Part 1

A Holtzbert story.

It wasn't really the fact that the gun wasn't ready, nor was it that the Swiss Army knife was the intention, the intention was the motion, the gift, the representation. Because for Doctor Jillian Holtzmann, the action, the symbolic action of handing Professor Erin Gilbert the pocketknife was a promise. A promise Holtzmann secretly held tight to her chest, close to her thudding heart. Because her heartbeats were different around Erin, almost speedier, although at times she felt that the next beat wasn't going to come.

And that was because sometimes Erin stilled her heart.