“Don’t touch it!”, she hissed at him.

“But why not?” he replied, pulling his hand back despite himself.

“Well…I don’t know, it just seems like something you aught not be putting your hands on!”

“Hmm, I dunno…looks pretty harmless to me.” he replied and gingerly reached out for it again.

“Ohh, I can’t look” she whispered, turning her head to the side and covering her eyes with her hands, peering out through the slit between her fingers.

“Don’t be such a baby…”

Gingerly, he placed the tip of his index finger on it. It felt smooth, but had no discernable temperature…and almost metallic. He extended his hand and placed it over the object.

“Stop!” she shouted, “Oh come on, lets just go get Dad and see what he thinks, Robert! PLEASE ?!”

She called him Robert the same way their mother did when she was upset with him…he hated being called Robert.

“See? Its fine, you worry too…” he began.

Susan’s scream faded from Robert’s ears just as quickly as Robert faded from his sister’s sight.