The Key

"I could ask the same of you. Don’t the dead bodies scare you?"

"Oh no, no way. I think its really cool. Not for the dead person of course." she added. The man smiled again. It seemed to pain him. He moved slightly and Liana stared at his revealed hand. "That looks like it hurts." she said after a moment. A faint uneasiness had crept into her voice. " A little, no more. Not for me at least." His voice had become decidedly unpleasant and Liana took a step backwards. "Give me the key, girl." he hissed. She clutched automatically at her pocket. "Give me the key and I will let you go. It is not your fault you are too curious by half." He began to take a step forward.

A sudden noise by the doors caught his attention and he spun quickly. A bolt of fire shot out from his hand to hit the luckless cleaner,who was just entering, on the chest. There was a long scream and the smell of burning flesh filled the room. The man turned back, smiling cruelly at the empty space in front of him. Liana was gone.

With a scream of rage the man flung his arms out and intense waves of darkness rolled out and filled the room. From where she crouched under one of the benches, Liana watched it slam past over her head. Immediately when the air cleared she began crawling again towards the doors. A second wave passed over, lower but still clearing her easily. The third quickly followed and Liana had to press herself to the ground. Even only a slightly bigger girl would have been hit. As it was her hair and clothes were singed with something like fire.

By now she had reached the door and taking the chance she lunged up and opened them, throwing herself out and down the steps as another wave rolled over. Those steps saved her but a passing nurse wasn’t so lucky. Liana watched with horror as the darkness bit into him and his clothes, his skin, everything but his skeleton dissolved. Taking a deep breath, she got up and shot around the corner, faster than she’d ever run before. And she kept running, until she crashed right into her father. " Liana, where were you?" he half-yelled angrily. Liana managed to smile. "Around. Can we go?" she begged. Simon grumbled something and pulled her outside and round to where Brendan waited in the car.

Liana took out the key and examined it. She could see nothing special about it but all the same she hid it in the chest of drawers, beneath her stone collection. Then she turned out the light and snuggled down into her blankets.