“What should we do?” Max turned to me. “It’s your Sabbath.”

What should I do? I wondered. Part of me wanted to tell them to just go to the party without me, but that would set a bad example as a Christian. On the other hand, I didn’t want to ruin the party for everyone else.

Then it hit me—like a flash of lightning.

“How about we do it at the airport?” I said, excitedly.

“Hmm. That could work,” Dad said, considering.

“Pleaseeeeeee!” Catherine and Max begged.

“Please, Dad!” everyone else chimed in.

“Of course! Go get planning and pack!” Dad exclaimed.

Excitement flooded the room. We scattered in every direction to get ready.

“Arthur?” Dad said expectantly.

“What?” Arthur asked, then realized. “Ohhhh, the floor.”

The next few days blurred together as we raced to pack. Finally, moving day arrived.

“Do we have to move?” Lowella asked for the millionth time.

“Yes,” Dad sighed, opening the car door so we could head to the airport.

We climbed in and sat in silence.

“Who’s excited for the party?” Dad asked.

No one responded. The excitement had worn off the moment it truly hit us—we were leaving.

“How many minutes until we get there?” Sarah asked flatly.

“Umm… ten minutes,” Dad replied.

Those ten minutes passed in silence.

“We’re here!” Dad finally said. “And there’s the party!” He pointed to a crowd of our friends.

I’ll admit it—the goodbye party was fun. But it ended quickly because of our flight.

As we boarded the plane, Lowella piped up, “I can’t wait to go on the plane!”

It’s amazing how fast Lowella can flip her mood. One minute she wanted to stay, the next she was thrilled to fly.

Once we found our seats and sat down, a flight attendant showed us the emergency procedures. Then we got to watch plane TV—Lowella was especially excited about that.

Before long, the plane pulled to a stop.

Lowella skipped happily in front of us as Dad flagged down a taxi. Soon enough, the taxi pulled to a stop.

We had arrived.

Dare I look?
I peeked out the window—and gasped.

It was a huge mansion.

“How could you afford this?” Mike asked.

“Well… my boss might have chipped in a little,” Dad said sheepishly.

“Everyone, go find your rooms,” Dad called. “The biggest one is mine. Now, go! Race to get the best ones!”

Everyone ran ahead of me, shouting over each other. I chased behind, breathless.

I had to find the best room—fast.

“I call this one!”
“This one’s mine!”
“Too late—I got it first!”

My siblings’ voices echoed through the house. Room after room, door after door—I realized I was too late. They’d claimed all the best ones.

I sighed and climbed the staircase to the third floor. At the top was a single door, slightly ajar.

One room. One chance.

I pushed it open and stepped inside. It wasn’t bad, honestly. A decent bed, a half bathroom, a small desk, and a narrow closet tucked into the wall.

Not glamorous. But it was mine.

I dropped my bag on the floor next to the wall and flopped onto the bed. But the moment my bag hit the floor—

Creak.
Clunk.

I sat up, heart skipping. Something behind the wall had shifted.

I hurried over and crouched down. My mouth fell open.

There, behind a loose panel, was a hidden compartment.

I leaned in. Dust exploded into the air, making me cough and stagger back.

But even through the haze, I knew:

This room wasn’t ordinary.

To be continued

Hello guys, I have decided that I will not write another chapter until I get 10 comments. Write the comments below! Thank you!