Key to the Abyss

When I walked into my grandmother's old home I was filled with the memories I had here. She’d taken care of me most of my childhood, my parent worked tirelessly to pay for my future. 

And when she passed away, I felt so alone. It took so long for me to cope with her loss. So much so I feel that I’ve cried here much more than my own father who was her son. 

But she left this home to me. And finally, after well over a year, I get to come here. It’s not been kept in the best of conditions but I’ll make sure it gets up to date. 

As I walk through the house I find myself stopping at the slightest of things, be it a book I remember or a tea set she used to set on the table for me to play with. 

Smiling ear to ear as I grab some of the things and hold them for a while, getting the dust off them as I look through the rest of the room. But I stopped when I was about to go in hers. 

I haven’t been here since way before she died, it was when she got sick that I stopped coming. I find it so… unbelievable to go into that room knowing she won’t be there. 

Such a haunting thing to accept…

With my hand on the knob, I slowly turn it, till I can push the door open. The smell of piled-up dust reaching my nose. But the sight in front of me… feels like home. 

Taking a step in, I feel overwhelmed. It’s so nice to be back here, but at the same time, it seems to haunt me. The feeling of knowing you’re walking into a room where you never walked alone, but now know there’s no one to go,d your hand inside. 

The nights I was over and couldn’t sleep she’d let me in the bed and tell me stories. She’d make up a fantasy world and tell me to go to sleep so that the next day we could visit it. 

Begging to look through her possession I find so many books, piles, and piles of books just all around. I know she loved to read, but I didn’t remember there being so many books… I didn’t pay as much attention as I thought. 

Looking over at her nightstand I find a small piece of paper. It was so easy to miss really. The only reason I saw it was because I’d been looking carefully through all her things. Picking it up, I instantly recognized her writing. 

And focus on reading what it says. 

For the window on the left of my bed, there’s a key to it under my pillow. 

A key? I raised a brow, already stopping as I went and pulled the pillow out of the way, to see a silver key. Grabbing it as I sit on the bed and continue reading. 

Rules to never break. 

Never open it at midnight. If you hear a sound, it's already too late. 

Don’t look at it when the sun is rising. It might seem like seconds but in reality, you’ll stare at it for days. 

Open it on the first of every month, if you don't… I wish you luck. 

If you hear tapping from it, don't look at it, if it continues, hide under your bed. 

The last rule never attempts to remove it, or it’ll remove you.

I started at the paper longer… Slightly disturbed when I know grandmother died on the first of March… But it surely must be a coincidence. 

Grandmother never told me anything about the window, so it must be someone trying to play some sick trick. 

I throw the paper aside and continue looking through her room. My eyes landing on a book she always had with her. I used to ask her what she was reading, and she’d tell me stories far beyond my imagination. 

So I grab the book, but when I open it, I see letters resembling those of the paper, this was a diary. It feels personal to read through it, but… I'm curious. 

Begging to read the first date in this book dates back to nearly two years ago. She wrote about me, seeming happy that I was staying with her, yet sad over the distance I put between me and my parents.

The next date was about what she was cooking, and I just continued reading and reading all about how she was happy, worried, sad, maybe excited about an upcoming date. And then I feel on that page.

Reading out loud, “The window of my room broke, I've called someone to install a new one. Hopefully they're done before Vi comes over.” so the window had broken, and she had it fixed while I wasn't there… She didn't want me to worry. 

I pas stop the next page, “The young man who changed it was really sweet. But told me a few odd things about the window. Must be something young people are doing these days.”

I pass to the next date feeling my heart beat hard in my chest, “I saw it last night when I opened the window with the little key the young man left… I didn't see anything at first so I closed it. But as soon as I did I heard growling, and something horrible looked back at me from the other side of the window.”

So many entries just talked about that window, about her hearing the tapping and hiding under her bed. About me… And how she worried about the tapping getting closer to the room I used to stay in. 

I close the book and I look at the window… Grandmother was old, she’d believe anything. Her head was playing tricks on her she was far too old to know any better. 

With the key in my hand, I walked up to the window and looked for the keyhole. Spotting it just at the bottom, when I inserted the key I heard a low growl on the other side, looking up to see if anything was on the other side. 

Shaking my head as I was letting the diary entries get to my head. I twisted the key, hearing a click, and this time I'm sure, I'm not hearing things. That was a very loud growl. 

And when I looked back up at the window, the once bright day had turned dark, the moon was even out. But as I started, a black figure began to peek up, a bright set of red eyes staring back at me. 

My hand froze, my whole body froze, and the window was slowly being pulled open by that thing as I stood in shock. When I finally felt like I was breathing again I grabbed the window and pulled it towards me closing it. 

I dug into my pocket and quickly took a picture of the window where that thing stood, but when I looked at the image, it instantly deleted itself. 

When I looked up from my phone the day was normal again. It was no longer there, and I didn't know whether to believe what I’d seen or not. 

I rub my eyes, and take a deep breath, looking down at the key again. I pull it out and just walk away, I leave the room. And when I do, my phone starts ringing. 

Seeing mom’s name flash on it, I pick up, “Hi?”

“VI! Where have you been? We've been calling for over an hour.” my mother yelled. 

“I was just at grandma's like I said I would. Your call never passed… Mom… Can you come to get me?” I asked, still a little shaken by what I’d seen on the window. 

She was taken back by what I asked, “Did something happen?”

“I don't know… Can you come to get me?”

“I'll be there in thirty minutes or less, don't move,” she told me. So I sat in the living room waiting. 

Cautiously looking at the windows, concern just rising on me every time I turn to look at another. 

When I finally saw her drive in I opened the door and ran up to her car, “Mom there’s something in grandma's window.” I say. 

She got off the car to look at me confused, “no one's been here in months. I had someone check the house yesterday before I let you come even.” She said as we walked into the house. 

I dragged her up to grandmas room, “There were rules, grandma even spoke about them in her diary. This key.” I hold the key up, “It’s from the window, but there’s something on the other side mom. I’m not making this up.”

Mom frowned and patted my head as she grabbed the key, “I know how much your grandmother meant to you Vi…. But she’s not here anymore.”

Mom walked to the window and I panicked, “Don't open it.”

When I was walking to take the key back she’d already inserted the key and twisted it, talking to me as she did, “She loved you very much… she left this house to you, and you’re just trying to feel as if she’s still here. She’s not with us anymore Vi.”

She opened the window and a chill filled the room. I rushed over and when I tried to pull it close a dark hand came from outside and grabbed mom. Snapping her into reality at seeing what was happening. 

Before she could react she was pulled in, and I stood in shock. Seeing as mom was pulled into the dark void, and then I heard her scream. 

I could barely make out her figure when I began to run. I wasn’t thinking, I just ran trying to catch up to her, “Mom!” I yelled. 

But my legs gave out, tripping in nothing as I fell flat on the ground. When I hastily got up, I saw nothing. Mom wasn’t here, I… I don’t know where I came from.