Keys

• Lilly Kravec, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2022

First thing I figure out after dropping out of school is that my parents are sending me to a boarding school, the last place I wanted to go. The week after I dropout I’m in the car on my way to Greenslate Boarding School. The principal, Miss Hornwill seemed nice, but very weird. She was a tall, and skinny woman with blonde hair in a tight bun and had a very high-pitched voice with pale skin. She had told me I was in room 826, and that I was with two roommates one of them was called Elizabeth and the other one, Maria. I didn’t know what to expect. When I came into the room there were three beds and three wardrobes. My name was already imprinted on the bed. “Hi I’m Maria and this is Elizabeth.” “I’m Ellie.” I then gave them both a smile and started to unpack my things.
The next day we had Biology and Cooking, I had to admit that it was pretty boring. When it was break, I saw Maria so I was going to sit with her but as she was walking, she dropped a key so I had decided to pick it up. It looked like a very old-fashioned key. There was a tag on it saying it could open any door. I really was going to give the key back to her, but I had to try it. I had waited until it was night time and the gates had been locked. Then I got out of bed, slipped on some shoes, as well as put the key in my pocket. I really didn’t believe this, however there was no turning back now because I saw the guards coming, I used the key. Suddenly, the gate had opened. I went to the nearest town and had a look around. After a while I got back the Greenslate I went to bed and put the key in Maria’s wardrobe. Then I got thinking how did she get the key in the first place.
The next day, at break I saw her going of somewhere so this time I decided to follow her. She went to this statue near a wall at the end of a corridor and clapped 3 times and then said her full name “Marianinah Hiplent.” The name sounded familiar but then suddenly, a set of stairs appeared and then I followed her down. It was a room full of keys, so this is where she goes. Then it hit me, I knew the name sounded familiar, she is the daughter of Alayah Hiplent, one of the most wanted criminals, it is said she was also a witch, as well as that Maria has been in a boarding school ever since she could remember because her mum had to put her daughter in safety. If Maria is the daughter of Alayah, she could lead me straight to her mother which means another criminal would be in jail right?...