Puzzles

It's been two whole days in the orange sand of the Persian deserts. The sun firing invisible missiles at every moving target hitting them with a burst of fire, licking the skin, turning it red. At the beginning of my trek there were five of us. But each night two of my friends disappeared. Now it's only me! Iâve been two days without food or water, and I can feel I'm losing my mind. I see something ahead of me. It looks like a square of separate blue circles in the sand. I think I'm imagining it. It's getting closer and closer. I notice that the little circles were actually pools of blue water. I walked to the edge of one of the pools. There were coins in it. But why?

I couldn't see any form of life for miles. Just orange sand. I have 13 coins in the bag on my shoulder. The coins must be there for a reason. I reached into the bag and took out one coin. I flicked it into the air and it landed in the water. Nothing happened. I waited. Still, nothing. This is ridiculous! I plunged my hand into the water to retrieve my coin. But as it entered it disappeared from sight. I quickly pulled it out. It was still there. That's odd, I thought. I plunged my hand back into it again and moved it around in the water. I felt something being put in my hand and quickly pulled it out. There was a piece of paper clutched in my hand. I opened it and read:

Step into the pool and you will live, Stay outside and death I shall give.

I turned the note over and back again. The writing had changed:

In this world I have your friends, play the games and if you win, a piece of the puzzle you will earn, where your friends are you will learn.

I plucked up the courage and put one foot into the pool, then the other.

The arid orange sand and blazing sun disappeared and in its place a room full of golden goblets and silver candlesticks on purple table cloths. 'I see you accepted my note.' I turned round so fast that I knocked off one of the silver candlesticks. Standing in front of me was a man. He had dark brown hair and eyes. He was wearing a white suit and a purple bowtie and pullover. 'Uh' yes?' I stuttered. 'Come with me,' he said showing me down a hallway. I followed.

He lead me to a room. All it had was a table and chair. I sat down. 'What is the one thing us humans can't live without?' He asked. 'Um,' I said again, 'Water?' he waved his hand and a goblet and plate appeared on the table. They were empty. I looked at him. 'What can be a faithful servant, but also an evil master?' That made me think. 'Fire?' He waved his hand again and food and water appeared. 'Eat,' he said.

When I was finished he lead me into a room. It was completely black. 'This is the first of your challenges,' he said, 'You have to complete the puzzle in each room. Get through every challenge and you get your friends back.' I just nodded. He backed out the room, 'Your game begins in 3.. 2.. 1.' The lights went on. In the centre of the room was a table. I walked towards it. There were ten squares on the table. The first five had Monday to Friday on them and the others had from March to August. Under the squares was a riddle:

Up above you see ten squares each with a day or a month. 4:25 is the right door, choose the others and you'll be lunch.

4:25, what does that mean? Not time. It must have something to do with days and months. I said it over and over in my head. Some sort of code maybe? Fourth day of the week? Thursday. 25? Weeks? The twenty-fifth week. That's in July. I looked at the doors. All ten of them. There it was. The one Thursday July on it.

I put my hand on the doorknob and opened the door. 'You passed the first puzzle, mind. Now you enter: body,' said a voice. I looked around the room. There were silhouettes of people all around the room. Six in total. Written on the ground in gold was:

Figure out what these things spell and the rest of your journey will go well. Spell the word by making the shapes, get it wrong and attacked by the people in capes.

The shapes were letters. I just had to figure out what they mean. There was two S's an E a U an N and a T. suntes? No wait! Sunset. I formed the word. On the T the walls began to spin. It stopped to from a doorway. Through I walked again. There was a ball in the room.A Clear ball.

Touch the ball and follow your heart, one more challenge till you do part. Clear your mind and the right answer will come but think of something and you'll be stuck on your bum.

I cleared my mind and touched the ball. 'To night,' it said. A door appeared. 'Password,' it said. 'To night,' I said. It opened. 'Your final challenge is upon you. Work you answers into the map and you'll have your friends back. 4:25, sunset, to night. Something at sunset tonight. Maybe 4 hours and 25 minutes past sunset tonight? The huge magnifying glass move to the place of my answer and the map fell away. The moon moved so the light shone on the glass. It light up the room and blinded me. There standing in the glare of the moon were my friends. 'Well done!â said a voice as the orange sand and hot sun appeared. Now we're ready for our journey ahead..'