The Brother's short stories

How It All Started

   Surrounded by the mess of Abe's room, breathless from outrunning the men in the black cars, the three sat around the gold box Abe found in the park. After slowly opening the lid, a gold light came from deep within the box, and a gold key appeared inside. Cautiously, they all investigated the box, and then Abraham reached over and picked up the key without hesitation. Then, the box disintegrated before their eyes.

"Let me see it?" Ben said as Abe handed over the key. It was an ancient-looking bronze key with three rings on the top.

"It's heavier than I expected," Ben said, handing the key to Mara.

"What do you think it opens?" Mara asked.

"WOW," Abe said, "look at your hands!" The palms of their hands looked like someone had painted them gold. Then, their hands glowed several times, and the gold disappeared.

"That was weird," Ben said.

"Totally," Mara said, handing the key to Abraham's outstretched palm.

"I feel we now know what they were looking for?" Mara said with a great sigh.

"The question is how did they get to the park so fast. How long was the box out, and why didn't they find it?" Ben said.

Standing up, they moved out to the hallway outside Ben's room, contemplating what to do next. Abe touched the doorway and then the wall. Suddenly, a loud sound, like a great clock's heart, was beating, and the wall opened.

   Inside, the kids saw the parts of an enormous brass clock. Ben's heart was racing, and he was sure their hearts were racing too from the shocked look on their faces. It was a room, and they couldn't see what was behind the clock pieces.

The three stood in shock, and no one knew what to do. 

"Holy cow, what the heck is this place," Abe exclaimed.

"I don't believe it, but this is what Oma (Grandma) told us about. There were secret rooms hidden in many different areas in every person's house. Do you remember Abe?" Ben said.

"No way," Abraham said.

"So, let's go in; there is a keyhole in the center," Mara said.

"We should not go in yet," Ben said. "Abraham, touch the wall again; since you opened it, you can close it." Abe moved his hand over the area where the wall was, and the clock room disappeared.

"How did you know Abraham could close it," Mara asked.

"Because that was what our Oma told us in the adventures. We need to go see Oma," Ben said.

"I'm home, boys," Mom called from the kitchen.

"We need to leave," Mara said, "We can go to my house. I don't think our parents would understand this."

"You keep the key, Ben," Abe said, handing the key back to him.

"Wait, I want to talk to Mom," Ben said, rushing down the stairs.

"Hi, Mom. Mara is here, and we are going to her house."

"That's fine, honey. Did you spend time at the park today? She asked.

"No, we just hung out here," Ben said. Abe looked at him, a little shocked. Ben didn't usually lie. Being the younger brother, he tended to stretch the truth more, but not Ben.

"Hey, Mom, can I ask you something about Oma,"

 "Sure, hon,"

"You know how she would take us on different adventures? She used to tell us things like a key could open an invisible door. Was any of it real or just a story?"

"Your Oma has a wonderful imagination; I have never met anyone like her, but most of the stories she tells you are untrue."

"Thanks, Mom," Ben said as he grabbed his blue backpack and put the key safely inside. They rushed out the door. Ben could talk to Mom about anything, but he didn't want to involve her in case the men in the black cars showed up. Sometimes, ignorance is the best way to protect someone you love.

"What now, Ben?" Abe asked.

"We must get to Oma's and find out if the adventures were just stories or true."

So, they rode their bikes down Caton Farm Road. Even though there was a lot of traffic, they soon found themselves standing in front of Oma's house five minutes later.

After a quick ring of the doorbell, they burst their way in. Opa was sound asleep on the couch, and the noise woke him up.

"Hi, boys; how are you?"

 "Fine," they hollered back.

"Hi Mara, how are you," Opa said.

"I'm fine," she answered. Opa put his head on the pillow as Oma descended the stairs.

"Boys, what a nice surprise. How are you doing." She said after a quick round of hugs. Even Mara got a hug, which was not unusual for Oma.

"We have to talk to you, Oma," Ben said.

 "It sounds serious," Oma replied.

"It is very serious," Abe said.

"Come on then," she led them into the dining room, where they all sat down.

"Do you remember, Oma, when you told us that every house has hidden rooms and that all you need to open the doorway to the secret room is the key?"

"Yes, I did. Did you find the key," she asked.

"What if we did?" Abe asked gruffly. Oma smiled warmly at Abraham.

"I found the key when I was your age, Ben. Children are the only ones who can retrieve the key. The only ones who can use the key. Although, the key can find its way into the hands 

of a specific child. The key can also be dangerous. You have to be very careful."

"All the stories you told us about other worlds were true then, weren't they, Oma?" Ben asked.

"Yes, almost all of them were true. Some I embellished a bit," Oma said, smiling at them. 

"What about the guys in the suits," Mara asked.

"They were at the park and looking for the key," Ben told her.

"Don't tell them anything. They will tell you they work for the FBI or Homeland Security, and they don't. People have been trying to confiscate the key as long as the key has existed." 

   When I was a young girl, I found the key, and once I figured out how it worked, I loved it," she said with a huge smile. Looking into her eyes, Ben saw the little girl she once was.

     He smiled at her warmly.

 "The men may have been children who had the key at some point but lost it; as adults, they cannot find the key again. Most forget about the key and the worlds, but for others, they know it exists. To be able to send people out to investigate takes a lot of money. 

   I know someone who would be looking for the key. He was bad as a child and is probably worse as an adult. Also, please be careful in the other worlds. Some of it is beautiful, but there are some scary things too. You know all the stories, so that will help you. I wish I could tell you more, but time erases childhood memories. If you have any problems, come back and see me.

Please keep the key a secret and never go in alone. Like I said, many people forget about the key and the worlds as they age, but for some, it becomes an obsession," Oma said.

"Oma, our adventures were cardboard cutouts and chalk on the sidewalk, but this is the real thing. How will we know what to do?" Ben asked seriously.

"You are right; they were just adventures, but I stuck as close as possible to what I remembered from my trips inside the worlds.

When I was your age, these adventures helped me become confident and unafraid of anything the real world could demand of me. You three are the next generation of caretakers of these worlds," she said as she walked them to the door.

Before they picked up their bikes, Abe stopped them.

"We need to make a pact that we won't tell anyone about the key, No matter what, and that we will never go in alone." Abe stuck out his arm.

"Alright, Ben said, placing his arm on top of Abe's.

"Alright, me too," Mara said, placing her arm on top of theirs.

"We swear we will never tell anyone about the key or go in alone," Abe said. The kids got on their bikes and headed up Renwick Drive to go home, taking a different route.

The next day was school, so Ben, an eighth grader, didn't see Abe, a fifth grader, because he was in middle school. Ben passed Mara in the hallways. They nodded to each other as there was no time to talk between classes, partly because six minutes passed quickly and the wave of bodies pulled you along, so you couldn't change course even if you tried.

When school was over, they were all on the same bus. Mara sat beside Ben, which wasn't abnormal, and Abe sat across from them. Mara had known Ben and Abe for most of her life. As brothers, they both were blessed with the most beautiful blue eyes and curly blond hair.

"Did you notice?" Mara asked, pointing to the black cars by the office.

"What do they hope to gain?" Abe said.

"Shhh," Ben said, even though no one was paying attention to them; kids hear everything. Once off the bus, the boys headed to their house with Mara in tow. Ben unlocked the front door. They sat around the dark wood table eating Cheetos. Mara and Ben worked on their honors math while Abraham lay on the couch.

"Abe, you have to do your homework," Ben said. Abe let out a defeated sigh.

Then the doorbell rang, and they looked at each other with widened eyes.

"Stay here," Ben whispered. He went to the side window and peered outside, then slowly returned to them.

"It's the men in the black cars," Ben said.

 "What do we do?" Abe asked.

"Stay calm. You wouldn't answer the door to strangers any other day, so that is what we are doing today," Mara reassured him. They waited about twenty minutes and then peeked out the window the men had left.

"Let's use the key," Abe said. The three friends ran upstairs to where Abe had opened the wall before.

"Go Ahead," Mara said. "Give Abe the key,

Ben went into his backpack and pulled out the key. Taking the key, Abe touched the wall where it had opened before.

"Weird," Abe said when nothing happened.

"What now," Mara asked.

"You know," Ben said, "Oma would send us off on adventures with the keys she gave us and tell us to check all the walls, even the floors. Maybe we need to check other walls?" Ben told them.

Abraham reached the wall behind him on the same wall as his room. They heard the cranking sound of an old clock turning. The wall fell away; behind it were large metal bronzed clock parts. Abe put the gold key into the lock of the clock. Mara held on to Abe's hand and took Ben's hand in hers. They slowly walked into the clock pieces and past the 

white vines hanging from the sky so high up you could not see where they started. A musical note played for each strand as they moved through the vines, making a melodic song.

A sizeable green pasture stood past the hundred strands of vines, and small cottages could be seen in the distance. It was a very picturesque place. Walking through the field, they looked around for any signs of life, which they did not find. They did not see anyone outside the cottages, either. After about twenty minutes of looking about, they all came together.

"I think we should go back," Ben said.

"I agree," Abe and Mara said at the same time.

They walked past the pasture, the cottages, the white vines, and the bronze clock. Ben took Mara's hand, and she took Abe's. Abe pulled them out through an invisible shield.

Sitting on the wood floor, they needed to process what had happened.

"Look at the clock," he said after a few minutes.

"What about it?" Ben asked. "We left at 3:30, and now it's 3:30. I looked at the clock before we left."

"So, time is different when we are behind the wall. We were in there for at least 20 minutes," Ben said. They made their way down the stairs.

"Maybe we should go back in over the weekend?"

"You know we have soccer over the weekend," Ben said. "Me, too. I have softball on Saturday."

"Guys, what are we worrying about? Time doesn't change in the outside world."

"He is right. We could do this at any time," Mara said. "I have to go home; text me later, Ben."

"Bye," Ben said as Mara left out the front door. Mom came in as Mara was leaving.

"Hi guys, did you do your homework, Abe?"

"Why do you always say, Abe? Ben could have forgotten to do his homework," he told her, irritated.

 Mom looked at him, and he rolled his eyes. After finishing their homework, Ben and Abe scarfed down a meatball sandwich. After showers, the boys watched TV in their respective rooms.

Mara texted Ben to please come over. Two men were there, accusing her of stealing a gold box in the park. They asked her parents to search her room, and her parents agreed, but her dad watched them. She stayed downstairs with her mom.

He cut through the unfenced backyards. He had texted her that he would climb the Matterhorn, the tree by her window.

They named the tree when they were in first grade. They used to climb the tree and jump from it into her

room, which had no screens. They did it until her dad told them to 'knock it off.'

The drape started moving, and then her dad entered the room. He had a rough time climbing the tree; in his defense, he had not climbed trees in quite a while. He heard her dad leave, and she moved the drape and opened the window.

"Hey, I'm sorry I asked you to come over," Mara whispered to him.

"It's OK; what happened?" he whispered back.

"They were polite, but after they searched my room and did not find the box, they became hostile. They yelled at me to give them the box that they knew I had. My dad got upset, and he asked them to leave."

Are you alright?" Ben asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine; go home and get some rest, and I'll see you tomorrow."

"OK, I'll see you tomorrow." Climbing down the tree was easier than climbing up. Once home, Ben went into the front door and locked it behind himself, heading up to his room.

As Benjamin lay in bed, the recurring thought over and over was that life would never be the same and the adventures were just beginning.