August 24, Saturday

SAWYER WAS away at his reservist duties, so my inquiries into the truthfulness of Wayne's book would have to wait.

I decided to take a break from re-creating the chapters I'd lost and work on Rose's rocking chair. When I entered her workshop, I felt as if I knew her better from the descriptions of "Daisy" in Wayne's book.

She had been sensitive, with so much empathy for others she maintained an aloofness so as not to absorb the energy of others. She'd had a unique connection to animals and seemed to communicate with them. She preferred dresses and sandals and light colors. She grieved bitterly for her parents. And she was head over heels in love.

I found a dusty radio and plugged it in. It was tuned to a public radio station that was playing classical music, which I let play. And I found suede gloves that must have been hers. They were stiff from disuse but I put them on, then sanded the slats of the rocking chair until my hands were tired. I could almost feel Rose in the room, humming along with the haunting music, focused on her task of restoring a piece of beloved furniture…

And pining for Sawyer?

While exploring the rest of the room, I found a small chest that sat on a table. At first I thought it was a piece meant for restoration, until I realized some of the drawers contained items.

Crystals. I recognized selenite, black obsidian, and black tourmaline, but there were others I couldn't identify. Even to my untrained eye, the crystals were heavy and shaped with care, and appeared to be of good quality… perhaps even heirlooms.

Another drawer produced what looked like a hand mirror fashioned out of thick black glass, with no reflecting surface. I'd never seen anything like it, but it seemed more purposeful than a crafted item.

And another drawer produced a bag of blue-black crescent-shaped seeds. They were in a nice cloth bag, so I assumed they were of some value.

I had no idea what either of the items were.

But I knew someone who would.