Bones in the Sand - Julie Steimle (best fiction novels to read txt) 📗

law to correct any false notions their science believed, Zormna still got irritated by the perpetuation of lies.

Mr. Zeigler pulled down the film screen and walked over to his slide projector. "Daniel, would you get the lights?"

The boy reached above his head and flicked off the switch on the wall. They all stared at the bright white screen. Mr. Zeigler pressed the button of an old tape player and music from the latest space movie came on. It blasted loudly into the students' ears. Many of them cheered. Mr. Zeigler started his slide presentation. He narrated.

"The amoeba, a one celled organism with the ability to surround its meal and divide to make two amoebas. If only he knew what his descendants would become...."

The whole hour went like that.

At last the slide showed Australopithecus, the first recognizable humanoid.

"Australopithecus, the first man to walk upright. From whence they began to leave the trees and become Homo Habilus," he changed the slide to the next stage, "where man began to make tools. Or to Homo Erectus, where man stood completely upright." He changed the slide again. "Or to Homo Sapiens Neanderthalus." He flipped the switch again to show the rugged man-like creature with the jutting forehead. "And lastly, to us, Homo Sapiens Sapiens."

"Daniel, turn on the light," he said, gazing happily at the class and flipping off the slide projector's light.

Zormna was grinding her teeth, trying to keep her mouth shut. The man didn't even realize that Homo Sapiens Neanderthalus was a contemporary of modern man...or that any of those hominids were in fact all contemporaries and not one connected chain like he was describing. It was maddening.

"Now class, before the bell rings, I want to give you your homework assignment." He paused. "Read the chapter and answer the ten questions at the end. Be ready for tomorrow because we will have a quiz on what you read. We will be starting a class project, where we will map all of this," motioning to the slide projector, "and we will be creating an evolutionary time line for display at the science fair at the end of the month."

The bell echoed in the halls, ringing with sharpness against the brick walls.

All the students stood to leave, including Zormna who was still clenching her teeth to keep from saying something rude.

Just as she stepped out the classroom door, she muttered under her breath, "What a bunch of rubbish."

Mr. Zeigler looked up and stared at her and Jennifer, hearing this across the empty room. Jennifer caught his surprised gaze. She had heard Zormna's remark also. She rushed to get by Zormna to get out the door.

Once they were both out the door and midway through the hall, Jennifer whispered into Zormna's ear, "I think Mr. Zeigler heard you."

Zormna laughed with a peek back.

Sure enough, Mr. Zeigler was watching them from the door, still appearing surprised. He was shaking his head as if he had not believed his ears.

Turning back and shrugging her shoulders, Zormna said, "Does it matter? It is a load of rubbish. Humans did not evolve from that...that thing he showed us."

Jennifer frowned, holding Zormna back from leaving. "But Zormna, they found the bones. They found their tools even. Where else could people have come from?"

Zormna gave her a pained, disbelieving look. "Please tell me you didn't mean that."

Jennifer shrugged and looked at her feet. "Well, do you have a better explanation?"

Laughing, Zormna shook her head at her. "Jennifer, you're hilarious. Talk to me about this later, and I'll give you a better explanation. I have to get to Chemistry."

Jennifer watched Zormna go, still laughing to herself, shaking her head as she went.

 

It was lunch in the cafeteria when Jennifer first tried to talk to Zormna about what happened in Biology and what she meant by her comment, but Zormna changed the subject and thumbed toward Brian's gang as if it stopped any explanation she could give at that moment. Not entirely discouraged, Jennifer turned to Jeff, who was sitting with Jonathan at the cafeteria table playing a game of quarter football.

"Jeff, do you believe in evolution?" she asked, shooting Zormna a side-glance.

Zormna's mouth dropped open. She just about dropped her sandwich on her lap.

Jeff shrugged. "Some parts. But not all of it."

Staring at him in surprise, Jennifer had expected a person from a more advanced civilization to accept the theory of evolution as fact.

"What about you, Brian?" Jeff extended to him.

Brian was involved in reading Oliver Twist and had to look up to see what was going on. "What's that?"

"Evolution, do you believe in it?" Jeff asked again.

Brian shrugged, "I dunno. I guess the concept isn't entirely bad, but I don't quite get it when they try to link man with a bunch of apes. I mean, sure they found those bones and all, but from where is he a man and where is he an ape? Besides, I don't like it when people use evolution to try and disprove the existence of God."

Jonathan and Mark snickered. They didn't talk religion often since they all were of different faiths. Brian was a Mormon. Mark, Lutheran. And Jonathan, Jewish. Adam was agnostic though his parents were Born Again Christians. And Brian has strong feelings about his religion.  

Brian slapped Mark on the back of the head to make him quit snickering.

"Why do you ask?" Brian said, turning to Jeff while holding his place in Oliver Twist with his finger.

"I didn't ask," Jeff said. "Jennifer did." Turning to Jennifer he said, "So? Why do you ask?"

Jennifer could feel her face go hot. She glanced at Zormna. "We're studying it in Biology. I was just wondering."

Jeff saw where Jennifer's eyes peeked. Seeing Zormna, he noticed her irritated expression. Jeff laughed.

"Well, I suppose Darren would say that the evolution of man couldn't possibly exist since the entire human race comes from Mars." Jeff smirked then bit into his sandwich. He let the others in the group laugh at Darren's expense. Lucky for Darren, he was in the library studying like he usually did on Mondays, so he didn't have to hear Jeff use his weirdo reputation to tell Jennifer the truth. 

Jennifer blinked. She looked at Zormna who was now pleasantly occupied in eating her sandwich.

All humans came from Mars? Impossible! Jennifer glanced at Zormna again, but it was obvious from the blonde's placid expression that she thought all of the argument done.

 

"Professor!" Rising quickly, one of the young college students called out. They had only been working for five hours at the site, yet they already found something noteworthy.

"Professor! Come quick!" the young man beckoned. "Come look at this!"

Professor Pratte came out of his trailer, carrying his coffee mug, nearly spilling it into the sand as he tripped down the steps. The voices of his students urged him from over the hill at the site. It seemed too early to be so excited. They had a long dig yet, he was sure.

"Professor, look at this! I was dusting off what I thought was a river bed stone, but look!" the young man stepped aside so that his professor would get a good view of the object embedded into the rock.

"See that!" the young man said.

Professor Pratte squatted down next to him. His eyes popped open. He dropped his mug at his feet, spilling the rest of his coffee in the dirt.

"By all that's holy..." the professor muttered. "It's writing!"

"It's a symbol," the young man said, now shaking at what he had found. "And you know what else?"

"Astonish me," his professor said, gaping enraptured.

"It's not a stone. It's hollow."

Chapter Three: Who Reads the Tabloids?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"By eight o'clock a number of boys and unemployed men had already started for the common to see the 'dead men from Mars.'" p. 9

 

            January 15

We dug up most of the skeleton today. The other skeletons we had unearthed are coming along nicely, but this one intrigues me. I emailed my friend, Professor Dumas, who had been so dead set against my theories before. I just had to prove to him that I was right. And now, once he sees the skeleton with the helmet and the remnants of manmade fiber, he'll have to think differently. One of the kids here sent a photo to the tabloids of the helmet and skull. They wouldn't believe it when no reputable paper would run the story - but I expected that. I can't wait to see Dumas's face when he sees what I've found. He'll have to eat crow for a month. I'll love it.

 

The professor put his pencil down and laid his journal on the counter. He thought he had heard the boys outside calling to him, but he decided he was mistaken. He continued to write.

 

Once we dig out the bones, I want to get them studied. With the strata, I dare say this skeleton is thirteen thousand years old. Professor Dumas will be flying in tomorrow to help at the site. I can't wait to rub his nose in it.

 

He looked up from his book. That time he was sure he heard something.

"Professor!"

Professor Pratte scooted out from his desk and closed his journal. He went to the door, opening it to stick his head out.

"Professor! These two men just came," one of his students, a senior with red hair and a gangly, yet somehow short constitution called, rushing to his door ahead of two neatly suited men dressed in 'official' black.

"Thank you, Kyle." Professor Pratte turned to look at the two men who approached. He could see their sedan parked beyond the farthest tent. Their suits were matching black and both men had nondescript haircuts and faces. Puzzled, he said, "Can I help you gentlemen?"

One of the men reached into his inside pocket and pulled out a black leather wallet, opening it. Professor Pratte looked at the badge and ID, then at the man, half listening to the words spoken. He was still in shock.

"I'm Special Agent Palmer. This is my partner, Special Agent Powell of the FBI. We have heard about the alien helmet you have unearthed. May we take a look at it?"

Professor Pratte felt his heart sink into his shoes. There went his Nobel Prize.

"I still don't get it," Jennifer said, staring at Zormna as they worked together on their Biology homework. They were sitting in Zormna's living room, after school, not far from the cozy fire which kept the immediate area warm. They were now into the Mesozoic Era studying dinosaurs and adding to the evolution wall display their class was making, and it was the best place to study uninterrupted - especially since Zormna was no longer welcome in the McLenna house.

"Honestly, Jennifer, do you ever pay attention what people are saying when they talk to you?" Zormna muttered while trying to copy the image of a Brachiosaurus from one of her encyclopedias. It wasn't that well drawn. Jennifer did one better. "I told you way back when that I'm human just like you, and I came from Arras[1]. I would have thought the rest would simply connect in your head that all people, every human, came from Arras." Zormna squinted one eye at the paper then gave up. She never had been much of an