Little Black Book

PART I

She was old, very old, at least her body was. There was no denying that. The mirror confirmed it when she occasionally caught a glimpse of herself in it. She didn't mind. Getting older meant that she was still here in life. The consequences of it though could be a burden. The pains in her joints, eyesight failing, movements getting slower. She still had the use of her legs, albeit for short distances only. She was grateful that she could still get to the shops every couple of days and stand long enough to prepare and cook herself an evening meal. Incredibly and most importantly, her mind was still as sharp as ever. She believed that to be a small miracle.

Mabel often thought that this was not her first life here. Ancient history had always fascinated her. When she was a small child she would read books that brought the past to life for her and acquired a thirst not just for historical facts but also of legends, myths, chronicles, even witchcraft. She stored knowledge like sections of a library in her mind, concentrating on the content rather than the dates, but the further back in time she delved, the more real the stories became to her.

As she grew up she began to dream that she had become some of the characters as she imagined they looked, ancient gods from different cultures, legendary kings and queens, warriors and martyrs. Sometimes they would seem so real that she was unsure whether she had actually travelled to another dimension.

Each morning she recalled her dreams and recorded them in a diary she kept by the side of her bed. If she felt her dream hadn't run its full course, she had the extraordinary knack of going back to the same place when she next slept. This could happened over a series of two or three sleeps until there was never an unsatisfactory, unfinished dream.

There was more than one reason for diarising her dreams. Over the years she had studied the deeper meanings of those dreams that don't seem to make any sense. She learned that writing down small things remembered such as colours, animals, people and activities within the dream could be interpreted by their content. Much could be revealed by symbols, visions, oracles and apparitions.

She wrote stories about her dream adventures and read them to her children and grandchildren. Fact or fiction, they loved to listen and Mabel was thrilled that they could focus their attention and learn from her. As the family grew they would often enjoy 'quiz time' get togethers which were fun as well as educational. Mabel would encourage them to make use of her library of books on various subjects to find answers and they all became quite competitive. She loved the time she spent with her family.

One night she had the strangest dream. She was walking in a meadow accompanied by what she could only describe as angels. They didn't look like ones you think of, with wings and halos but she knew that they were because of the calm energy that radiated from them. Not a word was spoken but the air was still and the green fields were dotted with sweet smelling flowers and shrubs. She realised she had been here before and felt an overwhelming sense of peace.

The next morning as she was writing in her dream book, she realised this hadn't just been a dream. She was being called home.

She has planned for her departure well. Her family will bear no burden of debt once she has left her physical body. After covering the inevitable costs of her funeral, she has put money aside for them. Not a fortune but enough to make their lives a little easier. Always the one for mixing learning with an element of fun however, she leaves a cryptic message for them to decipher so they can find it. A treasure hunt that will involve some historical research. Her family have always enjoyed playing games and solving puzzles together and she knows this will be a fun challenge for them.

She has an old tin box she keeps her most treasured memories in: special cards, small personal items and pictures her children and grandchildren have made for her, a locket with a photograph and a snip of hair belonging to the child she lost. She adds a bundle of banknotes, locks the box and voice activates it with the only password that will open it. She places it on the bedside table.

She is ready now. She writes the final entry in her diary, places it next to her bed on top of the box and sleeps. There are no dreams this time, just reality as her soul leaves her physical body.

PART II

The next day Nicola called in on her mother as usual. When she saw her peacefully sleeping on her bed, she approached quietly to adjust the covers over her. She flinched momentarily as she touched her mother's hand. Why was she so cold? It took a full minute to realise that her mother wasn't breathing. Nicola sat beside her on the bed and stroked her forehead, whispering a little prayer. She would be greatly missed by all of the family. The grandchildren were especially fond of her. They loved to visit her and play games with her. She always created such fun things to do.

Nicola call the family doctor who arrived within half an hour. He signed the death certificate, citing natural causes as the reason for her departure. There would be no need for an autopsy because of her mother's great age. Mercifully, he told her, she had just passed peacefully in her sleep. He called the undertakers who arrived quickly and after passing their condolences to Nicola, silently and with great dignity took her mother away.

Nicola remained for a while. She sat, taking in the quiet of the room. She noticed a black book on the bedside table, entitled 'My Book of Dreams' and picked it up. Glancing through it she saw that there were notes relating to dreams and their meanings. She would read through it another time. For now she needed to get home and break the news to her family. Nicola put down the book, closed the curtains in the house and left quietly.

The family convened at the house the next day. While the adults set about sorting through her grandma's things, Joanne began reading through the book she had noticed on the bedside table. She was fascinated by the entries. Grandma had written in great detail, describing the most incredible dreams of flying, visiting heaven, travelling back through time, taking the form of fantastic beings and beasts. She was soon engrossed, not only by the descriptions but also the explanations and meanings that had been added after each one. It would take hours, if not days to read it all. She would take it home and absorb the contents in detail. For now, she flicked through the pages to the last entry.

This one had a title, was different to the rest. She called her family to come into the bedroom and read the entry to them all.

'A gift to my wonderful family

I hope you enjoy reading about the adventures I have had in my dreams. It is a fascinating world indeed. Take notes from it so that you can decipher your own dream meanings. This will help you to understand and unravel questions you may have and will often give you answers. There is an envelope inside the back cover of this book. It is my Last Will and Testament.

Thank you all for being in my life. I have loved every moment with you xxxxx'

LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF MABEL BIFFEN

To my loving family I leave the sum of $20,000 which will be found inside the box on my bedside table. Knowing how much you all love puzzles and games, I have set you a task. In order to open the box, you will need to solve the clues to discover the name of the person I have described.

When you have solved the mystery, hold the box in your hand and speak only this name. This will activate the unlocking mechanism and open the box.

Here are your clues:

My name is derived from the verbs 'to fondle, to nurse or rear'

I bring prosperity and nourishment to all who worship me

I bathe in the river known as Sobek, which rises annually and deposits fertile silt that enables abundant harvests to feed my people

There is a temple dedicated to both myself and my husband

I have also been known by another name and was able to slaughter enemies with my gaze

This alternative name is the one given to a symbol in the crown of a king

I nursed this king from his birth to his death

My body is not that of a complete human, neither is that of my husband or son

You could find my name in a book here

Be very cautious - you must decide which of my two names will be the one to open the box

There is no second chance

One last clue - my enemies did not fear me

Good luck xxxxx

PART III

A week after the funeral the family sat together and read through the Will. They worked together as a team and shared any ideas they had.

Could this be in reference to an old English king? What other countries have or had kings? The clues suggest it could be a female, perhaps a queen? It sounds as though it may be an ancient fable. It mentions a temple - perhaps it's to do with the Far East. Maybe the answer is in the dream book, but it also mentions the library of books in the house. They read through the dream book again and again, noting down any mention of names or places. As fascinating as the dreams were, they found nothing that matched specifically with the clues.

The books in the library are categorised - Ancient History, Chronicles, Customs, Fables, Poetry. They each take a series of them home and the younger ones search any findings on the internet.

Finally, after two weeks of note taking, cross referencing and searching, they found the answer.

After perfecting the pronunciation, knowing that if it wasn't recognised the box would never open, the youngest grandchild, Vicky held the box in her hand and spoke the name out loud. The room was so quiet then as they held their breaths that they all heard the click of the lock.

The box opened.