and now, here they were.

As they approached the mansion’s front steps, the wind picked up, making the old iron gate groan behind them. The boards covering the front door were loose, and after a bit of prying with Sam’s multi-tool, the way inside was clear.

The interior was exactly what everyone in town whispered about—dusty furniture shrouded in white sheets, wallpaper peeling off in jagged strips, and the smell of mildew thick in the air. But none of that scared Lily. She was too focused on the map, which now showed a rough outline of the manor. One of the symbols, a small key, was marked over a room in the east wing.

“This way,” she said, leading Sam through a maze of creaking hallways.

As they entered what must have been the library, Lily’s breath caught. The room was enormous, lined wall-to-wall with towering bookshelves. In the center stood a desk, its surface cluttered with yellowed papers and a tarnished inkwell. And there, just as the map had suggested, was the journal—a leather-bound book with an embossed compass on the cover.

Lily reached for it, but the moment her fingers brushed the leather, Sam grabbed her arm. “Wait.”

“What now?” she asked, annoyed.

Sam pointed to the dusty floor. Faint, fresh footprints led out of the room and deeper into the manor. Someone else was here.

Lily swallowed hard. “Let’s grab it and go.”

She lifted the journal carefully, opening it to reveal pages filled with spidery handwriting and sketches. But one phrase caught her eye immediately: **“Before the full moon.”**

Sam peered over her shoulder. “What do you think it means?”

“I think,” Lily whispered, “we have less than twenty-four hours to figure it out.”

Suddenly, a loud thud echoed from somewhere upstairs, followed by a faint scuffing noise. The mysterious figure. Whoever they were, they weren’t far away.

“Come on,” Lily said, clutching the journal. “We need to find a safe place to read this.”

They slipped out of the library and down another hallway, eventually ducking into a small room that looked like an old pantry. Lily flipped through the journal as quickly as she dared, scanning for anything that might give them a clue.

“There!” Sam said, pointing to a page with a sketch of a crescent moon and a riddle underneath: **“When shadows stretch and time stands still, the treasure lies beyond the hill.”**

“What hill?” Sam asked.

Lily traced the drawing with her finger. “The hill behind the manor—it’s got to be there! The treasure must be hidden outside.”

Before they could move, though, a shadow passed by the cracked doorway. Both kids froze. The figure was close now, their dark coat swishing softly as they moved through the hallway. Lily and Sam exchanged a silent look.

“Back door,” Sam mouthed.

They crept out of the pantry and down another hall, careful to avoid the creaky floorboards. Outside, the night was colder, the full moon just beginning to rise over the trees. They sprinted across the overgrown backyard, stopping only when they reached the base of a small hill.

“Dig?” Sam asked, panting.

Lily shook her head, flipping to another page in the journal. “No, it says to look for a stone circle.”

They scanned the hilltop, and there it was—a ring of mossy stones surrounding a small metal chest. Lily knelt to open it, her hands trembling. Inside was a bundle of papers tied with a red ribbon and a strange, intricate key.

“What is it?” Sam asked, wide-eyed.

Lily smiled, holding up the key. “It’s the next clue. The Lost Adventurers’ Club isn’t finished with us yet.”