The Mystery of the Black Haunted Mandolin

      "I do not understand, it was to be here somewhere." Edna grumbled while she searched for her spell book.

     It had been four days that it was possible to hear a melody that always played at the same time, a song that shivered to the last hair of the tail. It was scary even for the one who has always lived in the Haunted Woods, or who died a long time ago, but continues to walk there. The melody seemed to echo from all sides, so it was impossible to know the direction of the origin of the sound, and also, that the music was always echoed at dawn and was so loud that it could wake up to the darkest darkness.

     "My God, it is happening again, that deafening noise" – That is what everyone was saying when awakened by the sound. Many Neopians knocked on the door of Edna's Tower asking her to solve the problem. But there were so many people that Edna was easily stressed.

     Among so many books, potions, it was impossible to know what would work against what or who was emitting the sound, or it could not even know if it was possible to stop it.

     "Hello, can anyone answer?" A masculine voice, but a little sharp. The guy was knocking on the door and Edna was about to cast a spell to make the door very hot and so the person burned his hands. She decided to open the door and realized that she did well not to cast a spell. He was a zafara of extravagant adventurer clothes, a backpack, a different hat, and a smile on his face. The appearance was that he traveled a lot, because the shoes were worn, and despite the rather tired appearance, the clothes were impeccable. Then he concluded that he was an outsider.

     "I see that there is a big problem here," said the zafara, "I'm sorry, I am Layton, and I am a traveler. I've visited all the regions of Neopia, looking for some adventure and I realized that here in the Haunted Woods I can have some."

     "Yes, of course, come in. How do you know I have a problem?" asked Edna, with an education she had not shown in days.

     "Well, I was passing through the Haunted Woods and I decided to stop to buy spooky food, after all, people who travel a lot spend a lot of energy and I noticed a group of shoyrus who commented on a strange melody that is being performed every day at dawn. Seeing the mess that is in your house, I think I got it."

     Edna was astonished, how could a simple traveler not be frightened by what was happening. He realized that Layton was not an ordinary person.

     "Well, I do not know what adventures you are looking for, but I do not think you will solve the problem, I've been trying to find a spell for days now." Every day they knock on my door, wondering if I've found a solution yet, but I'm afraid I will not find one so soon."

     "Well, and if I said I know how to solve it?" Layton said without waiting.

     At that moment someone knocks on the door and Layton gets up to answer. "You must be my assistant, late as usual."

     "Sorry for the late Mr. Layton, I just got lost on the way." "It was a Xweetok who wore thick glasses and seemed to have a lot of respect for Layton.

     "Did you get what I asked for Axis?" Layton said with a stern face. "Yes, sir," said Xweetok as he took a long bundle from Layton's own backpack.

     "I was with you all the time."

     With laughter, Layton opens the little pack and takes out a rusty-looking little fluteand a diapason. Edna watched the objects in amazement, they looked like two artifacts hiding a great power. "It looks powerful," Edna said, her eyes fixed, she had never seen those objects in a spell book.

     "It really is very powerful, but we need the melody to ring while we're here so I can stop it, and taking advantage of it, me and my friend and helper here don't have nowhere to stay.

     Edna was ready to host the travelers, but that night she could not sleep, she would finally stop that sound, but at the same time she was intrigued. How is it possible that simple objects could stop something so powerful and mysterious. For several hours Edna thought about it. She was afraid that nothing would work at the same time she would take a chance. Edna was not in the habit of feeling fear, except the unknown. She did not know if she was afraid of the sound or the two travelers inside his house.

     Suddenly, the melody began to play. "We have to go now, Axis, get my backpack, Edna, take this wooden box. Let's go now!

     Walking out the door, the crowd was angry, they could not take it any more, Axis was little but very strong and went ahead to make way. When they managed to mislead the crowd, Layton took the fork-like diapason and hit one of the stems with his fingertip. "The sound is coming from that cave."

     Edna did not want to go in there, the darkness made it all darker, but she was pushed by Axis and Layton into the cave.

     Somehow, that diapason with each touch showed a direction to Layton, until they arrived in an alley. Layton uses once more the diapason and without blinking, pulls out the flute and plays a note. Immediately the object that was previously invisible showed itself to them, a black aura. It was a Haunted Mandolin, but it was all black. It floated as if someone held and touched. Immediately Layton began to play the same melody as the mandolin, but with the inverted scale. And immediately, the object fell silent and went into the box Edna held, so it would not come back.

     Edna did not understand and began to ask what magic that was, and how he had done it. "Surely the mandolin was cursed, but I fought without using any spell, just music." Some time ago I did it somewhere else, I did not come here without need. Already knew that sooner or later the Haunted Woods would receive the deafening melody of the Black Haunted Mandolin. This mandolin appears only when the people of determined region forget the joy of hearing good happy music. This place is not very cheerful at all, "said Layton as he emerged from the cave and watched the entire area of the Haunted Woods." Of course the mandolin releases this horrible melody that has nothing to cheer about, so we seal it. Keep the box in a place where this artifact can never be awakened again. "

     From that day on, the mandolin never touched again, and peace returned to the Haunted Woods again. Maybe some music would be nice, would not it?

     Remember, life is music. Hear the sound of life and you will be happier. Be like a song to other people. Always have a song in your heart.

The End.