I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones.
All your children will be taught by the Lord and great will be their peace.'
~Isaiah 54:12-13~
The rocks... they were growing!
Parker craned his neck, keeping the glint of the diamonds in sight. They laid back in the cave, atop the rubies, amethysts, and emeralds... I need to get in!
The earth sensed his desire and continued to shift. The solid ground beneath him heaved, snapping his muscles into action. The chasm was closing, the rock faces folding in on each other; determined he would not enter! He needed to speed things up. He jumped, limbs flailing to give himself momentum. He hit the button aside his boot; flex-a-leather activated!
Parker touched down, but only for a second. Energy compacted through the soles of his boots and he hit the air, sailing just in time through the remaining inches of the cave's opening. A jagged edge caught him in the forehead and left his hat on the outside. Parker swiped the bloody cut above his eye, somersaulting into a standing position.
A few steps inside the mouth, the blackish red roof of the cave yawned back, far beyond what Parker could see. Especially with limited light. With one hand, he lifted a fist of dirt to clot the blood while the other switched his flashlight on. The beam brilliantly hit the massive mounds of jewels and coins that laid inside. Over how many centuries had ti collected? Across how many lands, from endless kingdom fortunes?
Where to start? Parker had to wonder, scanning the expense of the cave. He had brought the one sack, but that was all that was allowed. He only needed a little. And then she'll be safe...
Parker dove for the nearest shimmering pile and immediately felt the edges of the coins, the rounded rubies, and rough-cut sapphires. None were wet. Neither the next pile or the next- not a damp edge among them!
"Farther back." Parker rationed, his voice bouncing back from the layers of chalky orange and brown. He refused to feel frustrated. He had made it to the Crawling Caves, over the Waving Hills and across the Lava Fields... farther then any who'd gone ahead of him. "I will make it back!"
Parker climbed over a heap of silver and pearls and moonstones, stumbling knee-deep in the amassed wealth. Hitting the back wall of the cave, he dragged his hands through it. While cool to the touch, his fingers stayed dry as a harvest bone. Parker threw some of the doubloons aside, their light echos against the ground filling the cave. Parker cocked his head as they faded, an idea stilling him. And he listened.
Silence overcame the cave, the rocks no longer shifting. But Parker stared ahead, listening beyond the hollow silence. Until the faint trickle of playing, running water came to his ears. He rushed in its direction, his flashlight becoming the only source of light, farther and farther inward. Until his boot splashed!
In a triumphant laugh, Parker knelt while twisting the cap off his leather pouch. "Found it! I found it, I found-"
"Parker Wilkes ANDERSON!" the cave rumbled and roared. Parker raised his head, brow cocked. Why does it sound like-
"Mrs. Clearn." Parker exclaimed, water hitting his face. He blinked through the sweet drops and indeed, their neighbor was leaning off her front porch. With the usual matted hair and waving fist. "Out! Out of my yard!"
The cave walls had fallen away; the damp shade was now the heavy hot air between the box houses and their parched yards. All except the Clearn's.
"You need to share!" Parker demanded, an eye- and arm- still on her sprinkler. Wound to Mrs. Clearn's bright pink hose, it shot cool crystals of water up and over her grass and onto her flowerbeds. That is, the streams that weren't landing in Parker's plastic water bottle.
"I said out!" Mrs. Clearn ranted now, coming down her steps- reaching for Mr. Clearn's rake! It was the metal-toothed fear of any kid on and across Needle Street. Parker spun his bottle lid back on, wheeling on his heel in the soft grass. He slipped on his fourth step, but fear had him jumping up and across the Clearn's sizzling driveway. Everything sizzled, brown and hot as Thanksgiving rolls at Grandma's.
Only it was still summer and Needle Street had been shriveling under the sun for four weeks, along with the rest of the town. No thunder, no rain, very few breezes. All the houses rested on dry, crunchy-yellow grass... except for Mrs. Clearn. She was a crazy lady would rather starve then see her flowers wither.
Or stepped on! Parker leapt a row of blue and yellow and disappeared through the well-worn passage in the bush wall between their yards. This didn't satisfy Mrs. Clearn, continuing to yell; but Parker rounded the house and couldn't hear her. He entered the narrow backyard, water bottle triumphantly. "Parker Peril, the great explorer, returns!"
At this, Megan's bright blue eyes exploded with her squeeee of delight. "You were REALLY fast that time!"
Parker's chin raised as his sister clapped. "Almost got caught."
"You did." Megan's eyes widened now, face sobering. Parker nodded, walking up to her under the frail shade of Mom's one dogwood tree. "This is the last one though."
Megan looked down at the bottom of the wash bin, in which she sat. It was old, not much space, but deeper then the mini-pool the Thorntons' owned. Even so, Megan snapped her head back up with a smile. "No problem, Park."
There were a mere three inches of water for her. So many sweaty trips back and forth and he couldn't have gotten more. Parker glared at Megan's wheelchair beside the wash bin. She wouldn't be able to feel much with so little water. But Mrs. Clearn would be on guard now... even Parker Peril had his fears.
Parker wasted no time, pouring half of the water over Megan's curly head. The precious, cool remains went over his equally curly hair. Tiny beads of sweet relief, and Megan's thrilled smile. She splashed her hands down, then up, soaking her bathing suit along with her hair. Parker grinned at her simple amusement, his chest welling with pride. Mission accomplished, Mr. Peril!
THE END
