The shivering monk wrapped his heavy cloak around his shoulders, trying to keep off at least some of the freezing rain that lashed the Pendaktylos. He pushed himself along the road, every step an effort as the sharp stones bit into his bare and bloodied feet. It had been so long since he had last slept! He grabbed the bundle of papers he carried, reminding himself of the importance of his mission.
A sudden sharp crack sounded from the bushes beside the trail. The monk froze. Another crack - the sound was unnatural, unmistakable. Something he could not see was stalking him. He stealthily moved to the side of the path, and slipped into the undergrowth. Crouched down in the grass he listened, straining to hear if his pursuer had found his trail. Moving quickly, silently, he scooped earth and grass in his hands, burying the papers as best he could, and shifted himself away from the spot.
There was a movement in the tall grasses. Something enormous was forcing its way through, tearing at trees and brambles. The monk stared upward in sheer terror. “No!” he gasped, “Not you! It cannot be! It cannot –” His words ended abruptly as he was pulled, screaming, into the air.
***
Maria strode into the forest clearing, looking outraged. This was not unusual, and her friends Claire and Fani scarcely bothered to comment on it. Their classmate was usually in a state of boiling anger over some slight that she had suffered, some offence given, and if they had allowed themselves to be concerned every time she seemed upset it would have affected their nerves badly.
“Speaking to me like that!” she pronounced. “I can’t believe it!”
A low voice came from behind them, making all three women jump. “Can’t believe what?”
After slipping from the edge of the trail, the monk sounds himself into some bushes. He decided to follow a different part, so as to mislead his pursuer.
After five minutes walk, he was at a clearing in the forest. He heart voices and went closer. Although, he was shocked to see his niece Maria with two other classmates, arguing about something:
"So, I am asking again", monk said. "You can't believe what"?
Maria realised that she had to be honest. "Uncle, I can't believe that you would do such a thing. The monk was astonished. Could his niece have found out about his mission? There was no time to lose.
He had to move on but he knew that he couldn't leave the girls in the middle of nowhere. He decided to take them with him to the nearest village. At least, the would be safe there.
The night was dark and cold. There was no way for them to know what to expect the next day.
As the sun came up, the monk woke up feeling sure and confidence. He was walking by himself whispering " they can't do anything to me, nobody can."
Maria was confused and shoked and she didn't know how to face it but she realised that she had to find out what's happening herself and that scared her because it was the first time that she was going to be alone.
In the afternoon, the monk silently left his room and started walking in the forest. Maria saw him and decided to follow him. The monk was walking about twenty minutes and stoped in front of a big stone. Behind the stone, was a man. Maria went behind a tree and waited there to see what's happening.
The man now was standing, in front of the monk looking at him. The man was holding in his hands to girls and the monk said " Leave these girls now, they have nothing to do with it". Maria didn't know what to do. The girls that he was holding were her 2 friends.She went in front of them screaming "What are you trying to do?Leave my friends alone". The man started laughing.....
Maria suddenly decided to play a trick on the man who had seized her two friends. She took out a few stalks of lavender that she had just collected from the nearby hill and scattered its potent petals onto the stranger. In no time, the man (who fortunately enough, must have been allergic to lavender) started sneezing like crazy. It seemed as though he was no longer in control of his body's reactions. Maria was proud of her instincts. She shrieked at Fani and Claire to run away from this dangerous stranger as quicly as possible. Maria was not normally a risk taker, but the fact that she knew her uncle was up to to something suspicious, stirred her curiosity. The monk, being deeply disturbed by Maria's sly behaviour, slipped something from behind the stone, under his hideous black cloak and scurried off towards the monastery. Maria pretended to walk in the direction of the village market. When she felt sure that the monk was back at the monastery, she cautiously traced her uncle's footsteps all the way up to the monastery, so as to spy in him. She owed it to her friends to find out the real truth behind her uncle's unexpected encounter with the vicious stranger. Maria held her breath as she entered the living quarters of the holy monastery. Her father would have killed her had he known that Maria, who he had raised to be a religious and respectful way, had dared go into the holiest of places (i.e. the monastery)unaccompanied. But her aim was to prove everyone wrong, especially her father, since it was his brother who had indirectly threatened her two innocent friends. Maria hid behind a huge wooden door that divided the dining room from the living quarters, and checked out each of the monks who were returning from their midday meal until she spotted her uncle. At last she saw a bald head approach the door, She nearly had a heart attack, but reminded herself that she absolutely had to stay focused, if she was to find out what he was up to. Her bald uncle coughed solemny and then went into the room at the far end of the corridor. This was her chance. Maria tip toed to his room. There was a cool draft in the corridor. The monk had left his room's door slightly open for fresh air. However, when the Maria peered into his mysterious room, he was in eye view. She saw at once that he took out a small envelope from his cloak. Ashe opened it, two charm bracelets were revealed. Maria recognised them as being those of her two best friends. These very charm bracelets were of sentimental value, since they had been given to Fani and Claire by their dearest grandmothers. She couldn't let her uncle get away with this most unforgivable of thefts. It struck Maria, that the stranger next to the big stone, must have been her uncle's partner in crime. Her uncle's sinister secret therefore, was that his greed had caused him to crave for worldly goods, like jewellery, in illegal ways. Maria was convinced that she had to let someone know about her dreadful discovery, before it was too late ..........
Maria was totally shocked. She couldn’t believe what her uncle did. She couldn’t stand with the idea that her uncle managed to trick her and her friends in such a way. He put on danger her life and her friends life too. So, she run away from the monastery, so pleased from what she had found out. She wanted to talk the truth, she couldn’t think anyone else except her friends, Fani and Claire. After a while, she bumped into her friends. Both were waiting in a secret place where the strange man could not ever find them. Maria was so scared and so out of breath. “ Maria what happened? You looked like someone runs after you.” Fani said. “Girls, I am so happy that I meet you again. You can’t believe what I have just discovered . I can even say you.” “ What Maria? Tell us, you know how curious we are” Claire said. “My uncle was behind from all these happenings. You cannot believe it, but the stranger is a person of his. And the most important, he had stolen the bracelets that the grandmother gave to you.” “ I can’t believe it. Your uncle a thief? O, Maria what are we going to do now?” Claire said. “ Maybe to call for help” Fani said. “ “Girls I leave it to you. Now, I must stop my uncle.”
So, the girls run for help. Maria was so tired, but she wanted to go back to the monastery. She run quickly before it was getting dark. The only way was to wait her uncle in his room. So, she went right to her uncle’s room. Her uncle after the monks prayer was returned to his room. “ Maria, what are you doing hear? Are you crazy? If someone finds you” uncle said. “I have found the truth. I can’t believe it that you did something so horrible.” “ What are you talking about?” uncle said. “I know about the bracelets, uncle.” “Come on, are you serious? So, you charge me as a thief? ” uncle said. “ I find them in your room.” “ How you even dare to do such a thing? Come with me, now” uncle said.
Then, the uncle took her in the warehouse of the monastery where he was locked her in. It was already night. Maria was a prisoner in the monastery and her two friends run away for help. The other day had come. Maria was sleeping in the warehouse. And suddenly , the door opened. “ I can’t believe it. Do I see clear? A woman in our monastery? What are you doing hear?” a monk said….
‘Oh thank God you found me I cannot believe what just happened to me’’ Maria said. ‘’Who are you? what are you doing here? You are not allowed to be here’’ the monk said. Maria got embarrassed, her voice hardly came out. ‘I am so sorry but it’s not my fault my uncle locked me here because I had discovered the truth about the bracelets, it’s a very long story’. Then, both of them went together outside and started talking. The monk couldn’t believe in his ears what the girl had said to him so he took her by his side to help her. Although, the monk tried to think a way of talking to Maria’s uncle so he asked the opinion of other monks. In the meanwhile Claire and Fani went to the closest village and there at the police station for help, terrified as they were, did not know what to do. When they got there, as frightened as they were started talking and explaining what they had passed to the police officer. For their bad luck no one had believed them and started laughing at them, as they were only 15 years old. Also, as the time goes by the weather was getting colder with strong winds. The poor girls were desperate and they started to go back to the monarchy to find Maria. They tried to remain calm and started thinking that all this was just a bad nightmare. They got very tired and the rain started falling. Few minutes later they had stopped near the tree waiting the rain stop until they both fall asleep.
They woke up and rolled on the warm and smooth bed meanwhile they heard a sweet sound.”Hello my friends.” “Oh my, God where we are? “They said. Suddenly they got up and gave her stare. Maria was on the door with a tray with a pot, empty cups and bread inside. “How is it going?” Maria said while she was putting the tray on the table. She went near them. “We found you in the middle of jungle .you were passed out. What you were doing there? “Maria asked them. They said that we tried to explain to police what happened to you, but they didn’t believe us. Then they held her hand and said: “what happened to you?” Maria explained all story and introduced monk to them. “We should do something.” Claire said. “Do you have any idea?”Fani said. Monk suddenly jumped and yelled:” I found it! I found it.” They asked her with excitement “ok, tell us.”Next week we have special ceremony in the monk‘s cell. All the monks of region will gather. We can......
‘’ We can have the chance in this ceremony to come close to your uncle and ask him to give us explanations about the bracelets’’, the monk said. Next week was near by but the ceremony didn’t arrive. Images are now coming like a puzzle in Maria’s mind, her uncle locked her in the warehouse because she knew about the bracelets, she saw her uncle walking in the forest and a man whose is of his was holding her two friends. Maria was afraid to discover the missing part of her puzzle but she knew that something was going wrong; her aim was to improve everyone wrong and especially her father. Since the ceremony didn't arrive she decided to go and face her uncle not as Maria but as a monk. The monk that help her was not agree with her idea but being curious as all of us he accepted to help her. Maria now is a monk and by this appearance she will find out what is going on. She was alone in her uncle’s cell and she is introduced to him as a monk. Her uncle suddenly felt free to express he is fear. - I buried them, the monk said - What did you buried Maria replies - The papers on Pendaktylos mountain - Which papers? - I don’t know - Do you remember what these papers were about? - I am afraid, afraid to look the future and I was afraid to look at these papers I only saw a phrase that terrifies me ‘this is the end’. - Which end monk? - I don’t know, excuse me monk but I have to go, I will see you later - But wait, Maria screamed, it must be something that you know. The monk left, Maria had discover a circle in her mission of founding out what is going on, but she added a piece in her puzzle ‘’ there are some papers in Pendaktylos that they must find out’’ tonight. She runs way to say to her friends what she had find out and what remains is to complete that mysterious puzzle tonight.
While Maria was revealing what she had found out about the buried papers to her friends, her uncle run back to “Pendadaktylos” determined to find these papers and put an end to these tragedy. -“I can't stand this anymore, I'm going to find these papers and reveal everything to Maria, I have to tell the truth to somebody, and I am going to do it tonight” said the monk to his self. -“and you should and you should do it now or else.....” -“stop Maria, you are right my child, the truth is I am not a criminal neither a thief but the man who took your friend last night is one of the most dangerous man in the country.” -“tell me everything uncle I'm confused, I'm terrified I don't know if I can trust you, the last few days you've acted very strange and suspicious that you didn't give me any choice but to believe that you are a criminal. Now please tell me everything from the top with every detail, give the explanations that me and my friends deserve from you, uncle, for all the things we've been through” Maria, her friends and her uncle sat down in a circle and got ready to hear the truth. The monk started calmly to explain to the girls what happened to him and how important the buried papers are: -“ It was Sunday morning when I received a phone call from your father Maria to inform me that you and your friends will come for visiting to the monastery since it was a day that we allowed to have visitors, but because you were going to come by bus, the bus could not bring you outside the monastery because of the messy road through the forest, so I told you to wait outside the forest and I will come to meet you and walk together back to the monastery. Remember? -“yes all these things I remember uncle”, replied Maria. -“It was around three o'clock when I started walking through the forest to come to you when... I heard two gunshots behind some bushes. I instantly run towards the bushes and without revealing my self I watched the man who took the girls holding a gun and shooting at another man. I was shocked and I could not hold anymore so I started running away but the man saw me and started running after me, he was running so fast that he didn't notice that some papers fall of his bag....
After a long pursuit I managed to evade that man. He actually shot against me three times but he missed. During the pursuit one of my shoes came off and the other was damaged so badly that it prevented me from running fast so I took it off. I found a cave hidden behind some tall trees. It seemed to me as a nice hiding place, so I decided to stay there for a while until I made sure that my pursuer had left. But I was so scared about my life that I stayed in the cave for two days and nights. While I was there, I couldn’t sleep. As soon as my eyes shut I was waking up terrified because the image of my pursuer killing that man was coming back to my mind. I did not eat anything during these two days, but thank God a short rain fell during the second day that I was there so I managed to hydrate myself. As soon as the second night that I was in the cave passed, I decided to get out of the cave. But I did not do so until the sun started setting because I wanted to move covered by the lack of satisfactory light. Barefooted and exhausted as I was, I took the road back to the monastery but then I remembered of the papers that fell off the man’s bag. I thought that they may were of some importance so I decided to go and pick them up. After a long search I found them clanged under a bush. They were in a relatively good condition despite the short rain that fell the night before. I did not read them there because I was afraid that the man would probably come and look for them or me so I continued walking to the monastery…
As I was walking back to the monastery I remembered that I must pass outside of the forest to pick you girls, so I did. As the four of us were walking I was thinking that that bad man certainly will come after me and I didn’t want to put you in danger. So as long as we arrived in the village I went to burry those papers. That man wants them back and he is very dangerous. Also he blackmails me: if I tell to anyone about the man that he killed and if I don’t tell him where are his papers he will harm you. I don’t know what to do. I’m in a very difficult position” said the monk and walked out of the room. The three girls look at each other and felt sad for the difficult position that the monk was in. Especially Maria who misunderstood her uncle. She run outside and look desperately to find the monk. He found him sitting on a bench. “My dear uncle I’m sorry that I misunderstood you and accused you to be a thief” Maria said with tears in her eyes. “I forgive you my dear niece, you were right to do so” he replied. “Me and my friends will help you resolve your problem, don’t you worry uncle “she said “I don’t want you or your friends to get involve with this situation, is too dangerous for you” he replied strictly. Maria didn’t answer him back; she knew that she would do something to save him despite what he said to her. She went back to the room and found her friends sitting there. “Girls we must do something to help my uncle!! I have a plan, listen carefully……
“First of all, we should find those papers and make it copy. We will give to the man the duplicate and we keep the original papers so that we have evidence for police to arrest him. If we give to the man those papers my uncle will rid of the man’s exaction. Therefore, we have to arrange to meet that man as soon as possible.” The two girls looked afraid and they showed hesitation to follow Maria’s plan. “How we can deal with this criminal man?” Claire said. “And who affirm us that he might let us leave after?” Fani said. “Come on girls, don’t lay down of you are terror. We have to face that man for my uncle because we accused him for deed that he hasn’t commit. So we have to make up and safe my uncle’s life. Girls, calm down and don’t get panic. Everything will be fine. Can I curry on with my plan girls because we are out of time?” They both agreed and looked confident to help. “Well, I have a brilliant idea to cheat the man without hurt anybody. I will dress up as monk and I will pretend that I am my uncle in order to give him the duplicate papers. Claire and Fani, you will hide behind the bushes and watch. In case that something going wrong then you interfere and hid him with stone. Wherefore, we will belay him and call for my uncle to come. Do you understand so far what we going to do?” “We are ready for action” both said with excitement. “Let’s go then before come dark…….”
But Claire had a little problem with this whole situation. She wanted to get hold with the police first to let them know about the whole situation in case something went wrong. So she went to the police without her friends knowing anything about it and told the police everything. The policeman who was incharge there at the station told her to move on with the plan as Claire and her friends planned it and he with some other policemen would be there at the scene but undercover so the criminal wouldn’t notice anything. Maria set up a meeting with the mysterious man in the center of the village, there where other people would be too so they would be certain that the man wouldn’t hurt them infront of others. The time came so the three girls went to the center of the village for the meeting. Maria was dressed up as a monk and the other girls were hidden. The stranger came up to the disguised monk from behind without Maria noticing him and put a knife on her back and asked for the papers..
Maria was agitated but at the mid time because she didn’t want to destroy the plan,she whispered on him by telling him “Put the knife down,otherwise I will scream blue murder for help,don’t forget that we are in the center of the village awful man”,said Maria. The mysterious man recognized that was a woman behind the monk appearance. He pulled the black clothes out and he saw her face. “ Now,I can realize what happens hear”,said the mysterious man. “Who are you?” said the man. Maria with a tremble from fear on her voice, she said “ The monk is my uncle and I’m hear to help him,please tell me what’s going on? What do you want from him? My uncle is good and honest monk, I can’t imagine that he maybe did something bad to you?”. The mysterious man decided to tell her what’s going on because maybe she will help him by….
putting together all the pieces in this puzzle and give a solution to all this mess. _I beg you,put down the knife,the police has already being notified by my friends- you can not escape,said Maria. _My dear girl,what do you believe;that I would be frightened by a young girl such as yourself?Give me the dam papers-you have no idea what you are putting yourselves into, the man said. _What is your name?,said Maria. _What are you trying to do,you stupid child? Trying to buy time?My name is Kent,so what? said the man. _Kent,listen to Maria and put the knife down son”,whatever is written in these papers,it's not worth killing someone over it,said the monk. _Oh really?I would be the judge of that, said Kent. Kent started to feel a bit confused.He was watching around,desperately looking for something.Maria saw fear in his eyes. In the mid time Claire and Fani where still behind the bushes overhearing everything. _Claire,we have to do something quick,we can’t leave Maria deal with this alone“, said Fani. _Yes,you are right.But what?said Claire. _Look,now we see the man’s back. Claire and Fani read each other’s mind.They both realized that they were thinking the same thinkg.
The girls having no fear,only the will to help their dear friend run towards Kent, grab him from the neck and punched him in the face,both at the same time.Kent,socked by the strong punch,lost his balance and fell down in the ground.Maria’s uncle was now free,and run to grab the knife first. Now Kent had to face not one, not two, but four people.He saw a big wall standing in front of him.He felt the chills.He knew that there was nowhere to go.The sound of the sirens made it white clear that this was the end of this wild chase.
_Please do have a sit,you must be exhausted, said the police officer.I know that this must be a horrified experience for all of you but it will only take a few minutes,you just have to sign the testimony's papers and you are free to go. _Yes,it was indeed,said the monk. The two girls noted to the police officer agreeing with Maria’s uncle. Maria sign the papers first and got up from the sofa and went towards the window. She wanted to fell the cold air in her face.As the last person in the row signed the papers,Maria turn over to the policeman. _Is that all sir? Can we go home? _Yes,you are free to go,said the police officer. Maria’s uncle and the two girls left from the office.Maria with a small hesitation went close to him, and whispered in his ear. _If you consider all the ordeal that we went through about these papers,I think we deserve to know what was the reason that we came so close to die for? The police officer rised from his seat and placed himself in front of Maria. Then with a smile full of confidence and arrogance shouted aloud. _My dear,strong as a horse-but naive child, how can you ask me this.He lean over to her ear whispering;"It is classified".
The shivering monk wrapped his heavy cloak around his shoulders, trying to keep off at least some of the freezing rain that lashed the Pendaktylos. He pushed himself along the road, every step an effort as the sharp stones bit into his bare and bloodied feet. It had been so long since he had last slept! He grabbed the bundle of papers he carried, reminding himself of the importance of his mission.
ReplyDeleteA sudden sharp crack sounded from the bushes beside the trail. The monk froze. Another crack - the sound was unnatural, unmistakable. Something he could not see was stalking him. He stealthily moved to the side of the path, and slipped into the undergrowth. Crouched down in the grass he listened, straining to hear if his pursuer had found his trail. Moving quickly, silently, he scooped earth and grass in his hands, burying the papers as best he could, and shifted himself away from the spot.
There was a movement in the tall grasses. Something enormous was forcing its way through, tearing at trees and brambles. The monk stared upward in sheer terror. “No!” he gasped, “Not you! It cannot be! It cannot –” His words ended abruptly as he was pulled, screaming, into the air.
***
Maria strode into the forest clearing, looking outraged. This was not unusual, and her friends Claire and Fani scarcely bothered to comment on it. Their classmate was usually in a state of boiling anger over some slight that she had suffered, some offence given, and if they had allowed themselves to be concerned every time she seemed upset it would have affected their nerves badly.
“Speaking to me like that!” she pronounced. “I can’t believe it!”
A low voice came from behind them, making all three women jump. “Can’t believe what?”
After slipping from the edge of the trail, the monk sounds himself into some bushes. He decided to follow a different part, so as to mislead his pursuer.
ReplyDeleteAfter five minutes walk, he was at a clearing in the forest. He heart voices and went closer. Although, he was shocked to see his niece Maria with two other classmates, arguing about something:
"So, I am asking again", monk said. "You can't believe what"?
Maria realised that she had to be honest.
"Uncle, I can't believe that you would do such a thing. The monk was astonished. Could his niece have found out about his mission? There was no time to lose.
He had to move on but he knew that he couldn't leave the girls in the middle of nowhere. He decided to take them with him to the nearest village. At least, the would be safe there.
The night was dark and cold. There was no way for them to know what to expect the next day.
Would it be a better day for the four of them?
As the sun came up, the monk woke up feeling sure and confidence. He was walking by himself whispering " they can't do anything to me, nobody can."
ReplyDeleteMaria was confused and shoked and she didn't know how to face it but she realised that she had to find out what's happening herself and that scared her because it was the first time that she was going to be alone.
In the afternoon, the monk silently left his room and started walking in the forest. Maria saw him and decided to follow him. The monk was walking about twenty minutes and stoped in front of a big stone. Behind the stone, was a man. Maria went behind a tree and waited there to see what's happening.
The man now was standing, in front of the monk looking at him. The man was holding in his hands to girls and the monk said " Leave these girls now, they have nothing to do with it". Maria didn't know what to do. The girls that he was holding were her 2 friends.She went in front of them screaming "What are you trying to do?Leave my friends alone". The man started laughing.....
Maria suddenly decided to play a trick on the man who had seized her two friends. She took out a few stalks of lavender that she had just collected from the nearby hill and scattered its potent petals onto the stranger. In no time, the man (who fortunately enough, must have been allergic to lavender) started sneezing like crazy. It seemed as though he was no longer in control of his body's reactions. Maria was proud of her instincts. She shrieked at Fani and Claire to run away from this dangerous stranger as quicly as possible. Maria was not normally a risk taker, but the fact that she knew her uncle was up to to something suspicious, stirred her curiosity. The monk, being deeply disturbed by Maria's sly behaviour, slipped something from behind the stone, under his hideous black cloak and scurried off towards the monastery. Maria pretended to walk in the direction of the village market. When she felt sure that the monk was back at the monastery, she cautiously traced her uncle's footsteps all the way up to the monastery, so as to spy in him. She owed it to her friends to find out the real truth behind her uncle's unexpected encounter with the vicious stranger. Maria held her breath as she entered the living quarters of the holy monastery. Her father would have killed her had he known that Maria, who he had raised to be a religious and respectful way, had dared go into the holiest of places (i.e. the monastery)unaccompanied. But her aim was to prove everyone wrong, especially her father, since it was his brother who had indirectly threatened her two innocent friends. Maria hid behind a huge wooden door that divided the dining room from the living quarters, and checked out each of the monks who were returning from their midday meal until she spotted her uncle. At last she saw a bald head approach the door, She nearly had a heart attack, but reminded herself that she absolutely had to stay focused, if she was to find out what he was up to. Her bald uncle coughed solemny and then went into the room at the far end of the corridor. This was her chance. Maria tip toed to his room. There was a cool draft in the corridor. The monk had left his room's door slightly open for fresh air. However, when the Maria peered into his mysterious room, he was in eye view. She saw at once that he took out a small envelope from his cloak. Ashe opened it, two charm bracelets were revealed. Maria recognised them as being those of her two best friends. These very charm bracelets were of sentimental value, since they had been given to Fani and Claire by their dearest grandmothers. She couldn't let her uncle get away with this most unforgivable of thefts. It struck Maria, that the stranger next to the big stone, must have been her uncle's partner in crime. Her uncle's sinister secret therefore, was that his greed had caused him to crave for worldly goods, like jewellery, in illegal ways. Maria was convinced that she had to let someone know about her dreadful discovery, before it was too late ..........
ReplyDeleteMaria was totally shocked. She couldn’t believe what her uncle did. She couldn’t stand with the idea that her uncle managed to trick her and her friends in such a way. He put on danger her life and her friends life too. So, she run away from the monastery, so pleased from what she had found out. She wanted to talk the truth, she couldn’t think anyone else except her friends, Fani and Claire. After a while, she bumped into her friends. Both were waiting in a secret place where the strange man could not ever find them. Maria was so scared and so out of breath.
ReplyDelete“ Maria what happened? You looked like someone runs after you.” Fani said.
“Girls, I am so happy that I meet you again. You can’t believe what I have just discovered . I can even say you.” “ What Maria? Tell us, you know how curious we are” Claire said.
“My uncle was behind from all these happenings. You cannot believe it, but the stranger is a person of his. And the most important, he had stolen the bracelets that the grandmother gave to you.” “ I can’t believe it. Your uncle a thief? O, Maria what are we going to do now?” Claire said. “ Maybe to call for help” Fani said. “ “Girls I leave it to you. Now, I must stop my uncle.”
So, the girls run for help. Maria was so tired, but she wanted to go back to the monastery. She run quickly before it was getting dark. The only way was to wait her uncle in his room. So, she went right to her uncle’s room. Her uncle after the monks prayer was returned to his room. “ Maria, what are you doing hear? Are you crazy? If someone finds you” uncle said. “I have found the truth. I can’t believe it that you did something so horrible.” “ What are you talking about?” uncle said. “I know about the bracelets, uncle.” “Come on, are you serious? So, you charge me as a thief? ” uncle said. “ I find them in your room.” “ How you even dare to do such a thing? Come with me, now” uncle said.
Then, the uncle took her in the warehouse of the monastery where he was locked her in. It was already night. Maria was a prisoner in the monastery and her two friends run away for help.
The other day had come. Maria was sleeping in the warehouse. And suddenly , the door opened. “ I can’t believe it. Do I see clear? A woman in our monastery? What are you doing hear?” a monk said….
‘Oh thank God you found me I cannot believe what just happened to me’’ Maria said. ‘’Who are you? what are you doing here? You are not allowed to be here’’ the monk said. Maria got embarrassed, her voice hardly came out. ‘I am so sorry but it’s not my fault my uncle locked me here because I had discovered the truth about the bracelets, it’s a very long story’. Then, both of them went together outside and started talking. The monk couldn’t believe in his ears what the girl had said to him so he took her by his side to help her. Although, the monk tried to think a way of talking to Maria’s uncle so he asked the opinion of other monks.
ReplyDeleteIn the meanwhile Claire and Fani went to the closest village and there at the police station for help, terrified as they were, did not know what to do. When they got there, as frightened as they were started talking and explaining what they had passed to the police officer. For their bad luck no one had believed them and started laughing at them, as they were only 15 years old. Also, as the time goes by the weather was getting colder with strong winds. The poor girls were desperate and they started to go back to the monarchy to find Maria. They tried to remain calm and started thinking that all this was just a bad nightmare. They got very tired and the rain started falling. Few minutes later they had stopped near the tree waiting the rain stop until they both fall asleep.
They woke up and rolled on the warm and smooth bed meanwhile they heard a sweet sound.”Hello my friends.” “Oh my, God where we are? “They said. Suddenly they got up and gave her stare. Maria was on the door with a tray with a pot, empty cups and bread inside. “How is it going?” Maria said while she was putting the tray on the table. She went near them. “We found you in the middle of jungle .you were passed out. What you were doing there? “Maria asked them. They said that we tried to explain to police what happened to you, but they didn’t believe us. Then they held her hand and said: “what happened to you?” Maria explained all story and introduced monk to them. “We should do something.” Claire said. “Do you have any idea?”Fani said. Monk suddenly jumped and yelled:” I found it! I found it.” They asked her with excitement “ok, tell us.”Next week we have special ceremony in the monk‘s cell. All the monks of region will gather. We can......
ReplyDelete‘’ We can have the chance in this ceremony to come close to your uncle and ask him to give us explanations about the bracelets’’, the monk said. Next week was near by but the ceremony didn’t arrive.
ReplyDeleteImages are now coming like a puzzle in Maria’s mind, her uncle locked her in the warehouse because she knew about the bracelets, she saw her uncle walking in the forest and a man whose is of his was holding her two friends. Maria was afraid to discover the missing part of her puzzle but she knew that something was going wrong; her aim was to improve everyone wrong and especially her father.
Since the ceremony didn't arrive she decided to go and face her uncle not as Maria but as a monk. The monk that help her was not agree with her idea but being curious as all of us he accepted to help her.
Maria now is a monk and by this appearance she will find out what is going on. She was alone in her uncle’s cell and she is introduced to him as a monk. Her uncle suddenly felt free to express he is fear.
- I buried them, the monk said
- What did you buried Maria replies
- The papers on Pendaktylos mountain
- Which papers?
- I don’t know
- Do you remember what these papers were about?
- I am afraid, afraid to look the future and I was afraid to look at these papers I only saw a phrase that terrifies me ‘this is the end’.
- Which end monk?
- I don’t know, excuse me monk but I have to go, I will see you later
- But wait, Maria screamed, it must be something that you know.
The monk left, Maria had discover a circle in her mission of founding out what is going on, but she added a piece in her puzzle ‘’ there are some papers in Pendaktylos that they must find out’’ tonight. She runs way to say to her friends what she had find out and what remains is to complete that mysterious puzzle tonight.
While Maria was revealing what she had found out about the buried papers to her friends, her uncle run back to “Pendadaktylos” determined to find these papers and put an end to these tragedy.
ReplyDelete-“I can't stand this anymore, I'm going to find these papers and reveal everything to Maria, I have to tell the truth to somebody, and I am going to do it tonight” said the monk to his self.
-“and you should and you should do it now or else.....”
-“stop Maria, you are right my child, the truth is I am not a criminal neither a thief but the man who took your friend last night is one of the most dangerous man in the country.”
-“tell me everything uncle I'm confused, I'm terrified I don't know if I can trust you, the last few days you've acted very strange and suspicious that you didn't give me any choice but to believe that you are a criminal. Now please tell me everything from the top with every detail, give the explanations that me and my friends deserve from you, uncle, for all the things we've been through”
Maria, her friends and her uncle sat down in a circle and got ready to hear the truth. The monk started calmly to explain to the girls what happened to him and how important the buried papers are:
-“ It was Sunday morning when I received a phone call from your father Maria to inform me that you and your friends will come for visiting to the monastery since it was a day that we allowed to have visitors, but because you were going to come by bus, the bus could not bring you outside the monastery because of the messy road through the forest, so I told you to wait outside the forest and I will come to meet you and walk together back to the monastery. Remember?
-“yes all these things I remember uncle”, replied Maria.
-“It was around three o'clock when I started walking through the forest to come to you when... I heard two gunshots behind some bushes. I instantly run towards the bushes and without revealing my self I watched the man who took the girls holding a gun and shooting at another man. I was shocked and I could not hold anymore so I started running away but the man saw me and started running after me, he was running so fast that he didn't notice that some papers fall of his bag....
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ReplyDeleteAfter a long pursuit I managed to evade that man. He actually shot against me three times but he missed. During the pursuit one of my shoes came off and the other was damaged so badly that it prevented me from running fast so I took it off. I found a cave hidden behind some tall trees. It seemed to me as a nice hiding place, so I decided to stay there for a while until I made sure that my pursuer had left. But I was so scared about my life that I stayed in the cave for two days and nights. While I was there, I couldn’t sleep. As soon as my eyes shut I was waking up terrified because the image of my pursuer killing that man was coming back to my mind. I did not eat anything during these two days, but thank God a short rain fell during the second day that I was there so I managed to hydrate myself. As soon as the second night that I was in the cave passed, I decided to get out of the cave. But I did not do so until the sun started setting because I wanted to move covered by the lack of satisfactory light. Barefooted and exhausted as I was, I took the road back to the monastery but then I remembered of the papers that fell off the man’s bag. I thought that they may were of some importance so I decided to go and pick them up. After a long search I found them clanged under a bush. They were in a relatively good condition despite the short rain that fell the night before. I did not read them there because I was afraid that the man would probably come and look for them or me so I continued walking to the monastery…
ReplyDeleteAs I was walking back to the monastery I remembered that I must pass outside of the forest to pick you girls, so I did. As the four of us were walking I was thinking that that bad man certainly will come after me and I didn’t want to put you in danger. So as long as we arrived in the village I went to burry those papers. That man wants them back and he is very dangerous. Also he blackmails me: if I tell to anyone about the man that he killed and if I don’t tell him where are his papers he will harm you. I don’t know what to do. I’m in a very difficult position” said the monk and walked out of the room. The three girls look at each other and felt sad for the difficult position that the monk was in. Especially Maria who misunderstood her uncle. She run outside and look desperately to find the monk. He found him sitting on a bench.
ReplyDelete“My dear uncle I’m sorry that I misunderstood you and accused you to be a thief” Maria said with tears in her eyes.
“I forgive you my dear niece, you were right to do so” he replied.
“Me and my friends will help you resolve your problem, don’t you worry uncle “she said
“I don’t want you or your friends to get involve with this situation, is too dangerous for you” he replied strictly.
Maria didn’t answer him back; she knew that she would do something to save him despite what he said to her. She went back to the room and found her friends sitting there.
“Girls we must do something to help my uncle!! I have a plan, listen carefully……
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ReplyDelete“First of all, we should find those papers and make it copy. We will give to the man the duplicate and we keep the original papers so that we have evidence for police to arrest him. If we give to the man those papers my uncle will rid of the man’s exaction. Therefore, we have to arrange to meet that man as soon as possible.”
ReplyDeleteThe two girls looked afraid and they showed hesitation to follow Maria’s plan.
“How we can deal with this criminal man?” Claire said.
“And who affirm us that he might let us leave after?” Fani said.
“Come on girls, don’t lay down of you are terror. We have to face that man for my uncle because we accused him for deed that he hasn’t commit. So we have to make up and safe my uncle’s life. Girls, calm down and don’t get panic. Everything will be fine. Can I curry on with my plan girls because we are out of time?”
They both agreed and looked confident to help. “Well, I have a brilliant idea to cheat the man without hurt anybody. I will dress up as monk and I will pretend that I am my uncle in order to give him the duplicate papers. Claire and Fani, you will hide behind the bushes and watch. In case that something going wrong then you interfere and hid him with stone. Wherefore, we will belay him and call for my uncle to come. Do you understand so far what we going to do?”
“We are ready for action” both said with excitement. “Let’s go then before come dark…….”
But Claire had a little problem with this whole situation. She wanted to get hold with the police first to let them know about the whole situation in case something went wrong. So she went to the police without her friends knowing anything about it and told the police everything. The policeman who was incharge there at the station told her to move on with the plan as Claire and her friends planned it and he with some other policemen would be there at the scene but undercover so the criminal wouldn’t notice anything.
ReplyDeleteMaria set up a meeting with the mysterious man in the center of the village, there where other people would be too so they would be certain that the man wouldn’t hurt them infront of others. The time came so the three girls went to the center of the village for the meeting. Maria was dressed up as a monk and the other girls were hidden.
The stranger came up to the disguised monk from behind without Maria noticing him and put a knife on her back and asked for the papers..
Maria was agitated but at the mid time because she didn’t want to destroy the plan,she whispered on him by telling him “Put the knife down,otherwise I will scream blue murder for help,don’t forget that we are in the center of the village awful man”,said Maria. The mysterious man recognized that was a woman behind the monk appearance. He pulled the black clothes out and he saw her face. “ Now,I can realize what happens hear”,said the mysterious man. “Who are you?” said the man. Maria with a tremble from fear on her voice, she said “ The monk is my uncle and I’m hear to help him,please tell me what’s going on? What do you want from him? My uncle is good and honest monk, I can’t imagine that he maybe did something bad to you?”. The mysterious man decided to tell her what’s going on because maybe she will help him by….
ReplyDeleteputting together all the pieces in this puzzle and give a solution to all this mess.
ReplyDelete_I beg you,put down the knife,the police has already being notified by my friends- you can not escape,said Maria.
_My dear girl,what do you believe;that I would be frightened by a young girl such as yourself?Give me the dam papers-you have no idea what you are putting yourselves into, the man said.
_What is your name?,said Maria.
_What are you trying to do,you stupid child? Trying to buy time?My name is Kent,so what? said the man.
_Kent,listen to Maria and put the knife down son”,whatever is written in these papers,it's not worth killing someone over it,said the monk.
_Oh really?I would be the judge of that, said Kent.
Kent started to feel a bit confused.He was watching around,desperately looking for something.Maria saw fear in his eyes.
In the mid time Claire and Fani where still behind the bushes overhearing everything.
_Claire,we have to do something quick,we can’t leave Maria deal with this alone“, said Fani.
_Yes,you are right.But what?said Claire.
_Look,now we see the man’s back.
Claire and Fani read each other’s mind.They both realized that they were thinking the same thinkg.
The girls having no fear,only the will to help their dear friend run towards Kent, grab him from the neck and punched him in the face,both at the same time.Kent,socked by the strong punch,lost his balance and fell down in the ground.Maria’s uncle was now free,and run to grab the knife first.
Now Kent had to face not one, not two, but four people.He saw a big wall standing in front of him.He felt the chills.He knew that there was nowhere to go.The sound of the sirens made it white clear that this was the end of this wild chase.
_Please do have a sit,you must be exhausted, said the police officer.I know that this must be a horrified experience for all of you but it will only take a few minutes,you just have to sign the testimony's papers and you are free to go.
_Yes,it was indeed,said the monk.
The two girls noted to the police officer agreeing with Maria’s uncle.
Maria sign the papers first and got up from the sofa and went towards the window. She wanted to fell the cold air in her face.As the last person in the row signed the papers,Maria turn over to the policeman.
_Is that all sir? Can we go home?
_Yes,you are free to go,said the police officer.
Maria’s uncle and the two girls left from the office.Maria with a small hesitation went close to him, and whispered in his ear. _If you consider all the ordeal that we went through about these papers,I think we deserve to know what was the reason that we came so close to die for?
The police officer rised from his seat and placed himself in front of Maria.
Then with a smile full of confidence and arrogance shouted aloud.
_My dear,strong as a horse-but naive child, how can you ask me this.He lean over to her ear whispering;"It is classified".
THE END
THE END
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