My First Memory

After the incident with Earl the other night, I started to think that the odd things that were happening were a series of connected events instead of just a coincidence. It was my first day off in a while and I decided to go to my hope chest and open up my old memory box that I thought would help me to connect the Chow-chow, "the face" , and the green squirrel. It was a small wooden box with two humming birds carved on it facing each other, holding a rose between them. The box was also carved all the way around and was very detailed. It took me a while to find the special key that went to the lock. In fact looking at the key you wouldn't think it did anything at all. The key was gold, flat and about an inch long with two prongs at the end. The key always used to remind me of a tiny crow bar.
I hadn't looked in this box for years but I was convinced that the things that were happening had to do with my past. I just didn't know how. I found the whole thing to be very frustrating mainly because I couldn't remember details from when I was young. As I opened the wooden lid, I spotted an old letter wrapped in a plastic sandwich bag. The Letter read on the outside "My Dearest Dreamcatcher" written in beautiful script. I slowly fingered the letter as I slipped it out of the plastic sleeve. I took a deep breath and started to read.

My Dearest Dreamcatcher,
You have a lifetime mission to fulfill. You have been called to greatness. This is a position of honor that has been a corner stone of our Legacy. I am proud of who you have become, but you are still young. How I wish that I could come with you. I believe in you. Please allow me to offer this word of advice: Remember each item that is put in your charge is precious and must be protected at all costs. Practice your talents each day, prepare for the day when the adversaries will find you (for it will come), and remember that we will be watching.
With all my devotion and love,
Otec

I stared at the letter for a moment as tears filled my eyes. I wiped the tears away and remembered a man with deep brown eyes wearing a blue robe. He was standing away from me as he threw what looked like a flaming hot white baseball at me. I felt a twinge of worry, but then felt a surge of brilliance and caught the ball as it came toward me. As I looked around, and realized I was standing in a grassy arena. I couldn't see the faces of anyone else but I knew I was being watched ...and tested. The man with the deep brown eyes gave me a look of encouragement and said, "Good deed my little dreamcatcher in training, now just one more." I giggled...
My doorbell rang and I was pulled back to my bedroom clutching the letter in my hands. I was a little annoyed as I walked to the front door. I was about to give the person at the door a piece of my mind for taking me away from such a great memory so I decided to take a deep breath before I opened the door. As I reached for the door handle with my right hand I saw the gold symbol on the glass ring flicker. Of all the things that I did not remember, this was not one of them. I remembered that when the ring flickered it meant someone sinister was near. I felt a shiver up my spine and did the only thing I could think of to do. I panicked.
I quickly grabbed my keys and ran the other way, out the side door through the garage. I got to the locked gate that would let me sneak to my car and hid. I couldn't remember the combination to the lock. "Oh crap", I thought. "okay just breath" I told myself. I remembered I had written a hint on the back of the lock to help me...in case I forgot the combo. As I reached up to turn the lock over, I heard the voice of Earl say, "Come on ...miss. open the door. surely you remember me." he hesitated then continued, "I just wanted to apologize for scaring you the other day."
When the door didn't open I could hear him getting irritated. His breathing got harder and harder. I got the feeling that any minute now he was going to put his fist through the door. "Open up you stinky dreamcatcher. I know it's you. I have been searching for you for decades."
I remembered the combination and fumbled a couple times as my heart was racing. I tried to stay quiet but Mugsy thought we were playing and kept rubbing up against my leg. I finally released the lock, open the gate, and peered out. The ring on my finger was turning hot white as I heard the bolt on my front door unlock.