The Gatlinburg Chronicles

It was just another night in late May in the Tennesse Smoky Mountains. However, for the Liebermans, it was the start of another chapter in their life. Originally from Chicago, they moved to Gatlinburg to live in a house located high up in the mountains. They had just inherited the house from the Lieberman boys’ paternal grandfather, who had recently died. They were in the home stretch of their long journey, just in front of the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum. Ten-year-old Matt was fast asleep in the back seat, seated next to his twin brother Mike, who was playing Minecraft on his IPad. Seated in the middle row were eight year old Miles and and four year old Mason, who were both asleep in their carseats. The parents, as you might expect, were in the front seats.

The boys’ mom, who was driving, whispered to Mike, “Mike, we’re almost there. Could you wake up the other kids, please?”

“Sure,” said Mike. He lightly tugged on Matt’s shoulder and said, “Matt, wake up, we’re here!”

Matt yawned, stretched out his arms, and asked, “Are we there already?”

Mike responded, “Yeah, Matt! You’ve been asleep for like five hours. I don’t know how you do it. I can’t sleep anywhere but a bed. But we could replace your bed with the Bed of Nails from Wonder Works and you wouldn’t even notice!”

Matt replied, “Another thing that makes me better than you!”

“Oh, shut up!,” said Mike, as he hit Matt in the arm. Not hard, but just enough that it stung for a second.

“Boys, stop fighting! No one is better than anyone!” said their mother.

Mike said, “Yeah, if anyone is better, it’s me. I’m older than you.”

Matt said, “Yeah, by like thirty seconds!”

Awoken by the twins’ petty sibling squabbles, Miles said, “Could you guys please stop fighting? I’m trying to sleep!”

Matt said, “Miles, we’re here. It’s time to get up anyway!”

Noticing all the sights out the window, Mike said, “On another note, look at this place! I believed you when you said Gatlinburg would be exciting, but this is incredible! Look, a haunted house! Can we go there sometime, Mom?”

His mom said, “Mike, you know the rules. I’m not taking you into anything haunted unless you can pay your own way.”

Mike replied, “No problem. That’s what allowances are for, right?”

Matt said, “Oh please, it’s not like you do anything to earn extra money!”

Mike replied, “I’m ten, it’s not too late to start! Besides, it’s summer! I’ll just find a summer job.”

“Sorry, Mike. You’re still six years too young for that!” said his mom.

“I meant mowing lawns and doing yard work for neighbors, Mom! I always wanted to start doing that, but we lived in a fortieth story condo in downtown Chicago!” said Mike.

Miles asked, “Where is our new house anyway?”

His mom said, “Up in the mountains.”

Mike replied, “Well then, you better get out that old popcorn-bucket-turned-puke-bucket, because little baby Matthew is scared of heights!”

Matt screamed at Mike, “I’m not a baby!” and started wailing on him.

Their dad woke up after hearing this and yelled, “Boys, cut it out or you’re both getting extra chores! Man, why did we have to have four of them? Clara, you couldn’t have produced a single girl?”

Mike replied, “Actually, Dad, from a scientific standpoint, the fact that you have four boys is your fault. Mom always passes down an X Chromosome, while you can pass down an X or a Y. For some reason, you must’ve always given her a Y Chromosome.”

“Okay, Mister Smarty Pants! Strange that you know that at ten, but okay,” his dad responded.

Mike said, “Of course I know that, I read your textbook!”

“Textbook? What textbook?” asked his dad.

Mike answered, “Your health textbook. From your high school.”

His dad yelled, “Oh, that one.”

Mike asked his dad, “One thing I’ve always wondered: Why did you rip out chapter one?”

“Trust me, you’re too young for that part. I’ll explain it to you when you turn thirteen,” his dad replied.

Just then, Clara said, “Okay guys, we’re here!”

Noticing the size of the house, Matt said, “Look at this place! Are we rich now?!”

His dad replied, “Not rich, but we’re definitely very well off.”

The house was an old plantation-style manor purchased by the Lieberman family around 1870. It had white siding, recently-replaced windows with blue shutters, and a black shingle roof that was recently repaired. It had columns which supported a balcony on the front, and a small fountain in the driveway. It had never seen slaves under the Lieberman family, as the Liebermans were in the railroad business, not farming. However, along the driveway were five rotting foundations that used to hold slave quarters before the Liebermans who first bought the plantation moved in and tore them down.

Everyone got out of the car and unloaded what they brought with them. They didn’t bring their furniture along, as the manor came with furniture. They just brought smaller items, like clothing, hygiene items, electronics, and toys. They opened the front door, placed their suitcases in the dining room, and sat down in the front parlor for a family meeting. Their dad, Bill, took the opportunity to explain the living arrangements.

“Okay boys, there are five bedrooms. Unfortunately, I found out only the other day that only three of them have beds in them. That means each one of us is going to be sharing a room for a little while. Mike and Matt, you get the bedroom on the second floor on the far left side. Miles and Mason, you get the bedroom on the second floor, next to the master bedroom.”

“Aww, why do I have to sleep in the same bed as Mason? He has accidents, you know!” said Miles.

“Don’t worry,” Bill replied, “I’m giving you two the room that has two twin beds. You won’t be sleeping in the same bed. Mike and Matt, you guys will share a bed. Unless one of you wants the pull-out bed here in the parlor.”

Matt replied, “I’m good, I’d rather share a bed.”

Bill asked, “Mike, are you okay with that?”

Mike replied, “Sure. I guess.”

Bill said, “All right, now that that’s settled, there’s someone I’d like you kids to meet. Come with me.”

Bill took the kids (minus Mason, who stayed behind to unpack his things) to a small house located on the far southeast corner of the plantation. Sitting on the front porch playing his guitar was a middle-aged black man who worked for the Lieberman family as a gardener.

The man, named Cletus Robinson, called out, “Why it’s Bill! I ain’t seen none of you in a coon’s age!”

Bill replied, “Hey, Cletus! I’m your new boss now!”

Cletus said, “Well, I sure am glad the place stayed in the family! I ain’t got nowhere to go!”

Bill said, “Did you ever really think it was gonna leave the family, Cletus?”

Cletus replied, “Well, yo’ daddy Eugene talked about sellin’ the place! Guess he never got ’round to it!”

Bill said, “Anyway, Cletus, these are my boys: Matt, Mike, and Miles. Mason’s inside with Clara.”

Cletus replied, “Oh, I remember two of ’em! Mike and Matt were just teeny little babies last time I saw ’em! Don’t remember Miles though!”

Mike said, “Wait, we’ve been here before?”

Bill replied, “Yeah, when you were both just six months old! But this was before Miles’s time.”

Matt said, “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Cletus.”

Cletus replied, “It’s nice to meet you too, Matt!”

Miles asked Cletus, “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but why do you live on a plantation? Didn’t they get rid of slavery?”

Cletus said, “My family moved here after World War II to work as servants, pickin’ apples and stuff. We built a house for ourselves in our spare time. So, here we are! Or more precisely, here I am! I’m the last of my family I know of. I never had any kids.”

Mike said, “So, you just live here by yourself?”

Cletus said, “Yep. But don’t worry about me. I got you guys, and I got a lot of friends down in ol’ Gatlinburg! Anyways, I’d be happy to show you around this ol’ place sometime. It’s got a sad ol’ history, but it’s a really beautiful place.”

Bill said, “In the meantime, boys, let’s go unpack our stuff. Your mom and I bought tickets to the aquarium. They have a glass tunnel that goes right under the tank! Meanwhile, Mom’s gonna take Mason to a children’s museum.”

Matt said, “Sounds cool, Dad! Do they have sharks?”

Bill answered, “I’ve never been there, but come on Matt, what aquarium doesn’t have a shark or two?”

Later that day, the Liebermans got takeout from a local Japanese restaurant and sat down in the dining room for dinner.

Bill asked the kids, “So, what did you think of the aquarium?”

Matt responded, “It was amazing! Better than the Shedd Aquarium!”

Mike also gave his opinion: “It was pretty cool. I really liked the underwater tunnel and that playground that goes up to the second floor!”

Bill then asked Mason, “What about you, Mason? How was the children’s museum?”

Mason replied, “Cool! Can we go there again tomorrow?”

Bill replied, “No Mason. But don’t worry, I have some fun activities planned for right here at home!”

Matt asked, “Like what?”

“Exploring! Cletus is gonna show us all the really old buildings on the plantation!”

Matt responded, “Great, I’ll have some more material for my drawings!”

Mike said, “And I can’t wait to learn the history behind them!”

Bill responded, “Just to warn you, Mike, some of the history is a little bit on the dark side. That’s why I’m taking you and Matt out together, then Miles and Mason out on another trip.”

Miles said, “Dad, I’m eight years old! I know about slavery and all that!”

His dad responded, “Yeah, but some of that might be too graphic for you.”

Clara asked Bill, “What exactly are you planning to show Mike and Matt?”

Bill responded, “The apple orchard that used to be a cotton field, the well house, the ruins of the old slave houses, the slave punishment tools that Isadore hid in a nearby cave, and the family cemetery.”

Mike asked, “Are we gonna have to pick apples?”

Bill replied, “Only if you want any apple pie this fall. And I know how much the Lieberman family loves their apple pie!”

Matt said, “Yeah, last year Mike found where we hid all the apple pie and ate HALF A PIE in one sitting!”

“Well, metabolisms can be pretty impressive at that age,” his mom replied.

After finishing dinner, the boys (minus Mason, who would obviously need help, being only four years old) went to separate bathrooms to shower and get ready for bed. After they were finished, they went to their bedrooms, and Bill gave Mason a bath. Mike, Miles, and Matt went to the left-side bedroom to play Minecraft together for a while.

Miles asked Mike, “So, what are we doing in Minecraft today?”

Mike responded, “We’re gonna find some Netherite!”

Matt said. “Mike, you said that the last time we played Minecraft together, and what did we find? A lot of nothing!”

Mike replied, “This time I mean it. While you guys were asleep in the car, I spent time building stuff that’ll help us get around in the Nether. I built a Strider stable, some scaffolding, and a couple of small mining bases filled with backup pickaxes, pork from some Hoglins I killed, and respawn anchors so you can respawn there if you die. And I actually found one piece of Netherite scrap, and enough glowstone so that we all can die ten times each!”

Matt said, “Mike, you were always the smart one, but this is incredible!”

Mike replied, “Yep. Now let’s do this! Everyone, into the Nether Portal!”

Once their characters arrived in the Nether, they each opened a chest with their name on it, and set off towards the mining bases.

Once Miles got to his mining base, he noticed that his chest contained an Efficiency V diamond pickaxe. He said, “Mike, I can’t believe you found an Efficiency V book!”

Mike replied, “Yeah, I found a woodland mansion a few days ago, and one of the chests had an Efficiency V book in it. Don’t worry Matt, I gave you a Mending book.”

Matt asked, “Mending? How the heck did you find a Mending book?”

Mike said, “I got that from the mansion too.”

Miles said, “Man, that was one OP mansion!”

Mike replied, “I know, right? I couldn’t believe it when I first saw it!”

After a few minutes, Matt left for the bathroom to put his contacts away, while Mike and Miles kept playing. He’d forgotten where he put his contacts case, so he opened the cupboard to the right of the sink. He found his contacts case, as well as a small wooden box with a symbol he didn’t recognize. Curious about what was in it, he pocketed the wooden box, took out his contacts, put his glasses on, and went back to the bedroom.

Matt asked Mike, “Hey Mike, do you recognize this box or this symbol?”

“I’ve never seen the box before,” Mike answered, “But that symbol is the Greek letter Omega. It’s on our family’s coat of arms.”

Matt opened the box, and found a golden ring with the Omega symbol on it.

Mike asked Matt, “Well, what’s in it?”

Matt replied, “A ring with a shield on it that also has the Omega symbol.”

Mike said, “Really? Let me see that!” He took one look at the ring, and knew instantly what it was. He said, “Matt, looks like you found Grandpa’s ring. It’s called the Omega Ring, or the Ring of Life and Death. He always said it allowed him to see ghosts. Of course, ghosts are scientifically unproven to exist.”

Matt said, “So is Jesus, yet we all believe he rose from the dead.”

Mike replied, “Jesus’s existence is proven by a crap ton of historical records. There is no evidence of ghosts ever existing.”

Matt said, “Okay, you wanna try it out and prove me wrong?”

Mike said, “No, that’s just a stupid old legend passed down in the family.”

“What’s the matter?” Matt retorted, “You scared of ghosts like a little BABY?!” Upon hearing this, Mike jumped on top of Matt and started to wrestle with him.

“Guys, cut it out!” said Miles, “You know you guys are gonna get smoked by Ghasts, along with those noob bases you built!”

Just then, Bill opened the door and said, “Boys, wrap up your Minecraft and wrestling. Time for your nightly Bible readings.”

Mike said, “Okay, Dad. Good night!”

Bill said, “Don’t tell me goodnight yet, I’m coming back in thirty minutes to tuck you guys in. Miles, come with me and I’ll read a section from Proverbs to you and Mason.”

Miles replied, “Okay, Daddy.”

Miles followed his dad to his room, and Mike and Matt got in bed to read the Bible that Mike packed in his backpack.

Matt said, “Before we start our Bible reading, I just want to say that yes, I’m gonna wear that ring.”

Mike said, “All right. But don’t say I didn’t warn you that ghosts are most likely not real.”

Matt replied, “I’ll take that risk,” and put the ring on.

After about thirty minutes of them praying and reading the Bible, Bill came in to say goodnight.

“Okay boys, time for lights out!” said Bill. Bill put their Bible away, gave each of them a kiss goodnight, ruffled their hair, and tucked them into bed with their favorite stuffed animals (in Mike’s case, a stuffed owl, and in Matt’s case, the standard teddy bear).

Mike said, “Good night, Daddy.”

Bill said, “Good night, boys. Don’t let the bedbugs bite!”

Mike asked, “Daddy, there aren’t really any bedbugs in this house are there?”

Bill said, “Not that I know of. It’s just an expression adults say. Good night.” Bill left the room and shut the door.

“Good night Mike,” said Matt.

Mike replied, “Good night, Matt. Don’t let that stupid ring give you any ‘ghost encounters’, okay?”

Matt said, “Okay, Mike. Good night!”

Matt woke up around 5:30 AM. It was too early to entirely get up for the day, but he needed to get a drink. Matt went downstairs to the fridge where they kept the water bottles, and got the one with his name on it. Suddenly, he heard a gloomy voice that said, “Hello, Matt.” He turned around, and sure enough, it was a ghost with torn, tattered clothing, a chunk of its head missing, and several small circular burns on what was left of its face. He ran screaming back to his bedroom and woke up Mike.

“Mike, wake up! There’s a ghost in the living room!” he said.

Mike looked over at the clock on the wall and said, “Matt, it’s 5:35 in the morning! Didn’t I tell you there’s no such thing as ghosts?”

Matt replied, “Yeah, but I just saw one! Here, put the ring on and come downstairs!”

Mike said, “Fine. But just to prove to you there are no ghosts!”

Mike put on the ring, and both of them headed downstairs. Mike saw the same ghost that Matt saw, freaked out, and grabbed his brother for dear life.

“Holy crap, it is a ghost!” said Mike.

Matt replied, “Told ya!”

Mike said, “Do you think it wants to hurt us?”

Matt replied, “I don’t know, ghosts can behave any number of different ways. It usually depends on who you are and how they died.”

Mike asked, “You think our grandpa killed that guy? No wonder Cletus doesn’t have anyone living with him! Maybe Grandpa KILLED THEM ALL!”

Matt answered, “No, Grandpa would never do that! Especially not to one of his own workers!”

Mike asked, “Is there any way to find out?”

Matt replied, “Didn’t you buy some kind of history book on Amazon before we moved here?”

Mike said, “Yeah, let’s take a look at it. But in the meantime, I’m taking off this ring!”

Matt replied, “I understand. I mean, that guy is missing half his skull!”

Matt and Mike went back to their bedroom, and Mike dugThe History of Gatlinburg, Fact vs Fictionout of his backpack. Matt asked, “Mike, have you even read the book?”

Mike replied, “Part of it.”

Matt looked at the book’s table of contents and suggested, “Look, I’m nowhere near as smart as you, but even I know that we should probably take a look at the ‘Mid-1900s’ section.”

Mike replied. “Good idea. Let’s see... Okay, I think I found something!” He pointed to a section of the book about a man named Earl James Robinson. He read the section out loud to Matt: ”In the summer of 1969, fifteen year old Eugene Robert Lieberman (that’s our Grandpa!) discovered the mutilated body of thirty-two year old Earl James Robinson in a creek that ran through his estate in the mountains near Gatlinburg. Earl had been brutally tortured, so badly in fact, that the cause of death could not be determined with the technology available at the time. He’d had his skull smashed with a garden hoe that was found at the scene, he’d been stabbed over 50 times with a butcher knife, his face had been burned with lit cigars, and his fingers were removed and were not found at the scene. These are just a few of the unspeakable crimes committed against Earl Robinson, some of which are too graphic to describe here. Eugene Lieberman was investigated, but there was no evidence to prove he did it. The case remains unsolved to this very day.”

Matt asked, “So our grandpa discovered the body behind that ghost?”

Mike replied, “More like he killed the guy! How else could he have ended up here?”

Matt said, “Maybe some Klansmen got to him and just dumped the body in the creek! Besides, our grandpa wasn’t racist! I never once heard him trash-talk a single black person!”

Mike replied, “Grandpa might’ve just changed his views on race over the last seventy years or so. But even if it wasn’t a race thing, that still doesn’t mean he didn’t kill him!”

Matt said, “Mike, Grandpa was only fifteen when Earl was killed!”

Mike replied, “Doesn’t mean anything! Grandpa was into wrestling when he was younger! Remember Nick from next door back in Chicago? He was only eighteen, yet he could probably overpower our dad! And that’s saying something!”

Matt suggested, “Okay, I see where you’re coming from. The way I see it, there’s only two ways to know what happened here, and both of them require speaking to a dead man. But with the Omega Ring, we know at least one of those methods shouldn’t be a problem.”

Mike replied, “But what if Earl Robinsonwaskilled by Grandpa, and his ghost stuck around to HAUNT US?”

Matt replied, “No problem, we’ll just turn the light on.”

Mike said, “Okay, I’ll be right next to the light switch in case anything goes wrong.”

Mike walked over to the light switch while Matt carefully approached the ghost.

“Hello, Matt,” said the ghost.

“Uhh.. hi. Are you Earl Robinson?”

“Yes I am.... BOOOOOOOO!” said the ghost.

“I know what happened to you, Mr. Robinson. And I’m sorry if my Grandpa killed you!” Matt replied.

“Naw, yo’ grandpa didn’t do nuffin to me! I used to work for him and his parents, and they were the nicest white family I ever knew! He paid me real good to raise his apple trees!” said Earl.

“Then who killed you?” Matt responded.

“The current Mayor of Gatlinburg, Joe Ramsey. Big Democratic boss. He’s also secretly the head of the Gatlinburg branch of the KKK. He’s been runnin’ with them since he was fourteen! And I ain’t his only victim either! Also popped some black girl in ’59! Unfortunately, the police couldn’t find a lick of evidence that he killed me! Either that, or they didn’t want to find any!” said Earl.

“That’s awful!” Matt replied.

“Yeah, but he was much sloppier in 1959. Say, would you mind helpin’ me out, Matt? I can’t promise you no reward, bein’ a ghost and all. But gettin’ justice for myself will help me move on to what comes next! All you have to do is prove he killed that girl, and you don’t even need to solve my case! Then I can move on to the next life!” said Earl. “And it’ll be easy too! The gun he killed her with is still locked in a safe in his house. Old coot keeps it there as a trophy for his first victim! Also, they found the bullet in the girl’s skull. It’s at the police station in Pigeon Forge!”

Matt said, “I’d love to help you, but we only have one Omega Ring, and my brother Mike would need to help out too.”

“No problem,” said Earl, “There’s another Omega Ring. ‘Course, ol’ Eugene dropped it into the bottom of the ol’ well house so nobody else’d get to it! It’s still there to this day.”

“Okay Earl, we’ll help you out!” said Matt, “Mike, put the ring on so he can explain the story to you.”

“Okay!” said Mike.

After Earl explained the story to Mike, Mike agreed to help Matt solve the case. The two did their secret twin handshake before heading back to their room.

Matt asked, “Mike, wanna play some Minecraft?”

Mike replied, “Sure. We still never found any Netherite. But shouldn’t we wake up Miles? He always hates it when we play Minecraft without him.”

Matt answered, “Mike, it’s 5:50 in the morning! Mom would totally kill us if we woke up Miles! Besides, the room probably stinks like piss because of Little Baby Mason! I’m not going in there!”

Mike said, “You’re right. Let’s just go back to bed for a while.”

Matt responded, “Sure, it’s way too early to get up anyway.”

At around 9:30, Bill went to Mike and Matt’s room and woke them up for breakfast. After a few minutes, both of them went downstairs.

“Morning, boys!” said Bill.

“Good morning, Daddy!” said Matt.

Bill said, “Your mom made blueberry pancakes and bacon. Later, Cletus and I are gonna show you around the place.”

Mike said, “Actually Dad, we’d rather go on our own, if that’s okay with you.”

Bill replied, “Okay, just bring your cell phones and call me if you need anything.”

Mike said, “Okay Dad.”

Mike and Matt finished their breakfast, packed their things, and headed out on their adventure. Their first stop was the well house. Of course, neither one of them had any idea where it was, so they set off for Cletus’s house. However, about halfway there, Matt noticed the rotting well house near the entrance to the apple orchard. The boys went inside the cylinder-shaped building and looked down the well to see if they could see anything.

Matt said, “Well, no sign of any ring. Just eternal darkness.”

Mike replied, “That’s where this comes in: a military-grade flashlight that Dad got from one of our neighbors. Dad says it’s bright enough to outshine a few hundred regular flashlights, so it should be able to see the bottom of the well no problem. You wanna do the honors?”

“Sure,” said Matt. Pointing the flashlight down the well, he could clearly see the Omega Ring at the bottom. “Mike, I can see it!” he said.

Mike said, “Great! Now we just have to get it out somehow.”

Matt noticed something inside the well and said, “Mike, is that a door at the bottom of the well?”

Mike replied, “Lemme see... Wow, it is a door! Now we just have to find the other side.”

As if in response to that, Earl’s ghost suddenly appeared. He said, “Hello, Matt! I forgots to tell y’all ‘bout the secret door. There’s a secret tunnel in the basement hidden in the ol’ gun safe. The combo’s 1-12-35-70! Once you get the safe open, just kick in the back wall, and the tunnel opens!”

Matt responded, “Wait... why would Grandpa build a secret tunnel into the well house?”

Earl replied, “That well ain’t real! It’s just a hidin’ place built by the ol’ owners to hide stuff for the Confederate Army! Y’all’s great-great grandpa found it when he first bought the ol’ place, and made the safe the secret entrance! The real well house don’t exist no more!”

Matt said, “Thanks, Earl!”

Earl replied, “No problem, buddy! You need any more help, just hit the ring up ’gainst some’in and say mah name!” And just like that, the ghost disappeared.

Matt said to Mike, “That was Earl. The secret entrance is in the safe downstairs. The combination is 1-12-35-70. Think you can remember that?”

Mike said, “Yeah, that combo’s just every other number in the pentagonal number sequence up to 70. Grandpa Isadore must’ve been one heck of a mathematician!”

Matt replied, “Mike, English please!”

Mike replied, “It’s a very special group of numbers. I don’t know what it’s for, but my teacher made me memorize it up to 176.”

Matt said, “Okay, brainiac! Now let’s go find that secret entrance!”

Mike replied, “Wait a minute... What about Mom and Dad? We can’t look in a gun safe with them here!”

Matt said, “Then we wait till Mom and Dad are asleep tonight, then look at it.”

“Sounds like a good plan. Let’s do it!” said Mike.

That night, after their usual Bible studies, Bill came to tuck them in for the night.

Bill said, “So, how did the exploring go?”

Matt said, “Pretty good.”

Bill asked, “What did you guys see?”

Mike said, “We studied the well house quite a bit.”

Bill asked, “What for?”

Mike said, “You know, to get to know the history of it.”

Matt said, “And I’m gonna have a field day drawing it!”

Bill said, “By the way, boys, I was gonna give you these at the aquarium, but I forgot. Here’s $50 for each of you. There’s a bike path not too far from here that leads into town. You can go there if you’d like, so long as you bring your cell phones, check in with me every hour or so, and stick together.”

Mike said, “Thanks, Dad. Just put it on the dresser over there.”

Matt said, “Thanks, Dad. I can’t wait to use it!”

Bill replied, “You’re welcome, boys. Why don’t you lay down, and I’ll tuck you in.” Bill gave each of them a kiss goodnight and tucked them in. “Oh, and one more thing,” said Bill, “Tomorrow, Mommy and Daddy have to go set up our new company offices in Knoxville around 5:30 in the morning. That’s before you normally get up. Cletus will be here in case of absolute emergencies, and we’ll send Mason and Miles to Uncle Wayne’s house. But I trust you two big boys will be fine on your own. We’ll be back around 6:30, and we’ll have pizza for dinner. There’s grilled chicken and summer salad in the fridge for lunch. For breakfast, just have a couple of Pop Tarts.”

Mike said, “Good night, Daddy.”

Bill replied, “Good night, boys. Sleep tight!

Both boys slept well that night, knowing they had the perfect window of opportunity to find the secret entrance because their parents were going to be at work.

The next morning, Mike and Matt woke up around 9:30 to find Miles sitting at the dining room table eating his breakfast.

Mike said, “Miles? What are you doing here? I thought you were going to Uncle Wayne’s!”

Miles replied, “I talked Dad into letting me stay home. He decided to give me a chance to prove I can behave myself unsupervised.”

Mike said, “Matt, can I talk to you in private for a minute?”

Matt said, “Sure, I guess.”

The boys went back to their bedroom to talk in secret, away from Miles.

Mike said, “Matt, this dangerously complicates matters. Miles is the ultimate tattletale! If he finds out we broke into an old safe looking for a secret tunnel, we’re both getting a spanking!”

Matt said, “Relax, Mike! I’ll keep Miles busy with some Minecraft. You go downstairs and find that ring!”

Mike said, “Good plan. And don’t be afraid to pin Miles down if he tries to find out what we’re up to!”

Matt replied, “Got it! But first, let’s eat breakfast.”

Mike said, “Right, let’s do that.”

At breakfast, all three boys talked about their Minecraft plans. Mike and Matt played it cool well enough that Miles didn’t suspect anything.

“So Miles,” said Mike, “Today we’re actually going to find Netherite.”

Miles replied, “That’s what you said during the last two sessions!”

Mike said, “This time I really mean it. We have more time today.”

Miles replied, “Okay, Mike. If you say so.”

After the boys finished their breakfast, Mike said, “Okay guys, I’ll meet you upstairs in a little bit. You can get started without me.”

Matt said, “Okay, Mike. Miles, I dare you to play Minecraft without the smart kid around!”

Miles replied, “Challenge accepted, Matt!”

After Mike was sure Matt and Miles were upstairs, he went down to the basement to look for the secret tunnel. He remembered the combination, so he was able to open the safe with ease. Seeing that the back wall was already missing, he entered the tunnel. After what seemed like forever, he reached the end of the tunnel, and found the ring sitting at the bottom of the well. He went back up to the bedroom like nothing happened, and joined in the game of Minecraft with his brothers.

Mike asked, “So, how did you guys survive without me?”

Matt said, “Mike, you were like five minutes late! We’re fine! We even found two pieces of Netherite Scrap!”

Mike replied, “Good job! That means we only need one more to enchant one of our pickaxes! Miles, we’ll do yours first, since you’re the youngest.”

Miles said, “Okay, thanks Mike.”

Mike replied, “Anytime, Miles!”

After an hour or so of Minecraft, Miles went downstairs to play on his own Creative Mode world, and Mike and Matt discussed the next step in their plan.

Matt asked Mike, “Okay, we have both rings now, so what’s next?”

Mike said, “Now, we go to the police, and let the legal system handle the rest.”

Matt responded, “But we still don’t have the gun. What good does the bullet in the police station do if there’s no gun to match it to?

Mike said, “The police can get a search warrant.”

Matt said, “But Mike, they can’t get a warrant based on two ten year olds saying theremightbe a gun used in a 70 year old lynching inside Joe Ramsey’s house. I have a better idea. In the movies, the police sometimes use a spy to infiltrate a suspect’s house and get them to confess. What if we posed as aspiring Klansmen, went to his house, and somehow got him to brag about the fact that he killed that girl? Mike, you can hide your cell phone in your pocket and secretly record what he says. Then, we go to Gatlinburg City Hall and play the recording in front of the entire town!”

Mike said, “For once, Matt, I like your idea better. Tomorrow, we’ll head to Joe Ramsey’s house.”

Matt said, “Screw that! We’re going right now! Mike, aren’t there two white bedsheets in the closet?”

Mike asked, “You really think he’ll fall for that?”

Matt replied, “We’re ten years old. He’ll appreciate the effort.”

Carrying their makeshift Klan costumes, Mike and Matt went to the well house to summon Earl. Mike tapped his ring on the wall and said, “I summon Earl Robinson, Gatlinburg Tennessee!”

Earl appeared out of the blue and said, “How can I help y’all?”

Mike asked, “What’s Joe Ramsey’s address?”

Earl replied, “Right down the street, brotha! Three houses down on the left.”

Mike said, “Thanks, Earl!”

Earl replied, “Any time! Now go down there and get me some justice!”

Matt said, “See you in a few hours!”

Earl replied, “I hope so. Be careful!”

After about a half hour of walking all the way across the estate and down the street, Mike and Matt found Joe Ramsey’s house. Mike turned on his cell phone recording device, and both of them put on their costumes. Matt rang the doorbell, and Joe Ramsey answered, “Howdy, boys! Way to show your Klansman pride! A-Y-A-K?”

Matt asked Mike, “What does that mean again?”

Mike responded, “He’s asking if you’re a Klansman. Now I just respond with A-K-A-I, meaning ’A Klansman I Am.”

Joe responded, “That’s right, boys! Come on in, and we’ll discuss white pride over a glass or two of southern sweet tea!”

Joe Ramsey and the boys sat down in the living room, and Joe poured both of them a glass of tea.

Joe Ramsey asked, “So, boys, what branch are you from?”

Mike responded, “Originally from Chicago. We left because there were too many Niggers. They never could keep their hands away from our wallets, or white women!”

Joe Ramsey replied, “Well, it’s good to see some Northern folk supportin’ the cause of White Civil Rights! You know, one of these days us Klansmen and all the real white folks are gonna make a place where even the people who fix the roofs are white!”

Matt said, “I can’t wait to get away from all the black people!”

Joe Ramsey asked, “That’s right! So, boys, how long have you been Klansmen?”

Mike responded, “Since always. We had good, racially conscious parents!”

Joe Ramsey said, “Well good! That’s a mighty rare thing to have in today’s world, run by the Niggers! Can you believe we elected one of them Coons president?”

Mike responded, “I know, right? Niggers need to be on plantations, not unlike the one my family just moved onto! Those jungle bunnies need to be put on a leash so they can’t rape any white women!”

Joe Ramsey replied, “You could put a thousand chains on a Nigger and it won’t make him any less likely to rape a white woman! That’s why we had to have the Klan to keep the Niggers in line. Think of us as a special police force that keeps Niggers and Race Traitors in check so they don’t rape our white women!”

Mike said, “Yeah, that’s right! Too bad the government won’t let us give them Coons the Robinson treatment!”

Joe Ramsey replied, “That’s right! I’d love to relive that experience. I smashed that Nigger’s head in, burned him with cigars, and cut off his fingers as souvenirs! If you guys want some, I’ll give you some! I still have two that I’m willin’ to give away frozen in my icebox downstairs! ’Course, I gotta keep one for myself as a trophy, so I can’t give ’em all out.”

Mike said, “Of course, we’ll take ’em! Do they still look like fingers?”

Joe replied, “Yep. Be right back, I’ll grab ’em for you!”

Joe went downstairs and got the fingers out of his icebox. He gave Mike and Matt each one finger to take home.

“Thanks Joe,” said Mike. “We gotta go, Mom’s making cornbread!”

Joe replied, “That’s all right! Go home to your mama and have some good ol’ Southern cookin’! I’ll see you at the next Klan meeting this Sunday, right?”

Mike replied, “I wouldn’t miss it for the opportunity to go to Disney World!”

Once a safe distance from the house, Mike said, “Yes! Not only do we have a confession, we have PHYSICAL EVIDENCE to prove he did it! This isn’t just great, it’s out of this world! I looked at the city’s website, and there’s a town meeting at 5 PM! That’s more than enough time to beat Mom and Dad!”

Matt said, “Mike, we did it! And in a few hours, Joe Ramsey is toast! I do have one question though: where did you learn all those slurs and codewords?”

Mike replied, “I went to a public school in Chicago, you know. And I took advanced history three years in a row.”

At around 3:30, Mike and Matt set out on the bike trail towards downtown Gatlinburg, having gotten directions from Earl.

“Mike, how will we explain this to Mom and Dad if we get caught?” asked Matt.

Mike responded, “We tell them the truth. Summon Earl, then show them the ring.”

Matt asked, “But what if Earl has already moved on?”

Mike replied, “He’ll stick around to thank us. Besides, we can just summon a random ghost if he’s an ungrateful jerk.”

Matt asked, “But what if they just confiscate the rings and refuse to put them on?

Mike replied, “If that’s what they wanna do, then let them. They can spank us all they want. We know what we’re doing is right. That’s all that matters.”

After a long, exhausting bike ride, they arrived at City Hall just in time for the meeting. It was a relatively short meeting, all things considered, so they didn’t have to wait long.

Mayor Joe Ramsey said to the crowd, “Okay, this is the part of the meeting where the public is allowed to speak. Would anyone like to do so?”

Mike and Miles raised their hands. Ramsey started visibly sweating.

Mayor Ramsey replied, “Sorry, boys, you’re not of legal voting age. If there’s no one else, I move to adjourn.”

One of the trustees said, “Mayor, the law sets a legal voting age, but it doesn’t set a legal speaking age. Boys, make it quick.”

Mayor Ramsey said, “This is outrageous! They’re just kids! They cannot be taken seriously!” But by that point, Mike and Matt were already up at the microphone.

Meanwhile, Miles saw all of this on TV, as the town’s meetings were always broadcast on the town’s official TV channel. He called his parents, who immediately left work for Gatlinburg.

Mike said, “Hi, my name is Mike Lieberman, and this is my brother Matt. Today, we solved a hate crime: the lynching and murder of Earl James Robinson!”

Another one of the trustees asked, “Who did it?”

Matt replied, “Mayor Joe Ramsey, also the head of the Gatlinburg KKK! He gave us these two fingers, which he’s kept frozen in an icebox for seventy years! And he confessed, as this recording shows.” Mike played the recording. “We posed as young Klan members, infiltrated his house, and got him to confess! Also, the gun that killed a little girl in 1959 is still in his house!”

Mayor Joe Ramsey replied, “This is outrageous! I would never harm an innocent Nigger... I mean, person of color! Officers, arrest these kids, because they must’ve killed someone to get those fingers!”

The police chief grabbed Mayor Ramsey’s arms, handcuffed him, and said, “No, Mayor, I think the real killer in here is you! You’re under arrest for the lynching of Earl Robinson!”

Mike said, “Matt, we did it! High five!”

Another police officer confiscated the fingers as evidence. Mike and Matt walked towards the entrance, only to find their parents waiting at the door.

Mike said, “D-D-D-Dad. I can explain!”

Bill replied, “No need to explain, boys. I saw the whole thing. You did a great thing today. If I could give both of you a medal of honor right now, I would! Come here!” He gave both boys the longest hug they could ever remember getting. That was when the media started asking them questions.

One of them asked, “Mike, what inspired you to take up crime-solving?”

Mike replied, “A hot tip!”

Another reporter asked, “Will you testify at trial?”

Matt replied, “I guess, if they need me to.”

After a few more questions, Bill and Clara took the boys home. At dinner, Miles asked to say the pre-dinner prayer.

Miles said, “Dear Lord, thank you for this meal, and for the best big brothers I could ever ask for! Please bless their efforts to solve further crimes, if they want to do so. Amen.”

Clara said, “Mike, Miles, I’m glad you did what you did. But please, before you take on City Hall again, promise you’ll ask us first!”

“We promise!” said Mike and Miles.

Afterward, Mike, Miles and Mason went back upstairs to play Minecraft for a while, and managed to find even more Netherite. Before going to bed, they went back to the well house to see Earl one last time.

Mike hit the wall with the ring and said, “I summon Earl Robinson and the girl killed by Joe Ramsey!” Once Earl and the girl, Ruby, showed up, he said, “Good news, guys! We solved both of your cases! Joe Ramsey’s going to jail!”

Ruby replied, “Thank you! I wish I could just kiss you right now! But I’m a ghost, so I’ll wait until we both make it to the afterlife!”

Earl said, “I also wanna say, thank you! Now we can both move on to what comes next!”

Mike replied, “Rest in peace, guys! We’ll see you when our time comes!”

Earl replied, “I’ll see you then.” After that, both he and Ruby disappeared for the last time, finally at peace.

Mike said, “Well, that’s done.”

Matt replied, “You said it, bro!”

Mike asked, “Well, should we keep doing this kind of thing?

"

Matt replied, “Yeah, sure, if you want! But let’s get some rest first. We’ve had a long day.”

Mike replied, “You said it!”

Both of them went back inside and got ready for bed. Their mom and dad came to tuck them in around 8:00.

Bill said, “Boys, I never thought a couple of ten year olds could do what you did! I promise I’m taking you to Splash Country as a reward!”

Mike replied, “I can’t wait! Have you ever been?”

Bill replied, “Yeah, I went there the day it first opened! It’s an amazing place. They have like a dozen waterslides and a wave pool! It’s even bigger than Raging Waves, if that’s even possible!”

Matt said, “Wow! Even bigger than Raging Waves?”

Bill replied, “Yep!”

Mike replied, “Thanks, Dad!

Clara said, “Good night, boys. I’ll spare you the daily Bible reading. You’ve had a long day!” She gave them each a kiss goodnight, and their dad followed suit. Bill and Clara tucked them in for the night, turned out the light, and went downstairs to watch TV.

Mike said to Matt, “It felt really good helping out Earl and Ruby.”

Matt replied, “Yeah, it did. I wonder if Grandpa stuck around as a ghost.”

Mike replied, “I don’t know. Earl and Ruby both had reasons for sticking around. I don’t think our Grandpa needed the same kind of reassurance they did.”

Matt asked, “Mike, who do you think made the Omega Rings?”

Mike replied, “I don’t know. Isadore researched Greek mythology. Maybe he found them on a trip to Greece.”

Matt asked, “But where did they get their power?”

Mike replied, “I don’t know. Maybe the Library of Alexandria contained some kind of spell. But there’s no way to know for sure, because most of those books were destroyed in a fire.”

Matt asked one final question: “Do you think there might be more?”

Mike said, “Probably not. Earl was a ghost, and he only knew about two of them. He’d be in a better position to know about more of them than us.”

Matt responded, “Yeah, you’re probably right. Good night, Mike!”

Mike responded, “Good night, Matt. Don’t let the ghosts haunt your dreams!”

Matt responded, “Oh stop it, Mike.”