13 July, 1999

Some believe that a coin tossed over your right shoulder into the Trevi Fountain ensures a return to Rome.

Others (I, at least) believe that possession of the magic spike might ensure a return to the Mojave Desert Phone Booth.

During our excited first minutes at the booth, Laurie and I poked around the area surrounding the phone, seeking the various burial sites and ubiquitous artifacts.

The items I found (and subsequently brought back to NYC) include: two small handfuls of red cinder, a bone (probably from nothing more exciting than a cow), and one rusted, bent spike.

I didn't give the spike a second thought until last night, when I was going through Godfrey's Booth pages again.

On one particular page he displays a photo (the same one as below) of a rusted spike, mit Wagner. With an explanation:

Previous visitors to the booth had left a note for him making reference to a magical railroad spike buried nearby. Godfrey found the spike and carried it home with him, where he scanned it and posted the image on his site.

Godfrey returned to the booth, spike in hand, only to learn that what he had found was, in fact, not the magical railroad spike at all. In disgust and frustration, he threw it to the ground.

Months and months later, I found the spike where it lay; I tossed it into the car and brought it back to New York with me, completely unaware of the spike's lineage, travels or legend.

(OK, so there was really no legend. Though there is one now.)

I will return to the booth -- and when I do, I'll leave the spike. Whoever finds it can be certain that they, too, will once again visit the Booth.

Will it be yours next?

The spike in Godfrey's possession:

 (back)

The spike in Andria's possession:

 (back)