Monday, September 3, 2012

"Skeleton Key"

"Power corrupts." You know the saying? Pure rubbish.

I first saw it on the pavement, this Schlage key blank. Or so it appeared. It becomes what you need to get into, well, whatever you need to get into. Sliding into the new deadbolt she installed. Flattening to paper bearing her computer password. Compressing into her Chevy's security fob.

Understand, I could've opened anything. Bank vaults, prison cells -- your front door. She must've seen something in you to leave me. I'm going to see it, too.

How? I'll show you. Is this a key I see before me?

I think not.

Skeleton Key by I Saw Lightning Fall

Postscript: If the above widget is giving you trouble, visit ISLF's Soundcloud page or consider subscribing to the podcast to listen to audio recordings of this and other stories.

6 comments:

dolorah said...

I still haven't gotten used to the pod cast thing; but I liked the story.

......dhole

YA Sleuth said...

Cool story. Amazing how you can make it work with so few words...

Loren Eaton said...

Donna,

Yeah, I think the podcast reaches a different audience entirely. Thanks for reading, though!

Loren Eaton said...

F.T.,

I'm glad you thought it worked. This one got a glazed stare from my wife, which made me think that whole Macbeth allusion in the penultimate line was too obscure.

Scattercat said...

What if it turned into flowers and chocolates instead? Or a nice burger. The key to a man's heart being through the stomach etc.

Loren Eaton said...

I think the narrator's actually looking for a way to the man's abodominal cavity, which is best achieved through something sharp and pointy.