Story Contest 2017 #1 - Outstanding Stories » The Secret Key

“The Secret Key” is one of the outstanding stories of the first biannual International Short Story Contest 2017 written by Shloka Bhattacharyya, India.

The Secret Key

Once upon a time, in a faraway place in England, there lived a family. Their family name was The Pearsons. This family included two brothers, two sisters, their parents and their grandparents. The siblings got along like a house on fire and spent a whale of a time in their beautiful garden.

One day, their mother took them to the library where they read a book in which their family name was mentioned. They really found it interesting and it was then that their adventure began.

That night they told their mother that they were going to their friend’s house in a month or two. They were lying as they were going to explore the ghost garden where a treasure was said to be hidden.

They went through the forest at midnight. They were scared. Some branches blocked their way but they managed to break free. At midnight howls of foxes and jackals frightened them out of their wits. They however, did not lose hope and finally reached the ghost garden.

“Oh! Is it a ghost garden or a graveyard?” asked Anne. As they tried to enter Becky exclaimed, ”Oh no! It’s locked. We must find the secret key!”

They set out to find the secret key which was hidden inside the ghost palace, they heard footsteps behind them. When they turned they could find no one. As they came nearer to the ghost palace they turned back again and found somebody wearing a black robe, blood dripped from his eyes and mouth. It was a frightful face. All of them asked, “Who are you and what are you doing here?” He replied,

“I am a ghost and I have been living here for seven hundred years. I am going to kill all of you, if you don’t listen to me.” It was indeed a very scary voice.

They followed the ghost’s instructions and walked through the ghost’s palace. It was dark and creepy. They found three rooms, they had to choose which room to enter.

They wanted to see which room suited them, but they could not as the ghost was following them.

The ghost told them that in one room there was a ghost mermaid who would give them goose bumps. In another room, was a hundred tentacle octopus which would transform into octopuses. The last room housed a fairy who would give them the key to enable them to reach home.

The ghost warned them that if they entered the wrong room, they would be locked there for ten days.

The children entered a room and the door closed behind them automatically. They had a shiver run down their spines as it was dark. Then they saw a light. They didn’t realize that it was a ghost mermaid. She told them that she would lock them for ten days. They thought how they would manage in such a creepy room. Days went on as fast as the river flows. On the tenth day, the children were allowed to come out of the room and find the next suitable room.

They went out of that room and entered another. The fairy greeted them and handed them the much wanted secret key.

All of them went home and awaited the chance to go on the next adventure with the secret key!