Sitting on a tree stump, I sipped from a water bottle and unwrapped my sandwich. The Gatekeeper’s form shimmered before me.

My cell phone pinged. I read the text message from Leon, my partner in the police department. “Where are you?”

He was just checking in with me about the car. I called him last night and told him about the ‘bad battery’. There were still a couple of days left of my vacation, so no worry.

His next message caused me to frown. “Captain wants you back, ASAP!” This was followed by a ‘frowny face’.

“Ah, another Lost Soul has appeared,” the Gatekeeper said.

“That can wait. Tell me about my ancestors. Don’t leave anyone out.”

“I have been told my stories are the best. Many of your relatives sat in this same spot and listened to my tales.”

“But first explain how you got this position. If these lost souls are the worst, why are you here as Gatekeeper? Must have displeased the higher-up.”

“A misunderstanding. I explained the situation, pleaded for mercy, and was granted some leniency. But the original decision could not be reversed. I was to be sent to the Forest of Lost Souls, though since a Gatekeeper was needed, I was assigned. At least I’m not stuck inside with the howlers.”

“How many years?”

“Too many to count,” he said with a sigh.

“Tell me about my mother. Was she a Catcher like grandmother and me?”

“She took the knife and then gave it back. Once touching the knife, the smell of Catcher lingered with her. It wasn’t a deer they swerved to miss, but a deranged man standing in the road. He grabbed the front bumper of the car as it sped by and flipped it into the lake.”

“Could the knife have saved them?”

“Oh, yes. If she got out and confronted him, the knife would have done the rest. The blade communicates when and how to attack. Did you think you were that expert at defending yourself?”

“Sometimes I wondered. The strategies I came up with were so bizarre.” The knife burned warm through the pouch against my leg. Somewhere a soul needed to be sent to the Forest. I ignored the call. My mind wanted more answers right now.

The Gatekeeper seemed to understand. “No hurry, she is waiting for you.”

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“My grandmother, what of her? Was she safe while I had the knife?”

“Yes, the handover was complete. The scent of Catcher left her and entered you. Now, your grandmother, Annabelle, was one of the best. Especially after one killed your grandfather. Her anger enhanced the Catcher scent. She sent me twenty souls.”

The Gatekeeper’s form seemed to sharpen in the mist as he recalled Grandmother’s exploits. Even the birds quieted as if waiting to hear the tale.

“The knife was passed to her when she was twelve, like you. Her mistake with your mother was that she waited until her daughter was in her twenties. By then, married and a mother herself, she would not accept killing another human being no matter how vile.

“Annabelle was not just a Catcher, but a gifted Hunter and fearless. When fourteen, three of them tried to trap her in a hall at school. Surrounded; while waiting for them to approach, she flipped the knife back and forth from hand to hand and then up in the air. Pretending to miss a catch, she crouched down to retrieve it. The knife, of course, responded to her hand.

“In one motion, your grandmother flung the blade. It sliced through an attacker’s neck and then returned to her. Another thought she was occupied and tried to sneak up from behind. Rising from a squat, without even a backward glance, her hand ripped the knife up the man’s chest to his heart. The third man turned to run away. The blade caught him in the back and came out through his heart in the front. Since the wounds disappeared, there was a lot of head scratching by the police. How did three grown men fall and hit their heads?

“She sensed the evil hidden inside a person. Many tried to hide it from her to no avail.

“After your mother and father died, your grandmother and I discussed your future. She realized the blade had chosen its next heir. Not wanting to repeat her mistake with your mother, she passed it on when you turned twelve.

“Annabelle was a sight to see standing in a warrior stance with long brown hair flowing behind her. You are a lot alike. Hair color, lithe build, attitude. In her later years, she pulled her silver hair into a top knot, while you wear yours in a horse’s tail at your neck.”

I smiled at the sudden change in the conversation. “Times and styles change.”

“Not me. I’m forever the same.”

“You understand, she died. I was coming back from her funeral. I’ll return in a month to close out the house. My place is now in Dayton where I work as a police detective.”

“I have a confession. I knew you would be coming back this way and arranged for your car to stall. You’ve sent four my way, and I wanted to meet and introduce myself. The fifth one delivered today was a bonus.”

“This stretch of road always had a strange pull to me. Now I understand why.” A text message pinged a warning on my cellphone. Her boss was getting insistent. This last note was from him.

“You must leave, I understand. A word of caution about this person you will find in Dayton. Women can be the most dangerous. They are beautiful, beguiling, and appear helpless. Don’t let your partner be fooled. You of course will follow your instincts and ignore the emotions.”

I dialed my captain, and when he answered, said, “I should be back tonight. Come in to work late tonight, or early in the morning?”

“They’ll all be gone for the day. Seven in the morning is best. I can brief you then. Safe trip home.”

“Thanks.” I closed the phone and sat on the tree stump for a while. The Gatekeeper discreetly faded away. What I learned today was interesting. Grandmother never talked about her time as Catcher. She did not mention that part of her life. I shrugged and stood.

Oh well, another needs to be sent to the Gatekeeper.