The Mystery of the Missing Diamond

“The Mystery of the Missing Diamond” is one of the outstanding stories of the first biannual International Short Story Contest 2018 written by Myra Kulkarni, Oakridge International School, India.

The Mystery of the Missing Diamond

Introduction

In August 2017, in Sunnyvale, California [U.S.A.] there was a mystery about a precious diamond. Later, in a few days, the mystery was solved by the owners of the diamond and their pets.

CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS

Name: James
Age: 11
Qualities: Sports, arts, kindness, Knowledge

Name: Edward
Age: 9
Qualities: Sports, Bravery, Knowledge

Name:Lucy
Age: 6
Qualities: Flexibility, Smartness, Problem solving, Kindness

Name: Lily
Age:8
Qualities: All Qualities

Name: Rose
Age:10
Qualities:Lots of knowledge

PETS
1-Luna
Luna is called Luna because her fur is as white as the moon.
2-Violet
Violet just loves violets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3-Zoom
Zoom is so fast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4-Hugo
Hugo is anything but huge!
[In Latin the word ‘Hugo’ means huge.]
5-Draco
Draco happens to look like a small dragon.
[In Latin ‘Draco’ means dragon.]

Luna- dog Draco-Eastern water dragon [A kind of a lizard]
Hugo-dog
Zoom-owl
Violet-cat

In August 2017, in Sunnyvale, California a precious diamond that was found deep in a cliff was stolen. It was a very special diamond that could make anything if you really needed it. Suppose you were thirsty and had no water then, the diamond could produce water if you asked it to do so. This diamond belonged to five children, whose names were Lily, Rose, James, Edward and Lucy. Each of them had one pet. The pets’ names were Zoom, Violet, Draco, Hugo and Luna respectively. The diamond was kept in a very odd place: in Lily’s and Rose’s garden!

The diamond was kept there because any thief would guess it would be kept somewhere really important: like in a bank locker or in a safe. Inside the garden, the diamond was buried in the far right top corner. There were flowering bushes surrounding that spot. There was a tunnel that only the two sisters Lily and Rose knew of. That tunnel was used to check if the diamond was safe and sound in its place. But then, one day a thief spied on the girls looking at the diamond. He had been watching them for many days and now was sure that there was some valuable object. He decided to steal it. One dark, stormy night he was successful in his plan of stealing the diamond. And this where the mystery began.

Lily: Wake up Rose!

Rose: I will. Hold on, won’t you?

Lily: Oh fine! (As she sat on her part of the sisters’ bunkbed)

Rose: You woke me up now…Come on let’s brush our teeth.

So the sisters brushed their teeth hurriedly and went to eat breakfast.

Lily: Ummy bread, Ose. (Through a mouthful of bread)

Rose: What? (While making toast)

Lily: I said, “Yummy bread, Rose”.

Rose: Oh! Thanks (Now making her bread)

Lily: Let’s go check the diamond! Rose: Okay. Get your gloves. And wear your outdoor clothes!

Lily: You too!

Rose: Oh right! I forgot!

Lily: How come I’m only eight and I remember what to do whereas you’re ten and you forget what you’re supposed to do.

Rose: Hey!

Lily: Race you to our room!

The girls change their clothes and head to the garden.

Lily: Race you to the tunnel!

Rose: Oh, when will you stop this race business! And put on your gloves! Or else you’ll leave fingerprints on the diamond.

Lily: Oops! I forgot. Now I race you through the tunnel!

Rose: Lily!!!

Laughing, the girls crawled through the tunnel and started digging out the diamond from the ground.

Lily: Where’s the diamond?

Rose: What do you mean? (As she squeezed in to the tunnel)

Lily: The diamond’s gone.

Rose: Let me see!

And sure enough it was gone.

Rose: Get out of here and call James and Edward: You know, our cousins.

James was one year older than Rose and Edward was one year younger than Rose. They were really funny and brave.

Rose: I‘ll call Lucy. She just lives on the next street. She’s good at making plans and problem solving. She’s the smallest of all, so she can get out of tight areas. She knows lot of things as well.

In few minutes Edward and James rode in on their identical bicycles and Rose came back with Lucy, who was telling Rose facts about butterflies.

Lily: Hi guys!

Lucy, Edward and James: Hello!

James: Why did you call us?

Lucy: Is the diamond lost or stolen?

Lily: How do you know? You’re just six years old! How did you find out what we were thinking?

Lucy: I can tell by the looks on your faces.

Lily and Rose exchanged looks of surprise.

James: We need a plan in this kind of situation.

Lily: I do have a plan.

Lucy, Edward, James and Rose: You do?

Lily: I think it will work and yes, I do.

Edward: Can we get on with our plan?

Lily: Okay. So this is what I thought of. First, we go and get the pets-

James: Why do we need the pets? (James interrupted)

Rose: Let her speak, James.

Lily: As I was telling you, we get the pets. The answer to your question James, is because the pets can find out if the diamond is lost or if it is stolen. If it is lost, Luna and Hugo can dig up the garden, Zoom can look for the diamond from the sky. Violet can guard the garden so no one comes inside and sees the diamond. Draco can guard the other side. The jobs are good because Hugo and Luna are dogs and they are good at digging. Zoom is an owl so he can search for the diamond while flying because owls have excellent eyesight. Cats and lizards are pretty good at guarding places. If the diamond is stolen then Luna, Hugo and Violet can trace out the thief‘spath by their great sense of smell. If pets go too fast then Zoom can fly in the direction the pets are going in and we can follow him. Draco can just give us company.

Edward: Great rescue plan Lily!!

James: So when we catch that guy we can tie him up with the rope.

Rose: What rope?

James: The one I have in my bag. I carried all the tools we might need for the rescue mission.

Lucy: Whoa, you’re incredible James.

Lily: Let’s get the pets. Everyone, go get your pets and meet us in the garden.

Soon everyone was in the garden ready to execute the diamond rescue mission!

James: Let’s ride our bicycles to follow the pets. Okay pets, start up!

Pets sniffed through the garden out on the road and following Zoom, the team found that they were infront of an old factory.

James: I guess the pets know the diamond is stolen. Oh well look up! There’s a glass roof! We can climb to the top and spy on the thief! Lucy, wear these climbing boots, please. Okay, let’s go to the top of the old factory. But be quiet!

Lily (whispers): Race you to the top!!

Rose: Lily, maybe you should be an athlete when you grow up.

James: Shhhhhhhhh……..be quiet!

The team spiedon the thief from the glass see-through roof of the old factory and found out that he was just doing some paper work. The team decided on their next step to accomplish the diamond’s rescue mission.

Edward: Here’s our plan. First, Rose and Lily should cover both the entrances. Next, Lucy should take the rope and go halfway down the chimney so she can jump out to get hold of the thief. Then she can alarm Rose and Lily to help her tie up the thief. James can be on his bike, ready to chase the thief if he tries to escape.As soon as we catch the thief, I‘ll call the cops.

The team got ready. Soon everyone went to their station.

Edward: Lucy can you climb halfway down the chimney? Please?

3, 2, 1, GO… BOOM!

Lucy jumped down and fellon thief’s head (by accident), Lily and Rose caught their signals and rushed in to tie up the thief. Edward called the cops. The cops reached in no time. James led the cops to the thief. The cops caught the thief and took him to the police station. And that was how the five children and their pets closed the Mystery of the Missing Diamond.

The End Beginning