Story Telling Poll Round 1

onyxelle's story

It seems as though it were yesterday, and I was just a girl - digging through the attic in my aunt's house. It wasn't her home, I don't believe she ever really had a home. She never behaved like she actually ?'lived', ?'belonged' or even ?'came from' somewhere - never had neighbors visit, or even regular friends for that matter. She never received letters from pen pals, old loves (but I know she had them) or anyone like that.

Aunt Phyllis was a different sort - she wasn't ?'jovial' and she wasn't ?'despondent' - she just was. She had always been that way - and I know this not because my Mother told me, or because Nana told me (though both of them did) - I figured it out for myself. Old photo albums always had her standing off to herself, or looking directly into the camera - no smile, no frown. Her eyes always seemed to say something, and I never could figure out what. I never really could read anyone - but Aunt Phyllis. I could read everything about her it seems - everything except what she truly wanted to tell me. Everything, it seems, except what her soul's windows would put on display. I know what she was trying to say now. I am saying the same thing, I hope, to my granddaughter.

In any case, I'm assuming you knocked on my door because of what you found. You wanted to meet me, to ask me some questions…well, I'll chat with you and then I'll see you out.

I was in the attic, as I said, rummaging around as young girls do. I was looking through trunks and trunks of clothing and keepsakes and other memorabilia - and I had no idea what most of this material was you see. There was an original ticket from the Titanic, old threadbare quilts, several ?'flapper' dresses from the 20's, a ?'wanted' poster - the kind you'd see in an old western saloon scene. There were other things; items, that had been collected by my family over the years. I played with these items - felt close to them even - because they were my family's. I figured they'd had some certain special importance - and that's why my family saved these things - isn't that why anyone saves things?
That afternoon while I was rummaging round Aunt Phyllis' attic she came up. She sat with me and took up what looked to be a very ornate comb - one made of bone I guess, or maybe ivory - and boy was it heavy. I know because she dropped it and it made a ?'thud' on the hard wooden floor. She seemed taken with me being with her and going through the family's things. She spoke of the items that had been spoken of to her. She played dress up with me, and she let me be whatever I wanted to be. She talked to me of all the places she'd been, and all types of things she'd done in her life. She talked to me of all the places that had been told to her. It seemed to me that she must have lived a long time - though at the time, I attributed that to the youthfulness of the young girl I was then. I was dazzled at the stories she told me that afternoon. She talked of loves had and loves lost, and of friends gained and lost. That afternoon is the best memory I have of her. My Aunt Phyllis. She died not long after. I would venture to say that she died, maybe 2 years later. I cried, a little. In public. I did not cry at all, sequestered in my own privacy.

During the first month after her death my family and I went to her house to do some cleaning - to do things that family should do when one leaves an estate of a home and possessions. I was 15 by then and so was given the duty of cleaning her room. I found her diary - well….a book rather. There was one entry only, and it was about me (I thought).

My Dear Niece,

I have watched you grow over the past few years and I am proud of you. You are nothing short of amazing and I can see that you will grow into a good caregiver. You are a happy soul, a gentle soul, and I love you. I know that you will do well. You will suit your purpose. Always remember, Dear One, that the Truth must be known - it must be kept. The Truth is why we are. Remember this and Remember all.

Auntie P.
I felt good that my Aunt had written me a note - I wished that she'd have mailed it. That night I slept in her bed and I dreamed. I dreamed of all the things she spoke of on that afternoon and I dreamed of all memories from childhood - it was not my childhood that I dreamed of. I dreamed of Egyptian rites and of Scottish isles. I dreamed of Italy & Da Vinci, of England and Anne Boleyn and the Tower of London. I dreamed of the Titanic and of the rush of greeters in a New York Harbor. I dreamed of cotton fields and of the Civil War. It seemed that I dreamed endlessly. My dreams took me from the early ages of man to the present state of mankind.

I awoke that night and went to the mirror. I looked in the mirror - and I saw my Aunt Phyllis. I saw her clearly. I recognized the look in my eyes as the look in hers. It was the look of experience, the look of having done things. A look of weariness. At that time , at least not at that moment, I did not understand - I did not know how to say what had happened, but sitting here now, and as I'd grown older, and discovered more of Aunt P's thing, her writings, it became clear to me.

Within my family there is one who was always ?'before'. Hosts are born in every generation - to carry not only this family's history and tradition, but that of the world, along. The chosen one doesn't know who she is - but it is always a girl, because our history must be told. At the beginning of time, there was appointed a keeper of records - and that keeper was a female - the beginning of my family. What better way to keep the records, without them losing meaning and clarity, that by having them kept, for all time, by the same being? To that end, I have lived since the beginning of time - though only my soul is old. I do not regret being the Keeper - but I do sometimes get tired.

I tell you, I have been wanting to share this with someone for ages - centuries even. Always, I would live among my family, die and live again. Such is the life of the Keeper. I will explain it to you. The Keeper, as I've said, is an ages old soul. When the previous soul-host, as the female is called, dies - The Keeper's soul and all the memories - I mean EVERY memory, enters into the new soul-host, and melds with the memories by way of a dream. Have you ever been sitting, staring out of a window perhaps, and had the sensation of falling…slowly yet endlessly? That is what the melding dream is like. The Keeper's soul grabs hold of the soul-host's soul and takes it on a journey, from the beginning of time until the present. At the end of that journey the two meld - and the Keeper is reborn - complete with memories of both the Keeper and the new Soul-Host.

A Keeper is not all there is. What you found, the…..remains shall we say….were those of a Destroyer. They have been around as long as the Keeper has and our fight is timeless. The Destroyer is taught about the Keeper, and generally, they begin training around 13 - and they are not familial as the Keepers are. I killed him. He'd spotted his trainee, and I knew this. It is best for me, that I try to live my life with as little hassle as possible - I am a peaceful Keeper - and there hasn't been a ?'peaceful' Keeper since before Aunt Phyllis was born, and I rather like the peacefulness of my life.

Come here, and hold my hand. I will let you see some of the things I've seen. Yes, put your hand right in my palm. I'm going to trace my fingernail down your lifeline and show you things. Do you see that? That is what the Ulti Destroyer wants to prevent from coming to light. It is the truth of the Casting Out. The beginning of the evil seed upon this Earth. Keep looking. Do you see yourself? I know you do, and you should - because the Destroyer I killed…you were his trainee. You do not yet know, but you would embark on a mission to destroy me and my successor. It's what the Destroyers do. Destroy two Keepers in succession - and the line - the Keepers - are lost. If there are no Keepers to mark the entirety of time - it will be lost, the truth of the Casting Out. At the end of the ages, man will not be cognizant of the things that have gone on in this world, and the history will be lost. The Keeper prevents this from happening. Now, enough of this lesson. I will kill you - and another will come - but not for many years yet. Maybe not even until the next soul-host is already the keeper. That is good. Now, as I slip my nail into your palm, you will notice your body relaxing into a sleepy state - do you feel it? Painless? Good, I hate to think of people in pain. You will sleep - and you will not wake up. Good night

BUMP

Sorry Bugger20, is the round over? Has everyone voted? Where the heck is the original thread to announce the new contestants?

the voting will end tonight at 8pm

here's the other thread

http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15346

Thanks, looks like right now, we still have a tie.

checking in for later reading

Folks, we have a winner!

onyxelle, congratulations for winning round 1

OH MY GAWD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

is this for real?

Congrats Onyxelle! I didn't vote, wouldn't have known which to vote for.

I'm gonna go tell my neighbors. Congrats, Onyxelle.

Perhaps Toni Morrison has found some competition.

gus - I doubt that dearie