The Best Way to Never be Forgotten
Shelby Storms
As the sun fell behind the horizon that night in San Francisco, Detective Mason was standing in line at the gate waiting to board his plane. He would fly to Dallas, Texas and board another plane there and fly that one all the way to Raleigh, North Carolina. He was going to research the lost colony of Roanoke.
When Detective Mason found his seat on the plane he made sure that he got a window seat so he could look at all of the city lights as they flew above them. Mason was a mystery writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. He was 6’ with dark brown hair. He had green eyes and a smile that caught the eye of many. He always told the truth and cared for everyone. He never questioned why he was put on this earth, he knew that he had a purpose, so he let the wind take him wherever he was meant to go. When he ended up in San Francisco and saw that they had openings for a mystery writer for the Chronicle he didn’t hesitate to set up an interview. He got the job and has been the mystery writer for 3 ½ years. As the plane took off, Mason watched out the window for about 30 minutes and then drifted off to sleep to the sound of the wind on the wings of the airplane.
Detective Mason woke up to the man next to him shaking him awake because they were just about to land in Dallas. Mason got off the airplane and went straight to his connecting flight that would take him to his destination. 15 minutes of waiting and he boarded his next plane. He fell asleep right after the take off.
Mason woke up to the sound of everyone unclicking their seatbelts. He had finally arrived in North Carolina. He looked at the time and his clock read, 3:54 a.m. Mason sighed a big, heavy sigh and waited in the line of people getting off the plane.
Detective Mason walked out of the baggage claim area with his one suitcase rolling behind him. He got on a bus that took him to his hotel for the night. It took all Mason had to not fall asleep on the bus.
The bus pulled into the hotel at 4:20 a.m. Mason was so excited to get some sleep. The time difference was getting to him and he needed a good nights rest because he had a very busy day tomorrow.
Detective Mason wakes up the next day and starts on his journey to the lost colony of roanoke. He took a train to the last stop that was right next to where the trail to the colony started. When Mason started out on the trail it was all dirt and some rocks, but as he kept walking the trees started appearing. Mason had to walk through a dense forest area and once he got to the other side, it was all dirt and rocks again. He walked for a good 3 hours and then he finally came across the Lost Colony of Roanoke.
Mason stood there in awe as he remembered the story that he had heard as a child and thinking about what could have been of this little colony. He didn’t know what to think at first, seeing all of these ruins that once had been where innocent people had lived. Not knowing what happened to them gave Detective Mason the chills. Mason snapped out of his daydreaming about little children running around and playing with each other because he was here for a job that needed to get done. He started to look around and tried to find as much detail and information about this place as he could before the sun went down. Since the walking took up most of his daylight, the sun was already about to set.
Mason got some notes done and then he decided to start setting up camp for the night. He built a fire and put out his sleeping bag and put the soup over the fire so he could have dinner. Mason laid there next to the warmth of the flames and looked up at the stars. He slowly fell asleep to the crackling of the fire and the crickets chirping in the distance.
The next day, Detective Mason is woken up by the sound of voices. He was supposed to be alone. Why could he hear voices? It was pitch black and he couldn’t move. It’s morning and the sun shines in the morning. Why is it so dark? He sat up and hit his head on a piece of wood. He grunted and held his now throbbing head.
“He’s awake.” said a voice and Mason heard the squeaky sound of old door hinges. The room was no longer dark and Detective Masons heart started to beat so fast. He didn’t know what was about to happen to him. He had been kidnapped and they had taken him to a place that he didn’t know how to escape from.
Mason was dragged out of the room where he was being held captive in the middle of what looked like an old town. The men who were leading him suddenly stopped and dropped the ropes that tied Mason’s hands together and they turned to look at him.
“What do you call yourself?” The one on the left asked. Mason stood there for a second before he answered.
“My name is Mason Hill.”
“Wait here.” The one on the right said. Then the men walked into a tent.
When they returned they brought another man with them.
“Hello. I am Kinuchutt, I am in charge here.” Mason stared back at the man with the strange name and didn’t know what to say, so he just smiled and waved and said,
“Hi I’m Mason Hill and I’m not from here.”
“I know that you are not from here. Where do you come from stranger?” Kinuchutt said smirking at him. Mason didn’t want to share this information with people he didn’t know, but he never lies because trust is a big thing and if he wanted these people to let him go the he should be honest with them.
“I am from San Francisco, California.” Mason finally said.
“Where is that?”
“It is on the other side of the country.”
“I don’t believe I know where that is and I know everything. You are lying. Take him back to the cell and don’t let him out again.” Kinuchutt said in an angry voice.
The men took Mason back to the dark room that he woke up in. Mason hit the cold ground in the cell with a hard thud. He was sure he landed on a rock and knew that there was going to be a bruise.
He had to get out of here. He didn’t know how, but he just had to get out. If only he could do something that showed these people that he means no harm and that he just needs to do some research then he could have them help him escape. The research. What was he going to do? He can’t take any notes if he is stuck inside this cell. He had to get out.
That night when the guard brought him dinner Mason asked him if he would stay and sit with him because it was very lonely down there and he didn’t like to be alone.
“I do not like to be alone either.” The guard replied in a shy voice. Mason smiled at the guard and the guard smiled back and sat down next to the door.
“What’s it like out there in the real world?” The guard asked breaking the silence.
“It’s incredible. There are so many things to do, you never get bored.”
“I wish that this place was like that. Sometimes we run out of things to do and everyone sits around doing nothing. We get bored here so easily.”
“Hmmm, what exactly is this place?” Mason asked as he took a bite out of what looked like rice but sure didn’t taste like it.
“This is the Colony of Roanoke.” said the guard. Mason laughed, there is no way this is Roanoke.
“What is so funny sranger?”
“It’s Mason, actually, and I just laughed because this can’t be Roanoke. I’m doing a paper on where the people went right now and I know that something happened to that colony but no one knows what.” Mason replied as he set aside his not so yummy dinner.
“That is just a tale. The man that went back to England to tell people that we were a success never returned. His boat sank at sea so that is why no one knew if Roanoke made it or not.” The guard replied.
“ But I’ve seen the remains of what used to be Roanoke.” Mason said not believing the guard.
“We put that there so that no one would come looking for us. Everyone liked the idea that we were a mystery.”
“Why would you want to be a mystery? You left so many people wondering.” Mason replied confused.
“Being a mystery is the best way to never be forgotten.”
Mason was quiet for a while, trying to process what the guard had just told him. He didn’t know what to say so he just sat there in complete silence. The guard just laughed, shook his head and walked back to his tent.
The next morning when Mason woke up and realized how he could get out of here. Last night in the conversation the guard had said something about how they sometimes didn’t know what to do for entertainment and the woman would sometimes run out of ideas for cooking. Mason thought to himself, if he could only show them how things work in the real world it could be so much easier. He would use that as his ticket out of here.
Mason called the guard over and told him his plan. At first the guard was confused on why he would want to leave, but then he realized that Mason has a life too and he needs to get back to how things used to be. The guard told Mason that he would set up a meeting with the leader and then Mason could tell him all of his ideas.
When Mason walked into Kinuchutt’s tent he was so nervous, what if he said no? Would Mason be stuck here forever?
“One of my guards says that you have a way to make peace with me, is that true?” Kinuchutt said turning to face Mason.
“Yes it is. Your guard was telling me about how you wished that some things were easier and you needed to learn new and improved ideas. I can help you learn those new things because I come from a different place. And in return you set me free.” Mason said as he crossed his fingers, hoping that Kinuchutt would agree.
“How do I know that you will not betray us?” Kinuchutt said eyeing Mason suspiciously. “You don’t. You will just have to trust me.”
Kinuchutt liked how straight forward Mason was. He had never trusted a stranger before, but there is a first time for everything.
“Alright we have a deal.”
Mason was so excited. He loved to help people. The first thing he was going to do was go teach the kids new games to play. First he taught them how to play baseball with a pinecone and a stick they got from the woods. As bases they used piles of leaves. The kids had so much fun playing and laughing with Mason.
The next game he taught them was football. They divided up into two teams and made sure they were even in numbers. They used a pinecone as the football and marked the goal line with sticks. All of the kids were so thankful for the new games that Detective Mason taught them.
The next thing that Mason wanted to do was help the woman cook new food that was easy to cook and so delicious to eat. He took some pots and put them over the fire and showed the woman how to make noodles out of the barc from the trees. He also showed them an easy sauce from the juice of the leaves that tasted just like spaghetti. Now everyone could enjoy their new tasty meals.
Everyday Mason showed the people of Roanoke something new that helped them improve their way of living so much. Everyone was so thankful that Mason was so helpful and kind to them. Mason spent a good 3 ½ weeks showing everyone new things, he had forgotten about the research and all the notes that he was supposed to be taking, but he didn’t care.
That night when Mason fell asleep the leader and some of his guards took Mason back to where they had found him sleeping the very first night he had arrived. They were sad he was leaving, but they knew that it was for the best. What Mason taught them would be so useful and he left behind a good legacy in Roanoke.
When Detective Mason woke up he was confused where he was, but when he saw the burnt out old fire wood he realized he was back to his campsite. Mason packed up his things and started heading back to the train station because he didn’t think that he should write the story anymore. He wasn’t sure if his adventure had been a dream or if it really happened, but Mason suddenly realized that the Lost Colony of Roanoke should never be found because maybe it wanted to be lost for a reason. Besides, being a mystery is the best way to never be forgotten.
