THE MEDALLION

Considering all the "Twilight Zone" episodes I'd watched over the years, I should've known better.... you NEVER go into a curio shop that wasn't there last week, and you certainly don't buy anything.

Thing is, I was twenty one, and stupid, and literally boiling over with curiosity. So, armed with a few bucks, I ventured inside.

The proprietress greeted me warmly, and asked if I was looking for anything specific. "No", said I, "just browsing; I'll know it when I find it. "

My eye was drawn to a case near the register....I wandered over, looking at the usual assortment of rings, bracelets, and such, when I saw a small medallion near the center of the case. It was about the diameter of a quarter, perhaps as thick as a penny, gold-colored, with a design printed on its surface, an inverted five pointed star, with a lectern standing in the center. Upon the lectern was an open book, and between the points of the star were irregular shapes which I realized were letters, spelling out the word, "FATAL".

I asked for a closer look, and the woman took it from the case, and handed it to me; it was ice-cold to the touch. The woman couldn't recall exactly where she'd aquired the medallion (another bad sign), but I could have it, with matching chain, for seventy-five cents.

When I got home, I took the bag out of my pocket, and removed the object-it was still cold to the touch. I hung it around my neck, admiring the way it turned into a firey gold ball when sunlight hit it, although it never warmed up.

I looked at it under a large lens....no maker's marks anywhere, front or back. Just to see, I focused sunlight on it for several minutes through the glass, and it remained cold.

That night, I was awakened by a terrible nightmare, one which faded as soon as I awoke, leaving only the terror behind. The next two nights were the same. I decided to take the medallion off, because it might have something to do with the dreams. So....what to do with it?

I noticed my black cat, Satana, stretched out on the couch; I figured it'd look smashing on her. I walked over to the couch, the medalion dangling from my hand by the chain....Satana took one look at it, jumped up, hissed loudly, and bolted for the back room.

Well, ya dinna need tae drop a house on me....I put the medallion in a drawer in the kitchen.

Dave came over a couple hours later....we hadn't seen each other all week. I was telling him about the medallion, as I went into the kitchen to get it.

When I opened the drawer, it was gone. I turned the kitchen upside down, to no avail.

Perhaps 'twas best, nu?