Story (c) 2000-2004 by Hikaru Katayamma/Keith Dickinson. All rights reserved. The character Sheila Vixen (c) Eric W Schwartz. Throckmorton P Ruddygore, Poqua, Lakash (c) Jack L Chalker. Jack (c) David Hopkins.Mary the Mouse © Mary Minch. All other characters are (c) Hikaru Katayamma.  This story contains adult situations and language. By reading it the viewer agrees not to hold this or any other person responsible for any content they may find objectionable. If you don't like it, don't read it.

Dr Grahl wasn’t doing too well. No, he wasn’t doing well at all. The old schnauzer currently sat in his bed, propped up by numerous pillows as a thin, plastic hose fed oxygen directly into his nose. The gaunt, frail looking old dog clicked the television remote as he surfed from channel to channel looking for something worth watching. Disgusted at the selection, he turned off the TV and tossed the remote on the table by the bed and reached for one of the thick volumes, which were piled nearby.

“Doctor,” the voice of a young marmoset said as she entered the room carrying a box. “This package just came for you.”

Taking the small, oblong package from the nurse, his hands shook at the unexpected weight. “Thank you, Tiffany,” he said, dismissing the nurse. He looked at the plain brown wrapping for some signs of a return address but found none. With the clawed tip of one finger, he ripped the paper along one end of the package allowing the contents to slide free. He discarded the paper as he examined the box. It was roughly six inches long, three inches wide and was hinged at the top of the elongated end. Nervously he pried the box open and gasped at the contents. Within the small box was a folded piece of parchment, which fell out of the box to land on his bedding. The parchment, however, was not what had grabbed his attention. Inside the box was a large, heavy, gold medallion that resembled the one in his father’s journal.

He removed the amulet and held it to the light and frowned. Although the markings along the outer edge of the amulet looked almost identical, the image in the middle was quite different. It showed a furless face with a flattened muzzle and herbivore teeth on the grinning face. Its eyes had the slit pupils of a cat, each of which contained a crystal that reflected the ambient light with a rainbow of colors. It almost seemed to glow with an inner fire. He noticed that the amulet was oddly warm as he turned it over to examine the back. His frown deepened as he saw that the back was void of the scrolling text, which had been present on the other amulet.

He replaced the amulet in the box and unfolded the parchment to examine the writing. His hand scrambled on the nightstand for a moment before they found his reading glasses. Now able to see the parchment, he read the scrolling text:

Dear Doctor,

I’m sorry that we shall never meet again as you helped me greatly during my brief stay in your reality. I’m afraid that the Amulet of Lakash is lost for all times, but I have recently come into possession of a replacement, which serves a similar if not the same function as the other.

Below you will find the words, which, if spoken aloud while holding the amulet, will reunite you with your father. I warn you that the world you go to will seem hauntingly familiar while at the same time horrifying in its difference. All I can do is assure you that there will be someone there who will help you adjust to your new life.

Should you decide not to use this amulet, or once you are done using it, please pass it on to the next person you feel might benefit from its use.

Be well and goodbye.

Arden.

The doctor found that he was momentarily unable to read the text below until he wiped the tears from his eyes. His heart filled with joy as he took the amulet in his hands and read the words aloud.

The first indication that here was something wrong was when the nurse smelled something burning. At first, she thought it might be the soup she was heating on the stove, but dismissed that just as the smoke alarm began to scream.

Dropping the book she was reading, the marmoset bolted for the master bedroom as the stench of burning plastic and rubber hit her sensitive nose. Turning the corner from the living room to the hall that lead to the master bedroom, she could see the bright orange flames shooting from the open doorway.

“Doctor!” she shouted as she tried to get close enough to look into the room, but was forced back by the flames. She heard glass shattering as she tried again to look into the room. The bed, having been saturated with pure oxygen, had become a funeral pyre. Her eyes were drawn to the plastic hose of the oxygen bottle as it shot around the room, fueling the fire. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of multiple oxygen bottles in a room engulfed in flames.

Her claws dug into the carpet as she raced for the front door. Franticly, she undid the deadbolt and yanked the door open her only thought to escape. Outside of the house, she was almost half way to the street when the first oxygen bottle exploded, blowing all the windows out and sending flames shooting through the structure.

Stunned at what had happened, she sat in the middle of the lawn and stared at the house, unable to comprehend what had happened as the first wailings of sirens could be heard.

Lisa closed her eyes as she took a sip of the homemade tea she’d just brewed. The tea was an old family recipe taught to her by her father and him by his father. Making it was something she relished from her past. It had been a long day and this had been her first chance to relax. She shook her long, sandy blond hair out of her eyes and sighed as the tension slowly started to fade away. There was, however, still a sense of expectation as if something was about to happen. She’d just finished her tea when she heard a crash coming from the rear of the store. She looked up in surprise at the sound and saw one of the bookshelves rock before slowly falling over, dumping its contents on the floor. A muffled shout from under the pile of books sent Lisa scrambling towards the back.

When she reached the fallen shelf, she saw a pair of bare feet sticking out from under the pile of books with the shelf leaning catty cornered over them. Lisa had no trouble heaving the bookshelf so it sat upright again since it was void of books. The person buried, however, might not be so well off. Without regard for any damage the books may take, Lisa proceeded to dig her way down through the pile to the person buried beneath. She was momentarily startled as a hand pushed its way out of the pile as the owner struggled to get free. Lisa took the hand and heaved with all her might, drawing a young woman from the pile as if unearthing some rare find. Both women sat panting on the floor as Lisa examined the young woman for any injuries. “Are you hurt?” she asked.

“Nein,” the young girl replied as she removed her hand from her forehead and checked for any blood. “I do not think so,” the girl replied in a thick, German accent.

“I’m really sorry about this,” Lisa declared as she continued to dig the girl out from under the books. “I thought everyone had gone already. I don’t know how this possibly could have happened.” She paused to look at the girl who sat staring at her hands. “Are you all right?”

“Mein Gott!” the girl whispered in awe.

“What?” Lisa asked, checking the girl’s hand for injuries. “Did you hurt your hand?”

The young woman looked up at Lisa and asked, “Your---your name. What is your name?

“Lisa. Lisa Graulman,” she replied curiously. “Why?”

“Mein Gott!” the girl again whispered. “You were born in Stuttgart, yes?”

Lisa was stunned by the question. “Y-Yes. How did you know that?”

“You have a son, ja?” the young woman asked, “Gunter? Ja?”

Lisa blinked. “Who are you and how do you know so much about me?’ she demanded, her concern turning to fear.

The young woman reached down into the pile of books around her and searched frantically for a moment before her hand came up with the amulet. “Does this look familiar?” she asked, holding it out.

“Oh my god,” Lisa gasped as she saw the twinkling eyes. “Where did you get that?”

“Arden,” the female replied. “Your friend Arden gave it to me so that I could be reunited with you.”

Lisa was stunned. Arden gave her this amulet? Arden’s alive! she thought. “Wait a second. Reunited?” Lisa asked, as she tried to understand what was going on. “Just who are you?”

“Gunter,” the young woman answered. “I am---or rather was your son, Gunter. The Gestapo brought you an amulet very similar to this back during the war. You were to study it. You vanished four days later.”

“Gunter!” Lisa whispered as she covered her mouth, her eyes wide with the shock and realization.

The young woman looked down and chuckled, “Though I do not think I am a Gunter any more,” she said with a lopsided smile.

“Oh Gunter,” Lisa cried as she wrapped her son, now her daughter in her arms and began crying. “I thought you were lost to me forever.”

“I never gave up the search,” replied the young woman as she tearfully returned the embrace. “When I met Arden and saw the amulet, I knew he was my key to finding you!”

“Oh my god! Gunter!” Lisa cried as she pulled away from her daughter. “Arden! How is he?”

“I am afraid that I do not know,” she replied as she stood and cautiously stepped over the piles of books. Dressed in what looked like a pair of pajamas, she was definitely out of place in the store. “The amulet was delivered to me with a note saying that the Amulet of Lakash was lost forever, but that this new one would serve the same function. He even gave me the words that would bring me here. He thanked me for my help and said that we would probably never meet again. I can only assume that he’s alive and has accomplished his quest.”

“His quest?” the older woman asked as the walked towards the back room. “You’ll have to tell me about it some time. Right now, we need to get you into some street clothes so I can take you home. We have a lot to catch up on.”

“Not to mention a lot I must learn from you,” Gunter commented. She gave a sheepish smile at the confused look her mother gave her. “You must now teach me the same lesson I taught Arden when he showed up as a polar bear in my world.”

“What’s that?” Lisa asked, her curiosity piqued by the comment.

“How to use the bathroom,” the young woman replied as she began to dance from foot to foot.