Jake Stine and the key of eternity

Jake Stine and the Key of Eternity

Chapter 1

Thunderstorms were not an uncommon sight in this part of the world. I, Jake Stine glared into the dim light emanating from the lantern, remembering that awful day when I lay my hand on that cursed rock. I lay on my cot recalling…

The sun had set and I made my way for my house as I strolled further towards the onrushing waves. My dark brown hair wavered as the cool sea breeze hit my face. Something brushed against my foot. These flip-flops are quite bleak I thought as I glanced down. The obstruction seemed to be some sort of a crystalline amethyst rock. I picked it up; it was warm, too warm for this time of day. I rolled it around in my palms. Just as I was about to cast it away, light invaded the entire beach the glare seemed to be coming from the rock I had in my hand. Suddenly a snakelike sensation crept up my spine, my knees buckled and I collapsed over. The last thing I remember was a sharp, shrill cry of agony….I found my self covered with mist, I looked around myself I could see nothing but a few trees here and there. I took a few steps forward and froze as I felt a creepy feeling on my shoulder as if someone was tugging from behind. I slowly looked behind and to my respite it was only a tree branch. I was pretty dazed by the events and just as I was going to cry out I saw a shimmering light at some distance. It seemed to be coming towards me. As it came closer I realized it was a group of people carrying fire torches and chanting in a language which I had never heard before. The picture became clearer as they came closer; it was a faction of people following a man carrying a cot in his hand. All of a sudden I realized they were only a few yards away from me, I quickly took cover behind a tree. A few moments later they passed me, I tried to see what was inside the cot, but I couldn’t go too close as these people did not look too affable to me. I only got a glimpse of something rapped in a white 0cloth. Suddenly a splash of water hit my face and everything seemed to go blank. White light streamed in as I opened my eyes. I looked around me and realized I was in my room. “Are you all right” I heard my mother say. I slowly got up and blinked a few times getting adjusted to the light. “I’m fine” I said getting out of my bed. I suddenly become conscious of the fact that my shirt was drenched with sweat. “We found you on the beach” my mother said with a concerned expression. “I’m fine mother but did you find a lilac rock near me” I asked her feeling my pockets. “Oh yes you were clutching a purple kind of a rock when we found you” she replied pointing at my bedside. I looked there and saw that same rock lying there. I picked it up, but now there was a different feeling about it, it was cold. “Lana was pretty worried about you” my mother said handing me a sweatshirt. “Lana came with you to look for me” I asked my mother rather surprised. “She was the one who told me that you will most probably be at the beach”.
Lana is my childhood friend. She is pretty tall and fair with dark brown eyes and the same color hair to match with it, an umbrella nose, with thin pink lips. We were very good friends before but for some pretty weird reasons we don’t talk to each other much now. She was my neighbor until a few days back when her father lost his job and they had to shift to their old house and their place was taken by the Knightleys. After she shifted we couldn’t talk much since we both were busy in our school lives.
Emily has taken Lana’s place now; she is my new neighbor along with her brother Stefan. Emily is totally different from Lana look wise, she had black hair, she is willowy and she has freckles to go with her whitish complexion. She is the kind of cheerful person that you would always like to have around you while her brother is completely opposite; always silent and mysterious.
Lana was waiting downstairs for me sitting on the couch which she had made her own. “Look whose here” I said approaching her. “I have come to return your diary which you had left at my place” she said with an adolescent look on her face. A shade of pink covered my face “did you read my diary” I said abruptly. “I don’t have time to read such thick things” she replied flinging the diary at me. “Err….. I have written quite a few of my boyish fantasies in my book which if you read would embarrass me a lot” I said realizing I had been coarse. “Anyways how did you faint on the beach?” she inquired. “It’s a long story” “I have a lot of time in hand so say it all” she said patting the couch invitingly. I sat beside her and recounted all that had happened today. After I finished the expression on her face was quite blank. Then suddenly she sprang up “can you show me that rock?”, “well yea” I said perplexed by her behavior. I took the rock out of my pocket and handed it to her. She analyzed it for some time then said in elation “you know what this could be” I shook my head “this could be some kind of inexplicable historical rock”. “Well yea” I said sardonically.
Our banter was interrupted by a commotion in the hallway; it was my friend Sean who for the hundredth time had tripped over the shoe rack. “Is it my birthday today” I said ironically as all my acquaintances were appearing out of nowhere. “I got the news that you fainted on the beach” Sean said dusting the dirt of his clothes. I looked at Lana accusingly. “Well I was worried about you” she said elucidating herself. “Well if you both are here why not invite everybody and have a gathering” I asked my two guests. “That’s an excellent idea” Sean replied gaily, he was the kind of person who always enjoyed parties and gatherings. One by one I called up all my friends and asked them to meet at our old meeting place which is well... my backyard.
“I don’t have that much time” Lana said while we were cleaning up our old hangout. “I won’t hear any excuses today” I replied putting down the chair. Our meeting place was quite fashionable with chandeliers and a dance floor but we had not used it for ages so it was pretty shabby. Emily was the next to come, “hello people” she came hopping in her usual jovial self. Her arrival sort of lifted the mood but for some strange reason Lana and Emily did not get along too well so Lana just ignored her and started dusting the dance floor. When Sean and Emily met the scenario was quite different they got along like a house on fire. “Hello Emily” Sean said rushing towards Emily to do their awfully long and complicated hand shake. After they had finished with their greetings I inquired “Where is Stefan”. “He will be here anytime now with his new soul mate” Emily replied ironically, laying additional stress on the last three syllables. “What!!” gasped Lana bewildered and quite rightly so cause Stefan was the last person you would associate having a girlfriend. “Maya and Stefan have been going around for quite some”- “You have got to be joking, Maya, how is it possible” Lana said completely stupefied. “A person should never judge another by what he is from outside as we all know, looks can be impersonating” A voice came from the foyer. All of us shifted our vision to the pair who had just entered.
Maya at one time was Lana’s closest friend. They were more like sisters, they shared everything, wore the same type of clothes and always backed each other, and they were inseparable.
Maya walked in, her arm in Ethan’s and her large brown eyes glittering in the light emanating from the chandeliers. She was wearing a purple tank top and white skirt which was way better than any of our attires. She looked so very different from the old chubby Maya we knew and she no longer was Lana’s best pal. “So if everybody is here lets get on with the meeting” I said loudly to stop any commotion from taking place as things seemed to be heating up between Maya and Lana and it had a very decent effect they both looked away from each other and sat at their respective places. We all sat around the oval wooden table placed on the dance floor, the light of the chandeliers shimmering down on us and the whiff of delicious food filling the air. “So what is the topic of discussion today” Emily said breaking the ice. “Hmmm well I did not decide on any topic but there is something I would like to enlighten you all with” I said hesitating that whether I should tell them about the beach incident or not. I slowly began narrating the incident which I had already recounted to Lana and saw the expression of my guests change from amusing to comical. “You have got a wild imagination” Stefan said sneering. I knew none of them would believe me and was already cursing myself for having told them about the occurrence at the beach. “I believe him” Lana said defending me which enlightened me up a bit, at least someone didn’t think of me as Hoodwink I thought. “Don’t you think it’s quite bizarre for something like this to happen” Maya retaliated. Suddenly Emily spoke up “can I see the stone you are talking about”. I had predicted someone would ask me this so I had kept it with me in my pocket. I put forth the crystalline rock on the table. It was still the same, cold and did now show any sign of doing anything out of the ordinary. Emily picked it up and examined it and so did everyone else. “It seems like a regular stone you find on beaches” Sean said after scrutinizing the stone for a long time. “But it does look beautiful” Maya said considering the bright color of the rock. “Just leave it” I said putting the stone back in my pocket. But then I suddenly felt a warm feeling I instantly removed the stone and there it was a bright light was emitting out of the stone. “What in the world is that” Emily said shell shocked. “Now do you believe me” I said with contentment glowing on my face. They all glared at the rock with awe then rapidly the whole world around us seemed to darken. All of us found ourselves in a jungle. We all were absolutely astonished and out of words by what had just occurred. There was a moist feeling in the air and there was a nerve tingling silence in the atmosphere. The wind was still and the only noise was that of night insects. All of a sudden there was a shrill cry and then everything seemed to blacken again and we found ourselves back in my backyard. There was a bedazzled look on everyone’s face. “What in the world was that” Maya gasped. All of us were astounded none of us had ever experienced anything of this sort. “Can anyone guess which place was that” Lana asked breaching the silence. “It seemed like a tropical forest to me and my guess is that it looked quite a lot like the Amazon” I said visualizing the extraordinary place. “So then let’s go to the Amazon” Lana exclaimed springing up with excitement. “You’re going nuts Lana, maybe you should take a break” Maya said taunting Lana. “You’re the crazy one out here not me Ma- well what should I call you, let’s see, how about Mrs. Knightly” Lana revoked glaring at Maya. “What did you say” Stefan bellowed getting up. “Will you all stop quarrelling” I shouted coming in between the two who were glaring at each other in such a way as if they would tear each other apart. “If you go to see Lana’s idea is not bad, we are anyways nearing our vacations and it would be awesome to go on an adventure” Sean said with a grin. I nodded “It would be perfect and it has been ages since we have not gone out together.” “But how are we going to manage it and will our parents allow us to go to a place like the Amazon” Emily questioned and quite rightly so as that would be the last place where parents will think of sending their children for a camp. “Don’t worry about that I will fix up everything” I replied already planning in my mind what was supposed to be done. “I will call you’ll and let you know what to do next” I said getting up to look at the clock which showed ten pm. That was the end of our meeting and the beginning of what we thought would be a nice vacation but never could we have imagined what awaited us in the deep dark corner of the world.