Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 102280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 511(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 511(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
“It’s fake,” she breathed. “The whole section is fake.”
“What do you mean?”
“Examine the pattern. These aren’t real mortar lines—they’re designed to mimic mortar lines.” Lily ran her fingers along the surface, feeling for irregularities. “Someone created a false wall section that mimics the surrounding stonework.”
“But why?”
“To hide an entrance.”
They examined the suspect area more carefully, hunting for any mechanism that might open the concealed section. The craftsmanship impressed them—without their detailed measurements and photographs, they never would have noticed the deception.
“There,” Sarah said, pointing to a small protrusion that resembled a natural irregularity in the stone. “That doesn’t match the surrounding texture.”
Lily pressed the protrusion experimentally. Nothing happened. She tried turning it, pushing it from different angles, applying pressure in various directions. Still nothing.
“Maybe it’s not a single mechanism,” Sarah suggested. “Maybe you need to activate multiple points.”
They spent the next twenty minutes examining every irregularity in the false wall section. The breakthrough came when Lily noticed that two of the “natural” stone protrusions sat at precisely the same height, suggesting they might connect.
“Try pressing both simultaneously,” Sarah suggested.
Lily positioned her hands on both protrusions and applied pressure. For a moment, nothing happened. Then she felt a subtle shift—a mechanical response that suggested hidden machinery.
“Did you feel that?”
“Try again.”
This time, the response was unmistakable. The false wall section shifted slightly, revealing that it worked as a carefully concealed door. The engineering impressed them. The entire section pivoted inward while maintaining the appearance of solid stonework.
“Someone invested serious thought in this,” Sarah said, wonder coloring her voice. “This isn’t amateur work.”
Lily pushed the concealed door open further, revealing a narrow passage that led into darkness. The space beyond appeared artificial—smooth stone walls, level flooring, and what looked like ventilation shafts.
“It’s a tunnel,” she whispered.
“A tunnel to where?”
“I don’t know. But someone built this for a specific purpose.”
They stood at the threshold, peering into the darkness. The passage extended beyond the reach of daylight, disappearing into the lighthouse’s interior. The construction looked professional-grade, clearly designed for regular use rather than emergency access.
“We need flashlights,” Sarah said. “And probably more equipment.”
“The hardware store’s still open.” Lily’s pulse quickened. “We could get supplies and return tonight.”
Sarah’s hands tightened on her notebook. “Tonight? Lily, we don’t have proper planning. We don’t even know what we’re walking into.”
“We have plans. We know where the entrance is. We have measuring tools, cameras.” Lily gestured toward the tunnel opening. “Sarah, whatever’s down there has been hidden for decades. Every day we wait is another day for someone to notice we’ve been asking questions.”
“Or another day to plan this properly.”
“What if there is no proper way? What if we’re already in too deep?” Lily turned to face her friend. “My dad acts strangely every time I mention the lighthouse. Mrs. Pennington practically shut down when I asked about the 1920s. People are nervous, Sarah. They know something.”
Sarah stared at the tunnel entrance. “That’s exactly why we should be careful.”
“Or why we should act fast.” Lily closed the concealed door, noting how perfectly it sealed against the surrounding stonework. “Ten minutes in the hardware store. Flashlights, batteries, chalk to mark our path. Then we find out what someone’s been hiding.”
“What if we get caught or in trouble?”
“By whom? It’s a historical landmark. We’re doing research.”
“At night. Breaking into hidden passages.”
“We’re not breaking in. We found a door that opens.” Lily’s voice rose. “Sarah, this could be the discovery that changes everything. What if there are historical documents down there? What if we find evidence of something that rewrites local history?”
“What if we find something that gets us killed?”
The words hung between them. Sarah’s fear pushed against Lily’s determination, creating tension that stretched tight.
“Then we’ll be careful,” Lily said finally. “We’ll stick together, mark our route, and set a time limit. One hour maximum. If we don’t find anything significant, we leave and plan a better approach.”
Sarah studied her friend’s face. “You’re going with or without me, aren’t you?”
“I hope not. But yes.”
Sarah sighed. “Hardware store first. Then we’re setting ground rules before we go anywhere near that tunnel.”
They walked back toward the school parking lot, both lost in thought. The discovery of the hidden entrance had transformed Lily’s academic research into something far more significant. Whatever lay beyond that concealed door connected to the lighthouse’s secret history—and possibly to its present operations.
“If we’re going to do this, we need to be smart about it,” Sarah said as they reached her car. “No telling anyone, no discussing it at school, no written records that someone else might discover.”
“Agreed.” Lily climbed into the passenger seat, her excitement battling against growing awareness of the risks they faced. “But Sarah, whatever we discover down there will change everything.”
“That’s what frightens me.”
The hardware store’s fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as Lily compared flashlight specifications. The heavy-duty model with adjustable beam would work best, along with extra batteries and a small measuring tape. She added a pack of chalk to her basket—marking their route would be prudent if the tunnel system proved complex.