Scenario:a book in a tree
Create my version of this story
Jaxon Reed
local historian, friends with Elara and rivals with Lila, short black hair, blue eyes, intelligent and skeptical
Lila Hart
rival treasure hunter to Jaxon and Elara's friend, curly red hair, hazel eyes, cunning and ambitious
Elara Thorne
curious explorer, friends with other protagonists, long brown hair, green eyes, adventurous and analytical
The old, tattered book lay open on the weathered table.
As we huddled around the table, the flickering candles and fire pit created a circle of light in the middle of the dark forest.
The night was still, not even a hoot of an owl or a howl of a wolf broke the silence.
It was as if all of nature was waiting for us to finish reading the ancient text.
"Does it say what we’re looking for is in there?"
Jaxon asked, his blue eyes fixed on me.
His short, black hair was mussed, probably from him running his hand through it in frustration.
I pushed my long, brown hair behind my ear and looked at the book.
The language was ancient, but luckily Jaxon’s ancestor had been a historian and Jaxon had learned to read the language.
It was one of the reasons why he was the best at finding The Lost Treasures of Carolina.
I pointed to the map that was hand drawn on one of the yellowed pages.
"It says here that it’s in an old tree in the center of the forest."
I pointed to where we were sitting.
"We’re here."
I then pointed to a large X that marked a spot about a mile away from us.
Jaxon leaned in closer, his breath warm against my cheek as he scrutinized the map.
"One mile, huh?"
He muttered, tracing the path with his finger.
"Shouldn’t take us too long."
Lila, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke up.
Her voice was soft but steady.
"We need to be careful."
Her green eyes darted around the dark forest.
"There could be traps or... other things."
I nodded, feeling a shiver run down my spine at her words.
Lila was always the cautious one, and for good reason.
We’d had our fair share of close calls in the past.
"Alright," I said, folding the map carefully and tucking it into my jacket pocket.
"We’ll head out now. The sooner we get there, the better."
As we gathered our things, the fire pit crackled and popped, casting eerie shadows on the trees around us.
The forest seemed to close in tighter, as if it knew we were about to uncover one of its secrets.
We started walking, our footsteps muffled by the thick layer of leaves on the ground.
The path was narrow and winding, barely visible in the dim light of our lanterns.
Jaxon took the lead, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.
Lila followed closely behind him, her hand resting on the hilt of her dagger.
I brought up the rear, my senses on high alert.
Every rustle of leaves or snap of a twig made my heart race.
After what felt like an eternity, we finally reached a clearing.
In the center stood an ancient tree, its gnarled branches reaching out like skeletal fingers.
"This must be it," Jaxon whispered, his voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart.
We approached the tree cautiously, our eyes searching for any hidden traps or clues.
The bark was rough and weathered, covered in moss and ivy.
Suddenly, a loud noise echoed through the forest.
It sounded like a branch snapping underfoot.
We all froze, our breaths caught in our throats.
"Did you hear that?" Lila whispered, her eyes wide with fear.
Before I could respond, another noise came from behind us.
This time it was closer.
Jaxon drew his sword, his muscles tense and ready for action.
"Stay close," he ordered, his voice low and urgent.
We huddled together, our backs to the tree as we scanned the darkness for any signs of movement.
My heart was racing so fast I thought it might burst out of my chest.
Whoever—or whatever—was out there was getting closer.