Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 

                In my kitchen, I tossed the box on the table not sure, if I should open it or not.  I just stood there stared at it.  I’m not sure what I had expected to be in the box.  It’s big enough to have an ear in it or some other appendage that I don’t want to see without a body attached.  Lord knows I have seen enough of that in my day. 

                Taking one final glance at the box, I decided that I was being stupid and childish. Why would someone…or more to the point, something…leave me a box with or without an amputated ear in it?  It had to be madness to even think that way.  Those kinds of things happen in the movies.

I plopped into the chair and took the box into my hand. My mind made up, I tore the lid from the box, half imagining seeing an ear or a finger but seeing…a golden metal object. I immediately recognized it and threw the box and its contents across the room. 

It was the amulet that Danny had found years ago in that far away country. It had to be. I didn't get the chance to see it in person years ago on that weathered mountain top in Kosovo, but it was exactly like Danny had described it and it had to hold the answer to where he and Mr. Van Wilkes was, hadn’t it?

                Paul was my next stop.  I had to show him this.  I had to tell him what happened in that alleyway and the creature that left it for me.  Why did that creature leave it for me?  Why me?  That question was one of the easier ones to answer.  If the creature did come from the place that Danny and Van Wilkes has ended up, then it makes logical sense to throw me into the mix.  And if it did come from that place, then was it working with them or against them?  Was he trying to draw me to that place or help Danny and our new friend get out of there? 

                These were just a few of the many questions that hopefully Paul will have an insight in to.  Or at least be able to assist with the information gathering with this new tidbit to take into account. 

                “Paul, it’s  Aaron.  I need to see you.  I found something that you need to see.” I said into the receiver after calling Paul at home, not completely comprehending that it was still quite early in the morning.  “Sorry it’s so early…late…You won’t believe me if you don’t see it for yourself.”    

                Without any hesitation, Paul said he was on his way and would be here in twenty minutes.

                I said without thinking, “Paul, take the long way around.  Stay away from the park.  You will understand after you get here.”

                The wait was excruciating.  I paced back and forth looking at the box that held the amulet.  I placed the lid back on the box, not sure if I was expecting the thing to levitate out of the box and take me where it took Danny, or if I was just satisfying that annoying voice in my head to get away from the damn thing.  Either way, I guess it doesn’t hurt to play things on the safe side. 

                A knock on the door sounded and Paul called out through the door, “It’s me.”

                I opened it a second later and ushered him in.  “You are not going to believe this.” 

                I went through the story of how I came into possession of the amulet and the weird creature that dropped it.              

                Paul just sat there at my kitchenette dinner table and stared at me. 

                “Well…say something, old man.  I hate it the way you just stare.”

                “I just wanted to make sure you were done.  Where is it?”

                “It’s in the box.” I said motioning to the little jewelry box on the table in front of him.

                “Did you touch it?”

                “No…I just opened the box and saw what it was.  I never saw the thing that Danny found out there on the mountain top so long ago, but I never forgot the description that he gave us through the com-sets.”

                Paul just looked at me with those eyes.

                “Okay…I just have a feeling alright!”  I said exasperated. 

                “And your feelings are right most of the time.”  Paul said with a shake of his head.  “So let’s see it.”

                I moved back to the table and cautiously opened the box.  I don’t know what I was expecting to happen.  Maybe I thought I was going to disappear like Danny did.  Or maybe turn into a creature like I saw in the alley.  Foolish…I know but strange things are going on and there seems to be no explanation.           

                Paul just stood there looking at the object on the table still in the box, “I think we should get this thing to Avalon and have him check it out.  Then we can verify that it is or isn’t the amulet that Danny found and then...”

                Paul looked up from the box and looked at Aaron, “And?”

                “I don’t know, maybe we can just rub the damn thing like Danny was doing and we can disappear too!” I said, louder than I meant too. 

                Paul just looked at me like he always did when I started acting like this, with his head cocked to one side and his lips pouty. 

                All I could do was smile, “Okay, you got me.  What do you think we should do?  Is going to Avalon a bad idea or something?”

                “No.  I just don’t think we should do it right now.  You remember when a long time ago we would have informers that we would work with?  We would use these informers and take their information and use them to do certain deeds for us.”

“Yeah”

“Well, we would use the information after we check it out but we would never trust the informant like we trusted each other.  I think we might be better off keeping Avalon at a distance for right now.  At least until we get a chance to think about this and get this thing checked out.”

“You might be right Paul, but a little flaw in your theories.  In the past, we have been able to check on the info from our informants.  At least the plausibility of it, but this…I can’t think of anyone that may be able to help us out on this.”

Paul just nodded his, I have this under control  nod and left by the front door.

Thanks Paul!

 

Author's Note

Be brutal.