Owned by Scott Hildreth

the air. Secure the talisman with the cord, and wear it, hang it in your house, or use it as a charm. Do not, and I mean do not let anyone but you touch it. It’s been blessed specifically for you,” she said as she handed me the package.
    “Are there instructions in here? And no one touches it before or after the ritual?” I asked as I took the package from her grasp.
    “You should be the only one. Whoever else may touch it can allow whatever they possess that is bad to be absorbed into the talisman…and you. Don’t let anyone else touch it. Not unless you know that they’re pure. Erik, just keep people away from it - don’t make this difficult,” she said as I placed the package into my front pocket.
    “Well, everyone has gone in. Come in, join us,” I said as I wrapped my left arm around Kelli’s shoulder.
    “No, I have to go. I have a million things to do,” she wiped her eyes as she spoke.
    “Kelli, it was a pleasure. Take care of him for me.”
    She stood on her tiptoes and leaned toward me. As I reached over her shoulders to embrace her, I bent down. She kissed me on the cheek and stepped back.
    “I must leave. Be well, Erik. Kelli, remember what I said,” she nodded at Kelli, kissed her palm, and blew us a kiss as she turned and walked away.
    As I watched her slowly walk away I shook my head in disbelief. Aftiel made a trip all this way to give me a talisman – a medallion that had been blessed. It was to bring me luck and protect me from what was evil. This is the one place and time that she knew she could find me. She was certainly a determined woman. As she walked around the corner of the building, I took a step toward the entrance.
    “A witch?” Kelli asked as we walked.
    “Yes, a real witch,” I promised.
    “I’ve never heard of any witches here,” Kelli said as we walked into the building.
    “Well, there are witches everywhere. It’s not what you think baby girl. She’s one of the best people I have ever met. And she’s not from here, she’s from Arizona.”
    Kelli looked up, puzzled.
    “You’ve got it, she drove here from Arizona to give me that,” I laughed.
    I looked inside at the table of people who were drinking beer and beginning to eat. Without a doubt, we were one of the first groups to finish the ride. I turned and scanned the parking lot. It was about half full, approximately five or six hundred motorcycles. There was a dunk tank set up at the side of the parking lot, facing the lot, with the back side against a tree, which in the afternoon sun was providing minimal shade.
    “I love those things,” Kelli said as she looked into the parking lot.
    “What’s that?” I asked.
    “Those things,” she responded, pointing to the dunk tank.
    “The dunk tank? Can you throw a baseball?” I asked as I turned and started walking in that direction.
    “No, not very well. It’s fun to watch them get knocked in the water, though. They remind me of when I was a kid,” she hurried to catch up with me, grabbing ahold of my left arm as we walked.
    “Jake, stay in that tank until I tell you to get out,” I said as we walked up to the side of the structure.
    “What’s that, Doc?” Jake asked from inside the tank, sitting on the cantilever mounted stool.
    “Stay in the tank, Jake…eyes front, until I say otherwise,” I instructed him as we stood beside the basin of the tank.
    “You couldn’t hit the ocean if you were throwing the ball of the deck of a ship, asshole,” Jake screamed at the man throwing the ball at the target.
    He turned and looked at Kelli and I, “You got it boss.”
    “Come here Kelli, I want to show you something,” I said as I walked around the rear of the basin, between it and the tree.
    As Kelli stepped around the basin, I placed my hands on her shoulders and pulled her tight to my chest.
    “Baby girl, you’ve made me pretty happy today. Happy that we came, happy that I brought you, and happy that we seem to get along so well,” she looked up