Forbidden Entity: The Key ('The Key')

by Pia Philip

  “Sorry,” she managed to whisper. It was meant for several things but for now Alex let him think what he wanted to think it was for.

  They reached the door and before Sam’s finger had even touched the knocker, the door swung open and a chubby smiling face popped out.

  “Come on in, Alexis I presume,” She said as she peered into Alex’s face before bustling them into her house.

  “Your Martha right?” she asked stupidly. Martha didn’t reply instead sat them down on her sofa, going into a room across the living room door. Alex guessed it was the kitchen.

  “I’m beginning to wonder about this,” Sam muttered as she came back in with a silver tray loaded with cakes and tea. Alex’s eyes light at the sight of cakes, and her stomach grumbled in agreement.

  “I thought you might be hungry,” Martha chuckled as she sat on the sofa chair next to her right. Alex waited for her to start eating so that she could dig in, secretly of course. She still had manners but when Martha just sat and stared at her, she couldn’t take it anymore. Alex reached out her right arm and picked up a carrot cake slice, it was on the journey to her mouth when she heard a gasp. It was Martha. Reluctantly Alex lowered the cake.

  “Sorry,” she muttered embarrassed at her lack of control, “I know I should use a fork-“

  She stopped short as she saw Martha’s face. Plastered on her face was pure terror. It made her blood run cold. Alex looked around her trying to spot the kid or any kind of danger but came up with nothing.

  “What is it?” Sam asked as he went round behind Martha and looked over her shoulder to see what she was staring at. His eyes landed on her and they froze.

  “What is it,” Alex cried, anxiety rushing over her, “Have I got something on my face or something?”

  “Alexis dear,” Martha said. Almost choking on her words, “Where did you get that mark?”

  “What mark?” she asked. Alex was confused. They were behaving as if she had caught the bubonic plague.

  “The one on your arm,” Sam said, his eyes frozen on her right arm. Alex lifted it up and was startled at what she saw. It was the same mark on the wall in her nightmares.

  “Have you ever seen that mark before?” Martha asked. Alex lifted her eyes to meet Martha’s worried ones.

  “Yes, I see it every night in the dreams,” Alex said confused but intrigued by the mark at the same time, “I don’t know how it got on my arm and I don’t know why or what it means, so if you know anything, tell me already.”

  Alex was getting really agitated. Something was obviously worrying Martha about the mark which obviously meant it was dangerous. So why not share the information. The mark was on her arm so she kind of deserved to know if something was dangerous so that she could avoid it like the plague.

  “The kid touched you didn’t he?” she asked. She got up and walked out of the room not waiting for her reply. She probably already knew it.

  “He touched you,” Sam said, agitation in his voice as he realized what she had done, “You told me he didn’t.”

  Alex bit her lips in guilt, she knew that she should’ve told him but she guessed that she was kind of scared, she didn’t know why though. She opened her mouth to explain but Martha came back into the room with a giant book wrapped around in a big cloth. She dropped it on the wooden table making the silver tray shake with the aftershock of the impact.

  “What is that,” Sam said as his mouth dropped.

  “This is the Book that Alexis here, will have to read,” Martha said as she opened it and sat next to Alex leaving Sam to stand awkwardly beside her. Alex’s mouth dropped open. It probably had like 2000 pages.

  “Now, before I open this, I need to know a really important question,” she said as she looked at them intensely, “Would you say you two are really close friends?”

  There was an awkward silence that seemed to last an eternity but was in fact, only five seconds.

  “Well, that was what I used to think,” Sam muttered, “Now, I’m not so sure…”

  “Oh come on,” Alex cried, “I didn’t tell you because I knew it would freak you out.”

  “And not telling me wouldn’t,” he challenged, “You are not a good liar so I was thinking of the worst.”

  “Oh, you know I would tell you if something was serious like that,” she said.

  “Do you?” Sam said almost spitting the words out, Alex didn’t miss the edge to his voice, it sent shivers down her spine. “Alex, you know I would do anything to help you, but you don’t tell me these things.”

  “And that’s exactly why,” She said earnestly, she wanted Sam to believe her so badly. “You would instantly start worrying about me, and then I’d feel guilty of taking away your free time.”

  “Stop it, Damn it” Sam exclaimed as he put his hands up and ran it through his black hair, “try thinking straight for once, what’s my free time compared to your life. Where’s your logic. Besides, I don’t do anything during my so called free-time. I just sleep.”

  Alex wasn’t convinced but she wasn’t about to call his bluff.

  “Well, I’ll take that as a yes,” Martha beamed. She unfolded the big cloth and laid it flat on the coffee table before blowing on the cover. The dust that had managed to settle in the parts of the book that was not covered blew away. The first thing Alex saw was the symbol. The exact symbol that is on her arm, magnified. There were five words, which were written in the same ruins that were on the symbol. She looked at Martha for an explanation.

  “This will tell you everything, As long as you can read it,” She said, a hint of a smile creeping up her face.

  “How am I supposed to read it?” Alex asked in bewilderment, “Is there some kind of dictionary I have to flick through?”

  “Nope, it’s all in there” she smiled as she tapped her forehead.

  “I think you have a problem there, Martha, “Sam said, “Alex doesn’t read, she doesn’t do academics. Plus she’s flunking modern languages.”

  “Does that look like any language you know then smart ass,” Alex said as she arched her eyebrow as her temper flared. Although what he said was true, he didn’t have to say it so rudely.

  “Well, no, but you know what I mean,” Sam said.

  “Well, if you can’t read it, don’t bother commenting on my lack of understanding,” she said, smile at her for how smart she sounded.

  “Alex, you failed your Spanish writing test because you only wrote three words, soy un perro “Sam said. Alex gave him a blank look, “I am a dog.”

  Alex could feel her temperature rise in embarrassment.

  ”Okay, I get what you mean,” she said in defeat, “I’m not very smart.”

  Martha gave a small chuckle just as the bell went.

  “Oh that will be my son,” she said as she got up, “He will be of great help to you.”

  Alex waited anxiously while Sam flopped down next to her, his legs sprawling out in his usual lazy fashion.

  “Sam, seriously, get your act together,” she said as she shoved him playfully. She never could stay angry at him for a long time, “I can’t take you anywhere.”

  Sam put his arms around her waist and dragged her body towards him as she turned her body around to get away from his playful grip. They clashed in a bundle of giggles. Just then Martha walked into the room followed by Max.

  “Alexis, I’d like you to meet my son,” She said as she beamed at him then her, “Max.”

  What happened next seemed so cliché but by god, Alex’s mouth dropped six feet to the floor.

  “Max!” Sam cried for the both of them.

  “Alex, what are you doing here?” Max asked in his usual frosty tone.

  “Nice to meet you too,” she muttered.

  “Do you know each other?” Martha asked, seeming genuinely surprised.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be psychic?” Alex asked, “You should know this and not be asking questions all the time.”

  “Don’t be rude to my mother, Alex,” Max said tak
ing a step forwards. He literally spat the words on her face.

  “Don’t treat her like a dog, playboy,” Sam said defending her as she wiped the spit from her face

  “Stop it boys, she has a fair point,” Martha said laughing slightly before turning to Alex, “Yes I am, but I don’t like using mines to read mines of people without permission.”

  “You read ours enough time,” Alex muttered sourly before realizing how bitter and rude she sounded.

  “Well yes, sorry about that,” Martha said meekly.

  “Don’t apologize mum, not to her anyway,” He said as he looked at Alex in disdain, “What is she doing here anyway?”

  “Yes, we came here and we still don’t know why apart from the big book,” Sam said as he got back on topic although his jaw was still clenched.

  “Well, that big book, like I’ve already told you is everything Alex needs to know in a cover,” She said. Alex inwardly groaned to herself again. Here they go again…

  Chapter 4

  “Martha, please explain what you mean,” Alex asked for the tenth, “I already told you I can’t read the writing.”

  “Of course you can’t,” Max said as he dropped his bag on the floor and flopped himself on the sofa in the same manner Sam does. “Emma can.”

  He said so matter of fact that it took her a minute for the news to register.

  “What!” Alex and Sam exclaimed together, “What do you mean she can read it.”

  “Well, seeing as she is one of us,” Max said, “She should have the brain of the intellectual being too.”

  “Oh really, “Sam said getting agitated. “And what does that make us?”

  “Below average,” He smiled, “Like sewer rats. I would’ve said pigs but that would be insulting to the pigs.”

  “Excuse me, but back to business here,” Alex exclaimed. She was barely holding in her temper and with every word that escaped from that foul mouth of Max’s it didn’t make her temper calm down. She was literally crossing her arms and legs to stop her from launching at him.

  “Yes, I have to agree with Alexis here,” Martha said as she sat down next to her. She opened the book and on its first page was another symbol similar to the one Alex saw on her wall and next to it was more of the weird unreadable language.

  “Alex, can I call you that? Okay,” Martha said answering her own question, “Try and read it, focus on it and try forcing yourself to read it.”

  “How?” she asked.

  “Just try and stop being so damn lazy,” Max muttered. Alex pursed her lips together in annoyance. She decided to start with an easy one, so shutting the book she stared at the front text but her eyes kept drifting towards the symbol. It was so exactly like hers but different from the one on the wall. She couldn’t exactly figure out why. She moved her eyes back to the text, her mind set on figuring it out. The harder Alex stared at it, the more familiar it seemed. It was like she had known it before but now it was evading her memory. She breathed out in frustration.

  “Damn it!” she growled, “I know I know this, but it just won’t come back to mind.”

  “Keep trying, “Sam encouraged.

  “Don’t bother; it’s impossible for someone with your intelligence,” Max smirked as he got up, “I’m going to change.”

  Alex was relieved when he walked out of the door. She could finally focus. She squint her eyes as she tried to remember what the ruins meant.

  “C-ro-l” she stammered as she tried to say it. It was slowly coming back. She bit her bottom lip as she peered at the peculiar language trying to remember something. There was not a sound in the room that she could hear. Everything was still. She took a deep breath and looked at the writing. She ran her index finger over it, following the lines and curves it created. It was engraved onto the hard cover.

  “Cro-lon-ian, Crolonian?” she said hopefully.

  “Yes, now there’s a good girl, keep going,” Martha said encouragingly. Alex didn’t like the fact that she used the terminology one would use for a dog, it seemed like she was belittling her, although Alex knew she meant no harm, just praise. She just had a funny way of showing it. Alex smiled and returned to the writing, now that she had figured out the first word; it all seemed doable, not easy, but not impossible either. She used her finger to trace the loopy weird writing again repeatedly until she seemed to get somewhere. It was as if they were speaking to her, trying to tell her something. Now, she’d always been told that she was not very open minded with things, and although she was not especially smart, she knew that she had to try and open her mind to the book in front of her, as crazy as that sounded. She breathed in a deep breath of air and cleared her mind, tracing the writing and waiting.

  “Hj-his –sto- history of…” she said, her eyes still screwed shut. She was barely breathing now. She could sense everyone’s deep anticipation and she hated letting people down. “Of tr-the an-gs ang…angels? History of the angles?”

  When she didn’t get replies she opened her eyes and saw Martha beaming at her with a hand on her cheek. Sam looked at her in amazement, and maybe she was exaggerating but she thought she saw Max look at her with a new found respect in his eyes. Maybe, but not likely.

  “Crolonian- History of the angels!” Alex repeated in pure bliss.”

  “Why? How can you read it?” Sam and Max asked in complete unison, the only difference was Sam was asking in amazement and Max was asking in spitefulness. But it didn’t really matter because the same question was running though Alex’s head too.

  “Yeah, Martha, why can I read it?” she asked, “You’re not going to say I already died and became an angel are you because that would make you crazy.”

  “Don’t worry, your every bit as alive as me and Max,” she chuckled, “But you’re also every bit Angel like us too.”

  Alex couldn’t help it then. She couldn’t suppress her laughter any longer. She was laughing so hard; tears were forming around her eyes and slipping down her face.

  “I’m sorry but Max? An Angel?” she smirked as she wiped her dried her wet face, “I’m sorry, if you had said, two faced, pile of dog dung, I would’ve believed you but Angel? Now I know you’re pulling my hair.”

  “Well, I know Max isn’t the nicest person to know at times,” Martha said, that got a snort of agreement out of both Alex and Sam, “But pile of dog dung, really?”

  “No offence,” Alex added in no way planning on changing her statement.

  “Anyway,” Martha sighed as she re-opened the book, “This is book that contains the history of our people. Through many centuries, High Angels, Dark angels all have helped store our history in books similar to this, although there are only 3 out there in the world.”

  “What do you mean our kind, you mean you’re kind,” Alex said, “and why do you have one if there are only three? How big is this civilization anyway?”

  Several more questions raced through her head like, “what does this have to do with me?” that was a really important question that she wanted to get answers to. Alex didn’t want to get sucked into something that had absolutely nothing to do with her. She remember that she used to dream about living some kind of awesome exciting life when she grew up, but that was when she was younger. That was before she knew better, before she knew simple was always better. But still, although she knew that, part of her still felt a tingle at the prospect of living a life full of adventure.

  “It’s a really big civilization, almost as big as humanity,” She beamed. This took Alex by surprise; she didn’t know how Angels could live undetected by humans for so long.

  “Where do you all live?” she asked dumbfounded.

  “What? Please don’t tell me you actually believe them,” Sam asked in disbelief, “You don’t actually believe all this Angel crap do you? It’s probably a prank of some sort.”

  “Yeah, but what if it isn’t, I want to make sure,” Alex said awkwardly as the prospect of what he said hit her. He was probably right as well. “I just want to know how to
get rid of the kid.”

  “Yes, and so your gullible like that,” Sam urged, he had always been headstrong and hated being wrong.

  “She’s always like that,” Max chipped in.

  “But we’ve come this far already, there would be no point in turning back now, plus my mum isn’t expecting me home till tomorrow and I haven’t got the keys,” she said, deciding to ignore Max’s snide remark.

  “Wait- What!” Max cried suddenly alert, “What do you mean, she isn’t expecting you back till tomorrow?”

  “Oh yes, I forgot to tell you, they are staying the night,” Martha said, “Now stop distracting me.”

  “Well as I was explaining, our civilization is really huge and before you ask we don’t live in the same world as you, well we do sort of,” Martha continued, “There are several gateways to Latrex, The Angel world, located all over the globe.”

  “Why are there gateways? If you have your own world, why would you want to come to ours?” She asked, this was all a bit confusing to get her head around just yet.

  Martha explained, “In the past we were not separated, we were allowed to cross over to the human Realms freely and the humans were allowed to cross over to ours but when humans fell for Angel and created families, that was what caused the trouble.”

  “Why?” she asked. The story was really interesting if a bit farfetched.

  “Well, the thing with angels is we tend to live longer than the average human,” Max answered.

  “How long?” Sam asked.

  “Just by a couple of hundred years,” Max smirked as Alex’s jaw dropped.

  “Yes, you see the dilemma?” Martha continued, “The humans began to complain about the Angels living longer than them and that soon caused riot, hate and isolation. In the end we had to create two separate worlds and keep a tight lock and key on who enters and leaves.”