Chapter Two: Working With The Stone . . . . . . . . . Page 2

until someone had mixed box after box of glitter into the earth, then mixed it up. Yet, this makes glitter look dull and colorless.

Now you glance once more on the house, even more changed than its surroundings. The old brown paint and broken glass windows; the porch with splintered railing, and the tall pointed roof and even taller chimney of five minutes past are gone.

In their place, there is a beautiful palace. There are balconies, and dozens of spires, beautiful curtains and other hangings. All the walls glitter, even more brilliantly than the path, and with even greater variety of color. However, the path that leads to it seems quite long, as the building is much too small to be close by.

You begin to approach the strange building, then stop in confusion. The palace is definitely close, and obviously far to small for you. You take another step.

Why were you left with a message that leads you to a building almost smaller than yourself? When you remember the stone, you look down at it. Fortunately, you thought to grab it when you left your bike. Or had you?

You finally realize that you are no longer holding a stone; you haven’t (now that you stop and think about it) since you entered the mysterious borders of this property. So what are you holding? You look at your hands. It would appear that you are holding a map, a detailed map for the building, but what good would that do you if you can’t get inside?