Mrs. Hawkins had been combing the local garage sales for the last month. Her son was a flickle boy, but he told her what he really wanted for his birthday was "somethin' cool from a garage sale." She'd already picked up the first three seasons of "Seinfeld" before he said that, and now she felt like she needed to get him something really unique.
She was about to give up, though, when she found that little medallion in the box. It was kinda dirty, kinda grimey, but kitschy enough that he might like it. So, she bought it, took it home, and wrapped it, not noticing the slip of paper inside.
Jared hadn't had a really happy birthday in the 3 years since his father died. This one was no exception. His girlfriend, Melina, had just broken up with him. He was not doing well in school. Nothing was going right. Even the cake didn't taste as sweet when his mom and all his aunts and uncles gathered around to sing and watch him blow out the candles. He mulled through his presents with a sort of bemusement, until his mom pulled out the last one.
He unwrapped it. A small, unassuming card-paper box. with curiosity, he opened it. A small, tarnished medallion. He held it on his fingers.
"What's this?"
"I picked it up at a garage sale. I thought you'd like it."
He thought it was neat, but nothing special, and put it back in the box.
Later that night, he took it out again, but this time, he noticed a small folded-up piece of paper. It read...
