• Chapter Four:

    Tahlia finally got her balance, and we handed her a flashlight-I brought extra just in case- and we finally found a clear area to set up camp. I was surprised since the woods seemed so dense with trees and bushes. And the camping ground wasn’t covered with moss, as if it used to be a camping site. Along the way, Tahlia seemed confused.
    Then Toby pulled me aside while Tahlia, Marlo, and Sami began getting everything out and ready to set up.
    “Are we seriously letting this girl join us?” he asked in a half whisper.
    I looked at Toby, “She was just passed out by a tree,” I whispered, “What was I suppose to do, leave her there?”
    Marlo cried out, “Come on! You’ll get lost!” Toby and I ran off to join them.
    I looked at Tahlia, and somehow, I feel we were suppose to find her. There was just a feeling I had. Plus, she seems so nice.
    “Why are we still here?” Tahlia asked as we began to set of the three tents. Toby and I looked up while she walked over.
    I looked at her then gasped, “Oh yeah, we forgot to tell you why we were here. Our friend Johnny went missing here. Well, he’s my friend and that other boy, Toby, friend. He’s the two girls’, Marlo and Sami, brother.”
    Tahlia nodded, helping Toby and I setting up the last tent while Marlo and Sami left to get fire wood, “Ok, well, how long to you plan to be out in these woods?”
    Toby cut in, “If we can’t find Johnny in a week, we’re heading for home.”
    Tahlia looked at Toby, then me, “And your parents are ok with this?”
    I looked at Toby, we both looked at Tahlia, “They don’t know,” we said together.
    Tahlia looked confused again. I sighed, hammering down the last peg to keep out tent from falling down. Toby looked at me like ‘Aren’t you going to tell her?’
    “All of our parents are out for two weeks on a business trip,” I told Tahlia, “and that’s how we all met, through our parents’ work.”
    “That’s a weird way to meet people,” Tahlia smiled for the first tonight, kind of laughing. Toby and I couldn’t help but grin.
    Then, Marlo and Sami ran back to the campsite. Marlo’s arms was piled high was sticks, and Sami was holding something else.
    “Marlo? Sami?” I got up, “What’s wrong?” I ran to them.
    Sami huffed, “Nothing’s wrong, but I found something.” She held up her hands, I shined my flashlight at her hands. I heard Tahlia and Toby run up behind me.
    A dirty old wooden box was in Sami hands. It was the size of a large makeup box, the box was covered in moss and dirt, and I saw a large rusty lock keeping the box shut.
    “You rushed back to show us a dirty locked box covered in moss and dirt?” Tahlia asked, a bit coldly.
    Sami looked a bit down, “I thought it could help us figure out what happen to Johnny. I mean, Johnny’s smart enough not to just walk into the woods, someone had to have taken him and drag him in here.”
    “Or something,” I reminded her. Sami went to the tents while Tahlia, Toby, and I helped Marlo with the sticks and made a fire.
    Toby dumped out some of the food and ended up making hot sandwiches for dinner. We all stuck our sandwiches on stick and put them over the fire like they were marshmallows.
    “What time is it?” Marlo asked, ending the long silence that had come across the campfire.
    “I don’t even know what day it is,” Tahlia said with a grin, taking a bite of her sandwich. I rolled my eyes and grinned myself. Sami stayed quiet, watching the box while nibbling on her sandwich.
    Toby looked at Sami, “Sami? Why are you so quiet?” He looked at the box, “Do you think we should open the box?”
    Sami looked skeptical, but Marlo took her hand, “Just do it, it’s not the box will eat your soul. God, if your going to be a baby about it, I’ll open it.” Sami immediately smacked the box in Marlo’s lap.
    Marlo sighed, then put her hand on the rusted lock, which broke off and flew into the fire, making the fire bigger. We all stared at the fire for a minute, then back at Marlo. She opened the lid of the box, I cringed as the hinges of the box squeaked loudly. Toby shined his flashlight in the box.
    “All that’s in there is a piece of paper,” Tahlia said, grabbing an old piece of paper that laid in the box. But, as she sat down to examine paper, I saw a wool sack.
    “There’s more,” I snatched the sack, “I wonder what’s in this.” I opened the sack, and five jewels fell out into my hand. There was a red, blue, green, purple, and gold jewel and they were small, the size of a quarter.
    “Oh God! What pretty jewels!” Marlo gushed, making me scream since it was so quiet. Everyone hovered around me.
    Tahlia shoved the paper at me as I put the jewels back in the sack, “You need to read this out loud.” she commanded me.
    I took the note and began to read, “Dear chosen ones, this is very important. There is a secret evil that threatens this world, and only you can stop it. These five jewels have special powers that you, the chosen ones, can unleash them. After reading this, the jewels with be magically intertwined into your bodies, giving you marks that will show what your power symbolizes. Please accept your power and stop this evil, so the world can have peace, well, the magical world.” Everyone stared at each other, gasping in amazement.
    Then, the jewels lighted up, floating up into the air, breaking the wool sack. The bright light blinding us as they went into the air. Then, one of them shot into each of our hands, Marlo’s, Toby’s, Sami’s, Tahlia’s, and my hand. All of us gasped and screamed in pain as that happen, then, our hands sizzled. We all stared at each other.
    “What just happen?” Marlo finally shrieked, staring at her hand that the jewel had ‘intertwined’ with.
    Toby kept cringing as he poked his hand, “What the note said, ‘after reading this, the jewels will be magically intertwined into you bodies’” he quoted.
    Tahlia’s bright eyes widen to the size of about volleyballs, “These means a few things. A few very strange things.”
    “First, we are the chosen ones,” Marlo started.
    “Second,” Sami added, “we have very special powers and have to protect a magical community.”
    “And third,” I finished, “We need to find out Johnny’s part in all of this.”