Dark Secrets [COMPLETED]

Chapter 4: The Key

I was lying on my bed with my laptop resting on my chest, scrolling through job listings on some random website. Seeing as my enrollment in school was null and void at the moment, I figured that saving up some more money while I had the chance was a good idea. Especially if it got me out of the house while I was here.

I turned my laptop off and pushed it to the side, feeling like my head was about to explode. I removed my glasses and rubbed my eyes before dropping my hands and staring up at the ceiling. Then I found myself drifting, once again, to the mysterious door.

It had been three days and I hadn't checked it since. As intriguing as the whole situation was, it also raised a lot of questions. Why was it covered up? What could be hiding inside? Was there something in there, and was that where the noise was coming from? I shuddered at the thought.

Besides, I didn't have the key. If I could find that, then I could open it. But where would I begin to look?

My door opened and I sat up. Carlos stuck his head in. "What's up?"

"Nothing, just browsing the internet. You?"

"Just checking up. We're out of salad stuff for dinner, so I'm going down to the supermarket. See you in a bit!"

He turned to leave, but I stopped him. "Hey, Carlos? Can I show you something before you go?"

"Sure, what?"

I pointed at the door in my wall. He followed my finger and his eyes widened when he saw it. "Whoa." He came into the room to get a closer look. I got out of bed and followed him. He stood in front of it, just brushing his fingers against it through the wallpaper. "Does it open?"

"It's locked. I already tried it."

He grabbed the doorknob and tried pulling for himself. It didn't budge. "Huh. What do you think is behind it?"

"No idea. I wish I had the key, but I don't know where it could be."

"I've seen a key ring around, but you won't like where it is."

I looked up at him in displeasure. "Robert has it, doesn't he?"

He nodded. "Hey, I warned you."

I groaned. "Can you get it for me? Please?"

"I need to go, Callie." He stood up and went to leave. He turned and looked at me. "You're gonna have to get over your fear of that man one of these days, you know."

Not anytime soon, I thought as I rolled my eyes. He waved and left.

I tried a couple more times to jiggle the door open—not sure why, since it had already been established that the damn thing wouldn't budge—before I gave up, cursing and kicking it. Perhaps I would ask Mom about the keys.

~

"I lent them to Roger today," Mom replied when I asked her about the key ring. "He needed to unlock the Greenhouse door when he got here." She sat in bed, reading a book. She didn't share a room with Robert, which was weird to me. Weren't they supposed to be married?

"Did he give them back?" I asked.

"No, I told him he could do that after he was done. Why do you need them?"

I opened my mouth to tell her about the door I found, when a sudden feeling of overwhelming dread coursed through me. Something told me I needed to keep quiet about it. "I...accidentally locked my bedroom door shut. I have no idea how that happened."

She furrowed her brow. "Just ask Roger for the keys back, then!"

Like a phantom, the feeling disappeared. I left the room and went downstairs.

The sun was shining and the weather was pleasantly warm when I went outside, which was nice. I circled around to the courtyard where Mom's greenhouse was located.

On my way, I thought back to that bizarre dreadful feeling I felt come over me upstairs. It was the same feeling that sent me running away from the dinner table the day I arrived here: an unmistakable sensation of doom.

The greenhouse door was ajar when I got there. I peeked through the crack to see Roger working on one of Mom's orchids. His back was turned, and he focused intently as he sprayed one of the plants gently with water to wash away excess fertilizer.

I knocked on the door. He turned to face me, a single smudge of dirt visible on his temple. The sunlight in the greenhouse filtered through his eyes, making them a vibrant green. He looked like a fairy—ethereal and one with nature. "Hello?" He called.

I opened the door. "Hi...uh...do you have the keys?" I blurted out. "My mom says she gave them to you, and I'd like to borrow them."

"Oh! Yeah, sure." He set the spray bottle next to one of the plants and pulled off his rubber gloves. He reached into his jean pocket and pulled out the key ring. "I was going to give them back when I was done anyway."

I took the keyring in my hands and studied it. The ring itself looked new, silver and shiny, and held a series of keys. I recognized a few, but others were as old as the house—dark and ornate, like they were carved out of some primordial stone.

I closed my fist around the ring and looked up at him. "Thanks. And... I'm sorry I was a dick to you the other day. I just had a rough time coming back here."

He smiled. "It's okay. Really, I understand how this place can affect someone. How about we start fresh?" He reached out a hand to shake. "Hi, I'm Roger."

I smirked and shook it. "I'm Calista. It's nice to meet you."

His handshake was firm, but soft. He pulled away and yanked his rubber gloves back on. "Well, I should get back to work. I still have a long way to go." He gestured to the row of orchids.

"Right..." Suddenly remembering I got what I needed, I turned to leave. Before I exited, I turned back to home. "I'll see you around, Roger. Thanks for the keys."

"No prob. See you!" He smiled and waved before picking up the spray bottle and getting back to work. I left, pulling the greenhouse door closed behind me. As I walked back to the house, I really wished I could've stayed behind and chatted with him.

The keys jangled in my hand as I walked up the porch steps, reminding me of the mystery that awaited me in my bedroom. I just hoped that one of them could help me find the answers I was looking for.