greed and the gem | Teen Ink

greed and the gem

May 4, 2009
By Katniss Everdeen BRONZE, Somerton, Arizona
Katniss Everdeen BRONZE, Somerton, Arizona
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Date: Thursday May 12, 2222
Dear journal,

Have you ever wondered how our earth makes its natural resources? I mean the real way. It has nothing at all to do with the Earth at all. They are made by little things that have never been seen before; except by me of course. To be specific, fairies. Resource fairies. You can tell the resource they each create by the color of the corona that glows around each ones’ small wings. There are fairies that make every natural thing imaginable, even water. I’ve planned to capture a diamond fairy. I would be filthy rich in only three days without doing anything wrong or breaking the law. But to every good thing there is a catch: there is only one fairy in the world per resource. What if I can’t find it? What if I accidentally kill it somehow? I would be to blame for putting the only diamond fairy in the world on the extinction list. Hopefully though none of that will happen and I will be filthy rich. Tomorrow morning I’m venturing off into an old abandoned crystal mine I live close to. Wish me luck.


Date: Next day Friday May 13, 2222 (coincidence?)
Dear journal,

As I crept into the old mine I soon discover I won’t need the flashlight that sits in the bottom of my backpack. I can see my way around by the light the fairies’ coronas give off. My eyes feast greedily upon the bright fairies all around me. I feel the greed inside me start to change my careful plan as to not force the fairy into doing my will. I can feel my plan start to twist inside my head as Greed started to reform it. The new heartless plan was the perfect plan no doubt, but it was cruel. Think of how rich you will be, Greed tells me. I give in mentally to the plan after that point was made. I start toward the fairies stealthy though I have no reason to. Good thing fairies are blind I reassure myself. Fairies have terrible eyesight, but their fingers are so nimble that it doesn’t seem like they are. The backpack slips off my shoulders as I pull out the glass jar I brought to capture the fairy in. I screw off the lid open silently and find the silvery white corona around the diamond fairy. As I lifted the jar over (his? Her?) head I suddenly feel for a split second that this was wrong. I dismissed the thought as I brought the jar down. SMACK! A sudden current of worry ran through me. I think I shattered it was my only thought till I opened my eyes and saw the jar in good shape with a tiny terrified diamond fairy inside.

Date: later that day
Dear journal,

I walked through my front door and shut it behind me slowly. I looked at the clock and saw it had just turned six o’ clock. It had only taken an hour to capture my fairy. Good, I thought to myself. Just as I had estimated, I heard my father waking up and getting drowsily into the shower. I crept up the stairs, making sure I skipped the squeaky one on my way to my bedroom. As I closed the door to my room, I heard the fairy’s little voice inside my backpack. I took it out and set it on my bed. The fairy was banging on the glass with its miniature sized fists trying to break out, but it was unsuccessful. I decided to think of it as a girl because of her feminine face structure and long hair. Her dress was more of a glow or clumps of sparkles in the form of a dress than something made of a solid material. Then the questions I’d only expected burst forth.

“What’s going on? Bob if you’re playing another joke on me by putting glass around me I’m gonna-“

“This isn’t Bob, fairy. This is your kidnapper talking to you at the moment. Something else you might want to know is that your kidnapper is human. This is so frustrating explaining what I look like to you. Sometimes I wish fairies had better eyesight.” I decided to add that part about their eyesight to show her I their weakness. Her blind eyes were wide now and full of shock. Her facial features then turned from terrified to dangerous and threatening.

“If you really are what you said you were, you need to know that I will not be held captive. You need to turn me loose now. I know what you want, but you will not get it.” The whole time she talked I had a smile on my face like she was the funniest thing in the world ,but inside I was having an emotional war. The only thing that kept me from turning her loose was the image I had implanted in my mind of me rolling in doe. My tone went dangerously quiet as I spoke.

“Let get something cleared up right now, OK. You are not going anywhere.” Her expression was defeat she was going to help me.

“I refuse to help you if you don’t accept my one condition.” I was silent and she carried on.

“I will make you one diamond and one only. No more,” she smiled slyly “And no less.”

“Deal.” I said. I guess one diamond was better than one and she didn’t specify how big it had to be.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Date: Saturday May 14, 2222
Dear journal,

I was glad it was Saturday. With my parents at a movie and no school, I was left alone to do whatever I liked. Of course, I chose to watch my fairy create what was going to make me a jillionair! I liked that idea, but there was also another pleasure in watching her. I am watching a ten year process I thought to myself which I am now seeing in one day! It was incredible to watch her. Unfortunately, I cannot describe it to you for loss of words. The mildest word to describe would be fantastic.

I watched her till my parents came back at five pm. By that time I was awed and was nice to my little brother that night for once. I decided to hide her in the bottom of my underwear drawer so no one would find her (not even an idiot would look in my underwear drawer!).

That night, it was excruciatingly hard to find sleep. My eyes wouldn’t shut and my heart wouldn’t quiet. I had asked the fairy when the diamond would be done (this is the part that would keep me up all night). She told me it would be done at midnight! That moment sleep had completely drained out of me if there had been any left. The only particle of sleep that existed inside me was the part that she said I was only allowed to see it in the morning.

Date: next morning
Dear journal,

I hadn’t slept a wink before I got up and ran to my underwear drawer at five in the morning. I uncovered the jar, took a long look at it then screamed!

It was the most horrific sight I’d ever beheld. The fairy was looking down at her feet nervously as I unscrewed the jar and took out the diamond. She handed it to me cautiously always looking down as I began to scrutinize its size. My eyes stared at the sliver I held. It looked like the tiniest piece of a shattered glass bottle. It probably wouldn’t even pass for a piece of glass. A penny would be ten times more valuable.

“What-is-this-?!” I said through my gritted teeth. The fairy hung her head. My tone got dangerously quiet.

“This is not what I wanted, fairy. You know this is not what I wanted,” I paused letting my dangerousness sink in.

“I’m going to give you one more shot to make me a new one. I want one the size of my fist next time.” The fairy’s head suddenly jerked up in alarm.

“But that would take decades! You said I had to make you one and one only!” I calmed myself by one small degree by trying to be funny.

“This hardly counts as even zero.” I threw the sliver into the jar slicing her arm. I then took the jar out onto the window sill. I saw her face turn pale.

“Please! Hide me! Please don’t put me where I can be seen like this!” She was begging me, and I didn’t care. Greed had put me into a rage. I didn’t care about her or the fact that I had cut up her arm. I had been so set on that huge diamond I didn’t even care about another human being’s feelings. I throw that argument aside when Greed counters it. She’s no human.

Date: next day
Dear journal,

The rest of yesterday was horrible. I was feeling guilty now that I had cooled down. I decided to go to Walmart with my parents and shop for food. It was soooooo boring! The way they examined every apple they bought closely to make sure it was worth buying. The way they carefully weighed and calculated the price of everything they bought. That got me thinking about my diamond. They wouldn’t have to do this if that fairy had just-! I felt myself get hot again and bought myself an ice cream cone. As I started to grasp my self control once again, I started to plan out a strategy. I didn’t want to admit it, but I had a certain yearning to let the fairy go free out of captivity. No, Greed told me, you can’t let her go free! What are you thinking!? Greed smashed the yearning. Just then, I heard a small ding in my ears. I had an idea, one that would make me even richer; richer than the richest guy in the world. I could just turn in the fairy and all the information I knew about her to scientists! Why hadn’t of thought of that before?! I had discovered a new species! I ran around trying to find them then discovered them already in the checkout lane. I helped load the groceries into the trunk not bothering my mom yelling “Don’t put the ice cream on top of the bread!”



I rushed out of the car door once my parents pulled into the garage. I threw myself onto the staircase taking two steps at a time then pushed my door open like my life depended on it. What I beheld tore my dream of a rich life up. I felt a breeze on my face as I stared at the tiny hole in the window then at the hole in the jar. I slowly walked over to it rubbing my eyes to see if I was seeing things. I wasn’t. my heart leapt as I saw a small note in the jar. Hurriedly, I jammed my hand into the small hole, not bothering that my hand was being cut up by the edges. It read:


You foolish human! Didn’t think I’d find a way out!? Well I hope you learned your lesson. If you didn’t, I would like to make something very clear:…. Greedy people NEVER prosper!


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