The Crystal's Curse

by Vicky de Leo

  “Joshua is safe in Boston with my dad,” he repeated with a big grin.

  “How did he get there?” Maria asked.

  “He ran away? How? His things are still here. Someone must have helped him get to the airport. I don’t understand.” Ricardo sounded angry.

  “I don’t know how he got there. Dad said he arrived two days ago. Even with help, I don’t see how he could have gotten there that fast. When I asked, he said he didn’t know. He didn’t want to discuss it on the phone in front of my father.” Turning to his wife, he said, “I knew that you’d want to hear his voice so I said I’d call him later. Dad’s going to be at a business dinner until eight, so we can call Joshua at home before that to get some answers.”

  “How did you find out he was there? Did he call us?” Maria asked

  “When I called the Smithsonian, they told me that my father’s office had been trying to reach me. I thought something had happened to him, so I called. Joshua was there. They said they tried calling us but couldn’t get through.”

  “I still can’t believe it. You’re sure it was Joshua and he’s all right?” She looked directly into Sam’s eyes.

  “Yes, darling, I am sure,” he said with a smile, reaching out to hug her. He knew how hard it was to believe. If he hadn’t talked to Joshua, he wouldn’t have believed it either. “He sounded just fine. Give him an hour or so to get home and then you’ll be able to talk to him yourself.”

  * * *

  One hour seemed like an eternity to Maria. There was no need to rush to close up the site now, so she spent it getting cleaning up. For the last couple of days, she had been too distraught to care what she looked like, just throwing on clothes and running a brush through her hair. Not that she ever did much when camped out on a dig. It was silly to wear makeup when it was 85 in the shade and the humidity was 90%. What didn’t roll off with the sweat was washed away during the frequent rain showers. Most of the time, she did try to tame her unruly curls. She wet down her hair and smoothed it into a ponytail. A few tendrils always escaped around her face. When she was working, she would pin them back. Now she left them. Looking in the small make-up mirror, she noticed the dark circles under her eyes. No wonder Sam had been so worried about her. She looked like death. She applied a little concealer, some mascara, and lip-gloss just to make herself feel better. Not great, she thought, but better. Finally, it was time.

  Sam drove to the clearing, punched in his father’s home number, and handed the phone to Maria.

  Joshua picked up on the second ring. “Hello.”

  “Oh, Josh, it’s so good to hear your voice. We were so worried,” Maria cried with relief. She held the phone so that both she and Sam could hear.

  “You just disappeared. How did you get to Boston?” Sam asked. Maria was silently crying and unable to speak. She continued to listen.

  “Honestly, I don’t know, Dad. One minute I was in Guatemala with you guys, and the next I was laying flat on my back in a park about a block and half from Grandpa’s house in Boston. I think I blacked out, but when I looked at my watch, only a couple of minutes had passed. What happened on your end?”

  “There was a loud noise. The metal around the recess glowed. There was a bright flash of light and then you disappeared,” answered Sam. “What did you tell your grandfather?”

  “Just that I had come to see him. I told him the airlines lost my luggage. I mentioned I wanted to live with him and attend college. I didn’t think he would believe what really happened. I was afraid he would take me to a shrink. At first, I think he believed that I ran away, but he seems happy to have me here. He’s talking about getting me transferred to Harvard,” Joshua said. They could hear the hope in his voice.

  “Joshua, what did you do when you were standing in the recess? We have been all over it and we haven’t been able to make it do anything,” Sam probed.

  “I examined the holes just like you and Mom did.”

  “It looked like you reached into your pocket for something,” Sam insisted

  Joshua hesitated before he answered. Deciding he had no choice, that he would have to tell his father about the crystal, he tried to make it sound unimportant. “Oh, that. I found what looked like a piece of crystal outside by my tent a few days before. What I felt in the holes seemed similar to the ridges down the side of crystal. I inserted it and that’s the last thing I remember. What do I do now, Dad? What are you going to tell Grandpa?”

  “Since we don’t know what really happened, I guess it’s best to just let him go on thinking we sent you there. There is no sense in your coming back now, besides you don’t have your passport. Your mother and I will talk things over and let you know what we decide when we call back to speak to your grandfather.”

  “I love you Joshua. I am so glad you’re safe,” Maria managed through her tears.

  “I love you too, Mom. I’m sorry you were worried.”

  “As long as you’re all right, son, that’s all that matters. We’ll figure this out. We’ll call you back in a couple of hours when your grandfather’s home.” Sam ended the call.

  They drove back in silence, thinking about what they had learned.

  Finally, Maria said, “I’m having trouble believing that Joshua transported to Boston in a matter of minutes by sticking a rock in a niche created hundreds of years ago. Boston didn’t even exist when the Mayan’s carved out that room.”

  Sam shrugged. “I’ve been thinking the same thing. What other explanation is there? Dad confirmed that he arrived there the same day he disappeared.”

  “If the niche really is a transporter, it lends credibility to some of the Quiche legends and the idea that someone other than the Mayans created it.”

  “The rock Joshua found must be the power source. I’m wondering if there’s some mineral in the ground here that works to power the transporter.”

  “I don’t know. I keep thinking if the niche is a transporter, then the glyphs must be settings of some kind. If that’s true, why did it take Joshua to Boston of all places? The whole thing seems impossible.”

  Sam stopped the Jeep and looked at her. “Let’s concentrate on what we do know. We know for a fact that Joshua was here one minute and then apparently in Boston a few minutes later. We also know it happened while he was standing in the niche. Therefore, there has to be some correlation between the two.”

  Maria nodded. “We also know that the niche had been covered up for a long time, so whoever built it hasn’t been using it. Unfortunately that means it’s doubtful that anyone around here has the answers we need.”

  Sam leaned back and closed his eyes. “You know it’s still a fantastic find even if we never discover what the niche is or how it works.”

  “We could write it up that way and pretend that Joshua never left.” Even as Maria made the suggestion, she knew that Sam was not a stick-your-head-in-the-sand kind of guy. He could not ignore a puzzle and pretend it didn’t exist. Nor could he risk his reputation claiming to have found an ancient transporter without sufficient proof.

  Sam started the Jeep and drove back into camp. Once there, they sought out Ricardo to tell him what they’d found out.

  “So you really believe that Joshua was transported to Boston?” Ricardo asked.

  They both nodded.

  “He couldn’t have gotten there when he did in any other way,” Sam explained.

  “We didn’t find anything in any of the holes,” said Ricardo trying to understand.

  “The only explanation that I can think of is that whatever substance powers it, gets completely burned up in the process,” answered Sam.

  “You realize how really crazy this sounds. If I didn‘t know you better, I‘d think you both flipped out.” Ricardo said with a smile.

  Sam nodded. “Yes, I’m still trying to convince myself, and I saw him disappear. Obviously we can‘t tell anyone else. I still don’t see any reason to keep the crew. We might as well continue to shut down the site as we planned. I‘m just not sure
what we should do then to find the answers we need.”

  “What do we tell the crew about Joshua?” Maria asked

  “We tell them that he called us from Boston and that he’s fine. We don’t elaborate,” answered Sam.

  “Maybe it’s time to talk to Erik Johansen about the glyphs he claims to have seen before,” mused Ricardo.

  “He’ll want to see them. But I don’t see what harm that can do now,” replied Sam.

  Chapter Seven

  When Sam and Maria called Joseph later that night, they consented for Joshua to start college. It would take them another couple of weeks to wrap up everything on the dig. Then they would come to see him before heading to Washington D.C. to begin work writing up their discovery. Joshua was elated. Thanks to his grandfather, not only did he now have a new wardrobe, but he’d also insisted on helping Joshua with tuition.

  It all happened so fast. The next day Maggie had his transcripts faxed to the office. Joseph made a call to the president of the university, who assured him that there would be no problem with Joshua’s transfer. He could register in the classes he had been taking online and begin attending class immediately. Registration papers were faxed to the office, filled out, and faxed back to the university. Maggie even had Joshua’s books sent over. Obviously, Joseph Carson was a much more important man than Joshua realized.

  In addition, his grandfather had arranged for Nathan to pick up Joshua on his first day to show him around the campus.

  “I‘m sorry my grandfather imposed on you. I could have found my way around,” Joshua apologized when Nathan picked him up.

  “I don’t mind. I don’t have a class until this afternoon,” replied Nathan. “By the way, what did you say to Frank the other night? He seemed upset. I thought I ought to warn you, he has a nasty temper.”

  “He got in my face telling me that Sara was his. I just said I enjoyed a challenge.”

  Nathan laughed. “Yeah, that would do it. Be careful. While you may be able to take on Frank, it would never be just him. He always brings along his buddies for back up.”

  “Thanks for the heads up. Are Sara and Frank an item?”

  “He seems to think so. The only time I’ve seen them together is when he stops by after class and walks with her. It always looks to me like she’s trying to get rid of him.”

  Nathan parked the car in student parking. They walked around campus and Nathan pointed out the buildings where Joshua had classes. When he pointed out the Peabody Museum of Archeology, Joshua told him his father was an archeologist working on a dig in Guatemala. As they passed the Science Center, Nathan suggested they stop in the cafe for a drink. While waiting in line, Joshua spotted Sara sitting at a table by herself reading. He pointed her out to Nathan and asked for an introduction.

  “You like to live dangerously, don’t you?” asked Nathan, shaking his head. He led Joshua over to her table. “Hi, Sara, mind if we join you?”

  Sara looked up, smiled, and motioned for them to sit down.

  Joshua pulled out the chair across from her.

  Nathan pulled out a chair next to her. “I’d like you to meet Joshua Carson. This is his first day.”

  “Nice to meet you,” she said extending her hand. “Didn’t I see you two at the Seafarer the other night?”

  Joshua set down his drink and reached out to shake her hand. “Yes, I just got into town and my grandfather wanted to introduce me to some of the other students. Fortunately, for me, one of them was Nathan. He has been kind enough to show me around.” Her hand felt small in his. She had the most amazing green eyes he’d ever seen. It didn’t seem possible, but she was even more breathtaking up close.

  Nathan was about to sit down when he noticed a girl he knew and liked waving to him from across the room. “Would you excuse me for a moment? I need to talk to someone.” Nathan left Joshua and Sara sitting alone.

  Releasing her hand, Joshua sat down. Sara looked at him and smiled. He couldn’t help but stare at her until she started to blush. He searched for something to say, but his mind refused to cooperate. The room suddenly felt too warm. He shrugged off his jacket. He wore a white t-shirt underneath that he knew showed off his tan. He took a deep breath hoping she would notice his muscles. The silence had gone on too long. Joshua looked around the room, hoping for inspiration. He saw Frank and Clay enter. He knew the minute Frank spotted him sitting alone with Sara. Frank’s eyes narrowed and a scowl replaced his usual smirk. Absently fingering the crystal, Joshua returned Frank’s look with a raised eyebrow and a slight smile.

  Sara turned to see what had caught his attention. “Friends of yours?” she asked.

  “We’re not friends. In fact, I seem to piss him off,” Joshua said with a smile. He turned back to her and picked up his glass. “What are you reading?”

  Sara smiled and held up the book so he could see. “The Iliad.”

  He asked, “Did you know that most scholars now believe a lot of what Homer wrote was based less on legend and more on actual history?” Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Frank shoved people aside to move out of line.

  “You’ve read this?”

  Joshua nodded. “In my family, anything to do with ancient history was required reading. My father’s an archeologist.”

  Frank marched over to their table with Clay tagging along behind. He stood next to Sara and placed a proprietary hand on her shoulder. Glaring down at Joshua, he growled, “I thought I told you to stay away from her.”

  Sara’s face turned red. She threw off his hand and jumped to her feet sputtering, “What . . . you arrogant . . . how dare you!”

  Frank continued to glare at Joshua. Seemingly oblivious to Sara’s anger, he put his arm around her shoulders. “Come on, babe, let’s get out of here.”

  Sara’s face turned even redder. She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. Very quietly, she said, “Take . . . your . . . hands . . . off . . . me.”

  Instead, Frank held on tighter, pulling her closer.

  Joshua slowly rose to his feet, staring at Frank. Quietly, but with as much menace as he could put into the words, he said, “You heard the lady. Take your hands off of her.”

  Sara turned on Joshua and spat out, “I can take care of myself.”

  Surprised, but seeing the anger in her eyes, Joshua smiled and put both hands up. He backed away from the table, giving her a go-ahead motion with one hand.

  Frank smirked as if he had won.

  Sara took another deep breath, carefully picked up her books, and jammed them into Frank’s solar plexus. When he doubled over, she brought the books up and smashed him under the chin. He went flying backward; crashed into the chair Sara had been sitting in, and sent it skittering across the room. The noise caught everyone’s attention. The room got quiet.

  Clay, standing next to Joshua, took a step forward.

  Joshua grabbed a chair and slammed it into Clay’s abdomen. He doubled over and staggered back

  Looking down at Frank, now lying on the floor, Sara said, “Don’t ever touch me again.” She threw back her head, straightened her shoulders, and then began walking to the exit. After a few paces, she stopped, turned, and looked at Joshua, “Are you coming?”

  Joshua grabbed his jacket and hurried to catch up with her. Looking back over his shoulder, Joshua saw Clay recover first. He helped Frank up. There was a murderous look on both their faces as they watched Sara and Joshua walk away. As he hurried to catch up with Sara, Joshua heard the scrape of chairs being righted. He could only imagine the look Frank must be giving the surrounding tables, daring anyone to say something. Conversations resumed and noise levels returned to normal.

  Once outside Sara started to shake. Joshua led her around the side of the building and asked, “Are you all right?”

  “I think I need to hold on to something for a moment. Do you mind?” She turned to him, laid her head on his chest, and put both arms around his waist.

  Surprised, he said, “No, go right ahead.” He held her gen
tly until she stopped shaking.

  When her breathing slowed, she leaned back, moved her hands to his chest, and looked up at him. “Thanks, I have a bit of a temper,” she admitted

  He looked down, their faces only inches apart, brilliant green eyes stared into his. Caught up in those eyes, he stopped breathing for a second. Finally, he said, “So, I noticed. You feel better now?” He wanted desperately to kiss her, but decided not to risk it. He let his hands drop.

  Smiling she said, “Yes, I do.” She released him and stepped back. As they walked back to class she said, “You know I really appreciate your letting me handle that.”

  “I didn’t want to spoil your fun,” he said grinning

  She laughed. “Thanks for distracting Clay. I’m not sure I could have handled them both.”

  “I’m not willing to bet on that. Hey, I was protecting Clay.”

  Sara laughed again. Joshua thought it was the best sound he’d ever heard. He walked her to her class and then rushed to get to his. The rest of the day was a blur. Thanks to Nathan‘s tour, he managed to find all his classes. He took notes automatically, but his mind was not on the lectures. All he could think about was Sara’s face looking up at him with those astonishing green eyes. After class, he found his notes were surprisingly complete in spite of his distraction.

  Nathan was waiting for him outside his last class. “Come on, I’ll drive you home.”

  “Great, I‘d appreciate a lift.”

  “I suppose you know that he won’t just let it go?” Nathan started.

  “Hey, I didn’t do anything. She beat him up,” Joshua joked. Then more seriously, “You don’t think he’ll try anything with her, do you?”

  Shaking his head Nathan said, “No, I am pretty sure, you’re the one he’ll blame.”

  Joshua kept walking. “Then I’m not worried. I can take care of myself.”

  Nathan stopped him with a hand on one arm. “Against how many, Joshua? I told you, he won’t come alone.”

  As if on cue Frank, Clay and three other muscular football-types stepped out of the shadow of the trees and onto the path directly in front of them.