Once again I found myself in that place where space and time no longer exist.
Instantly I was transported back to my home in Manhattan.
There I was standing in my 19th century clothing, my camera still in my hand.
I turned around and looked at the sepia photo which still hung on the wall, only now, the stone I had touched to enter the World of Sepia, was black and white.
I was drawn to touch it again, but a banging on my front door sent me downstairs.
I opened the door to see a worried, Max who stood there gaping at me.
He took me in his arms and held me closely.
"What the hell happened to you?" he asked. "I was out of my mind with worry when you didn't answer your phone or other messages I left you." He stared at my dress. "Why are you dressed like that?"
I smiled at Max, touched by his concern. After change to my 21st century garb, I showed him the sepia photo with the 12 stones.
We talked about my adventures within the sepia photo, traveling in time to meet Charles Pomeroy Stone, the foundation stone linked to the Masons, Tesla and laying the foundation for a new democracy based on the teachings of the ancient Egyptian mystery school teachings.
Max and I developed the photos I had taken in the 19th century. There was the proof of my journey to another timeline, meeting Pulitzer, Charles, and Tesla. One day I would create book displaying my adventures in time, but not yet, there were still 11 more stones and a 4th monolith to explore. This spoke to us of a new creation.
The next day we went to visit Hans to tell him all about aunt Catherine's camera. We were greeted by the landlord who was waiting for someone who wanted to buy the the inventory in the store. He told us that Hans had died. The date was shortly after my visit. The store was now going to be guttered and renovated. And of who people, who should get the contracted job... my friend John, who came walking through the door.
Max took a photo of me in the store, using Catherine's camera. Later when we developed it, both Catherine and Hans appeared on either side of me.
Max noticed an old rosewood frame that he felt would be perfect for the picture of Pulitzer and I. We offered to buy it from the landlord who gave it to us as a gift.
Another soul had moved on. Life's synchronicities continue.
"So many souls have left the Earth plane," Max said as we walked down the streets of Manhattan.
"And they are all around us," I said, thinking of my photos.
I reached into in my bag and pulled out the old pawn ticket given to me by Jake Montgomery which had traveled back in time with me.
"You don't suppose I could still redeem it do you?" I asked.
"If you can't, I'll buy you a new locket just like it," Max said, knowing it would never be the same.
We took a taxi to the place where the original pawn shop once stood.
We were amazed to find it was still in business.
Inside we were greeted by a man named Tom Montgomery, who very much resembled Jake Montgomery.
When I showed him the pawn ticket he laughed.
He went to the safe in the back room and came back with an envelope.
He opened the envelope, turning it over so that its content would fall into my hand.
There was my locket, the photos as they were, untouched by my journey through time. Max put the locket around my nexk, as he had done when he first gave it to me. What an emotionally charged reunion!
Tom told us a story about his great great grandfather, Jake who had given a strange woman some money in exchange for her locket.
Back in the 19th century Jake's business had been failing, but from the day he received the locket things began to improve. He believed it had magical powers and the woman who pawned it would come back for it one day. He believed that if the locket was ever sold, the family's luck would be changed forever. And so the locket remained in the store since that time.
I paid Tom the $30 plus interest on the money. I assured him that his family's luck would remain.
Tom looked pleased as if some family prophecy had been fulfilled.
Back home I placed the picture of me and Joseph Pulitzer in the rosewood frame.
"I feel like I have just received a Pulitzer prize from the man himself," I said proudly looking at the photo.
"Perhaps that will be your destiny one day," replied Max.
Max and I looked at each other then at the sepia photo.
He opened his laptop computer taping into the symbols and harmonics back home.
"Ready to go again?" he asked.
"You've read my mind!" I grabbed aunt Catherine's camera as Max fully activated the symbols.
The sepia photo once again became a portal.
This time it was Max who touched a stone.
Suddenly we were gone, returning to the world of sepia and the next adventure!