Skip to main content

LIBRARY OF CRYPTIC CLUES ( DAY 6, LETTER L)

Image
SANGEETHA KAMATH



                          CHAPTER 6 

          LIBRARY OF CRYPTIC CLUES 

The morning sun tiptoed into the cottage, casting a warm glow on Goldwynn's sleepy face. She stretched, the blankets tangling around her like a cozy cocoon. The sunflower yellow couch seemed to smile, its plush pillows supporting her languid stretch.

"It's morning," she muttered, rubbing her eyes. The clock chimed cheerfully announcing the new day. Goldwynn swung her legs off the couch, her feet finding the soft rug. A sniff drew her to the kitchen – yesterday's dinner leftovers were still appetizing.

She opened the fridge, the cold air wafting out a savory greeting. Apple pie leftovers beckoned, but she opted for something heartier. The wooden counter creaked as she leaned against it, popping a slice of yesterday's herb bread into the toaster.

As the toast crisped, she poked around the pantry, finding a jar of blueberry jam with a handwritten label: "Tasha's Special Blend". A smile tugged at her lips. She unscrewed the jar, the sweet aroma making her stomach chime in.

The toast popped up, and she slapped on a pat of creamy butter, followed by a generous dollop of Tasha's jam. Perfection. A quick rumble in the fridge yielded a bottle of orange juice, perfect for pairing with the sweet treat.

Munching on her toast, she wandered to the window, the woods outside still screaming the absence of the Bears. With breakfast devoured, she tidied up, and put the kitchen in order. 

A splash of water on her face, and she felt revived, ready to tackle the library. Goldwynn's feet barely made a sound on the creaky stairs. As she pushed open the library door and plopped herself down near the toppled books, the scent of old paper and leather bindings spilled into the air.

A crystal paperweight shaped like an apple held down a torn map, the edges fluttering in an errant breeze from the window. Goldwynn's fingers trailed over the spines bearing the titles of bewitched forests, crackling magic, and hidden portals.

On the desk, a half-written note in looping script caught her eye:

"If lost, follow the –"

The sentence trailed off, the ink smudged deliberately. Goldwynn's mind whirred. Follow what? The uncertainty hung in the air, tantalizing her.

She settled into a worn armchair and gazed out of the window lost in thought. A book lay open on the side table, its pages yellowed but the words danced in the slanting light:

"Where shadows weave their secret spell,

Seek the clearing, where moonbeams dwell...

Follow the path, where wild things play,

Find the key, to unlock the way..."

The words seemed to shimmer, the poetry weaving a spell. Goldwynn's eyes drifted back to the window, the treetops swaying gently in the breeze. A sliver of sky peeked through, a brilliant blue. She felt a flutter in her chest – were the Bears the chosen one to unlock a path? Is that where they might have gone?

Or wait a minute! Were the messages left behind by them…for her ???

Either way, just the thought of being in the thick of a mystery thrilled Goldwynn to bits! 

She would soon set down to work upon the cryptic messages.

To Be Continued...

Image Courtesy:Pinterest 

This post is part of the Blogchatter A2Z Challenge 2026.

https://www.theblogchatter.com/blogrolls/library-of-cryptic-clues-day-6-letter-l


Labels:

Comments

  1. SuchitaApril 7, 2026 at 9:59 PM

    Love the name Goldwynn - it has such an ethereal quality to it. Also loved the setting - I am craving jam-toast now :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sanguine AllegoryApril 8, 2026 at 9:03 AM

      Thank you for reading Suchita, glad I could make the visuals come alive 😊

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A-Z Blogging Challenge Theme Reveal

SANGEETHA KAMATH
Hey everyone! April is almost upon us and it reminds me of my childhood summer vacations, visiting my cousins in different cities, playing with them and watching movies late into the nights, brunches, more outdoor skips and hops and when the boiling sun drove us indoors, how the tangy, icy lemonade pitchers awaited us.  April is also about April showers, new beginnings and of late —the month of blogging! I'm excited to announce that I'll be participating in the A-Z April Blogger Challenge , starting on April 1st! This challenge is all about pushing myself to create new content, connect with fellow bloggers, and have immense fun while doing it. Throughout the month, I'll be posting daily(except on Sundays) on a variety of topics, ranging from personal reflections to mixed random bags of thoughts especially bordering on memoirs and non fiction. That's something I excel in apart from writing fantasy and the paranormal.  2025 will see my blog Sanguine Allegory bustling wit...
7 comments
Read more

THE BIG BAD WOLF( DAY 17, LETTER T)

SANGEETHA KAMATH
                          CHAPTER 16                    THE BIG BAD WOLF  The pigs snarled like proper rascals, fixing their cold steely eyes on the Wolf's cottage. How dare he refuse to part with his cottage! When the pigs demand, it's given to them---no questions asked! Porkinn limped, Baconne was soggy, Swinedell rubbed a sore bump on his head, but they were far from defeated. Swinedell snorted, a crooked grin spreading across his face. "Wolf thinks 'e's posh, don't 'e? " Baconne sniffed the air, his nostrils flaring. "We want the cottage!” He growled. Porkinn cracked his fingers, his sly glance darting about.  The pigs crept towards the back door, their footsteps silent on the soft grass. They spotted the Wolf through the kitchen window, stirring a pot of steaming stew for dinner. They kicked the door in, the wood splintering jaggedly. The latch gave in....
6 comments
Read more

ANAM CARA

SANGEETHA KAMATH
The waves are soft and frothy. Laced with gossamer frills tenderly kissing the tips of my toes covered with the grainy sand of the rugged seashore where I'm sitting, wistful. A gust of briny breeze tousles my hair as I gaze as far as my eyes can see.  A flock of terns wheel overhead, their sharp, shrill cries punctuating the air as they dive and swoop over the surfs. A lone frigate bird , its crimson belly dazzling like a jewel skims majestically above, its long, slender wings outstretched as it rides the thermals high above the ocean. I absorb the sights and sounds of the late afternoon while absentmindedly scooping seashells beside me. As the afternoon phases, the furthest rim of the ocean is fringed in a gilded hem and the sleepy sun yawns, its dipping glow streaking the sky in a mellow tangerine and warm cherry. As I continue sitting there, the ships and yachts appear --specks of light from the portholes glimmering in the distance, reminding me of the phrase “That ship has sai...
13 comments
Read more

ARIEL AND BLUE-BLOOD SHOES

SANGEETHA KAMATH
  The waves crashed violently against the craggy mountainside and the moonlight shone on the lacy froths. As I waded through the water and stepped on the wet sand, I remembered another night which was many moons ago. The same glinting lights through the palace doorways and windows, the fireworks adorning the night sky like shooting stars and meteors. A royal celebration with all the works and the guests dressed up in their best finery and aristocratic jewelry. Of noble births they all were. Blue blooded as the matriarch had pointedly told me once.  That unholy night! That night of icy hearts and howling laughter, the echoes of cackling that followed me till I ran on wobbly legs to find my place of comfort where the land met water… Hot tears streaming down, I regretted those days when I lost my heart to a man so spineless. Had I not dragged him to the shore, he would have been a mangled mass after being torn apart by the piranhas and other monstrous maws.  How I regret…Oh!...
10 comments
Read more

QUEST FOR THE BEARS (DAY 18, LETTER Q)

SANGEETHA KAMATH
                      CHAPTER 17             QUEST FOR THE BEARS  The next day, the pigs trotted off to spread mischief in the woodland, their ricky-ticky steps scuffing the damp path into a mess of overturned leaves and broken twigs. Goldwynn stayed crouched behind the wonky rain barrel until the sound of their pig-trouble thinned, then thinned again, then dissolved into the larger quiet of the trees. She didn’t move right away. The woods had a way of listening after the pigs left, as if it wasn’t sure they were truly gone. The air held its breath with her. When she finally stood, the silence felt heavier than noise. No birds called. The light came down in broken pieces, the sun playing hide-and-seek through beech and alder, dappling the forest floor with spools of pale gold. The ground under her boots was soft and cold, a black earth that smelled of truffles gone to rot and old rain. It stuck to ...
6 comments
Read more