Noah held the envelope in his hand, and wandered slowly over to the drawer in question, and laid his hand on the handle. Carefully, he opened the drawer. He waited a moment before looking inside, not really wanting to see what was there in case it was something truly vile and rotten. When he did look into the drawer, he was surprised to see an apple lying there, among the usual trinkets that Moses kept in there. The apple was red and shiny, and it had a small piece of paper attached to it with tape. The paper had a grinning face drawn on it. Noah picked up the apple, and removed the piece of paper. There were two verses written on the back of it.
If you find the lock that fits this key,
You'll find the jewel and set her free.
He stared at it for a few moments, wondering what it meant. In what way was an apple a key? What jewel? Who was the poem talking about? He turned the apple round in his hand, and suddenly something fell on the floor. There was a thump, and Noah stooped down to pick up a silver key from the rug on the floor. The apple had been hollowed out, and then the key had been put inside.
"What is it, Noah?" Moses asked, feeling angrier than ever that he was now incapable of moving. Noah turned around and walked towards him, holding the apple and the note in his hands.
"Do you have any enemies, Moses? Preferably one that likes to leave cryptic clues in your apartment?"
"None that I know of." Moses looked at the apple and the key, and the poem. His eyebrows knitted together, and he frowned. "I don't understand." He said at last.
"Me neither." For once, Mrs Bishop was totally silent. She stayed with them for half an hour, and then went downstairs. Noah and Moses sat together, puzzling over the clues that had been left for them. Noah helped Moses over to the kitchen table, and together they drew up a piece of paper filled with ideas, and everything they knew about what had just happened. Despite all of this however, they still couldn't understand it.
Noah was tormented in his bed by the thought that someone had gotten into the apartment without breaking in, and had managed to leave such baffling things inside. What if he did it again? He could do anything - break their things, hurt Moses and himself, even kill them if he wanted to! He could sneak in while Moses and himself were asleep... This thought finished the others off. There was no way he could get to sleep if there was any chance of that person returning to the flat. He laid awake all night, clinging to his blanket and flinching at every sound, ready to spring into action if anyone should appear. Moses must be feeling even worse, however, because with his ankle he couldn't defend himself.
If you find the lock that fits this key,
You'll find the jewel and set her free.
He stared at it for a few moments, wondering what it meant. In what way was an apple a key? What jewel? Who was the poem talking about? He turned the apple round in his hand, and suddenly something fell on the floor. There was a thump, and Noah stooped down to pick up a silver key from the rug on the floor. The apple had been hollowed out, and then the key had been put inside.
"What is it, Noah?" Moses asked, feeling angrier than ever that he was now incapable of moving. Noah turned around and walked towards him, holding the apple and the note in his hands.
"Do you have any enemies, Moses? Preferably one that likes to leave cryptic clues in your apartment?"
"None that I know of." Moses looked at the apple and the key, and the poem. His eyebrows knitted together, and he frowned. "I don't understand." He said at last.
"Me neither." For once, Mrs Bishop was totally silent. She stayed with them for half an hour, and then went downstairs. Noah and Moses sat together, puzzling over the clues that had been left for them. Noah helped Moses over to the kitchen table, and together they drew up a piece of paper filled with ideas, and everything they knew about what had just happened. Despite all of this however, they still couldn't understand it.
Noah was tormented in his bed by the thought that someone had gotten into the apartment without breaking in, and had managed to leave such baffling things inside. What if he did it again? He could do anything - break their things, hurt Moses and himself, even kill them if he wanted to! He could sneak in while Moses and himself were asleep... This thought finished the others off. There was no way he could get to sleep if there was any chance of that person returning to the flat. He laid awake all night, clinging to his blanket and flinching at every sound, ready to spring into action if anyone should appear. Moses must be feeling even worse, however, because with his ankle he couldn't defend himself.