Scenario:1
Create my version of this story
Alex Thompson leaned back in his chair and stretched his long legs under the table, his blue eyes scanning the email on his laptop screen.
I watched him from across the table in the university library where weâd met almost six years ago.
We were both students then, working toward our degrees in history and archeology.
Now we were colleagues, he as a historian and me as an archeologist for the universityâs museum.
âYou know him?â
I asked, leaning forward to rest my forearms on the tabletop.
âYeah, he was one of my professors.â He nodded at the screen.
âActually, he was a mentor of mine.Heâs been missing for almost a month now.â He ran a hand through his shaggy blond hair.
âWe were supposed to meet up for a summer dig, butâŚobviously he never showed.â
âDid they find his body?â
I asked before I could stop myself.
He gave me a wry smile.
âNot that I know of.I think theyâre still looking for him.â
I furrowed my brow.
âBut then how did you get this email?â
He clicked on the attachment and opened it.
âItâs from him,â he said, âsent to me last week.â
I nodded, still confused.
âSo you think he found something?
Something good, Iâm guessing.â
He gave a short laugh.
âI hope so.But I canât be sure until I figure out what this damn thing is.â
The attachment was a mapâthe one Dr.
Kline had supposedly foundâdrawn on an old piece of parchment paper.
Alex had already printed it off and had it spread out on the table in front of us.
âWant to take a look?â
I nodded eagerly and slid my chair closer to get a better look at the map.
It was written in Spanish, but with my knowledge of Latin and Alexâs understanding of Spanish history, I was able to make out most of it easily enough.
âIâve read through this thing so many times now that I can almost recite it word for word,â Alex muttered, pointing at one particular section on the map.
âThe problem is, I still have no idea what it means or where we should start looking.â
I leaned in closer to get a better look at where he was pointing.
The map was split into two parts: one was an intricate drawing of what we assumed was a temple or pyramid, labeled with Spanish words I didnât recognize; and the second part was a list of clues and directions on where to find it.
The first section looked like a basic layout of a temple complex.
There were a few notes and descriptions written around the edges in a mix of Spanish and what I could only assume was Incan.
The second half of the map was where it got tricky.
We knew it was a list of clues, but we couldnât figure out what most of them were referring to.
âI still canât believe Dr.
Kline wants you to help him find this thing,â I said with a shake of my head.
âThatâs like asking someone to find Atlantis.â
He gave me a wry smile.
âWell, I donât plan on turning down an invitation from a dead man now, do I?â
I laughed and shook my head.
âNope, I guess not.â
âPlus,â he said with a sly grin, âyou know you want to come with me.â
I raised an eyebrow at him.