Skeleton Key Beach

The wind howled around the eves of the house as I pulled the covers snugly around me. The moon shone brightly through the window, casting shadows of moving tree branches upon the wall. Sleep was impossible, as the memory of Sam's last phone call kept creeping into my mind. Sam is my twin sister. Samantha and I have always been inseparable, until now. For the last month, sleep had been evading me. I lie awake in bed, hoping for an answer to show itself from beneath the darkness. Finally, as I slip off into slumber, the dream slowly comes into view. Dense fog drifts across the beach as I turn to run. I can hear a muffled cry coming from behind me. I instinctively know that Sam is there as I turn to greet whatever nightmare is waiting.
I see her floating across the sand, her eyes wide with terror. I can barely make out her words. She has her arms outstretched toward me, beckoning for me to come to her. It is then that I realize the words that she has spoken.
'Help me Rebecca! It's in the fog, I can see it in the fog!' The sunlight fell across my face, waking me from my restless dreams. I lay there thinking about the last message that I had received from Sam. She had mentioned something about the fog and the line went dead. If only I had taken that call instead of ignoring it. The guilt was overbearing. I was determined to find out where she was. The police were doing their best, but I could feel time was running out. My only thought was of Sam. Today I would finally be allowed to go through her things. Her house had been closed off while detectives searched for clues to her disappearance. Hopefully, today I would find those clues.
The inside search of Sam's house came up empty. Everything seemed normal and in place. The only thing missing was a set of old skeleton keys that she had recently purchased. She bought them to hang outside her front door. Someone told her that to do this would bring good luck and fortune. That was Sam, ready to believe anything. As I walked down the back slope toward the beach, a prickly feeling started at the back of my neck, traveling down the length of my body. As my gaze wandered across the beach, I noticed a shiny object lying on the ground. I bent over and pulled the object loose from the sand. The tears flowed down my cheeks as I stared at the gold cross and chain that I had given Sam on her birthday. She didn't go anywhere without wearing it. This was left here on purpose, I knew. She is waiting for me, but where?
The dream was Sam's way of letting me know that she was alive. We have always had a deep psychic connection. This was my last thought before I drifted into slumber. The fog seemed thicker than usual and Sam wasn’t there on the beach. Tonight was different somehow. I could hear a tinkling sound that I haven’t heard before. And the voices, that was different, too. There seemed to be others in the fog. I tried to run toward the sound, but running into the fog was difficult. It seemed as if an unseen force was preventing me from entering the misty realm.
I cooked a light breakfast and forced myself to eat something. My appetite seemed non-existent lately. I hurried back to the beach behind Sam's property. I felt like this was where the answer would be. As I walked along, I could almost hear the tinkling sound I had heard in my dream. I suddenly realized where else I had heard that sound. This was the same sound I had heard outside of Sam's front door. The sound of skeleton keys clinking together as the wind blew them was exactly the same.
Tonight I would camp out in Sam's backyard. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fit. I knew that tonight something would happen. I could feel it in my soul. I could feel Sam in my soul. I knew this was right.
I awoke to the sound of the ocean. Normally this was a peaceful sound, but this wasn't a peaceful night. I was surprised to see the fog had moved in along the beach area. This wasn't the usual time of the year for fog. The sound of the rolling surf seemed to disappear as the fog thickened.
As I walked toward the ocean’s shore, I could hear singing, or was it chanting? I was surprised when I began to remember bits and pieces of conversations with Sam that I had forgotten. She talked about a friend she had met, and subtle hints of the supernatural. Then she would laugh as if she had told a funny joke. I was so involved with my own life, I didn't notice Sam's nervous behavior.
As I walked along the beach, deep in thought and realizing that I had missed something very important, I could hear it, the tinkling sound. It sounded hauntingly sad to me. Ahead, I could see a brightly glowing fire. I knew I had to be very quiet. My instincts were sending signals to my brain. I was so close, I could feel the heat from the bonfire. Several people were gathered around the fire. They were wearing black robes with hoods. There were thirteen cane sticks situated in a circle. Hanging from the tops of the canes were several skeleton keys. And there, standing inside the circle, was Sam. It seemed as if she were floating, as she did in my dream. At second glance, I could see that she was standing on a platform. Her eyes were wide and trance-like. The people who encircled her were chanting and singing. Sam haltingly moved down the steps of the platform. A person stood on either side of her, holding her in their grasp. They were slowly moving toward the direction of the water.
Those that remained by the fire fell to their knees, speaking in a language that was unfamiliar. It was at that moment that I realized what was happening. This was some sort of occult, and Sam was to be their sacrifice to some occult god.
I stood up from my hiding place, not knowing what I would do, but knowing I had to do something. The sudden movement caught the attention of a couple of the cult members. They yelled something at the two that were walking Sam toward the water’s edge. They grabbed Sam and started dragging her toward the water. Suddenly, bright lights came on, blinding me as I tried to run. I tripped and fell to the ground, hitting my head on a rock.
I awoke lying in a hospital bed. Sitting beside my bed was Sam, my dear sweet Sam! As I struggled to sit up, she was at my side. She told me that I had a concussion and that I should rest. There was to be no rest until I could hear her story. It seemed that this friend that Sam had met belonged to an occult. That friend told her about the skeleton keys. When Sam hung the wind chime she had made with the keys outside of her door, this was the sign to the occult members that she would be the next sacrifice. Luckily, the police had suspected the group was on a killing spree. They had been watching the members for weeks before Sam disappeared. When I stood up at the gathering, the police saw that as their chance to save Sam and arrest the members. That’s when they turned on the searchlights, and I hit my head. I'm happy to have my sister back. This has brought us closer together and reinforces the fact that love has no limits. I will never let another call from Sam go unanswered, if it can be prevented. I just hope Sam has learned a great lesson. Don't always believe everything you hear.