Scrivenings of the King-Beyond-The-Wall

Fantasy & Fairytales #2

“Can you please clean your room, honey?”

“In a little while, Mom! I’m busy!”

“You’ve been saying that for over a week now. You need to make it a priority.”

“Yeah, okay. Whatever!”


“This came for you in the mail,” Mom said, a couple days later. She handed me an old, battered envelope that looked like it had been stuck at the bottom of the mail carrier’s bag for years.

“Who’s it from?” I asked, turning the envelope around in my hands. It was definitely addressed to me at this address, but there was no postmark and no return address or indication of who might have sent it. Did someone just stuff it in our mailbox at some point? I didn’t think the mail service delivered stuff without proper postage on it.

“You know as much as I do, honey. Maybe open it up and find out?”

I tore open the envelope and was shocked to discover a good old fashioned treasure map. It looked like a map of our backyard with a big red X next to the shrubs against the property fence. I immediately ran to the garage to get the shovel that was in my sand toys.

“Honey, can you please clean your room before you go out to play?”

“Not now Mom! I have buried treasure to find!”

I sprinted for the backyard where I meticulously compared the X on the map with where I thought it was indicating on the actual ground. I saw a patch of freshly disturbed dirt in the general vicinity of where I estimated the X to be pointing and I started digging frantically.

What could it be buried back here and who could have told me about it? And why? Was it a buried treasure? Family heirlooms? A cache of cash that bank robbers had left behind? Maybe I had a long-lost relative who was finally telling me about a lost inheritance I never knew about. I could use the extra money; I’ve been saving up for a couple of new comics that I really want at the comic shop down the street.

After the hole was a few inches deep, I hit something solid. Unearthing it, I discovered that it was an old metal lunchbox. One that looked kind of like the one I used to have when I was younger. I was surprised it wasn’t dirtier and more rusty after being buried in the backyard for so long. I eagerly dusted off the lid and popped it open, excited at what I might find inside.

There was a single scrap of paper, on which was written in my mom’s familiar handwriting: “Don’t forget to clean your room today! I’ve asked several times; hopefully this will get your attention.”

I whipped my head around to look back at the house where Mom was watching me from the kitchen window. She waved at me and blew me a kiss. I scowled her and tossed the lunchbox aside.

“Seriously, Mom?!?”

“Oh and don’t forget to fill in that hole you dug in the yard!” she called after me.



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(519 words)


Prompt: You find a map, saying "X marks the spot", and you decide to see where it leads. Write about your adventure.