It was a warm afternoon at Glass Shard Beach Elementary School. Around this time of the day, the kids of the school were in the playground. After all, it was time for recess. And on this day, three particular kids were enjoying themselves and having fun.

One girl, Silvia Pines, was slowly swinging on one of the swings, singing softly to herself. She had long curly hair, brown eyes, and a reddish nose. She was wearing a floor-length little kid dress with white puffy sleeves, a navy blue top, and a light blue skirt, with plastic blue shoes on her feet.

A second girl, Franny McGucket, was looking at a map as she walked around. She had shoulder-length light brown hair and bright blue eyes. She was wearing a pink t-shirt, denim overalls, and white sneakers.

One boy, Daniel Noble, was playing with a kickball. He had short auburn hair and bright green eyes. He was wearing a brown button-up shirt, black jeans, and dark blue sneakers.

Today those three kids were minding their own business, but fate had different plans for them.

It all started with a chain of events. First, Franny accidentally bumped into Daniel. This caused him to accidentally kick the ball in Silvia's direction, hitting her on the head. Frustrated, she stormed over to the other two.

"What was that for?!" Silvia angrily asked.

Daniel looked at Silvia and smirked. "Nice dress," he said. "Aren't you a little too old for princesses?"

"Never!" Silvia declared, doing a twirl. "My parents call me their little princess, so I must be a princess!"

"Will you two be quiet?" Franny said, speaking in a southern accent. "I'm trying to find the school's treasure."

"Oh, sure," Daniel said with an eye-roll. "Like you'll find some kind of special treasure nearby, sunshine."

"You don't believe me?" Franny asked. "If you come with me, I can show you the treasure."

"You had me at 'treasure'," Silvia said. "I'm in."

"Oh, alright," Daniel said. "But I still think there isn't a treasure."

And so, Franny led Silvia and Daniel to a forest near the playground. Silvia was getting disgusted. "Do we have to be out here?" she asked, slightly lifting her dress. "My shoes are getting dirty!"

"Lighten up, your highness," Daniel said sarcastically. "You could use a bit of reality."

Silvia was not amused. "How much further do we have to go?"

"Just a little more..." Franny answered. "The treasure should be right around...here!"

After predicting the exact location of the treasure using natural surroundings, Franny picked up a sturdy stick and started digging. Eventually, she came across some crystals.

"Holy smokes!" Silvia exclaimed. "What are those?"

Franny picked up a crystal. "These look like rare quartzes," she said. "And judging from the markings, these things have been around since the dinosaur era."

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Daniel said. "Dinosaur era? That means those things are ancient!"

"Precisely," Franny said.

Silvia picked up one of the crystals. "Can I have some?" she asked.

"I wouldn't mind having some as well," Daniel said, picking up another crystal.

"Sure," Franny said. "I'm Franny McGucket, by the way."

"Name's Daniel Noble," Daniel said.

"And I am Princess Silvia of the Pines," Silvia said with a curtsy.

Ever since that fateful day, Silvia, Franny, and Daniel became a mystery trio, exploring the wonders Glass Shard Beach had to offer. Franny was the brains and the unofficial leader, Silvia was the beauty, and Daniel was the brawn. Whenever they made a discovery, Franny would document it in her notepad.

But during that summer, their biggest discovery would change their lives forever...

To Be Continued, in "A Tale of a Timelady"