Layton

We all looked at the slab of metal in confusion. It had squiggly lines on it that were slowly formed into coherent words.

Choose three among you, to come and solve these riddles. Each one of you gets chances two, and you may find the middle.

We all glanced at each other. That was slightly confusing. Drake turned to us. “Does anyone know what that means?” He asked, a confused look on his face.

Kent spoke up. “I think we are to send three of us over to it, and they will have to solve a riddle without our help. I think. Who are the three people best at solving riddles?” He asked, looking like he was debating something.

Emily raised her hand. “I used to do a lot of riddles, I can try to solve it.” She said, somewhat hesitantly.

I joined her. “I think I would be at least somewhat useful in solving riddles, I love mind games.” I told them all.

Drake looked at Kent. “Do you want to do it or should I?” He asked him, looking very serious.

Kent scratched the back of his head, thinking. “You should, I am not the greatest at riddles but I think I am good, just not as good as you.” He tells Drake, stepping away from the metal slab.

With a deep breath we all walked over it looking slowly around us to see if anything would happen. After a few heart wrenching moments of silence there was a loud *thunk* as a gate fell all around us, cutting off all sound. I glanced at Drake and mouthed at him, afraid to break the silence. Now what?

He just shrugged at me and glanced at the slab, only to see the characters on the metal start to squirm and move. They were slowly rearranging themselves and they were forming words again.

You must solve three riddles, each one as hard as a fiddle, and if you should fail, then you will all meet the nail.

I gulped softly. That wasn’t ominous at all… Who was I kidding, I was horrified. What exactly did the nail mean? Some sort of sword? I knew it most likely meant death, I just didn’t know how it meant death.

I steadied my nerves. I would have to do my best. The words rearranged again and formed into something new.

I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive in the wind. What am I?

I frowned. It seemed simple at first glance but was actually really confusing after looking more deeply.

I looked at the slab and risked talking. “Are we allowed to talk among ourselves?” I asked, both Emily and Drake looking at me with horror.

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Yes. Whenever you are ready to say your answer, just say “Final Answer-” Then whatever your answer is.

The voice suddenly said, responding to my question.

I breathed out in relief, that was good, I had taken a bit of a risk.

Drake and Emily turned inwards and we huddled together. “Okay guys, any ideas?” Emily asked, looking at me and Drake with hopeful eyes. “I have absolutely no clue.” She said sheepishly.

Drake thought about it for a second. “Speak without a mouth… Hear without ears. No boy… come alive in the wind… Hmm.” After a couple more seconds of thinking to himself he said. “The only thing that I can think of is a tornado of some sort. They speak by using the wind, they don’t really have a body and they literally are the wind. The only thing that stumps me is the hearing part. Do tornadoes hear?” He asked us, breaking out of the trancelike state he had put himself in.

Emily looked thoughtful. “That seems like it might be it. I don’t know about the hearing but it could be something of the calmness in a tornado? Like the eye? I don’t really know, I am just guessing, I think tornadoes are our best bet.” She said, turning to me. “You should be the one to say it, since I don’t think it really matters and you have already talked to it.” She told me looking more than a little afraid at the mention of the voice.

I shrugged and took a step towards the metal. “Okay, Final answer- Tornado, you are a tornado.” I said, somewhat confidently.

The characters quickly shifted and a pain thrummed throughout my body.

Wrong, next riddle. Was all it said.

I gasped in pain and crumpled to the ground. A string of text ran across my vision.

Wrong answer, -1 life, 1 life remaining.

I gulped, that couldn’t be good. I thought to myself as both Emily and Drake rushed to pick me up and help me stand. As I stood on shaky legs, I looked at each of them in turn. “Guys, if I mess up one more time, I think I will die.” I told them shakily.

As we talked quietly about the consequences of what our actions could be, the words on the slab changed.

You close me when I'm not useful, but I always see the air, I never see the sunshine but I always feel the rain. What am I?

I cursed softly. This one was even worse than the other one. After some debate we decided on a jacket, covering us from the rain but usually never seeing the sunshine.

Wrong, next riddle. The slab said and Emily crumpled to the ground in pain.

It went on to the next riddle.

A barrel of water weighed 60 pounds. Someone put something in it and now it weighs 40 pounds. What did the person add?

With a deep breath Drake repeated our answer. “Final answer- You are air.” He said with a flinch.

Wrong, next riddle. Drake cried out and hit the ground with a *thump* and we rushed over to pick him up. At this point we were losing our moral and were scared. We would have to get three perfect answers in a row.

The next riddle came up and I steadied myself. I was up next.

What is there one of in every corner and two of in every room?

After some deliberation we decided on edge. We just couldn’t think of anything else and took a shot in the dark.

Wrong, Layton has been killed. Next riddle.

I screamed in pain as everything faded to black and I collapsed, blacking out.