THE KEY (book one)

|twenty-five|

My bodies in a state of panic,a feeling I can't shake.
What will I find?
What am I even looking for?
"Erra you need to calm down!" Phoebe yells.
"Erra what do you mean you're the last key?" Luke adds but I ignore pacing back and forth.
"Levi get the rest of The Keys. We need to go!" I try to keep my calm but I can't. Levi walks out from the hall with The Keys in his hand and puts them in the table.
He looks at me with concerned eyes then back at The Keys.
"Why are they stuck together like that?" Phoebe asks walking next to Levi.
"I don't know." He says, stress staining his voice.
"Where's the other Key?"
"I have it." Luke blurts tossing it to him. Levi quickly catches it and pulls it off the chain. Not even a second later the stone like Key attaches to the rest. It forms a cube but has an open space in the center.
The room falls quiet and we all just stare at it.
"So what now?" Luke asks.
"Let's go." Levi blurts grabbing The Keys and heading out the front door, and I don't hesitate to follow.
He pulls the mobile up to the front and we all hop in.
"Show the way." He says starting the engine and taking off.
                           XXX
The whole ride consists of questions that can't be answered, and a rise of anxiety from everyone. Sitting in the passenger seat I try to study The Keys, even trying to pull them apart but it won't budge.
"Where now?" Levi asks his voice bold, but I can tell he's anxious.
"Turn right here and park in the grass."
No words are exchanged as we all vacate the car.
"Where are we?" Phoebe questions taking in her surroundings.
"Home." I reply and begin to jog up the stairs. We all stop at the door abruptly, the silence between us right now is nerve racking.
Levi reaches forward to open the door but it's locked.
"Move back." He mumbles and we do. Taking in a deep breath he kicks the door open.
"Well that was easier than I thought." Luke mumbles peeking inside. I brush past the group and run straight up stairs.
"Erra slow down. Do you even know where to look." Levi asks quickly grabbing my hand. I stare at him for a moment. There's something different in his eyes, a familiar feeling. The same look my mother would give me when she was worried about my safety. The smallest smile twitches at the edge of my lips.
"Take The Keys in my room under the floorboards should be the last one." I demand. He hesitates for a moment then listens. Walking into my parents room I close the door and begin my search for any hidden spots or files. Looking high and low I can't find anything, not one thing. The sudden urge to punch something amplifies and my blood boils.
"Breath.... breath." I whisper to myself.
I need to step back and look at the bigger picture. Inhaling I step back to the door and observe the room.
"Where the hell would he put them?" I mumble. Scanning over the room once more my eyes land on the portrait of me, my father and mother.
"Bigger picture." I whisper running towards it. My hands shake as I remove it from the wall and examine it.
It's hidden inside. I begin to rip the back of the frame to find a large tan envelope. My heart stops for a moment but I quickly grab it and pull the papers out. The first paper being his birth certificate.
"Vernon Paxton Hudden, born may twenty-fourth, 2271. Parents Jamal and Val Hudden." I read aloud.
Paxton was his middle name.
I put that paper aside to read the next, adoption papers.
"Vernon Paxton adopted by Eve and Even Claw, 2283." Ramon wasn't lying, my father was part of the Claw family. I pull out the last paper, on it is a list of four dates and a note at the bottom.
Errana if you're reading this you're running out of time. I understand you're confused, so to set things faster watch through these dates quickly. You'll get most of your questions answered. My memo chip is on the top right corner of the picture. No words can explain how sorry I am to you and your mother. What happened, happened for a reason and now it's up to you. It's all up to you.
Tears stream down my face as I finish the note. He knew what was going to happen and didn't bother to fight it.
He knew.
Setting aside the letter I grab his memo chip and set it to the first date.
At a round black table sits my father staring at an older man, somewhat identical to Edith.
"Son I don't understand why you wouldn't want to run for leader. All of the cities can be yours."
My father is silent for a moment.
"I don't want to because I don't agree with your beliefs. Those innocent people shouldn't be killed because of the way they live... it's just not fair."
He speaks up.
"Life isn't fair Vernon, and those innocent people?" Even chuckles. "Those type of people that you consider innocent were your parents. They left you! They left you to die!" The man is yelling now.
"They didn't get to choose how they were raised! These people you consider hoods have a right to live here! Not wiped out by your design." My father speaks bitterly.
"Okay." The man says exhaling.
"You don't want it to happen? We can change the way it happens, put them in camps or something, but the Cities needs to be cleaned up."
My father just stares at him, like he's in shock. A moment later he slams the table, gets up and walks away.
So he would've been next in line to be leader, but he refused.
Why, and what was the plan?
Skipping to the next date it plays and I watch.
"So you're really going along with that plan! The Robots Edith, the Robots!" Pure rage sets in his tone.
The Robots?
"You can't use them Edith."
"And you can't call the shots anymore. You missed that chance."
She says her voice cold and mischievous.
"Okay go on and keep thinking that." His voice grows dark, sending a slight shiver down my spin. He really hated her. My thoughts drift back to what the memories showed me. It's all so confusing.
My father knew about the Robots before he stole The Keys with Ramon.
He could've been the leader of the cities but denied, why?
And who exactly are they trying to get rid of.
"Erra!" Levi yells pulling me out of my head. I quickly take out the memo chip and look up to see him stand in the door way.
"Everything okay?" He asks.
I didn't even notice him open the door.
"Y-yea." I mumble cleaning the remaining tears.
"What'd you find?" I ask walking towards him. He stares at me for a moment then clears his throat.
"I found it." He starts walking out of the room and into mine. He picks up the cube and the last piece.
"Here." I slowly take it from his hands and bite the inside of my cheek.
"Did you guys-" Phoebe runs in cutting the silence. Luke trails in behind her frowning.
"Well are you gonna put it together?" He asks and I frown. An odd feeling takes over.
Somethings not right.
All of a sudden this all feels wrong.
Not one person knows anything about these Keys, other than most of The Vipers, us, Edith and her family.
She told us that if we were caught she would act as if she didn't know anything about it. Wouldn't this be considered a good deed though.
Why not have her guards or soldiers do the job. These robots, they're for our so called "protection",but why haven't they been put out on billboards and holo ads. Now this talk  about getting rid of people.
Who? What people?
"Erra... What is it?" Levi asks grabbing my shoulder.
"Something isn't right. We need to go to the Pexagon." Whatever lies Edith has been hiding, they will be brought from the dark and into the light.