The Gem Part 3 – A Short Story

A fictional short story series: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Whynn, stunned by all that she had just heard from her Supervisor over the phone, rushed to her office. Her Supervisor Greg was at a lunch meeting away from his office— according to the note on his door. Trembling with anticipation, she unlocked her office, which was next door to his.

She saw the gift he had mentioned on the phone. It was a red box, the same color as the ruby gem exactly. She approached the note with the same hesitant caution, as a demolitions expert. Carefully, lifting the small envelope with “Thank You” handwritten in red ink, she unfolded, and then closed the envelope’s flap.

The envelope appeared empty inside. The box too, seemed devoid of contents.

Just then, an urgent knock at her door flew her into a terrible fright, she was alone in her wing of offices, as best as she could tell. Hesitantly, she opened the door. It was the real Meg, her neighbor and colleague at the University’s Antiquities Department.

“Are you okay Whynn, you look so pale? Or should I say, now that you are famous and tenured as a result, Professor Prentice.”

“I am okay, I just…well, let’s just say, I have had quite a day thus far. And, it is just Whynn like always, my friend.”

“I saw your Volvo in the parking lot and came to say, ‘Welcome back.'”

“Thank you, my friend. Oh by the way, and this may sound strange, but just humor me,” said Whynn, choosing her words very carefully, “Did you at anytime over the past five days come knocking at my door at home.”

“Oh no, the hubby and I were on our anniversary get away. We were in California for the past six days. We got back in town yesterday night. I hired someone to house-sit, though. A very nice lady. She said she was your friend, so I hired her on the spot. She left the place really tidy. Thanks Whynn.”

Whynn, staring out the closed window in her office said, “And if I may ask, what was her name?”

“Oh, I keep all the paperwork for taxes, you know. On her application she said her name was Ruby Fahamuiti. Her family was from Egypt, a long time ago. They appeared to be in the antiquities business. Or, rather, I assumed that from her in depth, strangely personal, knowledge of ancient Egyptian times.

“Are you sure you are okay, you seem…distracted Whynn.”

“Thank you Meg for your concern. I know you have a class to teach, I won’t keep you.”

Startled, Meg quizzed her, “How did you know that I got the promotion? I found out before my holiday; but, I was told to keep it quiet until Greg made it official to the class this afternoon. Did Greg tell you?”

“No, I just somehow knew…I don’t know how.”

“Well somebody told you. Its okay, you can keep your source secret,” said Meg as she left Whynn’s office smiling.

As Meg was leaving, Whynn turned around at the sensation of a bone-chilling breeze coming from the direction of her closed office window.

The envelope flap she had carefully closed was now open. And inside, the edge of a piece of paper was now visible. Whynn’s curiosity got the better of her alarm at the strange event. She picked up the envelope, and pulled out the note. Scribbling excitedly on a paper napkin on her desk, Whynn translated the note from the ancient Egyptian language in which it was written. It read:

“Time is a circle—
The present its diameter,
the past its circumference.

In addition to the note, to her shock—materializing before her eyes in the once empty gift box, were her research notes in her own handwriting; however, to her dismay, the notes were not in English as per her original version, but in ancient Egyptian.

***To be continued next week***