Friday, 13th June, 2025
Dear Diary,
Okay. So today wasn’t really a typical Friday.
I woke up thinking I must have dreamed the whole glowing-map-in-a-library-book thing – perhaps had one too many Oreo rolls and dreamed it up. But no. It was still under my pillow when I went to check, and yeah, still kind of glowing a bit. More weakly now. Like it’s running out of steam or unable to be bothered. Or both.
I spent most of the morning staring at it instead of bathing. The puzzle in the corner is still unclear as well:
“Below where silence sinks in deep, the watchers guard what none shall keep.”
Cryptic enough?
Anyway, after lunch (mac ‘n cheese, courtesy of me), I couldn’t tolerate it any longer. I grabbed my bag, shoved the map in there, and trailed along according to its markings throughout town. I was a spy. Or a wizard. Or a ridiculously clumsy adventurer who must keep on faking that he’s “just out for a walk.”.
The line on the map led me down roads I have walked a hundred times — but then veered behind the bakery, past the bins, and into this little alleyway I could have sworn wasn’t there yesterday. It ended here, on this old stone door, ivy-covered. No sign, no lock, just a tiny spiral carved into the brick. Same mark as on the corner of the map.
And guess what?
The map flashed again. Just for a moment. Like it was saying, “Yup. You’re here.”
I found the entrance.
It’s there. There’s something under this town. A tunnel or vault or. I don’t know.
But I didn’t enter.
I just stood there for what seemed like hours, gawking at it. My heart pounded like I’d just sprinted a mile, and my mind was yelling “This is it!” and also “Don’t go in alone, you total idiot.”
So I didn’t.
Not yet.
But tomorrow… maybe tomorrow.
If I’m brave enough.