My alarm rings at six, waking me up with the sun still set. The ringing was so prominent I could hear it in my dream, making for my morning to be started by this annoyance. I crack open my eyes, lift my head up and slap the snooze button waking up for the day. My head had a headache after I could hear my blaring alarm in my dream. I sit up, throw the covers off of me and stand up. I walk over to my dresser and open it, taking out my work clothes for the day. After changing, I walk to my bedroom door and over to my bathroom. My head still feels like it's spinning in orbit as I enter, flipping the switch and reaching for my toothbrush. After finishing, I continue to freshen up to get ready for the day.

Working with my dad during summer break definitely had its negatives. Getting up early was something I've always hated, but who hasn't. It'll be hard to go on my adventure with Reece without my dad knowing, so I'll have to think of an excuse to get out of the house for the weekend. After all, I'm only sixteen. Hopefully, we won't be venturing too far. I leave the bathroom after splashing water on my face and head downstairs where I inhale the maple smell of pancakes with butter and syrup. Turning the corner to the kitchen, I see my dad plating the food up.

My father says, "Just in time, Vincent! I made some pancakes for the two of us."

My mouth begins to water as I'm hungry enough to devour an entire stack. I walk over to the table where my dad sets the pancakes down. I lick my chops and look at my father.

"Thanks, dad! This will motivate me any morning, you know pancakes are my favorite."

He nods and then walks over to the fridge, taking out a bottle of my favorite orange juice and two glasses. Bringing it to the table, he pours the juice into the cup and hands it to me. I take it and take a gulp, excited to eat my meal. My dad sits down and reads the news on his phone, checking the weather to make sure the day will remain clear.

"Another hot one today," my father says to me as he lets out a sigh. "We'll be fine. Just make sure you're constantly hydrating and staying in shade during breaks."

I look up at him and say, "We've been able to manage all this time, just gotta continue our hard work."

My dad looks up from his phone and smiles, happy that I was dedicated to the job as much as him.

As I eat, I think of ways I can get out of the house this weekend. After work today I'll tell my dad Reece and I will go out for an extra-long weekend camping in the woods. The two of us have done it before, and it would be the first time in the past few months. We never really like to camp during the hot and sticky temperatures, but it was the best reasoning the two of us could give. Later, I'll talk to Reece and see his idea of the plan. Auriferous still has countless chapters to read. I get snapped out of my daydream as my dad stands up, grabbing his plate and glass and bringing it over to the dishwasher to load.

"We'll leave here in fifteen minutes, I'll meet you in the truck by then," my father says as he exits the kitchen.

Fifteen minutes. I'll take the time to look through more pages of Auriferous. I need to take photos of the pages to send to Reece, might as well be productive with it as I'm working.

I stand up and bring my dishes to the dishwasher, then I walk out of the kitchen and up the stairs to my room. I close the door and grab my backpack on the floor, opening it up and taking out the book. I turn my overhead light on my ceiling fan to get a better look, turning each page one by one. Taking out my phone from my pocket, I snap pictures of multiple pages to send to Reece. I send him a text and tell him to try and search for more information and to try and decode what the pages could mean.

I throw the book into my bag and zip it up, placing it back down on the ground. Realizing the time, my dad must be waiting outside in the truck by now. I run over to my closet and open the door, grabbing my boots that are inside. Taking them out and putting them on, I double-tie them tight and exit my room quickly. Walking down the stairs and to the door, I open it and see my dad sitting in the driver's seat of the truck. I lock the door behind me and shut the door tight, fast walking to the passenger side door. Entering the truck and sitting down, I buckle my seatbelt and my dad puts the truck into reverse.

"Ready?" My father says to me.

I nod my head as he backs out of the driveway and down our street to the intersection.

He turns on his left blinker as we make our way back to the amber-colored house we've been working at. My dad rolls down the windows and the two of us rest our elbows on top. He cranks the radio as he flips through the stations. The wind blows my hair around, but I wouldn't complain about a nice breeze. Besides, I'll enjoy it now while I can.

We pull up to the house and park, getting out and gathering our tools to start our workday. We plan on grinding for a while, hoping to get the job done quickly. The two of us strap up and begin our way to the top with the ladder, planning on having a long day. Luckily, I learned more of the trade from the last few times I've been up on the roof with my dad, so we can work smoothly.

My dad and I work and take breaks in between, eventually finishing our shift for the day. The entire time I continuously thought about Auriferous, and I was hoping Reece responded to my texts and found out some more information for me. I help my dad back up our belongings and load them into the truck. The weight of carrying the tools grew increasingly heavy, It felt like I was holding a ton of bricks. We load into the truck and get ready to leave as my phone vibrates. I check it and notice Reece's reply back to me which reads:

I've cracked the code for Auriferous. Meet up today, we'll go out this weekend.

I place my hand on my forehead, flabbergasted at Reece's reply. I decide to wait to get home to call him and talk, anticipating his research. My dad hops in the truck and he starts the engine, cranking the air conditioner as the pulls off and heads home. I wasn't sure when I'd let my dad know about this treasure I'd found.

We drive for about ten minutes before we arrive back home. We park in the driveway and I reach into my pocket for my keys as I exit the passenger side door. I hurry to the front door and unlock it, going up to my room and pulling out my phone as I do so. I slam my door shut and quickly call Reece. The phone clicks as he answers.

"Hello?" I hear on the other end.

I wasn't expecting to hear such a groggy voice.

I say, "Hey man, it's Vincent. What did you end up finding on Auriferous? It sounds like you just woke up."

The call goes quiet as Reece doesn't respond for a moment.

"Sorry," he says genuinely. "I was staying up all night researching the book. When I got your texts this morning, I knew I couldn't rest until I cracked more of this case."

While Reece talks, I hear the rustling of papers in the background.

Did he take down notes? He's really dedicated to this.

"Auriferous is a Clearmount urban legend, no one knows where it came from or if it's even real. All I know is, no one has gotten the treasure yet. Everyone who's attempted to get it has never returned. We need to stop by the library and look for old history books to see the origin of places. One of the photos you sent me is a map, and the names are outdated for sure."

Excitement grows in my body while also worrying about the dangers of this.

"So," I say half-heartedly. "We have no idea what's awaiting us. We could very well die and aren't entirely sure where the places are or how much of the treasure we can get."

Reece clears his throat and says, "Apparently one man was in charge of a massive operation to claim the treasure, but ultimately failed in the end due to his crew not working together. He went by the name of Samuel Bauer."

My jaw drops wide open as he says the name saying, "That's my grandfather, he passed away a few years back. This book must've made its way to me for a reason."

"Let's meet at the park," Reece says. "We need to figure out what's going on."

"I'll meet you there." I hang up the phone and prepare to decipher the book once and for all.