We had been following the map in Mikey’s hand and it had led us to a circular cave. The walls were jagged and damp. There was a hole on the ceiling as water fell in drops into a small pool of water on the ground. Through the hole I could clearly see a bright sky. That meant we had spent all night stuck underground.

I was sitting, exhausted, by the pool of water, slinging my hand along the surface. Mikey, Mouth, and Data stood in a huddle with each other on the left side of the room while Brand, Andy, and Steph stood on the right, each of them leaning on a large rock looking like they were going to pass out. I was willing to bet I looked the same way.

”Mouth, hold this.” Data gave Mouth the lamp.

”Translate this.” Mikey showed Mouth the map.

Mouth peered at the map, “Copper bones. Westward foams. Triple stones.”

”Triple stones. This must be copper bones.” Mikey said. I decided to but into the conversation, so I lazily got to my feet and stood between Mikey and Mouth. I looked at the map and read the lines Mouth had translated.

Mikey moved away and began searching the stone walls. I knew he found something when he said, “Wow. Look at that.” Mikey pushed away some....something, I don’t even know. “Triple stones!” On the cave wall there was a circle with a bunch of tiny dots grouped up into groups of three. They matched the three holes in the thing that Mikey held in his hands. We all marveled at our find.

”Oh, we got you now, One-Eyed Willy. We’re coming up right behind you.” Mikey looked up.

”Don’t taunt the dead, Mikey.” I warned.

Mikey began to match the copper skull to any of the dots, trying group after group as Data and I flew suggestions at him.

”You guys are crazy.” I heard Mouth say.

I replied, “You won’t be saying that when we find the treasure and save your ass.”

I could practically hear his eye roll, “Sure.”

I smirked.

”No, try the middle one.” Data said. Mikey tried it and it was a perfect fit. “It fits, Mikey! It fits!”

“We got it!” Mikey and I cheered.

”We got you now, One-Eyed Willy!” Mikey added.

”Which way do we turn?” Data asked.

I remembered a sentence from the map. Westward foams. “West.” I said.

“Counterclockwise!” I peered over their shoulders to see better. “Try it, Mikey.”

Mikey turned it and as soon as it locked into place, an outer wall trapped Mikey’s hand. There was a series of clicking noises and something being released. I looked to see a bowling ball....no, a canon rolling down around the room.

“What the hell is that?” Steph asked.

”A canon.” It wasn’t until after I said it, did I realize she was asking what it was doing, more than what it was. We could hear it moving as it rolled in and out of sight.

”It’s going to fall on us or something!” Mouth called.

”Or smash Mikey’s hand!” I added.

”It’s another one of Willy’s trick’s!” Mikey pointed to the ground. “Move!”

Mouth pulled me out of the way just as the ground beneath us gave way. Data wasn’t as lucky, though. He screamed as he fell, my heart jerking. “Data!”

I threw myself at the edge of the hole with everyone else. I could feel the hot tears trailing down my face as I thought about my friend. Little Data was dead. How could he be gone....it happened so fast. I called out and cried with everyone.

”Pinchers Of Peril!”

I was so shocked my breath got caught in my throat. Was that Data?

“You guys, I’ve been saved by my Pinchers of Peril!”

It was!

There were cries of relief from everyone. “He’s alive!”

When the cheering was done there was a moment of silence. I started to get scared, thinking something had happened. Then Data said, “You guys, I’m in another room!”

When we were all safely below in the other room I let out a nervous breath. I thought for sure I'd die on the way down.

I took a look around at all my friends and smiled. Good thing I didn't.

"Pee break." Mikey called, rolling up the map. "Who's gotta go?"

"I do." I said. My voice was not the only one to acknowledge that fact.

"Okay then." Mikey ran across from me and pointed down a sort of cave hallway. "This is the little boys' room," he then pointed to the tunnel on the opposite side, "and that tunnels the little girls' room."

I waited till Andy and Steph went in first.

"Brand, where are you going?" I stopped to see Brand going into the tunnel between the boys and girls.

"Mens' room." Was Brands short reply. Before I knew it, all the boys were following Brand.

I stood there and contemplated for a couple seconds after they all were away from earshot.

I looked around. "How come there isn't a Womens' room?" I asked myself. Then grumbled, "Sexist bastards." As I trudged into the "Little girls' room".

After I had done my business I began to search for Andy and Steph. I found an interesting sight.

Mikey was here. Kissing Andy. Steph was laughing while holding the lantern. Before they pulled apart, Steph grabbed me and we moved away.

Mikey stumbled away, Steph grabbing his shoulder, "Wrong way, lover boy. It's this way."

I patted Mikey on the shoulder, "Good job, little dude."

He dreamily let out a thanks.

Steph and I went over to Andy.

"Okay, you kissed, now tell." Said Steph.

Andy thought for a moment. "There's something weird." I held in a chuckle.

"What? What is it?"

"Does Brand wear braces?" I snorted at that. She thought that was Brand! Ha!

Steph began to laugh. "Why are you laughing?" Andy yelled. "Steph, it was beautiful."

And que the uncontrollable laughing from Lux.

I had kissed Mikey when we were seven because I wanted to know what it was like and it was far from magical. In fact, I've never looked at him that way again.

"Next time you kiss him, do it with your eyes open. It's a whole different experience." Steph laughed.

Andy nodded and began to walk off. "Uh, be careful around here. There's a hole I think. I think Brand was standing in it."

I walked out of the tunnel with Andy and Steph.

"What, are you crazy? They're here!" I heard Brand yell.

I turned to the hole in the cave ceiling we came down to see a flashlight shining down it. I froze in my spot. Andy started to hyperventilate, but Brand put a hand over her mouth.

We began yelling for the boys and bolted down another tunnel. We tried to keep holding hands so we wouldn't lose each other. I could tell the Fratellis were close.

They chased us to a room with rushing water down the middle. The only way across was a small log with old rope for some sort of handle bar.

"What is this?" Brand yelled.

"Just go!" I screamed.

"It looks like a boat mast or something!"

"They're getting closer!"

We began to inch down the log, about halfway across the rope broke causing Brand to almost fall in. We held onto each other for a little more support. I'll tell you this right now, I was not one for good coordination above ground and that didn't change now. I almost fell. Many times.

I crossed to the other side right after Mikey, but Data was still crossing. We were all calling for him.

"I got a great idea, you guys. Slick shoes!" Data called.

"Slick shoes? Are you crazy?" Mikey, Mouth, and I said in unison.

Data began playing around with something as we were yelling at him and oil started to squirt out of his shoes. Our yelled great louder as we were able to clearly see the Fratellis. Data inched closer.

"Hi, fellas." The Italian speaking one yelled. Data finally got to us and we started to run up the rocking slope. "Remember me? We just wanna get outta here! Stop or I'm gonna shoot!" There was a loud bang that followed. I screamed and slipped on a wet rock, I think I cut my knee. I couldn't tell, the adrenaline was pumping too fast. Mouth helped me up. Then there was a second one that almost hit Mikey's hand.

"Holy Mackenzie!" He yelled.

We ran into a darker, less damp room. "Oh, my gosh." I gasped.

Brand pulled out a candle from Data's book bag. "Do you have a match?" He asked.

"No." Data said.

"Light it on the lamp." Mikey said.

"Good idea."

I was watching for signs of the Fratellise when we realized there wasn't a way out of the room. No door, no tunnel, no nothing.

"Look at it. It's all solid." Brand was saying.

I was pulling at my hair, trying not to have a panic attack when Data went, "Whoa, what is that?"

"What?" I asked, then I saw it.

"Oh. That." I gulped. It looked like a piano made of bones. Human bones.

"It's disgusting." Andy said.

"Gnarly." Went Mouth.

We were all huddled in front of it now. "That's atrocious, you guys!" Data said.

Mikey gave me the map. "Lux." That's all that was said.

I translated, "To move on....play the, uh, tune....as each n-note is said." I stumbled a bit. "If you make too many mistakes, ye will surely--" My breath got caught in my throat.

Steph and Andy were nudging me to keep going but I couldn't. I slowly looked up to Mouth to find him already looking at me with just was much worry. We swallowed.

"....muerto." Mouth said. And understanding seemed to go through us, as if him saying it made it real.

"What is that?"

"What does it mean."

Mouth and I didn't break eye contact when we both said, "dead."

"Oh, God."

"We gotta play the bones to get outta here." Brand finalized.

"Exactly." Mikey said.

Data, who was watching for the Fratellis, came running up to us.

"Where are they?" Brand asked.

"On the bridge."

"Look!" Mikey yelled. "There are notes on this."

Steph said, "Andy, you took piano lessons."

"I was four years old." She hesitantly said as she was pushed up to piano.

"You want to live to be seventeen?" Mouth asked.

"This is nothing like my mother's Steinway."

"Do something, hurry!" Data yelled.

"Okay, the first chord, I think, is....uh...."

"Go on, Andy." Mikey encouraged.

She pushed it and the chords loud note sputtered out. I let out a relieved laugh when a part of the wall dropped, revealing a sliver of a way out.

"My God, it's working!" We all cheered for Andy.

"It's all coming back to me now." She said. "Okay. Uh, A...C sharp, D."

"Remember those lessons and play it right!" Mouth yelled.

The horns on the piano shot out dust and an awful noise as a part of the floor gave out. I screamed as Mouth and I started to fall. I grabbed a hold of the floor as my body dangled off the edge. I screamed again when I looked below me and couldn't see the bottom. Brand and Andy caught me and pulled me back up right. "Holy shit."

​​​​​​My breath was sharp and uneven as I stood back up. I grabbed onto the piano with my left hand. Mouth's hand was instantly intertwined with mine. I didn't have to look to know our knuckles were both white. I could feel myself literally shaking and I couldn't stop.

I couldn't find myself to answer when I was asked if I was okay.

"They're coming, guys." Came Data's voice. "They're down there! They're coming out! What should I do?"

Everyone turned to Andy.

"All right!" She turned around to the piano.

Data came running up. "You guys, they look really pissed off!"

Andy hit another note, but dust shot out of the horns again and with it came the ground on Brand's side. I reached across to his jacket to bring him back.

"What were you thinking?" Steph said.

"I hit the wrong note. I'm not Liberace, you know."

"Lay off, Steph." I said.

"Andy, I believe in you." Mikey was saying. "Goonies always make mistakes. Just don't make anymore."

"I'm sorry." She shook her head. "Where was I? Uh, A, A flat."

"Play it!"

"Yes!" I yelled when I heard the tune play out and the door drop more.

"Hey, you guys, there gone! They're not here! Ahhhh! Ahhhh!"

I turned, expecting to see my friend being slaughtered, instead I found him running full speed towards us. He knocked into everyone, shoving Andy against the chords. Dust blew out of the horns and the rest of the floor gave out, Data almost falling this time.

Andy's finger shook as she brought it up to the paper. "I can't tell if it's an A sharp or if it's a B flat."

"If you hit the wrong note, we'll all be flat." Mikey said.

"Mikey, I will kill you." I growled.

Andy played a chord and the note sung out. The door dropped down more, enough to where we could roll out. Just in time too, because as I rolled out, the Fratellis were emerging.