The Quest for the Temple Key

“I’ll get it,” Danielle said, scurrying out of the room and running down the hall to her parents’ study.

Just as she veered into their office, she heard a huge crash from the living room she’d just left. The house shook violently and she lost her footing, tripping over a mountain of books piled on one side of the room. Quickly, she got up and with one jumping motion, grabbed the plastic case holding the mysterious key. Misjudging her landing, Danielle slipped on a small stack of magazines and fell heavily to the floor a second time. There was another crash down the hall, followed by screaming and yelling. She recognized her mother’s voice as the source of the scream. It was her father who was yelling. There was a third crash and the floor beneath Danielle buckled and heaved, just as she’d been told to expect in an earthquake. A moment later, all the lights went out.

“Mommy! Daddy! What’s wrong?” she cried, just as a full shelf of books rained down around her.

Still clutching the case, Danielle struggled to her feet and started for the hallway.

She looked up just in time to see two blood-red eyes glaring down on her from near the ceiling.