When the lock clicked open, my breath caught. The doors groaned. Dust swirled in the sunlight. The scent of cedar and hay filled the air. At first glance, it looked ordinary—tarps draped over bulky shapes, crates stacked in neat rows. But the orderliness felt intentional.
I pulled back the first tarp and froze.
The chest was locked—not with a key, but with a puzzle carved into the wood. It took me half a day, my fingers raw, my patience thinning. When it finally clicked open, I gasped.
Inside was a letter and a check for $10,000.Continue reading…