The Seven Keys

Chapter 1

      Eager for adventure and to clear her mind, fifteen-year-old Avery Nightengale climbed out of her bedroom just after midnight. It was a chilly night in River Ridge, so she decided she would make haste with her walk. This routine was something she knew she couldn't abandon. It was the thing she looked forward to the most out of the day and she always thought as though something was calling her out. She was seldom worried about what could happen to her while she was out. Besides, it was the safest place to reside in The Otherworlds.

      After a few shortcuts, she quickly arrived at her favorite sitting spot. Something about this particular spot had always drawn her there. Maybe it was the way the moon reflected onto the slow-moving ripples in the pond, but whatever the reason, she loved it. Daily reflection was one of Avery's favorite things to do, especially after a day like today. Avery was an outcast in school. The other girls thought she was weird because she liked books and found comfort in the things most would find creepy. She enjoyed learning about whatever she could, especially if it had to do with areas like the afterlife and fantasy. The idea of immersing herself in something that was a complete fantasy was her way of escaping the things that troubled her in real life. Regardless of what everyone else thought, she was fine with only having her parents to rely on and confide in.

     As she was thinking about how grateful she was for her parents, a smile spread across her lips. Her parents were sweet and caring people who would do anything for her and the people around them. They made sure Avery was taken care of and let her know that could be anything she wanted to be. Her father was a local factory worker who worked odd hours on most days of the week, but even though she hardly saw him, she knew he loved her. However, Avery was lucky enough to have her mother around at all times since she was a stay-at-home mom. Having a mother around all the time was sometimes exhausting, but she got the independence she craved and desired.

     Avery rose from the bench and began walking again. She started to round the corner to get to her next destination when she realized how cold she was. Cold weather was normal at this time of night, but there was something different about the chill in the nighttime air. For some reason, it seemed to have a darkness attached to it. Thinking it was likely her overactive imagination from all of the books she had read lately, she decided to head back home.

     She was two empty streets away from another successful nightly adventure when she felt like she was being watched. On edge, she looked around. Something was definitely lingering, but there was nothing and no one to be seen. The feeling of darkness she had felt earlier on was back, but this time it sent a shiver down her spine and made her hair stand on end. Wanting to protect her home and parents, she decided to take the long way home and walk an extra block. Shivering, Avery pulled her hood tightly over her head and hugged her arms close to her body for extra warmth.

     Nearing the end of her detour home, she could feel the darkness growing stronger the closer she got. It felt like some sort of presence. Avery stopped in the middle of the road to look around again. Still, there was nothing, but she couldn't shake the feeling. She broke into a brisk walk; she could see her house now. As she started to climb the fence around the backyard, it felt like someone or something was breathing down her neck. Not thinking about what she was going to do next, she took a sharp breath of air and ran for her life.

     Avery ran, and ran, taking every shortcut she had discovered during her late-night walks. When she felt like she had lost whoever it was, she realized she was wrong. What was after me? Do ghosts really exist? Did I do something wrong to attract some sort of vengeful spirit? Can a ghost hurt me even though they are not living? A million and one questions flooded her mind as every inch of her body ached from the cold and her tense muscles, but she willed herself to keep going.

     She looked at the sky and could see the sun starting to rise. Her father would be waking up soon to get ready for work. Would he notice that her bed hadn't been slept in if he decided to peek into her room? Avery knew that she was no longer safe in her home after what she'd experienced on her nightly walk. If she could help it, she wasn't going to risk the safety of her parents as well. She no longer knew where she was. All she could see for miles were trees and tall grass fields. She believed she could outrun it, so that's what she would do. Through forests and fields, she would run until she couldn't any longer.