Beatrice Beecham's Cryptic Crypt by Dave Jeffery

Author:Dave Jeffery
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Tags: Mystery, Young Adult, Supernatural, Action & Adventure, Fiction
ISBN: 9781684187522
Publisher: Crystal Lake Publishing
Published: 2017-02-03T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

The Cryptic Crypt

St. Norman’s Church occupied a space in a small, sedate part of town, not too far away from the library. It was hidden amongst large oak trees and weeping willows, and several dense thickets peppered with bright yellow flowers. The building was made up of a high bell-tower with squared walls and a flat, featureless roof which butted up to a long narrow structure, housing the main hall, giving it the appearance of a clumsy letter “L” that had fallen over on its back.

To the left of the horizontal structure was a small cemetery with many headstones, each covered with green moss and lichen, and leaning on the undulating landscape like the misshapen molars of some giant stone ogre. And it was through these tombstones that Patience Userkaf and Elmo hastily made their way, eager to get to the church before the sun shut up shop for the day.

‘Why us?’ Patience muttered. ‘That’s all I have to say.’

‘If only that was true,’ Elmo said.

‘Sorry?’ Patience said sharply. ‘Did you say something?’

‘Not a consonant,’ Elmo fibbed.

‘Something this important needs all of us,’ Patience pressed on.

‘With Beatrice doing the Rock Lobster and Lucas getting crabby, the odds are stacked against us. And let’s face it, the adults mean well, but it says something when I’m the most physically fit out of what’s left.’

When Patience had explained to Elmo what at happened at Seer’s Rock, he had merely sat there, pensive and reserved while calculating the possibility that his best friend had suddenly become so love struck he had gone totally mental in the process. It would have been easy for him to take things at face value but Elmo had known Lucas Walker all of his life and knew him to be nothing other than loyal to his friends.

Based on this, Elmo told Patience he would speak to Lucas first before he made any judgements. Patience had accepted this but it was a tenuous ceasefire. For now at least Patience was focused on the pending incursion into the Cryptic Crypt; a premise she looked forward to as much as old age.

‘Oh, I bet there’s dirt and dust and stuff.’ Patience wrinkled her nose.

‘We’re looking for a crypt,’ Elmo reminded her. ‘So I’d say dirt: yes. Dust: yes. You’d have to be a bit more specific on the stuff part.’

‘How do we get in?’

The building began to dominate their eye line.

‘I’m gonna go out on a limb here, but how about going through the front door?’

‘Elmo,’ Patience said tersely. ‘This is serious. Can you do serious just for a while?’

‘I was being serious,’ Elmo said. ‘Reverend Darwin will have booted out the congregation an hour ago. Now he’s settling down to a nice sleep after finishing off the communal wine.’

‘Oh,’ said Patience. ‘Well done on that, then. Keep it up.’

They headed toward the large arched doorway, flanked with two smiling gargoyles. The heavy wooden doors were closed. Elmo stared up at the gargoyle nearest to him.

‘At least someone’s smiling.’

He pushed the door and it opened smoothly, creating enough space to allow them access.

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