The Unearthed Key

A curious crescent of pitted black iron was peeking out from the crushed gravel beside the garden border. Intolerable secrecy! Wedging the silver tip of my skull cane beneath the loop, I threw my weight into the leverage until the damp earth yielded with a crisp crunch. Up tumbled a heavy, antique skeleton key, dusted in grit and boasting a jagged, four-toothed bit. I kicked away a clump of clinging moss with the toe of my platform boot, marveling at its hefty, gothic silhouette. What ancient lock it once commanded is utterly irrelevant; it makes a magnificent, sinister relic to claim my new outdoor stage.