Open the Gate
“When I was a child, probably around seven or so, I had an encounter I won’t forget. This happened in the American Southwest. It was my mom, my grandfather, and me, and we were walking dogs together through a path that lead along the outer walled edge of a park. At the very back of the park was a gate that lead to a parking lot and a gated community. As we approached the aforementioned gate, I stopped to look at something and became distracted while my charges continued forward. I heard a voice coming from the gate “hey, hey” and turned my head to see a gangly, scruffy man standing at the gate …
… The man called me over to him. So, I got a little closer but knew to keep a good distance from the gate, so I only came close enough to hear him. The man said that he needed me to open the gate for him so he could come into the park. He continued by presenting a pocket watch, opening it and then dangling it by its chain. In lieu of a watch face, the item had a holographic green eye that shifted in color and shape as the object spun on its chain. “I’ll give you this if you let me in.” I looked at the gate more closely, and I could see that the gate did not have a lock of any kind. I said, “No thanks, I’ve gotta get back to exercising,” and re-joined my family.”