Okay I don't know how many times I have reworked this story. But I swear this will be the last time. If it's not I will shoot myself. That's pretty much a promise. But this is the first chapter of my Alternate Ending to Secret of Shadow Ranch by HerInteractive. Feel free to come in and read, I'm going to assume it'll work better if you've played the game already, but if you haven't and want to read feel free! You're more than welcome! I'm hoping to keep this updating regularly, but no promises...

Also I should note here there ARE SPOILERS FOR THE GAME. Just be prepared. There will be spoilers including the culprit so if you want to avoid those you want to avoid this.

Thanks though, have a cup of cyber tea and enjoy.

Chapter One

Nancy

I wish I could describe the excitement you feel when you reach the end of a treasure hunt. No matter if this is your first or your twenty-third(But who's counting?). Every time you get that exact same feeling. It's this pounding in your head, this ultimate feeling of knowing everything you have done has been leading you to this point. It gives you this feeling of ultimate rush. A feeling of being alive.

Now that's not to say it doesn't have its drawbacks. I mean really. Adrenalin can make your hands shake, and when you're trying to place keys into specific keyholes that aren't exactly large…well I digress.

I rubbed my sweaty hands on my jeans, trying to dry them off enough to get the final rusty key inserted into the lock. I took a deep breath, savoring the last moments of the treasure hunt, a grin spreading across my face as I shoved the final key home.

The entire lock gave a groaning sound, shuttering in its confines, rust broke away and flittered to the ground. It was the first time I'd really noticed the rust, and I glanced to my hands, which were now covered in the red color.

"Great job Nancy Drew," I said sarcastically, I glanced around me but it wasn't like the people who had built the cliff dwellings had left paper towels around. I paused glancing down to my jeans, suddenly very glad Hannah wasn't around. I rubbed my hands off on my jeans leaving red streaks down the front.

Yeah that'd totally come off. Sometime. In the future.

I looked back up to the door, my jeans suddenly forgotten as I tried to push on the door, but the hinges were basically nonexistent at this point. Rust and time had eaten away at whatever Dirk had set up.

"Of course," I sighed, rolling my shoulders, before finally throwing my weight against the door. The metal gave an ear rattling screech that set my teeth on edge, but the door was open, fractionally.

I paused outside the door, chewing on my lip. I knew it wasn't logical but I wanted to hold out on this part. I wanted to savor this moment before I finally found out of the treasure was truly there or not. This moment when anything was possible, when I felt alive…and if my luck held moments before someone tried to kill me.

It was a secret of mine how much I really loved doing this. Not the mystery part, I mean I loved those too don't get me wrong, but the end game. The part where my life was in my own hands. The part where I would have to rely on nothing but my own smarts to push past whatever was coming.

Finally it dawned on me I was standing outside an open door grinning like a moron. It really was only a matter of time before I got locked up for being insane. I took a deep breath then, pushing myself through the small crack between the stone wall and the door. My eyes took in the room in a moment, but I didn't really see it. All I really saw was the treasure chest sitting in the corner.

The gold was dulled with age, covered with dust and grime, but it still shone. The light from the small window glinted off the golden hearts. I grinned softly as I walked over to the chest, kneeling down in front of it, letting dirt mix with the rust. I reached out and lightly rubbed some of the dust off one of the hearts, grinning as the glow from it brightened.

I picked up the heart, letting the heavy weight settle in my hands, the enormity of the situation really hit me suddenly. Dirk had set up the entire path I had followed for Frances. Not me… It felt like I was intruding on some sort of private moment. I knew, rationally, that both Dirk and Frances were long gone. But still the story was something so out of a novel… Dirk was a total romantic, and it was sweet, and cute and…something Ned would do.

I shook my head, not for the first time wishing Ned had service. He was up in the mountains with the Boy Scout troop he helped mentor. I hadn't been able to reach him the entire case. Which when I was working on a case like this? He was the only one I wanted to tell all of this too… Of course when I got home we would have our typical after case popcorn night. But still… This case? This was going to be the case he would adore. No he would love it.

He was such a hopeless romantic. When we first met he was terrible, he would do things, well, like Dirk and it would embarrass me, all I would want was for him to stop them. But he wouldn't. Then what's worse? As time wore on I fell in love with the stupid little things he did. Fell in love with him really. Now I had reached the point where I loved every stupidly corny letter, every single lame thing he did. I would grin like a stupid school girl with a childhood crush. Maybe when I got service I'd try to ring Ned anyway. Just leave him a message, or something.

I suddenly seemed to realize I was sitting in a dusty ancient cliff dwelling, holding a golden heart and grinning. Remember that psychotic thing I mentioned? Ha. Slowly I placed the heart back down on the pile of hearts standing up. I glanced down to my jeans and paused. Oh yeah, Hannah would kill me for this one.

I shoved my way out of the door again, debating about if it was worth trying to close the door again, but I didn't think I really could get the door shut again. So I left it walking back out onto the platform. I froze suddenly, were my ears playing tricks on me but were those footsteps?

Some say that things' going into slow motion when you fear for your life is a fallacy. I've tested it. It's not. I was suddenly hyper aware of everything, the dust motes catching the sun, the way the ground moved under my feet slightly, the very distinct sounds of footsteps. Clearer. Closer. Someone was moving through the tunnels, and they weren't being quiet about it.

I moved closer to the edge, taking careful slow steps. Trying to minimalize my sound, if I could get the upper hand, if I could surprise whoever it was…

"Well, Miss Nancy," the southern drawl nearly made me jump, instantly I scanned beneath me until I found the bald cook.

"Shorty," I said in response, "What are you doing out here?" I asked innocently enough. At least I hoped.

"Now I think ya know the answer to that question," Shorty's reply came, there was laughter to his tone. He was actually laughing at me…

"I'm not sure I do," I said slowly, trying to draw out the innocence as much as I could.

"Now Miss Nancy, I happen to know yer smart as a whip." Shorty said, now he really was laughing, but could I say it sounded more sinister? Because it did. "For me to believe that yer suddenly this stupid? Well that's insultin' both our smarts."

"Fine," I said, drawing myself up to my full height, "I know exactly what you're up to, and you're not going to get away with it."

"Oh but I don't see how that's possible." Shorty countered with a laugh, "Only way out is through me Nancy. And I'm not leavin' here without that treasure," he added with a sneer.

"Well we're both out of luck, it's gone," I said, shrugging, the lie was simple and easy. Sometimes I was worried at how easy untruths could slip from my lips, "I guess we weren't the only ones with the idea,"

"Well that is a shame," Shorty said shaking his head.

"Yeah it really is," I said, one thing I had learned over and over, the best lie had truth, "I really wanted to find it," I gave a small laugh, "Dirk reminds me of my boyfriend,"

"I wasn't meanin' that Miss Nancy," Shorty said, "I was hopin' this could be easy, but since ya took the time to lie to me guess that means it won't be."

"Excuse me?" I said slowly, "Truly Shorty, it's gone," I waved a hand behind me to the door.

"But see if the money were there, what's to say ya don't want it fer yourself?" Shorty asked.

"Shorty I don't care about the money," I said, "And even if I did it's gone, I'm just trying to save you the trouble from coming up here, not to even mention the door is all but stuck and I had a hard time getting through," I gave another laugh, hoping it sounded at ease, "Sorry though, maybe we could work together or something to pick up the trail?" I offered, grinning a little. Or maybe I could work solo and put you in jail for the things at the ranch house. Either one was really an option.

"Oh, yer always good for a laugh," Shorty said, "I'm actually sad to say our time together has to end right now," That caused my grin to freeze in place as I looked over the edge blinking slightly.

"Why does our time have to end?" I asked, "I just offered to help you pick up the trail if you really want,"

"Because yer still lyin' to me," Shorty said, then his face hardened slightly, "That treasure is up in that room. I'm as sure of it as I am the nose on my face. Nothin' and no lyin' redhead will stop me from getting' it,"

Well, there went any chance I had of talking the situation down. This was the part that I loved and loathed. The chase. The part where my life was in my hands. The part where if I didn't think fast enough, if I didn't move fast enough it was lights out for Nancy my life was literally in my hands.

I vaguely aware of a faint wooshing sound as my heart raced, picking up speed as it pushed me towards a destination. Towards the unknown, something only I could control. The best way to explain this moment is that moment when the roller coster is almost to the top of that huge dive. That part where you know you couldn't stop it, not even if you begged.

I rushed forward, flinging myself over the edge of the ladder, climbing down a few rungs before just leaping to the bottom. I landed on the ground harder than I had planned, forced to crouch to gain my balance again. I stood up again quickly, my mind in overdrive running through every possible situation, every outcome, every idea.

I obviously couldn't go back the way I came. I was stuck in a small dusty alcove. I was effectively trapped. There weren't places to hide, well unless I could shrink myself down to half my side and climb inside a pot.

"Get it together Drew," I hissed under my breath, clenching and unclenching my fists. My eyes starting to dart around the room, each option brought up and discarded as one. I was running out of options.

I had nothing but the room I had come out of leading back up to the treasure, the way out, also known as the way right to Shorty. Lastly there was a doorway that led to a small room, though the room did have a rug laying in it. Not good for hiding under, but at least it was something.

I entered the room pulling up the rug, under it the floor was rotted away, leaving nothing but what was easily a six foot drop to the ground. I make it, easy, but then what? I was stuck, with no way of getting back up, and nothing but a forty foot fall to the ground. Shorty would have the treasure and leave me trapped for lord knew how long.

Unless of course I could get Shorty down there… An idea formed, not a great idea, but an idea. I nodded laying the rug back out, trying to keep my footsteps light as I left the room, crossing to where the red stone was still hanging above the entry way. Obviously Shorty had the same inscription from Dirk, or else he would have been hopelessly lost, the cave was a verifiable maze.

I suddenly was keenly aware of the fact that I had lost the sound of Shorty's footsteps. I took that as a good thing. Maybe he did get lost. Maybe after I switched the rocks I would have a chance of getting out of here without running into him. That or the sound of my own heart and breathing was overwhelming and blocking out any sound. Which I didn't even have time to really consider.

I stretched up on my toes, I almost grinned as I wrapped my fingers around the rock, feeling the sharp edges nearly cut my fingers. But the pain didn't even register. Adrenaline had a funny way of covering everything up. I wiggled the rock, trying to get it to come off its post

"I'd let that go Miss Nancy." Came the voice behind me, as sweet as the first time I'd ever talked to him standing in the kitchen of the ranch house. For a moment I closed my eyes. Fifteen different curses all directed at myself ripped through my head.

Reluctantly I let go of the red rock, turning to face Shorty.

"And ya weren't lyin' to me?" Shorty asked mockingly, pointing to the rock, it was the first time I noticed what was in his hand. A knife. And not just any knife, but one of his kitchen knives, sharp as ever. For a moment I could do nothing but stair at the glinting object.

"Guess you got me," I said, for the first time my voice wavered slightly. I cleared my throat then to calm myself, "So now what?" I asked, "You kill me and then you take whatever you find back to your bank robber friends?" If I could keep him talking I could come up with an idea. I could solve anything. I could talk my way out of this.

"How do you know that?" Shorty asked slowly, blinking at me.

"I'm smart," I said in response with a shrug and a grin.

"Well, I guess ya are," Shorty said. Slowly a new plan started to form. If I could throw Shorty off, if I could get him going for just a moment. Then I could take a run at the knife, with the power that it held I could get a hand on the situation.

This was it. This was the moment that everything wound up to. The moment when my life was truly in my hands. The moment when my wit and my wit alone would save my life. Honestly? I loved it. I loved it more than I should. More than I would ever admit.

"So tell me, really, what power do you have? I mean how are you going to stop them from killing you once you give them the money? Clearly you're the low man on the totem pole." I said shrugging slightly.

"What if I said I didn't have a choice?" Shorty asked, cocking his head to the side.

"The bank robbers are blackmailing you?" I asked. That wasn't something I had thought of, of course it was plausible. Those who were blackmailed would usually be more likely to go slightly psychotic with a knife. Which was both good and bad for me.

Good because I could use that as an angle, telling Shorty I would help him, that could get me out of here alive. Bad because if they had enough over Shorty he would do anything for them. Anything usually included killing an eighteen year old novice sleuth.

"If I said they were wouldja help me?" Shorty asked.

"Are you?" I asked, "I can help you, Shorty, we can both get out of this perfectly fine."

"Well, I ain't." Shorty said, "And I think it's time ya stopped stallin' and we both go up to that room, what do you say?" I'd say no. But with the knife now pointed more at my chest, I had the distinct impression, no wasn't an option that was allowed right now. I paused before nodding slowly.

"You first," I said waving a hand to the ladder. Apparently what I said was hysterical because Shorty started laughing loudly, he didn't even have to say anything, he just used the knife to point to the ladder. The meaning was clear. Me first.

I did not want to turn my back on that knife, not in a million years. But I did. I licked my lips before turning to the ladder, scaling it for the third time that day but just when I was about to pull myself up onto the ledge I felt a hand grab my ankle.

"Don't want you thinkin' about shovin' the ladder down on my head." Shorty said, I noticed he had put the knife away into his belt so he could climb easier, but with his hand on my ankle I didn't have much movability. Especially since I was sure he was strong enough to pull me down with him.

Shorty finally clambered up onto the ledge, releasing my ankle once he had a firm enough grip on the ledge. This was my moment. This was the only moment I was going to get. I lunged at Shorty, hoping he wouldn't have his feet under him yet. I made a desperate grab for the knife still tucked in his belt. For a moment I thought I had done it. I could feel the cool steel of the knife blade against my hand when suddenly my arm was jerked violently away from it.

The momentum from the jerk was turned into a painful twist as I suddenly found myself facing away from Shorty with my arm painfully twisted behind my back. I bit down on the inside of my cheek, though I wasn't sure if it was to stop myself from crying out in pain or frustration.

It was as if Shorty had been expecting my attack, which in retrospect he probably was. He clearly wasn't out of his depth here. Not to mention it was a little obvious that I would try to attack while he was off balance. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

"Now that wasn't smart now was it?" Shorty asked, more of a sneer against my ear, he pushed just slightly and I stumbled towards the edge of the cavern. Instantly my hands flew out to regain myself so I wouldn't fall. But just as before Shorty grabbed one of my arms, pinning it behind my back. But he didn't let me regain any sort of balance. I was literally hanging over a chasm with nothing but a maniac with a knife keeping me from falling.

Between the panic of the possible fall and the thought of the knife my brain was running wild. Ideas thought and dismissed as quickly. Nothing forming completely into an idea. Nothing could work. Nothing would work.

I knew I had been in as hopeless of situations in my life. I couldn't think of any in this exact moment in time. But I knew they had existed, because I knew this feeling, this feeling of drowning with no light to swim for.

"Shorty, c'mon," I said, "This is madness," I yelped suddenly as I felt a shove towards the edge. My one free arm started going in circles, trying aimlessly to gain any sort of balance. But Shorty seemed to be enjoying keeping me suspended like this.

"You've messed 'round for the last time Miss Nancy," Shorty said, "I gave you time and time again to help yourself, and what did ya do? You spat it in my face," I didn't respond, he was going to throw me over. He really was going to throw me over. I only had one option, hope I landed. Truthfully it wasn't that far. I could probably get out of it with a broken leg or arm. Or maybe I could roll and get to my feet. I would certainly have the advantage down there and that much closer to the door.

"Ta think, I was even gonna let you live after this. Maybe even letcha have some of the treasure," Shorty said, now almost sounding sad about it, "But now yer just in the road. Which means I have ta deal with ya,"

"Shorty this is idiotic!" I said finally, "Who's to say I would have stopped you from even taking the treasure home?"

"Why then didja lie to me?" Shorty asked, "No no, Miss Nancy, much easier to just end this here n' now. G'night Nancy," he said.

I took a deep breath, ready to land when he shoved me. Ready to tuck and roll and ready for anything he could do. But Shorty never threw me down, he never even shifted in the way he was holding me. Maybe he wasn't going to do it?

But in that moment my world exploded. Fire flew from my right side consuming me whole, burning me alive. I wasn't sure if I screamed or if I didn't make a sound. My world was shattered into millions of pieces. I didn't know what was happening to me. Black overwhelmed my vision as the pain began to lessen, maybe even dull out

In that moment I wasn't sure if I was falling flying, or standing right. But it was nice… Flying through the air like nothing mattered. Who was to say anything did matter after all?

I wasn't sure of anything… I wasn't sure if I could feel or see or where that strange gurgling sound was coming from.

The only thing I was sure of was the fact that everything was slipping from my grasp, it was like trying to hold water in your hands. Slowly the drops slip between your fingers until there's none left. Until nothing but black pulled me down and I lost all touch on reality.