The Seven Keys

Logan

Logan

It’s not like I looked for it, and I still don’t even understand how I actually found it with all of the odds. All I know is that life now is not like what it used to be, and the key is the reason for it.

My life used to be pretty pleasant. Because of my father’s supportive job, my mom stayed at home and did things that she wanted to do all of the time, like go to spas and movies. Sometimes she would take me with her, and I loved those times, normal times. My dad represented a metal company, being forced to move around often. Most teens my age might find that tedious as it’s hard to find friends, but I didn’t mind. I had everything I needed, and I loved to travel.

By the time I was eight years old, I had been to England, France, Egypt, India, and New Zealand. We’d moved to America at that age and stayed for three years, leaving it at the place I’d lived longest and one of my favorites. But eventually we had to leave there, too, and moved to Shanghai.

Shanghai was by far my favorite place, teaching me the Chinese language and showing me so many different kinds of art and customs. Being there for a new record of four years, I loved it, which was part of the reason it was so hard to leave.

But no matter how hard I tried, nothing kept us from moving to New York. Miraculously, a few days after it happened, my dad got another job offer. I wasn’t dreading America, but I was terrified for the weird reason I was sure we were moving. I’m not usually a superstitious person, but something about it was pulling us there. And once we were supposed to arrive, well, I didn’t know what would happen.

It was one day in August when everything started, and I was called into the basement by my mom to get a fan, I think. It was a very warm day- ninety-four degrees Fahrenheit-  calling for the absolute necessity to go into the creepy, dark, and dungeony cellar. We pretty much never went down there, so I wasn’t about to go down alone. My brother, Peter- an irritating yet compatible twin- had no choice but to go with me.

We wanted to go as fast as we could to find it, searching quickly in the darkness. There was no electricity down there, but there was a small window peering out into the city’s busy streets, casting just enough light to see in front of me.

But unfortunately the darkness didn’t keep me from being any more careful than usual. Bumping into something hard and square shaped, I fell and toppled onto the floor, knocking the thing over.

Immediately my brother’s frantic voice shouted, “Logan, what was that?!”

Groaning and sitting upright, I said, “Nothing, I just- tripped.” Great. Now he was going to-

Laughter erupted through the basement. “God, you are so pathetic.” But then he said, “Where are you? Are you hurt?”

By then something had caught my eye. I recognized the object I fell over as a little dresser, and one of the drawers had slid open, revealing something small and skinny that sparkled a little bit as a sun beam hit it from the window. I leaned over a bit to pick it up.

As soon as my fingers closed around it, it felt as if the entire world had shifted. The basement spun before my eyes, and an enormous force surged through me. Gasping, I shook my head a little bit, but it didn’t go away until I dropped it.

I stared at it, trying to figure out what it was without moving it into more light. I was reluctant to touch it again, pretty sure I had just been electrocuted.

But curiosity took over as I couldn’t make it out. After a moment, I closed my eyes tightly and put my fingers on it, nudging it into the sunlight. My eyes still closed, I sighed in relief as nothing happened.

“Loge?” Peter’s voice was much closer than it was before. “You haven’t died over there, have you? I’m coming over.” I could hear footsteps coming toward me.

“No!” I don’t know why I said it, but a part of me didn’t really want him to see it. “I’m fine! Just go upstairs.”

The footsteps paused. “Why are you acting so weird?”

“I- nothing,” I said hurriedly. Then, “I just remembered that I put your birthday present down here, and you aren’t allowed to see it.”

“You mean our birthday? It’s in, like, half a year.”

“Right. Yeah, well, your present was on sale. Now go away.”

A huff. “Fine, sheesh.”

As soon as I heard him open the door, my eyes flashed back to the item.

It sat in the sunlight, and I could see that it was once maybe golden or brass, but now bits and pieces of it were rough with rust. It was very little, perhaps the length of my index finger. I didn’t know how it put so much energy into me, so I picked it up, examining it and wondering.

This was the beginning for me, I had been sure. Even without the force, whenever I touched it I felt powerful, and I knew it was in some way meant for me. I didn’t think that moving to America would be a part of it all, but I knew that the little skeleton key was the start of the adventure I had always dreamed about.