lucy's key

i lost the manuscript for this i wrote it at least 15 years ago now tryinng to recreate it, its hard though.

Jane finish your breakfast her mother said as she slurped her milk down and grabbed her vegemite on toast. This was their annual holiday and she was yet to meet up with her friend Julie down the beach at 8.00 am.  They went to the same flat every year at the seaside coastal down and they met and spent two wonderful wonderous weeks together bosom bodies. They met when they were 5.  Their fathers were fisherman  and they inadvertently met one day looking at a seashell collection place.the 2 men bumped into each other and from then on after they were introduced clicked and net up every year. exchanging letters throughout the year snail mail they called it the year was 1969 and they were both 10 years old.  Jane finished her toast and took the plate to the kitchen sink emptying the scraps under her mothers approving eye.

Dont forget to wear a hat and be home for lunch luv she said to her daughter. Ok Mum Ill be home later love you xx as she kissed her mum on the cheek.  Jane had brown short hair slightly curly and freckles. She was dressed in shorts and t shirt and thongs and had a very excited air about her today. Their first day of holidays the sun was out, she ws about to meet her friend Julie whom she hadnt seen for a year, since last xmas holidays.  Her mum sat down with a cup of tea and looked out the flat window to see her daughter running to the beach with beach bag on shoulder, hat on and long legs.  Julie met her friend Jane and they hugged tight and jumped up and down and yelled yeh its holidays!!! at last.  Off they ran to the beach, their mums were meeting them down there in an hour, they had become good friends too.  Janes dad was busy working and so was Julie's Dad.  It was a nice little quiet holiday seaside beach 2 hours  from sydney.  Fastly gaining popularity.  Janes mum touched up her lipstick and slathered herself in cocnuut oil.  She had a beachy tan already as they had a pool at home Julie's mum was also reapplying her lippstick and slathering herself in coconut oil. Tanning was in back in the 70s or late 60s.  It was hip to be brown as a bery. Julie and Jane started walking up to the north end of the long beach collecting shells and running in the ripple of waves.  They had such fund together.  They then decided to have a quick swim in a small rock pool at the rocks it was very shallow deep blue and mysterious. They got in and giggled.  After a few minutes Jane felt something hard on her foot, like metal. She dived in and came up like a mermaid.   Holding the key large and rusted and heavy.  They both got out of the rockpool and studied it. Wow Ive never seen a key this big or heavy it like an antique they both siad together laughing.  Mum willl love this said Julie drying her long blond hair.  Lets make a wish with it, said Jane.  They both held the key and closed their blue eyes and said out loud with the sun on their cheecks and hair, whoever owns this key please come forward.  Wherever you are they opened their eyes and lkocked eyes. The sun had darkened, it was only morning. It had become cold and very windy. They both shivered in shock and pure fear.  dressing quickly as it had become like a winters cold afternoonn.  The girls both felt scared but excited at the same time. They not ran back along the beach looking for their respective mothers check your watch Jane it’s four in the afternoon said Julie that can’t be right said Jane banging her watch as if it had stopped the both stood on the beach looking at the watches when they felt a cold woosh of wind almost blow them away they held hands and ran along the beach trying to find their mums the corner shop at the southern end of the beach where they usually bought their fish and chips and coke or a meat pie was not there that’s strange all that was there was a park bench with an old fashioned petrol station like they had seen in their mums favourite old b and shite movies there was a few cars parked at the unmarked car park and they were definitely not from 1969 more like antiques and the people in them dressed in different clothes like their grandparents would of worn the girls felt they must be dreaming and asked each other to pinch each of their arms we are in a dream said Jane no Julie said we seem to have been put bk into the past said Julie now scared and crying Julie was the most commonsense girl alive so Jane realised yes they had somehow travelled bk in time their mothers will be so worried they both thought silently Jane and Julie were worried how they would get home into their normal lives They both sat down and looked out to sea It was getting dark nearly five and they felt very alone and lost They decided to walk in the direction of janes flat hopefully they would’ve able to get home that way They went up a dirt road and saw a little cute cat meow I almost begging the two lost girls to stop at an old iron gate in the lane they peered through the gate the latch was locked Jane took out the key it was the same old rusty metal as the gate let’s see if it fits no ssid Julie there’s no house what’s the use they looked over the gate all they could see was an old chimney stack and an outhouse in a very overgrown patch of brown long grass I’m scared said Julie but Jane insisted and put the key in the locked padlock latch she slowly turned it the cat scurried into the yard which magically changed to a rose filled front garden with lavender jasmine and gums and a beautiful shite house with a beautiful verandah porch The girls then looked at each other and said here goes and walked up to the house The flowers were buzzing with bees the sun was out and they stood on the verandah hoping they would be bk into the present and be able to find their mums somehow they both knew this would be impossible and knocked on the door there was a loom and a spinning wheel on verandah they could hear mantovani playing and smell chicken roasting Inside Lucy turned the chicken just like she had done for the last fifty years sat st her table with white pressed linen and embroidery and put manovzni on the old record player she had gone this sins she could remember eith no visiiirs She was stuck in a time warp getting older each year but unable to gout into the real world ever since that fateful day that she as a young bride to be had thrown her key into the tocpool at the end of the beach She had been cooking at her stove when she heard footsteps she realised her key had been found at last She stood at door waiting Gill the girls knocked The door opened and an old lady answered Yes children what can I do for you how did you get here said the old woman with white hair we turned your latch The suncame out said the girls The cat was now lapping up the milk on the verandah Well I would say it’s zbout time someone knocked on my door I’ve been in the house for last fifty years said Lucy Unable to escape doing the same thing day in day out she said Co e in and I’ll make you fine home made lemonade and cookies or fried vhivken the girls followed her into the beautiful home with high polished wooden floors old fashion furniture and paintings on every wall The girls were famished and realised this key had unlocked this woman’s life she was now free Lucy was cutting up done chicken and her wrinkly hands suddenly changed before her eyes she ran to her hallway mirror and stood there With hands on tost cheeks gone was her grey curly white hair in place was long brown hair and her old brown dress was now a hippy long maxi skirt with a rainbow tie died shirt and beads on her wrist and neck The girls followed her and stood in amazement Wow Lucy look at you The girls then realised they had changed into their mums ages at least forty Oh my this key is magic the kitten was old and lying fat and motionless on the verandah still breathing though Lucy laughed give it time once I remember the magic words and motions I’m sure we can tweak you both back to schoolgirls She laughed They all ate fried chicken with bread and mayonnaise and ripe tomatoes followed by ice cream Lucy said girls this is a secret but I’ll try and tweak u bk now and you can go home No we can’t find the flat or our mums they cried Well I’ll try said Lucy running up to her bedroom turning on her tape recorder of Sixtiesmusic She fossicked in her drawer and found an old paper faded with pencil instructions that her grandfather wrote out the day she threw the key in the Rockpool She ran. Down the stairs to find the girls had gone with her key They went out locked her gate and here she was trapped again probably for another fifty years she cried and went to bed slowly walking up to her bedroom she felt her knees go shaky and her hands were all wrinkled again Lucy old Lucy cried herself to sleep that night The girls dexided they needed to glee the magic house and young old Lucy with they key and try ho mske it home wherever that may be they felt bad leaving Lucy but knew their mums would be so worried To be continued

© 2018 Julie McCarthy (juliespenhere)

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