9

Mystifying Messages

Hours later, in the still of the night, Maria squatted on her mattress in the walk-in closet. Thunderous snoring from her mother’s bedroom shook her doorknob. The cool tingle of Edward settled over the back of her neck. She closed her eyes at his reassuring touch.

His presence had always comforted her, ever since his first visit when she was tiny, no older than three. That day, the light in her bedroom flickered, as if gasping for its last breath. Maria sat on her mattress. She held a pen in her hand and was scribbling back and forth on a piece of paper.

Suddenly, the light died, and Maria stared into blackness.

Before she had time to cry, something otherworldly—something cool and gentle—took over her hand and held the pen in place. Maria’s tiny hand made swoops and swishes across the page while she settled into a slumber.

When she awakened some hours later, she felt around her room for the door until she found it. She turned the knob, and daylight flooded her bedroom.

Three pages of strange markings lay on the floor by her bed. Maria held the pages up to her face and examined the beautiful penmanship.

They were words!

But the young Maria couldn’t read, so she begged her mother to teach her. It turned out Maria was a quick learner.

That was how it all began with her and Edward. If it wasn’t for him, she would never have become a reader; she never would have found the library, Ms. Madigan, or even this new friend, Sebastian.

Maria shook her head in the dark closet. She opened her eyes to glance up at her mother’s furs hovering high above her like storm clouds threatening to downpour. She swallowed and eased back on her elbows. “It’s my fault! I gave her away.” Maria felt Edward’s cool touch on her head again.

“Edward,” Maria whispered, changing the subject, “I saw her today. Mrs. Fisher.” Maria brought her arm behind her and felt around her bed for some paper. She placed a sheet directly in front of her. “And I liked her. But I don’t think she believed me. What should I do?” Maria felt the cool chill of Edward around her and worried he would be angry.

Cautiously, she placed the pen between her knuckles, took a deep breath, and let her hand rest on top of the paper. She felt Edward’s frosty touch moving her hand at his will, but it was not a harsh touch. When her hand stopped, Maria glanced at the message:

Pay no mind to your mother.

You’ll have to disobey her

If you’re to help Mrs. Fisher.

I’ll write another letter

About the buried treasure.

But you must bring the riddle

To the house of Mrs. Fisher …

Maria read Edward’s writing twice. How could she keep disobeying her mother? Madame Destine was already suspecting her of revealing the family scheme. Why couldn’t Edward just tell her what she needed to know?

“Edward! I could get into a lot of trouble by visiting her again,” she said. But then she yawned. Maria eased back on her mattress. It was getting late.

Edward’s cool grip stung her wrist and guided it back to the paper on the floor. “Okay! I’ll take it to Mrs. Fisher,” Maria said in the midst of another yawn.

Maria was still perplexed about disobeying her mother. She felt along the floor for the pen. Once everything was in place, she settled back into her trance. “Okay, Edward. Tell me about the treasure.”

Maria was not sure how long her hand moved back and forth. When she snapped out of her sleep, a faint band of morning light showed beneath the door. Maria found the sheet of paper on the floor filled with words:

Dizzy drove rhythmic honks through

Village streets.

Jackson dripped and flung his paint

On canvas.

Neal, Jack, and Allen beat the Times Square Hustle

With poetry.

We were the underbelly, served on the blue plate special by The Media.

With trumpet, brush, a pen, and paper, we were well Seasoned and delicious.

Your husband dined with us and served all on

His menu.

But you kept the candles burning long after the dinners

Had ended.

Feast your eyes on this teaser, for your main course

Is treasure.

Maria read the message four times, but it was just a jumble of words. Who were these names? And what main course was coming? Maria wasn’t sure if the hidden treasure was food or gold and jewels. “Why can’t you just tell me where the treasure is?” Maria said. But Edward’s presence was long gone. There were only the loud snores of Madame Destine from behind the door.

Maria folded the message into a square and stuffed it inside her jeans pocket. Then she fell onto her mattress and sank into a deep sleep.

She tossed and turned under her thin blanket. Suddenly, she was standing on a stage before an audience of one person hidden in shadow. She ran her hands over her sequined sleeve under the hot spotlight.

The drums rolled, and the light blinded her. She held three items: a cell phone, a diamond ring, and a piece of paper folded into a square. She began to juggle them, but she kept dropping them and having to start over.

Paper, ring, phone, paper, ring, phone— Was she getting the hang of it? There was motion in the seats below, and the dark form approached the stage.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

The figure was clapping steadily in slow motion, the sound growing louder as it neared. But the person’s face was still in shadow.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Faster and faster Maria juggled.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

At the stage, the face fell from the shadows to reveal two bulging eyes underneath a heavy turban. Madame Destine!

“OPPORTUNITY! OPPORTUNITY!” she screeched.

Maria was confused. This was not the voice of her mother. “Who are you?” she whispered, still juggling.

Madame Destine grabbed Maria’s arm and squawked, “KNOCK IT OFF! KNOCK IT OFF!”

The items Maria had juggled dropped one by one to the floor. Then a chill slid down her spine. “Houdini?”

Her mother smiled and backed away into the shadows.

Ring! Ring!

The cell phone vibrated against the wooden stage floor.

Ring! Ring!

Maria crouched to pick it up. Her hand shook as she pressed the button and brought the phone to her ear. She tried to swallow, but her mouth was dry. No words could come out. She finally managed to croak, “Hello?”

“Maria?”

Maria almost dropped the phone. “Who is this?” she whispered.

“You’re quite the little performer. You almost had me fooled. Check behind the paintings.” The phone went dead.

Now there was no mistaking the voice. It was Madame Destine!

Maria shot up in bed.

Her face was wet, and she was cloaked in darkness. She must have had a nightmare. The familiar scent of musty coats reassured her that she was still in her closet. She felt around her mattress for the pen and some paper. She placed the pen between her knuckles and hovered over the paper.

“E-E-E-Edward, are you there?” Her voice trembled.

The air did not stir.

“I need to know if everything is going to turn out okay!” Maria knew that her recent actions had placed her in danger, and there was no returning to the way things were.

She sank into her pillow and tried to fall back to sleep, but her eyes remained open, staring into the black void of uncertainty.