The Gemstone Search

It wasn’t a lie, or then again, maybe it was. Could I actually be so gullible as to believe such a thing really existed when my common sense told me it was totally illogical. Perhaps if I hadn’t listened to all those stories about pirate treasures and quests for lost cities or the holy grail, I would have dismissed this story as one more bogus pipe dream. Unfortunately, that wasn’t what happened.

I had just turned fifteen and was spending the summer bored out of my mind. My next-door neighbor was an old man that spent most of his life sailing the globe. His stories about far-away places and unusual people always fascinated me and today’s tale was no exception. What was different about this story was that it wasn’t about a person or a place, but about the rarest, most precious item on the planet, a glowing multicolored gemstone about the size of my fist.

Mr. Pritchett spent one afternoon describing this stone in great detail and its role in human cultural development. Neanderthals and Cro-Magnon humans had drawings of it on their cave walls. Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Chinese, and many other ancient civilizations described it and its powers in great detail. The societies that possessed it were the ones that advanced while the others faded into obscurity. I was mesmerized by his story and needed to learn more.

It made no sense that universities and libraries weren’t overflowing with information about this gem, but except for sparse references in old books, it was hardly mentioned. The deeper I dug the more difficult it was to gather hard evidence. Later that summer I didn’t give up but suspended my hunt for actionable data until I was older. During my high school years, I strove to improve my grades so I could get accepted into the best university available offering a full scholarship. This was my top priority. Continuing to meet with Mr. Pritchett also helped keep me motivated.

As you may have guessed, my major in university was archeology and ancient cultures. My professors did not share the same passion about the glowing gemstone as I did. Actually, they felt that I was obsessed with this legend and threatened to kick me out of the program. Their joint stonewalling only confirmed my suspicion that the existence of the gem was being covered up by the government or some clandestine cabal. What or whoever was behind this shield of secrecy was unclear to me, but I was determined to expose them and rescue humanity.

My big break came the day after graduation. I received a short text from an obscure branch of the government that dealt with strange phenomena. They had heard of my research and wanted to meet with me. I mentioned this text to Mr. Pritchett. His only word of advice was, “Stay alert and keep your guard up.” I should have paid closer attention to his advice.

The meeting was cordial and on the positive side they offered me a research grant and the opportunity to lead an expedition in search of this all-powerful gemstone. What they neglected to tell me was that the last three expeditions never returned. I probably would have gone even if I did know about the others, but at least I would have been better prepared.

Months passed and the elusive stone remained hidden from me. I remained in contact with Mr. Pritchett because he was the reason I started on this quest to begin with. He was my mentor if you will. I was becoming discouraged and about to end the search when I received a message from my old friend asking that I join him. He was dying and wanted to see me one last time. It was the least I could do for the old man.

I sat by his bedside, and we reversed roles with me telling him about all my recent adventures. He smiled and said, “I’m glad I chose you to be the new caretaker of the stone,” and handed me a round object wrapped in a satin cloth. Once I had it his arm fell to his side and Mr. Pritchett was no longer with me. I uncovered the object and in my hand was a multi-colored pulsating gemstone.