Change of the soul jar – Finders keepers

It’s empty. It was empty from the start. Only, that’s not really true is it? Maybe not. But that isn’t what’s important. What’s important is whether or not Steve will pull the trigger. It’s the final few minutes. He knows it. It’s now or never. He pulls in a long, slow, breath of fresh air. The sense of calm that was with him before, returns. He looks through the sights, down the weapons length, and begins to squeeze the trigger. This isn’t him. Or is it? Less than a minute away. Then he’ll know.

Release

It was at a yard sale when he found it. How many times in his life has he heard the stories about the amazing find at a yard sale? For example, the priceless historical document, hidden in the frame of a common watercolor painting. Or maybe a strange decorative box, with a hidden compartment full of diamonds. Of course, Steve never thought he would encounter something like that. In fact, the yard sale where he found it, was his first yard sale in many years.

He wouldn’t have stopped, except for the brightly colored bicycle that caught his eye. When he saw it, his mind immediately thought about Chris. Although the bike wouldn’t be of much use, perhaps something here might be. It was a feeling. Truthfully, Steve hadn’t thought about much of anything but work lately. He remembers thinking he would find something at the yard sale, though. It wasn’t a hunch. It was a certainty. Therefore, he wasn’t surprised when he found the soul jar.

The Soul Jar

Everyone knows that one man’s junk, is another man’s gold. Yard sales are full of junk, and gold. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the former, from the latter. It really depends. Therefore, the possibilities at a yard sale, can be endless. Steve went in knowing he would find something, but not what he would find. This is the end result of acting on a feeling. Steve felt compelled to enter the yard sale. He even felt compelled to buy the, strangely decorated, small jar.

He couldn’t have said in a thousand years why he felt compelled. Or even why it felt purposeful. He felt compelled to purchase the small jar with the attached lid. There were a few other odds and ends, but he clearly remembers feeling drawn to the jar. Later that evening he was looking at the things he found at the yard sale. Including the jar. He gets a sharp, small, jolt when he picks up the jar. Similar to a static electricity shock, it catches him off guard. He feels slightly surprised.

The jar appears to be very old. Steve shakes the jar. He can hear something rattling inside it. It’s about the size of a pint jar. Furthermore, the outside of the jar has strange inscriptions that are molded into the glass. Steve examines the wire hasp holding the lid closed. The lid sits tightly on the jar. After a few minutes he figures out how to release the hasp. With a little effort he is able to pry the lid open. A sweet, fruity smell permeates the air around him. The jar is almost half full of dark looking, clove-like buttons.

Finders Keepers

Not buttons. But not cloves either. In fact, they smell almost like a room freshener. Very fruity with a hint of cinnamon. Steve closes the lid and sets the jar on the end table in his living room. At the very least, it might make a good air freshener.Twenty minutes later, he wins the lottery. Not the big Powerball lottery, but a scratch off ticket. However, it is still a substantial sum. Furthermore, Steve has never won anything in his life.

Over the next hour several outstanding things happen. Not only does Steve win a large sum of money from a scratch off ticket, but also he gets a call from the hospital. For the first time in months there are signs of activity in the brain scans for Chris. Steve wastes no time. He races to the hospital. It is promising at first. After all this time, will Chris finally make some progress? And then after a couple of days, everything is back to its previous state.

Steve isn’t too disappointed. There have been false alarms before. However, it didn’t make it any easier to bear. He made his way back home that evening determined to keep his hopes high. In fact, thanks to the winnings from the scratch off lottery ticket, he is going to be able to move closer to the hospital. There were more than a few people who thought Steve was finally losing it, but he refused to give up.

Quitting wasn’t an option. He looks at the old soul jar on the end table in his living room. Remembering the scent of the sweet musky buttons inside the jar, he opens the lid, and the scent fills the room. Ten seconds later, the phone rings.

Soul Jar Release

That phone call was another report on Chris. There was activity again. Furthermore, they were certain it was more than an anomaly. And they wanted Steve down there as soon as possible. He went. After a few days the activity diminished. However, before the lull, Steve won the lottery again. This time a random one. He was the one millionth customer at the local gas n go. It came with a year’s worth of free gas.

By the time Steve made it home that night his hands were shaking so bad he could barely unlock the door. On wobbly legs he stumbles over to the end table in his living room. The jar is sitting there. Innocently. Steve sits down on the sofa next to the end table. His suspicions make no sense, yet they tug and pull at his mind. He picks up the soul jar and twists the wire hasp on the lid. The lid pops open easily, and the sweet musky scent of fruit, fills the room. He sets the jar down on the table and leaves it open this time.

Thirty seconds later the phone rings. The message is brief, and the phone is still off the hook, when the door to the apartment closes behind Steve. He is on one train of thought, and one train only. The hospital. He has to get back to the hospital. Chris is awake. _{^{to be continued}}

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