The Changing Rock (Part 6)

Two evenings later, Ruby visited Yummyland again.  It wanted to know what May wanted to do.  Ruby knocked softly and asked, “May, are you in there?” May was inside the restaurant cleaning when she heard the voice and the knocking sound.   “Yes, I will be right out” said May as she finished cleaning.  Steve was with May.  He had come back to accompany May.  Two minutes later, May opened the door and stepped outside.  Steve decided to stay inside the restaurant while May and Ruby talked outside.  He would be filled in on certain details later. 

“Hi Ruby” said May.  “I have decided to go with you under one condition” she added.  “What is that?” asked Ruby.  “My friend Steve will come too. If that is ok with you” said May.  “Sure, that is fine.  The more friends the better” said Ruby. 

Steve was inside.  He was waiting for May to come in.   “Ok, I will tell Steve” May said.  “That will do” said Ruby.  “I will be right back” said May as she headed inside the restaurant.  Ruby waited outside. 

After ten minutes, May opened the door and she and Steve stepped outside to meet Ruby. Steve looked at Ruby for the first time.  He was surprised to see that Ruby was a rock with a face.   May said, “Ruby, this is my friend Steve”  “Hi” said Ruby. 

Steve asked, “Where do you live?”  “I live in a town called Rocktown” said Ruby. “Where is that?” asked May.  Ruby replied, “It is five towns from here”  “Ok” said May.  “How will we get there?” asked Steve.  “I will fly us all there” said Ruby.  With that, the square rock suddenly grew bigger so that it became a rectangle. 

Steve said, “I thought Ruby was a square rock” “So did I” May agreed.  Ruby said, “I am a special rock”  “What?  How are you different from any other stone?” Steve questioned.   “You see, not only am I a mother rock, but I also can turn into other shapes” Ruby explained.  “How do I know this is not a trick?” asked May looking at Steve then moving her eyes to Ruby and then back to Steve. 

Steve said, “Come on May.   Let us just give Ruby the chance to prove its case”  “If this creature is playing a trick, then I can take care of it and vanish it.  That is if it came to that” he added.  Ruby said, “Come, May and Steve, let us go” “Ok, here goes” May said as she got on Ruby.  Steve followed May and sat behind her. 

As soon as Steve was on Ruby, it began to move upward.  After a few moments, they were flying.  Five minutes later, they reached Ruby’s town.  Ruby landed on top of a rock which looked like a mushroom.  It let May and Steve off of its body.

Ruby said, "This is my town”  “You may walk around, if you like” it added.   “Ok, let us do it” said Steve in an eager tone.  He wanted to see more rocks.  May walked along side Steve.

 Ruby was walking with them on its way to a nearby cave.  Ruby led the group to her cave.  Inside the cave, there were many small rocks.  These small stones were identical to those of the ones that May had on her restaurant door.  “Hey, these rocks look similar to your rocks on your restaurant door” said Steve to May as they looked around.

 The walls of the cave were covered with round shaped rocks.  “Hey Ruby, this place is cool” said Steve.  “Yes, it is” agreed May.  “Can we visit again?” asked May.  “Of course” said Ruby.  “Now, May and I believe you.  We had to see for ourselves” said Steve. 

“What do you eat?” asked May.  “I eat rock candy” said Ruby.  “I have some right next to me” it added.  The rock candy was round and had a whole in the middle of it.  The candy was small and grey. Ruby showed May and Steve the food it ate.  Steve asked, “What do you drink?”  “I drink lavawater” Ruby replied. 

“Wow! This is very interesting” said Steve.  “I have never seen so many rock-looking eggs” he added.    “Yes, there are lots of eggs here” said Ruby as it moved to an empty corner in the cave.  Suddenly, Ruby shifted into a nest-like shape.  It grabbed a few rock eggs and placed them under it, so that the eggs were under it. 

After a few minutes, Steve and May heard a cracking sound.  “Uh oh” said May.  “Ruby was right” she added. ”It is alright” said Ruby.  Steve said, “I think we should leave Ruby”  “No” said May.  “We should try to help” she added. “Ruby, where can we find rock candy and lavawater?” asked May.  “You can find lavawater in a lake.  The lake is outside this cave.  You can find rock candy on a tree.  You also find that outside this cave” Ruby responded.   May said, “I am leaving this cave to get some food and drink for Ruby”  “Ok, I will stay here and keep Ruby company” said Steve.  “That will be fine” said May as she walked toward the cave opening. 

Now outside the cave, May looked around and saw that there were trees nearby.  She walked to the closest tree and saw that the fruit looked like rock candy.  May decided to pick some fruit off of the tree.  She placed the rock candy in her pants pocket.  May walked on a little farther and spotted a lake full of lavawater.  “This is different” thought May as she saw a round like container by the lake.  She picked it up and filled it with lavawater. May wanted to walk farther on, but thought better of it.  She walked back towards the direction of Ruby’s cave, carrying the container.  It was full of lavawater.  

Moments later, May entered the cave.  She gave the container and the candy to Ruby.  Ruby ate and drank.  Steve, May, and Ruby became the best of friends.  May and Steve both learned not to judge by appearance.  Just because Ruby looked like a monster, does not mean it was.