Story (c) 2000 by Keith Dickinson. All rights reserved. Characters Sabrina the Skunkette, Amy the Squirrel, Tabitha, Carli, Tammy Vixen Shiela Vixen, Clarisse, and Carrie Squirrel (c) Eric W. Schwartz. Character Roxikat (c) John Barrett. Character Thomas Woolfe (c) Michael Higgs. Characters Chris Foxx, Susan Felin, Cindy Lapine, Debbye Squirrel, Clarence Skunk, Mr. Canis, Dexter Collie, Angel Collie, Sarge and Endora Mustelidae, Wendy Vixxen, and Wanda Vixen(c) Chris Yost. Character Florence Ambrose (c) Mark Stanley. Character ZigZag (c) Max BlackRabbit. Character Cyberhorn (c) William Morris. Character Terl Skunk (c) Rodney Stringwell. Character James Sheppard and Marvin Badger (c) James Bruner. Character John Silverback (c) Himself Character Kittiara and the restaruant "Callahan's" (c) "Kittiara" Character Katja (c) Herself Character Mark the cheetaur (c) Mark White Eric W. Schwartz (c) Mr. and Mrs. Schwartz. Arden Eastridge (c) Keith Dickson. All rights to additional characters reserved by their respective owners. Identity Crisis - Chapter 3
Did anyone get the license number of that Magic Bus?

  For the first time in a long time, my dreams were filled with something other than the sight of my father in his deathbed.  Although he was still there, my dreams shifted around, bringing forth memories of all I had read that day.  The smiling faces of Amy, Sabrina and Sheila were foremost in my mind as I dreamt.

  I woke up gasping for breath, tears streaming down my face, as the burning image of Tammy Vixen sitting in front of Tor's gravestone and the image of my father on it's front.

  Trying to compose myself, I finally got up and headed to the bathroom.  After taking care of "things" I climbed into the shower.  Setting the temperature to the point of being nearly scalding, I felt my muscles relax.  Slowly the tension started to fade, and the ache in my chest began to subside.  Still I was haunted by the vision of Tammy and my father's image on the stone.  Sometimes I hate my subconscious.

  Toweling off, I ran a quick brush through my crew-cut to so it wouldn't dry in a mess and combed out my beard.  Satisfied that I didn't look like a total bum, I wrapped the bath towel around me and headed out to the living room.  After grabbing a Mt. Dew from the fridge, I sat down and hit the shift key to kill my screen-saver.

  Hmm... Looks like my computer didn't find any extra terrestrials last night... Oh well.  It's just a screen saver.  Not like I'm actually doing anything.

  As the backdrop came back up, I got a most vivid reminder that I had made Sheila's Xmas picture my backdrop.  "Heh... Love, I'm going to have to change you or I'll never be able to roll my chair up to the desk," I said with a laugh.  Lord but Eric can draw.  I heard those famous words Jessica Rabbit spoke, "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way."  I can relate.

  About that time I noticed that the case Lisa had given to me was laying next to my tower on the desk.  Picking it up, I noticed that the wax seal had split, and broken off.  Mentally kicking myself, I picked it up.  I must have broken the wax seal when threw the box up on the desk.  I was so pissed at having dropped my laptop I didn't even think about the small container.

  As I picked it up to examine where the seal had been, the cover slid easily off into my hand.  This was NOT my day so far.  Committed to checking the thing out, I removed the top from the box.  Inside I saw a silver-gray looking amulet.  It was large, almost the size of an old silver dollar, in the center was a picture of a face.

  The face, if one could describe it as that, was disturbing.  I could tell that it was supposed to represent a demonic creature.  The nose was piggish, and upturned.  The grin, was surprisingly realistic, as if it knew some inner secret that was most amusing.  The teeth were sharp and pointy, with extended eyeteeth.  From the forehead extended two horns.  I'm not sure if they were supposed to be the traditional "rams horns" or more like those of a Gazelle.  The horns extended beyond the inner rim of the coin, and that the shape was not determinate.  Where the eyes should be, there were two small gems.  At first I thought they might be diamonds, as they appeared clear at first, but had that inner fire that one sees from a quality diamond, though as I continued to look I found I could not determine the color.  From one aspect it looked green, another yellow, another red, and others transparent.  I had never seen anything like it.

  It also felt warm.

  Looking in the top of the box I could find no paper that Lisa had described.  Thinking I may have dropped it I quickly searched my desk and the floor.  Finding no sign of it I once again held up the amulet in my left hand.  Looking on the back, in concentric circles were inscribed writing that I could not read.  I did not recognize the script.  It appeared to have some Cyrilic, Greek and Arabic lettering to it, but the majority was unreadable.

  At a loss for what do to, I looked at my computer, the smiling face of Sheila looking back at me.  I said "Well Sheila, what do you think?  Put it back in the box and re-seal it, or try to find out how it works?"

  As I breathed a sigh I chuckled to myself, "I wish you could speak to me love... Lord only knows what you'd tell me."

  "DONE!" The word boomed from the air around me. Suddenly the amulet became very warm, and I heard a sinister laugher which appeared to come from all directions.... And then came the pain.