The Stone of Macada

(Author's Note: The following short story is a collaborate effort between my youngest daughter and I. The story is hers...I just helped her fill it in a little. It is written for children. We hope you will like it.)



Our story begins on a dark and foggy night in a quiet village just off the coast of Mexico. That night was not like the normal silent nights the village usually had. No, that night was the beginning of the end, and the worst part about it was…NOBODY saw it coming!


June 11, 1870

         The children were all tucked in their beds and most of the houses were quiet. The soft waves beating against the shore were lulling the villagers into their quiet slumber…all but one. A lone man walked along the beach kicking up sand with each step. Suddenly he heard a splash—or perhaps it was the movement of the water—he was unsure, yet he watched to see what had caught his attention. At first he saw nothing, but then he stared as a figure slowly rose up out of the water and glided towards him.

         At first the figure was a blur; then, as it came closer the man could see the outline of a child. He stood as if in a trance as the childlike creature came closer to the shore. Finally, it stood in front of him.

         “Tell me where the Stone of Macada is and you and your people shall live,” said the singsong voice of the child.

         “I don’t know what you’re talking about”, the man replied.

         “Of course you do! Tell me so that your people may live.” The child said in a voice no long childlike but so very cold. It’s body starting to grow and change shape until it stood before the man as a giant, scary, alien-looking creature.

         “I truly don’t know,” the man said in a voice trembling with fear.

         “Then you shall all die!” The creature roared as he struck down the man and turned his attention on the village. By the morning, nothing was left of that small village. Nobody ever found out what really happened.


June 11, 1890

         Just off the coast of Florida there was a small island known only to a select few. Here the Brotherhood of Dolphins, as they liked to call themselves, went to get away for the important business of fishing. All were having a great time until that night in June. The warm breeze rustled the grass as the men sat around the bonfire they had started on the sandy beach. There was a moment of silence when a splash was heard.

         “What was that?” asked Joe.

         “I don’t know. Let’s go see if there are any dolphins swimming tonight,” Larry replied.

         The two men stood up and went to the waters edge, but could see nothing. Suddenly a figure slowly appeared, gliding through the water as swiftly and as silently as a soft breath of air. As it neared the shore, the two men could see the figure of a child. They turned and looked at each other. They wondered what was a child doing in the water, off their private island.

         “Tell me where the Stone of Macada is and you will live,” said the child.

         “What are you talking about, and why are you in the water?” asked Joe.

         “If you don’t tell me you will all die,” the child merely replied.

         The two men started laughing, thinking this must be some kind of joke. This angered the child and he started to roar. As he roared he grew and grew until soon he was standing way above the two men. With a final roar he swept down on them and soon they were no more. The child then moved closer to the fire and devoured the others sitting there. When it was time for the men to go home, they couldn’t be found. Nobody ever discovered what happened.


June 11, 1910

         “I told you it was there,” said the laughing voice of a young woman. She turned and looked at her new husband. “See over there.” She pointed towards a small island a few miles away from their private beach house just North of Myrtle Beach.

         “Now I see it, but we will have to rent a boat to get there,” he replied.

         “Let’s do it today. We can spend the night!” She was so excited she was jumping up and down.

         “Okay.”

         The two made plans and were soon on their way to the island. They got there just before dusk and decided it would be romantic to sleep under the stars on the beach. The night came quickly and the newly married couple decided to take one last walk along the shore before turning in for the night.

         They walked along for a while with the moon shining brightly on them, when suddenly a shadow seemed to cover the moon. The sky grew dim as they stared out onto the water. Out of the silence they heard a splash to their left. The two turned and looked. They were shocked to see a small child come up from the waves. They continued to watch as the child left the water and stood before them.

         “Where is the Stone of Macada? Tell me and I will let you both live. Tell me not and you shall both be destroyed!” the child said in a quiet voice that was all the more frightening coming from such an sweet looking face.

         The two looked at each other and then at the child and asked, “What are you doing here little one? Where are your parents?”

         The child screamed, “Don’t ignore the question! Where is the Stone of Macada?

         The young couple once again just looked at each other and decided to quietly and slowly back away from the child. This angered the childlike creature and in its anger it grew and became the scary alien creature it had been in the past. The couple turned away from the creature and began to run. The creature followed. The couple was never seen again. Nobody ever found out what had happened to the two of them.


June 11, 1930

         Somewhere off the busy coast of Virginia Beach there was a small island with a small village. It was a privately owned resort that only the very rich knew about. To stay there was by invitation only so it was considered an honor to go there.

         June was always a quiet month and so there were only a handful of visitors. On the night of the eleventh, a lone man sat upon the shore looking towards the mainland. His mind drifting a million miles away as weariness overtook him. He was just nodding off when he heard a splash. Still half asleep, he rose and looked towards the sound to see if he could discover the source. There before him stood a childlike figure.

Pindent}“I won’t hurt you if you tell me where the Stone of Macada is”, the child said in a soft singsong voice.

         Still not fully awake the man yawned and shook his head.

         “Do not mock me! I am tired off all who have been ignoring me. I must have the Stone of Macada. I will crush you if you do not tell me.” The child started to shake.

         Thinking he was dreaming, the man kept shaking his head. He turned to walk towards the resort when out of nowhere he felt a blow.

         “Do not walk away from me! My time is short and I must know where the Stone of Macada can be found. Tell me! Tell me now!” roared the growing child. Soon the creature stood before the man.

         “Who are you,” asked the man. “Why do you want this stone so badly?”

         “I must have it!” the creature once again screamed as it reached out to grab the man. The man tried to escape but couldn’t. Nobody knew what had happened to him.


June 11, 1950

         The bright lights of Washington, DC glowed over the water as a young girl walked along its edge. Her mind was full of all the things she had seen and done while visiting the Capital. Soon it would be time for her to return home. She could hardly wait to tell all her friends about her adventures.

         She continued to walk and as she did so she looked to her left and saw a glowing light down by the waters edge. Curious, she decided to venture closer and see what it could be. As she approached it glowed even brighter. Bending down she could feel it pull. It drew her and drew her until she knew she must have it. Finally it was there before her but just as she was about to reach for it she heard a splash. Turning towards the noise she viewed a small child just leaving the water and moving in her direction.

         In a normal voice she asked the child, “Who are you?”

         Not answering the question, the child said, “You must give me the Stone of Macada.”

         “What is the Stone of Macada? Do you mean this stone that shines so brightly?” she asked as she bent and picked it up.

         “Give it to me now! My time is short. I must have it tonight,” the child replied in an anxious tone.

         “Why do you need it? What will happen if I give it to you? What will happen if I don’t?” the girl asked in a curious tone of voice.

         “Give it to me now or I will destroy not only you, but all who live in your village! Look how big it is! Do you want to be the one responsible for its destruction?” The child’s voice grew in anger and in frustration. The child also started to grow, but the girl was not frightened, just curious.

         “Tell me why you need it and I will consider giving it to you.”

         With a loud roar the creature lunged toward the girl intending to harm her; but the girl was swift and quickly sidestepped, putting the stone in her pocket. A strange thing started to happen when she did so. She felt the strength of the stone flow through her. She felt strong and invincible and so when the creature reached out to grab her, she grabbed it instead. There came a loud scream from the mouth of the creature as it made contact with the girls flesh. It tried to get away, but the girl wouldn’t let go. Still screaming, the creature grabbed the girl and shook her away from it and raced toward the water. There it disappeared. Nobody ever knew what happened to it for it was never seen again.


         In a small town on the coast of Maine, there lives an elderly woman who is beloved by all. She is known for her good works and for her kind and generous heart. In her home, hidden in the attic among other treasured mementos is a stone. A stone to this day glows brightly in the darkness.