Read Online Wishing Well by Trevor Baxendale - Free Book Online Page B

glow. 'I've never seen anything like that before!'
    'Come and have a look at this, Nigel,' said Ben, indicating the remains of the white weed-like substances trailing through some of the soil and rock fragments. 'What do you make of it?'
    'Nothing,' Nigel replied, hardly sparing it a glance. He sounded distracted. 'It's not treasure is it? That's all we're interested in...'
    Duncan was watching Nigel closely. 'Hey, Nigel. You don't look well, you know.'
    'I'm fine.'
    Ben looked. 'Dunc's right. You look as white as a ghost. Why don't you go and have a sit down, let us carry on.'
    By now Nigel was leaning weakly against the tunnel wall. 'I think I'm just tired. We're so close...'
    Duncan rested a hand on his shoulder. 'Do what Ben says. Go and have a rest. We'll come back and get you the moment we find anything.'
    'I-I don't know...' Nigel didn't look happy about it.
    'We've got another couple of metres to go,' Ben assured him. 'It's not much but there's a lot of rock and it could take a little while longer. You can't stand here. You look like you're going to throw up any minute.'
    'All right,' Nigel nodded. 'Call me the instant you find anything.'
    'Will do.' Duncan patted him on the arm and Nigel walked slowly away, heading back up the tunnel.
    Nigel stopped at the mouth of the tunnel and took several deep breaths. The climb back up the steep gradient had winded him but his whole body was tingling and there was a familiar stirring deep inside his head.
    He felt in his coat pocket and took out the stone.
    It was vibrating; just slightly, enough for him to feel it through his gloves. A sort of complacent hum, almost like the purring of a cat.
    He raised it up so that he could look at it more closely. The surface had changed. And, even as he watched, the surface began to move – microscopically, almost as if a million tiny fragments were chasing each other around like insects. It made the stone appear almost fuzzy, or blurred. Nigel had once seen a termite mound disturbed; the number of insects that had poured out had formed a sort of living mass, a river of movement, and that's what the surface of the thing looked like now. It still felt solid in his hand, but he could see and feel the activity.
    He wondered if the stone was as excited as he was.
    'What's the matter?' Nigel asked. 'You've never done this before.'
    -i must grow... i must feed-
    'Nearly there,' he murmured soothingly. 'Nearly there...'
    -hurry-
    Tiny little fingers stood up from the surface of the stone, uncoiling and probing the air like worms. They waved blindly for a few moments, sliding over his fingers and hands, and then began to lash back and forth in a more feverish manner.
    - i must grow -
    Nigel smiled. 'Yes! I know... I know... we're so very close now...'
    -it is not enough-
    'I'm sorry, I don't understand...'
    -you will never understand-
    Suddenly, sharp, barbed spines dug into his hands and Nigel cried out in pain. He felt the blood welling from his palms and fingers, and, when he tried to let go of the stone, he found that it was impossible.
    'What are you doing? You're hurting me!'
    - i must feed and grow. the time of rising is near -
    Nigel gasped in pain. 'I don't know what you mean—'
    - i am ready -
    'R-ready for what?'
    -the rising-
    He couldn't bear it any long, couldn't understand what was happening. The pain in his hands was intense, but nothing compared to the pain in his head. It felt as if the little barbs had reached all the way into his mind and were tearing through his brain tissue.
    Nigel forgot all about Duncan and Ben, all about the treasure, everything. All he wanted to do now was get out and breathe fresh, clean air. He had to get away from here.
    He had to get away from the stone.
    But, try as he might, he couldn't get rid of it; he shook his hands but the stone held fast, digging its little fingers deeper into his flesh.
    With a sob of fear, Nigel emerged into the blinding light of day and stumbled forward.

TEN
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