Chapter 1: Trips and Treasure
Dear Journal
For future knowing, none of this would have ever happened if we’d listened to Miss Jackson. Everybody who’s ever been in Miss Jackson’s class knows the one big rule, which is to listen to Miss Jackson no matter what. Even our music teacher, Mr Higgs, who’s really strict and doesn’t like anyone, listens to her. But since we didn’t listen -and we hardly ever did- things did happen and now the world might be ending. But it wasn’t our fault, I swear. Not really anyways. It’s not like we went on a trip and meant to destroy the whole wide world.
Chapter 1 Trips and Treasure
It all began with a class trip to the museum.
Everybody knew the museum on top of Darkhill, it was the only one in all of Dark vill. It was this tall, grey building, that leaned over too far on one side and you had to breath very quietly because otherwise it echoes really loudly with sounds that make you jump. Nobody in class liked it and nobody wanted to go on the trip, nobody except Toby. Toby said it was full of mysteries we needed to solve, he loved that sort of thing. When I went round his place, the white house next to mine - we’d play detectives and search for missing objects, like his mom’s necklace, which we found hiding under the bed. Or Chester’s squeaky mouse, which we didn’t find anywhere. Toby’s mom even made him a murder mystery birthday party last year, and we all dressed up in funky clothes (I got to wear a proper pirate hat, with a long red feather sticking out the back of it).
Nothing interesting ever happens in Darkhill town, where we live, it’s the most boring town in the universe. Even Abby, the pretty, popular girl, who’s a grade above us says so and she’s never wrong. I’ve met every one who lives here now - except the creepy old man who lives in the haunted woods. No one’s met him, though my elder brother, Benji, said that was because once you meet him you’ll be kidnapped and have to live underground, eating rock sweets for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I told Toby what Benji said when we passed by the woods on the school bus trip, “That’s rubbish,” he replied, “Why would he put somebody underground and only feed them sweets? I know what he does, I bet he uses magic and turns them into gold statues.” When I asked him why he’d turn them into gold statues, he just shrugged and said, “It makes more sense.” I’m not sure it does make sense, but I’m not going to find out if it’s true. I don’t want to be kidnapped or turned to gold.
To get to the Darkhill Museum we had to go on a bus and drive up the really steep Darkhill mountain, the whole bus bumped along as we went round corners. It almost felt like we were on a roller coaster, going up and up until we reached the top. Miss Jackson sat up front and tried to get us to sing coach trip songs. I hate singing couch trip songs. Soon as the bus stopped we were all scrambling to get off and away from Ellie’s tuna and egg breakfast that was all over the floor at the back of our bus. Gross, tuna. Miss Jackson had told everybody yesterday that we weren’t allowed to eat on the bus ride, now she stood outside talking with a pale faced Ellie.
Me and Toby were already racing each other to the museum’s front doors and barely heard our teacher yelling at us not to run and not to touch anything. Inside was dimly lit and along the grey walls, great big paintings hung high above our heads. Powdered white faces, stared out at us from inside their frames. We were standing in front of a great big desk talking when our teacher found us. “There you are, I thought I told you to wait.” Miss Jackson’s voice echoed like thunder inside the big hall. I shared a look with Toby, we didn’t remember her saying anything about waiting. “Did she say that?” I whispered for Toby to hear, he shook his head. A tall, hulking figure peered down at us over the big oak desk, “Children? This is no place for a child,” said a voice filled with disdain, before the towering woman leaned back again and out of view. We watched fearfully as our teacher greeted the receptionist, booking us our time slot. The museum’s receptionist did not look like a very friendly person, she wore a dark grey pant suit that made her look invisible when she stood next to the grey walls. Her eyes and mouth looked like drawn on lines with sharp edges, and she glared down at us through a pair of practicals.
Soon everyone had gathered and while Miss Jackson started doing a headcount, we all chatted amongst ourselves. “I heard that there’s rubies and diamonds inside museums,” Ellie said, with enthusiasm. “What, in the walls?” Asked Timmy. “No, don’t be silly. There’s no way they’d be in the walls, right Toby?” I laughed, but Toby stayed quiet and got that look on his face. It was a thinking look, one which said little gears inside his brain were turning with ideas. “Well I heard there was a magic cup that if you touch it, Bam! You disappear.” Said Eden, making us all jump. “I don’t believe you,” Ellie said, with a humph. Before we could argue anymore Miss Jackson rounded us up, “Okay, so remember; no mischief, don’t go running around the place, no loud noise and do not touch anything. Are we clear?” We all nodded, eagerly wanting to explore. “Off you go then. Remember, don’t touch anything.” With that said, we took off, running down the left hall, which led into a maze of halls all going in different directions. Small white arrows showed the names of the halls and we stood there wondering which one to go down. “C’mon,” whispered Toby, pulling me with him to the passage on the right. Tribal AD, the sign read. “What about the others?” I asked, we’d left everyone going down the Roman armour passage. “This is detective work, Billy,” he whispered, “We’re going on a mission for the magic cup that’s hidden somewhere in these walls.”
“I thought that was silly made up stuff,” I told Toby, feeling unsure. “Nope, it’s real and we’re gonna be the first to find it,” he said happily. Feeling rather excited, we were on one of our first ever, actual missions after all, I started searching the walls on one side of the room. Looking for any strange anomalies, something out of place.
It was difficult to miss it once we found it. The cup was a shiny gold, and had a white pearl the size of a blueberry in the centre of it. Sat on a wooden block, it was right in the middle of the room. “What now?” I asked, staring at the cup, it was one thing to search for a magical object, but another thing after we found said object. Toby frowned, “Didn’t he say about touching it?” he asked after a couple minutes. We reached out towards the cup, fingers brushing the sides.
“What did I tell you about touching things!” Miss Jackson screeched.
But it was already too late, the ground underneath us had turned to quicksand and swallowed us up.
