Every story, even fictional ones, are born from the seeds of truth. It is these seeds that shape the story and give it life and meaning. The seeds for this story were planted long ago, and whatever shape this story takes is because of those seeds. Such is the story of life. Such is your life.
Our story takes place in a far distant land. Six high school seniors stand before an ancient castle of titanic proportions. Jordan Fowler stared up at the castle towers rising high overhead and then at the massive gate that led into the dark interior. He pointed. “You want us to go in there?”
Jarrod Stowers grinned at Jordan’s obvious discomfort. “Before you graduate,” he explained, “we have one final task for you to complete. In this castle is something of great value and worth. Your job is to find it and bring it to me intact and unblemished.”
Jordan exchanged glances with his fellow students, noting incidentally that Delilah wasn’t really paying attention. Ha! No surprise there. He turned back to Bro. Stowers. “When you say valuable, do you mean like gold or something?”
At the mention of gold, Delilah suddenly looked interested. Figures.
Bro. Stowers shrugged. “You never know,” he said mysteriously. “I’m going to pair you into groups. Jordan, you and Trey pair up. Gerardo, you take Cristian, and Mackenzie and Delilah will make the third group. Got it?”
They all nodded, but Mackenzie Nelson raised her hand. “If we find this treasure,” she said, “do we get to keep it?”
“Of course,” Bro. Stowers replied.
Delilah really looked interested now. “Then what are we waiting for?” she demanded, hopping up and down like a third-grade schoolgirl.
“Slow down, girl,” Bro. Stowers muttered, rolling his eyes. “I’m not through yet. Listen carefully. All the other students are inside the castle. Their job is to see to it that you aren’t able to keep any of the treasure you may find inside. They’ve created some rather exotic traps from what I understand, so it might even be a bit dangerous. Be careful in there.”
Gerardo laughed. “I’m not worried about a bunch of kids.”
Bro. Stowers’ mysterious smile returned. “Not even if you knew that Isaiah and Anthony had you in mind for whatever trap they built? Or what about Kyle? He’s always wanted the chance to blow something up. Maybe he’ll get that chance today.”
Gerardo looked faintly worried, but he waved a hand in dismissal. “I’m not scared,” he boasted.
“Good. Then you can get started,” Bro. Stowers said.
Bro. Stowers walked up to the massive gate and pushed it ponderously open. Inside, a traditional medieval courtyard greeted the six treasure hunters. A stable lay off to one side, a smithy to the other, and lining the walls looked to be various other stalls that would be needed to keep a thriving medieval society running smoothly. The place was deserted with one exception. Schuyler Andre, looking prim and proper in a pale blue dress, stood near one of the sally gates that led deeper into the heart of the castle.
“Welcome,” she greeted the six seniors. “I have been sent to welcome you to Castle Tummah. Within these walls, you will find what you seek—but only the brave and wise will hope to prevail. We hope you enjoy the festivities!” She dipped into a curtsy while cradling her chin with the back of both hands and flashing every one of her teeth in a huge smile. Laughing somewhat sadistically, she disappeared into the castle.
Delilah was the first to speak. “Well that was creepy.”
Trey nodded. “She looked to be having too much fun.” He glanced at Bro. Stowers. “Are all the rest of the kids going to be like her?”
“Probably. Enjoy yourself, but be careful.” Bro. Stowers turned and walked out of the castle. The giant portcullis slammed down behind him, effectively trapping the six seniors in the massive fortress. “You can leave at any time you want,” he called back over his shoulder, but unless you find your treasure, the task will be incomplete.”
“You mean we’ll fail?” Jordan wanted to know.
“That’s up to you,” Bro. Stowers fading voice said as it floated back to them. Then he was gone.
“That was most unhelpful,” Gerardo muttered.
Jordan pulled Trey away from the others. “We’ll go that way,” he said, pointing to an arched entranceway that led deeper into the castle.
Trey allowed himself to be pulled along. He looked back over his shoulder and rubbed his hands vigorously together as he grinned. “This should be fun.”
Jordan and Trey found themselves in a cavernous arched hallway. Tapestries decorated the walls, depicting among other things great battles filled with knights and archers. After a few dozen yards, they noticed six closed doors, three to either side.
“What do you think?” Trey asked. “Want to try one?”
Before Jordan could answer, all six of the doors opened and in stepped six fellow students from school. All six stopped right in their respective doorways. Jasmin Martinez, Robert Long, and Kaiden Painter stood in doorways on the right. On the left, Dalen Baker, Henry Beitl, and Alexis Cook blocked the doorways there.
“This way!” Jasmin beckoned, motioning to Jordan and Trey. “Come this way.”
“No!” Robert interrupted. “This way. You can trust me. This door is better.”
“As if that’ll make me feel better,” Trey muttered.
One by one, the others besought the duo to come through their particular door—except one. Dalen stood in his doorway with his mouth resolutely closed—a normal look for him, actually—and arms crossed.
“What about you, Dalen?” Jordan asked. “Should we go through your door?”
Dalen just stared back, saying nothing.
“It’s a trap,” Trey said to Jordan.
“Which one?”
“All of them probably.”
“Even Dalen’s? He’s the only one not trying to get us to go through his door.”
Trey looked skeptical. “Maybe.”
Jordan raised both eyebrows. “I say we try it.”
Alexis groaned in exasperation, rolling her eyes. “Would you two just get on with it! You really want to go through my door. Trust me on this. I know what I’m talking about.”
Trey and Jordan exchanged a long look and then advanced on Dalen’s door.
“Hey!” Alexis shouted, nettled at being ignored. “You really don’t want to go through Dalen’s door! You’ll be soooorrrrryyyy!”
Trey hesitated, slowing down.
“Come on, Trey,” Jordan urged.
“It still feels like a trap.” Trey looked around at the doors. “This is too obvious.”
Jordan bit his lower lip and rolled his eyes. “Are you going to listen to Alexis? Remember what happened last time someone listened to her?”
Trey thought for a moment. “Oh yeah. That wasn’t so good was it?”
“It was a disaster,” Jordan confirmed. “An utter complete and unmitigated disaster.”
“Hey!” Alexis protested. “What are you talking about? What disaster?”
They ignored her, and Trey looked at Henry. “Why should we go through your door?”
Henry, for some strange reason, was wearing old-man suspenders. He hooked both thumbs under the suspenders and puffed out his chest. “Because the treasure you seek is in this room.”
Jordan asked, “Is that the truth?”
Henry smiled mischievously. “Probably not, but then who knows?”
“Aren’t you supposed to stop us from finding the treasure?” Trey asked.
“Oh sure,” Henry said.
Jordan’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll give you fifty bucks if you tell me the truth.”
Henry’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Hey!” Robert protested. “What about me? I can tell you just as easily!”
“Show me the money!” Henry demanded, holding out his hand.
Jordan spread his hands out. “Obviously, I don’t have it all with me.” He pulled out a five-dollar bill. “This is all I got right now. I can give the rest to you tomorrow.”
“You promise?” Henry asked.
“Sure,” Jordan promised.
Henry thought it over. “Okay. It’s a deal. Give me the five.” Jordan handed the money over, and Henry examined it carefully. Satisfied, he said, “Go through Alexis’ door.”
Trey’s eyes narrowed. “How do we know you’re telling us the truth?”
“Because we knew that the last door you would choose would be Alexis’,” he explained. “We knew you would probably choose Dalen’s—or maybe someone else’s, but not Alexis’.”
Alexis was turning red. “Shut up, you little troll!”
Henry looked innocently at her. “But you know it’s true. All you had to do was be the most obnoxious and they’d never pick your door.” He looked back at Jordan and Trey. “She did quite good, didn’t she?”
“Traitor,” Alexis spat out. “Fine. Go through mine and see what happens.”
Jordan and Trey exchanged a long look. “Let’s do it,” Jordan urged.
Trey shrugged. “Okay.”
“Don’t forget the rest of my money,” Henry yelled as they started toward Alexis.
Alexis held her ground for a bit, but grudgingly moved aside. The two seniors went in and the door swung shut behind them. At first, the room was in total darkness, but then torches seated in wall scones lit up all at once, bathing the room in flickering light. In the very center of the room stood a marble pedestal. On top of the pedestal sat a jeweled encrusted goblet of ancient origins. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires glistened in the torchlight.
“Ha!” Jordan shouted. “It worked! That was worth five bucks.”
Trey looked at Jordan sharply. “I know you don’t have fifty bucks. You weren’t going to pay him, were you?”
“Of course not,” Jordan said in dismissal. “I need the money at lot more than he does. Besides, he’ll get over it, and he did get five dollars.” He gave Trey a sidelong look. “Unless you want to give him the rest of the money yourself?”
“It’s not my deal,” Trey said, holding his hands up. “On your head be it.”
Jordan rolled his eyes again. “Would you quit your worrying. We found our treasure.”
“It still feels like a trap,” Trey muttered.
Jordan walked over to the pedestal and gently lifted up the goblet. Nothing happened. He glanced around, and when nothing further happened, he grinned. “See? Nothing to worry about. Let’s go.”
* * *
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the castle, Delilah and Mackenzie wandered around aimlessly through a maze of corridors and rooms. They’d found nothing of value so far. In fact, the only thing they’d found was a pack prankish third graders who had pelted them with gooey marshmallows from an upper balcony. In particular, Daniel Espinoza, Izaya Shannon, and Destiny and Gracie Ardt were most enthusiastic with their marshmallow bombardment. Delilah was sure it would take a week to get the gooey stuff out of her hair.
At last, they entered a gigantic arched hall, winged with alcoves on either side. Marble pillars rose skyward to a sculpted ceiling, and an ornate, red carpet ran from the entrance all the way to the other end where a gigantic throne stood atop a tall dais. On the throne sat Nichol Long, and on her head sat a solid gold crown.
Mackenzie saw it first. “Look! The crown! That has got to be one of the treasures!”
Delilah’s eyes lit up and she ran pell-mell down the carpet. “Nikki! Gimme that crown!” she ordered in her best older sister voice.
Then out of nowhere, Kyle Baker intercepted the pair of seniors. He carried what looked to be a water gun, but it was big enough that it required both of his hands to hold it up. Delilah skidded to a stop when Kyle raised the water cannon and pointed it directly at her.
“Halt!” he bellowed. “You will bow in the presence of her majesty, Queen Nichol of Castle Tummah.”
“She’s not a queen!” Delilah protested. “She’s my bratty sister!”
Kyle’s response was cold. “You will bow to her brattness—um, I mean her highness,” he insisted.
Delilah drew herself up to her full, pathetic height and gave Kyle her most ferocious glare. “Or what? I’m not bowing to her or anyone else!”
Kyle grinned. “I’m the only boy in a classroom full of junior high girls. You don’t scare me.” Kyle looked at Mackenzie who towered over both of them and hesitated. “Well, actually, she kinda does scares me,” he admitted.
“Get out of the way,” Delilah ordered. “I’m going to take that crown.”
Kyle patted his water cannon. “You know what’s in this? I modified it to shoot mustard. If you take one more step, I’ll blast you with it.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” Delilah said, her face aghast and hand going protectively to her hair.
Then from doors built into either side of the throne, trooped in the Mecklenburg clan. They all came up behind Kyle and pointed their own modified cannons at the pair of seniors. Hope shook hers for emphasis. “Mine is filled with ketchup,” she told them, a dreamy smile spreading across her face.
Leah added, “And mine is filled with hot sauce.”
Clint’s grin reminded Delilah of a cat pouncing on an unsuspecting mouse. “Take one more step, please,” he begged. “Mine is filled with…with…” He looked puzzled. “I forget.”
Kyle sighed. “With ranch dressing,” he whispered.
“Oh yeah,” Clint said, brightening considerably.
Hope’s face looked stony. “Unless you bow to your queen, we’ll tar and feather you.”
From a balcony above, several more kids, Michelle Cook, Hunter, Mia Robbs, Pete Beitl, and Niko Alvarado, popped their heads into view. “We’ve got the feathers ready,” Pete yelled down. “Just tell us when!”
“Um, Delilah, I think we should bow,” Mackenzie whispered.
Delilah gave Mackenzie a startled look, took one more glance at the array of weapons—and what that would mean for her hair—and agreed. “Yeah, I guess we better.”
They stood side by side and bowed to Nichol. Nichol, sitting imperiously atop the throne, nodded. “We recognize the peasants, Delilah and Mackenzie,” she pronounced graciously. “They may speak.”
Before Delilah could fling another insult at her sister, Mackenzie stepped forward. “Maybe you should let me handle this,” she said, looking Delilah in the eyes. Mackenzie turned back to the throne. “Your Majesty, we seek a favor of you.”
Leah stepped forward. “You seek a boon from her majesty? The both of you?”
“We do,” Mackenzie concurred.
“Very well,” Leah said in a somber and formal tone of voice. “But know, that all who seek a boon, must first kiss her majesty’s royal shoe.”
“What!” Delilah exploded. “That’s absurd!” Four nozzles of weaponized mustard, ketchup, hot sauce, and ranch dressing were thrust into Delilah’s face. She froze and swallowed hard. “Maybe not so absurd after all,” she relented darkly.
Nichol stood to her feet and offered one slippered foot to be kissed. “Good. Then you may approach,” she said, “and kiss my shoe. We will then hear your petition.”
Slowly, Delilah and Mackenzie walked up the steps to the throne. But Delilah would have none of it. She would not kiss her sister’s stupid shoe. Delilah looked at Mackenzie and silently communicated what she had in mind. Mackenzie gave a slight nod of approval. They both bent slightly as if they were going to kiss Nichol’s foot, and then Delilah reached up and snatched the crown right off Nichol’s head. “This is mine,” Delilah snapped, grinning.
“Hey!” Nichol yelled. “Guards! They stole my crown!”
“Run, Mackenzie!” Delilah ordered, dashing off to one of the doors beside the throne. If they could get to that door, they would be free.
Chaos ensued. Hope darted forward to line up a shot of ketchup at the two seniors, but she accidently ran right in front of Clint’s line of fire. Clint shot his sister with a glob of oozing ranch dressing right in the back of her head. Ranch seeped into her hair and dripped down her neck and down her back.
Hope shrieked like an injured banshee, spun around, and shot Clint full in the face with a full spray of ketchup. Clint fell over backwards, right into his other sister, Leah, and both tumbled to the ground as the floor grew slick with ketchup and ranch dressing.
“Clint!” Leah protested. “Look what you’ve done!”
“It not my fault,” Clint tried to explain, wiping ketchup out of his eyes.
Leah growled something incomprehensible and quite deliberately shot Clint in the face with hot sauce. Clint yelled as it burned his eyes and reflexively tried to defend himself by shooting more ranch dressing at his attackers. Soon all three were covered head to toe in ketchup, ranch, and hot sauce. It dripped off their noses, soaked their hair, plugged up their ears, seeped into their socks, stained their clothing, and burned their eyes.
Kyle took one look at the disaster and walked casually away, leaving the three siblings squabbling in the center of the hallway. “Okay, Pete,” he called up. “You might as well use those feathers.”
Suddenly the air was full of feathers of every shape and color. The Mecklenburgs were quite thoroughly tarred and feathered. They were no longer the Mecklenburgs. They were more like Chicklenburgs now.
Delilah and Mackenzie escaped with the crown. Delilah’s parting laugh, sounding more like a cat having its tail stepped on, lingered in the air.
* * *
Meanwhile, Gerardo and Cristian were having their own problems. In the dungeons, the two seniors had discovered an ornate sword in one of the musty cells. A massive diamond the size of a walnut had been embedded in the pommel of the sword, and there could be no doubt that the sword was one of the treasures they’d been hunting for. But the moment they crossed the cell to retrieve it, the cell door slammed shut, trapping them inside.
Gerardo spun around and leaped to the door, but it was too late. Anthony Cox, holding the large key just out of reach grinned at the infuriated senior. “It’s like trapping rats,” he said.
Gerardo glared at his younger classmate. “Wait till I get my hands on you,” he growled.
“Not if you want that sword,” Anthony said.
Gerardo turned and saw that Cristian had taken down the sword and was moving to join Gerardo at the cell bars. “Now what?” Cristian asked.
“How would I know?” Gerardo muttered. “Bozo there has the key.”
“You have a choice,” Anthony said, obviously enjoying himself. “You can both leave, but you have to give the sword to Madison in the next cell.”
The two upperclassman turned to where Anthony had gestured. A small window in the stone wall gave access to an adjacent cell. They could see Madison Reily’s face framed in the window.
“You give her the sword, and I’ll let you both out,” Anthony instructed.
“What’s the other choice?” Cristian asked.
Anthony raised his voice, “Makenna!”
From a darkened section of the corridor outside the cell, Gerardo saw Makenna Macari pull down on a lever. With the grating sound of stone against stone a portion of their cell floor fell away to reveal a dark pit. The smell that floated up made Gerardo’s stomach turn.
“That’s gross!” he gagged. “What is it? A cesspit?”
Anthony shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. You wanted another choice? Here it is. Tell them Makenna.”
Makenna moved over to join Anthony. She also seemed immensely pleased with herself as she said, “Whoever throws the other down the pit gets to walk out of here with the sword.”
Cristian looked startled. “What?”
“Throw Gerardo in the pit and you can leave with the sword,” Madison called through the window of the next cell. “You can do it, Cristian! I’m rooting for you!”
Makenna coolly examined her fingernails. “I dunno. I think Gerardo will be the one to throw Cristian down the pit.”
“I’ll take that bet!” Isaiah Diaz’s voice called from somewhere down the corridor.
Gerardo looked up sharply. “What’s he doing?” he demanded suspiciously.
“Something sneaky,” Anthony replied. “You know Isaiah.”
“I heard that!” Isaiah called back.
“It’s worse than that,” Makenna added. “Isabella and Ashley are with him.” She paused. “You know what that means,” she finished ominously.
“I heard that too!” Bella’s voice shouted.
Ashley just giggled.
Gerardo didn’t like the sound of any of it. He glanced sideways at Cristian who still held the sword and noticed his partner edging away. “Where do you think you’re going?” he demanded.
“Look,” Cristian said, trying to use logic, “there has to be a third choice. We could give Madison the sword and both of us could walk out of here and find some other treasure.”
“Do you really think we will?” Gerardo asked, closing in on Cristian.
“You never know,” he replied.
“One of us at least needs to get out with the treasure or we both lose,” Gerardo explained. Then he lunged forward, surprising Cristian. “Gimme that!” He grabbed the sword in Cristian’s hands. Fortunately, the blade was dull, so he didn’t slice his hand open in the process.
Cristian, however, hung on to the hilt. “No you don’t! Let go!”
“I just want to hold it. Trust me,” Gerardo said, pulling harder.
“Trust you?” Cristian muttered, entirely unconvinced. “That’s like saying Bro. Baker won’t make fun of Makenna’s height anymore!”
They wrestled for the sword for a time, turning this way and that, when Gerardo suddenly let go, and Cristian stumbled back right toward the edge of the pit. Cristian dropped the sword and windmilled his arms frantically to keep from going over the edge. Gerardo walked up and with almost an apologetic shrug, pushed Cristian over with a single finger.
Cristian’s eyes went wide in terror, and he fell into the pit with a long strangled cry that echoed throughout the cell. “I’ll get you for this!” Cristian yelled, his voice fading off. Then silence.
Gerardo listened, his face a bit troubled. “Cristian? Are you okay?” he shouted down into the pit.
No answer.
Gerardo turned to Anthony. “Is he okay?”
“Probably,” Anthony replied. “Well, looks like you won.” He unlocked the cell door and swung the rusty gate open. “You’re free to go.”
Gerardo picked up the sword, and watching Anthony suspiciously, edged out the door. He then went up the dungeon stairs to the main level of the castle. He passed a few other students along the way. In particular, he stayed away from Owen Baker, John Cook and Kelsey Burton. They all looked like they were up to something.
He made his way into the courtyard to find the rest of the seniors already gathered in front of the main castle gate, but the portcullis was still down. Cristian also joined them, coming from a different direction. He looked to be fine, except for the fact that he was covered in mud from head to toe—and he smelled bad.
“Thanks a lot,” Cristian said, shooting Gerardo a vicious look. “A good friend you make.” He grinned suddenly and threw his arms out wide. “Come here. Give me a hug.”
“Stay away from me!” Gerardo shouted, holding the sword up to ward off the smelly hug. “We got the treasure. Stop your complaining.”
Jarrod Stowers stood on the other side of the portcullis. “Are you ready to leave the castle?”
“Absolutely!” Gerardo said. “Get us out of this place.”
The other seniors, especially Delilah for some reason, seemed just as anxious to leave. Gerardo noted the jeweled goblet and the gold crown the others had found. Personally, he thought the sword with its huge diamond was the best treasure.
The portcullis raised up, and the seniors all stepped out. They held up their treasures! “We did it!” Jordan exclaimed. “We won!”
Bro. Stowers shook his head. “No. None of you did. You all failed.”
The seniors all stared back at him in dismay. “But we found the treasure!” Mackenzie protested.
“No you didn’t,” Bro. Stowers said. “You found some valuable trinkets. But you did not bring out the treasure you went in with.”
“Now you’re making no sense,” Gerardo pointed out. Trey was looking thoughtful as was Cristian, but neither offered any clues to what they might be thinking.
Schuyler joined them all outside the castle. “The name of the castle gives it away,” she explained. “Castle Tummah. Tummah is the Hebrew word for integrity.”
“So?” Cristian said, beginning to see where this was going.
Bro. Stowers took up the explanation. “Each of you forfeited your integrity in order to gain your treasure. Jordan and Trey, you deceived Henry to get the goblet. Both of you were party to the deception, and so both are responsible. Delilah and Mackenzie, you were faced with something distasteful and demeaning in your eyes—kissing Nichol’s shoe—so instead you resorted to theft to get the crown. Gerardo and Cristian, you turned on each other in order to claim the sword. In your own way, each of you failed to hold onto your integrity, which is much more valuable than anything you could find in that castle.”
The seniors all looked dismayed. Bro. Stowers continued, “Your integrity is one of the most valuable things you possess. It is far more valuable than the treasure you brought out with you. This is what set Job apart. The Bible says that Job held fast to his integrity. He never gave it up, not once. This is the greatest lesson you can learn here in Castle Tummah. No matter what is dangled in front of you, no matter how ‘valuable’ it is, never let go of your integrity.”
Delilah looked sadly at the gold crown in her hands. “Does this mean I can’t keep the crown?” she asked.
Bro. Stowers just laughed.
The End