Author's Note: This is my alternate ending to the Nancy Drew PC game Secret of the Scarlet Hand. If you haven't played it, it might not be a good idea to read this. I originally posted this a year ago on HerInteractive (dot) com under the username Godsgirl82. Anyway, please read and review! This is old, and I haven't edited this since I wrote it. So if you have any constructive criticism, go for it :)

The Whisperer's Secret

Nancy slid the key into the hole in the monolith.
"Hmmmm," Nancy muttered to herself. "Nothing happened."
"What're you doing, Nancy?" Joanna walked up to her.
"You won't believe what I found out!" Nancy said excitedly.
"Well? Spill!" Joanna urged impatiently.
"See this block of jade pieces?" Nancy held out the square object. "It's the key to this monolith!"
"Key?" Joanna's eyes instantly lit up. "Seriously? What's in there? Have you looked inside yet?"
"Yes, yes, I don't know, and no," Nancy smiled as she answered Joanna's questions.
Joanna's eyes narrowed. "Are you making fun of me? This whole things is a joke, isn't it? Now, get back to work, Nancy! We've got an exhibit show really soon so step on it!" Nancy watched as the curator stalked off.
"Great," she mumbled.
"What is so great, Nancy?" Alejandro came up to her. Nancy stared at him in disbelief. Did everyone know she was in the garden or what?
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Oh, uh, no reason. How did you know I was here?"
"Joanna told me."
"And how did Joanna know?"
"Look, why are you quizzing me, Nancy?"
"Well, why are you here? Did you want to see me?"
"No, I was looking at the artifacts that should belong to Mexico." His gaze fell on the jade key in her hand. "Where did you get that?"
"I--I found it. Well, I found the pieces and then put it together."
"I see," Alejandro said, but Nancy could tell that he really didn't. "I have to go. See me in my office tomorrow." Then he walked away.
"At least he didn't stomp off in rage," Nancy chuckled to herself.
She turned the jade key and put it in the hole again. Click!
"Success!" The monolith door opened and when Nancy peeked inside, she screamed in terror.

A skeleton was staring right at her! Nancy tried to calm herself and willed her wildly beating heart to go back to normal.
Alejandro ran over.
"Nancy, what is wrong? I heard you scream!"
"Oh, it was nothing. My new friend here scared me, that's all." Nancy pointed to the skeleton and smiled. Alejandro smiled, too, and relaxed some.
"Joanna is being stubborn once again so I will go back to my office. Adios, Nancy." And he was off just as quickly as he came.

"Something's fishy about him," Nancy said to herself. Then she turned back to the monolith. She stepped inside and took a good look at the skeleton--creepy as it was.
"What's this?" Nancy pulled a long rectangular silver bar out of the skeleton's mouth. "Ewwwwwwwww. Oh well, it may come in handy." She looked through whatever clothing the skeleton had left on it. "Wait a minute. This must be the skeleton of the Whisperer! That means she never got out of here. Which means I better get out of here and return later when I know I'll be safe." She turned to leave, but it was too late! The door of the monolith was closing on her!

Nancy rushed over to the door, but it shut before she could do anything. She pounded on the door. "Let me out of here!" Terror began to seep through her. If she didn't get out fast enough, she would suffocate! Nancy pulled out her flashlight again. The beam of light hit a small rectangular hole in the wall to her right. Light bulb! Nancy had an idea.

Quickly, Nancy put the silver bar into the hole, hoping, praying that something would good would happen. Click! Something unlocked. She turned around and looked at the Whisperer's skeleton. It wasn't there! In it's place was a stairway leading down and out of the monolith. Saved! The teen detective walked down the steps and found a small room lit by torches.
"Someone was here recently," Nancy remarked. In the middle of the room stood what looked like a bird bath. On closer examination, she found it to be a stone pedestal. It displayed two papyrus books, one filled, one blank. Nancy read what she could of the ancient Maya writings, carefully turning the pages. Then she came to a page of strange drawings. It was a rough sketch of the very room she was in! She intently studied it. Nancy was so involved that she didn't hear someone enter the room...

Nancy whirled around as she heard a twig snap right behind her. It was--
"Joanna? What are you doing here?"
"Same thing you're doing, Nancy. Searching for treasure," Joanna replied, her gaze falling on the book Nancy had in her hands.
"Now be a good assistant and hand over the scribe's writings," Joanna continued, reaching for it. Nancy instinctively pulled away.
"No! It doesn't belong to you! It goes to a museum."
"Not in my book. Ha! I just made a funny. And you're not even going to have a chance to make one yourself." Joanna grabbed the book and began running up the stairs. Nancy followed, right at her heels but not close enough to grab her. She was almost there until Joanna suddenly stopped. Unprepared for this, Nancy tripped over her and fell. Smirking, Joanna continued running until she was out of Nancy's line of sight. Her heart sinking, Nancy got up and dusted herself off.
"Nancy! Nancy!" someone shouted. Who was that? Nancy ran as fast as she could with skinned knees and arms. It was Alejandro. He had caught Joanna! She glared at Nancy as she took the book away from her. It was blank! Nancy laughed.
"What do you find so funny in this matter?" Alejandro asked her.
She showed Joanna and him the book. "You see, no one would have been able to sell this claiming to have Maya writings in it."
So Joanna was behind it all, even the thefts. That was why she wanted to be hired there in the first place, hoping to get her hands on the ancient book. The book! It was still in the secret room under the monolith. Nancy raced back, carefully picked it up, and brought it back to the museum to show Alejandro, Henrik, and Taylor. Henrik's eyes widened when he saw what Nancy was carrying.
"It was true!" He grabbed the book and looked through it. "Unbelievable. I'll begin translating this right away!" He hurried away. Everyone laughed at his excitement.
Nancy smiled. The papyrus book was really a treasure. After all these years, the Whisperer's secret was finally known.