Like Veins of Red Rubies (Most Precious Book 1) Read online

Stanley walked along the empty streets. The row of domiciles was dark and quiet, except for the few lights and silhouettes of people laughing and sharing conversations. He walked across the town center and looked up at the clock that marked ten-forty.

  "I have about two hours tonight," he said to himself and continued on.

  Stanley reached the broken wall and went through to the lake. He set his bag beside him and knelt down to fold the cuffs of his pants up to his knees. He removed his shoes and socks and held them in his left hand. With his right, he grabbed his bag.

  He stepped into the water and took slow steps, the calm water rippling from where he walked. Stanley sunk deeper as he went farther in, until the water rose to his knees. It grazed the tip of his folded pants, but he started rising and continued to do so until he reached the other side. He set his bag down and opened it and withdrew a towel. He dried his legs then placed the towel, along with his shoes and socks on top of a rock. He zipped his bag open and walked to an opening and climbed through. It was dark inside the tunnel, but light was not required for he stopped when he banged his head.

  Stanley reached into his bag and pulled out a light. He felt along the wall for a cleft and perched it there. He reached inside the bag and pulled out an old digger. He slid the bag under his stomach and adjusted it to cover him from the hard floor. With both hands, he aimed his digger above the thin vein of rubies. He activated the digger and it shot a beam of heated light that shot into the rock. Carefully, he dragged the beam all the way around the vein until it stuck out by itself.

  "There it is," he said. He set the digger aside and grabbed a chisel and mallet. He placed the base of the chisel closely by the ruby vein and gently tapped it with the mallet. Little chunks of rocks fell away. He continued to pick at the rocks until the vein fell out, and he dropped his chisel as he shifted to catch it.

  "You’re not getting away," he said, clutching the rubies. He brought it close and observed it for a moment before placing it on the cleft. He looked around for more veins, but there were none, so he brought the digger out again. For a long while, he dug. But when eleven long rings echoed from the town to the cavern and up the tunnel, Stanley stopped. He returned his gaze to the end of the tunnel and saw a glinting point. He lowered his digger and ran his finger along it.

  "What are you?" he said. Without looking away, he reached down to the cleft to grab the light, but his grip loosened and he dropped it. The light slid down the tunnel and cracked, allowing the darkness to envelop him.

  "Damn my luck," he said. He reached forward and ran his finger along the sharp point. "I can feel you right there," he said. "It would be a shame to leave you." He set the digger in front of him and aimed toward it. He released a beam and using the small bit of light, noticed that the point was red compared to the surrounding grey rocks. He carved out the basic shape of the point, and it seemed to go on for a long way up.

  "I've hit the pot," Stanley said with a silly grin. He opened his mouth widely and chuckled. "I've hit it, I've hit it." He dug farther up along the point when the rocks around it cracked. The protruding tip fell to the tunnel floor and slid down. It sliced Stanley's left arm as it went by and slid all the way down.

  "Gah!" Stanley wailed. He let go of his digger and it slid down as well. He rolled to his back and brought his damaged arm to his face, but he couldn't make anything out in the dark. Liquid dripped onto his face and rolled down his cheeks. But he did not pay much attention to it. He used his good arm to search for the cleft, and when he found it, he grasped the thin ruby vein and held it close to his chest. Pushing with his damaged arm, he slid down, using his bag as a buffer. His legs almost cracked when he abruptly crashed to the bottom. Frantic, he patted the ground, but cringed when he felt the broken glass that was once the light. He patted elsewhere, but not long after, he felt something sharp dig into his skin, and he reached down to where it was less sharp. He grabbed it, stood up, and waded clumsily through the water which fluttered violently, dampening his clothes and washing over his face. He staggered out of the cavern to the town and looked down to what he held. It was thin, long and red, with a pointed head at the top. The arm that held it was covered in dirt, torn open and bleeding.

  "Hey Stanley, what are you doing out so late?" a voice called from down the street. "It's me, your cousin Victor." But his greeting was interrupted when he gasped. "What's happened to you?"

  Stanley looked up and uttered, "Get my things. Please! I need medicine." He scurried over to the vending machines and struggled to count his change. His trembling, bleeding hands barely managed to fit the coins in, but he managed and received a pill and a cup of water. He swallowed the pill and washed it down with the water. He crushed the cup with a tightly clenched fist and released a long, raspy sigh. He glanced at the gash on his arm which spouted the dirt and sealed.

  Victor approached with Stanley's belongings, but he was holding the sharp rod far away from him.

  "Stanley," he said, voice blunt and clear. "Where did you get this?"

  Stanley did not answer. He took his bag and started packing it.

  "Stanley," Victor said again, this time snapping his fingers. "You have to answer me. Where did you get this?"

  Stanley rose and slung his bag over his shoulder. "I was digging," he said. "That’s when I found this."

  "Digging where?"

  Stanley pointed behind him. "It was through the busted wall, past the lake."

  "You’re not supposed to go there," Victor said. "What would ever drive you to do so?"

  Stanley stared back with large, baggy eyes that surrendered to Victor’s thin, sharp ones. "I wanted to get rubies for Emily."

  For a moment, Victor did not speak, but he twitched his eyes. He pointed to Stanley’s arm. "That gash you had," he said, "was it because of this thing?" He shook the rod.

  Stanley nodded. "Yes. But it’s fine. I’m all healed and I don’t feel anything."

  "You may be fine, but what if someone else had found it?" said Victor. "What if they couldn’t get their pills on time and died?"

  "It was far into the earth, somewhere no one should have been," said Stanley. "It could have only happened to me at that precise moment."

  "I think we should share this with the council," said Victor. "We can’t keep the discovery of such a weapon to ourselves."

  "I suppose that would be the wisest thing to do," said Stanley.

  "I will call a meeting tomorrow morning. I will come by and walk with you."

  Stanley nodded. "All right."

  "Goodnight and keep yourself safe," Victor said. He carefully held the rod as he walked away.

  Stanley turned and made his way back. He walked by the row of domiciles. Every domicile was dark except for his. Emily was waiting out front in her nightgown. When Stanley approached, she dashed over, face pale and frowning.

  "You made me suffer," she said. "Why are your clothes so dirty? Your face looks battered. Where were you?"

  "I went to get the rubies," Stanley said. "But I couldn’t get much." He opened his hand and revealed a thin strand of red rubies that was covered in dirt and dried blood.

  Emily’s eyes drooped as she said, "I don’t want you to waste your energy trying to get them for me. As long as you’re with me, all I want is for you to rest."

  "But I saw a vein; I had it right in front of me. I can get it tomorrow, I know I can."

  Emily pressed her thumb against Stanley’s lips. "No more from you," she said. "No more."

  Despite every feature on his face being down, Stanley managed a smile. "Thanks for always caring about me. That is why I love you." Emily opened the door and Stanley entered.

  Stanley took a long shower and changed into his sleepwear. He lay down beside Emily who had already fallen asleep. As his eyes closed, his mouth opened to whisper into her ear, "I will get those rubies for you."

  THREE