Chapter 15

The watch was old, the crude ring older still. Scrabbling around in the box, I found a letter written on grocery bag paper. The letter was the same color as the cardboard box

Flintkote, the letter in the box began. Just Flintkote ... Not Surprise, Cynthiamae or Jack ... just Flintkote.

Flintkote, This all of your inheritance. The watch will take you to the past or the future. Eventually, if you use it enough, you will meet the Seven in One ... they are from the future ... and the past. Others have used the watch to gather wealth. I never needed it. If and when you reach the age of 25, there is a vast estate ... wealth beyond your wildest imagination, waiting for you in Frogmorton, Virginia. Contact Shingle, the lawyer, with proof that proves you are you and take possession of the house on Masters Hill. If you are honest, moral and heroic go through the closet with two doors, put on the ring and go through the far door. You will be greeted by Val Hero Caretaker. She’ll take it from there. If you cannot go to Frogmorton here is what you must do. On a door frame of glass or a full length mirror of silvered glass of a size to step through place thin films of these metals. Gold, aluminum, tin, platinum, copper, zinc and electrum. The layers must be insulated from each other with electric motor winding wire varnish. Build your door, put on the ring and step through. A person with no ring will simply see their reflection. John Flintkote

“We already know you guys,” I said.

<Wasn’t official.>

<Yeah.>

<We’re friends.>

<What she said.>

“So ... what’s different?”

<You have “THE WATCH”>

<Dadada-dum.>

<DADADA-DUM.>

<DADADA-DUM>

<This is fun.>

<By the way ... great trip.>

<Sydney was great.>

“What?” I said, “You WENT?”

<Of course.>

<We couldn’t let you go alone.>

<You might need us.>

<And you did.>

“We did?” I said.

<We just didn’t tell you.>

<We’re telling you now.>

<Now that you have the watch.>

<You need to go to Frogmorton.>

“How do we do that?”

<Oh goody ... instruction time.>

(Here insert operating instructions far more complicated than programing a cellphone without a manual. I don’t own one and I can’t receive calls on one ... take pictures? Not a chance. Post pics from a phone? Not in my MOS. Dial a friend? Nope.)

<Got it?>

“No ... just tell us how to get there.”

<Hold hands everybody.>

<Enter 37271444/82189468. Pull the winder.>

“There’s nobody home ... no ... wait ... that’s us.”

We thundered up the stairs, through the closet door and carefully pulled the end door off the back wall.

<Hold hands. Ready? Depress the winder.>

“That was easy,” said Cyn.

<Do it again?>

“Umh ... no thank you.”

“Where should we put the portal?”

<It should go in a house but you don’t have one.>

“We do ... it floats,” I said.

<Floats is okay. Moves? Not so much.>

<It’s easier if you are where you want to go and wind the winder.>

<Shouldn’t have told her.>

<I wonder when she went?>

Cough—sputter—splash—dripdripdrip. “Shoulda warned me,” Cyn said.