“Come on guys, down here!” Ruben motioned for us. We followed him down the rock steps that led between two brown brick buildings.
The alley way was empty except for a few pieces of litter. A large rat sat nibbling on a half eaten bag of potato chips. Im pretty sure he belched when he looked in my direction.
“In here.” Ruben’s stomach hung from underneath his red and white striped t-shirt when he lifted his arms to bend the metal screen from an old window.
Reluctantly, we followed, carefully sliding into the opening. He wasn’t the mischievous type. The odds of danger seemed low.
Once inside, we walked down a long passage way. My shoes squished from water that had fallen from Rusty pipes above.
I knew where we were. We were in the Butcher shop Ruben’s Dad just closed down. It looked different from the back. Ruben’s eyes lit up when he opened the old lockless freezer door.
“Puzzles.” We said one after another in amazement. Some lined the walls in frames, others neatly completed sitting on old folding tables.
Clumsily, Ruben stumbled backwards, hitting one of the tables and knocking a few of the pieces on the floor.
The sound of heavy footsteps startled us. “Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum, if I’m missing any pieces, even just one, I’ll eat your family and tear you apart, with my bare hands, I’ll rip out your heart.”
We ran as fast as we could out of that place.
Ruben’s brother stuck his head out of the window and yelled towards us. “Ruben, I’m telling Mom when I get home! We only allow Puzzle Masters in this club! I was almost done with the apocalypse puzzle, you worm!”
“Your brother’s such a geek and so are you. He’s the only member of his own club. Puzzle Master fatties.” Jeffery punched Ruben in the stomach and we all ran off laughing.
Leesa Writes 