The Seven Keys

Harlow

Harlow

   I was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, and lived with my parents and younger sister, Cassie, for eighteen wonderful years of my life.  My family started acting strangely, and almost out of the blue, decided to move to New York, not too far away. Cassie met new friends, despite the fact that we had switched schools. I was always the weird girl that was loud and obnoxious, but ever since we switched, I’d been quiet and reclusive. I don’t know why exactly, I mean, it’s not in my nature not to be talkative. There was just something about this place... something that I felt was waiting for me. And I was afraid.

   Two months after we moved, my parents started to calm down again. I often tried to ask questions as to why we moved, but when I did, they clenched up and would distract me, or pretend to be busy. It was as if they were running away from something. Of course back then I had no idea what they could be running from.

   After a little while I started to warm up to the school I was at. I met this obnoxious jerk named Lucas who later turned out to be a really amazing friend. When I first met him, he was hitting on this blonde from our math class, and failing miserably at it.

“Hey baby. You’re looking mighty fine.”

“Ew! Get away from me you dork.”

“What’s the matter? Am I too dazzling for your delicate eyes?

“No, you’re clogging up my pores with your nasty onion breath.” She shooed him, but he still stayed, even after the bell rang.

“Mr. Danielson, do you wanna take a seat? This is math.” The teacher said, interrupting Lucas.

“Well guess what you plus me equals?” Lucas asked, still talking to the blonde and ignoring the teacher. Lucas made a heart with his hands.

“That’s enough of you! Go take your seat.” The teacher said firmly, pointing to his seat. Lucas slumped back into his seat, looking defeated. He turned his head to me, and right then I realized I had been staring.

“Can I help you?” He asked, annoyed.

“No. I’m just admiring your wonderful flirting skills.”

At that moment, a smile came across his face, as if he knew we’d be the best of friends.

As I got to know Lucas, I started to remember his features. He had golden blonde hair and green eyes, along with a slim figure and freckles. I didn’t focus on what he looked like as much as I focused on his personality. He was a riot, that’s for sure. Sometimes I wondered if his life goal was to make himself look like an idiot. He had this humor that some would describe as mean, but I thought it was hilarious. It was so sarcastic and cruel, but not so cruel it hurt others.  He didn’t fit in because he’s so loud, and he didn’t have any other friends except for me. In other words, we were two peas in a pod.

   One day I invited Lucas over for a walk in the park. As we were strolling along, I could’ve sworn I saw my mother walking not too far ahead of us wearing a trench coat. When I started to call out to her, she turned around, saw me, and quickened her pace. Where could she have been going? I don’t know why I decided to follow her, I guess curiosity consumed me. Some may call it fate, but I just knew I had to catch her. I followed hurriedly behind her, even though she tried to hide in crowds along the streets and go through alleys to lose me. Luckily Lucas and I didn’t lose her- or each other- in the crowded streets.

   “Mom! Wait! Please stop!” I shouted after her. She ducked into an alley, and when I turned it, she was already gone, but I turned just in time to see a key fall onto the ground. I stopped, panting, and picked it up. My mother must have dropped it while she was running. I brushed the dirt off it and turned it around. It was a rusty old skeleton key, that looked like it was over a hundred years old. A sudden rush of energy consumed me, and I felt like I could do anything. A vision came to my mind: A girl, with curly dark brown hair and a thin figure, appeared. She was pretty and shy. I saw a cut on her hand, and suddenly it healed. The vision  only lasted a second, but the image of her stayed in my mind. I didn’t understand why I saw her, and I didn’t recognize her.

   Just then, Lucas turned the corner and caught up to me. He stopped, put his hand on his hip, took a deep breath, and looked up at me.

   “Hey, what’s that?” he asked. I quickly stuffed it into my pocket for some reason. All I knew was that I didn’t want him to see it.

   “Oh, nothing. I just found it on the ground. Hey, let’s get back to the house. I couldn’t catch my mom. She must’ve been in a hurry.”

    “Ok!” He said enthusiastically. Back then he was so happy, so... unbroken.

    Little did I know, that key my mother dropped was the key to my future, my past, and the rest of my life.