“How will I know when I’ve found a Seed of Evil?”  Sandy asked.

     “You’ll know, but as a guide, they’ll look like crystals.  Use your ‘Second Sight’ to see them.  Now I must go,”  Aunt Penny said.

     “No, you can’t,” Sandy said.  She could feel a sob coming on and she began to try and stifle the feelings welling up in her.  Losing Aunt Penny had hit Sandy hard.  Aunt Penny reached out a hand and touched Sandy’s shoulder.  A warmth poured out of Penny’s hand and filled Sandy with love and a peaceful feeling.  Sandy’s heart stopped aching.  “I’ll always be there for you when you need me most,”  Aunt Penny said.  She leaned back to give the tiller more attention.  “Now lets get this boat back to shore.” 

     Sandy and Aunt Penny sailed back to Sachuest (Second) Beach and grounded the Rhodes in the soft sand of the shoreline.  Penny turned to face the boat and said, ”I thank you for your use in this place and time but return now to your own mooring line.”  The boat was gone in a flash.  Somehow, this didn’t surprise Sandy. 

     Aunt Penny turned to Sandy.  “It’s time,” she said.  Sandy felt the pain of separation well up in her throat again.  Sandy opened her mouth to speak but closed it when no words came out.  As quickly as the pain appeared it subsided.  Aunt Penny reached around her neck and opened the clasp on a thin gold chain around her neck.  The chain held a round pendant.  She slipped it around Sandy’s neck & closed the clasp.  Aunt Penny held both of Sandy’s hands.

     “You are the one to succeed me.  Be safe, have a wonderful life, but most of all, be good.”  Aunt Penny said.  Before Sandy could reply, the beach disappeared, and she started to slip back into the delirious unconsciousness brought on by her sickness.  Sandy awoke in her bed free of the illness.  Her pajamas and bed sheets were soaked through in sweat.  The sun was setting.  Her mom poked her head through the doorway.

     “ Oh good.  You’re awake,”  Sandy’s mom said.  She sat on the edge of Sandy’s bed and put a hand on her forehead.  “The fever’s broken.  That must have been one heck of a dream.  You were mumbling all sorts of strange things, dear.  I just finished your wash.  Take a shower.  I’ll get you something to wear.”  Sandy’s mom left the room.
 

     Sandy sat in her bed, still groggy from the nap.  “Had it all been a dream,” she asked herself?   Something dangled around her throat.  Sandy looked down to see the round golden pendant hanging from the chain around her neck.  It took her by surprise.  Dumfounded, she lifted the amulet a little closer to her eyes and inspected it.  A delicate gold ring held a stylized “N” within its boundaries.  Sandy turned the round charm over and expected to see the “N” in reverse profile.  Instead a numeral “1” appeared inscribed within the ring.  There was no hint on the “N” through the filigree that made up the number 1.   She flipped it over and over, trying to see how this trick was engineered.