Kim is now twenty one years old and in college. The Amulet of Zulo was never taken away from her, the man simply left it there; truthfully it was to see what Kim would do and how she would react to it's presence. Being a healthy three year old Skunkette when she found it, her first response was that it was pretty.
But like all toys, except for her Angelina plush, she eventually grew bored of the broken amulet and more and more it would up laying in with her costume jewelry, forgotten for the moment.
In the years that passed, the man from Zulo could have collected it at any time, but he didn't and one day, home for summer break, Kim stumbled upon it while cleaning out her room and disposing of stuff that she no longer needed or wanted.
At first she didn't remember what it was, but after a lengthy search upon the internet, the memories of what it was and how it had some type of magickal properties that had connections to her Angelina plush, she began to investigate it more and more, which is how she eventually would up in a shop of magick items.
Breathing in the sent of incense, the Skunkette, browsed the shelves, unsure of what she was looking for. A misty voiced from next to here asked, "Are you looking for anything in particular?"
Nearly screaming, she turned and taking in the odd woman dressed in a flowing blue and purple dressed, accented by several bracelets, a couple scarves and quite a bit of beads, Kim breathed out and replied, "You started me. In truth, I am not sure what I'm looking for. I think it has something to do with this." And with that said, she took the Amulet of Zulo out of her purse.
The woman gasped and in the same misty tone, said, "Put it away. It is cursed and I do not wish to look upon it. But," she reached up to several books on the fourth shelf and pulled one down, "I think this book might has some answers for you."
Started by the woman's reaction to the Amulet, Kim took the book and began to thumb through it. Looking up, she asked, "How do I pronounce some of this stuff?"
The woman chuckled and anounced, "When you are ready, the words will come to you. If that is what you want, the total will be fifteen dollars even. You may purchase over here," at which she indicated a rather antique looking cash register.
Confused, Kim nodded and then said, "I'm going to continue to look around first."
The woman nodded and disappeared behind the counter. In the end, Kim bought the book, but also a pestle, mortar, several sticks on incense and a couple bags of herbs that she thought might be important.
Home, Kim noticed her mother was not there and seeing that this is normal, the Skunkette headed for her room. Inside, she shut the door and laying on her bed, began to browse the book she had just purchased, wondering if it might really have anything to do with the Amulet of Zulo.
To her shock, the book was still in its odd language, but she could understand it perfectly. It didn't take her long before she found a spell that said it could bring back lost memories.
Looking over the list, Kim was surprised yet again, for it was a list of all the items she'd bought. Taking the book, she sat lotus style upon the floor and began to prepare the spell using the pestle and mortar and then after a bit, lighting the incense.
Drawing the circle, the rich tangy smell giving her a lightheaded feeling, Kim stood and began to chant. Slowly at first and then faster and faster. Suddenly she was blown off her feet and as she collapsed upon her bed, a dam broke inside her mind and she began to relive the life that was lost to her.
She remembers Thomas, her. His brother, Peter and his sister Stephanie. Kim couldn't remember what happened to Peter, but she did know what happened to Thomas, how he changed into her and the horrible thing that had happened to Stephanie and why Kim felt such an attachment to her Angelina Ballerina doll. Sitting up, Kim glances at the clock and gasps when she realizes that three hours have passed.
Looking out of her room, she sniffs the air and notes that the apartment is still empty. Closing the door to her room, Kim wants to try another spell, maybe to bring her sister back.
"Not really sure I want to be Thomas again. All these memories tell me he was rather miserable," the Skunkette thinks to herself as she picks up the book, lays back down on the bed and begins once again to read it.
An hour later, Kim comes up with the idea that maybe what needs to be fixed first is the Amulet of Zulo and finding the spell for fixing broken magick items, noting the spell on the opposite page that speaks of mending broken hearts, she memorizes the list of ingredients. Searching through what she has left, Kim sees that she has just enough to cast one more spell and then she must buy more ingredients.
Breathing deeply, she begins once again to prepare the spell using the mortar and pestle. Ingredients mixed, incense lit, circle drawn, Kim stands and begins to read the spell, but falters on several words.
Hoping that she's pronounced them right, she's rewarded as once again she is blown off her feet and before her, the Amulet begins to glow. Before her, the crack starts to mend itself and Kim grins. But the smile is quickly replaced by a frown as the Amulet begins to subtly shift in appearance. Before her eyes, it morphs into a gold heart shaped locket and when it thumps silently to the floor, Kim knows that something has gone wrong.
Picking up the Amulet, now a locket, she sees a clasp and undoing it, she finds that it opens up. Printed on one side is the words "ZULO 2.0" and on the other side a androgynous looking human with whiskers and the ears of some type of animal. From behind her, a voice says, "It won't bring her back. Remember, she was transformed under broken magick?"
Turning around, Kim saw the same man from her childhood, the same one who had given her the bad news before. Opening her mouth to argue, the man held up a hand and said, "No, don't plead. Don't argue. Don't say anything foolish or that you'll regret later. What's done is done. I'm here merely to thank you for repairing the Amulet. Though you had to alter it to do so, it's fixed in the long run."
Near tears, Kim wanted to throw the locket at him, but instead blurted out, "My efforts, it is all for nothing?"
The man nodded, and the replied, "But think of it this way. You can go back. Redo your life. Maybe have a sibling this time. If you simply choose the right path. For now, I leave the Locket of Zulo in your possession. Enjoy and if you find any others, please use the same magick to fix them as well. There are about seven in total now."
Before Kim could retort back, the man simply vanished. Looking at the locket, she thought, "I need to take a walk. Sort all this out."
Hours later, Kim found herself on a bridge over looking a flowing river. It was the Turan bridge and marked the edge of town. Looking at the flowing river, upset because she couldn't do anything to save her sister or change her outcome, she let her thoughts brood. Without really thinking about it, she took the locket from around her neck and thinking, "May I never see this cursed thing again or any form of the Amulet of Zulo," she heaved the locket into the river.
As it sank, Kim turned and walked home, for some reason happy and feeling as if a burden had been lifted. "Sure, I'll never be Thomas again and Steph will never be herself again, oh well. In the long run, it could have turned out worse," Kim told herself as she slowly walked, wondering what she'd have for dinner and what classes she'd take in the fall.
-----
The Locket of Zulo sank and then began to float as the current carried it. A fish spied the shiny trinket and tried to eat it, to no avail. The magick that gave it life allowed it to shift to another reality, another dimension and presently it was found by someone else.
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"Take off your clothes, dweeb," Brian demanded.
Alex just stood there, wondering how best to get out of this one as six of Brian's friends climbed out of the full size truck the jock had been driving. "Yeah! Take off your clothes, dweeb! It's time for you swimming lesson," one of his friends called out as he jumped from the bed.
Alex was sixteen years old, just moved to town and was living with his aunt and uncle after a fire had claimed the lives of his parents. Standing five foot eight, he had green eyes, short black hair, pale skin and what some might call "Coke Bottle Glasses". It was only his first day and already he'd had the honour of pissing off the entire football team.
Now, here he was, after school, standing on a bridge just outside of town, cornered by Brian and some of his friends. Looking behind him, he took a step backward, but was immediately grabbed as one of Brian's friends snarled, "You're not going anywhere, Dweeb. Brian said take off your clothes, now take 'em off!"
Struggling, Alex could hear Brian and his friends laughing. Suddenly Brian said, "Let's help him out." And before Alex could do anything, Brian and his friends began to rip his clothes off him.
Standing naked in the middle of the bridge, arms held behind him, one of Brian's friends laughed and said, "I ain't never seen a penis on a boy like that, unless the twerp was like, I dunno, maybe eleven or twelve."
More laughter and then someone said, "Yeah. Baby here doesn't even have any hair, except what's on top of his head."
More laughter and then Brian was saying, "Let's make him walk home like this," and the Alex could smell Petrol. Before him, Brian threw Alex's clothes on the ground, poured fluid on it from an unmarked container and then lit a match to it.
Struggling still, Alex was immediately ganged up on and as his clothes burned, he felt himself being picked up and then he was falling downward. Scared, he flailed about until he felt something wet come in contact with him and then he was under water.
Breaking the surface, he heard more laughter, a clomping noise that made him think of boots stomping on an asphalt road and the sound of car doors slamming. Seconds later, Brian's truck could be heard driving away.
Treading water, Alex made his was to the shore and pulled himself out. Hugging himself, wondering what he was going to do about clothes, wondering what his aunt and uncle was going to do when he showed up at their place without his clothes and his backpack, he began to slowly make his way across the slippery rocks.
And then he saw it. A flash of gold and gently floating back and forth, he saw a girl's heart-shaped locket. Fishing it out, he noticed the clasp and thinking it might give a hint as to who it belonged to, Alex opened it.
Inside was a picture of a person that Alex couldn't tell if it was a girl or boy. Even stranger was that fact that this person had whiskers and some type of animal ears. Printed opposite of the picture was a word that Alex thought was made up. Reading "ZULO 2.0" out loud, Alex thought it to be an odd trinket.
"Maybe I can ask my aunt about it," he thought as he slipped the locket around his neck.
Hugging himself, Alex looked around and decided he might as well begin to walk home. "At least there's a forest around me," he though with some relief.
Trudging through the forest, he completely forgot about the church next door to the farmhouse his aunt and uncle owned and almost stumbled into the church yard, where a large rummage sale was being held. Peering through the bushes, Alex thought, "Maybe I don't have to turn up home naked. Maybe I can get some clothes from here. But how?"
Sitting down in the dirt, the locket feeling cold against his chest, Alex tried to sort out his dilemma. In the end, he simple resorted to stealing a box that had been left under a table closet to his hiding spot.
Vowing that he'd make it up to the church somehow, Alex crept back into the woods, unseen. Prize tucked under his arm, Alex crept through the forest, back the way he'd just come until he found an open area, and sitting down he opened the box, wondering what type of clothes where inside.