As Xander observed carefully he realized that it was the same miniature sandcastle that little Leena had been building with her parents. But right now, the memory had magnified it to take on the form of a real castle made of sand.
Xander already had one Object of Remembrance: the blue rubber ball, but he wasn't sure if it was the right one. Something told him whatever lay inside the sandcastle had a greater significance in Leena's life than her favorite toy.
Shoving his Chronica back inside his jacket, Xander stepped into the sand pit which now looked like a desert with sloping dunes laid out in the distance. The sandcastle stood in the middle, surrounded by plastic pails and shovels, and a little pink water bottle.
As Xander approached the doors of the castle, a couple of sandy figures emerged from the pit, taking the shape of guards armed with spears.
"No outsiders are allowed inside this castle!"
