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The Keeper of the Souls
Jade Gerlitz


Copyright © 2014 by Jade Gerlitz
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.
First Printing: 2014
ISBN
Jade Gerlitz Publishing
1 Sugar Creek Lane
Waukee, Iowa 50263

Dedication
I dedicate this book to my therapist who told me the voices in my head and the things I see would make a good book. To my best friend who always read what I wrote no matter how crappy it was. To my English teachers for always rooting me on. And lastly to the boy who asked me if I would rather be remembered why a stone or a story. I chose a story.



Chapter 1
I glanced around, as if I had just been shot down by a spaceship onto an alien planet. Slowly, taking a step forward, the grass squished beneath my feet. The world looked the same, yet it just didn't feel the right. Looking around again I saw them steadily emerging from the shadows and out from behind people.
The Soul Keepers. Immediately I knew why it felt so strange. I had been transported to the Land, a small island off the coast of North America, half the island was a country called the Land. It looked like America, it smelt like America, there was American fast food, shops, and restaurants, we spoke the same language, but it just didn't feel like America. The Soul Keepers are to blame for that. Just like they sound, they keep your soul. I shouldn't say keep, they hoard your soul. Taking them, picking them off of people, one by one, piece by piece. They used them to open the portal to their half of the island, the Unforgivable.
Where our side of the island was peaceful and commercialized, their side of the island was a desolate wasteland. Covered in trash, sand, and dead plants, their side was truly unforgivable. Logically they should want to stay over here, with us. Wrong. The Soul Keepers wanted nothing to do with us, we were their biggest enemies. It has something to do with the Great War.
The Great War is something you learn about in class. It's like World War I or II, only this took place solely between the Soul Keepers and us. In order to destroy them we had to make a hydro bomb, due to the fact that the only thing that could destroy them was water. It sounds weird to humans, a giant water fight could do nothing to us but destroy a whole species, melting them little by little, until their skin sagged off their bodies. Logically it sounded a bit odd to us. After dropping the bomb and soaking their part of the island they had to either leave or dissolve like everyone that had been directly hit. They all chose to leave, locking the gate behind them. Little did they know it would be locked forever, well until they caught the right soul. Because of this every day they would search for and collect souls and every night they would try to unlock the gate with the souls they collected.
Some might wonder what happens to the humans once their souls are taken. Nothing. Most humans don't use their souls anymore so they don't even notice when it’s gone. There are a small handful of us that do have our souls. We are called Snatchers. We have the power to snatch back soul from the Keepers, making our souls twenty times more important to them. Not only am I a Snatcher, but I am also the key. I am Abby, a sixteen year old Snatcher, and the key to the Unforgivable.
Chapter 2
Wesley, my best friend, poked me in the ribs whispering under his breath, “Smile.” I looked around as stealthy as possible, trying not to draw attention to myself. The Soul Keepers paced around the desks that all of the students were sitting in.
“Why are they here?” I said back. Shrugging, he returned to the trigonometry homework our teacher assigned at the beginning of class. Curiosity got the best of me, and slowly I raised my hand.
“Yes Abby?” Mrs. Redcliff asked.
“Why are the Soul Keepers here?” I responded. They all immediately turned and stared at me. I felt a sucking feeling, as a small part of my soul was taken out of my body. Luckily I snatched it back seconds after it left allowing me not to be caught, giving away my identity.
“They’re here to observe our class structure.” She smiled tentatively. I nodded, pretending to be satisfied with this answer. I finished up my last trig problem and closed my book and tucking it into my backpack. I’d have to wait to talk to Wesley about this, but it seemed like they were always following me now, as if they were catching onto who I really was.

Chapter 3
“Finn, come on, stop messing around,” I begged. He looked at me with his big brown eyes, the same ones I used to look at my parents with and then went back to dancing around me as we walked home from school with Wesley. It seemed like every corner we turned there was another Soul Keeper standing there, waiting, which made it especially difficult to tell Wes what I thought was going on. Finally, once we turned onto our street, Wes broke the silence between us.
“What was with you today,” He questioned.
I sighed, “I swear, Wes, they’re on to me, they know I’m the one.” My voice was barely above a whisper once I got to the last two words. I looked over my shoulder and continued to say “It’s like they’re always around me, like today at school, or on the way home. They’re following me everywhere!”
Wesley, being the skeptical person he was, eyed me suspiciously, “Come on, you can’t be serious. There is absolutely no way they know, Abby. I mean it’s not like you prance around screaming it to the world while wearing a sign across your chest. Stop being such a worry wart.”
I huffed, “I am not a worry wart. I mean you’ve noticed they’ve been hanging around a lot more lately.” Shrugging and officially ending the conversation, he didn’t speak to me until we stopped at his house.
“Stop worrying about this ok? Promise me you won’t think about this?” Wes pleaded. I nodded my head and he went in to hug me. I wrapped my arms around his waist and Finn made kissing noises.
“Finnegan stop,” I snapped. Instantly shutting up, Wesley walked back to his house.
“Aaaaabby, what was Wes and you talking about?”
“It’s not important Finn,” I murmured under my breath. We walked hand in hand across the street to our house where our aunt and uncle greeted us at the door.
Lately there had been something off about them. I mean, they were still normal per say, but their mannerisms changed. For example, Aunt Suzie used to always be in the kitchen making an afternoon snack when we got home. And Uncle Rob would be in the study reading, but now they both great us at the door with a fake smile plastered to their faces. This shift in personality could only mean one thing. Their souls were disappearing, and soon they were going to be completely gone, leaving Finn and I to be the only ones with them left in this family.

Chapter 4
“Hi Aunt Suzie, hi Uncle Rob,” Finn yelled as he ran upstairs, backpack still swung over his shoulder.
“Aunt Suzie, can I use the computer in the study tonight?” I asked. Still smiling she nodded. The old Suzie would’ve corrected me, making me say may I, like a polite little girl. Slowly I backed away from her into the study. Pulling up the internet browser and logging into chat online, I clicked on Wes’s and Philip’s icon.
I swear my aunt and uncle’s souls are missing. I typed
No way, come on you can’t have that rotten of luck. First your older brother, then your parents and now your aunt and uncle. Not possible. Philip, Wes’s best friend, typed back.
Yeah, no way your life can suck that much. Wes finally wrote after a few minutes of deliberating.
Fine don’t believe me? Come over for dinner. Suzie’s making lasagna and garlic toast. You can see for yourself. I waited for their response. Both boys agreed and without anything left to say we all logged off our computers.

Chapter 5
A few hours later we were all sitting around watching two teenage boys and an eight year old shovel mounds upon mounds of food into their mouths, only stopping to catch their breath.
“This is great Suzie,” Wes said scooping more food into his mouth. He looked up to see that instead of responding she just continued to smile her bogus smile.
“Yeah, real great,” Philip joined in. Uncle Rob let out a hearty laugh even though there was nothing funny to even laugh at and all three of us shot glances at each other.
“Hey Uncle Rob, may Wes, Philip, and I be excused?” I asked. He nodded, and all three of us quickly cleared our plates, dumping the food in the garbage and dumping our plates into the sink. After, we sprinted up the flight of stairs and turned the corner into my room.
Slamming the door, I grabbed the chair and planted my butt into it while Philip, being uncomfortable with sitting on my bed, sat on the floor. Wes started doing what he does best and paced back and forth.
“They’re so phony,” Wes practically yelled.
Motioning for him to keep it down I replied, “I know. Why are they like this? I mean most people don’t even really change once their souls are gone.”
“Abby, do you remember your parents? They practically went crazy when their souls were taken,” Wes said.
“They did go crazy remember. That’s why I’m here.”
Philip cleared his throat and interjected, “Have you guys ever thought about the possibility that that’s what happens when a snatcher gets their soul taken?”
“But I mean, can being a snatcher be hereditary though?” I questioned. Finn may be in danger if it is, and I needed to know.
“I mean, both my parents are snatchers,” Philip said.
“Yeah, and I wouldn’t know seeing as I’m not a snatcher just a lowly tag along,” Wesley huffed, obviously annoyed at his downfall in his friend group. I sat there pondering the fact that the biggest secret in the Land could be hereditary with meant there’s more snatchers than I originally thought.
“Too bad we can’t have like a snatcher club,” I sighed, “but that would be way too risky.” I almost wanted to say too bad we need the snatchers. Sometimes it’s easier accepting the fate of others without trying to change it, but I could never say that. I’m supposed to be come kind of superhero of sorts, saving innocent souls from something they can’t even see. “I know one thing for sure, I’m going to get my aunt and uncle’s soul back. I was too young to do that for my parents, but this time I won’t fail.”
“Abby, you don’t have to be the hero. I know it was tough losing your parents, but you don’t have to save your aunt and uncle to make up for that,” Philip reassured.
Wes stopped pacing and added, “Yeah, I’d rather those two be without souls than you. This is super risky you know.”
I did know. I would have to follow the Soul Keepers around until I found the right one. Then, without him even feeling, I’d have to take the souls back. It’s not only risky but nearly impossible after a Soul Keeper has had a soul for an extended period of time. But I know I had to do this. I was a snatcher and this was my job.

Chapter 6
“Hey Aunt Suzie, can I hang out with Wesley and Philip?” I yelled down from my room.
“Is your homework finished?” Uncle Rob questioned. Even though I couldn’t see him I could sense that the smile was still glued to his face.
“Uh yeah, and don’t worry, I’ll be home by ten,” I said back. Once I gave a nod to Philip and Wesley we all made our way downstairs and out the front door without even passing Finn who I could hear from the other room begging them to let him go with us.
“Should we let Finn go with us?” Philip asked. For some reason he was obsessed with Finn and vice versa. I shot him a look and instantly he shut up.
We walked all over our neighborhood, but we couldn’t find a single Soul Keeper which was extremely odd.
“First they were following me and now they’re nowhere to be found,” I complained.
“Maybe they know you’re on to them,” Wes joked. He may have been joking, but it made perfect sense. Obviously something was up and Soul Keepers were pretty intelligent, granted snatchers were smarter. Eventually we branched out from our neighborhood into the surrounding ones.
I sighed. After two hours of looking there still wasn’t a single Soul Keeper in sight. “Come on guys, let’s just go home.” Just as I said that a dark figure appeared. Then another and another until five Soul Keepers enclosed us into a tight circle. Slowly my soul felt as if it was being sucked out of me through my head. With as much might as I could possibly muster I snatched it back, grabbing as many souls as I possibly could along with it.
“Come on guys!” Finn yelled. He must’ve been following us the whole time. Tossing water balloons at the Soul Keepers, Finn kept yelling at us to run. Snatching the last of the souls, Philip, Wes and I ran grabbing Finnegan on the way.
Though I should’ve been mad at him I buried my face into Finn’s hair smelling his apple mango shampoo. “Oh Finnegan, you’re such a devious but intelligent eight year old.”
Philip patted his back and we made our way back to my house, releasing the souls along the way and watching them make their way back to their owners knowing most wouldn’t even know that their souls had been missing at all. Once we had finally arrived to our street, Philip and Wes went across the street waving goodbye to us from Wes’s doorway. Walking into the house I noticed instantly I had made the right choice.

Chapter 7
“Finnegan Jacob Wittenmier, where have you been?” Uncle Rob boomed. Finn looked at me giving me a rather confused look. I shrugged, knowing what happened but not wanting to divulge too much to an eight year old.
“I’m sorry Uncle Rob. He must’ve followed me when I left,” I tried to act as sincere as possible. I went up and hugged both of them sensing their souls had returned to their bodies, proving what I already knew by the fact that their bogus smile had disappeared from their face and been replaced by a look of concern.
“Bed now,” Aunt Suzie ordered Finn. As he walked up the stairs he turned back around to see all three of us whispering in a hushed voice.
“What are you guys talking about,” Finn whined. Smiling I shook my head and he finished walking up the stairs, slamming the door showing his obvious annoyance.
Suzie sighed, “Our souls? You got them back?” I nodded thinking obviously I did you wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t, but I didn’t dare say that aloud. “How long were they gone?” I shrugged, not really in the mood to talk.
“Probably a week or so, maybe a little more,” I answered. Uncle Rob scooped me up into a hug showing his gratitude.
“So now is it a good time to tell you I didn’t actually finish my homework,” I giggled. Aunt Suzie smiled.
“Go upstairs and finish it,” she replied, “and thank you.”
Walking up the stairs I grinned. Receiving a compliment from my aunt and uncle was nearly impossible. Not only that but I had also save close to twenty souls today. Overall I’d say this was a pretty successful day. Sadly the last of those to come.
Chapter 8
I awoke to the sun beating down on my face and an eight year old face in my.
“Are you awake?” Finn asked. I groaned and rolled over shoving him out of my way.
“Go away Finnegan,” I murmured.
“But Suzie made us pancakes, and you have to get ready for school.” I groaned again loudly. I forgot, yesterday was only Monday which means today’s only Tuesday, but hey at least Suzie made pancakes.
Slowly the smell of freshly cut fruit and coffee made its way into my room making my mouth salivate. Gradually, I got out of bed. Kicking off my covers and dangling my feet off the bed I noticed that the eight year old was still in my room.
“Finnegan!” I roared. Giggling, he ran out of my room and I couldn’t help but smirk.
I threw on clothes on fast as I could not even bothering to check if they matched. Bounding down the stairs, I was excited for the treat that Aunt Suzie usually only makes on our birthdays.
“What’s the special occasion?”
She responded, “Just happy to be back.” I smiled, even though she was the biggest pain in the butt, she was the closest thing I had to a mom and I’d like to keep it that way.
I shoveled pancakes into my mouth, making sure I had time to meet Wes even after I helped Finn get ready. I had to tell him the good news, too bad I’ll never get my parents souls back. That would be the ultimate win. But their souls are lost forever, used to unlock part of the gate.
Our whole family’s souls are special in some way. My parent’s unlock the outer gate revealing the inner and most important gate. My soul is the one and only one that can unlock the inner gate finally reopening the Unforgivable.
I don’t even understand why we have such a problem with the Unforgivable becoming re-inhabited. In class they always teach us that the Soul Keepers are dangerous without the Landians regulate them. We do this, strongly. We use them as a police force, which is all we see them as, someone to regulate the law, causing the Landians to hate them, seeing as no one likes law enforcement. The only reason they don’t hate them more is because they don’t know about the taking of the Landians’ souls. Only the snatchers know.
Chapter 9
“It was so weird, this morning she was making pancakes,” I exclaimed, “Pancakes!”
“What’s so weird about pancakes?” Philip asked shoveling food into his mouth. It was lunch and all three of us were discussing the events that had transpired last night. The Soul Keepers were still patrolling the school but they kept away from me for once. Until that fateful moment when three Soul Keepers came up from behind me sucking out my soul from my head to begin, but then suddenly I felt my soul escaping from my back making my spine tingle.
“Help,” I whispered. “Help.” No one could hear and finally I felt myself disappear forever.
Chapter 10
It felt as if I was waking up. Gradually I opened my eyes revealing a stark white room in which I was laying in. Looking around I saw heart monitor and a bedside table. I wasn’t plugged into the heart monitor, but there was an IV hooked to my hand which was dripping some kind of fluid into me.
“Hello?” I coughed hoarsely. “Hello. Where am I?” After a few minutes of no response I kicked my legs around. Suddenly someone materialized in my doorway faintly resembling my father. “Dad?”
“Hey Ab. How’re doing?” he asked coming closer to me. Instinctively, instead of letting him touch me, I curled up into ball, protecting myself from anything that could hurt me.
“What do you want with me? Why am I here?” I starting wheezing, the feeling of my throat was closing in caused my breathing to become labored. I knew this feeling, I think most call it anxiety.
“It’s ok, it’s ok. You’re here because your mom and I want you to get out of your own world sometime. We’re trying to do what’s best for you.”
I shook my head. My own world. Is that what the Land is? No one else is there? Then who are all those people? That can’t possibly be true. It all felt too real. “You’re lying to me.” My face grew red with frustration. It’ couldn’t be fake, it was everything I knew and it couldn’t be fake.
“It’s ok, we’re here to take you home now.” I sat up. Home? My parents are here to take me home? I thought, no this couldn’t be, my parents are gone. The Soul Keepers must be playing some kind of joke on me.
“I don’t want to go home,” I spat back at him.
“You’ve been here for a while. I promise you’ll be fine when we get home.” I shook my head.
“No I don’t want to go home.”
He raised his voice ever so slightly, “You are coming with us and that is final. We can’t have you here any longer. We all miss you.”
“Who’s we all?”
“Remember your brother and sister? They miss you a lot.” I shrugged giving into the pleas to go “home”, though I knew it wasn’t really.
Chapter 11
“Welcome home!” everyone cheered as I walked through the front door to my “house”. Throwing my hands over my ears, I whimpered quietly. I just wanted to go back to the Land. That’s where I felt happy and secure. Every time I tried to tell my “dad” that he just shushes me telling me I have to live in everyone else’s world.
“Thank you,” I said back nodding at everyone. In the corner I saw my “brother”. He was blonde and lanky and looked nothing like Finnegan. His name was Joshua my “mom” told me. My “sister”, his twin was also blonde but short like me, and her name was Jennifer. The only thing that hadn’t changed was my name. Well my first name. Abby. “Dad” kept calling me Abigail Whitney Smith. I tried telling him my name was actually Abby Jacque Wittenmier but he kept denying it and calling me Abigail.
I smiled at all the people in the living room, making my way through it, and heading towards the steps leading up to what seemed to be the bedrooms.
“Hey, Ab. Hey yeah can I talk to you?” a voice called behind me. It made me jump. Didn’t the voice know that only Soul Keepers sneak up behind people?
“Call me Abby,” I replied turning around to the see the kind face of Joshua.
“Ok Abby. How are you adjusting?”
“I just want to go back,” I said tearfully. “I just want to go back to the Land where my little brother Finnegan is, and my boyfriend Wes and his best friend Philip. I don’t even care about the Soul Keepers. I just want to go back.”
He nodded seeming to understand. “Is Dad giving you your antipsychotics then?”
“You mean the shots?” He nodded. That’s what those are. Those are the things taking away the Land. It all made sense now.
“I want to talk to Dad.” Josh disappeared and reappeared with Dad following close behind.
“Yeah Abby?” Dad said. I shrugged tears welling up in my eyes again.
“I want you to stop sucking out my soul with those shots,” I cried. “Stop being the keeper of the souls, please.” Seeing my face twisting in anguish, I think he finally caught on to how much the shots really hurt me. How they actually took away my personality.
“I’ll talk to your doctor,” he promised.
A few weeks later, after a physical and another psych evaluation, I was taken off the shots allowing me to be transported back to the Land, where I could snatch back souls, be the big sister to Finn and girlfriend to Wes.
If there was one thing I learned from living in two worlds and being taken out of one, is that no one has the right to take a soul, no matter who they are.