The Keeper

"The Keeper"

There weren't always dragons in the valley. Until my uncle came to town. Had I known he had been training them for the wrong reason, I would have never invited him into my home!

I suspected something was off keel about him as he would go into these temporary manic episodes. One day he would be talkative and friendly, and the next, he would be withdrawn with eyes glazed over as if he were possessed. I suspect he has a mental condition of some sort. I hadn't noticed this behavior before, but that is because my uncle was estranged, and I had only seen him for short spurts at a time when I was young. Perhaps his condition is why my mother had never talked to him even if they were in the same room and why my grandmother appeared to pity him.

When he came back, I welcomed him with open arms. We had shared a lovely dinner and had some drinks around the fire. A few days went on, and there was nothing unusual. I could tell he was grateful that I allowed him back into my life. We had so much to catch up on! I was so intrigued by this mystery man called my uncle that I couldn't stop asking questions.

Then one night, as we were sitting by the fire, something had changed. He was like night and day. As I observed his odd behavior, I noticed an emblem on his neck that wasn't there before, and he was outraged when I questioned him! I knew I had seen that mark before. In fact, I am almost sure it was the same one that was on a cover of a book my grandmother had owned. The book is a family heirloom passed down for many generations.

I discovered this book when I was cleaning up for my grandma. The book had a lock on it and was about 3 inches thick. It looked important, and I was intrigued to ask her. She had confided in me that this book was extraordinary and must be kept a secret because it contained secrets of the universe. If given to the wrong hands, it could cause great destruction. I wanted to read it, but she told me I needed to wait. She told me not to tell anyone, not even my mother, and that I would be the keeper one day.

Shortly after the reveal, she became ill but often scoffed at her illness as something minor. I'm guessing it was because she either believed she could beat it or didn't want me to worry. Later, we found out from the toxicology report that it was gangrene of the gall bladder. The doctor said it was a treatable illness, and if she had gotten medical attention, she would have been alive today.

After my grandma's untimely death, I found out there were more secrets that none of my family was aware of. For example, her diary writes about the abuse she endured as a child. The grieving of a miscarriage at an early age. Her husband's unfaithfulness and a love affair that occurred when her husband was away at war. That she wasn't sure who my mother's real father was. We had learned about the debts she owed to many men who planned to sue her for everything she owned.

Had I known on the day of her burial that we would come home to a deadbolt on the door and that all of our possessions would be sold off at auction, including the book, I would have done things differently.

I wish I had listened to my intuition the day of my grandmother's funeral when I noticed a mysterious man watching our home. Hindsight is 20/20. The past is the past, and I can't fix the past! I can only guide my future.

"The Quest"