Preface:

Zombie, there are days where you are a zombie. Not in a true sense mind you. Wake up and go on about routine, routine that grinds you and you think of nothing but the routine, the trivial things escape your notice and then like a glimmer of hope to bring smile onto your face you remember that one thing you like to do the most to brighten your day, to escape the routine. This is the story that came out of that glimmer of hope and is also a little special to my heart for various other reasons as well. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

****

It was an overcast night, so 18-year-old Saira had no idea how long she had been waiting on the roof until she heard nine faint chimes of the Grandfather clock in her father’s study. Just as the chimes stopped, she heard the jingle of the keys and moments later, she first saw the tiny keys reflecting the faint light from the back windows of her house and then she saw him walking a jolly walk. As soon as he came close, his face split wider in a grin and she reflected it.

“How have you been today Mr. Keys Keeper?” she asked for that is how she had called him as long as she could remember and nobody had corrected her otherwise.

“Very. Well. Young. Lady. How. Have. You. Been?” He asked in his clipped metallic voice.

“Fine, thank you.” She replied and pulled her blanket out of the way so that eleven foot tall, Mr. Keys Keeper could sit on the roof as though he was sitting on a chair near the dining table. He sat with utter grace for a man of his size.

They sat there in silence for a while looking at the overcast sky and the woods around making remarks at the shapes of the dark clouds, the silhouette of the trees that were vaguely visible over the horizon in the dark occasionally. Then without preamble, Saira fished in her pockets and pulled out five partially rusted keys. He peered down into her hands and his eyes widened in surprise “Five? Today?”

She nodded. He took them delicately from her hands and looked down grimly “I. Am. Getting. Old.”

“Uh Huh.” she replied without reservation for he would remark every day that he was getting old but to her surprise today he added “Wish. Had. A. Youngling.”

As he put the keys back in their place she wondered how she had never enquired. But today she did “Say, Mr. Keys Keeper, is there a Mrs. Keys Keeper?”

He chuckled in that Metallic voice “No. Young. Lady. I. Alone. Am. A. Keys. Keeper. In. This. World.”

They were silent for the next moment reminiscing in their own thoughts and then she sighed “Exactly how I feel.”

He turned to her in surprise “Why? You. Have. Very. Understanding. Father. Mr. Jay. A. Guardian. Who. Is. Respected. Everywhere.”

She laughed “Understanding? When I talk to him it is like I am talking to a different species who don’t understand our tongue. Always immersed in his crazy theories…” she trailed in frustration and then added “I wish I could go to the city.” and then she became animated as she spoke “Go to a college Maybe. Or maybe I could even travel and explore the world, meet new people – a lot of people!” and then her face fell as she fished out a smooth white rock from under her blanket and clasped it in her hands closing her eyes.

When she opened them, he asked “What. Do. You. See? College? World? New. People?”

“No” she sighed “All I see is that house, lit with lights in the night, yellow curtains billowing in the summer breeze and yellow hyacinths on the porch.” She looked back at the cottage in front of their cottage that had stayed unoccupied as long as she could remember.

Mr. Keys Keeper humped and they sat in silence for a long time and as they heard the faint ten chimes of the grandfather clock, Mr. Keys Keeper got up from the roof “See. You. Tomorrow. Young. Lady.” he said to which Saira replied with a Goodnight.

He walked off into the wood, with the keys jingling for minutes after the dark woods swallowed him up. She looked around at the dark woods for a moment longer and then started to climb down carefully holding onto the ledges and pipes like she had always done. When her feet touched the ground, she noticed three keys that he had dropped. Shaking her head, she picked them up and walked to the front of the cottage, sparing a glance at the other empty cottage.

***

Saira stood on the porch as the Hans family unpacked their luggage with help of workers from one of the packing and moving companies. Their young son, tall and skinny, who looked about eight years, was skulking around.

His mother, Mrs.Hans called out to him “Neel, come on it is going to be alright. It is only for a short while.”

“You always say that!” Neel shouted stubbornly. “You said that the last time and you bring me here, into the middle of nowhere where we wouldn’t know even if a zombie apocalypse strikes us!”

“Trust me; it is only till your dad finishes his research.”

“Research! Research! Research! It is always researching this, research that!” Neel stormed out without another word, grabbing a truck from one of the unpacked boxes on his way and ran behind the cottage.

Mrs. Hans sighed and that was when she sighted Saira. She smiled at her “Hello,” she greeted.

“Hello,” Saira replied with a smile.

“We moved in just this morning.”

“I Know, Papa told me.” Saira thumbed the white stone in her pocket, she had known even before her Papa had told her.

“You should be Mr. Jay’s daughter. Saira?”

Saira nodded her eyes following the direction in which Neel had stormed off.

“He is usually a well-behaved boy. He misses his friends back home.” Mrs. Hans said apologetically.

“Oh! I don’t know, these woods of Maya can be quiet interesting for a young man his age. He will come around in no time.”

Saira heard her Papa behind her. She nodded at Mrs. Hans agreeing with her Papa. She remembered like it was yesterday how she had fallen in love with the woods.

“Where do we put this Mrs. Hans?” A man from the Packers and Movers Company asked pointing at a couch they were carrying.

“Over there..” She pointed and then looked at Saira and her Papa “Excuse me, Mr. Jay, Saira.” she said apologetically and went in, to show the packers and movers the way.

“Do you think the family can be trusted, Papa?” Saira asked.

“We will know very soon, won’t we?” he replied with a kind of twinkle in his eyes.

“The boy seems to be very stubborn.”

“Oh! Everyone is at that age.” He said before he opened the book in his hand and lost himself in it.

“Really?” Saira asked not expecting a reply. She surely had never behaved like that! Did she ever throw a tantrum like that?

***

Neel didn’t understand why his parents had to go to the city so suddenly – a month after they had moved from the city and why he had to spend time with the neighbors, the only neighbors, boring neighbors who didn’t even have the latest zombie attack comics. All he saw were many, huge, old musty smelling books that the girl Saira was reading with her nose close to the pages like she was smelling them instead of reading. He could have at least spent his valuable time exploring the huge ant hill he had spied the other day near that gnarly old Pine tree, but no, he was stuck here. “There is a warning for the heat wave.” He mocked his mom’s voice in his head “He is sensitive to heat. Don’t let him out.”

Driven by boredom he pulled the pieces of his truck he had smashed in anger earlier and started to put it back together. He knew he could put it back. He was not dumb enough to break his precious toy if he couldn’t put it back together. When he finally finished, he looked around to find himself alone in the room. He looked around planning in his head, different ways to escape. One plan more imaginative than the other. He saw it just as he was looking at the table by the window – an eye peering at him. He had to look again but it was there a moment ago but was gone now. Slowly but surreptitiously he walked to the table and looked into the bowl which was the only thing on it.  All that was there were a few rusty keys and a very ordinary looking white stone. Disappointed he scooped up the keys in one hand and the stone in the other about to say “how original?” but his voice caught in his throat when the rust on the keys in his hands fell apart as if the Keys were shaking themselves from a long sleep and then they snapped close together as though drawn by a magnetic force. Shocked he dropped the stone. The keys in his hand fell apart like they were ordinary keys. Now, driven by this strange incident, he picked up the stone again and the keys snapped back together. He was delighted to have discovered this. It was like magic!

“Hello there!”

Neel was startled from his revelation when he heard a voice behind him. He turned around, hiding the Keys and the stone behind his back to find the old man, Mr. Jay walk in towards one of the bookshelves, jovially saying “Good to see you, young man!”  and then as he was about to leave he asked as if he was noticing Neel startled for the first time “Are you alright Young Man?”

Neel gulped and only nodded his head.

Mr. Jay’s eyes traveled to look on the table behind Neel and a strange twinkle came up in his eyes. Neel knew he was caught in the act but Mr. Jay simply held the book under his arm and said with a genuine smile “Well, I hope you are having a good time Young man.” and left the room.

***

“Papa, Papa!” Saira yelled, she knew they had to be here somewhere. The clock chimed one single time to indicated half-past eight that night, she was getting late. Mr. Jay walked into the room with his head still buried in a book.

“Yes?” he asked without looking up.

“Have you seen Mr. Keys Keeper’s Keys and my stone? I left them here.”

“Where?” he asked still looking into the book.

“Here? On the table! By this window!” she said exasperatedly.

“The table by which young Neel was standing earlier? No.” Mr. Jay walked out of the room his eyes still on the book.

“That Thieving!” was all Saira could manage before she stormed out of her cottage and started knocking on the Hans’ door.

When Mrs. Hans opened the door Saira realized her mistake and instead asked “Hello Mrs. Hans, How was your trip into the city? Good, I hope?” what else was she going to ask Mrs. Hans? Hello, Mrs. Hans have you seen your son with a few bunch of rusty old keys and a stone that can be picked up anywhere. You see he stole from me? She would definitely sound crazy not to mention like a hoarder of all old, useless things.

“Hello Saira, good thank you. Please do come in.” Mrs. Hans invited Saira.

Saira stepped into the cottage that looked exactly similar to hers except Hans’ family cottage was decorated mostly in yellow while her house was a mix of colors from light blue of the pain on the walls to various colored book and flower vases.

“Anything I can help you with?” Mrs. Hans asked politely.

“Can I talk to Neel?” she asked uncertainly.

“He should be in his room.” Mrs. Hans said leading the way “Did he do something?”

“Oh! No, no! There was something I forgot.  Er… I just need to talk to him for a moment.” She said wincing at how ridiculous that sounded.

“This way…” Mrs. Hans led looking at Saira suspiciously and opened a door calling “Neel, Saira is here for you.” The door had a poster that read “Zombie Safe Bunk. Adults not allowed” scrawled in color pens.

“Strange!” Mrs. Hans said, he was supposed to be in his bed. “Neel!” she yelled at the top of her voice, “I tell him not to go into the attic.” She added to no one in particular and then looked at Saira “I am sure he is hiding in the attic again. I will be back.” She said leaving Saira standing in front of Neel’s bedroom and called “Neel! You will get it if I find you in the attic again.” She shouted as she climbed the stairs.

Saira waited for a moment after Mrs. Hans was out of sight and she stole into Neel’s room, shutting the door quietly behind her. She looked around, there were numerous toys lying around set up in formations to imitate mock battles. She started to search whatever she could reach, wondering where he might have hidden the keys and the stone. She was about to give up thinking that Mrs. Hans would be back when she spied a sort of a box concealed under the bed. She listened for Mrs. Hans’ footsteps. When she was sure Mrs. Hans wasn’t back yet, she pulled the box out. It was a chest. She opened it and she was surprised.

There, in the chest sat her stone and numerous keys no doubt but the keys were not rusty old keys she had been picking up after Mr. Keys Keeper. These were new keys arranged in a miniature form of Mr. Keys Keeper. Then she saw her white stone, still eyeing the miniature Mr. Keys Keeper, she picked up the white stone. The moment her hands touched the stone she almost squealed in delight but immediately clamped her mouth and listened for Mrs. Hans. She wasn’t back yet. Saira’s heart started to beat fast, faster than she had ever felt. Gleeful, she picked up the chest and ran from Hans’s cottage to the back of her own cottage. Breathing hard she smiled – she should have known. She opened the chest again and looked inside. She sat there marveling at this new development.

“Gotcha!” Saira almost jumped out of her skin when she heard the voice, she looked to find Neel holding a plastic sword in front of him.

“Neel, what are you doing out here?”

“I was merely scouting the area for any rouge zombies when I saw you running out of my house carrying something. What is it?” he asked peeking behind her and almost immediately shouted “Hey! That’s my Treasure Chest! You stole my Chest! You are a thief!”

Saira was offended at this “Well! Look who is calling whom a thief? You stole them from me in the first place!”

“I found them!” Neel replied insolently “Finders- Keepers. Losers-weepers.” He added in a sing-song voice.

Saira was amused but at the same time wanted to teach him a lesson “Well Mr. Finder Then I found them now. So they belong to me now.”

“Give them back!” Neel lunged forward dropping all pretenses but Saira was ready for him and she tackled him but Neel wasn’t one to give up. They struggled there silently.

“What. Seems. To. Be. The. Matter?” They heard the metallic voice.

Neel looked up from the struggle and immediately froze with his mouth wide open.

“He stole my stone and your keys and calls me a thief.” Saira fumed as she untangled herself from Neel.

“Tut-Tut-Tut” Mr. Keys Keeper Tutted “Explain. Yourself. Young Man!”

“You are a Golem!” Neel shouted ecstatically.

Mr. Keys Keeper bowed low to look at Neel, the light from Saira’s cottage windows caught his eyes which were more of keys arranged to look like eyes rather than real eyes. They sparkled in amusement. Neel didn’t even flinch.

“Why? Yes. Young. Man. That. Is. What. My. Makers. Called. Me.”

“A huge gigantic Iron Golem made of Keys.” Neel reeled off as he walked around Mr. Keys Keeper.

Mr. Keys Keeper chuckled as Saira still fumed in anger.

“Were those your keys I found all over the woods?”

“Yes. I. believe. So. I Keep. Loosing. Them.”

“Why so many keys?”

“There. Are. Many. Doors. With. Locks.”

“What doors? Do also have keys to my house?”

Mr. Keys Keeper shook his head still amused “Doors. To. Places.”

“What Places? Can I visit these places?”

Mr. Keys Keeper caught Saira’s eye. Instead of answering the question he asked “Why. Did. You. Steal. From. Such. A. Wonderful. Young. Lady?”

Neel’s face fell, he knew he had been a bad boy. What was he thinking stealing things? Now he knew he would never get to see those places.

“I am sorry.” He mumbled.

Saira softened a bit. “Tell you what, we forget this ever happened and we can start from the beginning.”

Neel brightened “Really?”

“Yes, but you will have to keep it a secret.”

“Why?”

“What would your parents think if they see you talking to a…” Saira trailed as she eyed Mr. Keys Keeper.

“Talking. Thing. Made. Of. Keys?” Mr. Keys Keeper offered. Saira blushed.

“I am not supposed to tell them ever?” Neel asked saddened. He wanted to share this marvel with his parents.

“No,” Saira shook her head “Only until my Papa finds time to explain about Mr. Keys Keeper to your parents.”

“So, that’s your name Mr. Keys Keeper?”

“I call him that,” Saira answered.

Neel shook his head “How original?”

“Can you keep this secret?”

“Is he magic?” Neel asked ignoring her question.

“Neel?” Saira persisted.

“yes. Yes! Is he magic.?”

Before Saira could answer him they heard Mrs. Hans voice calling out for Neel.

“You have to go to your mom Neel.” Saira urged.

Neel’s face fell.

“Young. Man. I come. Here. Every. Day. At. Nine. We. Will. Meet. Again. Don’t. Keep. Your. Mother. Waiting.”

“Promise?” Neel asked.

“I. Swear. It. On. My. Heart. Keys.” Mr. Keys Keeper crossed his heart.

With one last look, Neel walked off half-heartedly.

“What were you doing out there?” They heard Mrs. Hans ask Neel and then something incomprehensible that Neel mumbled. After a moment’s silence, Mr. Keys Keeper helped Saira onto the roof with the chest under her arms. When she had settled herself comfortably he asked “What. Was. All. That. Young. Lady?”

Saira smiled unable to contain her excitement, she rubbed her sweaty palms on her trousers and slowly opened the chest to show it to Mr. Keys Keeper.

He peered into it and then looked up “Is. That. Who. I. Think. It. Is?” He asked with surprise.

Saira nodded unable to contain herself, she held up her stone and squealed “Isn’t he exactly like you? I saw him animated, running behind you. You were teaching him things.”

A slow oily tear ran down Mr. Keys Keepers cheek. “A. youngling. Of. My. Own. At. Last. What. Else?” He asked.

“I saw myself among people! Lots and lots of them! I was in a classroom surrounded by friends!” she squealed. He nodded in happiness.

They sat there looking at the chest for a moment. Then Saira leaned her head on Mr. Keys Keepers thigh. She could barely reach his arm if she stood up. “But I feel like I am not ready for that yet.” She sighed as the excitement wore off.

“But. It. Is. Time. To. Pass. On. The. Mantle. Young. Lady.” He spoke quietly.

“But I don’t want to.” Saira protested.

“Young. Lady. You. Know. Now. That. Guardians. Have. To. Pass. On. The. Mantle. When. The. Time. Comes. You. Said. Yourself. You. Wanted .To. Explore. The. World.”

“Not so soon. Not so fast.” She cried wiping her nose on the end of her sweater.

Mr. Keys Keeper delicately lifted her head “We. Let. Go. Of. Past. To. Move. Forward. That. Is. How. We. Grow. Up.” He said.

She knew he was right.

“You. Can. Come. Back. When. You. Have. Explored. The. World. To. Your. Fill.” He added.

She nodded, thinking about her father. That is exactly what he had done “I don’t think he is good enough to be a guardian.” She said meaning Neel.

Mr. Keys Keeper smiled “Every. Guardian. Is. Unique. Just. As. Every. Finger. On Your. Hand. Is.”

“Just as the white stone presents itself with a unique gift for each guardian.” She added as she knew Mr. Keys Keeper was right again.

They sat in silence looking up at the sky. The sky was clear today, they sat gazing and naming the constellations. When they heard ten faint chimes of the grandfather clock, Mr. Keys Keeper jumped down from the roof and said “Good. Bye. Young. Lady. It. Was. Honor. To. have. You. As. Our. Guardian.”

“I am going to miss you.” She said heavy hearted.

“And. I. You. But. Never. Forget.” He added.

“Never. Forget.” She smiled.

With that Mr. Keys Keeper bowed his head and walked into the woods swallowed by the darkness. She sat there on the roof until the clock chimed once to indicate half-past-ten. She slowly climbed down with Neel’s chest tied to her trousers with her headband.  When she reached the ground she looked around as she had always done looking for Mr. Keys Keeper’s rusty keys but smiled when she didn’t find any. She walked to the front of her cottage making a mental note of how she would return the chest to Neel. As she entered the house, she saw her Papa on the sofa.

He looked up and smiled as if he had been waiting for her “I wanted to talk to you about your education. I think you have passed the level of being homeschooled anymore what do you think? College in the city maybe?”

Saira knew then that her papa would always understand her even if she felt otherwise.

***

That night Neel had a very hard time sleeping. His mind kept marveling at the thought of Mr. Keys Keeper. He wondered; if Golems were real then what else from the stories were real? He was restless about meeting Mr. Keys Keeper the next day. He would ask him if there was more magic in the woods. Maybe he would become a wizard? Finally, when he fell asleep, he dreamed of feasting with fairies, swimming with nymphs, playing with the fawns and then running from…. Zombies?

***