Like Veins of Red Rubies (Most Precious Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

voice was faint, but incessant as he said, "Come down
now."
    Victor stopped and lowered his
drill.
    Stanley pushed the last mound of
dirt down and called, "We will. Stay clear of the ramp." He turned to
Victor. "Hand me the drill. I’ll take it down."  Victor handed
the drill over.
    Stanley turned to lie on his
back. He hugged the drill and pointed the tip of it down, away from his body.
    Victor furrowed his eyebrows and
said, "Are you going to slide down like that?"
    "I’m experienced."
    "You’re crazy, do you know
that?"
    Stanley chuckled and slid his
foot out of the ledges and slid downward. His tough armor rubbed against the
rocks, preventing him from sliding too quickly, and produced a coarse, grating
noise. He kept his legs far apart as the drill worryingly shook and edged
toward them. He slid out of the tunnel and down the ramp of dirt and continued
until he stopped at the foot of the lake.
    Mr. Roberts ran over. "That
was quite the sight," he said as he helped Stanley up.
    "I’m used to it now,"
Stanley said. "I’m glad you made that ramp. Otherwise, I would have had a
deadly impact."
    "I’m glad I did too,"
said Mr. Roberts. "Many of the others have already left. Leave your gear
near your tunnel. Will Victor be coming down?"
    "Yes. He's still getting
accustomed to the slide. I'm sure he'll get down soon," said Stanley. He
walked over to the tunnel and flashed his light inside. "Victor!" he
called.
    "What?" Victor said.
    "Leave your gear down
here."
    "All
right."
    Stanley set the drill down and
removed his gear. He placed every piece beside the drill and kneeled to fold
his pants. He stood up and started through the lake.
    "Aren’t you going to wait
for Victor?" said Mr. Roberts.
    "The guy can handle
himself," Stanley said. He walked through the lake and continued
barefooted, through the broken wall to the city. He passed town square where
many had gathered to speak with the other men who had dug that day. But Stanley
passed them, and made his way through the streets to his domicile. He knocked
on his door and Emily answered.
    "Oh Stanley," Emily
said, looking him up and down. "You seem emptied."
    "Just exhausted,"
Stanley said.
    Emily led him inside. "Did
you eat?" she said.
    "No."
    Emily handed Stanley a pill and a
cup of water. "I thought you might have forgotten."
    "I love you," he said.
He took the pill and cup of water from her.
    They leaned on the wall and
simply stared each other in the eyes as they swallowed their pills. Without
breaking eye contact, they drank the water, and they both smiled, but Stanley’s
was weak.
    "What’s wrong?" said
Emily.
    "I tried getting those
rubies for you," Stanley said. "But that bastard Victor destroyed
them." He ran his hand through his hair and stared down the street.
    "Stanley," Emily said.
"Stanley, look at me." She caressed his face with both hands.
"Forget about the rubies. I don’t need anything like that. I need you as
you are." She kissed his lips. "But first, take a shower."
    Stanley smiled and hugged Emily.
He stepped into the shower and remained in there for a long time. The hot water
dug into his skin and trickled down his body, taking with them the dirt he had
accumulated over the day, the dirt that had puffed and seeped through his
clothes. He stepped out and dried himself and returned to his room.
    Emily was awake in bed and he
joined her. Throughout the night, they talked and laughed. Stanley told her
what had happened in the tunnels and she told him about how worried Mrs.
Roberts was about her husband. Stanley held her close as she fell asleep and he
slept shortly after, as he lost himself to his dreams.

FIVE
     
    Emily tightened Stanley’s apron
and placed hers over it, then tightened it as well. She poked in a kiss.
"I’ll come by when you’re all done. We’ll have our pills outside,
together."
    "I can’t wait," said
Stanley. He kissed her and left.
    Stanley walked past the domiciles
and into the streets.
    An old woman who had followed