She was excited about what she’d been given.
She ran in to tell her mother. “Look mummy! Isn’t it beautiful?”
Her mother, preoccupied with loading the washing machine, said, “Oh! Yes? Where did you get that?”
The girl waved it in the air, saying, “The old man gave it to me, he said…”
Her mother looked up suddenly. “What old man?”
“The old man with the long white beard.”
“Where was this old man?”
“In the street.”
“One of our neighbours, do you mean?”
“No mummy, but he said…”
“I don’t care what he said. You’ve been told over and over not to talk to strangers.”
“But he was nice.”
The mother said, “I don’t care how nice he was,” and put out her hand. She took it and turned it over. It was some kind of amulet. It seemed to be quite ancient, but at the same time in remarkably good condition. Without question, it was a lovely piece, decorated with an intricate pattern that was certainly striking. She said, “It looks quite valuable, why would he give you a thing like that?”
“He said I was special, and it was meant for me. He said if you stroke your finger along this twisty line here, you can enter a magic world.”
Her mother shook her head, not really listening. “I don’t know where it came from, it looks as though it’s worth a bit.” She gave her daughter a grimace as she handed it back, then putting the last of the clothes in, she said, “We’ll have to give it back.”
The girl stamped her foot. “No!” she cried, “It’s mine.”
“Look, you shouldn’t have been out there talking to strangers in the first place. You’ve brought it on yourself.”
“But we can’t give it to anybody else, because it’s mine.”
Her mother straightened and said, “That’s all very well. You’re a silly girl. I’ve told you time and time again not to talk to strangers.”
The girl pouted. She turned away running her finger across the amulet.
Then, she was gone…