In Search Of Elysium

Chapter 3

Something Strange In The Big Hole

Richard led Kevin and Cody toward the pond. Ed was in the hole using a pick, pulling at the crumbled stones.

"Is it safe for us to come down, Ed?" Richard yelled.

"Yes, come over here," Ed said, with excitement in his voice. "There is something strange down here."

"Be careful, guys. These stones look sharp; you don't want to fall." Richard warned. "In fact, maybe you should stay on the edge."

"We'll be careful," Kevin said.

"Richard, there is something in here. I'm not sure what it is, but when the stone exploded it bounced away from the center. It's the strangest thing I ever saw.."

Richard bent over where Ed was digging and yelled, "Hey, look at this. There is something black in here. It looks like metal or something. Dang, it's black as oil."

Kevin and Cody watched with awe as the two men kept digging and yelling back and forth about something in the big hole.

"Is it a whale?" Kevin asked, walking toward the men. "They are black and huge."

"Kevin, watch where you step. I don't know what could be in here. In fact, get out! Now! Get to the edge of the pond! Until we know what we are dealing with, I don't want the two of you getting into trouble."

"Gee, I want to see the whale, Dad. I'll be good. Please? Please, Daddy?" Kevin begged.

Cody had already moved to the side of the pond, watching the action. He was not as daring as Kevin and didn't want trouble.

"OK, Ed, what do we have here? You must have seen this kind of thing at the quarry before. What is it?" Richard asked.

"I don't know, Richard," Ed replied as he kept pulling the stone away from the black object.

They could now see a long black metallic object embedded in the stone. It looked huge and so shiny that Kevin still thought it might be a whale.

"Look! It is a whale!" he cried. "It's still wet. Can I touch it?"

Richard reached for Kevin's hand and helped him over to the object. "I don't think it will hurt you. It must be dead since it has been here for up to 200 million years. Go ahead, touch it."

Kevin knelt down and looked at the black object. "Hello Mister Whale." He put his hand on it and let it sit there for a minute. "It feels funny. It tingles on my hand. Daddy, can I have my hand back now?"

"Just move your hand, Kevin," his Dad suggested.

"It doesn't want me to move my hand. It likes me. Mister Whale, I have to move my hand!" Kevin pulled his hand, and it jerked as if held there by some force.

"That sure was strange," Ed said. "I don't know what this is. It could be a giant fossil or something. We will have to get this stone out of here in the morning."

"Yes, it is getting too late now to do much more," Richard said. "I'll look on the Internet tonight and see if I can find anything... it can't be that rare. I mean... gee... people been digging into this stone for hundreds of years."

"Yes, there has to be an explanation," Ed replied. "We can get a better look at it in the morning."

"Know what? I don't have school tomorrow. It's Saturday." Kevin cheered

"And I'm staying here, 'cause I don't have school," Cody said.

"Yes Cody, let's get back to the house. Ed, I'll see you early in the morning. We have to get this mess cleaned up as soon as we can. Whale or no whale, I need this pond operational in a few weeks," Richard warned.