The silver key

Leo's Look-a-like

Nicole stared in shock at the boy behind Leo. He looked exactly like Leo, but much younger. He had the same outgrown black hair, and wore a green shirt and shorts. He sat cross legged, scribbling something on a blue sheet of paper. The boy looked out of place. He almost looked as if he was glowing, the colours around him were bright. Nicole felt dizzier and dizzier by the minute.

"Can you see that?" she asked Leo.

Leo turned around, confused, and let go of Nicole. Instantly the boy disappeared without a trace. Nicole looked around, unsure whether it was just her imagination or reality.

"Nicole what are you talking about?" Leo asked, folding his arms.

Nicole looked up at Leo and pulled him down. At the same instant, the boy reappeared in the same spot. Leo looked at Nicole like she had gone insane, but before he could say anything, Nicole shushed him. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Nicole jerked her head back, still holding on to Leo. The boy ran up to the door, opened it and sprinted straight out. Nicole looked around, shocked.

She let go of leo's arm who shot her a questioning look. She got up, as dizzy as ever.

"What was all that about!?" Leo asked slightly cross.

Nicole opened her mouth to reply but the dizziness got the best of her and everything went dark.
____________

Nicole tossed and turned all over her bed, for what felt like hours before getting up. She checked the time on her phone, that sat on the side table.

10.17am

Nicole smiled, thanking God for letting her miss school. She lay silently in bed, as she recollected what had happened the previous night. None of it made any sense... but she felt a lot better. She slowly got out of bed and looked outside her room, which was deserted since everyone was either at work or at school. Her tummy grumbled cueing her hunger. she made her way to the kitchen and was surprised to find Clarisse quietly making food. Nicole tried to sneak behind her and get some chocolate.

"Glad to see that your better" Clarisse said surprising Nicole.

"Oh!! um.. yeah.." Nicole said inching her way to the cabinet.

"I am making you some pumkin soup" Clarisse said.

"Thanks" Nicole said giving up on the chocolate.. for now..

"Your mom loved this soup! she would beg me to make it " said Clarisse slightly chuckling.

"You knew my mom!?" Nicole asked

"Of course! I've been working here for over 30 years"

"My mom lived here.. didn't she?"

"Yup, this used to be a crowded house, I tell you"

Clarisse handed Nicole a cup of the soup.

"How was my mom?" Nicole asked curiously.

"Your mom was a total sweetheart" Clarisse replied. Nicole had heard differently though, nobody would tell Nicole to the face, but would silently say that her mom, was a huge snob and extremely hotheaded. Her grandmother would tell Nicole, that she never understood how Luke could stand Rachel, who was always itching for a fight.

"Minerva though, was the rebellious one " Clarisse said.

"Really?" Nicole asked remembering the photograph.

"yes! it would take me forever to make her all the fussy food she wants " Clarisse said smiling.

After chatting with Clarisse for a while, Nicole went back upstairs. Her earlier thoughts of Clarisse being the only person in the house were destroyed, since Leo sat on her desk, trying to blow dry the book that was attached to the key. Yesterday night, Nicole had detached the book from the key, and left it on the desk.

"The book is pretty dry Leo, its just not opening" Nicole said jumping into her bed.

"I know, I am just trying to force it open " Leo said taking the tiny book in his hand and force it open.

"Your gonna rip it! " Nicole exclaimed and grabbed the book from him.

"Do you have an explanation for what happened yesterday?" Leo said taking a spot opposite to her.

"I am gonna sound insane"

"Doesn't matter "

"Fine.. so I came home and fell asleep, woke up with a huge headache, I wanted to see if I could open something with the key, so I tried opening my door, which I locked with my room key and it worked, that's when I came to your room and I wanted to try it there" Nicole said as fast as she could.

Leo frowned "You suck at explaining"

"Shut up" Nicole said pouting.

"So why did you freak out afterwards?"

" um.. that... " Nicole said and tried her level best to explain what she saw.

"So your saying you saw me... as a kid..." Leo asked, barely believing her.

Nicole nodded. " how do we know your not just imagining it?" he asked.

" um.. you draw a sheep on the blue card?" she said.

Leo looked surprised " wait !" he said jumping off her bed and running to his room. A few minutes later he returned with a card.

"You mean this!?" he asked tossing the card to Nicole.

It was the same blue card and the same sheep and on top was welcome little sister! and a cute drawing of a baby.

"This is definitely the card " Nicole said " How cute were you!? making a welcome card when Candace was born!" she said.

"That is besides the point! how did you know about this!? I didn't even give it to Candace!!" he said.

"I just told you. that's all I saw!" Nicole replied.

"Why is it that everytime I come to your house two people are either yelling or fighting?" said Erik standing near her door.

"Erik?"

" I invited him over, we did find the key in the lake after all" Leo said taking the key out of his pocket and showing it to Erik.