The Shadow [unedited version]

Chapter 5- The Picture

                  

Hope you like Chapter 5 and have an amazing Halloween!

The boys met at the cemetery at eight and headed up to the house, unlocked the door and stepped inside. "Iris . . . . Iris It's us. . . . Sam and Peter. We need to tell you something about the clue," whispered Sam. A light came from the stairs and Iris floated toward the boys. Peter started at her in ah "What did you guys find?" she asked in an exited voice waking Peter up. "We think that the clue is on one of these pictures" gesturing to the photos hanging on the staircase.

"All we need to do shine a light through them and it should tell us the next clue." Sam said. "Wow how did you guys figure it out so fast?"Iris asked. "Oh our friend Megan helped us she is good with puzzles" Peter said.  "Oh is she your girlfriend then?" Iris asked staring at the floor blushing. "Oh . . . . No. . . . She is not my girlfriend" Peter said turning red.

Sam looked at Peter razing an eyebrow. Peter quickly opened the brown bag and retrieved two flashlights and began to shine the beam on each of the pictures along the stairway while trying to ignore Sam. After many hours of carefully looking at each picture and shining a light at it, and going up and down the stairs multiple times, they couldn't find any clues. They were deciding if they should look someplace else.

"There are more pictures in the other rooms," said Iris. But Sam took a portrait off the wall for no apparent reason. In the picture were two people, a man and a woman holding hands by a tree near the house, smiling up at him.

As he shined the light on it, he though he saw something on the back of it and flipped it over. He shined the light through it, and it revealed words. "Hey guys, I think it's the next clue," said Sam in an excited voice. Both Iris and Peter came to Sam and he shined the light on the back of the picture.

The words revealed "Above a fire with a brick of a crest, a key shall be revealed."

"What does that mean?" said Iris "I don't know, but Sam and I have the weekend to figure it out," said Peter. "Ok, let me know when you figure it out, but you should probably go home now the sun is rising," said Iris. "Ok, see you soon," said Sam.

In the morning, the boys were sitting in the kitchen in Peter's house drinking Coca cola and trying to figure out the clue. "Above a fire . . . . With a brick of a crest. What do you think that means?" asked Sam. "I don't know, maybe above means the clue is above something and brick . . . ." asked Peter. "Maybe brick is a chimney with brick around it" exclaimed Sam.

"What does crest mean?" asked Peter. "I don't know, let's look online for it" said Sam. The boys went upstairs to Peter's room and went online to find out more information. Peter's room wasn't a neither large nor middle size room there was a bed which was messy, a middle size desk that was cover for head to toe with papers and books and a small dresser.  As the computer worms up Peter's mom knocked on the door and peeked behind the door.

Mrs. Larson is a middle age women she is tall and thin with blonde hair, a few grey sticks framing her face and blue eyes, she was wearing a grey sweater and navy jeans her hair was pulled into a ponytail "Hi boys can I get you anything?" "No mom we are fine when is dinner going to be ready?" Peter asked. "In fifteen minutes honey and of cores Sam you are welcome to stay over," Mrs. Larson said with a smile.

"Thanks Jessica I will text my mom and ask her," Sam said. "Ok I'll leave you guys to it then" Mrs. Larson said closing the door. Peter was already started typing on the computer and came across a website and clicked on it. "It says here that "crest" has a few meanings but the one that sounds right is "a family crest" which is a family stamp, basically. So we need to figure out what the Wilcox family crest looks like," said Peter. "Ok, so let's look up the Wilcox crest," said Sam.

After some searching, they found what they were looking for..."It says here that the Wilcox crest is a lion holding a knife," said Peter. "So their crest is on one of the bricks on a fireplace," said Sam. "That's what it sounds like," said Peter. "We will have to ask Iris if she's seen the crest," said Sam.

The next few days went slowly for Peter and Sam, and the story of Iris and the house went away, but finally it was time to see Iris. The boys headed up to the old Victorian house and opened the door. "Iris, it's us... Peter and Sam," whispered Peter. A beam of light appeared at the top of the stairs, it came down the stairs and every step it took the boys could see the figure of Iris appear more clearly. "What did you guys find out?"asked Iris in a whisper. "The next clue is on a fireplace. It's marked with the family crest which is a lion is holding a knife," whispered Peter.

"There is only one fireplace in this house and it is in the living room," said Iris. She led them to the dusty old brick fireplace. "Keep an eye out for the crest," said Peter. They started to feel around the fireplace. It took them time to feel around. Finally Peter was feeling around the middle when all of sudden he felt some carving on one of the bricks, but it was so dusty that he couldn't see it. He blew on it and it revealed a lion holding a knife.

"Hey guys, I found it! I found the clue!" said Peter in an excited voice. Both Iris and Sam looked at the crest. "Where's the next clue?" asked Sam. "I don't know, try blowing the dust off" said Iris. Peter blew around the brick. Dust flew around them but when it cleared, it revealed that the brick was tampered with and looked loose.

"Try pulling it out" said Iris. Peter carefully wiggled the brick from its place. When the brick was finally out, Peter carefully reached in and retrieved a small key. All of the sudden, the house began to shake all around them and they heard a low angry scream that came out of nowhere.

"Get out now! Alizar has awakened!" exclaimed Iris.  Peter and Sam ran out the door with the key in Peter's hand.