The Box - Chapters 1–19

Chapter 1

Empty Halls

The silence echoed off the pea-green walls of the normally busy hallway. It was a silence reserved for weekends, holidays, snow days, and summertime. This was a silence of the swimming pools, fireworks, and barbecue variety.

The students had left the building several hours ago, and most of the teachers had also made their escape. At the end of the silent hall was a music-filled room. The bare walls of the room matched the look of the hallway. Classroom objects were packed away in cardboard boxes to allow for summer cleaning. Sitting at the desk, was a thin, balding man in his mid-thirties. What hair he had left was blond, and his sky-blue eyes were hidden behind a pair of reading glasses. Andrew Tapani wasn't reading however. He was studying a worn photograph. He looked closely at the image on the paper, taking in the dark, beautiful, brown eyes, and the long eyelashes, as his finger traced the shoulder-length, curly brown hair. The woman in the image was wearing a plain yellow T-shirt, but she wore it well. She had deep dimples and a beautiful smile. He traced the hair with his finger. Turning, the photograph over he read the single word written on the back.

"Who are you?" he asked the photograph, while again looking at the woman's image.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Andrew quickly shoved the photograph into his shirt pocket.

“Come in."

Through the door walked the woman who had been the woman of his dreams for nearly two years. She taught in the school as well.

“Hi, Andrew. How’s it coming along?”

“Kinda slow, actually. Are you all finished?”

“Yeah. Just waiting for you now.”

“Well, it might take awhile. I still have little paperwork to do. You in a hurry?”

“Nah. I can hang out.”

Andrew adored Melanie, but he dreaded hearing those words. Knowing that he was only a few seconds from an onslaught of information that no one wanted or needed to hear, he tried to quicken his pace.

“Did you know that Mr. Smith and his wife are going to go to Florida for seven weeks this summer?”

“Really?” he answered.

“Yep, and Ally and her husband are sending their kids to summer camp for three weeks so they can spend some quiet time alone together.”

“Really?” he answered again as he doubled his already quickened pace.

“Yep, and the whole eighth grade is going on a trip to Europe this year with Mr. Ramirez.”

“Really?”

"And I'm going to the moon for tea."

"Really?"

"No, not really. You're ignoring me again.”

“Really?” he asked a fourth time, paying absolutely no attention to her words.

“Yes, really. Sometimes I wonder why I love with you.”

Melanie reached over and turned off the radio. Andrew looked up from his desk with growing impatience. The idea flashed through his mind that perhaps he didn't adore this woman quite as much as he thought he did. He did like her, but at the moment he had work to do.

“Melanie, I’m not trying to blow you off, but I’d like to get this paperwork finished before the new school year begins.”

“Well, if you hadn’t waited until the last day to do it, then you wouldn’t have this problem, would you?”

He knew she was right, but it pained him drastically to admit it. Still, the thought persisted in his mind that if he agreed with her she might leave and give him time to finish.

“You’re right, Melanie. I should have started sooner, but I can’t change what is already done. And—late or not—I still have to complete this, so can you give me some time to do that?”

“Yeah. I’ve had enough of this building for awhile anyway, but we're still on for the concert Saturday night, right?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t miss that.”

“Great! See you later. Have fun with your paperwork.”

“Yeah, yeah. Loads of fun. Such a blast. See you later, Mel.”

“Ok. Bye.”

With that final goodbye, Melanie left the building. Immediately, Andrew turned iTunes back on and began working on his paperwork.

ii

Coalie was lying on the living room floor when the sound at the door caused her to turn up her ears and tilt her head to one side. Shortly, the door opened and she ran to greet Andrew.

“Hey, Coalie, what’s up?” he asked, not expecting any answer other than a couple tail wags, which he quickly received.

Coalie and Andrew spent a lot of time together, and she was a very loyal dog. A quick survey with her nose convinced her that he had not been out with other dogs. Satisfied that there were no curious scents on her master, she went back to her favorite spot in front of the fireplace. Andrew also went to his favorite spot—sitting on the couch in front of the television.

Andrew’s house exuded simplicity and oozed "slob." He had a small bookcase filled with mystery and sci-fi novels in the living room along with the small twenty-inch TV. His bedroom was small and he slept on a twin-sized bed. It was never made.

This time of year was always somewhat bittersweet to Andrew. The overwhelming relief of not having to worry about a fifth grade boy’s fight in the restroom or an over-vigilant administrator staring over his shoulder at every corner, gave way to a moment of melancholy as he realized that the students he had bonded with over the past year, were moving on.

This was his fifth year teaching, and as such, he had established a summer routine. Getting up in the morning, he would make breakfast. This was a grand affair consisting of toast, cereal, and a cup of coffee. Andrew was not known for his cooking prowess. During the grand event, he would check his iPad to see that the Rays were still atop their division. After breakfast, it was time for his daily five-block walk with Coalie. Running was beyond his capacity, but he could handle walking. The rest of his morning was spent doing the necessary odd chores around the house. He didn’t really like doing them, and there were occasions when the welcomed opportunity to avoid them could be found. As a procrastinator, Andrew often put off chores to one day per week. After chores, he devoted his time to writing. He had written one novel, and he was doing everything a procrastinator would do to see that it was published. Always in the back of his mind was the knowledge that someday he would no longer be a teacher, but a professional writer. After writing, he ate dinner and either watched television or went out with Melanie.

As he rested his bottom on the floor with his back to the couch, flipping through channels, thoughts of how his routine this summer would be essentially the same pervaded his mind. For the most part he welcomed this. And of course there was the annual summer attempt at…

The phone interrupted his train of thought, and he reached over to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Maxwell, how’s your summer been?”

Andrew grimaced at the use of his given name.  Since the time he had started kindergarten and the children began calling him Maxi, he had gone by his middle name, correcting even the teachers when they called him Maxwell.  As the years progressed, his loathing of it only grew.  His sensitivity extended to any name other than Andrew.  Even being called “Andy” earned a sharp remark.   He did, however, make an exception for his mom.  After a short sigh, he answered her.

“Well, so far so good, Mom. It just started about an hour ago, so I’m still in the adjustment period.”

“Good. I’m glad you’re enjoying your vacation, because we’re going on one this year.”

“You and Dad? You never go on vacation.”

“Your Dad, your grandma, and me.”

“Grandma’s going too? Where are you going?”

“We’re all going to Europe this summer. We won the grand prize in a contest that we didn't even enter."

“That’s a bit odd, but congratulations anyway. How long will you be gone?”

“Ten weeks It’s a complete Tour of Europe. That’s why I called. I need to ask you a favor.”

“What's that?”

“Could you visit your great-grandma for us? We usually visit over the summer, but since we’re going to be gone, we can’t.”

“Can’t you go before you go to Europe?”

“No, we’re leaving in the morning, and we won’t be back until mid-August.”

“Wow! That's a great prize. Wonder what you could have won if you'd actually entered."

“Yeah. So you think you can visit for us?”

“Sure. It shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Great! Thanks. She’s expecting you Friday.”

“Friday? That’s short notice, Mom.”

“I know, but I thought you would probably like to get it out of the way so you can enjoy your summer, so I told her that you’d be by Friday.”

“I don’t know. That’s going to be hard to do. I kind of had plans.”

“Max, listen. She’s 106 years old. When was the last time you saw her? It’s been awhile hasn’t it?”

The shame tactic worked. It had been several years since he had seen her and there had been no reason for it. He simply hadn’t gone. There was no way he could squirm out of this without carrying a guilty conscience.

“Okay, Mom, I’ll go.”

“Perfect! Thanks, Maxwell. We really appreciate it. Ok, I have to go finish packing, so you have yourself a good summer. We’ll talk to you when we get back.”

“Ok. Have a good time. Love you guys. Talk to you later.”

“Love you too. Bye.”

Andrew hung up the phone and wondered to himself how he was going to explain to Melanie that he wasn’t going with her to see the concert this weekend. Pushing this thought to the back of his mind, he went to his bedroom and got out his suitcase. The plan was to only stay for the weekend, so the task was accomplished on the short side of fifteen minutes.

An attempt to return to the couch to watch a movie was thwarted yet again by the telephone.

Andrew sighed to himself and answered.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Andrew, what’s up?”

On the other end of the phone was Will, Andrew’s best friend since the fifth grade. The two had not talked as much since their college days, but they still kept in touch and were aware of what was going on in each other’s lives.

“Not much. I just finished packing. I’m going to go visit my great-grandma this weekend.”

“Sounds like fun. When are you leaving?”

“Well, I want to get there Friday morning, so I guess I’ll leave tomorrow afternoon. I could drive it in a day, but there's no reason not to take my time driving out there. What are you up to lately?”

“Not much of anything. I just wanted to let you know that Helen is filming a new movie this summer out in L.A. Just thought you might like to know.”

The thoughts of Andrew’s annual summer goal quickly returned to him. For the past four summers, he had planned on meeting an actress, even bragging to Will that some summer he would. The two had placed a bet the first summer he tried, and they had gone double-or-nothing every summer after.

“You know, Will, I don’t know why you’re assuming I’m still going to do that. Maybe I’ll just pay you what I owe and give it up. Besides who says it has to be the same actress every year? Maybe I’m going to meet another one this year.”

“Ok, I just thought I’d help out. Still, if we’re going to keep this bet up, you’re gonna have to tell me who it is this year.”

“Eh…still Helen.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Anyway, I really called to see how your computer is working.”

“Oh, it’s great. I haven’t had any problems with it. How are things down at Will’s Modern Machines?”

“Great. Business is booming.” Will replied.

“That’s good to hear. Listen, though, I’ve got to go get the oil changed in my truck before I leave. I’ll talk to you when I get back.”

“Ok. Have a good time. Talk to you later.”

“Bye.”

They both hung up and Andrew hopped in his truck to get his oil changed. There were several places he could have this done, but he preferred to go to the one offering the “thirty-minutes or it’s free” deal. Twice he had come out ahead, so it was incentive to return. On this particular occasion he had to pay. After finishing business there, he decided to run by Melanie’s house to give her fair notice about the concert. He knew she would be disappointed but hoped she would understand.

After ringing the doorbell, Andrew waited for a couple minutes. Quite impatient, especially for a procrastinator, he soon began knocking on the door. From inside he heard Melanie.

“Hold on. Hold on. I’m coming!” Shortly thereafter she answered the door.

“Andrew! What are you doing here? I didn’t expect to see you tonight. Why don’t you come in? I was just in the kitchen cooking dinner."

Andrew accepted her invitation and walked into the living room. Melanie exited to the kitchen in order to attend to food on the stove. Looking around at the house he had seen several times before, Andrew noticed how elaborately it was decorated. Melanie had the best of everything. The centerpiece of her living room was the forty-inch plasma television along with stereo surround sound. Several of her personal paintings adorned the walls, and her blue curtains went well with her antique white carpeting. He was awakened from his observations by the scent coming from the kitchen.

“Wow, something smells great! What are you having?”

“Oh, thanks. I’m baking some wild kelp and making some boiled octopus salad. There's enough for two. Do you want to stay?” she answered from the kitchen.

“Um… No, no thanks. I can’t stay.” Andrew lied, “I have to get back and um… feed Coalie. She hasn’t eaten yet. I just wanted to talk to you for a few minutes.”

“Ok. Let me turn this stuff down, and I’ll be right in.”

Only seconds later, Melanie entered the room. As she did so, it struck Andrew just how beautiful she really was. She had shoulder-length, dark-blonde hair with the most amazing green eyes he had ever seen. At this point in time she was sweaty and her hair was a mess, but it didn’t hide her obvious beauty. It was times like this that Andrew had no idea how someone like her could ever be attracted to him. He also knew better than to question those things. As she sat on the couch next to him, Andrew was jarred from his thoughts.

“So what did you want to talk about?”

“Well, Melanie, remember that concert we’re going to on Saturday? We’re kind of not going.”

“What?” she asked, sounding sincerely hurt. “Why not?”

“Well, my parents won this trip to Europe for the summer, and they asked me to do them a favor. They usually visit my great-grandma over the summer, but they’ll be gone this year. They want me to do it.”

“That shouldn’t be a big deal. You have three months. Why can’t you make the concert?”

“They kind of told her that I’d be there on Friday, so she’s expecting me.”

“Do you have her phone number? You could call her and postpone the trip, couldn’t you?”

“Well, I could if she wasn’t one hundred and six years old, and I didn’t feel so guilty about not having seen her in several years. I don’t want to put it off. She really doesn’t have anyone to come around except for her son, Alan, and his wife, Karen.”

“Ok, well, I guess I understand. I’m still going to go to the concert, though. Maybe I’ll see if I can get one of my friends to go with me.”

“I’m really sorry, Melanie.”

“It’s no trouble, Andrew. We have all summer, right?”

“That’s true. I’m glad you understand.”

“Sure. It’s no trouble, but hey, I’ve got to get back to my dinner. Did you want to talk about anything else?” Andrew was a little surprised by being ushered out of the house, but he really didn't have anything else to say.

“No, that was about it. I guess I’ll see you in a few days?”

“Sure, Andrew. Talk to you then. Bye.”

“Bye.”

After leaving Melanie’s house, he headed home. When he arrived, Coalie did her routine check, and both returned to their favorite spots. Andrew made a quick list of things he needed to do before he left, then settled in. He flipped through his tv subscription suggestions and settled on a horror flick. Midway through, as the villain reached out to grab its next victim, Andrew jumped as his phone vibrated alerting him to a new message. He opened it and read, “You owe me big time, Andrew! Looking forward to our dinner. Let me know when so I can look the part - and be sure I bring an appropriate appetite!” Andrew shook his head knowing that Melanie always has an appropriate appetite, though he would never speak those words.

He paused the movie and thought about their relationship. He had always appreciated her concern for him when he first came back to the classroom. It started with her coming by during breaks and lunch time to check on him. It gradually became her bringing soup to him when he was sick and other nurturing actions. They dated casually, and he never considered it a serious thing. Recently, though, he had begun to wonder if she thought they were more serious than he did. Subtle things, like a touch on his arm, or the increase in frequency of her visits to his house. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

Undeniably, Melanie was a kind person - and she was beautiful. She would never want for attention were she to seek it, but that wasn’t her style. She was muted in her flair. Still, Andrew couldn’t get around the fact that she had quirky tastes - really quirky tastes. He would never forget the evening that she invited him to dinner and served octopus and seaweed pasta! Or her gossip tv marathons that she would invite him to. He shook his head. This was too much to think about this late in the evening. It was time to veg out to something that didn’t require thought. He put the movie back on.

The villainous arm reached forward toward the unsuspecting victim. Andrew yawned, and the fog on the screen seemed to pour into the room with him. It was thick and he couldn’t see anything. He wasn’t sure, but he thought he could smell a hint of ozone in the air.

Suddenly a gnarled hand clutched his forearm. He looked to his right but the fog was dense. Trying to pull free, he realized the grip was unyielding. A sensation of fear climbed his spine, moving up his neck and raising those little hairs with it as it crawled past. Without warning a face pierced the fog only inches from Andrew’s nose. It was old — old and menacing.

“AHH!” Andrew yelled as the adrenaline began to flow. “Please don't hurt me! Let me go!”

Andrew renewed his efforts to get free, yanking his arm repeatedly to no avail, and fell out of the chair in the struggle. The face spoke. “Maxwell, it is me, Merlin.”

“The only Merlin I know of died thirty-…” Andrew stopped in mid-sentence as he thought about the icy hand on his arm. “Merlin who?”

“Merlin Vincent. Your great-grandpa. I have a message for you to take to my wife, Esther.”

With his heart in his throat, Andrew replied, “What message?”

“Tell her, Maxwell. Tell her that I will see her soon. Tell her I have something important to do first, but after I am finished I will see her.”

“What should I tell her you’re doing?”

“Just tell her I will see her soon, Maxwell. Don’t forget my message. I will see her soon.”

Suddenly the grip on Andrew’s arm was gone, and the fog seemed to leave as quickly as it came. Andrew sat there - no longer in a literal fog, but a fog nonetheless - as he try to determine what had just happened. He looked at his watch and realized that two hours had passed. Had he been sleeping? Was this a dream?

Andrew didn’t know much about his great grandparents Esther and Merlin, but he was pretty sure that Merlin had died young - many years before Andrew had even been born. He decided to call it a night and headed to bed.

The sun was soon up, and Andrew began his routine. It made him feel safe to be doing familiar things, and after that dream, all he wanted was to feel safe. Before long, Andrew was feeling comfortable, and during the course of the day began to forget about the dream. He called his neighbors to see if they would take care of Coalie. After receiving their acquiescence, he put his suitcase in his truck. He then called Melanie to let her know he was leaving, and not knowing if his cell phone would have a signal where he was headed, gave her the name of the motel where he would be staying. He stopped at an ATM and was finally ready to begin his journey.

Chapter II

Sleepless Nights

Andrew had made this trip before, and although it wasn’t terribly tedious, it wasn’t a trip he wanted to extend deep into the night. Keeping pace with the sun as best he could, Andrew was finally outrun as it set over the horizon. A quick glance down at the clock informed him that it was just after 8 pm, and he decided it was late enough to stop.

Being the thrifty sort, he found a small, privately owned motel for a small overnight charge. Unfortunately, the lack of expense equaled lack of entertainment and Andrew found himself with two channel choices.

“It’s a beautiful night out, folks, with a clear sky and a temperature of 68 degrees. Yessir… It’s a GREAT night for frog catching. Several calls tonight from people down on Cotter’s Pond where the frogs are in abundance. Speaking of Cotter’s Pond, we have Butch Bayer with us tonight. That’s right ladies and gentlemen… We have THE number one frog catcher in Wicker County here to give us a little insight into the most effective frog catching techniques. So let’s all wel…”

Andrew turned off the television set and decided to go to bed. After rolling over, he noticed that perspiration had begun to form on his head.

“That’s funny. It doesn’t feel like 68 degrees,” he thought to himself. He got out of bed to raise the AC, but found that it was already at maximum. He put a hand over the vent, and the air was indeed quite cold. Scratching his head, he decided he was too tired to bother calling the office about it. Andrew returned to bed.

Unfortunately, his attempts at sleep were to no avail as he continued to sweat. Knowing there was no way he could sleep this way, Andrew decided to go to the vending machines for some soda and ice. With his ice bucket under his right arm and some change in his pocket, he left the room. As he stepped out into the evening air, he noticed an immediate difference. The cool air hit him like an arctic front.

“What’s going on here?” puzzled Andrew in his mind. “It’s cool out here, and my room is like an oven.”

He continued his march to the vendors. After filling his ice bucket and buying a couple sodas he headed back to his room. As he opened the door to his room, he again noticed the stark contrast between the room and outdoors. As he put the bucket down on the table he thought to himself how sexy this scene would be if it were occurring in a movie and he wasn't alone. As it was however, the ice did not help, and with disgust he finally decided to sleep in his truck.

The new day came earlier than Andrew would have liked, but he decided he was just as well off getting started on the day. The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful and he arrived at his great-grandmother’s just before noon. As he pulled up to the house it was much the same as he remembered. The rock garden was still in the front lawn, and the ranch-style house was still the same burgundy that he remembered. He was suddenly struck with the yearning to take a walk along the river that flowed through the five-acre field behind the house. After quickly getting out of his truck, he hastened to her door.

The quick rapping on her door incited a response from within.

“Who is it?” she asked.

“It’s Andrew, Grandma.”

“Andrew?" came the reply.

Andrew hesitated then spoke again. "Er—Max…well."

"Oh! Maxwell! I was expecting you. Please come in. Come in.” was the exuberant response from inside the house.

The door was quickly opened and Andrew was ushered in. They went into the living room and Esther offered Andrew a drink. After he politely declined, they began with some chitchat.

“So Andrew, how do you like teaching?”

“It’s great. I love the kids. Especially when they go home at three,” he joked, “But I’m sure it’s a lot different than when you were a teacher.”

“Oh yes, I’m sure. I imagine they can be quite a handful now. When I was a teacher, the children were disciplined at home. My students wouldn’t have dreamed of showing the kind of disrespect that is the norm today. Unfortunately that was a long time ago, and the world has changed since then.”

“That’s true. Still there are some good moments. I really enjoy seeing their faces light up when they realize they’ve just learned something.”

No sooner had Andrew spoken these words than his stomach growled obscenely.

“If you’re hungry, I was about to have lunch anyway. Would you care to join me?” Esther offered.

“That’d be great. What are you having?”

“Just a tuna-fish sandwich. Is that okay for you?”

“Sure. That’d be great. Do you need any help?”

“Oh no, Dear. I can handle it. You just relax and I’ll be right back.”

It wasn’t long before lunch was served, and the two continued their conversation. Shortly after finishing their sandwiches, Esther went into her bedroom and brought out some old photo albums. She began going through them with Andrew, pointing out people that she remembered from years ago. It was a struggle for Andrew to focus on the pictures of people who were strangers to him, and his mind soon began wandering.

He was brought back from his daydreams when the grandfather clock in the corner announced the arrival of five post meridiem.

“Oh, wow, I didn’t realize it was so late. I didn’t sleep very well last night. I’m going to have to be going, Grandma. I need to get some dinner and then head to bed.”

“I’m sorry. You can stay here if you like. It might save you some money. And I can make some dinner here.”

“No, don’t go to any trouble. I’ll just grab a quick meal at the motel or something, and the motel won’t be that much. I’m only staying tonight.”

“Oh…you’re going home tomorrow?” Esther asked with some disappointment in her voice.”

Andrew didn’t notice the tinge of sadness and replied, “Yeah. I’ve got lots of things to do this summer, but I’ll come back here before I leave. How about I bring dinner with me tomorrow night? I’ll pick something up and we can talk some more.”

Esther replied with a soft, “okay.”

They gave each other a quick hug, and Andrew was on his way.

ii

Andrew was looking for a good place to eat in town. The restaurant at the motel was not exactly what he was looking for. It was more Melanie's style. He drove around looking and thinking. He felt bad for Esther. He knew that she was lonely. He didn't know what he could do. He wanted her to be happy, but he didn’t know how to help. Her son lived right next door. She saw him every day. He was sure that made her happy, but she has so much family that she doesn't see. “Either they don't come around, like me,” he thought, “or they only stay for a little time.”

He wasn't too happy with himself right now. He tried to make himself feel better but couldn't. He finally found a restaurant where he thought he could get a pretty good meal. It was a pizza joint, and he was partial to pizza and beer. As he began to eat his pizza he took notice of all the families in the restaurant. They all looked so happy enjoying their time together. This only fed his guilty conscience. Realizing that he would never enjoy the meal there, he asked the waitress for a box, and left the restaurant.

A few minutes later, he was outside Esther’s front door. After knocking and getting no immediate response, Andrew began to have second thoughts. “I guess I should have called. She might be in bed by now.” He waited a second or two longer and turned to walk away. As he did, Esther answered the door.

“Andrew? Is something wrong, dear,” she asked with a surprised expression on her face.

“No, nothing’s wrong. I just ordered too much food and thought you might be able to help me.”

Esther smiled at the lie, and ushered him in. “Well, you can’t just stand out there. Come on in.”

They fixed a couple of plates and sat down at the table to eat. They began talking.

“How are you enjoying Nebraska?" she asked.

“Nebraska is nice, but it was awfully hot last night at the motel. I couldn’t sleep all night. Even the air conditioner couldn’t keep it cool.”

“Oh? Where did you stay? It gets that way here sometimes. Some nights are almost unbearable and others are simply wonderful."

The two finished their dinner and moved to the living room. The living room was very homey. It had pictures of Merlin and Esther on the wall, along with their family and even one of Andrew. It was one of the pictures that caused a sudden jolt in Andrew's memory. The dream he had the other night quickly came back to him, when he saw the large photograph of his great-grandfather. The picture was the same as he saw Merlin in the dream. The words now came back to him, "Tell her that I miss her, but I have something very important to do." Andrew suddenly debated. Did he dare tell this poor woman that her long dead husband misses her? Wouldn't it only open up wounds, bring back memories of his death, and renew old pains? He was torn. He had given his word, but it was only a dream, wasn't it? Had he given his word to a phantom? In the end he decided it was best to tell her.

“You know, grandma, I had a dream about Merlin a few nights ago."

“Really, what about?"

“Well, actually, he wanted me to give you a message."

With a somewhat surprised look on her face she replied, "A message? What would that be?"

“Well, he told me to tell you that he misses you, but he has something very important to do."

Andrew paused. He saw that a tear was forging a course down his elderly grandmother's face. Her upper lip had begun to tremble. He had no idea what to say next, but being urged on by a sense of guilt for bringing it up, he continued.

“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you. It was only a dream and I know he passed away many years ago."

He was stopped abruptly by her surprised look. She wiped her eyes, and her lip had stopped trembling.

“Passed on? What do you mean? Didn't anyone ever tell you?"

“Tell me what?"

Andrew had no idea what the answer might be, but he was intensely interested. While he sat patiently waiting for her reply, neither he nor Esther seemed to notice that the temperature in the room had begun to rise.

Chapter III

An Interesting Tale

“Maybe I had better tell you a little bit about your great-grandpa. Merlin was like no other man I had ever met. From the moment we were introduced I knew I wanted to spend my life with him. He had an incredible sense of humor, and was smarter than any man I ever knew. He was always kind, hard working, and honest. We courted for a few months, and then he proposed. We had a rather long engagement, but we finally 'took the plunge'. I was twenty-three at the time. He was twenty-seven. We were very happy. He had a good job, and I taught school. We went dancing every Friday night."

Esther had completely stopped trembling now. She was smiling dreamily. Andrew thought that these must be nice memories for her. Still, he wondered what was the big deal. What was it that no one had told him? He was getting impatient, but he knew better than to say anything. Esther continued.

“For many years we lived happily. We had two children. They grew, and we all became close. Of course, there were many problems, as there are in any marriages, but we got through them and kept our love for each other strong. That is until that one night..."

“What night?!” asked Andrew in anticipation.

“Well, Merlin had a fascination with the stars. He would go outside on every clear night and just stare at the stars for hours at a time. He said that it gave him peace." Andrew nodded politely, but silently urged her to come to the point. The suspense was almost unbearable. Esther went on.

“Every night he would go out. There were some nights that nothing could be seen and still he would go out. He used to say that it kept him humble, and that in all of the greatness of the universe, it was amazing that someone as small as he could even exist. He used to wonder why. Why did he exist? Why did anyone exist? Did we evolve? If so, why? It always came back to that with him. He always wanted to know why."

At this point, all Andrew wanted to know was what. What happened that night? What is so mysterious about it? In the middle of all of this thinking, he suddenly realized that it was very hot. . .even hotter than the other night. What WAS that? Why did it come and go? It was not like a heat wave. He looked over at Esther. She had begun to sweat. He interrupted for just a second.

“Grandma, would you like something to drink?"

“Oh, my. It has gotten hot, hasn't it? Yes, I would like something to drink. I have some iced tea in the refrigerator. Would you pour me some?"

"Sure, where are the glasses?"

“They're in the third cabinet from the left." Andrew looked and there they were. He said, "You can go on. I’m listening."

“No, I'll just wait until you get back."

Hearing this, Andrew began to work that much faster. Soon he was done, and she continued with her story.

“Anyway, every night he could, he was out there. Sometimes I went with him, sometimes I didn't. But one night..."

Andrew noticed that tears were beginning to form in her eyes again. He wanted to comfort her, but instead looked down at his hands, unsure of what to say.

“...One cold January night, we went outside together to look at the stars. It was an exceptional night. A cold front had just passed through, leaving the sky so clear… Well, I’ve never in all my years seen such a sky. Anyway, it was bitterly cold, so before too long I went inside to warm myself by the fire Merlin had built. I made some tea for us and sat on the couch to wait for him. I don’t know how much time passed, but I must have drifted asleep. When I awoke the room was cold, and Merlin was nowhere to be found. I searched the house and called for him outside, but I never saw him again.”

Andrew’s eyes grew wide. “What happened to him?”

“There were searches done the next morning, but no one found even the slightest trace of him, anywhere. I hoped. I still to this day hope a little bit, but he would be so old today that the chances are too slim. That's why I was so upset about your dream. See? It could have happened. No one has ever found him. No one knows what happened to him."

Andrew was stunned. He had no idea. He had only seen Merlin in photographs, but the dream HAD seemed real to him. At first he wasn’t even sure that it was a dream. What could he say? He tried to think of something. He opened his mouth to say something, yet nothing came out. What was there to say? He wanted to know more, but could not think of an appropriate question. It was so uncomfortable that he wanted to leave, yet didn't feel that it would be right. He just sat there. Esther just sat there. The longer Andrew sat there, the more unbearable the heat became. He decided to go outside for a walk.

“I'm going to go for a walk. Do you want to go?"

“No, I think I'll stay here.”

“Okay, I'll be back soon."

Andrew left the house and went out into the rather large field behind it. He walked out beneath the stars and looked up. There was an incredibly clear sky on this night. He looked up and wondered about the universe. Why? He could understand how Merlin could ask that. The stars spread out forever. There was infinite light on a night like this. Why? Why did he not return that night? Did he run away from marriage that wasn't as perfect as Esther remembered it? Andrew came to the conclusion that Merlin must have run away. There was no other way to explain it. If he had been murdered, surely, there would have been body. What motive would anyone have for murder anyway? The questions just kept coming. Why did he have that dream? Was there any meaning to it? If so, what was it? Andrew considered himself to be a rather intelligent man, but tonight, there were no answers. He sat and contemplated these questions for several hours that night.

Esther watched Andrew go outside. She did not notice the heat. All she could think about was that night. It had come back to her with a sudden rush after Andrew had brought up his dream. Why? Why after all of these years did she have to relive that horrible night? She could not believe that no one had told Andrew. She wondered about these things. She didn't know the answers, but for some strange reason, she felt that she would soon. She was old. She was tired. She needed to sleep. She thought that maybe tonight would be the night that all of her questions would be answered. The house, she thought, even felt like that night. It had been hot with the large fire in the fireplace. She looked at the fireplace. There was no fire tonight, yet it was hot, unusually hot. Even for a Nebraska heat wave. She noticed that the heat had begun to increase even more...

iii

Andrew found it to be considerably cooler outside. After several hours, the questions were still coming, but he had become drowsy. He rested on the cool grass, and quickly fell asleep under the stars. When Andrew awoke, it was with the sunrise. He hurried back to the house, worried about Esther. He should have never left her alone in the state she was in. Remembering how upset she was, he hoped that she was okay.

When he got back to the house, he went into the living room. She was not there. He went into the bedroom to check on her. She was not there. He checked the rest of the house. She was nowhere to be found. He went outside and checked her garden. Not finding her there, he went to the field to see if she had gone for a walk. There was still no sign of her. At this point, Andrew’s worry began to turn to panic. Suddenly, he thought that maybe Esther's son Alan, had taken her to breakfast. They had always been early risers. Running over to Alan's house he noticed the car was gone. Sighing a great sigh of relief, he was sure now that everything was okay. Alan and his wife had taken Esther to breakfast. After all, they did it all the time.

Andrew was satisfied enough that he got in his truck and went back to his motel room. He decided he would change, go get something to eat, and then go say goodbye to his great-grandma. He planned on leaving that night. He did shower and change, and then he was off to the only diner in town for breakfast. When he got there, he found it did not open for another forty-five minutes. He was not extremely hungry, so he waited in his truck with the radio on.

The station was playing a Barry song, so he left it there. After the song, the announcer came on.

“That was Barry with his latest hit, ‘You’re the Light on my Porch.’ Speaking of lights, did anyone see that awesome display last night? It was pretty wicked out there if you missed it. I wouldn’t be…”

Andrew wasn't into talk. He wanted music. He changed the station and found it. The time passed quickly and the restaurant opened. He went in and ordered a couple of eggs scrambled and whole-wheat toast. It was a mediocre meal and soon the questions began to come back. It always came back to “why”? He decided that he had a few more questions to ask Esther. Just to clear a few things up. Maybe he would stay for dinner and then go home. Besides, just dropping in to say goodbye seemed kind of rude to him.

He went back to his motel room and called her house. There was no answer. He decided that she must still be out at breakfast. He turned on the television and watched The Flintstones. That was his favorite cartoon from childhood. He used to think that Wilma was a "babe". Fortunately he was beyond that now. Once they were over, he tried calling again. Alan answered.

“Hello?"

“Hey, Alan?"

“Yeah, this is Alan. Who is this?"

“This is Andrew. How was breakfast?"

“Pretty good. How about yours?"

“Fine, I was just wondering if I could talk to Grandma." Andrew said.

“What?! Isn't she with you?"

Chapter IV

Suspicion

The silence on both ends of the phone seemed to last for an eternity. Andrew spoke first.

“What do you mean she's with me? You took her to breakfast."

“Breakfast? I never took her to breakfast. I haven't seen her since yesterday at lunch."

“I left her at home last night. Maybe we'd better call the police."

“I'll do that."

“All right, I'll be right over. Give me fifteen minutes."

Andrew and Alan both got off the phone. Andrew couldn't believe it. What was going on? He rushed over to the house. When he got there, he jumped out of his truck and ran to the house. When he caught sight of Alan, the first thing he said was, "Has she come back?"

“What do you mean come back? Where could she go? She's a hundred and five years old, where could she possibly go? She can't drive. She can't walk long distances. Her sight is almost gone. Where could she go? Obviously, she was taken by someone."

Andrew didn’t want to believe that. Surely she was around somewhere. Why would someone take her? Where would they take her? Who would take her? Andrew did not know the answers now, but he promised himself that he would find out. He promised Esther he would find out and before it was too late. Andrew had not yet learned to make promises that he could not keep.

His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. It was the police. The car pulled up to the end of the driveway, and stopped. A large redheaded man with buckteeth got out of the car. He spoke: "What seems to be the problem here?"

“Well, my mother has disappeared,” said Alan.

“When did this happen?"

“No one has seen her since last night. He was the last one to se her." Alan pointed accusingly toward Andrew.

“Well, what happened last night?" the officer asked Andrew.

“We had a long discussion about her husband Merlin. Then I went outside for a walk. While I was out in the field I fell asleep. I did not get up until sunrise. When I did she was gone. I assumed that she was with Alan having breakfast."

“Who's Alan?" asked the officer.

“I am," interjected Alan.

“So where is Merlin? How does he fit into this picture?"

Alan said, "He died many years ago. He's buried in a cemetery a few miles out of town."

Andrew wondered.

“I'm sorry,” said the officer, "I didn't know."

“That's all right, but we have to find Esther. Andrew, are you sure that you didn't see her this morning before you left?"

“Positive. I thought she went to breakfast with you."

“Well, it sounds to me like she just wandered off. She'll probably be back, but I'll get a few guys out here tomorrow to look for her." said the officer.

“Tomorrow!? What about now?" Alan cried.

The officer responded, "We can't consider a person missing for twenty-four hours. I don't make the rules, I just follow them."

“Well, the rules stink. Just go on home, we'll find her ourselves."

“Good luck." said the officer as he got in his car.

Andrew and Alan just looked at each other in amazement as he drove off. They agreed that they had to do a thorough search. Alan searched the house, and Andrew searched outside. After what seemed like an eternity, both men conceded that there was no trace of her. The two men went into the house and neither one said a word. There was nothing to say. Whoever had taken her had left no clues. The silence was only broken by the sound of frogs croaking in the background.

Not a word was spoken for the rest of the night, in spite of the fact that neither man slept. In the morning, around ten o'clock there was a sound in the driveway. The same officer that had been there the day before was back. He came up to the door and knocked.

Alan answered it.

“May I come in?" asked the officer.

“Sure, although I'm not sure what you want."

“Well, I'm here to help look for Esther if she's still missing."

“Of course she's still missing. She's probably gone by now. She couldn't survive this long outside on her own." said Alan with anger in his voice.

“We can always hope." said the officer.

Alan rolled his eyes, and went outside. Andrew and the officer followed.

“Here's the yard. Find her." Alan told the officer.

He began to look around. Andrew noticed that he really did not appear to be looking for a person, but more for clues. The officer spent a long time looking for these "clues". He found nothing. A few hours passed.

Alan and Andrew had gone in to get something to eat.

“Well, Alan, I guess finding nothing is more promising than finding bad news. 'No news is good news', you know."

“Shut up. This is your fault,” he said to Andrew.

“What?"

“If you had stayed inside with her this wouldn't have happened."

“That's crazy. What could I have done?"

“You would know what happened to her."

“Maybe, but I probably wouldn't be here to tell you."

“Fine with me. For all I know, it might have been you who took her. Did you come all the way to Nebraska to kill her? What’d she ever do to you?”

"Listen, Alan, I know you're upset, but here in the world of real things, I didn't have anything to do with whatever happened last night."

Alan was about to respond when the officer came back through the door. "Well, I didn't find anything," he said.

“Amazing, Sherlock." said Alan.

“Well, I'm going to have to ask you guys some questions. Just to clear a few things up. I would prefer to question you one at a time. If I could talk to you first, we'll just go in here." He beckoned for Alan to join him in the other room. Andrew waited in the kitchen for about fifteen minutes and then it was his turn. When he went into the room with the officer, he immediately felt uncomfortable.

“So, Andrew, Alan says that you're from Illinois. How long have you been in town?"

“Just for a few days. I only came up for a quick visit. My parents usually come, but they couldn't make it this time. They asked me to come instead."

“Well, that was kind of unfortunate for you, don't you think?"

“Not as unfortunate as it was for grandma. Don't you think?"

“I don't know, do you think your being here caused her to disappear?"

“Well, uh, that's not what I meant."

“What did you mean?"

“Uh, the same thing as you, I guess." Andrew knew that this was not looking good. “I wouldn't hurt her. I couldn't."

“So who is accusing you? Do you have a guilty conscience?"

Andrew realized that he was digging himself a hole. “Well, I didn't visit her as much as I should have."

“Nice save. So tell me about last night."

“Well, I came over. I brought dinner and we sat down and talked about Merlin, her husband. She told me about how they loved each other and how sad she was when he died,” Andrew lied. “We both noticed that it had gotten extremely hot inside.

"That was probably from the electrical storm last night. Did you see it?" interjected the officer.

"Uh, no. Sorry."

“Oh, pretty amazing. To bad you missed it. Anyway..."

“Anyway, I decided to go for a walk, and I asked her if she wanted to go. She declined, and I went alone. When I was outside, I sat on the grass. Soon I was lying down, and I fell asleep. When I awoke, the sun was coming up, and I went in to see Esther. She wasn't there."

“So you were outside all night, but you didn’t see the storm?”

“Um…no. I guess I slept through it.”

“And it didn't strike you odd, that a one hundred and six year old woman was not home. What did you think?"

“Well, yes, it was odd. I searched everywhere for her, and I was getting really worried. Then I remembered that Alan took her to breakfast fairly often and since his car was gone, I assumed that was what they had done. It wasn't until I called and talked to him that I knew that she was really missing."

“That's your story?"

“That's all I know."

“Did she seem more upset than usual last night?"

“Well, it would be hard for me to tell if she was more upset than usual. I don't know how upset she usually is since, you know, I don't live here and all. She did start to cry when we began discussing Merlin."

“Who brought him up?"

“I did. I had a dream about him the other night. He told me to tell her that he misses her."

“So a dead man told you that he missed his wife?"

“I know it sounds silly, but it really happened."

“Well, whatever. Look there is no body so I can't charge you with anything, but I am going to say that you are our main suspect right now, and when we find the body, you'd better find a lawyer."

That was the end of the discussion between Andrew and the officer. Andrew had nothing more to say. He was in shock. He was being accused of a murder that wasn’t even a murder yet. What was going on? This was one hell of a weekend. Little did Andrew know that the gates of Hades had just been opened.

Chapter V

Questions

Andrew went back to his motel. He wanted desperately to go home. He longed to lay his head on his own pillow, in his own bed, in his own home, in his own town. He couldn't believe what had happened to him in the past couple of days. It all started with that crazy dream. It all came back to that night. Or did it? Maybe it came before that. Yes, it came when his mom called. It was such short notice. Why did they go to Europe? Surely, their trip could have waited a week, and they could have gone to see Esther.

Andrew stopped thinking. He knew that he was being ridiculous. His parents had no way of knowing what would happen. He realized that he was in a tough situation. He had been the last person to see her alive. Or was she still alive? There was no body. There was no blood. There wasn't even a sign of violence. Andrew reflected on these thoughts and came back to the one that had been bothering him since he left Esther's house: He was the prime suspect. He knew that he didn't do it, but no one else did. He decided that the only thing that he could do was try and come up with a conceivable solution that would explain what had happened. He knew that the police would take a lot of convincing. Something had happened when he was asleep, but what? He decided to put the facts together.

Andrew pulled out a little notepad that he always carried with him. This was just in case the writing inspiration hit him. There was no writing inspiration now, but there was plenty to write. He searched for a pen and finally found one in one of the drawers. Unfortunately, like most complimentary items, the pen did not work. He searched for another and found one in his suitcase. He began to write:

1. Mom and Dad go to Europe.

2. I have to visit Grandma Esther

3. Dream—Grandpa Merlin tells me to pass on a message that he has something important to do, but will see Esther soon.

4. I find out that Merlin mysteriously disappeared.

5. Esther disappears.

6. Alan told police that Merlin is buried here.

7. I’m the prime suspect.

Andrew looked over these facts. It occurred to him that they would make a good book. He was trying to make a joke of the whole situation, but he did not think it was funny, no matter how much he wanted it to be. He considered the points that he had written down. Number one seemed pretty basic. His parents had no way to know what was going to happen. Number three seemed pretty basic as well, until number four happens. Things began to get interesting then. Unfortunately, this is just before Esther disappears. Number six seemed strange just because of what Esther had told him the night before. The last one is what shook him, but there was nothing that he could do about that. Or was there? He looked over the list again. Suddenly, something jumped out at him. Number six. The cemetery! How long could it take to go to the cemetery and look for Merlin's grave? Alan said it was small, and if he could find where Merlin was buried, then maybe he could get a clue as to what was going on. He decided to do that first thing in the morning. He called the office desk and requested a wake-up call. He didn't think that he would need it, but just in case...

Andrew spent the rest of the night considering all of the possible theories he could think of. He considered ghosts. Maybe Merlin was a ghost, and he wanted to tell Andrew that Esther would be dying soon. That would explain the "dream". Maybe he really was buried just out of town. Maybe Esther had made up that story, to ease the pain of his death. Maybe she had "passed on" and her and Merlin were together.

This idea seemed plausible to Andrew, until he began to wonder what had happened to Esther's body. If she had just died, then where was her body? Andrew had his doubts about this theory. He never believed in ghosts before, and it seemed far-fetched to him now.

He also considered alien abduction. That would explain the fact that there were no bodies, but what about his dream? Was that an alien pretending to be Merlin? What possible reason could there be for that? It also didn't explain what Alan had said about Merlin being buried in a grave just out of town. Perhaps Alan was an alien himself. This idea greatly appealed to him. Alan had been something of a jerk to Andrew ever since he had known him. This meeting was no different. This alien thing was working out well. That must be what happened. Andrew suddenly realized what he was thinking. He didn't believe in aliens. He had never seen a UFO and never expected to. Besides, if there had been an alien spaceship that night, he would have seen it.

If it had been aliens, why did they take Merlin seventy years ago, and just come back for Esther now? "Maybe it's a plot to take over the world, one person at a time,” mused Andrew. To him there really was no conceivable answer for this puzzle. There must be a clue somewhere. Somewhere there had to be evidence. There had to be some way to find out what had happened to Esther. He was riddled with guilt every time he thought about what had happened. If only he had stayed inside. If only he had brought Esther outside with him. He continued to come up with possible theories. Spontaneous combustion? It had been hot. Maybe after he left, Esther burst into flames and became totally consumed without a trace. But there would have been burn marks in the furniture. Wouldn't there? Andrew didn't know, but he felt that there had to be something that he was missing. Something was there in the house that might answer these questions, at least some of them. He didn't know what to do. Alan wouldn't let him go into the house by himself, since he was the prime suspect. He imagined that Alan really enjoyed seeing Andrew in this dilemma. Well, anyway, he had to get into the house to look for clues, especially if he was going to clear himself of this "crime".

He decided that the best thing to do was go over there now. It was the perfect time. He could park the truck some distance away so Alan wouldn't see him pull up. He would walk the rest of the way. It was midnight, so he had a good four or five hours before Alan was even awake.

He got up from the table, grabbed his jacket and he was out the door. The house was only about ten minutes away, so it took him no time at all.

Andrew found the spot where he wanted to leave the truck and did so. As he got out of the truck, he noticed that it was an exceptionally cloudy and dark night. As he began walking off, he remembered the flashlight in his glove compartment. He went back, got it out, and headed off again. Andrew was frightened out of his wits, but he also knew that this was only one night. If he were convicted of murder, it would be life. He silently walked to the house. When he got there, everything was disappointingly normal. There was no noise, and there was no light. He slowly and quietly approached the house. He got to the door and slowly opened it. As he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, the extreme heat in the house overwhelmed him. He went over to where he knew the thermostat to be and when he went to turn off the heat, he realized that it was not on.

ii

This realization caused Andrew a little grief and a lot of fear. It was the same type of heat he had been feeling since he got to Nebraska. The only difference was that this heat was worse than the others had been. It felt like it was over one hundred degrees in the house. He had begun to sweat in only the few minutes that he had been here. He had the underlying feeling that tonight he would discover the source of this incredible phenomenon. He began to search the house. He decided to start in the basement. He knew that they tended to be cooler.

As he went down the steps, one of them creaked. This startled Andrew, but more than that, it worried him that it might have alerted someone of his presence. He felt that he was not alone in the house. Oh, how he wanted to leave. How he wanted to go home. He longed to turn around and escape this weekend, but he knew in reality that he must do this, and he must do it now. Surely, the police would be here in the morning to look for clues. If they found something, he would never know. If they didn't, then they might mess up something that would be a clue to him. Either way, no chances could be taken. Andrew had to face his fear. He had never done that, and he never planned to do it again. Still, he continued down the stairs. There were no more creaks or squeaks.

When he got to the bottom, he pointed the flashlight everywhere. At every corner he thought he saw a demon or a devil. There were so many shadows that formed so many shapes. Every time he moved the light, it looked like they had life. Yet he continued on. He searched the basement as thoroughly as one could search a basement in the dark with only a flashlight. He went back upstairs. This time he skipped the step that made the noise. Back upstairs he first searched the bedroom. When he got there, he began to go through the drawers. Esther's clothes were nothing interesting to him, but in one of the drawers, he found some pictures. He quickly looked through them. There were a lot of Esther and Merlin. There were some of their children. There were even couple of Andrew and his brother, Rob, and his sister, Kelley. The pictures brought back memories, but no clues. That is until he came to the last picture. It was a picture of a tombstone. On it was printed the name: Merlin Vincent.

iii

So, Alan had been telling the truth. This shed a whole knew light on the mystery. New possibilities opened up. What really happened to Merlin? "This is too crazy!" thought Andrew, "Now what?" He was at a complete loss. He looked down at his watch. It was two o'clock. He had spent two hours in the house. This was a surprise, but he had spent a long time looking at the pictures. He felt calmer and less like there was someone in the house now. He turned around and left the room.

Next on the agenda was the bathroom. Of course, it didn't take long to search it, and there was nothing of consequence in there. He proceeded on to the kitchen. He looked in the cupboards. He looked in the drawers. He looked in the refrigerator. He found nothing. He checked the dining room and the living room. There was evidence of nothing in there either. Now Andrew was completely calm. This proved to be short-lived, however. Andrew rose from examining the chair that he had left Esther in. As he did so, he thought he felt a presence behind him. His heart leapt to his throat. He had heard something in the kitchen. He didn't know what it was, but he was not the kind of person to wait around and find out what it was either. He decided that maybe he could sneak out. Perhaps this other individual had not noticed that Andrew was in there. Maybe he had just gotten there. Andrew began to slowly creep towards the front door. He did not hear the object being raised. He did not feel the pain as it came crashing down over his head, but it was effective nonetheless. Andrew crumpled to the floor unconscious.

Chapter VI

Gossip

Alan woke up at about six thirty that morning. The sun was already up. He had trouble getting up on dark, winter mornings, but normally was up with the sun in the summer. He was in a pretty good mood. Letting his wife, Karen, sleep he went to the kitchen to fix breakfast.

His specialty was omelets a la Alan. He opened the refrigerator, and took out the ingredients he needed. He turned on the stove, and the cooking commenced. The eggs were finished in no time, and he prepared the tray that he always used to serve Karen breakfast in bed. He placed the eggs on the plate, and put a little water in the vase that sat on the corner of the tray. He took a knife from a drawer and stepped outside to cut a single red rose. He brought it inside with him and placed it in the vase. Carefully lifting the tray, he took it into the bedroom to his wife.

He gently woke her, and when she was comfortably seated, he placed the tray on her lap. She thanked him and they kissed. They began to talk. "So, honey, any news on Esther?"

“No, but I'm sure that Andrew had something to do with it." Alan replied.

“Come on, now. You don't even really know him. He's only been here a few times, mostly with his folks."

“I know, but why did he come this time? And why alone? He was the last person to see her, you know."

“That may be the case, but that doesn't mean that he did anything to her. After all, we're not even sure that anything bad has happened to her yet. Maybe she just wandered off."

“Karen, it's been almost two days now. Don't you think that we would have found her, or she would have come back by now?"

“I don't know, but do you really think that if Andrew had harmed her, he would still be around?"

“Possibly. I don't know why he would have hurt her, so I'm not sure if he would leave or not. Maybe he is still after something."

“Honey, I think you're being paranoid." Karen said as she finished her eggs.

“Paranoid? Paranoid? My father died when he was thirty-five years old. Now my mother is dead. Don't you understand how I feel?"

“I understand that you are looking for someone to blame, and Andrew is convenient."

“The police officer told me the other night, that in cases like this, nine out of ten times, the last person to see the victim alive is the person who killed them."

“Hmm... Sounds like a genius. You and the officer don't seem to understand that there is no body."

Alan was beginning to get perturbed. He simply said, "Whatever," and left the room.

He went outside to begin his daily morning run. He usually ran to town and back. Round trip, this ended up being about seven and a half miles. He took a deep breath, stretched out a little bit and began to run. His route to town was different from the one he took coming back. On the way to town he ran by a nearby lake. On the way back, he passed Esther's house. As he ran, he began to think. He thought about what had happened over the weekend, but more he thought about what had happened more than seventy years ago.

He was only six years old when Merlin became part of his past. It was twelve years later when he was able to afford the tombstone that now marked the place where his beloved father rested. Until that time, he could not afford it, but he had always sworn that his father would have one. Finally, he did.

These were disturbing thoughts to Alan. Six years old had been too young to understand death, at least for Alan. He just knew that his father was gone. For a long time, he thought that Merlin had left the family because he did not love them. He was beginning to get the same feelings about Esther. Why had she left? Where did she go? Surely, she was dead. What other explanation could there be. He was sure that Andrew had to be behind it. He never came to see her anyway. Why did he come now? One weekend in his entire inexcusable existence, Andrew had come to see his great-grandmother. Of all the weekends in her one hundred-five years of life, Andrew came on this one. It was on this one weekend that she disappeared. Alan could not believe in that as a coincidence. Andrew must have had something to do with it. He must have.

Alan had just reached town. It was his custom to stop at the diner for about half an hour and catch up on the latest local news. This source of information was better than the local newspaper that came out once every two weeks. Of course the topic of the day was Esther and what had happened. No one would tell these stories directly to Alan, but indirectly he heard.

“They say she was taken by aliens during that incredible lightning storm."

“I heard that she walked to the lake and drowned herself, because she was in so much pain."

“No, no, you might have heard those things, but I have an inside source that says pygmy headhunters came and took her away. Something about their worship of the god of little people. They needed the oldest person they could find, so they could sacrifice her elderly head to that god."

“Oh, come on. That’s not true."

“Well, I'm gonna start locking my doors."

“Me too."

Alan was beginning to get sick from hearing all of these tales. He needed to go. He finished the water that he had ordered, and began the run home. He was a little upset. He ran a little faster than he usually did. He hated the fact that everyone was talking. They had no right. It was almost like having a local verbal tabloid magazine. There was nothing he could do. This had happened when Merlin had died.

Everyone started talking about these things. Even at six years old, Alan could comprehend most of these stories. They were easier to understand than death. He didn't believe them then, and he didn't believe them now.

Alan was closing in on Esther's house. It was just over the next hill. He began to remember how many times he had stopped by to have some cool lemonade and conversation with his mother. Every morning he did this. Of course, there were also the mornings when he had taken her to breakfast, but he really treasured the mornings sitting on the porch with his mother. He knew that on this morning, he would not be able to do that. He knew that he probably never would be able to again. This thought began to choke him up. He slowed down as he approached the top of the hill. Something unusual to the environment struck his eyes. He saw a truck parked along the side of the road. It looked very familiar. As he got closer, he noticed the Illinois license plates. "Of course, it's Andrew's truck!" he thought to himself. "Well, well. I wonder what he's doing here. This could be quite incriminating. Maybe I can just go see what he's doing."

Alan swiftly and silently closed in on the house. He tried to hide himself. He hoped that Andrew could not see him. He hoped that maybe he could get inside and get the jump on Andrew. He suddenly reconsidered. He was more than twice Andrew’s age. Maybe he should call the police first. Then he realized that if he went home to call, Andrew could be gone by then. Against his better judgment, he continued toward the house. It was worth the risk of bodily harm if he could catch Andrew in the act.

He slowly crept up to the front porch. Silently, he took the first step, then the second, next the third. Finally, he put his right foot on the fourth and last step of the porch. He quickly slid up against the door. Quietly, he turned the handle...

ii

Melanie reached over and turned off her alarm. It was eight thirty in Illinois. She was glad for the opportunity to sleep in. During the school year, she was up at six thirty every morning. She even made it a practice on the weekends, so she could keep up the habit. She rose quickly and took a shower, got dressed, and went downstairs to make breakfast. She turned on the stove and began cooking. She put the eggs on, and while they were frying, she checked her answering machine. She had two messages. One was from the credit union with which she was behind on payments. When she realized this she skipped it. The second message was from her mother. She listened to it, and decided to call her later. She had been hoping for a message from Andrew. He apparently had not arrived home yet. She called his house. There was no answer. She called his cell, and got his voice mail. She began to wonder if he was all right. "I'd better call his motel, just to make sure,” she thought. She retrieved the number Andrew had given her and dialed it as she turned off the stove.

“Hello. The Little Inn, how may I help you?"

“Yes, I was wondering if you have a gentleman by the name of Andrew Tapani registered there, or has he already checked out?"

“Well, let me see... Yes. He's registered in room one twenty-seven. Shall I ring the room for you?"

“Yes, please."

Melanie heard the phone ringing. It continued. Finally, the clerk came on the line.

“I'm sorry, miss. It seems he is not there. Can I take a message for you?"

“Uh, yeah. Could you tell him that Melanie called and would like to hear from him?"

“Sure. No problem."

“Thank you." Melanie said as she hung up the phone. She was now worried. Maybe it was just paranoia on her part, but something didn't feel right to her. She decided that the one person who would know if something had happened was Rob, Andrew's brother.

She looked in the phone book and quickly found his name. She dialed the number and waited. The phone rang, five, six, seven times...she still waited. Rob was a late sleeper and a sound one…ten rings, eleven, twelve.

“Hello?" answered a drowsy voice.

“Rob? This is Melanie. Have you heard from Andrew?"

“Uh, this is Rob. Who is this?"

“Melanie! M-E-L-A-N-I-E. You know, Andrew's girlfriend."

“Andrew? Andrew? What are you doing? I thought you were in Nebraska."

“Not Andrew! Melanie! This is Melanie!"

“No, this is Rob. Rob Tapani, attorney at law."

Melanie had a short temper, and this was enough for her. She hung up the phone, and decided that she had better call back later when Rob was awake. Rob rolled over and went back to sleep. As he did he thought to himself, "Well, she won't call again for awhile."

iii

Alan slowly stepped into the house. All was silent. He slowly walked toward the kitchen, finding nothing unusual as he passed through the living room. The kitchen was also empty. He was beginning to wonder where Andrew was. He had seen the truck. He knew Andrew was there. He went into the dining room. Again, there was nothing. He subsequently checked the bathroom, the basement, the attic, and all other rooms. Finding no evidence of Andrew’s presence, Alan was a little mystified. Nothing seemed out of place or disturbed. Maybe Andrew hadn't been there, but he had to be. Alan had seen his truck. No matter how hard he tried, Alan could not find Andrew. No matter how much he wanted to see him looking through drawers and searching for safes, Andrew was not there. Alan decided that he would be better off going home and calling the police.

iv

Andrew was running. He had heard someone coming into the house through the front door. His only escape was the back door. He had had to hurry. He couldn't be found in the house. He had rushed out the back door. He didn't know who had come in, but the way his night had gone, it must have been either Alan or the police. Fortunately, he had awakened just a few minutes before they had gotten there.

He continued to run toward the truck, holding the back of his head the whole way. It was sticky. He pulled his hand away for a second to look at it, realizing immediately that it was drying blood. What had happened? Andrew didn't know. He didn't care at the time. He had to get away, before he was found out. Reaching his truck he jumped in and sped off. He drove for miles. He didn't want to go straight back to the motel. He needed an alibi. What if whoever had come in had seen him fleeing? Needing time to think, he drove aimlessly.

What happened last night? He was looking through the house. Everything was fine. He was even about to leave when... What happened? He couldn't remember. He just remembered the sun waking him. About the time that he figured out where he was, he had heard the door being opened. He jumped up and took off. This was where he was now, driving around hoping that no one had seen him. He knew that he would have to go back. He would have to pretend that nothing had ever happened. How did he get into this? Did he even discover anything in Esther's house? No. All of these thoughts crossed his mind when suddenly, he remembered.

Chapter VII

Rob Wakes Up

Melanie, who by now was entirely frustrated by the fact that she could not find out anything about Andrew, flopped down on her sofa and turned on the television. On the tube was apparently a family of five girls. At the bottom of the screen read the following type: MY FATHER WAS AN ALIEN FROM OUTER SPACE.

Melanie thought this looked interesting and might take her mind off of Andrew until he called. She was sure that he would. She felt deep down that he was all right. He was just spending a little extra time with his grandma. She was beginning to talk herself out of her anxiety. She began to relax and heard over the television set:

“So it was late at night and the temperature began to rise it got very warm and I started sweating. It was then that ….”

Melanie fell asleep on the couch.

ii

The alarm clock went off. It was now eleven in the morning, and Rob knew that the alarm clock would be more persistent than Melanie had been. Bearing this in mind, he decided that it was time to get up. He walked over and pounded the top of the alarm until it finally went off. He groggily went to the bathroom and took a shower. When he got out he looked much more awake. It was Rob's habit to take only cold showers in the morning. He had no reasoning behind it. It was just something that he did. He went down to the kitchen where his housekeeper had breakfast waiting.

Angelique was a twenty-one year old college exchange student from France. She had been looking for a job to pay for her time in the United States. Before she had even arrived she had asked the family she would be staying with to place an ad in the local paper. Rob saw the ad and decided that he could afford the help. She would only be in the country for about nine months, but Rob figured that by then, she might just about have the house clean.

Angelique worked at Rob's house every morning from nine to eleven, and returned in the evening after her classes.

“Good morning, Mr. Tapani," she said, as Rob came down the stairs.

“Good morning, Angelique. How are you today?"

In her thick French accent, she replied, "I am fine. I have your breakfast ready."

“Thank you. I appreciate that."

He sat down and opened up the paper. While he was reading, Angelique placed a plate in front of him. He put the paper to the side and tried the food. He did not recognize what it was, but it did taste very good. Angelique told him that they were called crepes. Rob didn't really care what they were called, as long as they were good. As he savored the last bite, he recalled the phone call he had received earlier. He had only met Melanie once and didn’t hope to repeat the experience, but since she was dating his brother he resolved to call the number back to see what the problem was.

iii

“So how long were you together?"

“It’s hard to say - time seemed to stand still when we were together."

“How long has it been since you last saw him?"

"It must be three or four-hundred years now."

Shocked gasps came from the crowd, but they were not the only sound. There were also some rrrrrrrrrrrrrrings every now and then. Finally, Melanie could distinguish this ringing sound from the television and she awoke. She reached over and answered the phone.

“Hello?"

“Hey, is this Melanie?"

“Yeah. Who is this?"

“This is Rob. I was wondering if you called me earlier."

“Yeah, but you weren't quite awake yet."

“Sorry 'bout that." said Rob, lying through his teeth.

“That's all right."

“So why'd you call?"

“I wanted to know if you had heard from Andrew. He was supposed to be back in town now, and I was wondering if he had tried to call you."

“No, I haven't heard from him."

“Well, I'm getting a little worried. He should have called me by now."

Rob thought to himself, "He's probably come to his senses and decided to leave you hanging, babe. That's what's up." Aloud he said, "Well, I'm sure he'll call you soon. You know how much he cares about you."

“Yeah, that's why I'm worried."

“Well, give him another day, and maybe he'll be in touch. I’m sure it’s nothing serious.”

“I guess you're right. You probably know him better than I do."

“No probably about it, honey." thought Rob to himself. "Sure. Don't worry." he said.

“All right. Thanks."

“Sure. Bye."

“Bye."

They both hung up their phones. Melanie felt much better now. She went back to watching the mind-numbing television program.

iv

Rob got into his Navigator, and drove into town. He was on his way to see his girlfriend of two years, Jennifer. They were going to meet in town and have a late lunch together. Rob left early enough to stop by his office and pick up some papers. He had a very lucrative private agency. He was known to be the best lawyer in town, even for his very young age of twenty-eight.

He was a very intelligent man, and he had never lost a case. He loved the technicalities of the law. He also believed that the system didn't always work, however. He knew that every defendant was to have the best defense possible. He also knew that was him. Because of this, it was easy for him to charge what he charged.

Rob and Andrew were pretty close. They hadn't always been, but they were now. Actually, all three of them were close. Kelley was their sister. They often went out together, and once a month they got together with their parents for dinner, and board games.

The news from Melanie had bothered Rob a little, but he knew that Andrew was capable of taking care of himself. After all, Andrew was thirty-one years old. Even so, Rob had to admit in his own mind that Andrew was something of a wimp. Unlike Rob, Andrew had always run from the class bully and always gave up his milk money without a fight. Rob had never been afraid of anyone. He saw no reason to be. In fact he was often the one taking up the milk money collection.

Rob pulled into his office parking lot. He got out, quickly retrieved the items that he needed, and got back into his car. As he left the parking lot, his cellular phone rang. He answered it.

“Hello?"

“Hey, you, what's up?"

It was Vanessa, his girlfriend of three years.

“Not much. I'm just going to a business lunch."

“Can I come?” she asked. “I don’t have any plans for lunch.”

“Uh, no. I'm afraid that you might be a little distracting to me, Baby."

“Welllllll, I would hate to do that. I'm sure it's pretty important business."

“It is, but I promise that we'll do something tomorrow night."

“Okay. Promise?"

“Absolutely, Sweetheart."

“Great! I’ll catch you later, then,” she said and hung up the phone.

Just as Rob put his phone down and shook his head it rang again. Again he answered it.

“Hello?"

“Hey, Rob?"

“Yeah?"

“Rob it's Andrew. I may need your help. I could be in some trouble."

“Why, what is it?"

“Well for starters, Esther is missing."

“What? What do you mean missing?"

“I mean like a magician. You know now he's here, now he's gone? She is not here. No one knows where she is. I was the last one to see her, so I'm the prime suspect. They asked me all kinds of questions. I think they're going to arrest me. What am I going to do?"

“Well, Andrew, have they found her body?"

“No."

“Is there any blood anywhere?"

“No."

“Is there any sort of murder weapon?"

“No."

“Do you have a motive?"

“No, but I was the last person to see her alive."

“Well, Andrew, if they arrest you based on that, use your one phone call to call me. I'll be there in a day, and have them the laughing stock of the week in every newspaper from Los Angeles to Bangor."

This made Andrew feel better, and Rob could tell it in his voice.

“Thanks, Rob. I kind of needed to hear you say that."

“Hey, no problem. They'll just question you, warn you, and let you go. Do me a favor though."

“What's that?"

“When you get back to town, you've gotta tell me the whole story. I mean she is my grandma too."

“Deal. See ya then."

“See ya."

They both got off the phone. Rob pulled into the restaurant where Jennifer was waiting. Before he could step out of the car, his phone rang again. It was his girlfriend of six months, Julie.

Chapter VIII

Truth?

Andrew hung up the phone. He went back into the gas station and bought a soda. He came back out and hopped into his truck. He took off in the direction that the attendant had said led to the cemetery. Andrew was still worried. Had he gotten away from the house soon enough, or had he been spotted? He did not know, but one thing was sure: He was not going to admit to being at the house. Of course, Andrew realized that at least one person knew. He reached his hand to the back of his head.

There was quite a lump, but at least it was no longer bleeding. Unfortunately, it hurt like hell. Who else had been in the house? Who hit him? Why? Did they think they had killed him, and they wanted him to be found there? Was it the person who had taken Esther? Did they hit her too? Maybe they just wanted Andrew to be found there. He did not know. He was getting tired of all of these damn questions too. He just wanted to go home. There was no reason or logic to everything that was going on. Andrew decided that once he was back in Illinois, this whole situation was over as far as he was concerned. He would go home and relax for three months. It wasn't long before Andrew arrived at the cemetery. He pulled over on the side of the road and walked up to the cemetery. It was small, and it did not take long to find what he was looking for.

Andrew noticed the dates. According to the tombstone, Merlin was forty-seven when he died. This conflicted with what Esther had said, but at this point in time, Andrew was putting very little stock in what Esther had said. She told him that Merlin had disappeared; yet here he was. She said that he was thirty-five, but he was really forty-seven. Andrew loved his grandma dearly, and he wanted to believe her. However, he could not deny the proof that was before him. He sat down. He sat there for a few minutes. He said nothing and thought of nothing. He just sat there. He had a respect for his great-grandfather that was indeed unique. He had never met the man; yet, he felt that he was very close to him. Andrew decided that it was just that way sometimes.

Andrew got up and decided that he should do something for Merlin. He got back into his truck and headed into town.

ii

Alan opened the door and said, "Well, officer, you got here just in time. I was about to die from old age. I only called you thirty minutes ago."

“Come on, Alan. You know that we have other things to do, too."

“Other than catching a murderer red-handed?"

“What are you talking about?"

“Andrew was in Esther's house about an hour ago."

“Really, are you sure? You saw him?"

“Well, I didn't really see him, but his truck was parked about a block from her house."

“Did you see him?"

“No. But..."

“All right, Alan. I'll take care of it. Where is he staying?"

iii

Andrew returned to his great-grandpa's resting place. He had some flowers with him. Placing them down by the headstone, he studied it for a few minutes and then turned to leave. As he did so, he heard a voice behind him.

“Ain't no body in there, Sonny."

Andrew wheeled around. Standing there was a little old man, who walked with a cane and had a hunchback.

“Pardon?" Andrew asked.

“I said ain't nobody there. You wasted your money on them there flowers."

“What do you mean there's no one there. My grandpa Merlin is buried there."

“Well, they just put him there, then. I was caretaker here for forty years. Ain't no body there. Never was. Probably ne'er will be. Sorry, Sonny."

“If there's no body there, then why is there a stone there?"

“You got time for a story, boy?"

“If you're going to answer my question, then I've got all the time you need."

“Ya got a couple a bucks?"

“Uh, sure." Andrew handed the elderly man ten dollars, and the two walked over to Andrew's truck. Andrew let the tailgate down, and they sat on it.

“Well, you see, Sonny. About sixty or so years ago, a young gentleman in town up and vanished. He was here one day and gone the next. It happened practically overnight. Whole town spent the next day looking for him. Some looked the whole week. His wife never gave up."

“You're talking about Merlin and Esther, right?"

“Those names sound right. When you get old, it's hard to remember details."

“Anyway, what about the tombstone? Did they find Merlin and bury him?"

“Nah. Never did find the bloke. Lots of theories about what happened to him. Some thought he ran off with some other woman. Some thought that his wife had him killed."

“What did you think?"

“I used to think that he ran off with another woman."

“Used to?"

“Yeah, till his son lost his wits."

“What?"

“Yeah, he's the one that put up the tombstone. Swore that his dad was buried there. He wouldn't accept what everyone was saying about his dad running off with another woman. Bought the stone and paid to have it put up. Right there. Never been a body there. Never will be."

Andrew could not believe what he was hearing. So Esther was telling the truth. Alan was the one that was lying, but why?

“Ask me, the old man went loony and jumped in the river, 'bout half mile out of town. It must run in the family."

Andrew thanked the man and slipped him another twenty dollars.

“Thanks, Mister. You've been a huge help. Thank you."

Andrew went around and started the truck. He took off, and the old man barely got off in time.

Andrew went directly back to his motel. He was going to pack up and go home. There was nothing else that he could do here in Nebraska. It was time for the police to take care of things. He felt sure that Alan had killed his mother. He must have just snapped or something. Andrew didn't know why, and he didn't care. All he had to do was tell the police about the old man, and he would be off the hook. They would go find him and Andrew could go home. Eventually, they would find Esther's body, and put Alan away.

Andrew pulled around the corner into the parking lot of his motel. There before his eyes were three police cars. Sitting in one was the red-haired officer that had spoken to Andrew earlier. This sight did not inspire Andrew with much confidence. Rob had told him that they couldn't put him in jail. There was no reason. Unless, unless they had found a body or maybe a weapon or maybe they knew that Andrew was in the house last night. These thoughts kept running through Andrew's head. Half of him said to turn around and take off, but his sane side prevailed. He pulled up to his parking space and got out.

“Problem, officers?"

“Not yet." said the red-haired officer.

“I don't intend to cause one."

“Good. I don't want one. Could you tell me where you were last night?"

“I was here in my room, officer."

“Really? You didn't leave at all?"

“Of course I left. I got a couple of sodas. I drank them and fell asleep."

“You didn't leave these premises at all last night?"

“Not at all." Andrew lied through his teeth.

“That's not what Alan said."

“Really? I'm not surprised."

“What is that supposed to mean?"

“Well, Alan isn't all there officer, if you don't mind my saying."

“Maybe you had better explain."

“It seems that headstone for Merlin is a marker for no one. There is no one buried there."

“So?"

“So, Alan was swearing up and down that his dad was buried just outside of town. He's not."

“See here, now, you didn't go digging up anyone's old grave did you?"

“No officer. I went there to see it for myself. I found it and put some flowers there. After I had, a strange little man told me this story about Merlin, Esther and Alan. Apparently, Alan couldn't handle the thought that his father left his mother, so he decided that Merlin was dead. When he was old enough, he put a tombstone up on an empty cemetery plot. There is no body there."

“I'm not sure about that, Mr. Tapani, but I guess we’ll look into it."

Andrew was so thrilled that the focus was no longer solely on him that he began to let his guard down. Up until now, he had been successfully hiding the gash on the back of his head. At this point he took off his jacket, and turned around to throw it into the truck. As he did so, the officer noticed the gash. "Pretty nasty cut you've got there. Mind telling me where you got it?"

Andrew pretended to make light of the most painful curse he had ever dealt with. "Oh, this? I was diving into the pool last night. I was okay, until I got cocky and tried to do a flip and stuff. I hit the back of my head square on the concrete side of the pool."

“Really. That cut looks pretty serious. Some men might have lost consciousness."

Andrew felt a little flushed. He hadn't thought of that. He would have drowned, had that really happened. Nonetheless, he answered.

“Yeah, I was lucky. The water must have kept me conscious. It was pretty cold. Anyway, it didn't even start bleeding until this morning."

“What did you wrap it with?"

“With a towel from the room."

“Do you happen to still have it?"

“Uh... er... no. It was so discolored that the motel wouldn't want it back, so while I was out earlier, I threw it away."

“Where at?"

“I don't know. I couldn't tell ya."

“Well, Mr. Tapani, I'll tell ya what I'm going to do. I have no body, and essentially no crime, yet. I know you're from Illinois. I'm going to let you go back there, but I want your name, address, phone number, etc. I want to be able to find you at any time. Do you understand?"

“Sure officer." In his mind Andrew was doing cartwheels. He could no longer hear the officer. He did not care. He subconsciously filled out the paperwork he was given, left vital information as to his whereabouts when he returned home, and then the police were gone.

Andrew immediately went into his room, packed his bags, put them in the truck, and headed home.

Chapter IX

Home Sweet Home

It took about nine hours for Andrew to get home. This was because he was lucky enough to not get caught by a radar gun. As he pulled into town, he knew exactly where he was going. He pulled into the driveway, and almost running, went up to the door. He knocked and waited. Soon he could hear footsteps, and then the door was opened as far as the chain would allow.

“Oh, Andrew! Wait a minute!" yelled Melanie, as she shut the door and unhooked the chain.

“Andrew, come in, come in." she said as she fully opened the door.

Andrew stepped into the house and Melanie put her hands to his face and peppered him with kisses. Andrew was a little taken aback and said, "Hey, I was only gone for the weekend. Maybe I should do that more often."

“I was so worried. You didn't call. I thought something had happened to you,” replied Melanie, as she ran her fingers through his hair.

“Ahhhh! What is that?" She cried referring to big gash on the back of Andrew's head.

“Oh, it's nothing. I just got hit on the back of the head while I was gone."

“You poor thing. Come over and sit on the couch. Let me take a look at it. Has a doctor seen it?"

“No. I just wanted to get home."

“Well, you're home now. Just let me take care of you."

Andrew saw no problem with this arrangement and let himself relax in her arms. He fell asleep in a matter of seconds.

ii

Andrew awoke lying on the couch with Melanie nowhere to be found. He sat up. Unfortunately, he did it a little too quickly, giving himself an incredible headache. He held his head and stood up.

“Melanie? Melanie?" he called out. There was no answer. He went to the front door to see if her car was there. It was gone. He decided that he was not going to sit there alone. He had things he needed to do, so he went out to his truck and took off. He headed straight to his brother's house. He knocked on the door and an extremely attractive woman with a French accent answered the door.

“Hey, Angelique, how are you?"

“I am fine. How are you?"

“Fine, is Rob home?"

“Eh, he is not at home at moment."

“Okay, do you know when he'll be back?"

“'e had date with girlfriend."

“Do you know which one?"

“'E has more than one?"

“Uh, no. Of course not! What was I thinking? That would be very wrong."

“It would be!"

“Well, I'll be back later. Could you tell Rob that I stopped by?"

“I will do that, yes."

“Mercy, Angelique."

Angelique smiled and shut the door. It was near eight o'clock, and Andrew was exhausted when he got home. Once there, he grabbed his belongings and took them inside. He left his suitcase in the kitchen and draped his jacket over a kitchen chair, fully intending to leave both items there indefinitely. Strangely, his normally light jacket fell to the floor, bringing the flimsy chair down with it. Andrew went over and picked it up. He did not notice the extra weight of the jacket. Once again it was laid across the back of the chair, and once again it fell off. Andrew was puzzled. He picked up the jacket and searched the pockets. He didn't feel anything in the first pocket. He knew both pockets were empty when he left Illinois, and he had placed nothing in them since. At any rate, he checked the other pocket. What he found there amazed him.

In his pocket was a golden colored medallion, about the size of a high school cafeteria hamburger patty. It looked like it was made completely of gold. The medallion was extremely heavy considering its size. On one side of the medallion, was an engraved eagle. The detail was incredible. There was no denying that the workmanship that went into this "coin" was spectacular. Andrew flipped it over and to his astonishment, on the other side was an engraved picture of Merlin!

iii

Rob's cellular phone began to ring relentlessly. He tried to ignore it. He was in the middle of dinner with his girlfriend, Amanda. Finally, when he realized that all of the people in the restaurant were staring at him, he answered his phone. "Hello?"

“Rob, it's Andrew."

“Are you in prison?"

“No, I..."

“Then quit calling me. I'm in a very important meeting."

“Really, who is she?"

“Shut up. I'll call you when I get home."

“You'd better get home quick then, because I'll be there waiting for you."

Rob heard Andrew's receiver slam down and he hung up. He apologized to Amanda and they finished their meal. Unfortunately, the romance was gone.

iv

Andrew grabbed the medallion, and headed over to Rob's house. He was no longer tired. It took him about five minutes to get there. The entire way over, and during the wait for Rob, Andrew's mind was racing. What was going on? Was Merlin dead? Where did this coin come from? What was it made of? Why was Merlin's picture on it? What about Alan? Did he kill Esther? Was Esther dead? Andrew's thoughts about this being simple murder by a man who had snapped, were quickly changing. He was so confused. What if Merlin and Esther weren't dead? What if they were together now? Who had hit Andrew on the head? If it had been Alan, surely he would have called the police as soon as he had discovered Andrew in the house. Was it a burglar? Was it the person who took Merlin and Esther? Was it Merlin or Esther? Was whoever it was after the medallion? What was the deal with the medallion anyway? Was it gold? Andrew bit it to find out. As he did so, he broke a tooth. Andrew wince in pain and thought, "Nope, not gold.”

The longer Rob took to get there, the more Andrew thought. He was sitting in his truck when finally Rob pulled up. Andrew raced to the Navigator and nearly pulled him out.

“Rob, if you want to hear the story, get in the house now. This is a doozy."

Rob and Andrew went up to the house. Rob opened the door and let Andrew go in first. As Andrew walked in, Rob noticed the cut on the back of his head.

“What happened here?"

“Oh, it's part of the story. I'll get to it."

“Are you all right?"

“No."

Andrew and Rob went into the living room. Andrew sat down. Rob went over to the bar, and poured himself a drink.

“Andrew, do you want one?"

“No, just bring the whole bottle. Bring a glass, but I need to keep it full tonight."

Rob did not ask questions. He had a feeling that Andrew really did need something. He was too anxious to hear what had happened to argue anyway.

“So what's up?" asked Rob.

“Everything. I guess you know about grandma, but I need to know, do you know about grandpa?"

“Merlin? Sure. He died early, and grandma's been alone since."

“Nope. Sorry. Wanna try again?"

“Not really. It would probably be easier for you to tell me, don't you think."

“Yeah. All right. Where should I start?" Andrew told Rob about the story that Esther told him.

“So you mean no one knows what happened to Merlin?"

“No one. But listen; it gets better."

Andrew finished the story about what had happened to him while he was in Nebraska. He ended with how he had just found the medallion.

“So, Rob, what do you think I ought to do?"

“Get lots of sleep? I hate to say this, Andrew, but your story is a bit far fetched."

“I thought you might say that, so I brought this." Andrew pulled out the medallion.

Rob's eyes doubled in size and he said, "Okay, perhaps the story is not as far fetched as I thought."

“You bet your life it isn't. Now what do we do?"

“Personally, Andrew, I think that you should go home and get some rest. Tomorrow morning you can come over and we can figure out what to do next."

“Sounds good, Rob. I'll see ya tomorrow."

Andrew rose from his chair and headed towards the door.

“Well, Rob, I guess I'll see ya tomorrow. At least I'm home where nothing strange is going to happen."

“See ya later,” said Rob. As he closed the door, he began to wonder.

Andrew headed home feeling tired again. He arrived there relatively quickly. Once inside, he thought about all that had happened, and decided to lock all of the doors and windows in the house. He quickly got ready for bed and was soon there. It wasn't long before the phone rang. Andrew groaned and answered the phone.

“Hello?"

“Hey, Andrew, where did you go?"

“Where did I go? Where did you go?"

It was Melanie on the phone. Andrew could tell by the voice.

“I went to the restaurant down the street to get you something to eat. Where did you go?"

“I'm sorry. I thought that you had plans and decided to go. I just came home."

“Well, now I'm stuck with half a chicken to eat."

“Save some for tomorrow. I'll need something for lunch."

Melanie quickly acquiesced. "Sure. I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

“Absolutely, I really want to see you. It's just that right now, I need an incredible amount of sleep. I'll see ya later."

“Bye." said Melanie.

“Bye."

Andrew hung up the phone and double-checked the doors and windows to be sure that they were locked. He did not want to take any chances even though physical barriers did not bind ghosts. It just made him feel safer to have the house secure. With this feeling of security, he quickly fell asleep.

At eight the next morning, the sun came peeking through Andrew’s bedroom window, forcing him from his bed. He felt a certain security in routine, so he set about his usual morning activities. He checked his email, showered, pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, and headed towards the kitchen, whistling as he walked.

Andrew began to think that things were going to return to normal soon. Even in spite of all that had just happened, he felt that soon he would be trying to get in touch with his favorite actress. No thought of what had happened over the weekend entered his conscious mind. Obviously, it was not forgotten, but it was not going to come to the surface. Ignoring it made it seem more like a bad dream than a horrifying reality.

As he came around the same corner he had come around for years, into the same kitchen, Andrew immediately noticed that something was different. There in the middle of the kitchen, on the table, shining brightly in the sunlight was a golden colored box.

Chapter X

The Box

Andrew was frozen. The look on his face spoke volumes. His eyes had grown to twice their normal size. His mouth was gaping. He could think of nothing. He stood there for several minutes and finally regained his composure.

He ran to the door and examined it. It was the same as it had been for the three years that Andrew had lived in the house, and it was locked. Andrew ran to the windows. They were also locked. Every window in the house was checked, and every window was locked. The idea that there was something in this completely sealed house that had not been there when the house was sealed, scared Andrew. He went back to the bedroom, and sat down on his bed. Everything seemed to be completely turned upside down. There was no plausible explanation for the box. How did it get there? Why was it there? Who had brought it there? Andrew sat on his bed for over an hour, and finally got up the courage to go into the kitchen and look at the box.

The box was indeed a golden colored box. Its color was a lot like that of the medallion that Andrew had found in his coat pocket. Actually, it looked exactly like the same kind of metal. Andrew debated biting it, but decided against it. The box was about the size of a large ice chest. It had two handles on it. It was perfectly smooth on every side, except for the top. On the top of the box, there was an engraved image.

The image seemed to be divided into four quarters. Two engraved swords that were crossed so that they made an “x” divided them. Andrew wondered if this was the "x" that "marks the spot." He looked a little closer at the images on either side of the sword. He looked at the one on the left side of the swords first.

On the left side was the image of a skeleton. It was very well done. It almost appeared to be moving. As the sunlight from the window was shaded and then allowed through by a branch in the wind, it flickered over the image. With the light flickering over the image it seemed to dance, but it was more than a dance. It was a method of attack. The skeleton appeared to be attacking something. Andrew looked even closer with his face almost touching the top of the box. The skeleton held in his hands two doves. Each dove rested gently in each hand, but when the box was shaded from the sunlight, it seemed as though the skeleton crushed the birds in his hands.

Andrew jumped back with a shudder. He did not understand this. He didn't really care, because he was spooked by what he had just seen. He knew that it couldn't be real, but to his eyes it was. If he did not know better, then he would have believed it had happened. He looked over at the box. Even though he was now across the room, he could still see it happening. It was bothering him too much. The only way to stop it was to pull the shade, so he did. This ended the occurrence.

Andrew ventured back over to the table. Next, he looked at the top quarter of the box. There he found three interlocking circles, something like one might imagine a magician’s rings to be. In the bottom quarter, there was no picture at all; however, the other side of the box still needed to be examined. What he saw, he would never believe. As he looked down, what he saw caused his eyes to roll back in his head, and he collapsed to the floor.

ii

Rob's alarm went off early that morning. He rolled out of bed and stumbled into the shower. After quickly finishing in there, he got dressed and went to Andrew's. On the way there, his cellular phone rang.

“Hello?"

“Rob, this is Stacy."

Stacy was Rob's secretary. Other than Angelique, she was the only woman that Rob knew that he did not date.

“Stacy, what's up?"

“You need to come in to deal with that McNeil case."

“Uh, I'm sorry, I can't. I have very important business to take care of outside of the office today. Is it anything you can take care of?"

“Sure I can, but you don't pay me enough to take care of it."

“How about I extend your two week paid vacation to four weeks?”

“I guess I can deal with that. If I do anything else that's not in my job description, do I get five weeks?"

“Uh, no."

“All right, then I won't."

Rob looked at the phone with some disgust, and pushed the "end" button. He continued on his way to Andrew's house.

iii

Melanie had just gotten up. She decided last night that she was going to pack a picnic lunch for Andrew and herself, and they would find a romantic place to eat. She went into the kitchen to prepare what she wanted to take with her. She was going to surprise Andrew, so when she finished with packing it, she put it in the refrigerator. Knowing that it was still too early for lunch, she went into the living room to call Andrew and let him know that she was going to come by in about an hour.

She picked up the phone and dialed. It rang. Then it rang. Finally, it rang again. With an ugly frown on her pretty face, she replaced the receiver on the hook. Her television remote control was on the couch. She picked it up, and turned on her favorite show: "As the stomach turns."

iv

Rob finally arrived at Andrew’s house. He went up to the door and knocked. There was no answer. He knocked again. Still there was no answer. Rob went around the house looking in the windows. He knew that Andrew must be home, because the truck was in the driveway. He circled the house twice with a great look of concern on his face. He was beginning to understand how Andrew felt when Esther disappeared. What happened to Andrew? Did he disappear too? At about the time that these thoughts began to seep into Rob's mind, he noticed a foot sticking out from behind the kitchen island.

He ran back to the front door and tried to get in. It was locked. He tried all of the windows. They were all locked. The realization that something was going to get broken, finally struck, and so did Rob. He took a rock that was lying on the ground nearby and used it to smash the window. He quickly climbed through and was soon helping Andrew to his feet.

“Andrew, what happened?"

“Huh, uh, what?"

“You were lying on the floor. What happened?" Rob took Andrew into his living room and sat him down on the couch. He went into the kitchen and got a glass of water.

“Are you all right, Andrew?"

“Yeah, I think so. What are you doing here?"

“I came over to talk to you about what happened this weekend. I knocked on the door, and there was no answer. I knew you were in here, because your truck was outside. What happened? Did you see Esther's ghost?” Rob asked trying to lighten the situation.

“I don't remember. I got up, went in to make some tea and, and there was this box on the table. The box... Is it still out there? I saw something on the box. We have to get that box."

Rob had a worried look on his face. He had never seen his brother hysterical, yet here it was. He thought to himself, "Wow, he really did have a bad weekend."

Andrew suddenly leapt up and headed towards the kitchen. Rob got up and was in hot pursuit. They quickly arrived at the kitchen table and the source of the morning’s trouble.

“Where did this come from?” asked a stunned Rob.

“I don't know." Andrew had now regained his senses, and was looking inquisitively at the box. "It was here when I woke up this morning. The strange thing is that all of my windows and both my doors were locked last night. There was no sign of entry, and no sign of a reason for its being here."

"Who else has a key to your house?"

"No one. Hey, how'd you get in here?"

"Through the window," Rob said, nodding toward the shattered glass on the floor.

Andrew assessed the damage and said, "Remind me to get you a key."

"Anyway, regardless of how it got here, it's here now," said Rob. "Actually, it looks like gold. Do you think that maybe..."

“I don't think so. I have a feeling that this is my curse and I won't be able to pawn it off on anyone else."

“Well, I still don't see any reason for you to have passed out."

“I can't remember why I passed out." Andrew scratched his head. I was looking at the top of it and..."

“And what?"

“What do you mean what?" Andrew asked with some irritation on his face.

“You've got eyes, use them."

Rob looked down at the top of the box. He saw the swords. He saw the skeleton. Then he saw what Andrew had seen. There on the top of the box was the image of a face. It was not just any face, however. It was Andrew's face.

“Well, at least it's a good likeness,” said Rob, trying to lighten the moment.

“I don't understand all these things that have been happening. Why? I don't have any idea what is going on. I mean, I could just forget it all, but it doesn't look like it will forget me. I don't know what I am going to do."

Rob was not listening. He wanted to know about this box. What kind of metal was it? What was in it? These ideas were running through Rob's head when the phone rang.

“I'll get it, Andrew. Just go back in the living room and sit down. I'll be right there." Andrew obliged, and Rob answered the phone.

“Hello?"

“Hello poopsie-woopsie. How's dat iddy-biddy boo-boo on your head?"

“I'm sorry. Baby slang is not my native language. If you would care to translate to English, then perhaps I can be of some assistance." Rob replied with a look of disgust on his face.

“Who is it?" bellowed Andrew from the other room.

“Oh, it's just some salesperson,” replied his brother.

“Hello?" asked Melanie. She had not heard what was being said between the two brothers. Rob, indeed, had been smart enough to hold his hand over the phone.

“Andrew? Are you still there?" asked a confused Melanie.

“Of course, wooby-noobums. I wouldn't hang up on you." Rob said with a look of revulsion on his face.

Andrew and Rob sounded exactly alike over the phone. No one could tell the difference. This came in handy for both of them at different times.

“Well, Andrew, I have a really big day planned for us today. Do you feel up to it?"

“Oh, well, why don't you tell me about it first." Rob answered, knowing full well, that this would only take her about three hours. "I thought we would start out with..." began Melanie.

Rob placed the phone down on the table and went into the other room to talk to Andrew.

“Well, what are you going to do about the box?" he asked.

“I think that for one thing, I need to finish looking at it. Then perhaps, I will open it, considering that it is a box and all. What do you think?"

“It sounds like a plan to me," said Rob with a look of anticipation on his face and with a tense tapping of his foot.

“I guess we should go look at it."

“Wait!" replied Rob, who remembered that the phone was sitting on the kitchen table. "I'll go get it and bring it in here.

“It might be heavy," cautioned Andrew. Andrew stayed on the couch and waited. Rob went into the kitchen, but before the got the box, he was sure to give Melanie a couple of uh-huhs and yeps over the phone.

Suddenly Andrew heard these grunts, moans, and sounds of pain from the kitchen. He saw his brother headed towards him in a great hurry with the box. Finally, the box flew from Rob's hands and crashed to the floor.

“Hey be careful with that!" yelled Andrew.

“I'm sorry. I burned myself."

“What do you mean you burned yourself? On what?"

“On that box. It’s cold."

“Cold? You said you burned yourself. How can it be cold?"

“I don't know, but it's like one of those freezer burn things. I think. You know what I mean."

“Yeah." said Andrew in a much calmer tone. "But why would it be cold?"

“Why don't you ask it? I don't know."

“I guess we'll have to open it." Andrew said understating the obvious.

“Well, wait for me. I just have something to clean up in the kitchen and I'll be right back."

“Okay, but hurry." Andrew warned. Rob ran back into the kitchen and picked up the phone.

“So, Andrew what do you think?"

“Oh, I think it's a great idea. Why don't I meet you at that one place? You know."

“Oooh. Yeah, I know, ‘that place’."

“Yeah. That place."

Rob had absolutely no idea what that place was, but he didn't have to know. He was not going and neither was Andrew.

Chapter XI

Futile Efforts

The two brothers were sitting on the living room floor staring with wide eyes at the top of the box. They were wondering how to open it. They examined the box more closely. Other than the engravings on the top of the box, it contained no cracks. Actually, the only things on the box, other than those images, were the interlocking rings. There were no apparent openings.

“Well, maybe the top just lifts off," offered Rob with the tone of a man who had no idea.

“Maybe it does, but then again, you just threw it across the room, and nothing came off. I guess we can try."

Due to the temperature on the outside of the box, both of them had to use oven mitts that they had retrieved from the kitchen.

“Now, you hold here, and I'll lift it off." Andrew instructed Rob. Rob did so, and Andrew pulled. Nothing happened. He pulled again. Nothing happened.

“One more time."

Again nothing happened. It did not matter how much they grunted, they could not get the box open. They strained and they groaned, but the box gave no quarter.

“Well," suggested Rob, "At least it'll make a great centerpiece."

“What?! What do you mean? You're not quitting are you?"

“Well, we can't open it. At least not this way."

“Do you have any ideas?"

“Well, I do have a hammer and chisel out in my truck."

“Hey, now that might work," said Andrew as his face lit up. "Go get them."

Rob went out to his Navigator and got his tools. He did not know what he might need, so he took the whole toolbox into the living room.

“Here ya go. Let's get down to business."

The two spent the next three hours bruising fingers, egos, and everything but the box. After intense labor spent in attempting to open the box, both men wanted to quit. They were incredibly frustrated. They were exhausted as well. They had not even put a scratch in the side of the box. They couldn't even dent it. The frustration level grew. Each man wanted to quit, but each man was intent on not being the first to say so. The incredible sight might have gone on forever had it not been for the sound of the doorbell.

Both men stared at each other. Andrew spoke first.

“I'll get it," he said, "Be right back."

Rob looked up at his brother with the understanding that the task was over, for now. When Andrew opened the door, Melanie burst into the kitchen.

“All right, Andrew. What's up? I waited for two hours, thirty-six minutes and a multitude of seconds. You never showed up. Have you suddenly gotten amnesia? Did you forget the conversation we had this morning? Or did you just decide to stand me up?"

Melanie was on the verge of tears. She looked like someone who had just lost her best friend, or, perhaps, like a little girl who has just dropped her lollipop in the sand.

“What are you talking about?" asked Andrew. "I've been here all day."

“Yeah, I know. I called you, remember?"

“You didn't call me. I didn't get any calls today," Andrew said, completely forgetting about the "salesman" that Rob had reported to him.

“Liar. You said you would meet me there."

“Where?"

“There. You know, that place."

“Oh, yeah. That place." said Andrew without a clue about where she meant. "Well, if you say that we were supposed to meet there then, I'm sorry. I must have forgotten."

“Why? What are you doing?"

Andrew was about to tell her everything that had occurred in the past twenty-four hours, when Rob entered the kitchen.

“Hey, Melanie, what's up?"

“Nothing," she said with some distaste. She did not like Rob, and he knew it.

“Come on, why the sad face? You should be happy. You're standing in the same room as the two sexiest men alive."

“Then everyone else must be dead."

“Could happen."

“Let's go into the living room and talk. We can all sit down," said Andrew.

“Why didn't you show up?" persisted Melanie. "What were you doing?"

“We were opening the box." Andrew answered as they continued to the other room.

“What box?"

“You know, that box," quipped Rob.

“Shut up!" replied Melanie with venom in her voice.

The three entered the living room and each took a seat. Andrew and Melanie sat on the couch and Rob sat in the rocking chair. Andrew introduced Melanie to the box, and then told the entire tale of what had happened to him over the past few days. When he was finished, Melanie began to console him, apparently forgetting his prior offense.

They all then began to examine the box. No one had any idea how to open it. Had they been assembling something that had just been purchased, it would now be time to read the instructions. Unfortunately, no instructions were supplied with the box.

After a period of time in which no one knew what to do, Andrew decided that he would go get the medallion to compare to the box. He had hidden it in his bedroom. When he brought it out, Rob and Melanie both wanted a chance to look at it. He gave it to them and they both looked at it.

“It looks like gold," said Melanie with some excitement in her eyes.

“Trust me, it's not,” answered Andrew while rubbing his sore jaw.

The two guests looked at the medallion with some amazement. They noted that the picture on it looked very much like Merlin. They also noticed that the picture of Andrew on the box looked an awful lot like the picture of Merlin on the medallion. Rob had the medallion in his hand at the time and decided to put it up next to the box, in order to compare the two images. As he brought the medallion closer to the box, something strange began to happen. The color of the medallion seemed to change. It was going from a golden color to a deep red color. The box was also reacting. The carpet underneath it began to smolder, giving off wisps of smoke from beneath the edges of the box. Suddenly, Rob let out a cry: "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!”

He quickly dropped it to the floor and held his hand. The look on his face was one of sheer pain. There was no denying that he was hurting incredibly. Andrew ran to the kitchen and filled a pan with cold water. He immediately brought it out to the living room. Rob thrust his hand into it, and a look of relief covered his face.

“Rob, what happened", asked Melanie.

“Well, uh, um, I'm not sure. I think that it got hot,” he replied with an incredible excess of sarcasm. Melanie did not catch it.

“That's probably what happened. That's what it looked like to me."

Rob thought of a lot of things that he would have loved to say at that moment, but because Andrew was in the room, he decided against it. He pulled his relieved hand out of the water and Andrew said, "Here, I'll get you a towel."

As he did so, he noticed an envelope on the kitchen table. On the outside of the envelope, the name Andrew Tapani was printed in green letters. Momentarily forgetting what he was doing in the kitchen, Andrew picked up the envelope.

“This wasn't here before," he thought to himself.

“You got that towel yet?!" yelled Rob from the living room.

“Yeah, I've got it. Hold on a minute." was the reply.

Andrew left the envelope on the kitchen table and took the towel to Rob. Rob dried off his hands and said, "Look, Andrew, I don't know what's going on here, but right now, I need to leave. I'll see ya tomorrow. Call me if you get that crazy thing open."

He wrapped the towel around his hand and left.

“What about you?" Andrew asked Melanie.

“I'm staying. I have some food in the car that we're going to eat, and then we'll see," she said with a sly grin.

Melanie went out to the car to get the food, and Andrew went back into the kitchen to look at the envelope on the table. As he was about to pull out the contents of the envelope, Melanie came in through the kitchen door. “Well, let's eat!"

Andrew added the envelope to his already large pile of unopened junk mail and went into the living room with Melanie to eat fried chicken.

“Let's see here." Melanie began as the two sat down on the couch. "We have fried chicken, toasted kelp, cheese, crackers, and of course..."

“Of course," Andrew thought to himself, "raw tentacles."

"... a bottle of Cabernet." Melanie finished.

Andrew was relieved, and the two began to eat. Andrew had a little bit of everything. He even tried the seaweed, at Melanie's continued persistence. It was soon evening, and Andrew was growing tired. He yawned. Then Melanie yawned. Then Andrew yawned again. They were beginning to get the idea.

“Uh, Melanie, maybe you'd better go. I'm really tired. I would hate to fall asleep while you're here."

“Why? Do you snore?"

“No. It's just bad manners."

“I understand. Well, I guess I'll be going then."

“Okay. I'll see ya tomorrow, right?"

“Sure. I'll call you."

“Great," said Andrew as he walked Melanie to the door.

“Good. I'll see ya."

“Yup." Andrew walked Melanie to her car, and she left. He reentered the house, having forgotten all about the envelope on the table. He walked straight into the living room. The box was still on the floor.

“You're going to be a mystery aren't you? Tomorrow, I’ll take you down to Dan at the government office. He'll know how to get you open." The box seemed to have taken on a personality of its own since Andrew had found it. Andrew was proving this fact by the conversation that he was having.

“I don't really trust you, but I'm going to have to leave you where you are for now. I don't really know what else to do with you."

Suddenly, shivers ran up and down Andrew's spine. He shook it off and went to bed, locking the door on his way. After what had happened the night before, he wondered if it was even worth the effort.

Fortunately for Andrew he had gone to bed just in time. As he began to drift off to sleep, the eyes of the skeleton on top of the box began to glow a deep blood red.

Chapter XII

Professional Help

Andrew awoke the next morning fully refreshed and feeling that he had never had such a good night's sleep. He looked over at the clock to see that it was mid-morning, and time to eat. He went into the kitchen to make a pot of tea and some toast. As the tea was steeping, and the bread was toasting, he went into the living room to look at the box. As he did so, he couldn't help but say, "Today we're going to know all of your secrets."

The skeleton’s eyes seemed to flicker a glare of defiance at Andrew as if mocking him. Andrew decided that he didn't want to be there anymore. He went back into the kitchen and called Rob.

“Hello?"

“Hey, Rob, it's Andrew. How's your hand?"

“It's all right. I kept it on ice overnight."

“How did you sleep?"

“I didn't. So, what's up?"

“Well, I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to get that box opened today."

“Is it open yet?" Rob asked.

“Not yet."

“Call me when it is. Otherwise, don't waste my time."

“Sorry. I guess you might be a little busy."

“Yeah, I am. I'll talk to ya later."

“All right. Bye."

Both brothers hung up their phones. Andrew collected the newspaper from his porch, buttered his toast and poured his tea. When his breakfast was gone and he had finished thumbing through the sports section and the funnies, Andrew went into the room housing the box. For the next fifteen minutes he sat staring at it. The skeleton seemed to be laughing at him. It was as if it knew that Andrew could not touch it, as if no one had any power over it. Andrew began to get angry. This was his house, and this was an unwanted visitor. He half wanted to take it to the local garbage dump and leave it. Somehow, he knew, however, that this was his problem, and it was not going to go away that easily. He knew that he had to deal with the situation. He decided that there was no better time than the present. Grabbing two oven mitts and lifting the box off the floor, Andrew took it into the kitchen. Everything that could possibly be done to open the box last night had been done. Andrew did have one last resort. Dan was a friend of his who worked for the government. He was a chemist and if anyone knew the structure of matter, it was Dan. He knew acids. He knew bases, and he knew everything in between. If there was a way into this box, Dan would find it.

After some grunting, groaning, and cursing the box was in the back of Andrew’s truck, ready for the trip to town. It was a short trip if he hit the lights right, but on this day, every light seemed to be stuck on red. At every light, Andrew noticed that people seemed to be awestruck with the object in the back of his vehicle. They, too, had noticed how much it looked like gold. He particularly noticed one young man who avoided the crosswalk and crossed the street behind his truck. Suddenly, he came around the truck and reached in the back for the box. All Andrew could do was smile as the young man ran off screaming. He was holding his hand as he ran.

“If he had asked, I would have let him borrow these oven mitts,” Andrew thought to himself as he tried to hide a slight smirk.

The rest of the trip was uneventful, but that made it seem even longer. About a mile from his destination, Andrew pulled over and took an old blanket from behind the seat to the bed of the truck. He used it to carefully cover the box. He got back in the truck and took off. When he finally did arrive at his destination, he knew which gate he needed to pull up to. Civilians were allowed on the premises, but only in restricted areas. He was well known at this particular division. He had been there several times researching for college papers and visiting friends who worked there.

The guard at the gate was named Rich and he knew Andrew by name.

“Andrew. How are you today?"

“Well, not too bad. I just need to get your clearance. I need to see Dan."

“Hold on a second and I'll let them know you're coming."

“Great."

Less than a minute later, Rich lifted the gate and waved Andrew on. Andrew drove into the parking area, and found a spot. He didn't think there would be too much threat of the box being stolen. Especially after what had happened on the way there. He entered the building and went into the lounge to wait for Dan. It wasn’t long before he heard a familiar voice behind him.

“Hey, Andrew, what's up?"

“Not much. How are you?"

“Busy."

“I understand. Let me make this quick then. I've got a box in the back of my truck that I want you to take a look at."

“Hey, how did you get it on the grounds?” Dan asked.

“I covered it up. They trust me around here."

“Not if they catch you with it here."

“Well, then I won't let them."

“Why do I need to see this box?"

“Because I can't open it, and I want you to do it for me," replied Andrew.

“That sounds more like a job for a locksmith than a chemist."

“Well, I thought a hammer and chisel would work, but they didn't even scratch it."

“Let's go see this box."

The two men went to the parking lot. When they got to Andrew's truck, he went over to the bed and pulled off the blanket. Dan's eyes grew. He let out a long whistle and said, "Now that's a box! Is that gold?"

“I doubt it. Whatever it is, it's impenetrable so far."

“Well, I've got a few acids up my sleeve that should be able to take care of that."

“I hope so. I just need for you to get it open. I need to know what’s inside."

“Where'd you get this box?" asked Dan with an inquisitive look on his face.

“I don't know."

“You don't know? What do you mean?"

“Basically, it means that I don't know."

“How do you have it?"

“I woke up one morning and it was sitting on my kitchen table."

“Who put it there?"

“I have no idea."

“Well, let's get it inside. You grab one side and I'll grab the other," said Dan.

As Dan reached over to grab one of the sides of the box, Andrew yelled out. “Wait!"

“What?"

“You'll hurt yourself."

“How heavy is it?"

“It's not heavy. It's cold."

“Cold?"

“Yeah. It'll burn your hand."

“What?"

“Don't touch it. Here." Andrew went around to the front of his truck and took out the oven mitts. He gave one to Dan and put the other one on his hand. Both men went upstairs to Dan's lab. On most occasions Andrew was not allowed there, but as they passed the guard, Dan nodded that it was okay. Once inside the lab, Andrew told Dan everything that had happened in the last week. Unfortunately, Dan was not one to believe those kinds of things. Andrew pulled out the medallion.

“Here. Go ahead and try it," he told Dan.

Dan took the medallion in his hand and slowly moved it closer to the box, until he dropped it.

“What happened?" asked Andrew.

“I, uh, burned myself. It got hot."

“Really?" Andrew asked with a small smirk on his face.

“Shut up. So you were telling the truth. So you want me to open this box?"

“Yeah. I don't care what you do with the box, actually. I just want to know what’s inside."

“Well, I'll see what I can do for you. It's sure nothing that I've ever seen before."

“Great. What are you going to do right now?" Andrew asked.

“What else can I do? I'm going to have a look at this box, and see what I can do with it."

“How long do you think it will take?"

“About three hours for me to find something to get into it. After that I can give you what is inside. I'd like to keep the box to examine the metal, though."

“Hey, be my guest. I've got no reason to keep the cursed thing. Can I come back in about three hours then, and pick up the stuff?"

“That should be fine. See you then.”

“Thanks, Dan. I owe you one."

Andrew left the complex and went to his favorite deli. He spent the entire time trying to clear his mind. He was very tired, despite the fact that he had just had the best night of sleep that he had had in what seemed like an eternity. After lunch, he called Melanie. The phone had almost completed an entire ring before it was answered with a breathless "hello?" Andrew often wondered how Melanie could manage to answer the phone in the living room that quickly, no matter where in the house she was. He answered her.

“Hey, what's up?"

“Not much. How do you feel?"

“Not too bad."

“By the way, how is your head?"

“It's not bad." he answered, "thanks for asking."

“Well, you know how I feel about you."

Andrew did know how Melanie felt. She often told him that she loved him. Unfortunately, he did not feel the same way. All he could ever manage in a reply was a weak, "me too." Melanie never really gave it much thought. She just assumed that he meant that he felt the same about her. Andrew did not have the courage to tell her any different. He let her believe it. He actually felt that he would marry her anyway, so why cause problems? He had never really met anyone that he "loved". Once he had met a woman that really seemed to be his "ideal", but her husband soon disposed of that line of thinking. Andrew didn't love Melanie, but he did like her, and they got along fairly well. He felt that they were pretty good friends, and that he could at least tolerate her for thirty or forty years. He knew a lot of women that he could not say this about.

“And you know how I feel," he lied in response.

“Have you heard any news about Esther?"

“No, nothing. I'm kind of afraid to call. They may be looking for me."

“Well, I'm sure if they were, you would have heard about it," she replied.

“Yeah, that's true enough. I guess I'll call tonight. But if they had found her, they would have called."

“True, but maybe they have more information."

“Yeah, I'll call. Anyway, I just wanted to see what was up."

“Not much. What are you doing?"

“I just dropped off that box with Dan. You remember him?"

“Yeah, why did you give him the box?"

“I figured if anyone could get into it, it was him."

“That's true."

“Anyway, I'm going to go for now. I'll talk to you later."

“Okay, bye."

“Bye," said Andrew as he hung up the phone.

Andrew was one of those people who hated to be alone. He always needed the security of having someone close by. That was why he had called Melanie. He was feeling insecure and hearing her voice, or even the voice of a friend or family member, made him feel better. It was a type of mental security blanket. He looked at his watch, and realized that he had a couple of hours to wait for Dan to finish with the box. Knowing this, he was homeward bound. When he got there he went to his mailbox for the days mail. Removing the two envelopes, he closed the mailbox and went into the kitchen. Both letters were junk. As he began to throw them on top of the pile he noticed the envelope from the previous night sitting there, as it had been the night before. Realizing he had not yet read it, he reached over and opened it.

ii

Dan had spent the first hour just looking at the box. He examined it, prodded it, tried to touch it with his bare hands, and finally decide on a course of action. He put on a pair of protective gloves, and took out several tools used to dismantle many things. It was his hope that he could remove a small flake of the metal and examine it that way. He first tried to chip away at the top achieving nothing. Next was the side. Still nothing was achieved. He used a different tool. Nothing happened. He could not even scratch the material. As far as he could tell, this metal was impervious to any form of attack. Fortunately, for Dan, he had only begun to work on his options.

His next line of attack came in the form of liquid acids. He went to the shelf where they were stored. He took out his most promising option and poured it on. The liquid filled the engravings on the top of the box, and then ran off onto the table. It immediately put a small hole on the table, but there was no sign on the box that the acid had even been there. Dan was dumbfounded. He knew of no metal that could do this. He had no idea what to do. He decided to use other acids. Each in its own turn failed. He tried acid combinations. Again they failed. He was at his wits end. He had no idea how to get into this box.

He pulled a few more ideas out of his grab bag, but they also failed. He tried superheating it. He tried freezing it and cracking it. He tried things that to the outside world were unheard of. They all failed. Dan gave up. He knew that he could not get into this box, but he also knew the value of this metal. If word of this box or the metal got out, the whole world would be out to get it. Metal that is absolutely impervious to any attacks would make the country that owned it an instant superpower. He knew that he couldn't let anyone find out about this. He took the box, and put it in a secure spot in the lab. He didn't tell anyone about the box, but the security camera recorded every unspoken word.

iii

Andrew opened the envelope. He pulled out a three-page letter. It began as: Dear Andrew. It was Andrew's habit, when reading a letter, to always look at the signature first. He took the first page and placed it behind the third page. He took the second page and put it behind the first. When he got to the third page, his eyes skimmed the paper down to the signature. It was signed: Merlin Vincent.

Chapter XIII

Invisible Ink?

Andrew was very proud of himself. This was the first time that he had been stunned without passing out. He did, however, have to sit down. He put the letter down and caught his breath. His face was white, and he was beginning to sweat. He didn't understand. For a few minutes, he could think of nothing. His mind was completely blank. After he composed himself, he thought about the obvious. He did not understand, but sitting on the table in front of him was a letter that would probably explain it all. He slowly began to read the letter from the beginning. Suddenly, the phone rang. Andrew's heart leapt, and so did he. Laying the letter on the table, he got up to answer it.

“Hello?"

“Hey, is Andrew there?" asked an unknown but familiar voice.

“This is he. Who is this?"

“Will. You remember. Your best friend. Will. Remember?"

“Huh, oh, uh, oh yeah. What's up?"

“Well, obviously more than I thought if you can't remember me."

“Sorry," said Andrew "I've been really busy."

“Still working on a plan to meet Helen?"

“Not really. Maybe you should come over. I'll explain it to you."

Andrew wanted to read the letter, but right now he needed his security blanket. For the time being, Will was going to be it.

“Okay, I'll be over. Give me about ten minutes."

“Sure."

Both men got off of the phone and Andrew began to read the letter. With trembling hands, he tried to read the first line. “Dear Andrew, Hello. I know that the events of the past few days seem strange to you. I myself am not completely sure of what is going on…” His nerves made it nearly impossible to grasp any meaning from the words. As his hands continued to shake, he read it again. Still the words carried no meaning. Finally realizing that he needed to calm down before reading the letter, he put it away and waited for Will to arrive. Mercifully, it didn’t take long, and there was a knock at the door.

Being ushered in, Will spoke. “So, Andrew, what's so urgent?"

“How long do you have?" asked Andrew.

“I've got the rest of the day. I closed the store. Anyway, what's so important?"

“Let's go for a drive."

Andrew and Will went out to the truck and took off. Andrew did not tell Will where they were going, but he did tell him his story to this point. The only thing that he did not tell Will about was the letter, because he had not yet read it. About the time that Andrew finished his story, he pulled into a gas station. They went in and while inside Andrew made a quick call. Coming out of the store, Will asked Andrew, "So, where are we going?"

“We're going to get that box."

“Where is it at?"

“I gave it to a friend of mine who's a chemist. I asked him to get it open for me."

“Did he?"

“That's what we're going to find out."

They got into the truck and pulled out onto the highway. It took them about ten minutes to get to their destination. Once there, they pulled up to the gate again.

“Hey, Andrew, back again?"

“Yeah, Rich, I need to see Dan again."

“Let me call him."

“Sure." Rich called, and soon Will and Andrew were on their way to see the contents of the box. They went inside and straight to the lounge. In no time at all, Dan was there to see them.

“Well?" Andrew asked with excitement.

“Well, nothing." replied Dan in a disappointing demeanor.

“Nothing!?! You had nothing that could get into the box? Nothing!?!"

“I'm sorry, Andrew. I know how much you wanted to know what was in it."

Andrew cursed under his breath and said aloud, “Dan, you have NO idea how much I want in that box. I have to know what is in there. This is a curse. The only cure is to open that box and answer my questions!”

“Calm down, Andrew." said Will, "It's only a box."

“Only a box? Only a box? It's only a box that got into my locked house without breaking any windows or doors. It's only a box with MY portrait on it. It's only a box made of some metal that can't be destroyed. It's only a box that can't be opened. What exactly do you mean by saying it's only a box?"

“Okay, all right. Sorry, I guess it's not only a box."

“It's certainly not only a box," said Dan.

“Well, now what?" asked Andrew.

“There's nothing I can do. You'll have to take it home," said Dan.

“Okay. Thanks for trying. I guess it'll make a good centerpiece."

“There's one thing that I should warn you about, Andrew." offered Dan.

“What's that?"

“Andrew, this metal is impenetrable. There is any number of people who might pay for...or kill for this box. That metal is very valuable."

“What difference does it make? It can't be tested. It can't be broken down. It can't be used, because it can't be shaped."

“Actually, Andrew, if it can be formed into a box, then it can be shaped. We just don't know how to do it. My guess is that whoever made that box, put the instructions inside of it. You're probably okay until you've opened it. Then you're in danger. How many people know about this box?"

“You, Will, Melanie, Rob, and me."

“Don't tell anyone else. I think you need to take this box and put it where no one will ever find it. It is probably also in your best interest not to open it. Just some advice."

“Well, thanks Dan. I appreciate it. I guess Will and I can carry it out to the truck now."

“Sure. It's in the lab. I'll go get it."

Dan was gone for only a few minutes. Soon he was back with the box. He was careful to not burn himself. He set it down in front of the two men. Andrew grabbed one side, and Will grabbed the other. They said goodbye to Dan, and they were out the door. Having gently placed the box in the back of the truck, Will and Andrew left.

Andrew and Will drove home in silence. Will could tell that Andrew was not happy, and he knew better than to say anything. As they pulled into the driveway, Andrew said, "There's one thing that I haven't told you about yet."

“What's that?" asked Will.

“Come on, I'll show you." When they went into the kitchen, Andrew told Will to sit down. Will did so.

“I've got to call and see if there is any news on Esther. While I'm doing that, you can look at this,” Andrew said as he pushed the envelope over to Will. "I found this the same night as the box. You might find the signature to be especially interesting."

Andrew went into the living room and made his phone call. As he did this, Will opened the envelope.

ii

Harry was what was known in his circles as a "dust engineer." His primary tool was known as a "dust manager.” It was a long handled tool with what could be considered a flat, limp bristled brush. Silently, he mused at how in past years it had been referred to as a "dust mop." Regardless of the title used by Harry and his equipment, his job was to clean buildings. At this time in his career, he was employed on a regular basis to clean Dan's lab.

On this particular evening, he came across one of his least favorite sights: spilled soda. He happened to be pushing the broom across the floor, when it got caught in a sticky, brown substance.

“Stupid kids,” he thought. "Ought to know better than to leave their sodas lying around." To Harry, anyone under fifty was a kid. He pulled the broom out of the sticky mess, and began to notice that it was everywhere. It was on the counter. It was on the floor by the counter, and there was even some that went back around behind the counter.

“Can's probably back there," he thought.

He went back to the cart where he kept his dust engineering equipment, and got a wet mop with a towel used for purposes like these. When he got back, he used the mop on the floor and the towel on the counter. It was after he cleaned up the floor and counter, and he went around the counter, that he realized that what he had cleaned up was not soda. For behind the counter, on the floor, invisible to anyone who did not go there, he found Dan’s body.

iii

Andrew came back into the kitchen. Will asked him, "So any news?"

“No. They haven't found anything new, but I'm still a suspect."

“Great. So tell me, what is this?" Will asked, pointing at the letter.

“Beats me. You've read more than I have. What did you think about the signature?"

“Is this a joke? Is this one of those T.V. shows? Are you making this up? Dan's in on this, isn't he?"

“What are you talking about?"

“Me? What are you talking about?"

“The letter. The one in your hands."

“Andrew. There's nothing on this page. You're out of your mind."

“You're the one who's out of his mind." Andrew said as he picked up the envelope and placed it in Will's hand. "Right here. This letter. The one signed, Merlin."

“Sorry, Andrew. There is an envelope all right, but you're a little confused. There's no letter there."

“Here," Andrew said as he pulled out the letter. "See it? Read it."

“I can't read it. There's nothing on it. It's just blank paper. I don't know what you’re talking about. If this is a joke, it's far from funny."

Chapter XIV

Another Sleepless Night

“What are you talking about?" asked Andrew with an agitated look on his face. "There are three pages of writing there. Look at it!" Andrew shook the pages violently. He began to read. "Dear Andrew... aide of a star...key in the...open the box...help...life depends...Merlin Vincent." He had skimmed through the entire letter, reading bits and pieces out loud to Will. “So, this is my imagination? Should I read you some more?"

“Uh, no. I think I've heard enough. You know, Andrew, I really should be going. I have a friend that maybe you'd like to talk to. She's really nice. She works over at the hospital with special people. You're very special, Andrew."

Andrew recognized the patronizing tone, and he knew that as far as Will was concerned, he was crazy. He figured that it was time to let him go. He said, "You know, Will, I really need to be alone right now. I think you're right. Maybe all I need is some rest. I'll call you later and let you know when I feel better. Thanks for coming over."

Will, taking the hint, said, "Hey, it was no problem, Andrew. If you ever need to talk, I'm serious about that friend. She'd be more than happy to talk. I'll see ya later." With that final statement, Andrew ushered Will out of the house.

ii

Alan began getting ready for bed. It had been some time since he had slept well. It was well over a month now. On this particular night, he was debating over whether or not it was even worth it. He knew exactly how the night would go. Karen would drop off as soon as her head hit the pillow. He would lie there and listen to her snore, until he could no longer take it. This usually happened after about an hour or so. He would then get up and go to the kitchen to make a sandwich and a drink. From there it was on to the living room where the television made its abode. After ten in the evening there wasn't much on television that Alan felt was worth watching. He detested talk shows. He groaned at the very thought of reality shows. The only value in late night TV, Alan mused as he pulled down the covers and climbed in, was that it cured insomnia.

Tonight, however, Alan's expectations did not come to be, and he dropped right off. His eyelids closed, almost as soon as he had pulled the covers over his head. His face took on a calm, tranquil look. It was then transformed into a look of confusion. Finally, it was overtaken by a look of complete and absolute horror.

Alan jolted awake in a cold sweat. He glanced over at Karen. She was still sleeping. She was a heavy sleeper, and even this sudden motion had not awakened her. He nearly fell out of bed and stumbled to the door. Tonight, instead of walking to the kitchen, he went straight to the living room. A shaky hand opened the liquor cabinet, grabbed a glass, and filled it with whiskey. In a single gulp it was gone. In the same instant, another one had been poured. This went on for some time. Alan didn't know how long, but he knew that the one bottle of whiskey would not be enough. When it was gone, he began on the brandy.

iii

Andrew finished the letter. "So, that explains a little. Not nearly enough, but a little," he thought to himself. He kept going over one curious part about finding the keys. Where was he supposed to look? How would he find them? What did they look like? The clues didn't help much. The one that seemed to provide the most information was the one about needing a star's help. This obviously meant he needed to get someone famous to help him find the keys. That's the only thing it could mean, by Andrew's interpretation. Of course this pleased him. He knew exactly which "star" he would solicit and was certain she would be honored to help him. The other clue told him that the first key was near the heart. Andrew pondered this point. Where is the heart? Maybe the key was near something or somewhere called Rib, or maybe Sternum. He called Rob.

“Hello?" answered a tired voice.

“Hey, Rob, it's me."

“Yeah? Did you get the box open?"

“No, but I've got something here that you need to see. I mean...uh...that is if you're available."

“What are you talking about?"

“Just come over as soon as you can. I need your help."

“All right. I'll be over soon. This better be good."

“Oh, it is, Rob. It is."

Andrew got off of the phone with Rob and turned on the television to keep himself calm while he waited.

iv

It was around three in the morning when Karen awoke and noticed that Alan was not in the bed. She knew that he was having problems sleeping, but she felt that something about tonight was different. She got up to look for him, and found him on the sofa in the living room. He was conscious but in an incoherent stupor. After much struggling, she finally got him to stand up. She put his arm over her shoulder and walked him into the bedroom. She put him on the bed as gently as possible considering the circumstances. Essentially, this amounted to dropping him. Once he was on the bed, he began babbling something about "it" happening again. She heard the words, "I thought it was over." It was just after those words had been spoken that Alan passed out. Karen grabbed her pillow and a blanket from the closet and went to the couch, where spent the rest of the night.

v

Rob arrived at Andrew's house at a little after ten o'clock. He didn't waste time knocking. He was in a hurry. He felt that one of two things would happen. Either he would find out that something important had happened and he would be glad that he hurried, or nothing of importance had happened, and he could get home sooner. He went into the room and loudly proclaimed his presence. "All right. What do I need to see?" he asked Andrew.

Andrew was a little startled at Rob's sudden entrance, and fell off the sofa.

“Rob. I didn't hear you come in. You scared me."

“Well?" asked Rob with an air of impatience.

“Come into the kitchen. I want you to read something."

Rob followed Andrew into the kitchen, and they both sat down, positioning themselves across from each other. Andrew reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter. Sliding it across to Rob, he said, "Here. Read this."

Rob unfolded the letter and began to read it. He skimmed most of it, but some parts caught his eyes:

Dear Andrew,

Hello. I know that the events of the past few days seem strange to you. I myself am not completely sure of what is happening. Just try to imagine your frustration of the past few days times seventy years, and you will have an idea of how I feel. Enough of that. It is time I tell you what you must do. You recently acquired a box. You must tell no one about this box. It is very valuable, and if it falls into the wrong hands, well... The box must be opened, Andrew. Inside you will find all of the answers to your questions. There is a key needed to open the box. In order to find this key you will need the aid of a star. It is hidden near the heart. When you retrieve this key, you will be given further instructions. These will be given to you as soon as you insert the key in the lock. Andrew, it is vital that you open the box. Only you can help us. I considered other people, but you are the one we need. Your very life depends on getting that box open.

I know you can do it. You must wait no longer. You must leave as soon as possible and find the first key. I wish you all the luck in the world. Indeed my life depends on it also. Remember, do not tell anyone else about the box. You will put lives at risk, and some people would be willing to kill for what is inside this box. I have taken certain precautions to help you along. There is no need to explain them. You will discover them as you go along. Andrew, we are all depending on you. Please don't let us down.

Merlin Vincent

Rob's eyes grew with every line that he read. He couldn't believe what he was reading. He half wondered if Andrew had written this letter himself. He asked him. "Andrew, are you sure this isn't some game that you're playing? It seems a little unrealistic, don't you think?"

“Yeah, but I didn't write it."

“Okay, sure Andrew. I believe you."

Andrew observed his doubt and said, "Tell you what. Why don't you take it home and have a couple of your friends read it? I have it memorized. I've read it about fifteen times. I'm packing tomorrow to go find a star to help me look for the key."

Rob gave Andrew a look of total wonderment. "You're going to WHAT?"

“Find a star. That's what the letter says. Didn't you read it?"

“Andrew, I'm not sure that it means that you are supposed to go find a star and ask them to help you. Remember that it said that you couldn't tell anyone about the box? You'll be putting their life in danger."

“I can't help it. The letter says I need a star's help and I am going to get it. It sounds pretty important to open the box, wouldn't you say?"

“According to this letter, yeah, but I'm not sure that it's not a fraud."

“I am. Why don't you take it home and let your friends read it. Maybe they can offer you their opinion."

“Actually, I think I will, but in the mean time, let me give you some advice. Stay home until we can get this all sorted out. I don't want you getting hurt."

“You read the letter. There isn't any time. I don't want to get hurt either, but according to the letter, I will if I don't open the box."

“Look, Andrew, just stay home tomorrow. I'll bring the letter back then."

Rob left, and Andrew closed the door behind him. He thought to himself, "Thanks for the advice, Rob, but come tomorrow morning, I'm gone."

Chapter XV

A Familiar Stranger

Andrew woke early the next morning, feeling optimistic and impatient to begin. He first took care of the box. He put an old blanket over it, and put it in the closet of his bedroom. Feeling that he had secured this major part of preparation, he began step two: packing. He found his suitcase in the kitchen, still packed from his trip to Nebraska. He exchanged the dirty clothes with slightly less dirty clothes and added a few things for the longer trip. This task took him about four hours, as he was easily distracted. It was his intention to have lunch before leaving. He had also decided the night before to take Melanie out before he left, so he did both. He left his house and headed for Melanie's.

When he arrived at her house, Melanie, as always, was ready. She gingerly hopped in the truck, chattering as she did so. Andrew had not yet informed Melanie of his trip. He was pretty sure that it wasn't wise to tell her that he was planning to go find a star to help him in his quest. They arrived at quaint Greek restaurant and were seated.

“So, Andrew, what do you have planned for today?"

“Well, I spoke to the sheriff investigating the disappearance of Esther. He needs me to come to Nebraska to answer a few questions about the case," Andrew lied.

“Why can't he ask you over the phone?"

“Well, uh, he, uh, has a couple of things to show me. Apparently they have some new evidence in the case. Anyway, I need to go up there tomorrow. I'm leaving tonight. I don't know how long I'll be gone."

“Okay." answered Melanie with some hesitation. "Let's enjoy our time together then."

The two ordered their meal and had a nice lunch. Afterwards, Andrew took Melanie home. On her doorstep, Melanie looked into Andrew's eyes, caressed his face, and gave him a long, gentle kiss. At that moment, he asked himself why he didn't love her. They embraced and then both said their good byes. As Andrew turned to go, Melanie said, "Hurry back."

Andrew turned around and promised that he would. Then he got in his truck and took off.

When Andrew arrived back at his house, he checked his mail for the one item that he was waiting for. He desperately needed his paycheck in order to go on this trip. Unfortunately, the mail had not yet come.

Upon entering the house, Andrew could hear that the television was on in the living room. "Funny," he thought, "I don't remember leaving that on." Entering the living room, Andrew was taken aback to find a man sitting on his couch. Assessing the situation, Andrew stepped back into the kitchen. He thought about his predicament. The man seemed to be a professional of some sort. He was wearing a tan suit and was smoking a cigar. He apparently had chosen to use a glass from the cupboard for his ashtray, while at the same time helping himself to Andrew's beer. After some deliberation and debating with various ideas, Andrew came up with a course of action. He quickly grabbed the phone and called Rob.

“Hello?”

“Rob, listen. I need your help NOW! Get over here!” whispered Andrew as loudly as he dared.

“What is it?”

“There’s some guy in my living room. He’s just sitting there watching television. What do I do?”

“Go ask him what he wants.”

“I can't do that!” What if he’s dangerous?”

“If he was dangerous, why would he be watching television? He’d be hacking up your house. Go see what he wants. He’s probably a salesman.”

“I thought you said he wouldn’t be dangerous.”

“Just go do it. I’ll be over in a few minutes.”

“Ok, I’ll try. But if you find me dead, it's your fault.”

“Look, Andrew, if he was going to get you, he’d have gotten you already. You’re not being all that quiet.”

“Okay, whatever, just hurry up!” Andrew answered in a whisper.

Mustering his courage, Andrew headed towards the living room. As he entered, he said, “Who are you?” The threatening tone he had intended to use came out sounding like a frightened child.

The man quickly turned his head to see Andrew standing over him with his arms folded. "Well, Andrew, it certainly took you long enough to arrive. I am a very busy man and would appreciate it if you would be a little more considerate of other people's time in the future, especially mine. I have more important things to do than sit here waiting for you."

“What are you talking about? I have no idea who you are or what you want. Maybe you could tell me?" Andrew said as more of a question than a statement.

“Now, Andrew, does it really matter who I am? I just came to deliver a message."

“You could have called and left a message on my machine. I doubt I’m interested in whatever you’re selling anyway."

“You will be," answered the man with a menace in his voice.

“I seriously doubt that. Now I suggest you leave before I call the police?"

“You don't want to do that; I assure you. It would be a grave mistake."

“Then why don't you tell me what you have to say, and get the hell out of my house?"

“Number one, Andrew, I'll tell you when I'm ready. Number two, I'll leave when I feel like it."

Andrew was taken aback at this response. He had been forcing himself to be brave up to this point, but he no longer could. He was about to give up when there was a knock at the door. Andrew went over to answer it. At the same time, the man said, "Keep your mouth shut."

After swallowing hard, he opened the door. To his incredible relief, it was Rob.

“Hey, Andrew what's up?"

Having seen his brother, Andrew regained some courage. "Not much. Some jerk is sitting in the living room threatening me. That's about it."

“Where?"

Rob pushed past Andrew into the living room. The man was still on the couch. Rob said, "I think you'd better leave. You have no reason to be here."

The answer came, "Watch yourself, Rob. You could get yourself into some serious conflict if you're not careful."

“I'll take my chances." Rob said, as he grabbed the man by the collar and escorted him to the door. "Keep yourself out of this part of town, Jimmy. You've got no business here."

“I do now," answered Jimmy as he was being thrown out the door.

Rob closed the door and turned to his brother. "What did he say?"

“He said he had a message for me. Then he said for me to keep my mouth shut when I answered the door."

“Well, you blew that part of it."

“Rob, do you know him?"

“Yeah. He's in the courtroom all of the time. He's basically a bully for hire. If you need someone threatened, he's your man. He'll tell anyone anything for the right amount of money. He's really no threat, just a nuisance. It's the people who hired him that you need to worry about. Any idea who would want to scare you, or what the message was?"

“No idea, Rob. You threw him out before he could give me the message."

“It's just as well. It was either something like ‘give it back or keep your mouth shut, or else.’ Most of the time it's just an idle threat to shake someone up a little bit."

“So why do I need to be shaken up?"

“Who knows? Have you stepped on anyone's feet lately?"

“Not that I know of. I guess Alan doesn't like me too much right now, but I don't think he would hire someone like that. Besides, he's too far away to even know about Jimmy."

“I guess that's true enough. Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it too much. If he comes by again, let me know. I know enough about him that I could have him sent away for ten years. The only reason I don't is because he's a good source of information for a lawyer who takes on some of the most controversial cases in the area. So did you decide whether you’re going to California or not?”

“Well, let's go sit down. I really think I need to. I mean this situation isn't going to rectify itself, is it?" Andrew asked as the two walked to the living room.

“You never know, Andrew, it just might. I mean what's really forcing you to go? The box is sitting around doing nothing. I mean sure, it's strange and all, but it's not hurting anyone. No one is dying over it, right?" asked Rob as the two sat down.

“Grandma is gone."

“There's no proof that has anything to do with the box. She disappeared in Nebraska. The box appeared in Illinois. Right here in your own kitchen. I just don't think it's wise to go running off to California to find a 'star' to help you 'save the world'. You know?"

“I know what you're saying, Rob, but if it's going to be a problem, then I should solve it."

“Andrew, you're not being sensible about this. If it isn't serious, then there's no need to even get involved. If it is serious, then getting involved in it is suicidal. I know you don't like this kind of thing, Andrew."

“I don't like it, but I'd rather deal with this little task and have the rest of my life to enjoy. I don't want to spend my life with that monkey on my back. Can't you understand that?" Andrew asked.

“I understand completely. The real problem is that I think you are making too much of this whole thing. If you wouldn't think about the box, then you wouldn't have a 'monkey on your back'."

Andrew stood up in frustration and went to the kitchen. Rob continued to make his case, "The police are going to find Grandma, and you'll be justified. You just need to be patient, and if after a month or so, they haven't found her, you can still go to California and look for your star."

The reply came from the kitchen, "You forget. I only have this summer. That's three months. Do you want a soda?"

“Yeah, thanks."

“If I wait for a month, it'll be the second week of July before I get the chance to get started on what may take three months to finish."

“Just don't go back in the fall, if it means that much to you, Andrew."

“Some of us can't afford the luxury of not working. You have to understand that not everyone makes the kind of money that you do." Andrew answered as he came back into the room with two colas. He handed one to Rob as he sat down.

“Hey, if it comes down to finances, I'll back you for however long it takes. I'm not hurting for money."

“Believe me I know. It's not really the money. I really enjoy teaching. It means a lot to me. It's energizes me. I can't just not go back. I want to get this thing resolved, so I can get back to school in the fall."

“Well, I still think it isn't necessary for you to go ahead with this yet. Give things time to work out. I mean you have to admit, Andrew. No one's died yet. No one has even been hurt. There's no reason to go right now."

“Don't you even want to know what's in the box? What about the letter from Merlin? Isn't that significant? I mean, you yourself know that this is for real. Just look at your hand."

Rob raised his hand and saw the burn where he had been holding the medallion. "I never said that it wasn't real. I just said it wasn't really that important. It shouldn't be high on your priority list."

“Well what should I be doing then? Writing a book? Give me a break. I don't really have a lot of hobbies. I finally have an opportunity to do something interesting. Besides, you aren't having the nightmares I am."

“What nightmares?"

“Oh, they started the other night. I don't really remember much. I usually just wake up in a cold sweat. I just remember it's something about a cave or something like that. I don't really know. It's happened every night since, though. I think there's only one way to stop it. I need to get in the box."

The argument might have gone on for several days had it not been for the sound of the doorbell. Andrew got up to answer it. As he approached the door, the doorbell sounded again.

“I'm coming. Hold on. Hold on."

He finally reached the door and opened it. On the other side was child about fourteen years old. Andrew smiled at him and was greeted with an abrupt question.

“You Andrew Tapani? I gots sumpin' for ya."

After translating what the youth had said, Andrew replied, "Yeah, that's me. What can I do for you?"

“Here, some dude tol' me to gi' dis to ya. See ya."

The boy walked off while Andrew reached down and picked up the package that was left behind. He began to open it as a voice from the living room called out, "Who is it?"

The only answer that Rob received to his question was a pale Andrew running past him to the bathroom. Rob went to the door to see what was going on. There he found that the front door that was half ajar. He pushed it open and looked to see if there was anyone there. There wasn't. About to close the door, it was only chance that made him look down. There he saw a box with a note attached to it. Stooping down, he picked up the note and read it.

It said: DAN COULDN'T KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT.  YOU’D BETTER.

There was no signature, and Rob tossed it away. He reached down and opened the package. He had to pull it into the sunlight to see what was in it. When he finally recognized what it was, he immediately dropped it and turned green. Inside the box was a severed human tongue.

Chapter XVI

Another Guest

Andrew spent the greater part of an hour in the bathroom expelling the contents of his stomach. Rob had taken up residence on the sofa, just sitting there, looking pale and weak.

Finally, as Andrew emerged from the bathroom, he asked Rob a question. "No one is getting hurt, huh? What about that?"

Rob did not have an immediate answer for his brother. Instead he sat there, almost oblivious to the world, staring with a blank, empty look on his face. After a some time, he turned to Andrew, "Do you want that to happen to you? You read the note. It said to keep your mouth shut. Dan was talking, and someone knows. They want you to keep your mouth shut, or this will happen to you. Is that what you want?"

“What do you mean, me? You know about it, too. So do Will and Melanie. The only way to get out of this now is to open it. I have to. You are all in danger until I open it and find out what this is all about. I mean, I'm not the most fearless man on earth, but you guys are important to me. I have to stop whoever is doing this. The only way to do that is to open that box. Rob, don't you understand? There is a purpose behind all of this. It's not just some random thing that happened to me. The note is addressed to me. The dreams I'm having. The box didn't just fall into my lap. It was brought to me. Specifically. I had nothing to do with it. All the doors and windows were locked. I didn't ask for it, but here it is. I couldn't give it away."

“I bet there's one person who would not only be willing to take it, but they'd kill for it."

“That's not the point anymore. The point now is that I have to open this thing. It shouldn't take long. I just have to find the key, open the box, do whatever I have to do with what's inside, and it'll be finished. I just want to get it over with. Can't you see that? I don't want to do this; I have to. There is no choice to be made."

“Andrew, there is always a choice. You can just forget about this box. If you don't tell anyone, and no one else does, then we won't get hurt, right? It's simple."

“Look, Rob. I know that you're trying to save me a lot of pain, and probably my life, but I have no choice. Besides, I don't like being pushed around. Even if it means getting a little hurt."

“I would call having your tongue cut out more than a little pain. Just don't go. Wait and see what these guys want. If they just want the box, then give it to them. It'll be like killing two birds with one stone."

“What can they possibly want with that box? It can't be opened. No one knows what's in it. The only way in is with two keys. I have no idea where they are, and neither do these other people. What possible use do they have for this box?"

The argument was temporarily over, due to the fact that both men were tired and still in a state of shock.

Andrew asked, "What did you do with the tongue?"

“I left it on the porch where it was. I didn't want it."

“I'd better get it. We can call the police. They'll know what to do."

“That's a pretty good idea. Maybe they can figure out who sent it. It may help them find out who killed Dan."

Andrew shuddered at the thought of Dan being dead. Suddenly, he realized that he was responsible for Dan's death. If he hadn't brought the box to him, nothing would have happened to him. A new kind of feeling was welling up inside of Andrew. It was not fear. It was not shock. It was anger. He hated himself for being so stupid. He should have known better. He felt like cutting out his own tongue. While these thoughts coursed through Andrew's brain, there was complete silence in the room.

Finally, Andrew stood up and went to the front door. Opening the door, he expected to find the package on the porch. Instead, he found a pair of pant legs. He followed them with his eyes all the way up to the eyes of the gentleman wearing them.

“Can I help you?" asked Andrew.

Andrew was already on guard. He had seen enough strangers bearing bad news in the last week or so that he felt his stomach churning at the sight of the man. Fortunately, he didn't have to do much speaking.

“Hello? Uh, my name is Michael Dawson, with the FBI. I'm looking for Andrew Tapani. Is this his address?"

“I'm him,” answered Andrew hesitantly. "What can I do for you?"

“Well, may I come in?"

“I have company."

“Well, we can just talk out here then. I'll make it quick. You know Daniel Thompson?"

“Yes, I did...uh...do."

“I beg your pardon," said the agent, a little taken aback, "What do you mean 'did'?"

“Nothing. Just a slip of the tongue. Of course, I meant I do."

“Of course, Mr. Tapani. Well, I have come to inform you that Mr. Thompson has passed away."

“How? When?" asked Andrew.

“That is not your concern. What is your concern is the fact that you were the last person to see Mr. Thompson alive. We would like to ask you a few questions. At your leisure of course."

“Of course. Well, I'm just about to go on a trip. It can't be postponed."

“I'm sorry, but it's going to have to be."

“Can't you ask me here? It'd be a lot easier, and I wouldn't lose much time."

“I thought you said that you had company."

“I do, but he's just a carpet installer. He needs to measure the living room. I'll send him home now. Wait here. I'll be right back."

Andrew went into the house and sent Rob out the front door without an explanation.

“But, Andrew, what about all of this?" he asked.

I'll tell you later. I just need you to leave for now."

Rob did so, and Andrew went back to the kitchen and asked his new guest into the living room. "Would you like a soda?"

“No thank you. I just want to ask you these few questions and be on my way."

“After you ask the questions, I'm free to leave, right?"

“It depends on how you answer these questions, Mr. Tapani."

“Well, then, let's get started, shall we?"

“Let's. First, how long had you know Daniel?"

“We went to elementary school together. I guess about twenty-five years."

“Okay, did he have many friends?"

“I don't know. He did in school. I don't know how many of them he kept in touch with. I guess he probably did. Before you ask, the answer to your next question is, I don't know. I have know idea why anyone would want him dead. I have no idea if he had any enemies. I didn't know much about his social life. We were friends. I didn't usually see him away from his work. I would stop by there occasionally to say hello. We used to go out to bars together to pick up women, but I stopped going out with him when he left with two and I left with none. There was no fun in that. I wasn't his enemy, but he did have access to a lot of secret government information. He did after all work for them...uh...you. When I last saw him, he seemed to be in a fine state of mind. He didn't seem upset or anything. I said good-bye to him and he said the same to me. We parted company and I haven't seen him since."

“Well, Mr. Tapani, that just about covers everything except for one little thing. Why did you go to see him that day?"

“I just stopped in to say hello. It was no big deal. I definitely had no idea that it would be the last time I would see him."

“Do me a favor, Mr. Tapani and tell the truth. Not only are you doing me a favor, but you are also doing yourself a favor."

Andrew started to say something, but then he remembered Dan's tongue and the note. He opted not to tell. "I am telling the truth. I went to say hi. I don't know who killed him or why. If there is anything that I can help you with to catch the guy that killed him, all you have to do is ask. If that's all..."

“Actually, Mr. Tapani, that is all...for now."

“Yeah, yeah, yadda yadda...” Andrew thought to himself, as the agent spoke.

“Let me give you my card, and if you think of anything, feel free to call me. Day or night."

“Thanks, I'll remember that. Have a nice day."

“Oh, I will,” the agent said as he tipped his hat to Andrew. "Good day."

“One more thing, I'm sorry."

“Not at all, Mr. Tapani, what is it?"

“I just wanted to make sure it was okay to go on my trip. I mean, I don't have to stay in the area or anything, do I?"

“No, no. We're the FBI. We're nationwide.” the agent said with menacing grin.

Andrew walked the agent to the door and closed it behind him. He watched the man walk out to his car and drive away. As soon as he was out of sight, Andrew opened the door and began looking around. He searched the entire porch, and yard, but to his dismay, the tongue was nowhere to be found.

ii

It had been some time since Alan had slept well. He had taken some short naps, but had not slept more than thirty minutes at a time since that night. If he slept for even fifteen minutes, he began dreaming again. He tried desperately to not fall asleep. He was now sitting on the couch, watching the twelve o'clock news. Karen came in and sat down beside him.

“Alan, we need to talk about this. You can't go on fighting sleep."

“You don't understand. It's happening again."

“What's happening again? What are you talking about?"

“The dreams, Karen. You don't know. We weren't married the first time. The dreams just won't go away. It's just going to take some time. Be patient. It won't last forever."

“What dreams are you having? I don't understand."

“I can't talk about it.” Alan answered with a tone of finality.

“Well, something is going to have to give. I just hope it's not us.” Karen answered.

iii

“Look, I don't know if I'm going or not. I thought I was, but I don't want anyone else to get hurt."

Andrew was talking on the phone to Rob. Rob had gone to get help in talking Andrew out of going to California.

“Look, Andrew, hold on for a minute. Someone wants to talk to you."

“A familiar voice came over the phone. "Andrew, if you want to go, then go."

“Kelley? Is that you?" came Andrew's reply.

“Yes. Hey, it's your life, and your problem. You need to solve it."

Andrew could hear his brother’s protests in the background. "What are you telling him?"

“Look, Rob, it's his life."

The argument continued for several minutes, then the voice on the phone changed. It was Rob again. "Andrew you can't go. You are not only endangering your life, but lots of others. I don't know who did that to Dan, but if they can get to him, they can get to you."

“I'm thinking about it,” answered Andrew.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

“Hold on Rob, I've gotta answer the door."

“Call me back,” said Rob as he hung up.

Andrew went to the door. After today's events, he was not going to just open the door. He looked out the window to the porch. It was Jimmy. "What do you want?” asked Andrew through the door.

“I've still got a message for ya. I thought you might be ready to hear it now."

“I'm not letting you in, Jimmy."

“That's all right. I'll just tell you. You are to find the key to the box and deliver them to a designated spot. This spot will be determined later. Right now, you are to find the first key, and then wait for a phone call. You will then be instructed in what to do. Otherwise, what happened to Dan will seem mild compared to what will happen to your family. Got it?"

“Get the hell off of my porch, before they have to scrape you off. I've got it."

Andrew looked out the window to see if Jimmy was leaving, but he was already gone. Walking back into the living room, Andrew picked up the phone. He sat down and dialed his brother's number.

“Hello?” answered his brother.

“Hey. I've made my decision."

“Well, what did you decide?"

“I'm leaving in half an hour. I'll call you from California."

Chapter XVII

Reaching for the Stars

Andrew went out to his mailbox. He was right in his assumption that the mail had come. He had everything packed and in the truck. This was all he was waiting for. He took the bills inside, and signed his check. He then placed his suitcase in the truck and prepared to leave. This time he decided to not go alone. He whistled and Coalie joined him in his truck. He closed the door, and they were off. He made a quick stop by the bank and hit the highway. The plan was to get to Oklahoma City tonight. Of course, originally, he planned on leaving four hours ago. He drove for what seemed like days. He knew it was about a ten-hour drive, but after about five hours on the road, he was growing incredibly hungry. He noticed a truck stop and pulled off the interstate. Leaving Coalie, Andrew went inside, sat down at the bar, and ordered.

Throughout the meal, obsession seemed to possess him. He read the letter over and over again. The words "some people would be willing to kill for what is inside this box" kept echoing through his mind. He heard these words for the first time in his life tonight. Tonight they made sense. He could not distract his mind from what had happened to Dan. He wondered if he had suffered. He wondered if anyone else would suffer. If only he had known what the future held. It had already seemed like years had passed since he left for Nebraska. Had he known what was in store for him there, he never would have gone. Now there were so many questions with no answers. What was in the box, and why was it so important? Why did Dan have to die over it? Andrew questioned whether he was on the brink of insanity. Maybe Will was right. This was a ridiculously impossible scenario. This couldn't be happening in reality...

The waitress roused Andrew from his reverie.

“I said, 'Do you want dessert?’”

“Huh, oh, uh...no thanks. Just the check. Please,” he replied.

“You got some invisible ink or something on those papers? You've been looking at them all night long. What's the matter? Did your woman leave you? You'll get over it."

“Yeah, it's something like that,” responded Andrew.

He had forgotten that some people couldn't read the letter. He figured that this must be one of those precautions that Merlin had taken to protect him. Standing up and putting his coat over his arm, Andrew paid his bill and left. Coalie wagged her tail upon seeing him approach the truck. There was a quick, "Hey, Coalie," and they were back on the road.

ii

Rob was undressing for bed when he realized that his wallet was not in his pocket. He made a thorough search of the living room and kitchen, followed by an investigation of the Navigator. There was no wallet to be found. He wondered where it could be. He mentally retraced his steps since the last time he remembered having it. Finally, he decided that it must be at Andrew's house. Unfortunately, Andrew was gone for who knew how long. Fortunately, Rob had keys. He got into the Navigator and headed for Andrew's house. The drive was not a long one for him, and he could have made it in fifteen minutes had he not stopped at Rebecca's house. Rebecca was a client for a new case that he was taking on. He took the case because she had money and could afford to pay what he charged. He also took the case because she was cute, and Jennifer had recently told him to take a hike. He couldn't understand why.

iii

It was some time around midnight when Andrew arrived in Oklahoma City, and he pulled into the first motel he came to. The room was more pricey than he had hoped, but as long as they accepted pets, the room was cool, and the bed was comfortable, Andrew was too tired to care. The hotel met his qualifications, and he and Coalie both slept soundly. It was his first good night's sleep in some time, in fact, and though he had planned to get an early start, it was nine thirty the next morning before Coalie's whining to be let out awakened him. He quickly set about caring for Coalie's needs and preparing to leave. He planned to make it to Phoenix by the end of the night. He knew he was on a time limit.

The letter said it needed to be done as soon as possible. There was no choice. Of course, Jimmy also said it needed to be done as soon as possible. Again there was no choice. Both factors caused Andrew great distress, but he fought it off and kept pushing on. While driving, contemplation was the way time was passed. Coalie contemplated the meaning of life, while her owner contemplated the meaning of the phrase, "It's hidden near the heart." What could that mean? What kind of clue was that? Where was the heart? Could Andrew even find it? Whose heart? His? Merlin's? Esther's? Whose?

This must be why I need the help of a star. She must be able to figure it out, Andrew thought to himself. But how will I even find her? I know she's filming that new movie, but even if I do find her, how will I convince her that I need her help? Then again, maybe Merlin's already taken care of that. Maybe she'll have a secret phrase for me, something that only I will understand. That'll tell me what the heart thing means. That must be it. After she helps me with that, we'll go to dinner somewhere, and we can really get to know each other. Andrew spent the rest of the morning planning his wedding and the rest of his life with his movie star.

It wasn't until about a quarter after one that Andrew was awakened from his daydream by the sound of growling. At first he thought it was Coalie, but then he realized that it was his stomach. "Hey, you hungry, dog? I know I am. Let's get some lunch."

They took the next exit that looked somewhat promising. Before long they were coming to a Burger Palace. As Andrew pulled around to the drive through, he said, "Now look, Coalie, I'm only getting you three burgers, and the fries are mine. Got it?”

A fuzzy voice asked through the box, "Welcome to Burger Palace, home of the Moat Float. Would you like a Jester meal today?"

“No thanks. I'd like two Monarch Meals, king-sized, please. And three Round Table Burgers. Thanks."

“What would you like to drink with the Monarch Meals, ma'am?"

Andrew cleared his throat and deepened his voice. “Uh, cola please."

“Your total is thirteen-sixteen, please pull around and pay at the window."

When he pulled up to the window, the lady asked, “Two Arthur Tacos, and an orange soda?"

“Uh, no. Close, but no. Mine was the Monarch Meals, and the three burgers."

“No. That was the lady before you."

“Trust me. I know what I ordered, uh, Cindy." Andrew answered after reading her nametag.

“Who's Cindy? Oh, that's not mine," she replied after realizing that Andrew had looked at her nametag.

“Well, what's the point if...never mind. Can I get my food please?"

“Yeah. Hold on."

Andrew thought he was going to be there for an eternity, but after about fifteen minutes of straightening out his order, he and Coalie were finally back on the road.

Coalie seemed to really appreciate her food considering that it took her about three and a half seconds to finish it. Andrew's lasted a bit longer. Other than this little episode, not much else happened on this leg of the trip. The two arrived in Phoenix around eleven o'clock and found another overpriced motel to stay in. It was a decent motel, but his sleep was not as deep tonight. Tonight Andrew dreamt about it all: the box, the medallion, Esther, Merlin, the tongue, the letter, Jimmy, the grave, the bump on his head, and everything else. He tossed and turned all night long. Andrew finally gave up his attempts to sleep at five the next morning when he decided it was not too early to be on his way.

Today was the day. He was going to be in Los Angeles, and he was about to meet his dream girl. He couldn't wait. He knew she would be wonderful. He was convinced that she would be the one who could save him from the cursed box. Together they would solve this puzzle and then spend the rest of their lives together. He didn't think of himself as a romantic, but Andrew now knew that that opportunity was coming. Finally, things were going to go his way.

iv

Rob was with Rebecca (now Becky to him), for about fifteen minutes discussing the case. He then finished his journey to Andrew's house. When he arrived there, he noticed that there was a light on in the living room. He knew that Andrew had the lights on a timer whenever he was out of town, so this didn't concern him. What did concern him was what he saw as he approached the house. He slowly crept up to the porch.

Sudden chills ran up and down his spine and his hair stood on end. As he approached the entrance to the house, he readied himself for anything. Slowly he came closer. Quietly. He had to keep from being heard. He neared the door and prepared himself. Keeping his eyes on the entire environment around him, he finally reached what he had seen. Stooping down, he reached out for the body that was face down on Andrew's porch. There was no pulse. There was no breathing. The body was cold, and the skin was pale. He slowly reached down to turn the body over. It was stiff, and Rob turned it over onto its back. Lying there face up, making piercing eye contact with Rob, was Jimmy.

Chapter XVIII

A New Friend

Rob was completely taken aback. He quickly surveyed the area to see if anyone was around. As far as he could tell, he was alone, and he quickly pulled the body into the house. He carried the body into the kitchen and put it down on the tile floor. He searched the cabinets until he found what he was looking for. Reaching into one of the doors, he pulled out a box of black, plastic trash bags. It was nearly full, so he was sure there would be enough. All this time, the only thing going through his mind was that he could not let his brother be pulled into another situation.

He wrapped the body in plastic bags, sealed it up, and left it there on the floor. He went into the living room and sat on the couch to weigh his options. There were very few. The body had to be disposed of. Should the police be called? Should the body be dumped? Rob had no idea what to do right now. He sat and debated.

ii

Andrew arrived in L.A. with anticipation and began looking for an accommodation. He had decided he needed to be more protective of his limited funds, and he finally pulled up to a bare looking motel that advertised lower rates and reserved a room for two nights.

Having secured his temporary home, he went out in search of lunch. Coalie and he were both hungry. After an uneventful lunch and several hours spent trying to find their way back, the dog and her master returned to their palace. It was early evening, and Andrew wanted to get a good night's sleep before meeting his soul mate the next day. He turned the lights off and went to bed.

iii

Before Andrew had begun the last leg of his journey, Rob was waking on Andrew's couch. He had fallen asleep while contemplating the fate of his new companion. The police were immediately ruled out. There was no explanation as to why the body was in the house and wrapped in Andrew's plastic bags. Rob was stuck. He had to dispose of the body. It was less than half an hour before sunrise, and he knew he had to act quickly. It suddenly occurred to him that the only thing that was linking this body to his brother was the location where the body was found. He decided that the best thing for him to do was to dump the body in a location far from his brother's house where there would be no suspicion directed towards him. He put the body in the Navigator and took off for a distant bridge.

iv

Alan awoke with a sudden start after only a few minutes of sleep. This had become his routine. No sooner had he dozed off, than the dreams started again. This one was different than the one that had affected him so many years ago. This one was more persistent. He knew that the only way to relieve himself of this hell on earth was to obey, but he was afraid to obey this command. It was too revealing. It was too difficult, and most of all, it was too dangerous. He resigned himself to another sleepless night.

It wasn't the same for Andrew. He awoke with a smile on his face. He had spent all night dreaming about Helen. He knew that today was the day, and he was going to enjoy it. There was nothing that he couldn't do now. He felt brave. Self-confidence radiated throughout his being. He was finally going to fulfill one of his lifelong fantasies. Not only was he going to meet the woman of his dreams, he was going to talk to her, spend time with her, even face danger with her. This was more than he had ever hoped for, and he knew that it was all going to work out.

Melanie's face passed through his mind, and he felt a moment of guilt. He should have broken it off with her before leaving. Lying to her about where he was going would only make things worse when he came back with Helen. He hadn't been able to do it, though. Lying was the easy way out. He thought about calling her and getting it over with now, but quickly pushed the thought aside. Simply avoiding her when he returned was a much more appealing course of action.

He got up and prepared himself for the meeting. While eating breakfast, he went over the plan. It was a simple idea. He had no doubt it would work. All he would need to do was pass her the letter. That's all it would take. She would read it, immediately understand the importance of it, and offer her aid. They would leave right away to look for the keys. It was so simple. There was no way it could fail. He knew, of course, that the difficult part was getting close enough to her to give her the letter. He reassured himself by reading the part of the letter that said that Merlin would help him. That was all the help he needed. He was ready to begin his quest.

It was a beautiful day. There was a cold, pouring rain coming down from the dark gray sky. The cold wind whipped around him like a snake wrapping up its prey. “Ahhh... What a lovely day," Andrew thought to himself. He had no perception of the weather. His only focus was the day's goal: to meet the beautiful Helen.

If one didn't count the traffic, the trip to Andrew's destination had no flaws. The closer he got, the faster his heart beat. The events of the last few weeks were only vague memories to him now. When the truck finally made it to its parking spot, Andrew was tense with anticipation. He got out of the truck and surveyed the surroundings. It looked like the movie was being filmed only a few blocks away. He grabbed the letter and headed off towards his target.

v

Six hours later, Andrew was entering a restaurant. It was more of a diner than a restaurant, actually. There was gentleman sitting alone at the counter and a customer in a booth near the door. The smell of fried food hung thickly in the air. Andrew took no notice of these things. He walked in with slouched shoulders. His eyes were on the floor. He couldn't bring himself to look anyone in the eyes. He didn't feel worthy. Shuffling himself over to a booth in the corner, he slowly sat down. He reached into his pocket, pulled out the letter and tossed it on the table face-up. Across the middle of the letter was the name Helen Jansen in large, unmistakable letters. He just stared at it.

“Oh! You got Helen Jansen's autograph! That's great. It’s not easy…" chirped a voice from above Andrew's hanging head.

“Huh?" he said as he eyed the table.

“The autograph. It's hard to get. You're lucky."

“Lucky? Lucky? I've been through hell for weeks, and you're telling me I'm lucky? What the hell do you want, anyway?" Andrew snapped. He didn't look up to see the girl's reaction.

Regaining her composure, she tried another approach. “Uh, I'm Laura, and I'll be your waitress today, what can I get you?"

“Just bring me a cup of coffee, black." Andrew answered in a hard voice.

Laura left, and Andrew sat staring blankly at the table. His mind was flooded with the image of what had just taken place. It was on instant rewind. He couldn't get it out of his mind. As it was about to replay again, a cup of black coffee was in his line of vision. He regretted his outburst and thanked the waitress in a softer tone than before.

“So were you going to have anything to eat?"

“Yeah, a cheeseburger and fries."

“No problem. Look are you all right? I mean, do you need to talk?"

Andrew raised his head for the first time since entering the diner to look up at his waitress, and found himself unexpectedly staring into the most incredible brown eyes he had ever seen. Her long brown hair was carefully tied back. There was something about the depth in her eyes and the way she smiled at him that made all the trauma and frustration of his recent experiences instantly melt away. He returned her smile, unable to speak.

“I'm off in fifteen minutes if you need someone to talk to," she continued. "Sometimes it's easier to talk to someone you don't know."

“It's a long story. You don't want to hear it"

“I don't mind,” said Laura, "I've got nothing else to do tonight. Let me just get your food, and I'll join you."

While Andrew waited, he debated the wisdom of bringing another person into his nightmare. After all, the unsuspecting waitress was just trying to be friendly. She had no idea what she was asking for. Andrew, however, desperately needed to talk to someone. He concluded in his mind that she most likely would not believe him anyway, so no harm would be done. Andrew occupied himself by sipping his coffee until Laura returned with his meal.

“So, why so glum? You got Helen's autograph. That's something to be proud of."

“Well, it's such a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?"

“Absolutely. I love long stories. Short stories are too abrupt and lack character depth," she answered with a wink.

“Okay. You asked for it. It all started a couple of weeks ago. I'm a teacher, and school had just let out for the summer. I was supposed to visit my great-grandma in Nebraska and that's when it began..." Andrew started.

“...so I decided that I would come out here and get Helen to help me out. You know, 'aid of a star'."

“How can you be sure that's what it meant?" Laura asked.

“What else could it mean?"

“Well, I mean Merlin seemed to like the stars in the sky. Maybe those are the stars. Or maybe he meant those little stickers you put on your students' papers when they get a hundred percent. It could pretty much mean anything. Couldn't it?"

“I don't know. I..I guess. I didn't really think too much about it. I mean how can those things help? It has to mean an actual star. Someone famous."

“Well, go on with your story. What happened when you went to get Helen's help?"

“I knew she was filming a movie nearby,” continued Andrew. "I waited behind the area that they had sectioned off. Suddenly, she came out of her trailer, and walked over towards where I was. There were hundreds of fans. When she was close enough to me, I stuck the letter out in front of her. I knew that if she just read the letter, then she would help me. She took it, and my heart stood still while she looked at it. Then she pulled out a pen and autographed it. I couldn't believe it. She handed it back to me and walked off. I didn't know what to do, so I just got in my truck and left. I drove around for awhile and ended up here."

“What made you think she’d be able to read it?"

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if no one else can read it, why did you think she’d be able to?  All she probably saw was a blank piece of paper.  Just like I see.”

“I never thought of that,” answered Andrew.  “I thought if I needed her help, then she’d be able to read it.”

“Then maybe she isn’t the one to help you.”

“You think I should find a different star?”

“Well, like I said before, I don’t think it means you need a movie star.  I think it probably means something else.  It might be different if I were able to read it myself.”

Andrew suddenly realized how insane the whole story must have sounded to Laura.

“You don't believe me do you?" he asked.

“You have to admit some of it's a little hard to believe. I mean, a letter that only you and your brother can read? A box that mysteriously appears and can't be opened? Disappearing great-grandparents? It does seem like a lot to happen to one person. I mean, why you? And how?"

“I don't know. Believe me, if I didn't have to do this, I wouldn't."

“Actually, that's the strange thing. I do believe you."

“You do?" Andrew answered with a start.

“Yeah. And I was wondering if maybe you would like my help. I'm not star, but I'm more than willing to help."

Andrew was taken aback by this statement.

“Are you sure you want to help me, Laura? I mean, it's dangerous. Why would you want to risk your life to help a total stranger?"

“Well, anything as far out as this is, is bound to become a TV movie. I want to be one of the main characters," she replied with a grin. "What is your name, by the way?"

Andrew laughed and made the overdue introduction, “It's Andrew. Andrew Tapani. And that's an interesting way of looking at it, I guess. Seriously, though, it's going to be dangerous. I want to make sure you understand that. Besides, you hardly know me. What makes you think you can trust me?"

“I can," was her simple reply.

“How do you know?"

“It’s in the eyes.  I can read eyes, you know," she said with a twinkle in her own eyes.

“Reeeallly…” Andrew replied with a grin.  “So you trust my eyes?”

“Yep.”

Andrew and Laura spent the next several hours discussing the more interesting aspects of their lives. He told her about teaching school, his plans to write a novel, his dream to meet Helen, and more about the box. She told him about wanting to be an actress, coming to Hollywood to try, and not succeeding. She told him she was ready to move on. She'd had  nothing but problems since moving to the city.

“Okay, Andrew, tell me something.”

“What?”

“Anything.  Something you haven’t already told me.  Something that has nothing to do with the box.  Something about you.”

“Well . . . I had amnesia once.”

“Really?  Tell me about it.”

“Well, it was amnesia.  I don’t remember much about it.  It happened a couple years ago.  I was sick, and my family took care of me.  I remember everything since then, but there are a few days of my life that I’ll never remember.”

“Do you know what caused it?”

“No idea.  I guess whatever virus I had caused it.  I don’t like to talk about it.  It was a rough time.”

“I understand.  Thank you for being willing to tell me.”

“I don’t know, Laura.  You make me very comfortable.  It’s like I’ve known you forever.”

"Well, Andrew, I'll have to be on my way if I'm going to go to Illinois with you tomorrow. I have to pack and get some sleep."

"Yeah, me too. It's a long drive. But hey, before you go, I just wanted to say thanks. It means a lot to me that you're willing to help. It means even more that you believe me. I needed that tonight," he answered. After a long sigh he continued, "How about we just meet at my motel and take off for Illinois from there?"

"That'll be fine. Now don’t forget," Laura said with a grin.

As Andrew walked back to his car, he thought to himself he’d found his “star”, and he was glad to be going home.

Little did they know, Illinois was the last place they were going.

Chapter XIX

Surprise

Alan was on the steps of his mother's house, surrounded by a thick darkness. There was no moon, no stars, just black. He didn't remember what had brought him to the house. He didn't even remember coming to it, but here he was. He knew that there was something there, something that the police had missed. He had missed it too. Now it was calling him, beckoning him to come inside.

Alan watched as his hand reached down for the doorknob. There was strange electricity in the air. It caused his hair to stand on end as he slowly and silently turned the knob. The door made a slow, high creak as Alan pulled it open. It was against his better judgment to do so, but he began entering the house anyway.

There was nothing to be seen at first. His eyes needed to adjust. While they did, he went over the same question in his mind. What was he looking for? There had to be some clue to his mother's disappearance. No one had been in the house since the week after Andrew had left. Surely, there had to be something that had been missed. Some clue had to be there. No matter how insignificant it seemed, Alan had to find it. He had lost his father and now his mother, and he was not about to stand by and let it happen. This mystery was going to be solved. There was no doubt about that.

Alan's eyes finally adjusted enough for him to make out his surroundings. The room was dimly lit, as if the moon's light was filtering through a translucent curtain. Alan knew this was odd with no moon out, but he didn't dwell on it. He cautiously moved into the room, hearing his footsteps echo on the wood floor. To Alan they sounded distant, more like they belonged to someone behind him than to himself. Again, Alan took little notice. There was something completely absorbing about his purpose there. He needed to find the answer. He still didn't know what he was looking for. Was it a clue to the disappearance, or was it deeper? Was this to fill a void he felt inside? Was he trying to rid himself of his own fears and guilt? He didn't know, but he was driven to find out.

Upon entering the living room, Alan first noticed how dusty everything was. On the wall opposite the doorway was a bookcase with several old hardback books on the shelf. One set in particular caught his eye. The bindings of the books were all that he could see. They were a deep burgundy color with several volumes of the book adorning the shelves.

The curious thing was not the books themselves, but the way they were arranged. Instead of being side by side, they seemed to be haphazardly scattered about the bookcase. They were on different shelves and in different locations on each shelf. Alan studied this for merely a second before allowing his eyes to scan further. He had stopped moving, and now the silence enveloped the room like a fog. Alan did not move for fear of alerting the deafening silence of his presence. Suddenly, out of nowhere, came a low moaning of the wind. If one listened closely, however, voices could be heard in the wind, as if repeating a demonic chant. "Alan.... Alan..." It didn't take long for Alan to notice.

“Shut up!" he told the wind. It only grew louder. “No!" he shouted, yet the wind grew louder. “Stop it!" he screamed like a madman; still the wind went on.

"Alan…Alan…Alan…"

Not being able to stand it any longer, Alan ran into the nearest room and slammed the door. Once there, he turned on the light. It was Merlin's study. Alan hadn't been in here for years. Esther had not even gone into it after Merlin disappeared. It was dusty. There were books everywhere. It looked like someone had been there looking for something, but what? The curtains were blowing in the wind, and Alan ran to the window to close it. When he got there, however, he realized that it was locked shut. He turned around and checked to see that the door was still closed, and it was. This concerned Alan, but not as much as getting to the bottom of this whole mess. He no longer heard the voices, and he began to regain some courage.

Searching the room for anything that might give him a clue about what had happened to his mother he began with the books strewn about the floor. There were a lot of astronomy books, some sports books, and a journal. Alan picked up the journal and looked at the first entry. It was dated January 15, 1927, approximately one year before Alan was born. Without reading the entry, he went to the back of the journal and checked the date. It was dated October 8, 1928. Alan tried to read the entry, but it was blurry. He tried to read the first entry, but it was also blurred. Every entry was unreadable. Alan placed the journal on the desk and continued his investigation. The closet was to Alan's left, and he searched it next. Inside, he found clothes that were worn and moth eaten. The closet itself smelled musty and felt damp. Looking on the floor, Alan found several boxes.

He pulled one of them out and placed it on the desk. As he was about to open the box, he heard it again. His mind told him it was the wind. Everything rational said it had to be the wind. It could be nothing else. Yet, his ears told him differently. They heard the voices. They continued on as before.

“Alan…Alan…Alan..."

It was all madness to him. He forgot about what he was doing and began weeping. He fell to the floor and just sat there with his head in his hands. The only sounds to be heard were his weeping and the relentless chanting. It continued on like a sadistic antagonist. Alan just sat weeping and rocking back and forth, while the voice continued, "Alan..."

ii

Rob was sitting in Andrew's living room, having just returned from dumping the body. He was mentally and physically drained. As he did a quick check of the house to be sure he had left no evidence of the incident behind, the phone rang. Without thinking, Rob answered it.

“Hello?" he asked.

“Hey, Andrew?" replied a female voice.

Rob immediately recognized Melanie's voice. He answered in kind.

“Yeah. What's up, Melanie?"

“Nothing really. I just hadn't heard from you for a while. I thought I'd call and see if you were home yet."

“Yeah, I got home late last night. Thanks for calling. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

“Oh, um, okay. I'll, uh, see you later then."

“Great. Bye," Rob said as he hung up the phone.

“That's the last thing I need," thought Rob to himself. "Well, at least I put her off for a little while."

Melanie wore a puzzled look on her face as she stared at the receiver in her hand. It wasn't like Andrew to blow her off like that. What could possibly be wrong? After envisioning several horrifying scenarios in her mind, she came to the conclusion that something had to be done.

Rob plopped himself down on Andrew's couch, just in time to hear the phone ring again.

“Hello?"

“Hello, Mr. Tapani?"

“Yeah, this is Mr. Tapani," Rob answered out of habit.

“This is Officer O'Brien. I'm in charge of your grandmother's disappearance, remember?"

“Er... how could I forget? Of course I remember," Rob lied. "Is there a problem?"

“No, not yet, but we do need you to come back to answer a few more questions for us. Just loose ends, it's no big deal."

“Can't I do that from here?"

“We'd rather have you here in person, Mr. Tapani. Can you arrange that?"

“Yeah, I can take care of it."

“Good. How soon can you be here?"

“Uh, I'm not sure. I'll be there as soon as I can."

“Good. I'll be looking forward to seeing you in the next couple of days."

“Okay," replied Rob.

Officer O'Brien and Rob hung up the phones simultaneously. The third party held the phone in his gloved hand several seconds more before hanging up.

Rob knew that he had to get in touch with Andrew about this before too long. That was if Andrew was even still alive. No one had heard from him since his departure for California. He pushed this thought aside and headed back to the couch. He wasn't about to do anything until he had gotten some sleep. He could barely keep his eyes open. Before he had a chance to even rest his head; however, he heard a familiar voice outside.

“This is the police! Come out with your hands up! We have the place surrounded!"

“What the…?" he asked himself.

“We know you're in there! Come out with your hands up! You can't get away!"

Rob rolled his eyes, went to the door and opened it. “Melanie? What are you doing?"

“Rob?" she asked, while squinting towards the door. "Where's Andrew?"

“Andrew's not here."

“Yes he is. I just talked to him."

“That was me."

“I know the difference between you and Andrew. I talked to Andrew."

“Come in if you want, but he's not here."

Melanie followed Rob into the house.

“He's not here, is he?"

“No, Melanie, he's not here. I tried to tell you that."

“Why did you pretend to be him then?"

“Because I didn't want to have to explain to you where he is."

“I know where he is. He's in Nebraska. They needed to ask him some more questions about what happened to Esther. I just called because I thought he might be back by now."

“Uh, no. Actually he's in California trying to meet an actress."

“No he's not. He's in Nebraska. He told me before he left. Why would he go to California to meet an actress anyway? Melanie argued.

"Look, Melanie, I don't know why Andrew told you he was going to Nebraska. I don't really care. The truth is he's in California."

"You're lying. Andrew wouldn't lie to me. He loves me. Why would he go to California?" she asked, beginning to doubt herself.

Rob let out a deep sigh and began the long story. He updated Melanie on the current situation. For once, Melanie was speechless, and Rob took the opportunity to call his brother.

“Hello?"

“Hey Andrew, it's Rob."

"Hey, how are things there?"

“Uh, fine. Are you okay?"

“Yeah, I'm fine. I'm on my way back home. I found what I needed here."

“You met an actress?"

“No, but I met someone. She's coming back with me."

“Great, I guess, but you got a phone call tonight from Officer O'Brien."

“Officer O'Brien?"

“Yeah, the officer you met when you were in Nebraska."

“Oh yeah. Uh, what did he want?"

“He wants you to be there in the next couple of days."

“What's up?"

“He said it wasn't anything big. He just wanted to ask a couple of questions."

“And I had to be there in person? It's big. I can feel it."

“Maybe, maybe not. If he suspects you, he might just be trying to rattle your cage. I think that's what it probably is, but in any case, I think you should stop there on your way home. I'm going to drive out there and meet you."

“Okay, that'll be great. It'll be good to have my lawyer there."

Rob laughed and said, "Okay, well I'll see you when I get there. Talk to you then. Bye."

“Bye."

They both hung up the phones. The third party leaned back in his chair and uttered the simple two-word phrase, "Very interesting."

Melanie simply said, "I'm going with you."

Rob began to protest, but knew from the look in Melanie's eyes that it was futile to argue.

iii

Alan finally found his composure and got up from the floor. He couldn't hear the wind anymore. It seemed to have stopped, but just in case, he decided to leave the room and head towards his mother's room.

He slowly opened that door and looked inside. Still unsure of what he was looking for, he walked in. Scanning the room, he waited for his eyes to adjust. When they finally did, his eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped. There, in the middle of the room, on his mother's bed, was Esther.

Chapters 20–35