Just as the water starts to enter your mouth, the Gargoyle protecting the middle door opens the door. The answer to the riddle had come quite simple. Your sister Debby had asked you a similar riddle a few months ago. You asked the three Gargoyles the same question: ‘Point to the wrong door’. With one truthful and two lying, two gargoyles pointed to the middle door and one pointed to the left door. That was all you needed. You were sure that the door pointed to by two of them is the right door.

You wade across the water, pass the gargoyle and through the open door. It slams shut behind you. You hear voices.

Six people join you where you stand in a dimly lit cave. They had being on the death queue with you. They thank you for speaking up and helping them get a chance at survival. You all had been given the same riddle to solve. You do the maths and discover that 17 people had failed the riddle. You do not have the time to pity them. You are distracted by a rumbling sound. Fine dust and sand starts to fall from the roof of the cave. Then, from the far end of the cave, the roof starts to collapse. You have less than a minute to leave the cave or risk being buried alive by sand and debris. You want to run but in front of you are three tunnels. You should use any of them to escape. Two of the six people with you run into the tunnel by the left without thinking. It would take at least five minute before the roof directly over your head collapses. You look around, contemplating and thinking.

Across the entrance of the three tunnels was something in red. A large scribble. A warning? A riddle? You try to make out the words.

“ IF MEAT IN A RIVER (3 IN 6) IS T(HAM)ES.”

It didn’t make sense to any of you. You look around, there should be another statement, an accompanying statement. You find it. Not just one statement. Three. You find three different statements, written with smaller letters. One statement beside each of the tunnels.

The left tunnels’ (A) says: “THIS TUNNEL AND YOU 5, AS ‘ROW’ IS (3 IN 5)”

The middle tunnels’ (B) says: “THIS TUNNEL AND YOU (4 IN 8), 8 IS SLIVERER”

The right tunnels’ (C) says: “THIS AND YOU (3 IN 8), 8 IS REMEDIED.

It is some form of cryptic riddle after all. You think deep but your mind is biased already. Tunnel C appeals to you strongly. There is something about the word REMEDIED that makes you feel quite sure it is the right tunnel to take. You do not let bias cloud your judgement. This is a riddle and you are going to solve it. You wish your sister was here. She is the fearless one, the mystery unraveller. She is an Achuba also. She hasn’t been very active on Facebook otherwise she might have accepted the friend request of this Killer- Chuka Basill. She would have been here with you. Her head might have rolled but whatever got her to this riddles, it would have been an easy ride. A dark thought sneaks into your head. Chuka Basill will find another means to get the Achubas that are not on facebook. You shudder.

The roof above you starts to quake and sizeable lumps of dirt start to drop. You have less than a minute to come up with the answer to the riddle before the roof above you completely collapses. The other Achubas with you are deliberating on the answers of the riddle. You join them. The four of them. One of them says something about a CROWN.

A large lump hits your shoulder. The dust from the roof comes down faster. You can see the roof giving up the last of its restrain. You have less than a minute to decide.

(…To be continued)