Skeleton Keys: Chapter 2

Dad pulled the car into a spot in front of an old building, and parked it. Old may have been too kind a description. The place looked deserted and on the verge of being condemned. The brick face was worn, cracked, and even crumbling in some places. A broken sign hung on the front of the building proclaiming 'Brooks' Antiques'. This couldn't be right. Grandpa took so much pride in everything he did. This whole situation just seemed wrong.

"This can't be his store," I said, turning to look at my dad. He wore a sad expression on his face. The crows feet at the corners of his eyes seemed to have deepened since the last time I'd been home. There was more gray in his hair too.

"It-" he started, but stopped himself, looking away from me. "I know the store doesn't look like much, but it's really not  what it seems like at all. I can't explain it right now. Let's just go inside and wait for Mr. Ward."

He opened his door and climbed out before I could say anything. I watched him for a moment, as he walked up to the store front. He turned back, waiting for me to get out of the car so he could lock it. I sighed and followed him.

When I'd joined him up by the front door of the store, he pulled a separate set of keys out of his pocket. Even these were out of date, looking like the keys from an old western jail cell, on a big key ring even. He opened the door, bells chiming overhead as he held it for me.

Stepping into the shop was as bad as I'd feared. The place was packed with old, dusty junk. It was just piled everywhere! There didn't seem to be any sort of organization. Jewelry and nick-knacks littered every flat surface. The furniture was dirty, stained, and some was even broken beyond repair. I eyed one of those horrible Purrbee toy pets that were so popular when I was a kid, looking at me from underneath a mangled bicycle. I really hoped the batteries were good and dead in that thing.

There were little pathways throughout the mess. One headed to the back of the store, while another seemed to meander off to the right somewhere.

Maybe Grandpa had forgotten about this place. It certainly looked abandoned. But...

I turned and bumped into a standing lamp. I caught it before it could fall, but started coughing on the amount of dust I'd set loose in the air.

"Dad, what the hell is this?" I asked after I'd replaced the lamp. "And please don't tell me it's my inheritance."

He frowned at me, debating on whether or not to call me out for using a cuss word, I think. I just glared at him, putting my growing anger into that look. He caved a little.

"I really can't say," he said, and headed off towards the back of the store. Running away from me was more like it.

I wanted to scream in frustration. He was always like this! Couldn't he just talk to me for once, instead of brushing me off?

This wasn't right; Grandpa was a perfectionist. He'd even taught me to organize puzzle pieces by their shape before starting to put the damn thing together! There was no way he'd let a place he owned fall to this level of despair. He wouldn't have forgotten about something like this!

The bells on the door behind me rang again as it opened. I turned as Mr. Ward entered, pulling the door shut after him.

"Good morning, Ms. Brooks," he said with a smile. "Is your father here as well?"

I took a deep breath. As much as this whole situation seemed wrong, I'd better at least see what the lawyer had to say. I could argue with my father all I wanted later. "Yes, he headed towards the back."

"Ah, good." He motioned for me to lead the way.

I followed the path towards the back of the shop. It led us straight to an old, musty curtain hanging up across a doorway.

"Dad?" I called, pushing the faded green fabric out of my way. On the other side was a dark hallway with a few doors on either side. I could just make out a spiral staircase at the end of it.

"In here." Dad's response came from my left, from the only door that stood open in the hallway.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I took in what looked to be the office. It was clean, tidy, and organized to the umpteenth degree. It had Grandpa's personality written all over it. But the contrasting states of the shop and the office didn't make any sense to me.

I caught sight of a black photo frame on the desk. The frame was simple, but the photo it held made me catch my breath. I stepped over, picking it up gently. It was a picture of me, in my graduation cap and gown, and Grandpa in his suit.

He'd been here then, recently because this photo was only a few months old. The office was exactly like him. I wouldn't doubt that he worked here. But why wouldn't he clean the front as well?

"I thought I'd put a pot of coffee on for us. I'm sure Apollo will want some," Dad said. He stood over by the little minifridge in the corner, pouring coffee grounds into a filter.

"Probably," Mr. Ward said. "Shall we get started?" He set his briefcase on the desk, and thumbed the combination to pop the lock on it. The lid opened easily, and he took out a folder that was two inches thick with papers.

"Ah, aren't we going to wait for Grandpa's assistant? Mr. Lambros?" I asked, setting the photo back on the desk.

"We can start without him," Mr. Ward said. "If you accept your inheritance from Edward, your grandfather, then you will be working with Mr. Lambros on a daily basis. I thought it would be appropriate for you to meet as soon as possible to get acquainted."

I glanced at Dad, who nodded.

"He's ...different, but a nice guy. Here." Dad pulled out Grandpa's old office chair and offered it to me. "Have a seat. Evan, you can have the extra chair by the desk. I'll go grab one from out front." He slipped out the door before I could even say 'thanks'.

Mr. Ward chuckled as he pulled the extra chair around. "Judging by your expression, I'm sure this is all very confusing for you."

"Confusing isn't the word for it. Mystified might be better." I sat down. Crossing my legs, I straightened my skirt a little, before turning my attention back to him.

Mr. Ward kept his expression very neutral.

Dad came back into the room, carrying an old wooden stool. The stool creaked a little as Dad sat, but it held its own. I was sure it would collapse any second. Mr. Ward opened his folder, and skimmed through the first few pages. He glanced at my Dad.

"Have you said anything to her yet as to what is going to happen today?" Mr. Ward asked.

He shook his head. "No, I haven't."

There he goes again! He knew exactly what was going on. He knew.

I'd had enough. "What's going on? If someone doesn't start explaining soon, I'm going back Florida, and I'm not coming back!" Lizzy wasn't the only who could spout an empty threat. Like hell I'd leave before Grandpa's estate was sorted out.

Dad looked away and wouldn't meet my eye. It was Mr. Ward that finally started talking, after carefully setting down his stack of papers.

"Ms. Brooks, this isn't an easy thing to say, so I'm just going to come out and say it. Your family has Reaper blood in it."

I stared at him, trying to guess the meaning of his words. "Reaper blood? What's that suppose to mean?"

He set his paperwork down. "Surely you've heard of a Reaper? A being that goes around and collects the souls of the dead?"

I nodded, "Yes, but I still don't see what it has to do with Grandpa having all this." I waved a hand, referring to the building.

"It has plenty to do with this," Mr Ward said. "Since this town was first founded, there has always been a Brooks in ownership of this property, and that family member has been the Reaper assigned to collecting the souls of the area. It's quite simple, really."

This guy was crazy! I couldn't believe he was talking about Grim reapers and souls at a time like this. I looked at Dad, trying to see if he was buying into what this lunatic was saying. Some of my disbelief must have showed, because Mr. Ward continued on.

"Perhaps we should take care of your father's inheritance first, then you can see for yourself what I am talking about."

Since I had been looking at Dad, I saw that he'd actually paled at that statement. He wasn't just nervous, I think he was scared. What was this that it could scare my Dad? Besides Mom, of course.

Mr. Ward stood, pushing his chair back and out of the way. Dad followed his example, his hands shaking a little. Seriously, he was this upset and wasn't going to say anything?

"Wait," I said, standing. "What are you going to do? Why is it such a big deal?"

"It's okay, Mary. I've been training most of my life for this moment." Dad gave me a half grin but he still looked pale. "Can't believe it's finally here, that's all. Stand back, I don't want to hit you by mistake."

I hesitated, but finally stepped back.

Mr. Ward stood in front of Dad. "Present your Keys," he said in an official tone of voice.

Dad pulled out the same set of keys that he'd used to open the front of the shop. He held them out to Mr. Ward in his open hand. I couldn't tell before, but there were only three of them on the ring, all of them old skeleton keys. One was oddly stark white, but the others looked like metal.

"Luke Adam Brooks," Mr Ward said. "Charon of District 9 Sub Area D, do you here by accept the duties of your father, Edward Luke Brooks, Reaper of said District, until the time that your Key is recalled?"

"I do," Dad replied.

"Will you offer guidance and training to the Charon that is selected to replace you, be it your blood or mortal enemy?"

"I will."

"As Named Knight Protector of Terra, do you pledge to keep watch as your father watched, and his father before him?"

Dad hesitated a moment, before nodding. "I so pledge."

"Summon your Scythe," Mr Ward said, as he reached into his pocket.

Summon? Like magic tricks or something?

I watched as Dad closed his fist around the keys, just as he closed his eyes. The air stirred in the room a little, but I couldn't tell what had caused it. I looked around, but by the time I looked back at Dad and Mr. Ward, Dad wasn't holding his keys anymore. He was holding a scythe like the grim reaper's!

Holy swiss cheese.

I sat down abruptly in my chair staring at my Dad. There was no way he could have hidden that thing somewhere! The blade itself was longer than the length of both my arms. Even with its fancy, twisted metal end resting on the ground, the blade arched a good foot over Dad's head. That meant it was close to seven-and-a-half feet long. Where had it come from?

I watched as Dad swung the blade around with practiced ease. Even though it looked heavy, he handled it effortlessly. He brought the end up so that Mr. Ward could attach the thing he held in his hand to the twisted design on the end. As he moved his hand away, I saw that it was another key. I could also see that, attached in a similar manner, were the two other keys that had been on the ring, and a strange, yellow crystal ball.

"I, Evangal Gabriel Ward, Commander of the Western Reapers of Terra, in the name of The Grim Reaper, now pronounce you Knight Protector Luke Adam Brooks, Reaper of District 9, Sub Area D. Congratulations."

I felt like I was watching a scene from a sci-fi movie. In another language, even. I didn't understand a thing that had just happened.

What did this all mean?

Mr. Ward turned to me with a smile. "Are you starting to understand now? It's your duty, your right as your father's first-born, to fill the open position of Charon. Do you have any questions?"

Uh, yeah. And the first was: what the hell is a 'Charon'?