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Chloe's Enchanted Keyhole

2025 Vocal Challenge: Through The Keyhole

By Mariann CarrollPublished about a year ago • Updated 4 months ago • 3 min read
A Photo: One of Mariann Carroll's daughter's Childhood Artwork Collection

Chloe was peeking through the keyhole in their attic. She saw a rainbow over a beautiful waterfall. The waterfall looked like the waterfall in the picture over the living room fireplace.

Chloe's mother forbade her from going into the attic. Her mother would not tell her why. Chloe had a feeling it had to do with why her grandmother, Suzy, had dementia.

The day after Chloe's sixteenth birthday, her grandmother gave her a tiny purple key shaped like a mermaid. Chloe had tried the key in the attic keyhole, but the key was too small.

Chloe could not ask her grandmother what the strange key was for due to her grandmother's dementia. Her Grandmother seems to be talking gibberish most of the time.

Her grandma always said the word "eas" and pointed to the living room.

The Day Chloe Discovered The Key To The Attic:

Chloe has searched the entire old house for the mystery key. She decided to trick her mother into telling her where the attic key was.

One evening, while her mother was watching Scooby-Doo in the living room. Chloe sat on their Chaise couch. Her mother, Joise, was lying on the L section of the sofa.

Chloe asked her mother if she would tell her where the attic key was hidden. Her mother said nothing and glanced at the picture over the fireplace. Chloe did not notice the glance because she had started watching the show on TV.

It so happened that they were watching the 1987 Scooby-Doo episode, Scooby-Do Meets the Boo Brothers. The final clue was revealed in the show. Treasure was hidden in the fireplace.

The next day, Chloe spent it looking for clues in the fireplace in their living room. She took a chair and placed it in front of the fireplace. She climbed on the chair and picked up each display of mermaids on top of the mantel.

She finally investigated the picture hanging above the fireplace. The picture featured a waterfall painting. Behind the picture was a small security box shaped like a mermaid. She tried her mermaid key necklace with it. It opened the box, and there was an old skeleton key in it.

She was so excited.

Chloe finally opened the Attic Door:

Chloe had to wait until her mother went to work. Joise worked at the postal service distribution center on the night shift, 7 pm . Chloe would wash up her grandma and put her to sleep by then.

At 8 pm, Chloe climbs the stairs to the attic. She placed the skeleton key in the keyhole. She had to try it so many times before it worked. The door creaked so loudly when she opened it. Thankfully, her grandmother was a sound sleeper. The door seems like a portal to an enchanted world.

She reached the water bank like she was floating on air. Many colorful mermaids were swimming in the water. One of the mermaids left the group of swimming mermaids and approached Chloe.

"How did you get in here?" the mermaid asked in a surprising voice.

Chloe introduced herself and explained how she got there.

" We do not normally allow humans in here. By the way, my name is Siren. Whatever you do, please do not go behind the waterfalls." The mermaid, Siren, warned Chloe.

Unfortunately, Chloe cannot be forbidden from going anywhere. Chloe planned to explore the back of the waterfalls anyway. Chloe thought she had come this far; she might as well see why her mother doesn't want her to see this enchanted place.

Behind the waterfalls is Chloe's family skeleton closet. How will Chloe react when she discovers the truth about her father's side of the family?

familyAdventureHistoricalFantasyYoung Adult

About the Creator

Mariann Carroll

Proactive for positive change.Born in the City of Chicago ,Illinois.

Multi race .Studied in a foreign country .Fluent in several languages .

fascinated by diversity.A Romantic and a dreamer.Interest in healthy living

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    Written by Mariann Carroll