He Had To Act Quickly
Brad controlled his breathing and squatted close to the ground before plunging his hands into the soft earth. He knew he had to act quickly. He had to find it before his time ran out. An hour earlier when he first approached the woods, he knew there was something wrong. He was warned not to go into the woods but he didn’t heed their warnings. He didn’t believe all the rumors about the woods.
As he kept digging in the earth, his fingernails became filthy with grit and soil, then he spots a glint in the ground. He had dug up something surprising. When he first laid eyes on his treasure, he felt his stomach twist into a knot.
Passion For Adventure
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Brad Martin was a self-proclaimed adventurer. He had a passion for exploring and finding hidden treasure – big or small. He also loved exploring places that had previously been overlooked.
Whether he was in the mountains or the hills of the countryside, Brad always came prepared. That’s at least what he thought until he found himself in these woods.
Normal Monday Morning
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It was a Monday like any other. Brad decided that while it was still early he’d head into the nearby woods. There was some land in the woods where a building once stood. But not much more than the foundations remained. The basement and a few perimeter walls were still somewhat intact.
But it wasn’t just the house that was in the woods. A hidden treasure was said to be deep in the earth. And things are normally hidden for a reason.
Not A Man
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Brad remembered growing up there were so many rumors about the woods. People said that they were haunted. Many people even claimed to have seen something in the woods, something that wasn’t a man.
Brad didn’t listen to them. “Rumors are just rumors and nothing more,” he thought. But Brad was unaware how much closer to the truth these rumors actually were.
Excited
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Brad drove to the woods, all while feeling the butterflies in his stomach. This is what he loved to do, it was going to be a great adventure. Imagine finding some antiquated treasure lost to time? What if there was nothing in the woods and the day was wasted?
Brad didn’t care if he found nothing, it was the adventure that he craved. But he didn’t know that he would find something that would flip his world upside down.
Dusk
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Brad got to the edge of the woods and put his car in park. He went around to the back of the car and got out his trusty metal detector that he’d used countless times before. He noticed that the sun had almost disappeared underneath the horizon. He thought it was strange that it was 6:30 in the evening.
He shook off a chill he felt as he walked on with his metal detector over his shoulder. In between the rays of last light breaking through the dense forest, Brad swore he saw something for a moment. It sent a shiver up his spine.
Someone Or Something?
A shadowy figure hiding in the strokes of darkness ran between the trees and then through a nearby field. Brad couldn’t make out any features but estimated the figure to be around six feet or taller. It had to be a man, right? But what kind of man would be running around the woods at this hour?
Brad crouched down to ensure the figure didn’t notice him. The figure soon disappeared into the abyss of the woods. He felt like it was a strange occurrence but he wouldn’t let it deter him. He kept walking deeper into the woods, but he should have taken the figure as a warning that he should have gone back to the safety of his car and driven home.
Almost Giving In
Brad kept walking deeper and deeper between the trees. After half an hour he still hadn’t found any kind of treasure. He was fed up at this point. Was this all for nothing?
Then he stopped dead. He saw something deeper in the woods that rooted his feet in place out of fear. Brad felt like this experience would change everything he had ever known.
Something Wasn’t Right
He saw deeper into the woods, was a large tree with old symbols scratched into it. Brad didn’t know what language they were or what they meant. It had to have been kids messing around, that was the only explanation he dared come up with. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right.
He traced the scratches on the tree with his fingers. He felt the hairs on his neck stand up. It was another warning. Every instinct Brad had was telling him to run as fast as he could away from this place. But Brad was stubborn and felt like he had come too far to leave now.
Walking In The Dark
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He kept walking in a straight line for what felt like hours. It was pitch black and he dared not look left or right. He just kept looking ahead. He found another huge tree with symbols. He didn’t want to hang around a second time so he ignored it and kept walking. Just then, he heard his silent metal detector let out a loud screech.
It meant something was there! Brad didn’t expect to find something now. Of all the places that it could have beeped it chose to do so now.
Metal Detector Beeping
Flickr
For a few minutes Brad, armed with his metal detector, circled around the woods, trying to find the very object his metal detector had just told him was underneath the ground.
But time was ticking, and as each minute that passed, Brad felt like giving up. He couldn’t find it. But then, just as he was about to head back to the car and deem this trip an epic fail, his metal detector beeped again. And Brad knew exactly where it was coming from.
Something In The Ground
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Finally, Brad had found the spot. He wondered what could be hidden underneath the ground, so he proceeded to dig it up. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Brad was determined to find whatever was under the ground.
And, when he did, he couldn’t believe what he had found.
Uncovering The Truth
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“That is so big! That is so big! What is that? Oh, my gosh,” Brad proclaimed. To help him see what he had uncovered, the adventurer reached for a small spray bottle of water, cleaning off his discovery to help him identify the object.
And when he did, he was left lost for words.
A Storm Is Coming
Daily Mail
Just as Brad was about to pick up the object for a closer look, lightning shattered overhead.
The winds whistled and a terrible feeling hit the pit of Brad’s stomach. Another shot of lightning boomed and Brad dropped the object onto the muddy floor. Brad had to be quick. He had to get this object and get out of the woods as fast as he could.
Had To Be Quick
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Brad got on his knees and tried finding the object he had just uncovered. His knees sunk into the ground and he clawed his hands through the dirt.
There was no way Brad could leave the woods without this object. But time was running out.
Lost And Found
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Finally, Brad found the object! He picked it up and his mouth dropped when he took a closer look. It was thick and heavy.
He examines the object from every angle, his brown eyes fixated on his discovery. Brad couldn’t believe it. What had he discovered?
The Object Is Revealed
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As Brad cleaned the object and inspected it further, he knew just what this object was. Although he hadn’t seen one like this before, that was for sure.
It turned out that this object was in fact a coin. But Brad knew this wasn’t just any coin. It was something much better, and hopefully, much more valuable.
Truth Explained
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It was an incredible 1780 Spanish Eight Reales, the fabled ‘Pieces of Eight’ from pirate stories. The silver currency was minted in five denominations – one-half, one, two, four, and eight.
As such, the coins became known as Pieces of Eight, with the largest coin becoming an internationally accepted trade coin.
Never Letting It Go
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Brad could barely believe his luck in finding such a special coin!
His find was definitely the biggest piece of silver he’d ever found and with it being so old and Spanish, it definitely ranked as one of the coolest things he’d ever found in his life!
A Happy Ending
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As Brad left the woods, he held the coin close to him. There was no way he was going to lose this. It was too special.
He arrived back at his car, and as he stopped inside rain hammered down, crashing into the windshield. But brad didn’t care. What he had in his hand was something that he knew was going to change his life.