Enchanted Shores

The Unexpected

"Hmm, the Pendant is recent." Mrs. Sinclair was sitting on the red blanket with me, studying the pendant. I was watching the campfire crackle until she spoke.

"Recent, how can you tell," I say, looking closer at the pendant.

"Well, this sort of gold wasn't made till the early two-thousands. It's a special kind of fake gold. Also on the back of the pendant, there are tiny words that are scratched up. If I took a picture of it and had my computer, I'd be able to see what it says." She started mumbling at the end and squinting her eyes.

I cocked my head and looked over at the other side of the camp fire. Derrek was sitting with one knee up and the other folded. He was examining the pictures he had taken with his camera.

"Why not use Derreks?"

We both turn at him. He must've felt our stares because he slowly looked up with a confused look. "What?"

"That could work." Mrs. Sinclair agreed.

Derrek took the picture of the pendant, once Mrs. Sinclair asked and he handed her the camera. Either he likes her or he's just being plain old rude now. He's ignoring me.

I brush past his rudeness and look down at the camera. All three of our faces were huddled together as Mrs. Sinclair zoomed in on the pendant. I got a little distracted, she smelled wonderful. Like rose petals sprinkled in a nice warm bath, that was surrounded by cherry blossom-scented candles. How in the world did she smell is great.

"It's done."

I snapped out of my trance and read the words.

"Julia?" We all say.

"So that must've been the person who was here," I beamed. "Could they still be here?"

Derrek scratched his head. "Of course, we are not the first to come to this place. Someone's investigated this place too."

"Indeed, but why and how? If this is recent, I'd say only a few years old, then why haven't we known about this place yet? You would think once people investigated this place, they would tell the world."

We all went quite at the dreading thought. At the possibility that Julia didn't-

"She must not have escaped," Dr. Lans voice popped in, almost popping our hearts right out of our bodies.

"Ahh!" I yell.

"Don't scare us like that man! Your voice isn't the kind that can just sneak up on people," Derrek said raising his voice.

"Apologies." He scratched his chin as we were calming down. "Me and John have made dinner."

After calming my breathing, I took out my phone and checked the time. It was eight-fifteen.

John passed around our food. Apparently, while he waited for us he started fishing, so we wouldn't have to eat the snacks that we brought. It was nice of him. He handed out some fish that I'm not sure the type of, but they were fairly big. He told us to stab it with a stick and roast it in the fire.

He then joked by saying, "Unless you like it raw."

No one giggled except for me.

When the food was cooking, Mrs. Sinclair and Dr. Lan started to tell us about what they found. They told us they found a path. They are not sure where it led because it was pretty long and looked like it extended far, but they wanted us to be ready in the morning so we could check it out.

Finally something cool!

I was pretty full after I ate and I guess the exhaustion of the day was hitting me, so I decided to retire in my tent.