Giggleswick: The Amadán Map

Chapter Fifteen: The Map's Exit

Chapter Fifteen: The Map’s Exit 

Elliot –– Eliza! You look as though you’ve seen a ghost,” George exclaimed. “It’s only me –– George!” he said, laughing as if they’d both been acting very silly.

Still on the ground, Elliot was trying to decide whether to say something or run. But the answer was clear ... he had to get his hands on that map. 

“We haven’t seen a ghost,” said Elliot coldly.   

George laughed again. “You two shouldn’t be here,” he said. “This is a sacred burial place.” 

“Then what are you doing here?” Elliot asked, hiking himself up off the ground. 

George’s good-natured disposition was beginning to wear thin, and he fumbled a bit for words. “I –– well, I was called here on orders of the Offices of Tranquility,” he said. “A crime was reported.” 

For a split second, Elliot wondered if this were possibly true, but then he remembered the sinister grin that had been on George’s face, and he knew he hadn’t been wrong. “You stealing that map is the only crime being committed here,” Elliot stammered.

“Map? How did you know about ... Oh, never mind –– I haven’t time for this!” George stepped through the doorway, the smile gone from his face. “Look, I’m going to leave now, and if either one of you tries to stop me, I won’t be responsible for what happens,” he said stiffly. 

Elliot had to act fast. George had already made it halfway to the drain pipe when Elliot grabbed for his ankle from behind and yanked him hard to the ground. Eliza, who’d been frozen in place ever since spotting George, ran to help Elliot, snatching the map out of the man’s outstretched hand. 

“Arrrgh!” George yelled, and he kicked the heel of his boot into Elliot’s chest.

Elliot felt the wind knocked out of him as he flew backwards several feet and landed hard against the stone wall. For a moment, Elliot’s vision blurred as if he were in the middle of a thick fog, and he struggled to remain conscious as Eliza’s screams pierced his ears. He blinked hard several times forcing his eyesight to return and struggled to his feet, clinging to a nearby tomb to steady himself. 

Elliot tried to call out to Eliza, but the air caught in his throat. Her screams were echoing out from the open doorway, and he stumbled around the corner and past the door where he found George forcing Eliza into Poppy’s open tomb. She was kicking and screaming, but when George shoved her hard against the stone bottom, her legs stopped flailing and she fell silent.      

“Eliza!” Elliot shouted, his voice having returned and all his pain forgotten. He ran at George, but as he slammed into the man’s side, it felt like he’d hit a brick wall. George hadn’t budged and instead grabbed for Elliot, trying to hoist him into the tomb along with Eliza. Elliot squirmed against George’s steel grip, his foot catching on the lantern that’d been resting on the edge of the tomb, sending it crashing to the floor. Now nearly in the dark, Elliot was only able to release himself after he’d shoved his fist hard up into George’s nose. 

George spun around the floor, shrieking with pain and clutching his face, and Elliot ran into the other room, looking for someplace to hide. As George continued to moan and scream, Elliot searched for the source of the flickering light, spotting a wooden torch near the door opening. Yanking it from the wall, Elliot stomped on it repeatedly with his shoes to snuff out the flames and then knelt behind a nearby tomb. 

The crypt was now completely dark, and Elliot heard the sound of stone scraping against stone. He felt sick to his stomach as he realized that it had been the sound of George sliding the stone lid back over the tomb, imprisoning Eliza within the final resting place of Poppy’s decaying skeleton.