The Key

I look into the bright blue sky above, not a cloud in sight seen through a broken ceiling. Flashes of a bloody roman bath house with beautiful blue triangular tiles on the wall that dance at the slightest twitch of the eye. Smooth white grouting made of packed sand, smooth granite slabs on the floor kept the house cool in the shade during the summer. All the rooms seem to be looted and disserted. But so strange no bodies in sight just blood splatters. The Year is 502 C.E. The halls of the entire villa lay silent and uncomfortable, home to nothing more than insects and small rodents now. About 4 years ago my entire family had been slain where I stand now, while there was nothing I could do. An army of 2 leagues of Germanic soldiers had descended upon our humble country villa village. I dressed and prepared for war, prepared for victory and triumph, and glory. I was excited to use new spells I had just mastered from my mother’s red grimoire. I descended the stairs ready to hear my commands. And my father and older brother lock me under the false floor in the basement. The false floor has only one exit which leads to our private hunting cabin in the woods. Before he locked the floor, my father said to me “return home for your key on the 3rd blue moon only you can use it” ... The false floor backtracks underground, a 10k cold damp hike. I have done this trek thousands of times alone, even with weights, but never to escape and never with no one on the other side waiting for me... But I stayed and hung to the floor as I listened as my family pulled off their suicide plan and killed everyone who entered our house, including themselves. My father and my brother must have fought off 20 Germanic soldiers each. I could hear the flint of swords clashing together and my brothers grunts, and the enemy soldiers' war cry turn to shrieks as they fought my father. But I know this is just a stall while my mother frantically put together a gas bomb spell which makes the air in the house toxic and non-breathable for humans for 52 moons. A simple spell she conjures into a glass bottle only needing it to be broken to activate. There were a few more parlay attacks to a shield it sounded like and more enemy soldiers screaming “Hilf mir”… Whatever it meant it could not be good but after I heard the glass break.. I heard nothing, just silence. I take a seat next to books packed near the fireplace, thinking about what my father could mean by the key. He left a key for the floor along with $20,000 in the cabin. “How far did he plan ahead?” I think to myself. I wasn't ready to return home and lost track of the moon count. But last night through all the fires in the land I witnessed the 3rd blue moon shining through the endless smog and felt the need to check. But what if I’m wrong and die looking for the key? A mouse scurries chasing after a beetle and catches it just as the beetle starts to fly. The pair land in the sooty books and just as quickly scurries off. I see a light coming from under the book pile and instantly feel adrenaline bubbling, hoping some kindle has not suddenly caught fire from the heat of the day that would surely let anyone know exactly where I am right now, and I have no allies. I frantically dive towards the pile and start tossing books aside left and right. I start to cough due to the soot flying in the air only to see the light disappear when I pick up this Little Black book.