Xavier and the X

 

Xavier passed his hand drawn map to Henry in the front passenger seat, knowing they would laugh at him.

“Holy hell, you really went all out on this one.” Hank pulled the red ribbon, unfurled the yellow canvas, and looked at the map. Its edges were singed and a coffee stain was deliberately created near one of the corners. In the center was a red X.

“Check this out.” Hank showed it to Brian who was driving.

“…the hell?” Brian's head reared back in disbelief “Xavier, you have too much free time on your hands. You are in desperate need of a girlfriend.”

“Why don't you just use G.P.S., like everyone else?”

“The fun is in the chase,” Xavier said, proudly. “G.P.S. makes it too easy if you ask me. Besides, geochaching is about having fun. I had fun making it.”

“What are you twelve?” Hank asked. Hank and Brian were both laughing.

“Did you bring your pirate hat?” Brian joined in on the ribbing. “Are you looking for hidden treasure?”

“Yes, treasure only few understand, and even fewer find.” Xavier explained. “Laugh all you want.” They did, for the whole hour drive to the state park.
 

~ * ~
 

They hiked a mile into the campsite and set up their tents. They were ready for the chilly evening. It was autumn. The yellows, reds, and oranges enveloped them. Browning leaves covered the ground, as more floated down. The crisp cold air of October brought a sweet embrace. It was the perfect weather for adventuring.

“You guys want to help me find it.”

“What's is it?” Brian asked.

“I don't know. It could be anything; that's half the fun.”

“One line on that X is about 500 feet wide,” Hank said. “You don't even know what it is you're looking for. Sounds like a wild goose chase to me, no thanks.”

“It's off the trail. I need someone to go with me.”

“What the hell, I'll go with you.” Brian grabbed his water bottle.

“Fine, I'll stay here. It'll be just me, Tolkien, and the trees.” Hank grabbed his book. He brushed some dead leaves off a rock, and sat under a tree.

Brian and Xavier hiked off the trail and into the oak tree forest. They hiked a half mile before Xavier stopped.

“It's around here somewhere. This should be the center of the X.” He pointed to the ground.

They looked around for ten minutes, slowly circling outwards.

“I give up. I'm going back. I'm getting hungry.” Brian said.

“I'm going to look around a little bit longer, while there's still sun.”

Brian left. Xavier walked back to the center of the X. Where could it be? He sat for a minute, then lay on his back. He was about to give up, and then he saw a red box in a branch above him. He started laughing. He found it. The chase was fun, but finding it was downright satisfying.

He climbed the tree and made his way towards the treasure. It was the size of a cigar box and had a giant yellow sticker on it. He was about to open it when he heard a voice.

“Good job.” A man's voice scared and startled him. It came from above. Xavier flipped on his back to find the source, almost falling out of the tree.

The man looked like he was in his thirties, a decade older than Xavier. He had a heavy beard, a trucker hat, and wore a heavy red flannel jacket.

“Shit, man, I almost had a freaking heart attack. Who the hell are you?”

“My name is Jay. I've been sitting in this tree for the last six months. I've watched twenty different groups come through looking for this box. You're the first person to actually find it.”

“Are you shitting me?”

“Yes, I am. I've only been up here a few hours, but I did watch you fools look around for the box. That was some funny shit.”

“Are you high?”

“As a kite. The two of you have been thoroughly entertaining. Want a hit?” he held out a half smoked joint.

Xavier paused, thinking about it. “Yeah.”

“I'll make you a deal, I'll give you a whole joint if you don't open the box.”

“What's in the box?”

“That's the deal, you don't get to know, but you walk away with a joint to share with your friend.”

“How do you know we don't have weed at the campsite?”

“Because you're not high right now.”

Xavier turned back to the box. “What if I take your offer and just come back later to open the box?”

“I'll be watching.” He took a drag from his marijuana cigarette. “If you don't follow through, I'll come kill you both in your sleep.”

He said this with such a deadpan look, Xavier had no reason to question his sincerity.

“I feel like I'm high right now.”

“What's your decision?”

“I'll take the joint.”

The man reached into his jeans and pulled out a metal cigarette holder. He pulled out a tightly wrapped cigarette and tossed it at Xavier.

Xavier got down from the tree and hiked back to camp with the cigarette tucked behind his ear. The whole ordeal scared the crap out of him.

“Did you find your buried treasure?” Hank looked up from his book.

“Sure did.” He held up the joint in the light of the setting sun.

“Oh, dude, is that what I think it is.”

“Sure is. X marked the spot.” Xavier chose not to tell his friends about the man, or the fact that he saved them from certain death at the hands of a psychopath lumberjack. They wouldn't believe him anyway. He never went back to the box, he got more than he needed from his geochaching adventure.

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