I walked up the black marble stairs of the mansion’s main hall. Black iron and wrought gold decorated the ornate banisters. Sapphire birds flew among climbing rose vines made of emeralds and rubies. I yearned to take a few of the birds or flowers with me, but I was after “The Prize.” The end of poverty, persecution and starvation depended upon the success of this task.

I crept along a beautiful oak corridor with several large, thick wood doors inlaid with precious stones and gold and silver bands. Not for the first time, I endeavored to fathom the unimaginable wealth of the one man who lived in this palace. How he had managed to acquire such a fortune, I couldn’t possibly imagine. Finally, I came to the doors that led to his legendary, rich furnished chambers. The doors were what appeared to be solid gold and I again resented my resolution to take only his most valuable possession. One of the doorknobs alone would allow me to live comfortably for the rest of my life. I shrugged off the desire and silently opened one of the immense doors.

I pulled the door shut with one gloved hand. Inside I found a massive bed covered in silk and satin. Exotic animal skin rugs were scattered about the pale green marble floor, their teeth capped in gold, their glittering eyes rich gems that sparkled coldly in the dim light of the room. In the air, I smelled aromas fit for a man. Sandalwood, musk, pine and other foreign scents drifted on the room’s artificial breeze. Except for fountains tinkling and bubbling in the other rooms of his chambers, all was silent.

I passed into another room which appeared to be a large office or study. Papers were stacked in neat piles and a tiny computer, obviously the most modern, sat in the center of the desk. The escritoire was an elaborate thing made of intricately carved cherry wood. I had an almost overwhelming desire to take the computer with me. It would prove useful to my cause, but I assumed it had heavy wiring and I couldn’t afford the risk. Not tonight. I hurriedly eliminated that thought.

At the back of the large office was a small door, plain and unattractive, startling in such ornate rooms. I hurried over to it. My prize, probably hidden in the room beyond the door, seemed to call to me. He locked the door, of course. Who wouldn’t? I pulled a long, thin strip of metal from my belt and began to pick the lock. Finally, the tumblers fell into place and I turned the knob, opening the door.

I stepped into the room and there before me was a glass case. Behind the transparent walls was a miracle. I stared, overwhelmed by awe, at the diamond in the box before me. Carefully, so as not to set off any alarms that I might have missed in the process of disconnecting, I walked toward the skull-sized diamond. I checked the edges of the box to make sure they weren’t a part of the pedestal upon which it stood.

“Taking this is so simple,” I thought with a mental laugh. “He must not have anticipated anyone evading his defenses.” I removed the glass box from the diamond’s stand, set it gently on the floor and reached for the gem. I picked it up and for a glorious moment I stared at the cure to my country’s disease that I held in my hands. I tucked the colossal gemstone into the crook of my arm where I wouldn’t be able to drop it easily.

Taking the exorbitant item, I left through the door and rushed through the luxurious bedchambers. I was in the oak corridor when I heard the main door open. I stiffened and plastered myself against a wall as my jaw dropped in horror. Fear shot through my limbs as I realized my danger. My breathing began to quicken as I thought, “How could I have miscalculated?” My heart raced and sweat accumulated on my forehead as each crucial second slipped slowly by. I heard each of the man’s footsteps echoing in the vast marble hall as he placed a foot on each gleaming black step.

Drops of perspiration began to roll between my shoulder blades. Would he capture me? Did he know I had come for his gem? Could I escape? No, of course not. He was advancing up the steps even now. There must be a way to evade capture, said a part of my spirit, desperately. Not unless you have supernatural powers, replied another.

I forcefully pressed these thoughts from my mind and frantically searched for my rational self. I found it before hysteria could take hold, but another five footsteps had passed. The click of shoes on marble stopped for a moment and I listened anxiously. Would he leave? Would he turn and just walk away? No. His steps turned and toward the oak corridor. I felt panic, the thief of control, attacking my common sense. My free hand groped behind me and found a door handle. As I turned, time seemed to stop. I could see a shadow looming in the corridor, but I couldn’t see its master. The door silently fell open and I walked through. I felt as though I moved through quicksand.

I made four agonizingly slow steps through the empty room I had entered. Before me was a balcony that led to the freedom of the island wilderness.

“Going somewhere?”

Time shot forward into normality again as I spun around and drew my knife after the words escaped his lips.

“Yes, I am taking the jewel and leaving,” I replied, clutching the gem to my body. I could feel the sharp facets of the flawless diamond pressing into my abdomen. When I looked at him all my concentration focused on the tiny pistol in his left hand. A hand, I realized, without a middle finger.

“You’ll never make it off the island alive,” he scoffed. I could see that he was just stalling me. He knew I had a way to come to the island; I must have a way to escape. My fear and agitation were so great that they were palpable.

“Is that so?” I asked.

I grinned recklessly and turned, running for the rail of the balcony. With the diamond clutched firmly in my hands, I leapt onto the rail and jumped into the black void of the open jungle as a gunshot shattered the air of the torrid tropical twilight.

Katelyn E. Holland is a senior at Grant Union High School.