HEIRLOOM

Chapter 4

Instead, we hear a dull crunching sound, and the pin becomes stuck inside the mechanism. I try to release it, but it breaks off, falling out of the keyhole. My dejection is palpable, and even Gabriela looks sympathetic. But I refuse to give up and begin to examine the door more closely, searching for any other way to gain entry.

 "Let me see what's behind!" I declare, even more interested to uncover the secrets that lie beyond the stubborn door. 

As the storm approaches, the atmosphere becomes charged with anticipation. Soft rumbles of thunder can be heard in the distance, and a large dark cloud, similar to the one from yesterday, looms on the horizon, swallowing up the daylight. The nimble martins fly low in the sky, seeking out insects that have descended to the ground, while the air becomes sticky and dense with the scents of leaves, wood, meadow grasses, and flowers. The approach of rain is signaled by a sense of stuffiness that hangs in the air.

Not paying attention to the uncomfortable weather, I press on, making my way through thorny bushes and stinging nettle towards the back wall of the building. The wall is overgrown with green moss and scratched in places by some unknown animals. As I run my hand along the cool stone, I feel the soothing relief it brings to the blistered skin on my palm. Despite my diligent search, I find no other entrance to the building, and it becomes clear that there is no other way in. A feeling of devastation takes hold on me as I realize that the ornate iron door is impenetrable, and I won't be able to break it down.

As I make my way back to the front of the building, a sudden thought strikes me. I am in such a hurry to escape the thorny bushes that I cut my hands on the sharp branches. I pause for a moment, examining the blood on my palms and then say out of breath, "Gabi, give me the key!"

Gabriela's eyes widen in shock as she notices the blood, "Steve, look at your arms, they're bleeding!" she exclaims, concern etched across her face. "Let's go back, we can come back another time."

But I am determined to enter the building, and I can't let this opportunity slip away. "I'm fine, really," I assure her, my voice trembling with excitement. "Just give me the key that hangs around your neck."

What do you need it for?" Gabriela looks at me skeptically as she removes her jewelry, handing me the small metal key, her lips are pursed in disbelief.

I insert it into the keyhole and turn it with a sense of anticipation. With a slight click, the door creaks open, and a cold, damp air rushes out, enveloping me.

Gabriela looks at me in astonishment, her mouth wide open. "How did you know?" she asks, still in disbelief. "It's just impossible! This key must be magical!" She continues to chatter non-stop, unable to shake off her shock. "I refuse to accept that I've been wearing the key to ugly cemetery shack around my neck all this time."

With a kind and teasing grin, I interject, "It's not ugly, honey! Look at that pretty moss all over."

Gabriela rolls her eyes and looks away laughing and muttering, unable to come to terms with the situation, "Just unbelievable!"

Curiosity gets the better of me, and I ask Gabriela where she has obtained the key. To my surprise, she reveals that it has been tucked away in her album of family photos, "It was so delicate and neat, it looked more like a pendant, so I put it around my neck."

I try to solve the puzzle by asking if her father told her anything about the key. Gabriela shakes her head vehemently, indicating that he did not. "Why would I wear it if he did?" she asks rhetorically. 

"Tell me, why in the world do I need the key to this ugly closet?" she questions in indignation and her body twitches with an unusual cold.

In an attempt to ease her discomfort, I remove my dark-blue knitted hoodie and drape it over her thin summer dress. I have learned to wear multiple layers of clothing as I am aware enough of how dramatically the weather may change.