Read Online Stones: Experiment (Stones #3) by Jacob Whaler - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jacob Whaler
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varieties hangs from the branches of trees made for climbing. The music of songbirds and gurgling streams floats through the air.
Koi
fish swim in clear ponds lined with smooth rocks. The fragrance of vanilla plants and pineapples invigorates the air.
“Where did you find the time to work on this?” Jessica’s eyes move from left to right, taking in scenes cut from the Book of Paradise. “It’s so much better.”
“Don’t worry,” Matt says. “I’ve had lots of time the past few months. And it helps that Yarah hasn’t built any restrictions into her world. I can jump away whenever I like.” Reaching up, he pulls down a fruit resembling a barbell with two round purple spheres connected by a brown stem. Snapping the stem in two, he hands one of the fruits to Jessica. He brings the stem to his mouth and sucks on it like a straw. His eyes roll back into his head. “The nectar of the gods.”
Jessica grins. “Don’t tell me.” She brings a stem up to her lips and takes a long pull, closing her eyes.
Matt holds his breath.
“Impossible.” She brings the stem up to her mouth and takes another long sip. “It starts out as coconut, then moves to banana, past vanilla and peanut butter, and ends up with raspberry. All my favorite flavors.”
“That took some doing to perfect. There’s a lot more surprises on this world, but I’ll let you discover them later on your own. If we ever have time.” Matt takes her hand and pulls her back onto the path. “Close your eyes.”
Jessica obeys.
Matt pulls her closer. “No peeking.” They walk the winding dirt path for another thirty seconds until they come to a clearing.
“Happy birthday.”
Jessica’s eyelids lift. Her mouth drops open. Her eyes pan back and forth. When she finally moves her lips, it’s just a whisper.
“How did you know?”
Matt’s hand drops and squeezes her fingers. “Know what?”
“About this.” Jessica stares forward. “You even have the sign of the unicorn over the front door.” Her head slowly swings to face Matt. “I never told anyone. How could you have known about this?”
“You told your journal. When you were ten years old. As I recall, you wrote
My Dream House
over the top of that picture you made.” Matt looks back into Jessica’s eyes, grins and looks back up at the three-story house that vaguely reminds him of an old English manor, but with larger windows and a slide going from the roof to the green lawn that surrounds it.
Jessica’s eyes narrow. “Matt Newmark,” she says, turning her body squarely toward him and putting the palms of her hands flat on his chest. “How did you get my journal?”
“From your bedroom, of course.”
Her eyes grow wider. “You’ve been back to my house?”
“Only once.”
Jessica’s fingers curl into fists gripping his shirt. “Did you see my parents? How were they doing? And my little brother. Did you see him?”
“It was the middle of the night. I just popped into your room for a few seconds and found the journal.” Matt slowly inhales. “They think you died in an accident during your internship with MX Global. You were on a heli-transport that fell into the Pacific on the way back from Japan. They received a big payment. I saw the plaque on the wall in your bedroom.”
Jessica stares at the ground. “They think I’m dead?” Her fingers uncurl from Matt’s shirt and drop down. She goes into a crouching position, palms resting on the grass, staring in silence. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I couldn’t, Jess. You don’t deserve this. You’ve already sacrificed so much for me. And now your family . . .”
Jessica looks up, eyes brimming with tears. “I’ve tried not to think too much about them. It’s just too hard. Knowing I may never see them again. If only there was something I could do, a way to let them know I’m OK. So they wouldn’t have to grieve.”
“Someday, when Ryzaard is gone, we’ll go back and make it all
Koi
fish swim in clear ponds lined with smooth rocks. The fragrance of vanilla plants and pineapples invigorates the air.
“Where did you find the time to work on this?” Jessica’s eyes move from left to right, taking in scenes cut from the Book of Paradise. “It’s so much better.”
“Don’t worry,” Matt says. “I’ve had lots of time the past few months. And it helps that Yarah hasn’t built any restrictions into her world. I can jump away whenever I like.” Reaching up, he pulls down a fruit resembling a barbell with two round purple spheres connected by a brown stem. Snapping the stem in two, he hands one of the fruits to Jessica. He brings the stem to his mouth and sucks on it like a straw. His eyes roll back into his head. “The nectar of the gods.”
Jessica grins. “Don’t tell me.” She brings a stem up to her lips and takes a long pull, closing her eyes.
Matt holds his breath.
“Impossible.” She brings the stem up to her mouth and takes another long sip. “It starts out as coconut, then moves to banana, past vanilla and peanut butter, and ends up with raspberry. All my favorite flavors.”
“That took some doing to perfect. There’s a lot more surprises on this world, but I’ll let you discover them later on your own. If we ever have time.” Matt takes her hand and pulls her back onto the path. “Close your eyes.”
Jessica obeys.
Matt pulls her closer. “No peeking.” They walk the winding dirt path for another thirty seconds until they come to a clearing.
“Happy birthday.”
Jessica’s eyelids lift. Her mouth drops open. Her eyes pan back and forth. When she finally moves her lips, it’s just a whisper.
“How did you know?”
Matt’s hand drops and squeezes her fingers. “Know what?”
“About this.” Jessica stares forward. “You even have the sign of the unicorn over the front door.” Her head slowly swings to face Matt. “I never told anyone. How could you have known about this?”
“You told your journal. When you were ten years old. As I recall, you wrote
My Dream House
over the top of that picture you made.” Matt looks back into Jessica’s eyes, grins and looks back up at the three-story house that vaguely reminds him of an old English manor, but with larger windows and a slide going from the roof to the green lawn that surrounds it.
Jessica’s eyes narrow. “Matt Newmark,” she says, turning her body squarely toward him and putting the palms of her hands flat on his chest. “How did you get my journal?”
“From your bedroom, of course.”
Her eyes grow wider. “You’ve been back to my house?”
“Only once.”
Jessica’s fingers curl into fists gripping his shirt. “Did you see my parents? How were they doing? And my little brother. Did you see him?”
“It was the middle of the night. I just popped into your room for a few seconds and found the journal.” Matt slowly inhales. “They think you died in an accident during your internship with MX Global. You were on a heli-transport that fell into the Pacific on the way back from Japan. They received a big payment. I saw the plaque on the wall in your bedroom.”
Jessica stares at the ground. “They think I’m dead?” Her fingers uncurl from Matt’s shirt and drop down. She goes into a crouching position, palms resting on the grass, staring in silence. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I couldn’t, Jess. You don’t deserve this. You’ve already sacrificed so much for me. And now your family . . .”
Jessica looks up, eyes brimming with tears. “I’ve tried not to think too much about them. It’s just too hard. Knowing I may never see them again. If only there was something I could do, a way to let them know I’m OK. So they wouldn’t have to grieve.”
“Someday, when Ryzaard is gone, we’ll go back and make it all
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