ff's hidden Secret

What many don't realize is, years before releasing his treasure memoirs, Mr. Fenn published stories in one-off fashion ... here and there, a sprinking of publications in various periodicals. After researching these seminal dribblings, my research has concluded that by far the most consistently published story has been: My War for Me. Taken alone, this fact may not seem to reveal much, aside from the already known fact that Mr. Fenn considered this story his most poignant. But here's where things get interesting ...

Introducing: The Symbol that is Key

In a vast number of the oldest instances of Mr. Fenn's publishings, the title of his self-proclaimed most important story was almost always followed by an @ symbol ...

Being well aware that Fenn fancied infusing his writings with secret symbols (the smiling face in his personal signature being but one, the secret circumpunct yet another), I began to scrutinize this subtly infused terminal @ symbol for a less-than-ostensible significance. Sure, on the surface one might reasonably conclude that the @ quite literally linked the title of Fenn's tale with the source following said symbol, ie. "My War for Me @ OldSantaFeTradingCo.com" ... and yet, with a man like Fenn, can we ever really 'close the door' on what he 'might mean' ... ?

My first thought was simple: Alpha Male. Pilot. Mage. At Center of Fenn's circle, A for Alpha. Case closed. ... but then, for a man like Fenn, a man with seemingly infinite complexities, this deduction felt too ... redundant. too simple. So I began to further dig.

Just last week I heard a story of Joe Biden's uncle being gobbled up by a pack of savage spear chunkers. Remmbering that Fenn, like Kurtz, spent not inconsiderable amounts of time among natives, SAVAGES one might call them ... this thought, in conjunction with the 13th Warrior (based on M. Chrichton's Eaters of the Dad) got me thinking ... what if Fenn, during his days among natives, got induced into their tribe, their ways, their customs ... what if Forrest Fenn, whilst at war, BECAME a cannibal ...

I've read rumors that eaters of human flesh, when this dark act is accompanied by certain blood rituals, garner a power to consume not only the meat, but the remaining years held within the blood engorged tissues of said victims.

Forrest Fenn ... seeming kind old man.

Forrest Fenn ... Secret Immortal Vampire Cannibal.

One who boasts HIS DARK SECRET in plain view ...

in the TITLE to his ETERNAL LIFE SECRET, aka his gold ...

My War for Me@ ...

My War for MEAT ...

I'm reminded of the old man and his grandson snarkily LAUGHING about the location of Fenn's Gold ...

"They'll never find it ... Muahahaha ..."

Searchers will never FIND Fenn's gold, because Searchers ...

ARE Fenn's Gold ...

the KEY and SECRET to HIS ETERNAL perseverance ...

Fenn isn't dead. He's merely napping.

Resting easy after his most recent blood glut,

one where he LURES his victims in, like any wise fly fisherman,

with a glittering bait they can't quite resist.

FENNHAVEN ... I have little doubt, when you pry back

the old wood facade on the building's side,

reads just beneath it ... BAITS MOTEL