Death's Time Keeper Read online

  Chapter 5: Finally I became, Death’ Time Keeper

  It was the seventh day and I hadn’t fulfilled the promise I made myself for finding out what was behind the door, I remember making a start for it but what happened afterwards is still a mystery. It was morning and I was getting ready for my last meal. The aroma of Eggs and bacon was all over the refectory. It was my favorite combination of poached eggs, bacon and cheese with golden hash browns and tartar sauce on the side. Well I had a filling breakfast and started packing my stuff which was no more than a few torn clothes and a pair of gum boots. Lost in these thoughts while sitting in the dormitory, I got a message to be downstairs for the final formalities. In the hall below I was summoned to the care takers room, my step grandparents were already sitting there. I greeted them and stood in front of the care taker. He was a fat man and very tall, I never got to know this man.

  He spoke in a childish voice, “Mr. Timer I see you have packed your stuff. Well Mr. & Mrs. Keeper the boy is all set to go.”

  Both of them looked at me and smiled. Mrs. Keeper hugged me and started crying while Mr. Keeper consoled her. They thanked the care taker and I picked up my stuff and started leaving the room.

  Unlike many days in my life this was a sunny day outside and as the other members looked on while I was leaving I came to the same place where their boss had hung himself to death. I was horrified to see his dead body still hanging there; I think it was an illusion but it spooked me so I just rushed towards the car ahead both of them and sat in it slamming the door behind me. I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. The car engine started shortly and Mr. Keeper drove me off. I did not once look back at the castle even though I was tempted to do so.

  This was a new start for me and I was determined to do anything to make things right for myself. After a few minutes of drive while looking out of the window, I was amazed to see this new world. I saw a mother hold her child and a group of kids running across the street. People were enjoying themselves in each other’s company all this emotions were new to me. Then I came across a couple holding hands and this was a new emotion for me. I kept on looking at them till we got too far; they were enjoying and looking each other in the eye. We drove across the town and now were at the sea side. This was the first time I saw a sea and its vastness scared me. Our car entered a gate as the road started climbing a small hill, what was on the other side was soon to be found out. After a few minutes a house was visible at the edge of the mountain. I was stunned as this was the same house in that painting, as if the painting came to life. With my eyes wide open I got lost in these thoughts. The car stopped and Mrs. Keeper asked to me get off seeing that I didn’t get off myself. I just looked at her trying to figure out what she was trying to convey, could only understand her hand movements rest everything went silent. She then opened the back door of the car and shook me after which I came to my senses and then stepped out of the car, could hear the loud noise of the waves hitting on the rocks and against the bottom of the hill.

  I stood in front of the large entrance of the house; there was the butler of the house a man in his mid thirties. He greeted me; “Welcome home master Mark, my name is John and I am here at your service.”

  He then took the luggage from my hand giving a familiar smile. We made our way to the living room and I could smell the sea, the living room led to a big balcony which faced the sea. I was pulled by the thought of having a look, as I opened the door a cold breeze made its way inside almost pulling me inside with it. I could feel the high splashes created by the waves and it was a beautiful sight. Mr. Keeper and Mrs. Keeper came on either side keeping a hand each on both my shoulders.

  Mr. Keeper said, “Isn’t it beautiful?”

  I looked at him and nodded, “Yes sir it is.”

  “Well then I presume you should be getting that room.” He said, pointing to another balcony above this one.

  Mrs. Keeper said, “It’s a great place for you to stay and you would surely like it, come I will show you around.”

  She took me and as we left, tears trickled down Mr. Keeper’s eyes. The wound created by their loss was a fresh one on their mind and heart. I followed her upstairs into an enormous room which had all the amenities one could ever want.

  She stood there for a reaction from me, “So, do you like it?” she said.

  “Yes Madam I sure do.”

  She smiled and said, “If you need anything, John will be able to help you, just ring that bell beside your bed.”

  I smiled as she left and closed the door behind me. I explored the room and sat on the bed taking a deep breath. Had mixed feelings, the painting was constantly flashing in my mind and I couldn’t relate it at all. I decided to stop worrying about everything and just enjoy this new life. I opened the door and went outside on the balcony facing the sea; it was much bigger than the one down stairs. Leaning on the stone fence, I saw Mr. Keeper still standing there looking into the sea, he was joined by Mrs. Keeper shortly and they hugged each other. Their pain was evident, till now I had only seen death but the feeling of loss it created for the one’s left behind was a new experience for me and I was in the middle of it. I presume it had nothing to do with me as by then I didn’t know who their children were.

  In the evening, we all got together for supper. It was a new thing for me to having a meal in the presence of loved ones. John was an amazing cook. He had cooked a delicious meal of freshly grilled steak and buttery baked potatoes, much to my liking there was pie loaded with jelly for desert. It was also the first time I tasted wine and I did not like it all, in fact I spit most of it out as I drank my first sip. This brought a smile on the face of the couple. John was quick to back it up with water.

  After supper it was reading time and all of us got together in the living room. Of what little education I got I could hardly read anything in the huge collection of literature at their library. I do remember it was a book on ancient Egypt that I had picked; well truly I selected it because the cover had a cat which reminded me of my cat friend at the castle. As I read the first few lines both of them looked at each other and burst into laughter. I was embarrassed but all of us had a good laugh at the end of it however Mr. Keeper got serious and left the room just to avoid being in our presence before he breaks into tears. Mrs. Keeper made me sit beside her as I was struggling with reading and taught me how to read fluently in a couple of weeks which surprisingly went normal. These were without a doubt the best days of my life. Just the dreams never stopped they grew more and more every day and I got used to them It was more like a routine now. But were these dreams at all?

  Then one day I saw the picture of their family in the living room. The deadly drop of the car from the hill flashed in front of my eyes. These were the same people from my dreams; I always had a conscious filled with guilt whenever I talked to both members of my new family after knowing I might be in some way responsible for their death.

  Time passed by, the link between the painting and the house was still not clear, so I decided to find some answers and set out on exploration of the house and surroundings. It was a beautiful set up and there were no neighbor’s, the closest one being a hospital which was a good ten miles from here. On one side there was the sea and the other was a thick forest, dark enough to create a sense of fear in anyone’s mind. The house was a mix of ancient and modern architecture, it was build upon a small check post that the armies in ancient time used to keep as a place to hide and alarm the guards of a potential invasion or pirates. Later it was bought by Mr. Keeper’s great grandfathers who built a house on it. So the design was more or less the same. John had been kind enough to tell me all this in one of our little chats.

  He had also mentioned a dungeon that they now used as cellar to store wine and old junk, he also warned me to always have him around if I decided to explore the dungeon. I decided to pay a visit, all alone. The dungeon was conveniently located across the small kitchen garden and the stairs which led to it had worn d
own with time. It had algae all over it which also made the walk very slippery. Somehow I managed to come at the bottom of the stairs at an old unlocked door which led me in. It had been long since someone came down here and it was evident with all the spider webs and blanket of dust all over the place.

  While exploring the junk, I came across a chest. Anxious as to what lied in it; I tried to break it open with no real luck. I felt amidst of a treasure hunt about to unlock my future filled with gold bricks and riches. Then I remembered about the unusual gift that I got from his on my tenth birthday. I searched for the key tied around my neck which I had carried ever since. I tried to open the chest with this key and it easily opened up, inside was an ancient sand watch which read, “The Death Clock”, My heart sank as I felt a rush of blood through my veins, the basement quickly was turning into a dark hole I would never get out of and to add to my misery, Death’s own watch was in my hand. The watch now started to glow and became too hot for me to hold on to as it also started to float in air. A beam came out of it and as it hit my forehead I felt extreme pain as if someone had put a bow across my head. The clock slowly started to vanish in my head. When it was over, I looked at myself in an old mirror; my eyes were burning red flames, wore a cloak and had a stick that had a skull on the top, in my hand.

  I didn’t know yet but I had become the Death’s Timekeeper.

  Somehow I got back to my room while transforming back to my old self. It was all clear in my head now. I was one of the four sons of the knight, my soul was transferred to a minor and till the age of twenty I could only be trained to become a timekeeper again. Since I had to lead a simple life in human form I had to be amongst humans. The bully’s role as might have been decided by death was just to make me one of the members at the orphanage which he succeeded. There were hints all along; the painting was to lead me to this dungeon. The door in the old cursed castle must be souls of my mom and dad trying to attract me but Death had kept me away from that place. Those were not dreams; it was for real I would somehow be in those places telling people how much time is left. I would do it night after night till all of them were covered in my direction. But few questions aroused again, what about my brothers? Was there any way I can get out of this circle of death? Is death my master or am I not under its spell? I looked in the mirror again and I knew where to get my answers. That night just before sleeping, I made up my mind not to tell anyone their death date unless I get to have a word with Death. Something unusual happened that night but I could not remember what it was? Though it left my entire body tired. I also found out that Mr. Keeper did not remember sending me anything on my tenth birthday. This made me think was I part of some type of a conspiracy and who was this mysterious person making all this possible.

  The next day I woke up with an unusual sense of praise for death. I considered him as a father figure who wanted to maintain a balance in nature to carry on the circle of life created by the almighty. I didn’t know how this transformation took place but it was clear in my mind that death is not an enemy. My father and mother were also wrong in making us drink the potion of life as it is a curse for us and I and my brothers need to carry this burden till centuries. I just knew that I was the western lord of death and that each night I will tell death that when the people of this world are supposed to die. I also now didn’t feel too much pain in my transformation and all I had to do is refer to my mind clock by looking at the person and suggest the time to death, it would happen in a mere thought and nothing else.

  I would just await the ceremony every week to see my brothers. “What Ceremony?” I thought?