Lost
A puzzle by (and about) Janice
Author's notes: This is a little puzzle, just for fun. It's kind of a maze… or a quiz… or a quiz-maze. Well, anyway, it's a puzzle. Read the text. Click on the best answer and see what happens. Or, get the answers wrong on purpose; it's more fun. You don't really need to go right back to the start if you reach a point which suggests so; just use the 'Back' button on your browser to return to the previous question. I'm sure you'll work it out. :) One little thing to note, though: it was first posted over a decade ago and I have added a couple of universes since then. Some answers are no longer correct. I may come back and update this sometime.
Please note: Trixie Belden is a registered trademark of Random House Publishing. This site is in no way associated with Random House and no profit is being made from these pages.
“I know it has to be around here somewhere,” Trixie muttered, trying one door after another and finding most of them locked “We couldn’t have gotten lost as quickly as that. This building isn’t that big.” Reaching a corner she peered left and right before turning to the right. The two girls were helping with a charity event run by Honey’s father’s company and had volunteered to fetch some items from an office on another floor. Most of the workers had returned home for the evening, leaving their workplaces in darkness.
A few steps behind, her best friend let out a sigh. “We could, if we hadn’t been listening properly when Mrs. Henderson explained how to get there, which I thought I was, though now that I come to think of it, I don’t really remember whether she said to turn left or right at the end of the first corridor and anyway, let’s go back, Trixie.” Honey caught the blonde girl’s arm in an attempt to stop her. “If we turn back now, maybe we can find our way back to Mrs. Henderson’s office and ask for better directions and maybe write them down, this time.”
“I’ll just try one more door.” The hinges creaked softy as it swung open. Trixie jolted to a stop and hurriedly tried to close it once again, an apology on her lips.
“Not so fast, dearie,” a crackly, old voice demanded. “You don’t get away with disturbing me that easily.”
“Wh-what do you mean?” Trixie stammered. Honey peeked over her shoulder to see a woman dressed as a cleaner; a nearby bucket of supplies completed the picture.
The old woman laughed, though without humour. “You’ll answer a few questions for me,” she explained. “You see, I know who you are and I know who you may become.”
“You do?” Trixie stepped closer, intrigued. “Do you tell fortunes? Have you had some sort of vision?”
The laugh sounded once again. “What do you take me for, dearie? Of course not; I read it on the internet. It’s not entirely the domain of your generation.” The teenager’s face fell. “I’ve read all about you at Jix. I’m working my way through the authors alphabetically and I’m up to ‘J’. Now, you’ll answer my questions and, if you get them right, you’ll get another question. If you get them wrong,” the woman sniggered, “I may give you another question anyway. You’ll have to figure out for yourself whether you’ve been correct. You can’t leave until you have six correct answers.”
“O-okay,” Trixie agreed. “What’s the first question?”
1. How many universes does Janice currently have, not including stand-alone stories?
“Hey! That’s not fair!” Trixie objected. “I don’t know anything about this Jinx place. How should I know that? And anyway, what’s a universe?”
“It’s ‘Jix’, dearie, not ‘Jinx’.” She sighed. “I suppose I could give you multiple choice.”
(A) seven (B) twenty-three (C) two
2. In The Long Way Home, with which BWG male is Honey currently romantically involved?
“Ooh! I really want to know this,” Honey squeaked. “What’s the answer?”
3. In the story Seven Music Boxes, what does Trixie find under the kitchen table?
(A) Seven Music Boxes (B) Seven boxes of sheet music (C) A dead hamster
4. What are the names of these universes?
(A) The Long Way Home and A Time and A Season (B) The Long Way Home and It’s Time for Supper (C) Another Way Home and A Time for Acting Silly
5.
Laughing in the same unnerving manner, the old woman shook her head.
Trixie groaned. “I just knew that was wrong!”
6. At the current stage of posting, which couple or couples are common to both universes?
(A) Jim and Trixie, and Honey and Brian (B) Jim and Trixie only (C) Honey and Dan, and Mart and Di
7. What startling event occurs in the third episode of It’s Time for Supper?
(A) Jim is dead (B) Mart is abducted by aliens (C) Somebody runs with scissors
8.
“Well done,” the woman admitted, with a slow nod of her head. “You may go now.”
“Thank you,” breathed Honey. “I just hope that we can find our way back, so that we can get better directions next time, so that we won’t bother you, or anyone else.”
“You won’t need that,” the woman replied, with a smile. “Here are your supplies. Mrs. Henderson called earlier on my cell phone and told me to expect you.”
Trixie let out an indignant squeak. “You mean, you knew what we were here for all along?”
“Of course,” the woman admitted. “I told you I’m not psychic. How else would I know who you were?”
Lost for words, Trixie gathered the items they had been sent to collect and carefully backed away, leaving her friend to stammer their thanks. The door closed behind them and she leaned against it.
“If I never hear of Jinx again, it’ll be too soon!” Trixie proclaimed.
“Wasn’t it called ‘Jix’?” Honey asked.
“Whatever,” her friend replied.
The End
9. Which secondary character dies in the Another Way Home story Mystery in the Mailbox?
(A) Miss Trask (B) Jonesy (C) Nancy Drew
10. In which universe does Jim inherit a house and in which does he buy one?
(A) Inherit in The Long Way Home and buy in A Time and A Season (B) Inherit in A Time and A Season and buy in The Long Way Home (C) Inherit in It’s Time for Supper and buy in Another Way Home
11.
The old woman gave the two girls a long look, but said nothing.
“Was that wrong?” Honey asked. “Can we have another try, please?”
12. In the first episode of A Time and A Season, which character discovers that she is pregnant?
“All I can say is that it had better not be me!” Trixie exclaimed.
13. In the upcoming story, Insider Trading, which burning question will be answered?
(A) Who is the father of Miss Trask’s love child? (B) Why did Mr. Lytell bury Sergeant Molinson’s body under the floorboards of his store? (C) Which parent of one or more BWGs is hiding a terrible secret?
14.
The old woman’s glance dropped to the floor.
“I guess that was wrong, then,” Trixie muttered. “Do we have to start all over again?”