Four Cursed Gemstones

• Annabelle Carrington, Grade 4
• Short Story
• 2022

Hello. I am the Storyteller and this is the story of the Four Cursed Gemstones.

Once upon a time, a long time ago the Spirits said that they could not contain their powers, Fire, Water, Earth and Air for any longer. So they each sealed their power into a gemstone and hid them in a place no one would ever find.
The gems remained untouched for 10,000 years until fifty years ago. In 1973, four explorers set out to find them. The first explorer wanted the Earth gem so he could take over the world. The second wanted the Water gem to drain the ocean and find its treasures. The third explorer wanted the Fire gem to destroy his nemesis. The fourth, a kind and noble man, wanted the Air gemstone simply to help rebuild his destroyed village.
So one day they all set out on their quest to find the gems. They travelled for weeks, months, even years, and yet found nothing. Until one day, trekking through the Amazon rainforest, one man tripped over. As he looked down, something glinted in the murky waters. He reached down and pulled out an ancient golden map.
The men followed the map across the globe to Egypt. They stopped outside the Pyramid of Giza. The map told them they must climb to the top. When reached the top, exhausted, they realised a stone was missing. They peered down into the pitch-black darkness and realised that they would have to jump into the unknown. So they leapt. When they were all down, they lit a candle and saw a large wooden chest. They used a pin to open the lock and…inside were four shiny gems - red, blue, green and clear.
The first man snatched the green Earth gem, and the pyramid began to violently shake. The second grabbed the blue Water gem, but the room began to flood. The third held the red Fire gem but it burned his hands. Everything went dark…
The men died that day – their greed destroyed them. Except for the fourth man. He used the gem to rebuild his village. He is still alive today and the one telling you this story…
THE END.