Eve of the baseball game

“The Ring of Destiny! Are you really sure about that?” said Larry. She was listening intently as Harry, her 14-year-old sister, told her that she had read about its existence in one of the chat rooms in World of Warcraft. Harry had traced the story back to its origins and had downloaded the e-book in which the author had left clues, in the form of riddles, to the location of the ring.

“I found out about the book and the Ring of Destiny by chance, while I was immersed in a game of World of Warcraft. The whole thing was a mystery to me, until I did a Google search and found not only the e-book and the written clues, but a map as well.” Said Harry. “I had to guess a password to get into the site where the map was located, and I got lucky”.

“I now have a printed copy of the map that I found from the link in the e-book. I think I have worked out some of the clues, but I just need your help on a few that I am not sure about,” as she reached behind her pillow and handed the map to Larry.

Larry grabbed the map and began to peer at it intently by the light of her torch. Her favorite torch and her weapon of choice for the bad dreamscapes. Excitedly she traced the intricate markings on the map and read the names in awe. ‘Mountains of Mystery; Kingdom of the Dederang Dwarves; Caves of the Foxdel Forest Wolf; Desert of Dreams; Ice Cliffs; and Alley of Baba’.

“Is that our Mountains of Mystery?”
“I think so! If you look closer you’ll see other familiar places too and a few we’ve not been to before.”

Larry and Harry were behind the closed door of Harry’s bedroom, and it was already past 22:00 hours, on the eve of the big Baseball game. They heard a quiet little knock on the bedroom door and a small voice called out. “Let me in. I know you are awake!” It was Barry! They thought that she was asleep already, and were surprised to hear her voice.

“Quick hide the map!” whispered Harry as she grabbed it back and stuffed it behind her pillow. Larry opened the door for Barry and let her in.

“What are you talking about?” asked Barry.

“Oh, just chatting about Harry’s new boyfriend!” said Larry. At the same time, Harry said, “Oh, just chatting about Larry’s new boyfriend!” They both looked at each other with eyebrows raised in surprise. “Our boyfriends!” they both said together with a laugh.

Barry climbed up on the big double bed in Harry’s bedroom and started to giggle. “You both have boyfriends? Are you in love with them? Do they think you are pretty? Do Mum and Dad know? Can I have a boyfriend too?” she asked, her words tumbling out in a sleepy voice. Laughter then overcame them all and they were rolling about on the bed and laughing till tears sprang into their eyes. It was quite clear that boys were game changers for the Arry girls, but they were not planning to share with Barry. “It’s a brand-new world for us millennials”, they said. “But, Barry its only for 14 and 11 year olds, you’re just too young yet”?

“You had better go back to sleep now Barry. It’s your first baseball match tomorrow and you’ll need to be fresh and ready”, said Harry in her big sister voice.

“I don’t wanna go”, wailed Barry. “What?” said Larry, “You have to keep up the good name of the Arry girls in the game tomorrow!”

“I’m really scared I won’t be able to hit the ball, or catch the ball or even run the bases.” Said Barry.

“You’ll just have to get over that and stand up for the family name”, said Harry. “Don’t be such a cry baby!”

At this Barry jumped off the bed! “I hope you both grow warts on your noses overnight and your boyfriends run away in terror!” She looked back over her shoulder glowering angrily at Larry and Harry; then suddenly she made a dart for the pillow, and the map beneath it.

“Ha! I have your secrets now!” she said, waving the map she had snatched from its secret cache. Barry then stomped off back to her own room. “I’ll show them!” she whispered to herself, as she locked the door behind her.

Proceed to Chapter 2 …