Theo Andreas and the Eye of the Living

Theo Andreas woke up in a small boat floating down a river. He had no memory of where he had been or where he was headed. In fact, the last three days were a complete blur to him.

“Ugh!” he screamed. “My head.”

 “Welcome back to the land of the living,” said Benny.

His real name was Bernard Avery Whitestone, but nobody called him Bernard. He hated the name. His father was Bernard Thomas Sands; Whitestone was his mother’s surname, and Avery was his uncle’s name.

Bernard was also the name of his grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather. Changing it would insult a long line of Bernards. His first son, however, would be Benson, Benton, or perhaps Benjamin. Anything but Bernard.

“Where am I?” Theo asked. “What happened?”

“What happened? You were bitten by a gorilla spider.”

“A gorilla spider. Now I understand why you welcomed me back to the land of the living.”

It has been said that if you were bitten by a gorilla spider, you would have 15 minutes to make peace with your maker. In reality, it’s closer to 30 minutes. Fifteen minutes is when the delirium starts. You’ll still have another 15 minutes to get medical treatment before the condition is irreversible.

Nobody has ever died directly from the venom. However, one survivor remembered hallucinations so bizarre that he almost fed himself to a lion because he believed he could rescue a dog the lion had eaten. There was no lion. He was about to jump into an active volcano.

Even those who get medical treatment normally slide in and out of consciousness for a few days.

“As for where, you’re on the Nautilus, floating on the Flumen Mortuorum.”

“The Flumen Mortuorum? That’s Latin. It translates The River of the Dead.”

“That’s what the locals call it.”

“Why?”

“Everyone who travels it dies.”

“Then why are we on it?”

“It was the only way to escape.”

“Escape what, a fate worse than death?”

“Wow! They said you might have some memory loss.”

“Who are they?”

“Let me see if I can jog your memory. Grab your bag. Look inside it.”

Theo reached over and grabbed a large duffle bag. It was brown and heavy. It was made with a waterproof material. Three zippers held the bag closed.

“I forgot how hard it was to open it.”

“You didn’t want to make it easy for the Bandits of the Caribbean to get it.”

“First of all, that’s the Pirates. Second, I believe we’re a little farther south than the Caribbean.”

Past the last zipper there was a combination lock.

“OK. Let me see if I can remember my combination.”

Turning the dials on the 8-digit lock, the bag opened up fully. Inside there was a gold sphere about the size of a basketball. A large eye-shaped ruby, surrounded by smaller rubies, was embedded in its surface. A look of shock was on Theo’s face.

“We did it. We actually found The Eye of the Living.”

 “You found it. Or should I say, stumbled upon it.”

“OK! Tell me everything. Tell me everything I missed while under the influence of that spider bite.”

“First tell me what you remember.”

Theo’s memory returned to him slowly. He didn’t say much as his mind started to piece together the puzzle that was his memory. He first heard of the Six Artifacts of the Arakhelion as a child, in his mother’s bedtime stories. Theodore the Brave had scattered the artifacts around the world to hide them from the OnGoon. If the OnGoon had all 6 pieces, they could rule the world. He remembered that she told him that he was named after Theodore and that one day he would do heroic things.

He remembered the names of the 6 artifacts:

The Eye of the Living

The Light of Night

The Fire of the Tiger’s Heart

The Sands of Time

The Water of Eternity

The Bowl of the Sun

He also remembered his 16th birthday, when he heard that an ancient stone tablet was found containing real Arakhelion writing. At the museum, he stared at writing he couldn’t read, then studied the English translation.

“Arakhelion translation:

El ha-Malakh va-ha-Malkha, min Theodor ha-Gibor.

An hitharath et ha-qadim ayin ha-OnGoon olam-lo yimtza hen.

Akh ha-anavim va-ha-giborim yimtzu hen.

Ha-ge'im va-ha-yarekhim lo yimtzu hen.

English translation:

To the King and Queen, from Theodore the Brave.

I have hidden the artifacts where the OnGoon will never find them.

Only the meek and brave will.

The proud and cowards will not.”

Discovering the stories held some truth, he devoted his life to studying the ancient language.

At 24, while working on his master’s degree, he received his first big break. It was a package addressed to him from an unknown source.

It contained a 700-year-old piece of papyrus still intact, a bowl and disk made of pure copper, and a letter from the sender.

The papyrus contained Arakhelion text! In his excitement, he stuffed the accompanying letter into his pocket.

Grooves on the bowl and disk suggested that they fit together. He aligned the grooves and they slid right in. A slight twist and the two were locked together. The papyrus helped with the rest.

Arakhelion translation:

“kah-VEN hah-KAH-sah el SHEH-mesh deh-TZOH-har, vah-oh-ree-EL deh-YOH-mah yah-REKH tah et hah-DEH-rekh.”

English translation:

“Point the bowl toward the Sun of Midday, and the Light of Day will show you the way.”

It was already 2 in the afternoon, past the midday sun, but Theo gave it a try anyway. As he pointed the bowl toward the sun, a blurry image appeared on the ground. He adjusted the bowl, but the image remained blurry. He would have to wait until tomorrow.

That night, Theo placed the bowl in a safe in the floor in his office. The safe was hidden where it was hard to know it was even there. This proved to be a good thing. There was a break-in that night.

Around midnight, he received a phone call from the alarm company. They told him that the police were already there and waiting for him.

When he arrived, he found file cabinets turned over, walls smashed with a sledgehammer, and his computer was stolen.

“What did they get?” asked Officer Knolls.

“Not much. If they were trying to steal my research, all they got was my high scores on a few video games. I store my research elsewhere.”

“If that’s the case, then they may return for what they left behind. Take what you need for tonight and go somewhere safe. We’ll stay around for a few more hours. We’ll also send someone to watch your house.”

“Thanks. That will help a lot. I’ll just grab a change of clothes I have here and go spend the night at a friend’s house.”

“That’s a great idea.”

Theo remembered grabbing his duffle bag and placing the bowl inside it. It wasn’t that large. About the size of two cupped hands of an average size man. He threw a sweatsuit over it, and nobody suspected a thing.

From there, he headed to an unlisted cabin in the mountains and that’s where he spent the night.

At exactly 12 noon, he was outside pointing the bowl at the sun. The midday sun. The image was much clearer. It was more Arakhelion text.

Arakhelion translation:

“Ayin ha-Ara naga et ha-Shama, Betha-Qadosh d’Sofia ha-Khakha yoshev el raglav. Sham ta yakhol bo. Akh hizaher: Ha-Ayin d’Khaya yolikh ta el Maya d’Maveth.”

English translation:

“Where the Land touches the Heavens, the Sacred House of Sofia the Wise sits at its feet. There you may enter. But beware: The Eye of the Living will lead you toward the Waters of Death.”

Theo remembered the first time he met Bernard, that is Benny. It was on a phone call he received that very night.

It was a little past 11 p.m. and his eyes were just closing as he drifted off to sleep. Fixed on the words “Waters of Death,” he started to imagine the worst. Floating down a stream of lava. Swimming in a lake filled with alligators, crocodiles, or even dead bodies.

So, when the phone rang, he jumped up screaming.

The number was unfamiliar to him, so he ignored it at first. When they called a second time something deep within told him to answer.

“Hello?”

“Is this Theo?”

Theo sat up. He did not recognize the voice. He knew that someone was after the artifact, so he hesitated to answer.

“Who’s asking?”

“Did you receive the package?”

Theo frowned.

“What package?”

There was a pause.

“Did you receive the package?”

The voice was a little stronger.

“I haven’t received anything.”

Another pause. This one was longer.

“That’s strange.”

“Who is this?”

“Listen carefully. You’re going to receive a package soon. When you do, don’t show it to anyone. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t take it anywhere you can be followed.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“Everything you need to know about me will be inside.”

“OK. I admit that I did receive a package. Somebody already ransacked my office looking for it. I’m now in hiding because of it. Now, who are you.”

“Don’t say your location over the phone. They may be listening. Do you have the artifact with you?”

“I’m holding it in my hand right now. Who are you?”

“What you are holding is The Bowl of the Sun.”

“I kind of picked up on that when Arakhelion text instructed me to hold it up to the sun. The midday sun to be exact.”

“Did you get the letter attached?”

 “I almost forgot about the letter. I have it here.”

To: Theodore Andreas

From: Bernard Whitestone.

I may know the location of what you have been looking for your whole life. Wait for my call. In the meantime, you may find this of some help.

A Friend – Benny

 “Are you Bernard Whitestone?”

“They call me Benny. Nobody calls me Bernard.”

“What do you want with me?”

“I need you to come to Columbia.”

“Colombia?”

“Yes. Colombia. Medellín, to be exact.”

“You’re serious?”

“Very.”

“What am I supposed to do in Medellín?”

“Meet me.”

“How will I find you in Medellín, Colombia?”

“I’ll be waiting at a café called La Manzana Venenosa.”

“If I remember my Spanish correctly, that translates ‘The Poison Apple.’”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

“How will I know it’s you at this Poison Apple?”

“I’ll look different than everybody else.”

“Why Colombia?”

“Because I found something.”

“What?”

“Something that shouldn’t exist.”

Theo waited.

Benny continued.

“The temple of Sofia.”

“You found the temple of Sofia?”

“I found a stone tablet with a clue to its location.”

“Where do I fit?”

“I need you, Theo. You're the only person I know who can decipher it.”

“Decipher it?”

“It's written in riddles.”

“So?”

“So, you’re the best puzzle solver there ever was. Nobody can solve riddles better than you.”

“I don’t know if that’s true but…”

“You’re also the best Arakhelion translator there is.”

“That, too, remains to be seen. But, I must say that I’m intrigued.”

“So, are you coming?”

“I’m thinking about it.”

“You'll have to leave within the hour.”

Theo stared at the clock.

“You're kidding.”

“Your flight is already paid for.”

“You're insane.”

“Probably.”

“Where am I going?”

“I'll send you the location of a small private airport.”

“Benny—”

“Don't tell anyone where you're going.”

The call ended.

Theo stood in silence.

Then his phone buzzed.

A message appeared with an address.

He shook his head.

“Unbelievable.”

The thought of the Temple of Sofia excited him even more than The Bowl of the Sun. It was one of the stories his mother used to read to him.

Sofia was not a queen. She had no kingdom of her own. There was no land that she hailed from. Yet, she was a powerful ruler. She lived in the mountains where the land touched the sky. That’s where she was able to keep watch on the world. That’s where she stayed on the lookout for all who wanted to take advantage of the weak and use their power to control the world with fear.

With great speed, she’d descend the mountain and strike at the villains with a long, double-edged sword made from a metal found nowhere on Earth.

A band of 300 mighty warriors swore an oath to be loyal to her cause. The world needed protecting, and they were up to the challenge. They were known as the Trecenti.

One day, a stranger climbed the mountain. The Trecenti jumped up ready to defend Sofia from this would be attacker. But Sofia recognized him. He was a mighty warrior himself, also sworn to protect the innocent from those who sought power through cruelty and fear. He was Theodor the Brave, protector of the small. He handed her a golden ball with a ruby shaped like an eye and asked her to keep it safe. She accepted the assignment, took it and hid it inside the mountain.

“I will protect it with my life,” she said.

The Trecenti stepped up and made the same oath.

For decades, Sofia and her warriors guarded the Eye. Many enemies searched for it. Some offered gold. Others tried to take it by force. None persuaded Sofia to surrender it. None were able to defeat her.

Sofia lived to be 150 years old, a warrior to the very end.

Before her death, Sofia gathered her remaining followers.

“The Eye must never belong to one who desires its power,” she warned. “Hide it where only the worthy will find it. Only the meek and brave will shall touch it. The proud and cowards will not.”

After Sofia died, her warriors built a magnificent temple in her honor. The entrance was at the foot of a great mountain.

Somewhere within the temple, they constructed Sofia’s tomb. Even in death, she continued to protect the Eye.

They sealed the tomb and continued to protect the world from evil.

Secret passages were blocked. False chambers were constructed. Traps filled the corridors. Some punished greed. Others punished impatience. Only someone possessing both wisdom and courage could hope to survive.

Over the centuries, Sofia became a legend.

Her temple was never discovered.

Theo started to throw a few more items in his duffle bag; his passport, a few articles of clothing, a flashlight, and some bug spray.

He stared at the small bottle.

“Colombia,” he muttered.

He added more bug spray.

The private plane was smaller than Theo expected.

Waiting beside it was a tall man with silver hair.

“Mr. Theo?”

“Yes.”

“I am El Salvador. Your pilot.”

Theo looked at the plane.

“That's your name?”

The pilot smiled.

“Yes.”

A shorter man appeared behind him.

“Pedro. Co-pilot.”

Theo shook his hand.

“Nice to meet you.”

A woman stepped out of the aircraft.

Theo forgot what he was about to say.

She was beautiful.

Dark hair fell over her shoulders, and her brown eyes seemed to brighten when she smiled.

“Maria,” she said.

“I'm Theo.”

She nodded.

“Hola.”

“Hola.”

Her smile widened.

“You speak English?”

She shook her head.

“¿Hablas español?” she asked.

Theo thought about the Spanish classes he took in high school.

“Solo un cerdo.”

She laughed. He couldn’t figure out why.

“What did I say?”

She didn’t respond. She only shook her head and motioned for him to board.

The flight began smoothly.

Maria offered Theo some coffee.

“Gracias. Mi español es un poco chapucero.”

She laughed again.

Theo pulled out a book, looked inside, and blushed.

“Mi español es un poco rudimentario.” he corrected himself.

“¿Le gustaría recibir ayuda?” she asked.

He pulled his book out again, but she grabbed it and put it down. She took her cell phone along with his, opened up a translator, and gave it back.

“Esto funciona mejor que el libro,” she said into her phone. It came out in English on his.

“This works better than the book.”

They continued to communicate this way, although Theo often tried to use Spanish.

At one point Theo attempted to tell her that the plane was comfortable.

Instead, he accidentally told her that the pilot was delicious.

Maria nearly dropped her phone laughing.

“I think I just insulted the plane.”

She showed him the translation.

Theo groaned.

“Wonderful.”

Hours passed.

The sky outside darkened, and the two became more comfortable with one another.

Theo told her about New York.

Maria told him about Medellín.

She showed him photographs of the city, the mountains, and her family.

He showed her photos of his friends, city, and mountains.

Near the end of the flight, she sat beside him.

Neither spoke for a while.

When the plane finally began its descent, Theo realized he didn't want the flight to end.

Maria seemed to realize it too.

Once they landed, Theo collected his bag.

Maria stood near the plane door.

She took out her phone.

“Espero que nuestros caminos se vuelvan a cruzar.”

I hope our paths cross again.

Theo touched her cheek.

“I’m sure they will.”

Theo remembered arriving in Colombia.

Medellín was alive with action.

Finding The Poison Apple was not that hard. It was a very popular place with American tourists.

The café was small, with tables scattered across a shaded patio.

A man sat alone at one of them.

Older.

Thin.

Gray hair.

Theo stopped.

“Benny?”

The man looked up.

“Nice to meet you in person. I’m Theo.”

Theo dropped his duffel beside the table.

“You’re younger than I thought,” Benny said.

“You’re older than I thought.”

Benny stood up and shook Theo’s hand. The two sat down.

“So, why am I in Colombia?”

“I thought that you may be interested in this.”

Benny pulled out an old piece of papyrus. He rolled it out on the table.

“This is Arakhelion!”

“Yes.”

“Where did you get it?”

“That doesn't matter.”

“It matters to me.”

“Zambia. I found it in an excavation site that wasn't supposed to exist.”

Theo looked up.

“Meaning?”

“Meaning someone killed three people to get this.”

Theo's hand froze.

“Who?”

“We don't know. Can you read it?”

“Of course I can. It says, ‘Halakh avar ha-Agam. Hemshekh el ha-Ma'arav. Ha-Ya'arim yastiru neqev b'ha-Tzur. Betha-Qadosh d'Sofia hu b'tokho.’”

Benny only looked at him.

“Translation,” he said.

“Roughly it says ‘Travel across the pond. Continue to the west. The woods will hide a hole in the rock. The temple of Sofia is inside.’”

“Yes.”

“The pond is the Atlantic. Continuing west will take you to the Andes.”

Theo paused while he thought about it.

“You do know that the Andes are the longest continental mountain range on the planet. About 5,500 miles.”

“Yes, I do.”

“You think we can find this hole in the rock in a mountain range that long?”

“I do. We’ve already found it.”

“Where?”

“Argentina.”

“Then why are we in Colombia?”

“The plane needed to refuel. The staff needed to rest. We’ll continue tomorrow.”

Theo tried hard to forget the hotel he slept in that night. Right around the corner from what he called Kings Inn, a hotel fit for a king, there was another hotel that he called ‘Cat Pee’ hotel. This was mainly due to the smell. Leaving in the morning was the highlight of his stay.

He remembered the joy of seeing Maria again. He spent the entire flight listening to her voice as she tried to teach him proper Spanish. Because of this, he didn’t even hear the conversation between Benny and El Salvador.

“Hello, Bernard.”

“Hello, Santiago.”

“That’s not my name.”

“That’s what Mom calls you.”

“Okay, Benny. I have no problem calling you Benny. How is Mom doing.”

“She’s good. She’s on vacation in Karlovy Vary. She’s going bungee jumping. How’s Dad?”

“Skydiving over the middle of the Pacific.”

“And they wonder where we got it from. So, how close do we land?”

“Ha! Land! No, brother, you’re jumping.”

“That’s fine. But how do I tell Theo?”

Theo remembered falling through the air, screaming for dear life. With no formal training, he managed to pull the cord at the right time. Despite the fact that his descent was slowed, he continued to scream. When he hit the ground he lay there, not moving. Benny ran to his side.

“Wasn’t that fun?”

Hugging the ground, Theo responded, “You’ll pay for that.”

He slowly stood up and they began their hike through the woods.

Because he was halfway around the world, Theo was unaware of what was going on at his own house back in New York.

While he was on the plane headed to Colombia, his kitchen window was broken. Three masked men dressed in black entered his home. They smashed floors, walls, desks—everything. Not finding what they were looking for they set the house on fire.

While he was talking to Benny at the Poison Apple, his unlisted cabin, which no one should have known about, received the same treatment.

Somebody else was looking for the artifact.

The trek through the woods took about a day and a half. They traveled mostly on foot after leaving the roads.

The jungle swallowed them.

The air became heavy and wet.

Insects buzzed around their faces despite the repellent.

The more they walked the thicker the foliage became. They sliced through with machetes until late when they hit rock.

“This is it,” Benny said.

They cleared the vines away until they saw the entrance to the cave. Theo spotted something carved into a rock.

An eye.

“The Temple of Sofia!”

“Yes. I told you we found it. Now, you’re the best translator. Read the inscription.”

“Ha-bo b'Lev Tahor yizkha et ha-Ayin d'Khaya.

Hen d'Lev Betsa yishatefu b'Maya d'Maveth.

Shuv akhor im ta khafetz likhya.

It translates to:

‘He who enters with purity of heart will gain the Eye of the Living. Those with a heart of greed will be washed away by the waters of death. Turn around if you wish to live.”

“We’ve made it this far,” Benny said. “We’re not turning around.”

Benny started to walk into the cave. Theo happened to grab him just as the ground collapsed beneath his feet.

“You idiot,” Theo said. “Turn around doesn’t always mean go back. It could mean just that. Turn around. Look behind you.”

As they turned around, there was a stone pillar sticking up from the ground. There were no inscriptions on it. No warnings. No instructions. Just a circular indentation that looked familiar to Theo.

He opened his bag and removed the Bowl of the Sun. Taking the disk, he placed it in the indentation. It clicked. He slowly rotated the disk counterclockwise until it clicked again. The ground returned to normal allowing them to enter.

They walked a short distance when they came to a large cavern. In the middle was a large stone tablet which read:

“Ta yesh arba derakhim. Tzafon, Darom, Mizrakh, o Ma'arav. An halakh el Tzafon. Ha-Khetz yolikh ta el Sheqra.”

You have four options. North, South, East, or West. I would go North. An arrow will lead you wrong.

Ahead of them were 3 tunnels. Benny pulled out his compass and proceeded to head north. So, he thought. Once again, Theo saved him.

As he entered the cave, darts flew from the wall. The tips were poisoned with an unknown substance.

“An arrow—a compass needle—will lead you wrong. It’s this way.”

They headed south, according to the compass.

The more they walked, the more traps were set off. Each had a warning that Benny ignored.

One chamber filled with sand almost burying them alive. Another with swinging blades. Benny lost some of his hair.

Theo also remembered this warning:

“Raglim hen yesh okhta.

Shenay-Khetz hen yesh dara.

Im ekh mehen yashakh ta,

Khaya d'ta tagia el Sophar”

Legs they have eight. Fangs they have two. If one of them bite you your life will be over.

“Spiders,” Theo said. “Now we have to deal with spiders!”

That’s when they started to hear voices. Just a few at first, very faint. But they quickly grew closer and more in number. Before they knew it, they were surrounded.

“Eikh ta he'azta bo el Betha-Qadosh d'Sofia ahuvath-nan? Ata ta tamuth. Besar d'ta yisaraf b'Nura, va-atzmim d'ta yitakhnu el Afar.”

“Who are they?” Benny asked.

“My guess, the Guardians of the Eye.”

“What did they say?”

“They said that we will die.”

In reality, it was more like:

“How dare you enter the sacred temple of our beloved Sofia. Now you will die. Your flesh will be burned, and your bones will be ground to dust.”

300 trained warriors surrounded them and Benny pulled out a sword to fight them. As he charged into the crowd, Theo grabbed him, knocked him to the ground, and threw his sword to the side. Remaining in a submissive posture he convinced Benny to do the same. That’s when he felt the bite.

He stood up, looked around, and everything went black.

Theo remembered nothing else.

Lying in a boat, floating down a river known as The River of the Dead, Theo looked at Benny.

“Do you want to know what I remember? I remember you dragging me down here when I was happy where I was. I remember you pulling out a sword to fight 300 men and women who were trained to fight since birth. Their parents were trained to fight since birth. Their grandparents were trained to fight since birth.

I remember you, multiple times, almost getting me killed because you wouldn’t listen. I remember you opening the door to the spider room. I remember the sting in the back of my neck. Then I remember waking up on this boat.”

Benny looked down mournfully.

“Maybe you don’t remember that I apologized at least 1,000 times. Let me tell you what you don’t remember.”

Benny told Theo about his actions to befriend the warriors.

Theo stumbled up to who he figured was the boss. His words were slurred but to the point.

“We mean you no harm. I am your friend. My friend is just an idiot.”

In moments, they were tied up, hung upside down, slowly being lowered into a sand pit. Scorpions and other creatures were jumping, waiting to feast.

“Stop!”

They had no idea who said it. They only knew that it was English. A woman stepped up in a robe and a feathered headdress. She pointed at Theo.

“Shalakh hen. Hu ha-ekh d'Lev Tahor. Hu ben-dor d'Theodor ha-Gibor. Hu ha-Anav va-ha-Gibor.”

Release them. He is the one whose heart is pure. He is a descendant of Theodore the Brave. He is the Meek and the Brave.

Theo and Benny were released. Instead of being killed, they were honored.

“I am Sophie, a direct descendant of Sofia the Wise. You bear the marking of Theodore the Brave.”

“You speak English,” Theo said.

“I speak over 500 languages. Do you seek the Eye of Living?”

“Yes. I do. But I really want to see the Temple of Sofia. I dreamed of it since I was a child.”

“Follow me.”

She led them through a long corridor. She moved around traps as if they were visible. Theo and Benny followed her closely.

Soon, they reached a door made of pure gold.

“Nobody has entered this room in generations. If you have the key, you may enter. But do not disturb the body.”

Theo took the Bowl of the Sun and pressed it into an indentation on the wall. The door loudly rolled away. The room behind it was full of gold. In the center was a staircase with at least 150 steps. A structure was at the top. The shrine of Sofia.

Benny’s eyes were focused on the gold. Theo’s were fixed on the shrine. He started to climb the stairs faster than he thought he could. He believed that Benny was behind him, but he was still at the bottom collecting gold coins and other items.

Theo called him.

“Come on! What are you doing?”

Benny climbed the stairs. It took a few minutes for him to catch up but he did.

“Look, Benny, it’s the shrine of Sofia the Wise.”

But Benny was looking at the gold bars surrounding the shrine.

According to the legend, the Eye was located under the shrine. The one place where she could protect it forever. But he needed to get it without disturbing the body.

Beneath the shrine was a circular groove shaped similar to the disk of the Bowl. He retrieved it and placed the disk in the groove. A door opened and the Eye was inside.

Carefully, he lifted the Eye and placed it inside his bag.

“I can’t believe it,” he said. “Benny, we’ve found the Eye of the Living. It should hold the clue to the location of the Light of Night. Benny!”

But Benny didn’t hear a word he said. He was focused on the gold statue of a woman in front of the shrine. It may have been an image of Sofia herself. He picked it up and Theo heard a click. It wasn’t loud, Benny didn’t even hear it.

“Benny!”

It was too late. The shrine tilted forward and the floor opened. Theo and Benny dropped into a dark hole as black as night.

Theo, still affected by the spider bite passed out. He woke up floating in a boat on the River of the Dead.

“This is all your fault,” Theo said. “At least we found the Eye.”

“What’s that noise?” Benny asked.

They were headed right toward a waterfall.

As the boat moved faster and faster, Benny screamed. Theo prayed.

Just as they were about to go over, an airplane flew over them with a ladder down. Theo grabbed the ladder with one hand and his bag with the other.

Then he noticed something.

“BENNY—”

To be continued.