The one thing Tom hated more than being lonely was being accused by Dex, especially in such a tough class like Monk Lessons.
“Just look at Candy how good she has done!” Sir Hog squealed.
“Yea, right because she’s not Candy. She’s just a copy and the real Candy wouldn’t have remembered what the fuss is Monk.” Bruce said sullenly, looking at the book of Monks solemnly.
“So, Sucked up Tom, so happy for not getting your limbs punctured?”
Tom ignored Dex.
“I left you in mercy; you’d have died in fear.” He mumbled with great joy.
Tom still ignored. To his relief the bell rang. Now they have lunch break in the field ‘1’.
Tom and Bruce left Dex and his new friend Farid to babble on about the Tom the Dim-witted, for the last.
Tom and Bruce stopped in their chairs and tables accompanied by Blanche and Brownie. Both of them looked as if they had just fed upon a dense slug.
Bruce and Tom had just related Blanche and Brownie about Candy, that it’s someone else.
“It must be someone who has Derik.” Blanche said very nattily.
“Miss Amy Jones?” Bruce asked.
“No. Why would a teacher want to harm a guiltless girl like Candy?”
“She isn’t blameless at all. All those times she has yelled upon us…” Bruce sighed “If she had that plucky feeling she could have already received a detention for slurring a teacher.”
“Slurring a teacher requires courage?” Brownie said “Well…”
“Well… I think Candy couldn’t be taken for Sultan at least. HOW’RE WE EVER GOING TO KNOW WHERE THE TRASH HAS KEPT HER?”
Blanche’s yell rang in their ears raucously. She doubles of Candy.
At that moment they spotted Trick being captured by Miss Amy in cause of theft.
“No, please, ma’am I swear for my life I haven’t even touched the Derik!” Trick yowled.
“How dare you lie?” Snarled Miss Jones “Sir Chuck says he has seen you in my office and taking half of the Derik!”
Then Miss Jones almost drawled poor yowling Trick away. ‘He seems innocent’ thought Tom miserably and muttered “So, the Derik powder has been stolen half by Trick Dings…”
“Half is still for us…” Bruce said with intricacy “Wonder what will happen if we get jammed too in this?”
“Hey…” Said Blanche after a bizarre pause “You know what I think? Candy’s off to the mountains and she made that copy.”
“You MEAN THAT CANDY IS OFF WITHOUT US? THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!” Bruce bellowed.
“Alright, but just to look for Candy I’m ready for the way to the lighthouse.” Said Blanche and Brownie together, scratching their head.
“Midnight Mission Lighthouse” Said Tom. Shivering in the sudden cold wind.
The weather had turned horrible. The ground was already frozen and the teachers were thinking of closing the classes. When they reported to Sir Tinetin, he had been saying to just wait and see, but the temperature could leave 0 degrees anyway! And then… they’ll all die…. But most of them have the best possible warm clothes ever. Tom had learnt one thing from this weather: Anything too much is not good. Like when it was boiling it was horrible and so it is now. Tom even received a letter from Hugo:
Dear Tom,
I hope you’re enjoying your school days! I’m quite well now except a little much cold. No need to worry about here. Just three days ago Uncle Stilton had turned up in his new tan car and he’s planning for a trip to the Magic islands! He and his family and I will be going to Magic Islands this week. How I wish you could be with me. But I know you’ve got classes and studies. Your exams are getting near, remember! The weather here is horribly cold… we’re all freezing to death but I’m managing with the fire anyway.
Love,
You’re Uncle, Hugo.
Tom took his cobalt sweater quickly from the trunk. He could hardly stand for a minute in this wheezing cold. The weather was more horrible and there were snow everywhere.
Tom scurried outside and crashed into the snow. He had forgotten to take his snow shoes.
Taking deep breathes Tom started pacing towards forest, watchfully for Fling. He couldn’t think of that Fling is related with Lord Ruby. He has got a feeling that Lord Ruby might by using Fling for something.
The forest had gone darker than last time, Tom had come here. Tom flicked open his torch when he was quite faraway for school. He couldn’t risk by letting the torch go open in front of Fling. At that moment, he remembered something heavy. Dex would be taken here in the forest for his detention and hopefully not in the lighthouse. Fling’s mouth always twitches for detentions.
“Tom!” Tom felt quite well when he spotted Bruce, Blanche and Brownie waiting for him near the lighthouse.
“Have you being TURNED INTO A SNAIL TOM?” Bruce shouted.
“Shoo… slow and steady…” Blanche said with awe. “Tom, you’d get a punch if Candy’s not in the lighthouse. I risked my life in coming here.”
“I’m hundred percent sure that she’s be driven by Sultan.”
The four friends clambered into the lighthouse. It had turned spookier than last time. You couldn’t see your hands in this dark.
“Broken stairs… I hate this” Whispered Brownie almost tumbling into Blanche who seemed to kick Tom right away.
“No one’s here… Wait…” Bruce said politely, panting as he toppled into the opposite wall.
And then something horrific happened. The grey walls of the lighthouse began to move like some odd passageway opening. The wall had it twitched into the left and a horrid- smelling room as discovered, jade in color looking revolting with perplexing sallow skulls of real humans lay still.
Tom tried to say something but Bruce fell on him.
“Secret Room, You opened a storeroom!” Brownie hissed.
“Are sofas found in storerooms and beds too? I’m sure this is someone’s bedroom” Said Blanche moving forward.
“Lord Ruby’s bedroom?” Bruce guessed as a grin smeared in everyone’s dropped faces.
“Most probably.” Laughed Tom. “What are these skulls in bedroom?”
Everyone’s attention was pulled towards the colorless skulls. You won’t believe it was staring hungrily towards them.
“Strange.” Muttered Bruce and started moving in the room.
What Tom discovered where three skulls with ruby eyes, a grand door and some torn newspaper.
“Open this door. “ Blanche commanded.
Tom, Bruce and Brownie tiptoed towards the door and as quite as a dead man pushed the russet door.
“It isn’t opening.” They said in advance.
“Well...” Muttered Blanche.
Suddenly, a broad cut appeared in the door and it began to sing in audacious voice:
Hey the unknown guests from Omega,
Don’t think this place is as foolish as Gorilla (In Eric some stupid birds are named Gorilla)
You won’t know when you are con
Or when you are done.
Else if you think you are smarter, first
That’s mistaken I say at first
Then get ready you learners since you’ve lot to learn before you could solve this riddles,
And don’t get into a messy bridle!
Tom stared at it foolishly.
To open this door you need some head,
And some riddle bed,
1. Name a place where a bird knock and say in hushed voices
‘Please, Wake up’!
Tom gaped at Bruce.
“What’s that?” Brownie said.
Blanche looked the only delighted one “We’ve to solve some riddles if we want to open the door! A place where a bird knock and say in hushed voices ‘Please, Wake up! This is great, think guys.”
“Well… birds always knock during mornings and squeak too much that won’t leave you sleeping in bed.” Brownie said in amazement “This is tough.”
“Thinking is solving.” Said Tom. “Well it says a bird, think about only one bird, OK?”
“Think about the Grand Bird Clock. Birds always knock in midnight there.” Bruce guessed.
The door roared again:
Wow, the Grand Bird Clock!
As I hope it’s like a block,
But the second is not a cock,
2. Name the thing all of you fear from.
“What all of us fear from? This is impossible!” Tom took charge “Try … saying…”
‘” What?”
“Lord Ruby.”
The door said again:
No, No there’s someone who is Valiant,
Not in fear of Lord Ruby the Daring!
“Weird … who’s not scared of him?” Blanche asked.
Well, Tom hasn’t got the simplest idea if he truly fears Lord Ruby. But the problem is still there.
“Let’s try facing death!” Brownie presumed.
Correct, correct super- brainy boy,
Who wants to see his corpse?
But the third the worst of all,
3. I leave you on a choice, if you have to choose between saving your friend and going in search of Amulets, what you choice?
“First Saving Candy always. The Amulets can’t be so important like her” Said Tom.
Wonderful accuracy and cordage,
Left me dizzied fully overwhelmed,
I must appreciate your friendship,
To you may my ways open!
To their joy, the grand brown door started opening itself. Everyone peered inside.
There was another very small door in pink.
As they came near to it the door squealed in a tiny voice:

Beware! Only one can pass into the next room,
Only the Valiant may boom!
“Who’d go between us?” Brownie turned to Tom” Tom…you?”
“Alright I’m going.” Said Tom.
“Be careful Tom, It could be Sultan. “Exclaimed Blanche “Remember, Sultan wants you dead.”
“Good luck on finding Candy” Bruce muttered, his teethes jammed.
Tom pressed the cold cherry door open and peeked inside. There was something horrible.
It looked like a mirror house. All around were strange mirrors of oval, rectangular and square even some of cake shapes. They had different color in them too. Tom walked in front of a yellow one and stood stun faced.
There was Candy, in her short tan hair and her bossy face smiling at him. Tom started beating the mirror and howling.
“CANDY! Candy? Are you there? Candy?”
Tom looked back. But Candy wasn’t there. Had Candy gone invisible? He kept on looking at it and blinking and tried to swung his hands I the air trying to feel Candy. But there was nothing.
Then Tom started observing the other mirrors. Each mirror showed something different. Some showed Bruce, some Blanche and one even him! Tom stared at his own reflection in the mirror.
Tom couldn’t explain to himself about what to do. He needs to rescue Candy anyhow, anyway.
Then a rattling sound was heard and the mirror with Candy burst open, with Candy from it; Tom leapt upon her.
“Candy? Candy?”
“Tom?” Candy muttered. Her eyes still had the glow of the real Candy.
“Where’ve you been?” Tom howled “We’ve been searching for you; there’s been havoc, a copy of yours…”
“Mine?” Candy smirked and then broke into a sobbing “I-I tried to come here. I-I Stole the Derik powder from Miss Jones‘s office to come here. I t-thought I would do it myself… then I reached h-here. And got trapped here after I solved the three riddles.”
“But why you came alone?”
“I thought you surprise you two… I’d been real selfish in this matter…” Candy rubbed her eyes and stopped crying “And got trapped here…”
“How you came out?”
“No idea of it, Tom. W-Where’s Bruce?”
Tom took candy quickly out of the door and explained it to everyone. But Bruce only groaned “It wouldn’t have been such a mess if you didn’t think about showing off all these.”
“Now we have only one job left.” Tom muttered.
“What?” Inquired Blanche.
“To save Trick from the false blame of stealing the Derik Powder.” Answered Tom in a flowing tune as Bruce yawned.