by Fletcher, MJ
“They’ll see you now, Miss Masters,” the secretary announced without looking in my direction.
I was about to ask where I was supposed to go when she pointed to the hallway Mrs. Flint had walked down, all the while never taking her eyes off her machine.
I made the short walk down the hall which ended at a very old wooden door with a brass doorknob and doorplate. On the plate, beneath the knob was a skeleton key hole. Intricate scrollwork ran along the edges of the plate and inscribed in the middle were the names of all the societies. Of course the Impossible Engineers had a trademark symbol next to their name.
I grabbed the knob and a shot of energy flowed from it sending my whole body trembling. I instinctively knew that the knob wasn’t just old... it was ancient.
I turned it and walked into the principal’s office.
Where the office felt like a lobby this room felt like a study area, where you were expected to be quiet at all times. It was large with several floor to ceiling windows covered in heavy silk drapes. A good portion of the far-end wall was taken up by a large fireplace, a roaring fire burning brightly in it. Angled in the corner between the window and fireplace walls was a large desk with three leather chairs in front of it.
Mrs. Flint and Ms. True occupied two chairs and behind the desk sat Principal Tower.
His bald head glowed from the fire’s light while fringes of his gray hair shot out from the sides at odd angles. He was a big man in height and width, his snugly-buttoned vest, to his three-piece suit attesting to that. A chain was secured to the vest, the other end attached to his glasses that rested uneasily on his hook-nose.
His head remained bent reading papers that he held in his hand as I approached.
“Sit down Miss Masters,” he said.
It was not a request and so I sat in the empty chair, which had obviously been waiting for me.
Principal Tower flipped through the remaining pages and then placed them on the desk in front of him. He removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He raised his head and settled stern eyes on me. “Chloe, it seems you’ve been rather busy lately.”
“I guess.”
“The incident in the library and now Ms. True informs me of your discovery in her course.”
“She asked us to figure out what was different about the doorknob and I figured it out. I didn’t do anything wrong and as for the library...”
Principal Tower held up his hand and I shut up.
He leaned forward sliding his reading glasses into his vest pocket. “The library incident has been resolved and you will serve detention for it. As for the doorknob, you aren’t in trouble for that. I only wish to discuss it with you.”
“Oh, okay.”
“I believe you are aware that your mother was a member of the Skeleton Key Guild. And though you’ve shown some aptitude in other areas including DS it would seem you are rather adept with SKG abilities as well. Would you agree?”
His thick bushy eyebrows were a distraction. They resembled fat, crawly caterpillars every time he scrunched them. I shrugged as I tried to avoid his eyebrows and focused on his bright blue eyes. “I don’t know. That’s the first time I’ve ever done anything with a key.”
“Really, you’ve never had any experiences with a Skeleton Key?”
I thought back trying to recall all the strange things that had happened to me over the years. There had been appearing and disappearing doors, which never made any sense and the fight with the gremlin. I remembered running from the beast and the tug of energy that could only have come from all the objects around me in the Arrowhead. Then I recalled the Skeleton Keys on the shelves around me... they had been glowing.
Something warned me to keep it to myself, and so I said, “I don’t think so.”
“Are you sure?”
I had no problem sticking with the lie. “Yes.”
I think principals expect students to lie and so they always have that I-don’t-believe-you stare to them. And that’s exactly how Principal Tower looked at me and after a moment of what I can only assume was him waiting for me to crack and tell the truth he gave up.
“Very well, he said, but in light of what’s happened I’ve decided that you will serve your detention for the library incident with Ms. True.”
“Gregory, are you sure about this?” Mrs. Flint asked upset.
I wondered what bothered her and when I saw her clutching the arms of the chair so tightly that her knuckles had gone white, I knew something wasn’t right.
“Quite sure, Mrs. Flint,” Principal Tower said as if reprimanding her and then turned to me. “Chloe, Ms. True will take you back to her class. And please, no more disruptions.” He waved, dismissing us.
I stood and followed Ms. True to a door in the wall that began to glow as she turned the knob.
“I’ll see you in the morning, Chloe.” Mrs. Flint said a bit too anxiously.
I couldn’t help but wonder if her nervous reassurance was to convince me that everything was alright or herself.
I stepped through the doorway into another classroom, one I’d never been to before. Ms. True walked to the teacher’s desk and turned to face me leaning against it.
“I find it hard to believe that someone who can overcome an SKG trap has never had any experience with Skeleton Keys.”
Her sharp features reminded me of a bird of prey as it prepares to launch itself at its latest meal. And I wasn’t about to be anyone’s meal. “I suppose there is a first time for everything.”
“I suppose,” she said, though with not much convection. “Take a seat while we wait for the other student who has detention.”
I sat down in a chair closest to the door, just behind me, intending to make a fast getaway as soon as this was over and pulled my bag onto my lap. My books shifted in my backpack and I balanced them as best I could on my legs.
“So do I just sit here for the next forty-five minutes?”
“No, I have an exercise that you’ll be doing but we need to wait for the other student.”
I sat resigned to my punishment and spent the time wondering over the best way to deal with my ever-changing situation. Top priority was Dad. I was worried sick about him not to mention that my grandparents hadn’t checked in. Damn, my whole family seemed to be missing.
Energy began to pour off the door. Someone opened a portal to the room and was about to enter.
“So glad you could join us,” Ms. True said her sarcasm obvious.
“Sorry I’m late, Ms. True, it won’t happen again,” the girl apologized.
“I’m sure you won’t be late tomorrow when you serve another detention for today’s tardiness.”
“Yes, Ms. True.”
The girl took a seat to my right, and as soon as I saw her I rolled my eyes and shook my head. I was annoyed with myself for not having recognized her voice. Sitting across from me was Jessica Grimm.
“I believe you two know one another,” Ms. True said glancing back and forth between us.
The two of us had locked stares as soon as our eyes met.
“Yes,” we said in unison and both frowned as we did.
“Quite the little twins aren’t we?” Ms. True added.
“We’re nothing alike,” Jessica said adamantly.
“You got that right.” I smiled.
“I beg to differ,” Ms. True said, “besides you two are obviously related, you both having shown extraordinary ability at a young age.”
“She’s not even declared, how can you say that?” Jessica argued.
“You should know that better than anyone, Jessica,” Ms. True reprimanded. “Chloe may be less skilled then you, yet you had a difficult time defending yourself against her.”
“She got lucky,” Jessica said her face turning bright red.
“Perhaps, but we’ll see about that.” Ms. True walked to the door and opened it. “You two behave while I’m gone. I won’t be but a moment.” She closed the door and we were
left alone.
We turned to one another and stared.
“We’re not related,” Jessica snapped breaking the silence.
“Good to know,” I said with a fake smile.
“The Grimm family cut all ties with the Masters.”
“Fine.”
It turned quiet again, the peaceful moment a reprieve to me, even if I did have to share it with a relative I hardly knew and who hated my guts.
“My Gran wants to meet you,” Jessica blurted out since apparently the silence did something to her brain and she couldn’t live with it a moment longer.
“Excuse me?”
“My Gran, she... um... said she wants to meet you.” Jessica cast an anxious glance around the room and at the door.
She probably wished for Ms. True to return and end this torture.
“She heard about our fight and wanted me to tell you to come by and see her.”
“Why?” I was genuinely surprised by the request.
Jessica’s face turned beet red again. “Because, dummy, she’s your grandmother.”
“Oh yeah, right.” I’d completely forgotten that my mom’s family might want to have something to do with me. I sat dumbfounded thinking about the fact that I had not only cousins but aunt, uncles and grandparents I knew nothing about.
“Found it,” Ms. True announced as she entered the room holding an old wooden box with metal clamps on each side. She strode up between us and swung the box open with a smile. “Now the fun begins.”
The door opened and we turned to see who entered without a knock or permission. It was Mr. Jordan and Mrs. Flint followed close behind wringing her hands.
“Miss Masters,” Jordan snapped.
I didn’t respond instead I looked to Ms. True. She had placed the device on her desk and walked up to Mr. Jordan who leaned over and whispered to her quietly. She nodded and gestured toward us as Mr. Jordan stepped forward with a large smug grin.
“Miss Masters, after last night’s events,” —he slid his hand across his sniveling nose as he spoke— “I learned you were staying with a neighbor, is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“That won’t do at all. You could very well be in danger due to your father’s negligence,” He grinned when I winced at the comment.
“And?” I asked knowing I wasn’t going to like the answer.
“I talked with your grandmother and you’ll be staying with her until this is resolved,” he announced as if it was a triumphant victory.
“My grandparents are back? When did they get here?” I asked momentarily happy.
“No, you misunderstand, dear, not your father’s parents... your mother’s.”
“What?”
I would have thought the comment came from me but instead I turned to see Jessica sitting with her mouth agape and a very unhappy expression on her face.
“Is this some type of joke?” she asked.
“No, Miss Grimm, it isn’t. I’ve already spoken with your grandmother and she wants you to bring Miss Masters home with you.”
“Oh damn,” I muttered as Jessica fumed in the seat beside me.
Chapter 20
Status: Meet the family
“What?”
The look on Edgar’s face was a mixture of fear and awe when I told him where I’d be living. He was just as shocked as I had been when I was told that I would be staying at my grandmother’s house. I was glad he had chosen to stick around after school and wait for me to finish detention. It was no hardship on his part since it gave him extra time to practice his map making skills, but still he had waited.
He stood beside me as I pulled the last of my stuff out of my locker. I looked in the bottom and saw my training knob sitting there. I slid my hand over it and pushed it into my bag.
“Val is going to be crushed,” he said with a sigh.
“Sorry, but you’re going to have to tell her for me.”
“No worries, Slade and I can meet up with her and let her know. So you’ll have your phone right, we can text?”
“I have my phone, but I’m not really sure what my grandmother will be like or what’ll happen and...”
Edgar narrowed his brow. “What’s going on?”
“I need you to meet me tonight at ten at the Arrowhead.”
“What’re you planning?”
“I am not sitting around waiting for answers anymore. Can you meet me?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“And bring your latest maps,” I said quietly and mumbled a goodbye as I hurried passed him and over to Jessica standing a short distance down the hall waiting for me.
At the end stood Mr. Jordan talking with two men dressed in black and wearing sunglasses. He gestured toward me and it made me wonder if he was talking about me and if the men were perhaps HVO members since something about them reminded me of Emory.
“You ready?” Jessica asked rolling her eyes.
“Sure.”
“Fine let’s go.”
She walked over to one of the many doors in the main hallway, a skeleton key in her hand. It began to glow, the power flowing around me. She slid the key into the lock and a surge of energy hit me as she turned the key and it clicked. She grabbed the knob and pulled the door open and stepped through. I waited a moment, took a much needed deep breath and followed.
“Gran, I’m here!” Jessica shouted as we stood in what appeared to be a living room and not some dank and dirty dungeon like I had imagined, though I suppose that’s how I was feeling... a confined prisoner. The room was large with exposed brick walls and a fireplace with several chairs facing it. The mantle contained a plethora of family photos that seemed ready to burst from the pure amount of them.
“I’ll be right down.” The voice floated down the stairs.
I looked out the single, large window and didn’t recognize the street. That was the first time it occurred to me I could truly be anywhere at the moment. I hadn’t even considered that my grandmother might live somewhere other than Cape May.
Jessica threw her book-bag on one of the chairs and stepped out of the room into the next... a kitchen. I just stood there clutching my bag completely unsure of what I should do next.
The sound of footfalls on stairs sent a chill down my spine. I watched as a woman descended the stairs and I blinked in confusion. Her long blonde hair floated freely around her face and her wide smile reminded me of another from a long time ago. Lines and wrinkles ran around her eyes and slight patches of grey rested at her temples but otherwise the woman before me looked just like... my mom.
“Hello, Chloe,” she said her smile never diminishing.
“Hi.” I didn’t smile or even react. I simply stared at her.
“Do you remember me?”
I gave it thought and there was something familiar about her besides her resembling my mom. It was like butterfly wings flitting in my mind. Flit close and then flit away, I couldn’t quite grasp it. She was my grandmother. I realized that I had spent time in this very house attending family parties and having dinners with her and my parents. But that seemed like a lifetime ago.
“Yes, I remember you,” I said with a twinge of sadness.
“I should have come to see you sooner,” She sighed lowering herself to one of the chairs by the fireplace.
I slid into the one opposite her and pulled my bag into my lap. “I guess once mom left.” —I shrugged— “what was the point, right?”
Jessica entered the room. “Gran, I’m going out.”
She had changed her clothes but not her attitude. She looked at me with the same disdain as ever.
“Where and with who?” Gran asked.
“Friends and around,” she replied and began texting on her phone.
“Jessica.” Gran’s voice changed slightly and Jessica immediately put away her phone and paid attention.
“I’m meeting James and we’re going to Sully’s.”
“Good. Make sure your home in time for dinner.”
&nbs
p; Jessica moved swiftly, planting a kiss on Gran’s cheek, and then ran out the front door.
A small ripple of energy hit me and I realized that she had used a portal to leave.
Gran turned her attention to me. “I hear you and your cousin haven’t been getting along?”
“You could say that; she attacked me.”
“You and she always did argue even as children.”
“Then... that is my cousin Jess?” Memories from my childhood of playing and fighting with my cousin rushed into my mind. Combing one another’s hair and fighting over a baby doll until we pulled its head off and then laughing when we got in trouble over it.
“So you do remember her,” Gran said. “She didn’t think you did, I suppose that’s what happens when you don’t see one another for ten years.”
“It’s not like you were knocking down my door.”
“You certainly aren’t shy, I’ll give your father that.”
“Ms. Grimm, one bit of advice, don’t bad-mouth my dad... ever.” I tried as best as possible to keep control of my frustration but it had crept out.
She smiled and raised her hands in mock surrender. “I don’t want to argue. I’m glad you’re here. And what’s happened in the past is the past.”
“Good,” I said figuring we had struck some sort of truce.
“Please call me Gran like you once did.”
Like I once did. I recalled the special times I had had with her especially running to her when I was young and launching myself into her arms. She would spin me around and we’d laugh but that was years ago when I had no doubt she loved me. Where had she been since my mom left me?
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. I turned away unable to look at her face any longer. She reminded me too much of my mother. I glanced quickly around the room, my eyes catching on the collection of pictures on top of the mantle. One picture in particular had me looking twice. I remembered seeing it many times in my youth; it was of my parents on their wedding day. Without thinking I stood and walked over to it. I scanned all the pictures. My parents and even my own face stared back at me, one picture of me as recent as last year.
“Your father sends them to me.”