My Professor Layton Story

"Charlie! Charlie, wait!" I panted as I ran after my dog. I knew it wasn't 'ladylike' to run, but then I definitely wasn't the ladylike type. After running full-speed ahead for what seemed like hours, I finally collapsed onto the soft grass. Charlie turned around and ran back to me, for the game was over. He pounced on me and started licking my face, until I was laughing so hard my stomach hurt. I pushed him off me and sat up, trying to contain my laughing and taking deep breaths till my stomach felt okay. I stood up and attempted to brush the grass stains from my jeans. "Come on, you. Home time."

Charlie looked at me with sad eyes. But I want to play! He told me silently. I sighed. "Home time means dinner time." I reminded him. He pricked up his ears and bounded over to me, keeping as close as possible, knowing that I was the one who fed him. I shook my head. "Honestly, it's a wonder you aren't fat."

Charlie hung his head for a moment, but then remembered he was going home to food, and perked right up again. I laughed a little.

We reached the door of my flat and I turned the key. Charlie nearly knocked me over as he squeezed past me and into the kitchen. He wagged his tail with his pink tongue hanging out, waiting for me to feed him. I took off my jacket and boots, and poured Charlie's food into his bowl. He didn't even wait for me to finish, he just started eating as I was pouring. While he was greedily stuffing his face, I started boiling the kettle to make myself a cup of tea, as the English always did. I've lived in England nearly thirteen years, but I'm American by birthplace. I don't remember much of the US, since I was so young there, but I don't like to think about it much. Because America leads me to what was supposed to be a family holiday in England, and the holiday leads to the plane crash, and how I so suddenly became an orphan, at just five years old. I shuddered and wiped the potential tears from my eyes. Sometimes, when I was little, my arms would wrap themselves around my body into a bracing position, without my brain's permission. And someone would always have to shake me for me to realise they were there.

A click from the kettle brought me back to my senses. I got out a teacup and crossed to the fridge for some milk. No milk. No milk? I was sure I'd got some just yesterday. I'll have to go out and get some, I thought. I slipped on my boots and jacket and opened the door. "I'll be back in a minute, Charlie. Stay out of the cupboards."

Charlie sat down and waved with his paw. I smiled.

The walk to the dairy was a short one, but I received many looks from upper-class pedestrians, because of the way I was dressed. One horrified woman even hid her dragged her son in the opposite direction.

"Come on, Ty, let's go," she beckoned. I just didn't look like 'a proper English lady'. I sort of agreed, as I looked down at my grass stained jeans, my plain t-shirt, denim jacket and scuffed, discoloured black boots. My wavy orange hair was tied back in a high ponytail, but a long fringe hung just over my large blue eyes.

On my way back, I popped in to the butcher's to buy some meat for Charlie. The middle-aged man greeted me warmly.

"Miss Lily, how nice to see you!"

I smiled. "And you too, Mr Henry!"

"Stop it, you know I hate that. It's just Henry."

"Yes, and I'm just Lily. Until you learn to remember that, Mr Henry it is."

Henry sighed. I was only teasing of course, but he knew that. I laughed.

I eventually reached my flat, and opened it. After hanging up my jacket, I turned around, to receive a huge shock.

There were papers strewn all over the floor, the carpet was stained with dirt and wet with spilled water, pieces of smashed glass threatened to cut me, tables had been upturned, and worst of all, no Charlie.

"Charlie? Charlie!" Even I could sense the worry in my voice. "CHARLIE!"

My heart was beating fast, and I looked in every nook and cranny of my small flat (which didn't take very long) until I finally had to give up. I dropped to the floor, and I didn't even think of my handkerchief when the tears began streaming rapidly down my cheeks. I knew Charlie hadn't run away, because he had always been so loyal, and he would never leave my side. Especially because he knew he'd have to find his own food out there. But that could leave only one explanation…

I sat up; my vision blurred with salty tears, and noticed a piece of paper smudged with red ink.

Confused, I wiped my eyes and read what was now a clear message. Well, I shouldn't say clear, for it was coded.

"To whoever owns this flat,

Haha, I am joking, of course. I do know who you are, Miss Matthews. Ah, I am a genius, don't you think? I stole your milk, knowing that you'd have to buy some more, leaving the dog alone. I must admit, he did put up quite a fight, and I apologize for the state your flat was in. The mutt's fault, not mine. Anyway, I won't drag on, but you should know that if you ever want to see your useless excuse for a pet again, you should come to a place I know you're familiar with. Think of a word meaning foggy, then forget Tyler's nickname. OK, now think of when you enter a house – I mean a proper house, unlike your tiny apartment you call a home. When you enter a house, there's a sort of corridor, yes? Now think of a synonym for that. And finally, add on 'every' (Hettev Hitwou)."

Most Sincerely,

…

Did you REALLY think I would just tell you my identity? Tough luck.

My head was pounding, I sat down, clutching my hair, and tried to make sense of the anonymous letter. Everything was happening so fast, but I knew I had to stay strong and focused… for Charlie.

I had to make sense of that riddle – and fast – if I ever wanted to save Charlie. Why would someone want to kidnap him, anyway? They must have been pretty close, because I was only gone for a maximum of five minutes.

…a word meaning foggy… I grabbed a thesaurus from the hundreds of books on my shelf, which had all been read at least twice. I flipped through the pages until I reached 'F', and found 'fog'. So all I had to do was change the nouns into adjectives. Cloudy, hazy, rainy, misty, steamy, dewy, drizzly… None of them really caught my eye. I wasn't getting anywhere, and time was rapidly ticking away. I could feel the tears threatening to pour again. I thought of how happy I – we – were just this morning, in the park. And now all of that had disappeared in, what, a couple of hours?

Maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way, I thought. I decided to start somewhere else. …then forget Tyler's nickname… Tyler's nickname… I stood up abruptly and gasped.

The lady and her son, this morning! Her words rolled through my brain.

"Come on, Ty, let's go." Ty! That's a nickname for Tyler! So, forget 'ty'?

I scanned the thesaurus again. Cloudy, hazy, rainy... None of them had a 'ty' in them.

Misty, steamy, dewy... Misty! Minus 'ty', that's mis... or... mist!

After a while of thinking, I couldn't guess the second part. I re-read the letter, over and over, until something caught my eye. Hettev Hitwou... Was that a name? Who is she, he or... it? Could they help me? But how would I contact them?

And then it hit me.

"It... it's not a name..." I muttered aloud, "it's an anagram."

After just over half an hour of trying to unscramble the anagram, I was about to give up, when my pen seemed to write it on my page.

Without the ev.

Without the ev? Add on 'every'. Without the ev! So, I had to add 'ery' to the end of the place. I was really tired, but I couldn't go to sleep; there was no time. I yawned, and tried to keep my eyes open, but without success. Without realising, I lay down on the couch, and slept.

I woke to find Charlie licking my face. I pushed him off me and stood up. We played fetch in the front yard, and he jumped on me, licking my face affectionately. I laughed and he barked. He began to run away from me, down the street, following a man in dark clothes. I called his name, begging him to come back."Charlie, Charlie! Come back, Charlie! Dinner!"

It was no use. He wouldn't listen.

"Charlie! Charlie, come back! Please! Charlie!" I woke with a start to find myself screaming Charlie's name, my face wet with tears. "Charlie..." I whispered.

I couldn't believe I'd fallen asleep. With Charlie's life at stake! I felt awful, and I still had no idea where to find him. I wasted no time in grabbing a piece of paper and trying to figure the middle part of the location. I wrote down what I already had.

Mist . . . . . . ery.

And immediately I knew what was missing. My face had taken to a blank expression. My pencil fell out of my hand and hit the floor. It was as if the word was already there. My eyes could certainly see it.

Misthallery.

And I knew one thing for sure.

I was going to have to relive my childhood if I wanted to see my best friend again.