Turning ✔️

Chapter 18. Tiny Brass Key

I had made it to where I had haphazardly tossed my clothes and by now the sun was just beginning to set. I had been out for a while so hopefully, by now things with Eleanor would be okay. I can't handle any more interrogation from her, I just couldn't lie to her. I know that shutting her out completely is bad, but this way she couldn't get hurt. This is how it has to be.

After getting dressed, I headed back to my car and pulling out my keys that I had hurriedly left in the ignition. In our small town, you didn't need to worry about car theft or anything like that. Everyone knows everyone here. When I climbed up the porch stairs and turned the doorknob and pushed, my body felt resistance. I frowned, trying again before realizing it was locked.

I sighed, it was probably Eleanor who locked me out. I guess she forgot I have my own key, I thought as I jingled through the keychain. As I went through them, I remembered the other key that had come attached to my car key. A tiny brass key monogrammed with the letter 'S' inside of an intricate pattern. I passed by it after a moment, finding the correct key and unlocking the door.

As I entered the house, I could hear music blaring coming from upstairs. I rolled my eyes knowing it was Eleanor who was clearly still upset. My thoughts drifted back to the brass key, wondering what in the world it belonged to. I could not remember ever seeing this key or even something that needed a key like this before in our house.

If it were out in the open, I would have definitely have noticed it before. Nonetheless, I decided to give the first floor of the house a quick sweep of anything it could match. After my search came up blank, I decided to change tactics a bit and search in storage. We had some things from when we moved in the basement and also in the attic.

I figured my best guess would be to start from the bottom and work my way up the house, so I headed to the basement to begin my search. I had never been a big fan of our basement, it was dark, dingy, smelly. Everything about it was the stereotypical horror film basement. I avoided going down there at all costs. I flicked on the switch, watching as the lights flickered on slowly, one after the other before beginning my slow creep down the stairs.

Eleanor's music which had been blaring had now diminished into faint background noise as I creaked down the final few steps. All that I could hear was eerie silence. One that caused the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up. Along with the silence, I felt as if I was being watched which caused my stomach to do somersaults.

I shook the negative thoughts out of my head, refocusing myself on finding whatever it is that this key belongs to.

This key must be important if my father gave it to me.

As I searched through all of the dusty old boxes, I found several items that required a key, but none that actually fit. With a sigh, I shut the final box, and turned towards the stairs, when the lights flickered out.

I let out a quiet yelp and my heart started to race as I inched my way in the pitch-black darkness to the stairs. From behind me, I could hear a slight movement. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I cautiously looked around myself as I still felt uneasy. Everything appeared to be normal. As I approached the first step, the lights flickered back on.

That was weird. It's this old house. Bad wiring.

I also had the option of checking in the attic, but I was starting to lose confidence that whatever the key was to was not even in this house. Not to mention the paranormal experience I just had. As I made it up the stairs, Eleanor's music came flying back to my ears making me frown. I guess she still isn't over our little argument. I crept up into the foyer and climbed up the stairs and pulled down the stairs to the attic.

As I climbed up the attic steps, the musty old smell hit me causing my nose to scrunch up at the smell. Our attic had a leaky roof which caused the malodorous scent. With my newly hypersensitive nose, the smell just seemed to be overwhelming. I took one last deep breath before completely climbing up into the attic.

There was a singular circular window that let a small amount of sunlight in that was left from the waning sun. The moon had already begun its ascension, making my body eager to shift into its wolf form. The sunlight cast dark shadows across the room, making me hurry as there was no other form of light up there. Once the sun went completely down, that would be it.

I hurriedly hunted through the boxes, eyeing anything that could remotely be what my key went to. After about twenty minutes, my search came to an end as the light diminished down to the faint glow of the moon that crept through the small window. I let out a heavy sigh, feeling defeated as I climbed back down the ladder.

Waiting at the bottom with her hands on her hips was my mother. She gave me a strange expression before raising her eyebrows. Things between my mom and I were still awkward, we hadn't talked since the car ride home on my birthday.

"What were you doing?" She said, sounding a bit angry.

"I-I was just-just looking for something.." I mumbled out, not meeting her eyes.

"That's very vague." She stated in an annoyed tone. "What is this something you were looking for?"

I hesitated in answering her as I thought about what to say. Our last interaction didn't go so well and it's not seeming like she is in a good mood. She did give me the key, however, so maybe she knows something about it.

"Well, it's actually about the key."

"Key? What key?"

"The one you gave me with my car key, Mom."

"Nathan, I don't have all day. Just get to the point." She said irritatedly.

I let out a deep breath as my mother's very thin patience wore down. She has a stressful job as a high profile lawyer, I understood until a point. I reached into my back pocket and pulled out the key ring, and handing it to her.

"The tiny key. What is it to?" I breathed out quietly.

"Your father's letter didn't say? I have no idea. Sorry." She said, not looking particularly sorry or bothered by it. She walked off, her red high heels clicking on the wood floor as she went towards her room. I had gotten my hopes up, I thought if anyone would have known it would be her.

Maybe one day the lock this key belongs to will show itself, but not today.