The Shiny Stone

A Short Story
by Robert Cosmar

Deep within the womb of the earth, one shiny stone rested, embraced on all sides by the soil and surrounded by other stones of similar size and shape. Unable to move, they spent their time pondering the meaning of their existence and sharing all sorts of possible explanations as to why they were in the dark and how they got there.

The other stones accepted their fate and yet always complained about the cramped conditions, but Shiny, (as he was called) surprised them all with his wild conjectures and possible explanations. He would often say that someday they would be visited by strange beings from another world. Then their true purpose and worth would be explained to them. The other stones only laughed, and even the tightly wrapped soil would chuckle at the crazy things Shiny came up with.

The other stones and the soil found a certain amount of solace in the acceptance of their fate, even though deep within they felt empty and barren. You see, they had lost all hope. Time and again they had seen their dreams fail. They never got explanations as to the reason for their condition. Long ago, they decided to find their comfort amongst themselves in their despair.

They did not enjoy this despair, but it gave them something to feed on -- a reason to be, so to speak. The thought of any other explanation was too painful to even consider. Many times, the stones would talk about their anxiety in the quiet moments when they were alone and had no one but their thoughts and each other to keep them company. Their fear of loneliness was almost unbearable. Shiny could hear them weeping, at times, but never said anything to the others because he knew they were proud and too scared to admit it. So he would smile and try to help by offering more of his explanations as to their condition and how to cope with it.

It was those moments he enjoyed the most, when the group mind was gone and an individual stone would show his pain, weakness or true feelings. Shiny knew he was like them, but he also knew that they were limited by their lack of awareness. He, too, had gone through periods of fear and loneliness in the past, but he learned that within the darkness of the heart, a light existed. The darkness was only the end of one existence and a doorway to another, one that was filled with unlimited hope and the extinction of fear.

Sometimes he tried talking about this, but usually a stone would speak out in fear and the others would join in because they found comfort in their fears. Each one said Shiny's idea's were fine, but impractical, and not based upon their particular reality. The fact was, they had tremendous pride in their own thoughts. After all, they had spent many thousands of years developing them and nothing had ever occurred to change their view. They all agreed, it was good to hope, but they only hoped in what they knew from their experience -- anything else would only be a waste of time.

Shiny smiled but could say nothing at this point. He knew they would not listen, or that they could not. The thought that their proud explanations could be limiting and restrictive was not an option in his mind. After all, where would they be if they learned they were wrong?

One day, a group of stones began a heated discussion. There was concern that something was happening deep in the earth and they feared their position here was in jeopardy. Stories existed in their lore where deep earth explosions caused their kind to be scattered far into places unknown. Shiny tried to calm them, but his lack of fear agitated the others and so their anger was directed straight at him. Some said they had heard enough and they wanted him to go.

Shiney was deeply concerned because he could feel their rage. They could not kill him, but he knew they could expel him by the use of the ancient forces within the earth. He had long known that the earth was a living force, just as they were, and it was also a conscious entity.

Suddenly, there was a huge explosion from deep within the earth's crust. Hot steam and gasses began to emerge from below them. Many of the stones cried out because they feared the end was near. This was not a usual earth event and they were terrified. Volcanic eruptions were rare, but when they occurred, they melted stone and rock and even purged the soil.

Just then, a second more powerful eruption exploded from below and Shiny was caught up in the surge of energy from deep within the earth. Everywhere, things were in chaos, flying upward and outwards. Shiney hit the ground with a hard thud and rolled a long way. He did not know where he was, but he could see it was a different world. A large shining disk was way above him and it was bright and hot. It gave warmth like the earth did, but it was ever so much hotter.

He looked all around him, but his old friends were no where to be found. While he knew he was alone, he was strangely not afraid. Something within told him everything was okay and he would be just fine. Later, the shiny hot disk way above him gave way to a new and strange darkness. It was not like the darkness of the earth where he was before. This was much freer, yet it still conveyed the feeling of being alone with oneself. Shiny was left to wonder, what would happen next?

Suddenly, a creature landed right next to him. It came from somewhere up above. It was oddly shaped with a large head and a funny outer coating like he had never seen before. "Hello." Shiny said to the creature.

Startled, it cursed and yelled at Shiney, "Don't do that!"

"Do what," Shiny asked in disbelief.

"Scare me like that!" said the creature.

"I'm sorry." Shiny answered, "I was feeling alone and then I saw you here, beside me."

"Well, you will not be alone for long," the creature confided.

'Why is that?" Shiny asked, hoping.

"Some human will come by and pick you up and take you home." said the creature.

"What is a human?" Shiny asked, puzzled by this strange being.

"They are the creatures that run this planet -- or so they think." the creature told him, sarcastically.

"And what kind of creature are you?" asked Shiny.

"I am an owl, my dear fellow." said the creature. "We owls are very wise and know many things."

"I see," said Shiny, "now could you please tell me, who I am?" He asked hesitantly.

"You, my friend, are a diamond, only the most precious of stones, silly. You're one of the largest diamonds I have ever seen! Some human will find you and have you cut, polished, and placed in a ring or on a crown. That is who you are. That's where you belong, too." said the owl. "You are very valuable and should be in a place of honor."

"That's strange," said Shiny "I know you must be right, but why do I feel so uncertain?"

"It's because you still identify with the under world, the place you came from. The eruption must have tossed you out here and you are in unfamiliar surroundings. I feel certain that once you allow your "self" to accept and love the truth of your true nature, then the past will drop away and you will know who you really are." said the wise old owl as he flew back up and disappeared into the night sky.