A deep, deep sorrow fell from Matthew’s chest. The heat of the air surrounded him like a person digging their nails through his back. There lie his father’s body, waterlogged from the flood that suddenly, out of nowhere happened at the Ashborne farm. Matthew Ashborne was the son of a commoner known by many, John Ashborne. He had a heart of gold and was very generous. Matthew remembered one time when his father only earned about 20 coins from work and gave almost all of them to a woman that had the flu. No, no, stop. Matthew thought. He tried to push out the rush of feelings that was flowing through, just like the flood that killed his father. He took a deep breath and shook his head, trying to get at least a bit dryer. His mother, Dalia was right next to him. She was holding his wrist extremely hard, on the edge of tears. Matthew looked at his mother with deep sorrow, anger, and many other emotions, too many to count. Dalia started sobbing while Matthew tried to stay strong. He picked up his father and brought the body on his bed. All the farm animals were inside since the barn broke down. Many of them were extremely hurt. Matthew’s horse, Corellian was nudging his face against an apple that was crammed into a crack in the wall. The chickens, Rose, Daisy, and Liz were walking around, limping. Many of the furniture was soaked, broken, or gone. Matthew dug deep into his pocket and pulled out the emerald. A day earlier he had found the emerald in a cave. He thought it would be an extraordinary find and he could sell it so he could have a better life with his parents. But no… it’s too late. He already lost everything. Bessie the cow was lost too, so they don’t have any milk either to cook with. All of their coins were scattered across the floor, some stuck deeply into cracks and others washed away into the river. Dalia was folding up a blanket to put on top of John. Matthew went over to his mother and smiled, picking up the blanket for her and placing it on John, covering his whole body and face. Suddenly, all the emotions he was holding back flooded in. Anger, sadness, depression, guilt, all of it. He threw the emerald on the ground. He was so stupid. Matthew had read about some cursed emerald that has been around since the beginning of time, cursing whoever found it next. But, he didn’t believe all of the rumors. He was going to sell it and he paid for that. It was all his fault… he didn’t know…

Matthew took a deep sigh. He kicked the emerald out the door, hoping no one would ever find it again. He fell down onto his knees, sobbing. His mother eventually did the same.