The Treasure Hunt

A Story by jo

Come and play I dare you to win

THE TREASURE HUNT

On a Sunday afternoon Puppy and her friends, Daisy Penguin and Vicky Dragonfly, were sun bathing inside of Puppy’s back yard

"Okay, one of you please take this away from me, before I eat the whole bag," Vicky sighed. Then handed the bag of Crispy chips over to Daisy. Who looked inside the bag and laughed

"What do you mean before? You eat the whole bag there are only two left!"

"Well two is better than none," Vicky shrugged. "Let’s go inside its getting way to hot out here," She added

They were gathering up their stuff when Tommy Cub and Sammy Turtle walked inside of Puppy’s backyard

"Hey guys! What’s up did we get a new case?" Puppy asked them

"Nope, I know it’s been a while since the last one. But we got something better," Sammy answered her back smiling

"What can be better than working on a case?" Daisy frowned

"You’ll see. Stay put we’ll be right back!" Tommy smiled. They returned a few seconds later both holding a pair of shrunken monkey heads

Oh wow! Where did you get those cool monkey heads from?" Vicky asked

"Better yet, why are you guys, wearing those ugly thing for?" Daisy frowned

"My uncle Jim, sent them to me, he recently brought a ranch up in Haven desert." And asked if my friends and I’d like to spend our winner break there," Sammy explained

"Oh wow! That’s very nice of him," Puppy smiled. "But what’s up with the monkey heads?" She asked

"Oh, my uncle is some kind of famous treasure hunter. I really don’t remember him much since the last time I saw him," I was just a small baby, any way according to my mom, he’s working on some important dig,"

"That’s next to his new ranch and wants us to help him. Dig up some hopefully undiscovered new treasures," Sammy explained

A few days later the gang left the Rocky Shores airport. And headed towards their new adventure Havens desert

"Oh wow! Look at all that sand! I wonder if we’ll get to ride some camels while we’re out here." Tommy asked. While looking out the plane window

"I don’t think that they’re any camels in these parts," Vicky answered him

"Bummer" He was about to say something else when the flight attendant’s voice. Came over the loud speaker:

"We’ll be landing in the next five minutes! Please bring your seats upward and fasten your seat belts!"

A few minutes later they were standing in front of the baggage terminal waiting for their luggage to arrive. Shortly the conveyor belt began to roll

"There’s my bag!" Daisy cried out. "Chuck, do you mind helping me with my bags?" I couldn’t figure out what to pack so I just packed half my closet"

"Sure, no problem," Tommy’s older brother Chuck shrugged. He walked over towards the belt bent down and was about to pick up Daisy’s bag. When some grumpy looking ox bumped into him almost knocking him over

"Hey! Watch it kid! The ox growled

"What’s this jerk problem?" he’s the one who bumped into me," Chuck thought to himself

"Sorry" he mumbled. Before he quickly grabbed Daisy’s overstuffed bags

"Hey! Are you okay?" I thought that jerk was going to pound your face in for a second!" Tommy laughed. Once Chuck caught up with him

"Ha-ha very not funny!" Chuck smirked. "Come on let’s go find the others. Before I pound yours in just for the giggles," He added

Since their plane landed early the gang decided to grab a quick bite. Before they had to meet Sammy’s uncle by the main entrance of the air port

Fifteen minutes later they were cruising down the freeway. Laughing and goofing with one another. Minutes later the ranch came into view Sammy’s uncle turned and gave Sammy a big smile

"So kid, do you think you and your friends could’ve a good time, in the middle of nowhere?"

"Oh! I think we’ll manage somehow!" Sammy laughed. Jim pulled up to the front of the main house, and they all got out the car

"Okay kids, why don’t you all grab you bags, check out your rooms unpack. And I’ll meet you by the pool in ten minutes," He instructed

A few minutes later the gang was making their way towards the pool area

"Wow! This place is really awesome!" Tommy was telling Sammy

"Yah, I can’t believe how bit its. It’s going to take more than a week for us, to explore it all," He answered him back laughing. They found Sammy’s uncle sitting at one of the tables by the pool eating a hot dog

"Oh! There you kids are. Come I’d like to introduce you all to my business partners," Ted Hunter, Fred Brown and he’s cousin Mary," He told them. Then after they all exchanged their hellos

Chuck turned to Sammy’s uncle and asked

"Have you guys, find anything interesting yet?"

"Nothing earth shattering just a bunch of rusty pottery and jewelry. That we believe belong to the Sky Lands tribe," Jim began to explain

"Who?" Puppy frowned

"The Sky Lands tribe supposal according to folk legend owned these land for a hundred years, until they suddenly disappeared�""He began explaining

"How can a whole tribe just disappear?" Tommy interrupted frowning

"That’s what we’re hoping to discover, one of our main goals is to find some sort of petrographic" Ted answered him

"What’s a petrog--?" Puppy began

"That’s a piece of rock that they used to draw on sort of the internet of their time" Vicky interrupted laughing

"Very good Vicky," Jim smiled. "And if we could find one then maybe we can find out what happed to them,"

"Now tomorrow I’ll give you kids, the main tour of our work site and," He started to add

"I really don’t think that such a great idea. We don’t know how safe it’s especially after all those strange accidents" That have occurred lately," Mary frowned

"Oh! Here we go again!" Fred smirked

"Strange accidents?" Sammy asked frowning

"Oh! Please I wouldn’t call a touch of food poisoning strange accidents" He added

"Would someone please like to explain what you guys, are talking about?" Chuck asked

"Oh, it’s actually silly" Sammy’s uncle began. "A few days ago a few of our workers got a touch of food poisoning, I got a ugly rash the day after I found those money heads" I sent you Sammy, and Mary, here believes the cause of all of it, is because the spirits of the Sky Lands," Are still very protective of their land and are cursing anyone who disrespects it"

"I wouldn’t be so quick to just dismiss the legends of the Sky Lands," Mary softly mumbled. And before anyone could ask her what she meant by that. Mary just got up and walked away

The next day the gang was taking a long much needed break after digging all morning

"Do we’ve anymore of that lemonade left?" Chuck asked Tommy

"Yah, I think we’ve a few bottles left inside the cooler," Tommy answered him

"Wow! I’m so glad that we don’t have to help dig at night this place is creepy enough during the day," Sammy was telling them

"Yah, especially after what Jim told us last night. It’s kind of weird how a whole tribe was here one minute, then just disappear into thin

air the next," Daisy added. Vicky was about to answer her back when something caught her eye

"Whoa! What’s this?" She asked as she bent down and picked up a pale white monkey head that had diamonds shapes for eyes

A few minutes later they showed Sammy’s uncle what Vicky found

"Do you think that it belong to the Sky Lands?" Vicky asked. He was about to answer her back when a loud noise interrupted him. They all ran towards it

"What’s wrong?" Jim cried out

"It’s Mary; she was digging out by the northern end and didn’t notice a sink hole. She fell right through it," Ted explained

"Oh my god! Is she going to be okay?" Daisy gasped

"Yes, after we got her out Fred, rushed with her to the hospital, she thankfully only had a few bruises and nasty sprain ankle." She should be just fine in a few days," He answered her

The next day the gang was enjoying their breakfast

"I really hope that Mary’s going to be okay," Puppy was telling them

"Yah, so do I, but I got a funny feeling that there’s something weird going on around here," Vicky answered her frowning. And before anyone could answer her, Sammy’s uncle walked into the kitchen and cried out

"I hope that you all had a hearty breakfast, cause we’ve a full day." Of having fun in the sun and just plain goofing off ahead of us!"

Later that night they were all sitting around a big bonfire

"Good news kids! Mary will be returning back from the hospital tomorrow morning," Jim informed them

"That’s great! Uncle Jim," Sammy smiled

"Now hopefully we can continue working without any more, unpleasant surprises" Jim frowned. Then quickly added

"Now how about we all hit the hay. It’s been a long day I’ll see you kids, bright and early,"

The next morning the girls were digging next to the spot. In where Vicky found the monkey head

"Hey! I thought the boys were supposed to help us this morning?" Puppy frowned

"They were, I bet that they over slept. I think that if they don’t get their tails here in the next ten minutes," We go into their rooms and pour a bucket of cold water over their heads!" Daisy smirked. Puppy laughed and was about to answer her when Daisy interrupted

"Hey! Is it me?" Or does that Ox who’s talking to Ted, look like that one who had the problem with Chuck," back in the airport?"

"Yah, you’re right! Weird why’d he be doing out here?" Vicky frowned. And before any of the girls could answer her back the boys joined them

"Hey! What’s that jerk doing here? Chuck frowned

"Don’t know but I wonder what he and Ted could be talking about?" Tommy added

"Well there’s one way to find out," Vicky told them

Hoping that they wouldn’t be noticed they slowly headed towards them. They were just about to reach were they were standing. They heard Ted cry out

"What! You’re crazy! This is not what I signed up for I never agreed to hurt anybody!"

"You’re not going to wimp out on us now! You’re going to do what we paid you to do! The ox growled. "And besides those nosey kids, weren’t even supposed to be here, so if they get hurt it’s not my problem,"

"Now here’s what I need you to do I need you to keep Jim, and those bratty kids busy until--."

And before the ox could finish he was interrupted by a loud noise

Sammy squeezed

"What was that?" Ted frowned

"It sounded like a squeezed whoever is hiding back. Come out now we heard you! The ox ordered. They slowly walked out from behind the bushes near the cliff

"Well, Well what do we’ve here?" The ox smirked

"What are you kids, doing hiding behind those bushes?" Ted added frowning. "You weren’t spying on us? Were you?"

"Umm no, we were just walking around and heard you two arguing and were wonder what about?" Tommy answered him back shrugging

"Yah, well we’ll be going now," Sammy added

"That’s what you think but you kids, aren’t going anywhere," The ox growled

"Oh, just let them go�""Ted began

"Shut you Ted, they can go as soon as I find what I came for!" The ox interrupted smirking. And before any of them could answer Jim, Fred, and Mary hurried towards them

"What’s going on? We can hear you yelling from the other side of the pool," Jim asked frowning

"Oh hi! Jim, umm, I can explain," Ted began

"Al?" what are you doing here! You’re going to ruin everything! Mary interrupted

Huh?

"Would someone like to explain what’s going on here?" Chuck frowned

"What’s going on Jimmy, boy is that I paid two of your workers very good money. To steal the monkey heads you dug up," The ox answered him back smirking

"What! Why? They’re just a bunch of broken jewelry pieces. I doubt that they’re even worth five cent! Fred cried out in disbelief

"Wrong! Try more like five million! The ox laughed. "Now this is what’s going to happen,"

"You!" He pointed to Tommy and Sammy. "Take off those monkey heads and throw them over to me!"

Tommy and Sammy just both stared at each other with blank and confused looks on their faces

"Its okay boys just do what he says," Jim sadly smiled

"You’re never going to get away with it," Chuck growled. As he watch Tommy and Sammy slowly take off their monkey heads from around their necks, then throw them at the ox as hard as they could

"Oh!" But I already did!" The ox laughed. Before he and Mary jumped up to grab for it. But in doing so he lost his footing, he grabbed Mary to help him from falling over the railing

But it was too late they both screamed as they both toppled over the side and into the icy waters below

A few hours later after they talked to the police they were all sitting around by the pool area

"So what’s going to happen to Ted?" Chuck asked Jim

"Well I really don’t know all I know is that the cops took him down to the station for questioning" I still can’t get over what happened, did he and Mary, really believe that they’d get away with it?" Jim answered him back

"So sad, who I really feel bad is Fred; I can’t get the look on his face." When they went over the railing out of my mind," Do you think it was true?" Do you think those monkey heads are worth all that money?" Puppy asked Jim

"I wish I had an answer for you, but until I’ve my lab exam. The one that Vicky, found we’ve to wait and see" If it was real or not," Jim shrugged

A few days later not only were the monkey head that Vicky found real. But it was also worth millions of dollar. Jim was so thankful and grateful for Sammy and his friends. That not only did he name it after her, but welcomed them back any time they wanted

"You know Sammy, in a few weeks I’ll be traveling to a little island in Tango," why don’t my favorite nephew and new lucky charms come and join me," And see what treasures we can dig up together, what do you say?" Jim asked smiling

"Umm, no offense Uncle Jim, but now that you can afford it. What if you just treat us to best take out place that serves all the ice cream we can eat for desert instead," Sammy laughed