Journals240
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Suddenly, from the void...
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Hey guys! Just thought I'd give y'all an update of sorts because, well... I've been kinda absent for a long time and busy these last few days.
First off, Happy Valentine's Day. Even if you're not in a relationship, remember that someone loves you and you'll find someone who completes you. There's over seven billion people on the planet and I imagine all of my followers live in countries with a population of at least one million people or more. Don't lose hope! And if you do have a special someone, I hope you did something special while making fun of the holiday like most people do.
Secondly, where the hell have I been? Well, here. I just haven't been writing, and it sucks. I've been really considering becoming a writer as a means to make money and also job hunting. And then I joined Tumblr, started subscribing to funny YouTube channels, I'm still getting around to Christmas gifts (games and books), and just all kinds of time-wasting stuff. However, that's not to say I've done no writing at all. It's just that I haven't done my usual amount where I'm all "well this'll last at least a month so I can write another month's worth of chapters!" I've also dabbled in a side-project that I hope is a finished story I intend to publish. It's based on the adventures of Solomon the Priest, the character from my werewolf story a few months back. He was kinda fun to write and I think he would be a great protagonist. I might change the name, but I like Solomon. It's basically the name of a wise old man. You expect it for someone who is at least smart. If you have a better idea, I'm all ears.
Thirdly, sweet mercy I have a job! Since last Tuesday I have been a smartphone tester. It is as glamorous as it sounds. I will admit the lack of social interaction kinda bums me out and the monotonous actions get stale until after lunch (because that's the halfway mark in my day), but I do like it over the research data center I was at where I would call people at inopportune times and beg for them to do a survey. I also wish that the job was closer to where I'm living. For anyone who isn't familiar with the section I-35 that goes through Austin, TX, it is notorious for its traffic. What should be a 30 minute drive under normal conditions can escalate to a drive that takes over an hour and a half at 5PM. Morning traffic is better in that it doesn't take over an hour but sure ain't 30 minutes either. Thankfully the job is temporary as I got it through an agency so I can only hope that I get something closer to me after three months, maybe even something more permanent and to my liking. Strangely, it is giving me some ideas for a novel that might just wind up be autobiographical. Don't worry: it'll be more interesting than my life actually is.
Fourthly (is that a word?), I found out that Bryan Lee O'Malley will be in Austin for the first time tomorrow and I wanna get something signed. If I bring something Scott Pilgrim related it's expected but if I bring something like "Lost at Sea" I could look like a hipster. Austin might be full of hippies, liberals, college students, yuppies, and hipsters, but I'm only one of those! (hint: it's not hipster)
And finally... uh... huh. I guess that's about it to be honest. I've been good. Drinking a lot of water lately. I always drink water. I might be part fish. A friend of mine would be unimpressed since she's a mermaid. And this is just becoming filler made of IRL jokes.
First off, Happy Valentine's Day. Even if you're not in a relationship, remember that someone loves you and you'll find someone who completes you. There's over seven billion people on the planet and I imagine all of my followers live in countries with a population of at least one million people or more. Don't lose hope! And if you do have a special someone, I hope you did something special while making fun of the holiday like most people do.
Secondly, where the hell have I been? Well, here. I just haven't been writing, and it sucks. I've been really considering becoming a writer as a means to make money and also job hunting. And then I joined Tumblr, started subscribing to funny YouTube channels, I'm still getting around to Christmas gifts (games and books), and just all kinds of time-wasting stuff. However, that's not to say I've done no writing at all. It's just that I haven't done my usual amount where I'm all "well this'll last at least a month so I can write another month's worth of chapters!" I've also dabbled in a side-project that I hope is a finished story I intend to publish. It's based on the adventures of Solomon the Priest, the character from my werewolf story a few months back. He was kinda fun to write and I think he would be a great protagonist. I might change the name, but I like Solomon. It's basically the name of a wise old man. You expect it for someone who is at least smart. If you have a better idea, I'm all ears.
Thirdly, sweet mercy I have a job! Since last Tuesday I have been a smartphone tester. It is as glamorous as it sounds. I will admit the lack of social interaction kinda bums me out and the monotonous actions get stale until after lunch (because that's the halfway mark in my day), but I do like it over the research data center I was at where I would call people at inopportune times and beg for them to do a survey. I also wish that the job was closer to where I'm living. For anyone who isn't familiar with the section I-35 that goes through Austin, TX, it is notorious for its traffic. What should be a 30 minute drive under normal conditions can escalate to a drive that takes over an hour and a half at 5PM. Morning traffic is better in that it doesn't take over an hour but sure ain't 30 minutes either. Thankfully the job is temporary as I got it through an agency so I can only hope that I get something closer to me after three months, maybe even something more permanent and to my liking. Strangely, it is giving me some ideas for a novel that might just wind up be autobiographical. Don't worry: it'll be more interesting than my life actually is.
Fourthly (is that a word?), I found out that Bryan Lee O'Malley will be in Austin for the first time tomorrow and I wanna get something signed. If I bring something Scott Pilgrim related it's expected but if I bring something like "Lost at Sea" I could look like a hipster. Austin might be full of hippies, liberals, college students, yuppies, and hipsters, but I'm only one of those! (hint: it's not hipster)
And finally... uh... huh. I guess that's about it to be honest. I've been good. Drinking a lot of water lately. I always drink water. I might be part fish. A friend of mine would be unimpressed since she's a mermaid. And this is just becoming filler made of IRL jokes.
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It was a quiet afternoon, a lazy day with a cold grey sky, as a clocked ticked away to ensure that there was no deafening silence in the small study. A ceiling fan lethargically spun clockwise as a young woman with thick glasses and long, dark brown hair kept in a pony tail sat with her legs tucked under her as she relaxed on a couch, glancing through an old book with a navy blue cover. The musty smell of book permeated the study as the crackle of the turning of a page brought about a perceived change in the noise level of the room, a type of change one should expect in a public library rather than a personal study. It was a quiet afternoon, a relatively peaceful one at that, until the rattle of the old doorknob, the squeaking and swinging of an ancient wooden door, and the creaking of an aged wooden floor revealed a figure in the doorway that broke the tranquility that the young woman had. However, she was not disappointed by who she saw and gave a warm smile to this figure before her. She closed her book, gently placed it upon the coffee table in front of her, and looked up to the figure that made her content.
It was her brother, Finn. He was two and half years older than her but his maturity reflected a soul much older and wiser. He was also the newest and youngest professor at the State University as well as a celebrated historian. "Hello Mouse!" He said to his sister. She wrinkled her mouth in displeasure "Stop calling me that!" She hissed. Finn gave a small chuckle "oh it never gets old". "Speak for yourself!" She cried "I am 23 years old!" The young professor sat next his sister and reached for the old book "what are you reading?" He said as he carefully flipped through the navy colored books pages. Suddenly Finn's face became serious, "Rebecca, where did you get this book?" Finn sister, Rebecca let her eyes wander across the old study avoiding her brother's stern expression.
"On that shelf over there," Rebecca replied as she pointed over at a bookcase on the opposite wall. There was a noticeable gap in the numerous books. "Very funny," Finn replied dryly. "Do you even know what you were reading?" Finn asked Rebecca. She nodded. "Yeah, it was "Moby Dick" by Melville. Why?" Finn gave a haughty smile. "Not only would you be the sort of person who reads "Moby Dick" at leisure but you would also be the sort of person who wouldn't even know you're reading a first edition!" Rebecca was stunned by the revelation and looked at the rare book in her brother's hands. "So can I continue reading it?" she asked. "No! This is way too valuable to be lying around or to be used!" Finn replied in a frantic tone. "It was just sitting on a shelf before I picked it up so I think it's fine. Also, isn't the point of a book to be read?" "Yes, but at least read a more recent edition! I wonder what other rare books gramps has around here..." Finn stated as he began browsing the shelves. Rebecca got up from the plush couch and swiped the book from Finn's hands. "Professor or not, you shouldn't just start taking books from grandpa's personal library! At least not without his permission."
"For pity sake Mouse," He chided "Gramps would be pleased that somebody took interest with his library. After all he can barely see anymore". Rebecca put her hands on her hips "what makes you so special to borrow them when I can't?" Finn carefully put the book back into its rightful place "I work with old texts all the time" Finn replied "You can't even remember to return books to the public library". Rebecca folded her arms "Maybe, but at least I'm not a jerk-and stop calling Grandpa 'gramps' if it weren't for him you wouldn't have finished your last year of college". Finn seemed to ignore her and began tracing his finger down the rows of old books. "For your information," Finn said as he delicately pulled on an old red book top first "I paid 'Grandpa' back, at least most of it anyway. Do not act like I treated him unfairly." Rebecca was going to respond when both of them heard an odd creaking noise, as if something heavy was being moved. The book case began to turn revealing a dark passage way.
"Finn... what's that?" Rebecca asked cautiously. "It looks like a secret passage. I thought that was just a joke in movies but I guess the old coot has one," Finn replied. "Let's go in!" "What? No! We have no idea where that leads!" Rebecca stated with shock. "What's the matter? Are you scared of the dark, Mouse?" Finn teased. "No, I'm not scared of the dark! I don't know why you're so interested in going in," Rebecca said as her voice started to trail towards the end. "Grandpa's loaded, we've always known that, but what if he's got some secret? Maybe he was an assassin!" Finn explained. "Remind me, who's supposed to be the college educator here?" Rebecca asked in the hopes to vex Finn. "Laugh all you want but at least I have a sense of adventure. You would rather stay in here reading than go outside like the wallflower you are," Finn retorted. Rebecca's plan had backfired. "...fine, let's go. But let's at least get a light or something! It's dark in there." "Way ahead of you," Finn stated as he pulled out his keys and flashed a light from a small plastic device on his key ring. "Do you always have that?" Rebecca asked in disbelief. "It was a welcoming gift from the chair of the history department. Apparently it's what she does for anyone new to the university." Rebecca shrugged it off as just someone's quirk and walked into the dark corridor with her brother.
Finn seemed to walk without any sense of trepidation. Rebecca grabbed his tweed jacketed arm in order to keep up. The passage way seemed to grow wider as they went. The floor was slowly turning into cobblestone. Somehow it seemed that they were far below the house. "Where are we?" Rebecca asked, her voice seemed to echo in the dark space. Finn moved the flashlight along the walls "I'm not sure, but it looks like some sort of study". "You must be joking" Rebecca said "who would have a study this far down? I mean, I smell mildew for peats sake". Finn rolled his eyes "Well a lot of good it is if we can't get a decent view of the place." Finn moved his tiny flashlight along the walls where he found what appeared to be an old candle on a desk. "You still smoke cigarettes right?" He asked, although he well knew the answer. Rebecca began to protest, then gave up. "Here" she said and handed her brother a small pink lighter." Tsk, tsk, tsk, and you told Mom you stopped smoking three months ago" he said as he lit the candle.
"And you told Mom you stopped biting your nails," Rebecca replied. Finn's face began to turn red. "Who told you I still do that?!" he asked with embarrassment. "You did. Just now," Rebecca replied with her tongue sticking out. Finn gave an uneasy smirk. "At least we'll keep each other's secrets safe, right?" The candle didn't provide much light but it did help to get rid of the mildew smell, or at least mask it for the time being. The room was made of stone in every direction with only the desk and the candle in few. A quick examination of the room found an old ham radio covered in dust and cobwebs sitting atop an equally dusty old wooden chair that was rotted from the poor conditions underground. On the desk was an tattered book that was in poor condition on the covers but the pages were, for the most part, legible. It was written in some secret code, or at least appeared to be one, since there were no written words until the back of the book which contained a decryption key on how to translate the codes. Rebecca had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach and wasn't sure if it was because of the musty odor of the room or the discovery they had made. Finn was more fascinated by what they had found and his mind was flooding with all sorts of theories and ideas about what it all meant. While Finn was looking around, Rebecca was busy translating a code when she discovered something astounding. "Finn," she started with a solemn tone, "I think this was Grandma's."
Suddenly the two heard the sound of a familiar yet grating voice echo from the entrance "Becky! Finnegan! Where are you?" It was their cousin Astrid, she was about fifteen years older than Finn. She had been their Grandfather's caregiver since he'd fallen in the tub six months ago. Although she appeared benevolent enough to assist her elderly uncle, both Finn and Rebecca had detested her company since childhood. "Quick hide the book" Finn hissed, Finn despised her most of all. Rebecca shoved the tattered text under her blue hooded sweat shirt and made way to the entrance of the passage way. Astrid had apparently not seen the gaping secret passage and was about to shout out their names again when Rebecca and Finn arrived. "You bellowed?" Finn asked testily. Astrid's heavily painted red lips shaped to a frown "I need to go to the grocery store, for once, you two need to watch the old man." Sensing the tension between her and Finn, Astrid then added "I suppose watching a sad old fool wouldn't be too challenging for a supposed scholar like you, aye Finnegan?" Finn wrinkled his brow at his older cousin. Rebecca knew how much he hated being called "Finnegan".
"We'll watch him, Astrid. Take all the time you need," Rebecca said. "Hmph. Maybe I will! Lord knows I need a break from him," Astrid curtly replied. Astrid's footsteps could be heard clacking away even all the way downstairs. As the front door faintly creaked open and the slammed shut, Finn decided to break the silence. "'Take all the time you need?' Why would you say that?!" Finn asked. "Grandpa could tell us about this book. Maybe we can learn why Grandma wrote these codes in this book and about the ham radio and everything," Rebecca responded. Finn thought about it for a moment and he eventually agreed. The two siblings walked down the hall, passing by numerous wooden doors shut, shut and neglected, until they reached the end of the hall to a door that had see plenty of recent use. The turning of the aged brass knob opened up to a large bedroom with a four-poster bed facing a fireplace. There was a small chair and table that have gone untouched and unused by human hands for many years yet still taken care of. In the bed was a frail figure soundly sleeping, the occasional snort reminding those that he was still alive, with wrinkled hands resting over velvet blankets and his thin gray hair like fuzzy string on a doll. Finn leaned in to look at his grandfather, who opened one eye and smirked as he pulled out a flower and squirted him in the face. The old man began to cackle with glee at the face of his grandson covered in water. "It's rude to stare, Finn m'boy!" the old man spoke and he choked and chortled. "Great to see you too, gramps," Finn said unenthusiastically. "What was that?" the old man asked in a cranky voice. "It's great to see you too, Grandpa," Finn replied with more emotion in his voice. "Ah, now that's more like it!" their grandfather wheezed in a more jovial tone.
"Grandpa," Rebecca asked "We were in your study and…" Rebecca was interrupted by the old man's coughing. Before she could speak further the old man asked "Is the stilettoed harpy gone?" He inquired. "Yes, Grandpa, but we really want to know…" Again, Rebecca was interrupted by the grayed haired old man. "You, know Astrid thinks she's pretty clever. I know she's been stealing from me for months now, she takes the money out of my allowance jar on my desk" he points to the direction of the table "She thinks I put it there for safe keeping, but really its money for her to steal so she doesn't take something important." Impatient with the current dialogue Finn chimed in "Grandpa we found the secret passage way in your office". Their Grandfather, who was slowly sitting up and trying to get up from his large bed said "Oh I know" he said. Finn and Rebecca could not hide their shock "How on earth did you know?" Rebecca asked in shock. "You children have been playing in that library since you were in diapers" their Grandfather replied "It was a matter of time before you found my copy of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and found your way into your Grandmother's hidden study." With some difficulty, the old man stood up wearing his blue striped pajamas. " Fetch my cane, we haven't a moment to lose."
Finn walked over to a door where a simple black cane was hanging off the doorknob and fetched it for his grandfather. Grasping it in his right hand and tapping it on the floor a couple of times, he gave a grunt of approval and began to toddle towards the bedroom door. He stopped only for an instant to catch his breath and continued again. Rebecca was walking over to a wheelchair when their grandfather simply shook his head as he opened the door. "So where are we going, exactly?" Finn asked. "Before your grandma passed on years ago, we both decided that we'd leave you kids something special. We both knew that you and Rebecca were smart as whips and would probably get what was yours before I kicked the bucket, unlike that harlot niece of mine who steals money or that dumb as a rock cousin of yours who never visits. My other granddaughter... well, I know how busy she is with her rug-rats so I understand. They'll still get their heirlooms but not until I'm next to your grandma on the mantle," their grandfather explained. "But what about the journal? Why was it in that dank room?" Rebecca asked. Their grandfather halted in the middle of the hall to take a breath and rest for a moment before they continued again, making their way towards another office room. "We didn't want to leave that journal out in the open for anyone to go and decode, or worst. And we didn't want to leave it in a safe to be forgotten either. Her old getaway wasn't ideal but it worked. It lists everything we intended to leave you specifically." "And the ham radio?" Finn added. "Just a relic from a hobby your grandma loved. Back before you kids had mobile phones and cyberspace, there were only a few ways to communicate long distances that didn't cost an arm and a leg. Your grandma was actually the president of the local club back in her prime. That room used to be her own little operating booth where she was able to speak to folks from all over, but soon fell into disuse. That's a fate I'm sure many of these old rooms have faced in the passing years..."
"Regardless!" The old man said as he opened the bedroom door and hobbled his way down the hall "We need to go to the University and speak to an old colleague of mine. You may know him well Finn, his name's Dr. Theodore Simon." Indeed Finn knew the gentleman well however there was an unfortunate detail yet to be revealed. "Grandpa he died last year," Finn replied "his daughter is the chairman of the History department now." Their Grandfather paused, his head turned slightly to hear his grandson's words behind him "Well that will have to do then" he said. With assistance, Finn and Rebecca's Grandfather was in the front seat of Finn's cobalt Jetta. His black cane on his lap and his body wrapped with his blue velvet bathrobe and his lamb skin slippers. Rebecca sat cozily in the back while Finn drove out of the massive winding driveway. Their Grandfather's topiary sculptures of giraffes, bears, and elephants seemed to watch them leave through the electric wrought iron gate towards the street. "Ole Simon was an excellent decoder of sorts" Their Grandfather said "before he was the head of the history department he studied languages and codes. He worked for the U.S government to decipher and write coded messages during WW II". "How did you and Grandma meet him?" Rebecca asked poking her head between the two front seats, looking at the elderly patriarch. "Simon was actually a nemesis of mine" the Old Man replied "he wanted to marry your grandmother but she fancied me more". Rebecca seemed amazed by the revelation but Finn seemed un-phased. "How and why would Simon's daughter want to help us?" Finn asked intensely "How could she know anything?" There was a mischievous twinkle in his Grandfather's eye "We'll see when we arrive".
After an hour of driving, the three made it to the university's history building. It was as you would expect a collegiate building to look: large, clean, numerous windows on all sides, and a dark tiled roof. While there was little chance of anyone else being in the building besides a possible study group or the janitorial staff, Finn knew that the chairman would at least be in her office. As they entered the building, they walked out of another door which opened up into a small courtyard with a fountain in the center to reveal that the whole building was shaped like a square doughnut. On the other side of the courtyard was another door, one which had both the stairs and elevator to get to the other floors above or to the basement area below. With their entry into the other side of the building and then to the elevator, they found themselves on the third floor. The trio finally found themselves in front of a tawny wooden door with a plaque outside that read 'Dr. Elizabeth Simon-Caldwell, Chair.' Rebecca knocked on the door and a voiced muffled 'Come in!' The interior of the office was both humble and sophisticated. A large bookshelf crammed to the brim with numerous books on many titles and subjects stood to their right while on the left wall was a collection of photographs of many foreign locations and even a few replicas of various works of art. On the wall before them was two windows with a wall which had the Chair's degrees and honors from various institutions. The Chair's desk was a mix of traditional academia and modern with a well-kept but old oak desk that was topped with a multi-line phone, a flat screen computer, and manila folders stacked next to various papers that had red marks on them. "Well this is a surprise! Mr. Hartman and Dr. Hartman," the middle-aged woman said in joyous shock. "It's been quite a long time since we last saw each other, Liz. I do apologize that I couldn't make it to the old man's funeral. I imagine when I do see him I won't hear the end of it!" their grandfather stated with a chuckle.
Dr. Caldwell gave a small smile "What can I do for you today? I would offer you some tea but the staff lounge is locked up at the moment". "Are we keeping you from going home?" Rebecca inquired sympathetically. Dr. Caldwell gave a large smooth creased smile "Nonsense! It's not every day I get to see old friends, however" she looked at Grandpa Hartman's bathrobe and slippers "It seems that you all came in a bit of a hurry to see me." "Right you are Liz", the old man said emphatically "we need to discuss the whereabouts of your father's code manuscripts during the Second World War, specifically the translations for his codes." Dr. Caldwell's brow wrinkled slightly, as if in deep in thought then she took off her round tortoise shell glasses " You may not believe me, but I don't have the manuscript-that is, not all of it" she said. Finn raised his thick dark brow at the professor, "all of it?" He said. Suddenly the old man gave out an aggravated sigh "I should've known!" Rebecca, confused by the scene asked "well where is the rest of it? Why is it separated?" Liz Caldwell rested her chin on her now folded hands; she seemed to let the weight of her upper body rely upon her cashmere sweatered elbows. Her eyes seemed to express a tiredness they had not seen behind her glasses. As if to answer for her, Grandpa Hartman replied "That old coot was paranoid after the war; he was afraid that the Nazis and whoever else might be able to get a hold of his codes." Dr. Caldwell seemed to grimace when the old man referred to her father as "that old coot". "It wasn't just because of that, Terrance" she said referring to Finn and Rebecca's grandfather. "He created the code, only two people knew the code and that was my father and…" Rebecca chimed in "Our grandma?" Dr. Caldwell's serene smile returned "yes". "Well that's just great," Finn said "Not only don't we know where the rest of manuscript is; we won't understand the code unless we have the power to raise the dead." Rebecca elbowed her brother in the ribs "Shut up professor! - Dr. Caldwell there must be an answer key somewhere it would make no sense to create one, I mean what would happen if they lost their memory? Or they wanted their heirs to use it?" Rebecca paused; she couldn't help but ponder about her choice of words. Dr. Caldwell seemed to wake up from her meditative state "it's interesting you say that," she said "my daughter received a package from my father in his will; she wasn't allowed to open until her 21st birthday." She wrote down a quick number on a lavender sticky note "she's currently home from university, perhaps you can talk to her? Here's our address, I will meet you there later after I finish some paper work."
"This is a lot of work for some prize..." Finn exasperated as they exited Dr. Caldwell's office. "Why did you even entrust half of the code to help YOUR grandchildren to the man who wanted to marry your wife?" "When you get to my age you don't really remember why you did much of anything, but I wanted to do something special for you kids. A little treasure hunt. Just consider it an old man's sense of humor" "But why do we need the other half of the code? I was able to figure out enough with the half we have to know the journal was grandma's. Can't we do it like Wheel of Fortune or something and just try to guess what it translate out to?" Rebecca queried. "Good thinking, but we can't. It would be like having to play the game with only half the alphabet and no vowels. You can figure out the rest of a phrase when you have knowledge of the entire alphabet but with this you can't, not to mention the fact that it's much more complicated than just a "number equals letter" sort of code." "And why did the late Dr. Simon split his half of the code in half again?" Finn asked. Their grandfather sighed. "The old fool was always paranoid about something. Add to the fact that some of his correspondents wound up in East Germany and he finally went of his nut during Vietnam, he became known as an eccentric genius. He hid his paranoia rather well, strangely enough, and was able to get a cushy job here until his retirement. Anything I come up with is just conjecture and won't get us anywhere..." The siblings weren't entirely sure if Dr. Simon was genuinely paranoid or if their grandfather was simply assuming he was, but it was irrelevant now. As the trio hopped back into the Jetta they set off for Dr. Caldwell's home... and then Rebecca's phone went off. To her shock and displeasure, it was Astrid calling.
"Where the hell are you?" Astrid seemed to bellow into the receiver "Where is the old man? If you don't bring him back I'm going to call the police!" Rebecca moved her purple cell phone from her ear. "Stop screaming Astrid, Grandpa just wanted to go for a ride. We'll bring him home in a couple hours!" Rebecca said into the receiver. "'For a ride'? He could stroke out any minute! He could have a heart attack! Lord knows what your mother would do to me if he had a damn "accident" and I wasn't there to clean it up" Astrid sputtered "Bring him home NOW!" Rebecca looked in to the rearview mirror, hoping to catch some sympathetic gesture from her brother or her grandfather. "Tell that old hussy I'll come home when I damn well please!" Grandpa Hartman yelled, more to Astrid on the phone than at Rebecca. "Grandpa Terrance!" Astrid scolded over the phone. Finn, tired of the conversation made Rebecca relinquish the phone into his grasp. With one hand on the wheel, and one holding the cellphone to his ear he said "The man is in his eighties, Astrid. We'll bring him home when we're ready to and if you call the police on us I will make sure mother knows about the money you've stolen from him." Astrid seemed to quiet down and without much more to say except "alright please take care of him." After Finn hung up, all three passengers remained quiet until they arrived at 1900s Greek inspired town house with white rose bushes lining the pathway to the front door. They could hear the sound of a small dog barking as they parked into the clean cement driveway.
As they exited the car, Finn was pulled aside by his grandfather. "Thanks for sticking up for me, son," he spoke softly. "I hate to say this but she is right. You really shouldn't be up and about in your condition... but you're welcome," Finn replied hesitantly. "You're a good man, Finnegan," his grandfather stated proudly, which embarrassed Finn a bit. They walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. In an instant, the door opened to reveal a young woman, maybe 19 or 20, with long dark hair and wearing a pink t-shirt and a pair of jeans along with a pair of black socks. "Can I help you?" "Hello! We were told by your mother, Dr. Caldwell, to come speak to you. I'm Rebecca, this is my brother Finn, and this is our grandpa." "What...? Oh yeah, Mom did call me about that a minute ago. Something about the package grandpa Simon left me. She said I could open it when you three arrived." "We don't want to disrespect your late grandfather's wishes, but it's actually about something for us as well." "Why would my grandpa leave something for me that was meant for you?" Finn sighed and asked if they could come in since the explanation would be a long one. They walked in and situated themselves in the living room when Caldwell's daughter offered them something to drink. After they received some glasses of water, Finn began to tell the story of what all had happened today that made them reach this point. Once he finished saying that their search brought them here, Caldwell's daughter nodded. "Alright. I have to say it sounds far-fetched but stranger things have happened I suppose. I'll go get the package and we'll all see what's in it together." After a moment, she returned with a box wrapped in brown paper with the words "To my granddaughter Ella. Don't open until 21." She placed it on the coffee table for all to see as it was time for the moment of truth.
With her legs folded Indian-style and her back arched over the package Ella carefully peeled the tape off the brown wrapping revealing a red box. Rebecca, Finn, and the Old Man watched intently as Ella opened the gift to find a leather bound journal. Upon opening it, it revealed rows upon rows of letters and symbols. Notes were written on the pages revealing definitions and anecdotes about the text. A light blue envelope fell out of the journal landing on the coffee table. "Could this be the answer key?" Rebecca asked while flipping through the old inked pages. Finn took the book from his sister's hand, "Well it deciphers some of the weird codes from Grandma's book," he said "but who knows how much this little book will help." Grandpa Hartman seemed more interested with the blue envelope than of the journal itself. Ella picked up and opened the letter and began reading aloud. "'To my dearest grand-daughter, by this time, perhaps earlier than I hoped; the Hartman Children found themselves at your doorstep with a strange journal from their beloved grandmother leading them to you. They probably have their crotchety grandfather with them, strange being I had expected his love of gin to take the best of him'" At that moment Grandpa Hartman scowled and muttered "you can skip over your grand-dad's 'compliments' if you don't mind"... Ella continued reading on "'what you see before you in the red box; is the first half of the key to seeking the treasure of ages.'" Ella stopped reading and exchanged exhilarated glances with Finn and Rebecca, the old man seemed to stare past them in deep thought. "'If you choose to help them, that is, not deciding to keep the prize for yourself you will require the second manuscript to successfully read and find the path to your reward. I imagine there are many questions you wish to ask, in time they will be answered'". Ella paused, "'with adoration and confidence, Grandpa Theo'".
"Wait, she's got something using the code too?" Finn sighed. "It makes sense. I doubt it would be in the same place as our reward though," Rebecca stated. "All we have to do now is wait for your mother to give us her part of the code and we can begin deciphering!" Grandpa Hartman expressed with glee. Ella turned over the letter and saw that there was a string of letters and symbols while beneath this message was her grandfather's handwriting with the phrase "good luck!" The door opened with Dr. Caldwell holding her part of the code and beaming. "Okay, you all start decoding this while I get more comfortable. These heels are killer..." she stated with bated breath and walked upstairs. With all the code together, they began with Ella's since hers appeared to be the shortest. Ella ran into the office to grab a notepad and a pencil so they could begin writing out the solution. After a few minutes, Dr. Caldwell came back into the living room wearing more casual clothing to assist. Fifteen minutes had passed and Ella's code was completed. It had the name of a local bank and a deposit box. Dr. Caldwell recognized it as something that was mentioned in Theo's will and knew that this was where Ella's heirloom was. As Rebecca and Finn were about to use the code for themselves, they noticed how their grandfather had fallen asleep in the chair he was sitting in. It was time to take him home. With no more use to hold on to their part of the code, Ella and Dr. Caldwell relinquished their conjoined half to the siblings. After a quick goodbye, they escorted their grandfather back to the car and drove back to his mansion.
Astrid was waiting in the parlor smoking a cigarette when the children arrived with their grandfather. She was about to say something when Finn raised his hand as if to say "save it". Grandpa Hartman was put to bed. "Damn these old bones," he muttered as Rebecca helped in to bed. Astrid and Finn were having a stern talk outside the door and Rebecca did what she could to comfort her ailing grandfather. "Promise me," their grandfather whispered "promise me you and your brother share this treasure." Rebecca nodded and the old man fell asleep.
"...you go and taking him from his bed rest and galavanting across the whole damn city didn't set off any alarms in your head, Finnegan?" Astrid complained, her muffled voice easy to hear in the hallway. "He's fine, isn't he? At least he didn't go stealing any of his money right in front of him! What's next? Gonna go tell a bunch of orphans that Santa ain't real or will you steal from the charity plate on Sunday?" Finn fired back. "You're basing that accusation on a senile old man. At least with mine complaints are based in truth." "Truth, huh? By the way, when did grocery stores smell like acetone? And your hair looks lovely, by the way. My mother told me Ms. Nguyen can do wonders." "I don't have to take this from some puffed-up, arrogant boy who thinks he's so smart because he's teaching kids his age!" "Funny, I was thinking the same about this conniving bitch in front of me." Astrid, her face red and on the verge of tears, smacked Finn across the face. The sound reverberated loud enough for Rebecca to come running down the hall to see Finn standing with his head turned and the left side of his face a pulsating pink. Finn turned to Rebecca, in shock at what she saw, and only gave a simple grin. With a slight gesture of his head, Rebecca walked towards him. "Come on, Mouse. I'll take you back to my place. I think we've overstayed our welcome for today," Finn proclaimed rather calmly though with a terseness in his voice. "Yeah... thank you for having me over, Astrid. Take care of Grandpa." With the only sounds being the clacking and squeaking of footsteps, Finn and Rebecca left their grandfather's manor in the care of Astrid. "Are you going to call the police?" Rebecca asked as they walked to Finn's car. "...no. A single smack to the face and no real evidence to prove she's stealing grandpa's money is a wasted effort. The fact that we know what she does means she'll hopefully be less inclined to continue her petty crimes. Not to mention you saw me getting slapped, right? So I have you as a witness." "Y-yeah...," Rebecca replied. "So, we're going to your apartment?" "Yeah. I figure you and me can translate our share of the code. I can make us some dinner too." "Why are you being so nice?" Rebecca asked. Finn didn't answer; Rebecca decided not to push the matter further.
When they arrived to Finn's apartment they were greeted by the smell of dish soap and the hum of a desk top computer nearby. Finn flicked the switch to reveal a plain undecorated one bedroom apartment. Framed pictures and a broom leaned against the alabaster walls. The kitchen and living room was divided by bar like counter tops with stools. A large brown futon was in the center of the living room with a flimsy looking coffee table in front of it. Rebecca noticed a well-established computer desk with an ASUS model desktop and a brand new bookcase filled with textbooks in the far end of the living room. The small hallway leading to the bed and bathroom was dark. "The bathroom is down the hallway" Finn said as he tossed his brown leather jacket on the down on the futon "Do you like beans and rice?" Rebecca walked around the room "beans and rice? Rebecca laughed "I thought you were making better money these days?" Finn was in the kitchen thumping around the kitchen, the sounds of pots and pans clanking filled the air. "I'm just starting out, besides I like rice and beans." He emptied the contents of can of black beans in a pan "Read back to what we've found so far" he said. Rebecca sat down at one of the bar stools and read what they had deduced so far "Old America Bank and the number 30246".
"We could probably go with that much information alone," Rebecca stated. "We could, but that bank is probably closed by now. We'd have to wait until tomorrow morning. And since tomorrow is Saturday, we have to go early," Finn replied from in the kitchen. The smell of beans was beginning to radiate the apartment and made Rebecca cringe a little bit while working on the decryption. After a short while, Finn was finished cooking and gave Rebecca her bowl. She had made slow progress but eventually a message was being revealed. 'The Old America Bank has a deposit box. In box 30246, there will be a group of boxes. Astrid is A, Finnegan is B, Rebecca is C, and David is D. These were picked for you and nobody else.' Finn looked at it and had developed a dispirited expression. "All that work for something that short?" "The rest of the journal could have more information, but we have what we need. Now, I guess we eat our dinner and enjoy the rest of our evening before heading out tomorrow," Rebecca reassured her brother while keeping her thoughts on the meal a poorly kept secret. After they were through eating, Rebecca kept the journal in Finn's care as he took her home.
Rebecca awoke to the sound of her radio alarm playing and the sound of Astrid talking loudly on the phone. She slipped on her denim jeans and long sleeved gray t shirt and made her way down her grandfather's winding stairwell to the kitchen. The treasured manuscript was stuck under the pit of her arm. Grandpa Hartman took his meals in his room and Astrid was too busy talking with her friend on the phone to catch Rebecca snatching an apple from fruit bowl on the tile countertop and snuck out the back door. Finn was waiting in his Jetta with the engine running he tapped his watch; "Late as always, eh Mouse?" Rebecca climbed in the car and opened the journal, "The sooner we find this treasure the better things will be" she said re-reading the codes found the night before. Finn drove out of the and in five minutes they were on the highway to the Old America Bank. "The building was the first bank established in town" Finn said "unfortunately it's in the middle of nowhere." Rebecca shrugged "what's the worst that could happen?"
As they drove into the old area of town, they approached the Old America Bank. It was the sort of building you would expect for an old bank: a two storied building with Romanesque columns and lion statues in the front, a far more modern area for drive-thru deposits and withdrawals that curved around the back, and parking for both bank employees and those who had to conduct business inside. It was, once upon a time, an important building on the edge of town but now stands as a lone reminder of the past. The siblings exited the car and walked into the bank to find that the interior was, though somewhat dated, much more contemporary than the outside. There were plush chairs in the waiting area, old desks that had some items made in the 21st century resting on them, and a service desk with an old woman standing there. A younger woman in at least in her 30s came up to the siblings and greeted them warmly. "You must Finnegan Hartman, correct?" "Yes, and you're... Ellen? That's right. Yes, I called you early this morning to retrieve an item." "Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Hartman's wishes were laid out when we worked out their little... arrangement. Needless to say, we aim to please one of last big patrons. Phyllis there even worked out the details with Mrs. Hartman," Ellen said. "Don't talk about Mr. Hartman," she whispered. "Right... we'll remember that," Rebecca replied with a bit of unease. Rebecca, Finn, and Ellen walked over to the old woman named Phyllis; Ellen gave her a piece of paper. Phyllis walked into a back room and brought out two boxes, big enough to hold a Magic 8-Ball, with one box labeled with the letter B and the other with the letter C. Rebecca and Finn each grabbed their respective boxes. They then signed a form and showed identification to prove they were who they said they were. Then came the moment of truth.
It was her brother, Finn. He was two and half years older than her but his maturity reflected a soul much older and wiser. He was also the newest and youngest professor at the State University as well as a celebrated historian. "Hello Mouse!" He said to his sister. She wrinkled her mouth in displeasure "Stop calling me that!" She hissed. Finn gave a small chuckle "oh it never gets old". "Speak for yourself!" She cried "I am 23 years old!" The young professor sat next his sister and reached for the old book "what are you reading?" He said as he carefully flipped through the navy colored books pages. Suddenly Finn's face became serious, "Rebecca, where did you get this book?" Finn sister, Rebecca let her eyes wander across the old study avoiding her brother's stern expression.
"On that shelf over there," Rebecca replied as she pointed over at a bookcase on the opposite wall. There was a noticeable gap in the numerous books. "Very funny," Finn replied dryly. "Do you even know what you were reading?" Finn asked Rebecca. She nodded. "Yeah, it was "Moby Dick" by Melville. Why?" Finn gave a haughty smile. "Not only would you be the sort of person who reads "Moby Dick" at leisure but you would also be the sort of person who wouldn't even know you're reading a first edition!" Rebecca was stunned by the revelation and looked at the rare book in her brother's hands. "So can I continue reading it?" she asked. "No! This is way too valuable to be lying around or to be used!" Finn replied in a frantic tone. "It was just sitting on a shelf before I picked it up so I think it's fine. Also, isn't the point of a book to be read?" "Yes, but at least read a more recent edition! I wonder what other rare books gramps has around here..." Finn stated as he began browsing the shelves. Rebecca got up from the plush couch and swiped the book from Finn's hands. "Professor or not, you shouldn't just start taking books from grandpa's personal library! At least not without his permission."
"For pity sake Mouse," He chided "Gramps would be pleased that somebody took interest with his library. After all he can barely see anymore". Rebecca put her hands on her hips "what makes you so special to borrow them when I can't?" Finn carefully put the book back into its rightful place "I work with old texts all the time" Finn replied "You can't even remember to return books to the public library". Rebecca folded her arms "Maybe, but at least I'm not a jerk-and stop calling Grandpa 'gramps' if it weren't for him you wouldn't have finished your last year of college". Finn seemed to ignore her and began tracing his finger down the rows of old books. "For your information," Finn said as he delicately pulled on an old red book top first "I paid 'Grandpa' back, at least most of it anyway. Do not act like I treated him unfairly." Rebecca was going to respond when both of them heard an odd creaking noise, as if something heavy was being moved. The book case began to turn revealing a dark passage way.
"Finn... what's that?" Rebecca asked cautiously. "It looks like a secret passage. I thought that was just a joke in movies but I guess the old coot has one," Finn replied. "Let's go in!" "What? No! We have no idea where that leads!" Rebecca stated with shock. "What's the matter? Are you scared of the dark, Mouse?" Finn teased. "No, I'm not scared of the dark! I don't know why you're so interested in going in," Rebecca said as her voice started to trail towards the end. "Grandpa's loaded, we've always known that, but what if he's got some secret? Maybe he was an assassin!" Finn explained. "Remind me, who's supposed to be the college educator here?" Rebecca asked in the hopes to vex Finn. "Laugh all you want but at least I have a sense of adventure. You would rather stay in here reading than go outside like the wallflower you are," Finn retorted. Rebecca's plan had backfired. "...fine, let's go. But let's at least get a light or something! It's dark in there." "Way ahead of you," Finn stated as he pulled out his keys and flashed a light from a small plastic device on his key ring. "Do you always have that?" Rebecca asked in disbelief. "It was a welcoming gift from the chair of the history department. Apparently it's what she does for anyone new to the university." Rebecca shrugged it off as just someone's quirk and walked into the dark corridor with her brother.
Finn seemed to walk without any sense of trepidation. Rebecca grabbed his tweed jacketed arm in order to keep up. The passage way seemed to grow wider as they went. The floor was slowly turning into cobblestone. Somehow it seemed that they were far below the house. "Where are we?" Rebecca asked, her voice seemed to echo in the dark space. Finn moved the flashlight along the walls "I'm not sure, but it looks like some sort of study". "You must be joking" Rebecca said "who would have a study this far down? I mean, I smell mildew for peats sake". Finn rolled his eyes "Well a lot of good it is if we can't get a decent view of the place." Finn moved his tiny flashlight along the walls where he found what appeared to be an old candle on a desk. "You still smoke cigarettes right?" He asked, although he well knew the answer. Rebecca began to protest, then gave up. "Here" she said and handed her brother a small pink lighter." Tsk, tsk, tsk, and you told Mom you stopped smoking three months ago" he said as he lit the candle.
"And you told Mom you stopped biting your nails," Rebecca replied. Finn's face began to turn red. "Who told you I still do that?!" he asked with embarrassment. "You did. Just now," Rebecca replied with her tongue sticking out. Finn gave an uneasy smirk. "At least we'll keep each other's secrets safe, right?" The candle didn't provide much light but it did help to get rid of the mildew smell, or at least mask it for the time being. The room was made of stone in every direction with only the desk and the candle in few. A quick examination of the room found an old ham radio covered in dust and cobwebs sitting atop an equally dusty old wooden chair that was rotted from the poor conditions underground. On the desk was an tattered book that was in poor condition on the covers but the pages were, for the most part, legible. It was written in some secret code, or at least appeared to be one, since there were no written words until the back of the book which contained a decryption key on how to translate the codes. Rebecca had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach and wasn't sure if it was because of the musty odor of the room or the discovery they had made. Finn was more fascinated by what they had found and his mind was flooding with all sorts of theories and ideas about what it all meant. While Finn was looking around, Rebecca was busy translating a code when she discovered something astounding. "Finn," she started with a solemn tone, "I think this was Grandma's."
Suddenly the two heard the sound of a familiar yet grating voice echo from the entrance "Becky! Finnegan! Where are you?" It was their cousin Astrid, she was about fifteen years older than Finn. She had been their Grandfather's caregiver since he'd fallen in the tub six months ago. Although she appeared benevolent enough to assist her elderly uncle, both Finn and Rebecca had detested her company since childhood. "Quick hide the book" Finn hissed, Finn despised her most of all. Rebecca shoved the tattered text under her blue hooded sweat shirt and made way to the entrance of the passage way. Astrid had apparently not seen the gaping secret passage and was about to shout out their names again when Rebecca and Finn arrived. "You bellowed?" Finn asked testily. Astrid's heavily painted red lips shaped to a frown "I need to go to the grocery store, for once, you two need to watch the old man." Sensing the tension between her and Finn, Astrid then added "I suppose watching a sad old fool wouldn't be too challenging for a supposed scholar like you, aye Finnegan?" Finn wrinkled his brow at his older cousin. Rebecca knew how much he hated being called "Finnegan".
"We'll watch him, Astrid. Take all the time you need," Rebecca said. "Hmph. Maybe I will! Lord knows I need a break from him," Astrid curtly replied. Astrid's footsteps could be heard clacking away even all the way downstairs. As the front door faintly creaked open and the slammed shut, Finn decided to break the silence. "'Take all the time you need?' Why would you say that?!" Finn asked. "Grandpa could tell us about this book. Maybe we can learn why Grandma wrote these codes in this book and about the ham radio and everything," Rebecca responded. Finn thought about it for a moment and he eventually agreed. The two siblings walked down the hall, passing by numerous wooden doors shut, shut and neglected, until they reached the end of the hall to a door that had see plenty of recent use. The turning of the aged brass knob opened up to a large bedroom with a four-poster bed facing a fireplace. There was a small chair and table that have gone untouched and unused by human hands for many years yet still taken care of. In the bed was a frail figure soundly sleeping, the occasional snort reminding those that he was still alive, with wrinkled hands resting over velvet blankets and his thin gray hair like fuzzy string on a doll. Finn leaned in to look at his grandfather, who opened one eye and smirked as he pulled out a flower and squirted him in the face. The old man began to cackle with glee at the face of his grandson covered in water. "It's rude to stare, Finn m'boy!" the old man spoke and he choked and chortled. "Great to see you too, gramps," Finn said unenthusiastically. "What was that?" the old man asked in a cranky voice. "It's great to see you too, Grandpa," Finn replied with more emotion in his voice. "Ah, now that's more like it!" their grandfather wheezed in a more jovial tone.
"Grandpa," Rebecca asked "We were in your study and…" Rebecca was interrupted by the old man's coughing. Before she could speak further the old man asked "Is the stilettoed harpy gone?" He inquired. "Yes, Grandpa, but we really want to know…" Again, Rebecca was interrupted by the grayed haired old man. "You, know Astrid thinks she's pretty clever. I know she's been stealing from me for months now, she takes the money out of my allowance jar on my desk" he points to the direction of the table "She thinks I put it there for safe keeping, but really its money for her to steal so she doesn't take something important." Impatient with the current dialogue Finn chimed in "Grandpa we found the secret passage way in your office". Their Grandfather, who was slowly sitting up and trying to get up from his large bed said "Oh I know" he said. Finn and Rebecca could not hide their shock "How on earth did you know?" Rebecca asked in shock. "You children have been playing in that library since you were in diapers" their Grandfather replied "It was a matter of time before you found my copy of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and found your way into your Grandmother's hidden study." With some difficulty, the old man stood up wearing his blue striped pajamas. " Fetch my cane, we haven't a moment to lose."
Finn walked over to a door where a simple black cane was hanging off the doorknob and fetched it for his grandfather. Grasping it in his right hand and tapping it on the floor a couple of times, he gave a grunt of approval and began to toddle towards the bedroom door. He stopped only for an instant to catch his breath and continued again. Rebecca was walking over to a wheelchair when their grandfather simply shook his head as he opened the door. "So where are we going, exactly?" Finn asked. "Before your grandma passed on years ago, we both decided that we'd leave you kids something special. We both knew that you and Rebecca were smart as whips and would probably get what was yours before I kicked the bucket, unlike that harlot niece of mine who steals money or that dumb as a rock cousin of yours who never visits. My other granddaughter... well, I know how busy she is with her rug-rats so I understand. They'll still get their heirlooms but not until I'm next to your grandma on the mantle," their grandfather explained. "But what about the journal? Why was it in that dank room?" Rebecca asked. Their grandfather halted in the middle of the hall to take a breath and rest for a moment before they continued again, making their way towards another office room. "We didn't want to leave that journal out in the open for anyone to go and decode, or worst. And we didn't want to leave it in a safe to be forgotten either. Her old getaway wasn't ideal but it worked. It lists everything we intended to leave you specifically." "And the ham radio?" Finn added. "Just a relic from a hobby your grandma loved. Back before you kids had mobile phones and cyberspace, there were only a few ways to communicate long distances that didn't cost an arm and a leg. Your grandma was actually the president of the local club back in her prime. That room used to be her own little operating booth where she was able to speak to folks from all over, but soon fell into disuse. That's a fate I'm sure many of these old rooms have faced in the passing years..."
"Regardless!" The old man said as he opened the bedroom door and hobbled his way down the hall "We need to go to the University and speak to an old colleague of mine. You may know him well Finn, his name's Dr. Theodore Simon." Indeed Finn knew the gentleman well however there was an unfortunate detail yet to be revealed. "Grandpa he died last year," Finn replied "his daughter is the chairman of the History department now." Their Grandfather paused, his head turned slightly to hear his grandson's words behind him "Well that will have to do then" he said. With assistance, Finn and Rebecca's Grandfather was in the front seat of Finn's cobalt Jetta. His black cane on his lap and his body wrapped with his blue velvet bathrobe and his lamb skin slippers. Rebecca sat cozily in the back while Finn drove out of the massive winding driveway. Their Grandfather's topiary sculptures of giraffes, bears, and elephants seemed to watch them leave through the electric wrought iron gate towards the street. "Ole Simon was an excellent decoder of sorts" Their Grandfather said "before he was the head of the history department he studied languages and codes. He worked for the U.S government to decipher and write coded messages during WW II". "How did you and Grandma meet him?" Rebecca asked poking her head between the two front seats, looking at the elderly patriarch. "Simon was actually a nemesis of mine" the Old Man replied "he wanted to marry your grandmother but she fancied me more". Rebecca seemed amazed by the revelation but Finn seemed un-phased. "How and why would Simon's daughter want to help us?" Finn asked intensely "How could she know anything?" There was a mischievous twinkle in his Grandfather's eye "We'll see when we arrive".
After an hour of driving, the three made it to the university's history building. It was as you would expect a collegiate building to look: large, clean, numerous windows on all sides, and a dark tiled roof. While there was little chance of anyone else being in the building besides a possible study group or the janitorial staff, Finn knew that the chairman would at least be in her office. As they entered the building, they walked out of another door which opened up into a small courtyard with a fountain in the center to reveal that the whole building was shaped like a square doughnut. On the other side of the courtyard was another door, one which had both the stairs and elevator to get to the other floors above or to the basement area below. With their entry into the other side of the building and then to the elevator, they found themselves on the third floor. The trio finally found themselves in front of a tawny wooden door with a plaque outside that read 'Dr. Elizabeth Simon-Caldwell, Chair.' Rebecca knocked on the door and a voiced muffled 'Come in!' The interior of the office was both humble and sophisticated. A large bookshelf crammed to the brim with numerous books on many titles and subjects stood to their right while on the left wall was a collection of photographs of many foreign locations and even a few replicas of various works of art. On the wall before them was two windows with a wall which had the Chair's degrees and honors from various institutions. The Chair's desk was a mix of traditional academia and modern with a well-kept but old oak desk that was topped with a multi-line phone, a flat screen computer, and manila folders stacked next to various papers that had red marks on them. "Well this is a surprise! Mr. Hartman and Dr. Hartman," the middle-aged woman said in joyous shock. "It's been quite a long time since we last saw each other, Liz. I do apologize that I couldn't make it to the old man's funeral. I imagine when I do see him I won't hear the end of it!" their grandfather stated with a chuckle.
Dr. Caldwell gave a small smile "What can I do for you today? I would offer you some tea but the staff lounge is locked up at the moment". "Are we keeping you from going home?" Rebecca inquired sympathetically. Dr. Caldwell gave a large smooth creased smile "Nonsense! It's not every day I get to see old friends, however" she looked at Grandpa Hartman's bathrobe and slippers "It seems that you all came in a bit of a hurry to see me." "Right you are Liz", the old man said emphatically "we need to discuss the whereabouts of your father's code manuscripts during the Second World War, specifically the translations for his codes." Dr. Caldwell's brow wrinkled slightly, as if in deep in thought then she took off her round tortoise shell glasses " You may not believe me, but I don't have the manuscript-that is, not all of it" she said. Finn raised his thick dark brow at the professor, "all of it?" He said. Suddenly the old man gave out an aggravated sigh "I should've known!" Rebecca, confused by the scene asked "well where is the rest of it? Why is it separated?" Liz Caldwell rested her chin on her now folded hands; she seemed to let the weight of her upper body rely upon her cashmere sweatered elbows. Her eyes seemed to express a tiredness they had not seen behind her glasses. As if to answer for her, Grandpa Hartman replied "That old coot was paranoid after the war; he was afraid that the Nazis and whoever else might be able to get a hold of his codes." Dr. Caldwell seemed to grimace when the old man referred to her father as "that old coot". "It wasn't just because of that, Terrance" she said referring to Finn and Rebecca's grandfather. "He created the code, only two people knew the code and that was my father and…" Rebecca chimed in "Our grandma?" Dr. Caldwell's serene smile returned "yes". "Well that's just great," Finn said "Not only don't we know where the rest of manuscript is; we won't understand the code unless we have the power to raise the dead." Rebecca elbowed her brother in the ribs "Shut up professor! - Dr. Caldwell there must be an answer key somewhere it would make no sense to create one, I mean what would happen if they lost their memory? Or they wanted their heirs to use it?" Rebecca paused; she couldn't help but ponder about her choice of words. Dr. Caldwell seemed to wake up from her meditative state "it's interesting you say that," she said "my daughter received a package from my father in his will; she wasn't allowed to open until her 21st birthday." She wrote down a quick number on a lavender sticky note "she's currently home from university, perhaps you can talk to her? Here's our address, I will meet you there later after I finish some paper work."
"This is a lot of work for some prize..." Finn exasperated as they exited Dr. Caldwell's office. "Why did you even entrust half of the code to help YOUR grandchildren to the man who wanted to marry your wife?" "When you get to my age you don't really remember why you did much of anything, but I wanted to do something special for you kids. A little treasure hunt. Just consider it an old man's sense of humor" "But why do we need the other half of the code? I was able to figure out enough with the half we have to know the journal was grandma's. Can't we do it like Wheel of Fortune or something and just try to guess what it translate out to?" Rebecca queried. "Good thinking, but we can't. It would be like having to play the game with only half the alphabet and no vowels. You can figure out the rest of a phrase when you have knowledge of the entire alphabet but with this you can't, not to mention the fact that it's much more complicated than just a "number equals letter" sort of code." "And why did the late Dr. Simon split his half of the code in half again?" Finn asked. Their grandfather sighed. "The old fool was always paranoid about something. Add to the fact that some of his correspondents wound up in East Germany and he finally went of his nut during Vietnam, he became known as an eccentric genius. He hid his paranoia rather well, strangely enough, and was able to get a cushy job here until his retirement. Anything I come up with is just conjecture and won't get us anywhere..." The siblings weren't entirely sure if Dr. Simon was genuinely paranoid or if their grandfather was simply assuming he was, but it was irrelevant now. As the trio hopped back into the Jetta they set off for Dr. Caldwell's home... and then Rebecca's phone went off. To her shock and displeasure, it was Astrid calling.
"Where the hell are you?" Astrid seemed to bellow into the receiver "Where is the old man? If you don't bring him back I'm going to call the police!" Rebecca moved her purple cell phone from her ear. "Stop screaming Astrid, Grandpa just wanted to go for a ride. We'll bring him home in a couple hours!" Rebecca said into the receiver. "'For a ride'? He could stroke out any minute! He could have a heart attack! Lord knows what your mother would do to me if he had a damn "accident" and I wasn't there to clean it up" Astrid sputtered "Bring him home NOW!" Rebecca looked in to the rearview mirror, hoping to catch some sympathetic gesture from her brother or her grandfather. "Tell that old hussy I'll come home when I damn well please!" Grandpa Hartman yelled, more to Astrid on the phone than at Rebecca. "Grandpa Terrance!" Astrid scolded over the phone. Finn, tired of the conversation made Rebecca relinquish the phone into his grasp. With one hand on the wheel, and one holding the cellphone to his ear he said "The man is in his eighties, Astrid. We'll bring him home when we're ready to and if you call the police on us I will make sure mother knows about the money you've stolen from him." Astrid seemed to quiet down and without much more to say except "alright please take care of him." After Finn hung up, all three passengers remained quiet until they arrived at 1900s Greek inspired town house with white rose bushes lining the pathway to the front door. They could hear the sound of a small dog barking as they parked into the clean cement driveway.
As they exited the car, Finn was pulled aside by his grandfather. "Thanks for sticking up for me, son," he spoke softly. "I hate to say this but she is right. You really shouldn't be up and about in your condition... but you're welcome," Finn replied hesitantly. "You're a good man, Finnegan," his grandfather stated proudly, which embarrassed Finn a bit. They walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. In an instant, the door opened to reveal a young woman, maybe 19 or 20, with long dark hair and wearing a pink t-shirt and a pair of jeans along with a pair of black socks. "Can I help you?" "Hello! We were told by your mother, Dr. Caldwell, to come speak to you. I'm Rebecca, this is my brother Finn, and this is our grandpa." "What...? Oh yeah, Mom did call me about that a minute ago. Something about the package grandpa Simon left me. She said I could open it when you three arrived." "We don't want to disrespect your late grandfather's wishes, but it's actually about something for us as well." "Why would my grandpa leave something for me that was meant for you?" Finn sighed and asked if they could come in since the explanation would be a long one. They walked in and situated themselves in the living room when Caldwell's daughter offered them something to drink. After they received some glasses of water, Finn began to tell the story of what all had happened today that made them reach this point. Once he finished saying that their search brought them here, Caldwell's daughter nodded. "Alright. I have to say it sounds far-fetched but stranger things have happened I suppose. I'll go get the package and we'll all see what's in it together." After a moment, she returned with a box wrapped in brown paper with the words "To my granddaughter Ella. Don't open until 21." She placed it on the coffee table for all to see as it was time for the moment of truth.
With her legs folded Indian-style and her back arched over the package Ella carefully peeled the tape off the brown wrapping revealing a red box. Rebecca, Finn, and the Old Man watched intently as Ella opened the gift to find a leather bound journal. Upon opening it, it revealed rows upon rows of letters and symbols. Notes were written on the pages revealing definitions and anecdotes about the text. A light blue envelope fell out of the journal landing on the coffee table. "Could this be the answer key?" Rebecca asked while flipping through the old inked pages. Finn took the book from his sister's hand, "Well it deciphers some of the weird codes from Grandma's book," he said "but who knows how much this little book will help." Grandpa Hartman seemed more interested with the blue envelope than of the journal itself. Ella picked up and opened the letter and began reading aloud. "'To my dearest grand-daughter, by this time, perhaps earlier than I hoped; the Hartman Children found themselves at your doorstep with a strange journal from their beloved grandmother leading them to you. They probably have their crotchety grandfather with them, strange being I had expected his love of gin to take the best of him'" At that moment Grandpa Hartman scowled and muttered "you can skip over your grand-dad's 'compliments' if you don't mind"... Ella continued reading on "'what you see before you in the red box; is the first half of the key to seeking the treasure of ages.'" Ella stopped reading and exchanged exhilarated glances with Finn and Rebecca, the old man seemed to stare past them in deep thought. "'If you choose to help them, that is, not deciding to keep the prize for yourself you will require the second manuscript to successfully read and find the path to your reward. I imagine there are many questions you wish to ask, in time they will be answered'". Ella paused, "'with adoration and confidence, Grandpa Theo'".
"Wait, she's got something using the code too?" Finn sighed. "It makes sense. I doubt it would be in the same place as our reward though," Rebecca stated. "All we have to do now is wait for your mother to give us her part of the code and we can begin deciphering!" Grandpa Hartman expressed with glee. Ella turned over the letter and saw that there was a string of letters and symbols while beneath this message was her grandfather's handwriting with the phrase "good luck!" The door opened with Dr. Caldwell holding her part of the code and beaming. "Okay, you all start decoding this while I get more comfortable. These heels are killer..." she stated with bated breath and walked upstairs. With all the code together, they began with Ella's since hers appeared to be the shortest. Ella ran into the office to grab a notepad and a pencil so they could begin writing out the solution. After a few minutes, Dr. Caldwell came back into the living room wearing more casual clothing to assist. Fifteen minutes had passed and Ella's code was completed. It had the name of a local bank and a deposit box. Dr. Caldwell recognized it as something that was mentioned in Theo's will and knew that this was where Ella's heirloom was. As Rebecca and Finn were about to use the code for themselves, they noticed how their grandfather had fallen asleep in the chair he was sitting in. It was time to take him home. With no more use to hold on to their part of the code, Ella and Dr. Caldwell relinquished their conjoined half to the siblings. After a quick goodbye, they escorted their grandfather back to the car and drove back to his mansion.
Astrid was waiting in the parlor smoking a cigarette when the children arrived with their grandfather. She was about to say something when Finn raised his hand as if to say "save it". Grandpa Hartman was put to bed. "Damn these old bones," he muttered as Rebecca helped in to bed. Astrid and Finn were having a stern talk outside the door and Rebecca did what she could to comfort her ailing grandfather. "Promise me," their grandfather whispered "promise me you and your brother share this treasure." Rebecca nodded and the old man fell asleep.
"...you go and taking him from his bed rest and galavanting across the whole damn city didn't set off any alarms in your head, Finnegan?" Astrid complained, her muffled voice easy to hear in the hallway. "He's fine, isn't he? At least he didn't go stealing any of his money right in front of him! What's next? Gonna go tell a bunch of orphans that Santa ain't real or will you steal from the charity plate on Sunday?" Finn fired back. "You're basing that accusation on a senile old man. At least with mine complaints are based in truth." "Truth, huh? By the way, when did grocery stores smell like acetone? And your hair looks lovely, by the way. My mother told me Ms. Nguyen can do wonders." "I don't have to take this from some puffed-up, arrogant boy who thinks he's so smart because he's teaching kids his age!" "Funny, I was thinking the same about this conniving bitch in front of me." Astrid, her face red and on the verge of tears, smacked Finn across the face. The sound reverberated loud enough for Rebecca to come running down the hall to see Finn standing with his head turned and the left side of his face a pulsating pink. Finn turned to Rebecca, in shock at what she saw, and only gave a simple grin. With a slight gesture of his head, Rebecca walked towards him. "Come on, Mouse. I'll take you back to my place. I think we've overstayed our welcome for today," Finn proclaimed rather calmly though with a terseness in his voice. "Yeah... thank you for having me over, Astrid. Take care of Grandpa." With the only sounds being the clacking and squeaking of footsteps, Finn and Rebecca left their grandfather's manor in the care of Astrid. "Are you going to call the police?" Rebecca asked as they walked to Finn's car. "...no. A single smack to the face and no real evidence to prove she's stealing grandpa's money is a wasted effort. The fact that we know what she does means she'll hopefully be less inclined to continue her petty crimes. Not to mention you saw me getting slapped, right? So I have you as a witness." "Y-yeah...," Rebecca replied. "So, we're going to your apartment?" "Yeah. I figure you and me can translate our share of the code. I can make us some dinner too." "Why are you being so nice?" Rebecca asked. Finn didn't answer; Rebecca decided not to push the matter further.
When they arrived to Finn's apartment they were greeted by the smell of dish soap and the hum of a desk top computer nearby. Finn flicked the switch to reveal a plain undecorated one bedroom apartment. Framed pictures and a broom leaned against the alabaster walls. The kitchen and living room was divided by bar like counter tops with stools. A large brown futon was in the center of the living room with a flimsy looking coffee table in front of it. Rebecca noticed a well-established computer desk with an ASUS model desktop and a brand new bookcase filled with textbooks in the far end of the living room. The small hallway leading to the bed and bathroom was dark. "The bathroom is down the hallway" Finn said as he tossed his brown leather jacket on the down on the futon "Do you like beans and rice?" Rebecca walked around the room "beans and rice? Rebecca laughed "I thought you were making better money these days?" Finn was in the kitchen thumping around the kitchen, the sounds of pots and pans clanking filled the air. "I'm just starting out, besides I like rice and beans." He emptied the contents of can of black beans in a pan "Read back to what we've found so far" he said. Rebecca sat down at one of the bar stools and read what they had deduced so far "Old America Bank and the number 30246".
"We could probably go with that much information alone," Rebecca stated. "We could, but that bank is probably closed by now. We'd have to wait until tomorrow morning. And since tomorrow is Saturday, we have to go early," Finn replied from in the kitchen. The smell of beans was beginning to radiate the apartment and made Rebecca cringe a little bit while working on the decryption. After a short while, Finn was finished cooking and gave Rebecca her bowl. She had made slow progress but eventually a message was being revealed. 'The Old America Bank has a deposit box. In box 30246, there will be a group of boxes. Astrid is A, Finnegan is B, Rebecca is C, and David is D. These were picked for you and nobody else.' Finn looked at it and had developed a dispirited expression. "All that work for something that short?" "The rest of the journal could have more information, but we have what we need. Now, I guess we eat our dinner and enjoy the rest of our evening before heading out tomorrow," Rebecca reassured her brother while keeping her thoughts on the meal a poorly kept secret. After they were through eating, Rebecca kept the journal in Finn's care as he took her home.
Rebecca awoke to the sound of her radio alarm playing and the sound of Astrid talking loudly on the phone. She slipped on her denim jeans and long sleeved gray t shirt and made her way down her grandfather's winding stairwell to the kitchen. The treasured manuscript was stuck under the pit of her arm. Grandpa Hartman took his meals in his room and Astrid was too busy talking with her friend on the phone to catch Rebecca snatching an apple from fruit bowl on the tile countertop and snuck out the back door. Finn was waiting in his Jetta with the engine running he tapped his watch; "Late as always, eh Mouse?" Rebecca climbed in the car and opened the journal, "The sooner we find this treasure the better things will be" she said re-reading the codes found the night before. Finn drove out of the and in five minutes they were on the highway to the Old America Bank. "The building was the first bank established in town" Finn said "unfortunately it's in the middle of nowhere." Rebecca shrugged "what's the worst that could happen?"
As they drove into the old area of town, they approached the Old America Bank. It was the sort of building you would expect for an old bank: a two storied building with Romanesque columns and lion statues in the front, a far more modern area for drive-thru deposits and withdrawals that curved around the back, and parking for both bank employees and those who had to conduct business inside. It was, once upon a time, an important building on the edge of town but now stands as a lone reminder of the past. The siblings exited the car and walked into the bank to find that the interior was, though somewhat dated, much more contemporary than the outside. There were plush chairs in the waiting area, old desks that had some items made in the 21st century resting on them, and a service desk with an old woman standing there. A younger woman in at least in her 30s came up to the siblings and greeted them warmly. "You must Finnegan Hartman, correct?" "Yes, and you're... Ellen? That's right. Yes, I called you early this morning to retrieve an item." "Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Hartman's wishes were laid out when we worked out their little... arrangement. Needless to say, we aim to please one of last big patrons. Phyllis there even worked out the details with Mrs. Hartman," Ellen said. "Don't talk about Mr. Hartman," she whispered. "Right... we'll remember that," Rebecca replied with a bit of unease. Rebecca, Finn, and Ellen walked over to the old woman named Phyllis; Ellen gave her a piece of paper. Phyllis walked into a back room and brought out two boxes, big enough to hold a Magic 8-Ball, with one box labeled with the letter B and the other with the letter C. Rebecca and Finn each grabbed their respective boxes. They then signed a form and showed identification to prove they were who they said they were. Then came the moment of truth.
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This is a journal
1 min read
Who actually reads my journals?
Let's see who reads this entirely...leave me a one word comment that best describes me, using the SECOND letter of your FIRST name. It can only be ONE word. Then copy and paste this to your journal so I can leave a word about you. Don't just PUT a word and NOT copy, that's no fun.
Let's see who reads this entirely...leave me a one word comment that best describes me, using the SECOND letter of your FIRST name. It can only be ONE word. Then copy and paste this to your journal so I can leave a word about you. Don't just PUT a word and NOT copy, that's no fun.
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Trying my hand at commissions
5 min read
Yes, you read that right. I'm gonna try doing some commission work. Why?
A couple of reasons. First of all, I've never done it before. I've made stories for people in the past just for fun and have posted them up for people to enjoy. Some were requests, others were just for laughs, and most of all it was to make 'em happy.
Secondly, a friend of mine (the lovely Sokai-Sama) is doing it and she was very persuasive.
And thirdly, I need to feed my cupcake addiction. (that's a lie since I can quit anytime)
It's a joke!
So what am I offering? I'm glad you asked!
---
What will I write?
In honesty, just about anything so long as it's prose and fiction. Keep in mind, however, that I'm gonna be stronger in some genres than others. For example, I can do fantasy, sci-fi, and the slice-of-life kind of stuff pretty well since I've been writing that for years but my experience writing anything like horror, gore, or erotic fiction could be somewhat lacking. I don't write poetry and won't write non-fiction. Fan fiction is a possibility, but if I'm not familiar with the material then you're out of luck unless you give me specific details on what you want.
What won't I write?
As mentioned, I won't write poetry or non-fiction since not only would writing a 1500 word poem be arduous but writing anything non-fiction would be dull and possibly mean you want me to write an essay for a class. Beyond that, I won't write anything involving graphic or sexual violence against anyone or anything, I won't write as though it's a script to be performed, and I won't write a story that is overtly political or religious. My opinions and views are my own as are yours and if you wish to write about such topics then you should do so in your own words. Also, I won't write about controversial figures.
Details
The story itself must be either a self-contained one-shot or a two-shot. What I mean is that the story can't be a prologue, epilogue, or small part of a larger story. It begins and ends in at least one or two chapters. My worry is that you'll take my work and claim it as your own. Believe or not, this has happened before.
The finished story will not be posted on here. I will e-mail it to you in PDF format and it will for your private use. I also ask that you not post it on your DeviantArt account or on another site unless you attribute me as the author. If it's meant to be a gift to someone, I can add a dedication if you wish.
A one-shot story itself will be no less than 1500 words but no more than 5000. To give you an idea of length, my story "The Unlucky Werewolf" is almost 1600 words while a chapter of "Chronicles of Aumar" is about 2000 on average. A two shot would invariably double a one-shot and should at least be at or exceed 5000 words on the low end.
Prices
My prices are pretty basic. A simple, one-shot story (1500-5000 words) will be $4 US. A two-shot story will be $6 US.
All payments will be through PayPal.
Contact Info
Since I'm going to require your e-mail for delivery, and since there's going to be a lot of details and information for your personal story, I ask that you don't leave a comment in this Journal. Instead, please send me a Note through DeviantArt. Since payments are through PayPal, I'll be giving you my e-mail as well.
Time
I will try to get you your story within one week at most when I get your okay to go (basically, when hired and not when first contacted). I might be able to whip it out in a few hours if it's simple or it could take me days. I will Note you a few paragraphs not only as a preview of the piece but also to ensure that it's to your satisfaction. I will notify you of its completion through DA as well and you shall receive the final product once I'm paid.
If I exceed the one week period without giving you prior notice, I will offer a $1 discount. In the event that I am unable to write your story for whatever reason, or if you believe that I am not able to deliver what you want, our deal will be nullified and you won't have to pay me.
---
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
A couple of reasons. First of all, I've never done it before. I've made stories for people in the past just for fun and have posted them up for people to enjoy. Some were requests, others were just for laughs, and most of all it was to make 'em happy.
Secondly, a friend of mine (the lovely Sokai-Sama) is doing it and she was very persuasive.
And thirdly, I need to feed my cupcake addiction. (that's a lie since I can quit anytime)
It's a joke!
So what am I offering? I'm glad you asked!
---
What will I write?
In honesty, just about anything so long as it's prose and fiction. Keep in mind, however, that I'm gonna be stronger in some genres than others. For example, I can do fantasy, sci-fi, and the slice-of-life kind of stuff pretty well since I've been writing that for years but my experience writing anything like horror, gore, or erotic fiction could be somewhat lacking. I don't write poetry and won't write non-fiction. Fan fiction is a possibility, but if I'm not familiar with the material then you're out of luck unless you give me specific details on what you want.
What won't I write?
As mentioned, I won't write poetry or non-fiction since not only would writing a 1500 word poem be arduous but writing anything non-fiction would be dull and possibly mean you want me to write an essay for a class. Beyond that, I won't write anything involving graphic or sexual violence against anyone or anything, I won't write as though it's a script to be performed, and I won't write a story that is overtly political or religious. My opinions and views are my own as are yours and if you wish to write about such topics then you should do so in your own words. Also, I won't write about controversial figures.
Details
The story itself must be either a self-contained one-shot or a two-shot. What I mean is that the story can't be a prologue, epilogue, or small part of a larger story. It begins and ends in at least one or two chapters. My worry is that you'll take my work and claim it as your own. Believe or not, this has happened before.
The finished story will not be posted on here. I will e-mail it to you in PDF format and it will for your private use. I also ask that you not post it on your DeviantArt account or on another site unless you attribute me as the author. If it's meant to be a gift to someone, I can add a dedication if you wish.
A one-shot story itself will be no less than 1500 words but no more than 5000. To give you an idea of length, my story "The Unlucky Werewolf" is almost 1600 words while a chapter of "Chronicles of Aumar" is about 2000 on average. A two shot would invariably double a one-shot and should at least be at or exceed 5000 words on the low end.
Prices
My prices are pretty basic. A simple, one-shot story (1500-5000 words) will be $4 US. A two-shot story will be $6 US.
All payments will be through PayPal.
Contact Info
Since I'm going to require your e-mail for delivery, and since there's going to be a lot of details and information for your personal story, I ask that you don't leave a comment in this Journal. Instead, please send me a Note through DeviantArt. Since payments are through PayPal, I'll be giving you my e-mail as well.
Time
I will try to get you your story within one week at most when I get your okay to go (basically, when hired and not when first contacted). I might be able to whip it out in a few hours if it's simple or it could take me days. I will Note you a few paragraphs not only as a preview of the piece but also to ensure that it's to your satisfaction. I will notify you of its completion through DA as well and you shall receive the final product once I'm paid.
If I exceed the one week period without giving you prior notice, I will offer a $1 discount. In the event that I am unable to write your story for whatever reason, or if you believe that I am not able to deliver what you want, our deal will be nullified and you won't have to pay me.
---
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
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Holy crap more Chinese Checkers!
2 min read
Yeah, screw the rules.
1. Earliest Halloween costume you can remember?
Police officer. Three year old me like police officer stuff. I accidentally handcuffed my feet together one time too. XD
2. Favorite Cartoons?
Like of all time? Damn, that's a long list...
The short list for things on TV right now are Adventure Time, Regular Show, Gumball, and Thundercats.
3.Website you frequent the most?
I check a lot of websites daily, but my guess is it would be a tie between Twitter, Facebook, and DA.
4. Personal viewpoint on life?
It's complicated.
5. Favorite person you subscribe to on youtube?
Ooh... that's a tough one. I'll say PeanutButterGamer is my favorite.
6. If you could only shop at any store for the rest of your life what would it be?
Could Amazon count as a store? If not, I guess maybe a department store like Kohls or something. I've been having luck finding things there.
7.Are you a casual sports viewer, a diehard fan, or are you absolutely not into watching sports?
Casual, for sure.
8. Are you a danger to society?
I love to make jokes about being crazy and such, but I'm easily no danger to anyone.
9. Interesting/funny thing that happened in your childhood?
One time in second grade I gave a girl I liked a ring. The teacher told me how I shouldn't do that. XD
10. Favorite pony?
The most dreaded question of all! Eh... Twilight Sparkle.
1. Earliest Halloween costume you can remember?
Police officer. Three year old me like police officer stuff. I accidentally handcuffed my feet together one time too. XD
2. Favorite Cartoons?
Like of all time? Damn, that's a long list...
The short list for things on TV right now are Adventure Time, Regular Show, Gumball, and Thundercats.
3.Website you frequent the most?
I check a lot of websites daily, but my guess is it would be a tie between Twitter, Facebook, and DA.
4. Personal viewpoint on life?
It's complicated.
5. Favorite person you subscribe to on youtube?
Ooh... that's a tough one. I'll say PeanutButterGamer is my favorite.
6. If you could only shop at any store for the rest of your life what would it be?
Could Amazon count as a store? If not, I guess maybe a department store like Kohls or something. I've been having luck finding things there.
7.Are you a casual sports viewer, a diehard fan, or are you absolutely not into watching sports?
Casual, for sure.
8. Are you a danger to society?
I love to make jokes about being crazy and such, but I'm easily no danger to anyone.
9. Interesting/funny thing that happened in your childhood?
One time in second grade I gave a girl I liked a ring. The teacher told me how I shouldn't do that. XD
10. Favorite pony?
The most dreaded question of all! Eh... Twilight Sparkle.
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