Chapter 1.

Loitering around on the steps of the amphitheater, she had a nagging suspicion, what was the glistening thing that she had seen from the high vantage point of the hill? Several times she’d tried to come up with conclusions as to what it could have been. There was something uniquely odd about how it had appeared and just the way it seemed that bugged Brownie significantly.
“You’re just a jackass!” “Stop it!” She told herself.

She continued to look around; it was then she saw the Underpass! A tunnel and some steps leading down into an underground structure. The steps had no Rail to clutch onto, and she could see right down into the dim lit interior. There seemed to be another water feature, or was it just another part of the river that ran along the promenade?

Even though Brownie had not moved it was almost as if she was walking towards it, was she imagining it or did she hear something… no, it wasn’t just the wind, yes, yes she could hear running water, but that’s impossible she thought to herself.

As soon as the doubt crept into the peripheries of her mind, the sound stopped. There was silence, in fact, the lack of sound was perhaps deafening.
“I must have imagined it!” She said thinking out loud as she frowned.

Still sitting on the steps, she wondered if this was Deja ~vu and if there were such a thing?

It was no good her curiosity would only get the better of her!

She moved slowly into the underground a shadow slowly encroaching over her, over her body and then over her face as she descended into the unknown, it was almost as if her heart was beating with each step, she counted the steps

Twelve steps down into the underworld she thought, and yet it was irresistible not to look to see what appeared to be some type of labyrinth, albeit different to the ones from earth as she could see the exit and entrance. Around the maze, there were a few places for sitting. At the First place, there was some type of stone Pew it was beautifully carved from marble; there was a flat stone that was hung on the wall, covered with the dust of millennia, Brownie waved her hand over it. It appeared to be a mirror. It was like nothing she had ever seen before, breathtakingly beautiful It had a swirly inscription etched into it, she guessed that this was the writing of the Martians. She wondered what it meant, was it an affirmation, a note to oneself perhaps to have a good day and to remember to be kind? Or maybe it was a little prayer, there was no way of knowing without finding a Rosetta Stone or some type of cipher, and even then, it would be difficult. She counted the words six words she thought for a while and pointed her finger at each word “You-are-beautiful-remember-to-smile!” She smiled to herself; she did that sometimes when she was nervous.

The second place had an alcove, and what looked to be a cushion for kneeling perhaps meditating, she wondered how old the cushion was, and decided against touching it although it looked in pretty good condition, in fact, mint condition you might say.

The view from the second spot was a breathtaking open plan, and there was a jetty that gave another dynamic, it looked like it was once a grotto with water rushing by, but now there was only sand. She walked to the end of the jetty it creaked like hell, she could see down into the sand it was the all too familiar orange dust of mars. She slowly walked back to the hard ground she was relieved to be back on solid ground, she heard a squeaky voice call “Brownie, Brownie!” She looked around but could not locate where the sound had come from, or even if it were an actual human voice.

She hadn’t imagined it but could not see or comprehend how someone would even know her name let alone the shortened version of her name … it was just another dumb trick of an overzealous imagination she thought perhaps being too quick to brush it off.

she checked her watch it said 2 hours remaining.

Just enough time to check out the third and final place which was in the center of the labyrinth. The walls of the maze weren’t actual walls, they were square and granite grey but they only went so high in fact brownie could easily pull herself up on top of them so she could look down into the lanes from above, she walked carefully as not to stray too close to the edge.

Making her way towards the center She could see a portal in the ceiling for the light to come in. However, the panes that were in the skylight were covered in sand, and this made an eerie effect of displacing the natural light. At the center of the labyrinth, there was a vast open space what looked like a roman type bath that was filled with the orange sand, there was beautiful artwork albeit faded on the walls, and again there was another place for contemplating with another cushion. Also, there was something else?

It looked from a distance to be a jar the type you’d keep cookies in, only more elegant perhaps you’d keep Jammie Dodgers in there, she thought licking her lips, it was glass, and it had something inside , something hanging on what appeared to be a ribbon, something metallic , was this the glimmer she had observed earlier she thought?

Was this the glimmer?

Getting closer to ampule jar, she could see that inside the jar there was a key hanging from a ribbon of crimson. It was occasionally glistening under the bright but faded light.

The key was no ordinary key; it had a heart-shaped bow with a ruby set into it, in the form of a flower. It looked as if it were made of solid gold and silver, or possibly platinum. Its teeth were not like those Brownie was familiar with, They were oval spherical lumps that ran along the shank.

As Brownie kneeled over the strange jar she could see something else, from a distance she thought it was an old piece of fabric, drawing nearer she observed what appeared to be some kind of written document hiding underneath the jar.

She could see through the jar it distorted her view, but she could discern that there seemed to be two authors, the first was written in the familiar swirly writing that ran from top to bottom.

The other was in English, in fact, it was familiar, some of the style of the lettering was the same as how Brownie wrote. She pulled the scroll out from under the jar as to examine it more carefully.

It read take this key and find the keeper! Signed with a capital B with a little crown above it, which was precisely how Brownie initialed her letters.

Was it plausible to think that it really was in her hand, could it have been faked? If she had to write the short sentence that was precisely how she would have written it.

” how is that possible?” She said to herself. It was some strange enigma, a riddle. Brownie pulled the map from out of her bag and compared the two. It was undoubtedly her writing the only difference was that it was in ink, while the writing on the map was in felt tip pen, but it was her handwriting for sure. The paper rustled in her hand as she Stuffed it into her book bag.

She wondered to herself if she should open the jar and how exactly would she accomplish it.

She put her palm on top of the ampule and drew it back quickly as if she were touching something hot; brownie had spooked herself.
She tried again.

Placing her palm on the jar and feeling around the top if felt like glass, not just glass it felt like the best finest crystal the kind that sings when you stroke your finger around the rim.

she discovered a thread it was invisible to see, but there it was, she began to twist off the top loosening it just enough so it could be shaken off.

Then she laid the jar on the ground being cautious, it was as if she were handling nitroglycerine and her life depended on it, she stood back, crouched and from a distance pushed the lid off at full stretch, the lid fell on the floor with a chink sound.

And then? And then …Nothing. Brownie looked around everything was exactly the way it was before, she swept her brow, all this excitement had made her hot. She took off her coat and neatly folded it into a pile on the ground beside her.

She reached into the jar slowly, as if she were putting her hand into a nest of scorpions, and gently released the key off its hook. It was cold to the touch, she held it up to the light, to look at it, it was…beautiful, possibly priceless too. She had the feeling it was meant for her to have, she wondered about the cryptic note” find the keeper,” she thought out loud I wonder what on earth did that mean?

She put the key around her neck and tucked it between her base layer and her blouse; no one would believe her at the unit back at town.

She sat for a while she wanted to process everything that had happened, she hadn’t stopped to appreciate how awesome being inside this labyrinth was, she sat at the edge of the pool.. if it had been full of water she would have been paddling in the water the bottom of her jeans getting wet along with her boots.

She picked up a handful of sand and sarcastically made a splash sound.

She hadn’t realized, but she felt tired oh she couldn’t have a nap in here could she and slowly began to feel her eyes growing heavy … she fell into a deep sleep.