The water trickled down the window. Polly sat there staring at it. She didn’t want any thing more than it to stop. Polly hated the rain she would always say, “Rain is just an excuse to keep us inside.” Polly favorite thing was going down to the creek. Polly had a creek down the street from her house. At the creek her and Sid would always play pirates. Polly was the girl pirate that got swept away by Sid the tyrant. Polly loved playing pirates but Sid wasn’t as enthusiastic. Sid enjoyed playing with Polly. Although his idea of a nice sunny day would be sitting on the couch with a big bag of chips, a soda, and watching his favorite movie When Evil Invades.

“Polly I am going to do some shopping do you want to come and get some of those new shoes you’ve been talking about.” Polly’s mom wondered.

“Actually mom I think I am going to hang at home today.”

“Since when do you not want to go shopping on a rainy day?”
Polly loved to go shopping when it was raining outside. She loved having somewhere to go that was just about her and her mom.
“I no but I don’t feel so good I just want to stay home.”
Polly heard her car pull away. It wasn’t really that Polly wanted to stay home. It was about something she over heard last night.
While Polly was lying in her bed she heard her mom crying and talking to some one. Polly snuck out her door got down on the ground and went and put her ear to her mom’s door.
“Rhonda I just cant take it, all of Polly’s friends have cell phones, I pods, and all of the latest greatest clothes. Polly has nothing. She wears my old hand me downs for crying out loud. I just can’t afford it.”
There was a pause while Polly’s aunt answered her mom back.
“I feel so bad she shouldn’t have to worry about money at this young of an age. She must know why she doesn’t have any of the things her peers at school have. I just wish Sam were still here with us he always was employed and was always making some kind of income. Rhonda I’m just a failure.”
Polly ran back into her room put her head on her dad’s old pillow and cried herself to sleep.
About three years ago before Polly and her mom moved to Argentina they lived in Austria. Polly’s dad got a new job in Austria when Polly was Five years old. She loved it there it was so beautiful. Then Austria got a new ruler and he said every one who is does not have a German origin is out! Polly’s dad fought and fought for their land but in the end with a rusty old arrow through the heart he died a painful death. Polly was devastated. She sat in her room crying for three days. Within two more days they were packed up and moving to Argentina.
When Polly woke up the next morning her eyes felt like they were balloons! She cried and cried last night. She loved her dad more than anything. Her and her dad had a special bond that not many other girls and their dad’s have.
The garage door opened and Polly heard her mom Ford pickup come to a screeching stop. The door to the garage flung open, and Polly’s mom stood there like a statue. Polly did a once over she saw her mom in her black tracksuit with two reusable grocery bags in each hand.
“Mom what did you get?” Polly wondered.
“Oh just some groceries, we were getting pretty low on food.”
“Do you need help putting them away?”
“No, no I can manage you just go watch T.V or something.”
Polly did not want to watch T.V she wanted to find out what was really in those bags. When ever Polly’s mom came home from the grocery store she would set the bags down on the counter and say something like “Polly I have some bills to take care of will you put the groceries away. Of course Polly would do as she was told. Not this time though she wont let her put them away and she wants Polly to go in another room and watch T.V? She thought to her self; its not my birthday, its not Christmas, or any other holiday? What could be in that bag?

Polly realized her mom was not going to let her sneak a peek, so she told her mom that she was going to go over to Sid’s house and see if he wants to do something. Her mom offered to drive her since it was pouring down rain but Polly enjoyed the rain and Sid’s house was only right down the street.

She slipped on her rain boots and her rain jacket and skipped down the street to Sid’s. When she got to his house she walked up the drive way (he had a pretty long drive way) and up the walkway. She stood In front of the door as it toward over her. She touched the circular dot to the right side of the door and her the reaction. DING DONG DING DONG.

“Mom door.” Sammy, Sid’s older sister yelled

“Hello, Polly what brings you here.”

“I was just wondering if Sid was home and wanted to come to my house?”

“ You know what I think he is up stairs in his room, you are more than welcome to go up there and find him.”

“Thank you very much.”

Polly walked in the big class door took off her wet coat and boots and set them in a neat pile next to the door. Sid had a very large house it was four floors and each floor was one of Polly’s entire house! Sid’s dad was a doctor and Polly’s mom always told Polly that he makes a lot of money. Polly walked into the foyer and began to twirl up and up the spiral staircase. She got to the top of the stairs and looked at her surroundings. Seven doors surrounded her with an office area to her left. Polly knew which room was Sid’s but wondered what were in the other rooms. Probably bedrooms thought Polly and walked of the mocha brown colored door. This Door was Sid’s. Her wrist rose up from as her side and she tapped the door again and again and again. She waited and Sid finally groaned, “Come in.”

“Hi Sid do you want to come back over to my house and do something.”

“Hi Polly, no I really want to stay at my house I am uh um not feeling too well and my um mom wants me to stay home today and rest. (Yeah that works, good).” Sid muttered to himself.

“Well maybe I could stay here and we could do something I have to tell you something.”
“Well you could tell me but then I think you should leave before you get what ever I have.”

“Okay so my mom asked me if I wanted to go shopping today and I told her no because of the hole story I told you over the phone and then my mom left and went to do her shopping. She came back with two huge grocery bags but wouldn’t let me put them away and she wanted me to leave the room. There aren’t any holidays coming up. Any ideas?”

“That’s strange maybe she just bought you something because she felt bad. I don’t know. But what ever it is it will revel its self, but when you get home I want you to look in your fridge and make sure there isn’t more food than before. Maybe she is telling the truth. You never know.”

Polly ran down the stairs she slipped her jacket and boots on, opened and slammed the door behind her. She ran up the street and ducked into her house. Her mom was not in the kitchen.

“Mom? Mom? Are you home?”

No answer.

“Mom?”

Obviously Polly’s mom isn’t home but where could she be. Not working its Saturday? Polly picked up the house phone and started dialing her moms work number. 564-998-7766. Ring, Ring, Ring.

“Hello, Blare Real Estate, this is Blare speaking.” Polly’s moms boss answered.

“Hi Blare, its Polly I was just wondering if my mom is at work?”

“Sorry Polly but your mom isn’t working today, it Saturday. But if she does come in I will make sure to have her call you.”

“Thank you, bye.”

The phone went blank. Polly thought and recalled all of her conversation with her mom. No nothing about her leaving and going somewhere. She called her mom’s work cell phone normally she has with her incase a client needs her. 564-988-6767. Ring, ring, ring.

“Hello.” Polly’s mom answered.

“Hi mom it’s Polly, where are you?”

“I am just at work I need to get some paper work done so I came in today.”

“But mom Blare said…”

“I have to go love you see you at home later.”

Again the phone went blank. That’s strange Polly thought to herself. Blare said she isn’t at work but Polly’s mom said she was? Polly went into her mom’s bedroom. She wanted to see if the bag from earlier was here. She opened the door to her bedroom. On the bed there were about one hundred papers white papers. Polly walked in and sat on the bed she began to look at the papers. DKNSEA pay $4000 dollars a month! What does DKNSEA stand for Polly thought? She began to look through all the papers. Obviously her mom was getting a new job. That’s good but this doesn’t look like real estate paper work these look like a lot of agreements and… Polly’s eyes scrolled down the paper until they met something eye shocking. At the bottom of the paper it said
“The king’s key must become ours?”
I know about the kings key but why would a job application has a motto like this. I wonder.
For the rest of the day Polly began to ponder all sorts of ideas. Maybe it’s a news article, maybe it’s not a job application maybe it is a contest. Polly wondered and it was driving her CRAZY! She got off the bed and began to walk around her mom’s room in hope of finding the BAG. She looked around and around everywhere but the bag wasn’t there!
“I bet she brought it with her where ever she went because she didn’t want me to find it and look what was inside of it. Oh she is sneaky.”
Polly left her moms room and shut the door so it looked like no body had been in. She walked out and at back on the couch. She pressed the power button on the TV and the TV popped on to the news channel. Normally Polly would change the channel right away but something seemed to catch her eye. The king was on the TV. Polly stared the King was never on the TV he wouldn’t let the reporters. Not this time he was talking to them. Polly turned up the volume.
“Can you tell us the last time you saw it Sir?” A frizzy hair reporter said into a microphone.
“I don’t recall, I remember it was locked safe in its cage last night.”
What is this Polly wondered. What did the king lock in its cage last night and now it is gone. WHAT IS IT!
“There you have it shocking evidence that the Kings Key is missing. I am Ray Samuels and this is the evening news.”
Polly sat there with eyes and mouth wide open staring she didn’t move a muscle. She ran into her mom’s room once again and began rummaging through the paper work on the bed trying to find the one about the king’s key.
“Found it!” Polly exclaimed.
Of course right where she left it bright as daylight was the big black bold writing “The kings key must become ours!”
Polly stood there like she hit a brick wall. She stood and stared and her jaw hung from her mouth! Polly ran out of her moms phone she had know idea what to do. “Do I call mom, do I watch the rest of the news, um Sid!”
Polly threw on her coat and stumbled out the door. She sprinted up the street. She ran up Sid’s driveway and knocked on the door. Sid mom came to the door with tears running down her cheeks.
“What is the matter?” Polly asked.
“Sid’s gone he left us a note saying he needed something to happen in his life and he was about to have his first time adrenaline.” Sid’s mom said in horror!
“My mom is gone too I got home from your house and she was gone. I called her office and her boss answered and said she wasn’t at work but he would call be if she came in. So I called my moms cell phone and she told me she was at work and she would be home later. I walked into her room and there was paper work about this mission. I thought it was a new job offer but as I kept reading I realized it wasn’t, it was paper work about stealing the Kings key!”
“I bet that is where Sid is, what do we do?”
“I say we go work against them, lets go find the Kings Key and teach them a lesson!”
“I agree I will get the Kings Cabinet on the phone tell them we accept.”
“Accept? Accept to what?”
“The king wanted people to go travel to the Big City and find his key. I think that we should fill the spot.”
Polly went home to go pack up her things she wouldn’t know how long it would take. Polly felt bad Sid’s mom Avery would have to pay for Polly throughout the entire trip. Polly had no money at home. Polly got one of her duffle bags. She stuffed in hopefully, which will be the right amount of clothes.
“MOMS ROOM!”
Polly remembered her mom always kept some money hidden in her room, she would always say that the way the economy is going now it is a good idea to keep the little bit we have at home. She ran into her mom’s room, flung open the closet door, and opens the last cabinet on the right. There was about four hundred dollars, Polly took a hundred of it she knew it wasn’t too smart but she would give her mom all the change, if she had a chance. Polly zipped up her duffle bag locked all of the doors and once again ran up to Sid’s house. Although this time Polly didn’t knock on the door Sid’s mom was packing her things up into the families Escalade. Polly ran up to the car dumped her bag into the trunk and slid into the middle row of seating. Sammy was in the front seat and Gabby (Sid’s other older sister) was in the seat on the other side of the car.
“Hi Sammy, Hi Gabby!”
“Hey Polly.” Sid’s sisters said.
Sammy and Gabby loved Polly they thought she was the cutest thing. Polly liked it how they treated her like their younger sister since she was never lucky enough to have a sibling of her own.
“Alright lets get on the road.” Avery got into the car.
They started to embark on their journey. The car pulled out of their driveway and started going up the street they got out of their neighborhood and within twenty minutes they were on the highway. The drive is about four hours if they don’t get caught in any traffic. Polly had done this drive many times before. Polly’s Aunt lives in the Big City and once Polly and her mom moved here they drove up to The Big City almost every weekend. Polly loved going to her aunt Rhonda’s house, Rhonda was always so nice. Rhonda had three kids Sierra, Carter, and Charlie. Polly’s three girl cousins. Sierra and Polly were the same age; their birthdays were two days apart! Carter and Charlie were twins and they were seventeen.
Polly sat there staring out the window. Her inner instinct kept telling her that her mom really was at work and that paper work was all just a misunderstanding. Polly wanted to think that but she knew something was up and that paper work was the icing on the cake. The trees flowed passed the car Sammy and gabby were both asleep and Polly was getting very tired. It was almost 10 P.M. Polly’s mom hadn’t even called yet either. Polly’s head lied on her pillow she sat there looking outside the next thing she knew her eyes blinked and everything went black. Polly woke up to Avery waking Sammy and Gabby up.
“Sammy, Gabby we are here lets go inside the hotel room.”
“Mom no I don’t want to go to schools, I feel sick.” Gabby said not realizing where they were.
“Gabby wake up we can go inside and go back to bed.”
At this time Polly eyes were open and she was sitting up in the big bucket seat. Avery was standing over Gabby with a venti sized Starbucks in her left hand.
“Polly, do you want to come inside and go back to bed?”
“Yeah, where are we though?”
“We are right outside the Big City we will be staying here”
Polly opened the car door and stepped out side. Gabby and Sammy soon follow her motions. They walked to up to their own entrance to the motel. Avery slid in the passkey and the all walked in. This motel was no ordinary motel like Polly was used to. She was used to a bed a bathroom and a TV. Oh no this motel was the nicest thing she had been in. There were four rooms with a bed a TV and a bathroom in each. When you first walked in there was a living room with a couch and a coffee table. Avery showed everybody their room Polly was the first one on the right. She set her suitcase on the bed and got under the covers she laid her head on the pillow and fell into a deep sleep.
Across the hall in Gabby’s room she set her suitcase on the floor and began to unpack her clothes. She but them into neat stacks and set laid them into drawers. She crawled into bed and in two minutes she was asleep.
Sammy didn’t even bother unpacking yet she crawled into her bed turned on the TV and began to watch it, until she crashed.
Avery on the other hand wasn’t tired at all after her venti sized coffee and driving all night in her room there was a desk with Internet connection. She got her computer out and began to work.
About two hours went by and everyone started waking up. It was about one in the afternoon by now. Avery had already gone to the grocery store she got some food to have but there was a little supermarket at the other end of the motel. Gabby, Sammy, and Polly all walked out from their rooms consecutively. Their hair was a disaster and they had been wearing the same clothes since last night. They all got something to eat, took showers, and go ready for their first day.
“Come on guys let’s get in the car we have to search every place of this town by Friday.” Avery shouted.
All three girls rolled into the car and they took off. Avery and the gang decided they would start at the perimeter of the city and work their way in. Polly was starting to get worried. Her mom must have called her house a million times. Polly thought she would have called Avery’s cell phone by now but I guess not. Maybe she is too busy Polly thought she wanted to think positive. Avery parked the car on the out skirts of town in this little park labeled Beginning of Big City Park. They searched the entire park and found nothing. He gang was depressed and began to go back to the car when this little girl who looked about seven came running up to them she had a note in her hand. Avery took the note and opened it ever so surely.
“We have the key good luck finding us, I think it is very rude to work against your families, they want the best for you. Good luck.” Avery read it out loud every thing they thought, every thing they wished wouldn’t happened just came into reality.

The four of them stood there, mouths hung below their necks. They we are too shocked to speak. They were in ah.

Trying to break the ice Polly stuttered, “So, what do we do now?”

“The only thing we can do.” Said Avery. “We keep searching.”

And off they went. The next stop was the North City Mall. They searched every store left to right up and down storage rooms and bathrooms. They couldn’t find this key. The girls started to get their hopes down.

“Mom just face it this town it too big, it will take us a year to search it all.” Gabby moaned.

“Yeah mom even if we did search the entire town who ever the mastermind is that has the Kings Key wouldn’t have hid it in a place that we could even possible find, he is too smart” Sammy said.

“Your right girls we are never going to find it…by ourselves.” Avery had a curious sound to your voice.

“What do you mean?” Polly asked.

“We are never going to find they key by ourselves we need to call in some help. Girls get out your cell phones and start calling every one we know tell them to meet us at the North City Mall, Big City.”
Avery, Gabby, and Sammy began to call around everyone. After about five minutes they had about three hundred people coming to help. After about an hour the calls were just about calming down. They had about one thousand six hundred people coming to help but just then…

“Do you think I could make a couple of calls?” Polly said with the biggest puppy eyed face Avery had ever seen. It was moment like this that Avery wished Polly was her own daughter.

“Of course you can.”

Polly’s fingers began to dial number that Polly hadn’t dialed in forever, they rapidly chased down the buttons. She called both of her Grandmas, her Aunts, her uncles, her friends, and other relatives. They all jumped in there own car and drove to the Big City. All together Polly added another hundred or so to the bunch. Polly, Avery, Gabby, and Sammy had about four hours to kill before the forces would start to arrive so they were at a mall and they did what malls were made for…SHOPPING! They went around to every store in the mall. Sammy and Gabby bought a lot and Avery bought a few things, but Polly bought nothing. It just didn’t feel right shopping without her mom. So when it went time for Polly and her mom’s favorite store Mommy and Me Polly just about fainted. Polly and her mom always used to go into this store and get matching outfits Polly missed her mom terribly.

“Girls would you like to go in this store.” Avery pointed to Mommy and me.

“No thank you.” Said Polly.

“No I am done shopping.” Said Gabby

“I’m tired.” Said Sammy.

It was close to seven in the Big City and they had been shopping for three hours their friends and family must be pilling in soon. And it they did just so. With in twenty minutes the mall was full of their friends and family. Polly was so glad to see her family. She ran up to them and gave them a big hug. She stayed with them for a while.

Avery got up on the top of this fountain and made and announcement “Now friends and family we all know that we are here for one reason and one reason only to find two loved ones, and the King’s key of course. So I say there is about two thousand of us if we all split up and search the entire town we will find it!”

“Yay!” what seemed like the entire mall said in unison.

“Now we will start at exactly nine o’clock tomorrow. Now we will go spend the night in our hotel rooms.”

Every one fanned out of the mall. Polly went up to Avery.

“Avery if it is okay with you I think I am going to spend the night with my family tonight. They are staying at the same Motel as us.”

“That will be fine.”

Polly went back to the motel with her Grandma, Aunt, Uncle, and three older cousins. They were glad Polly was with them. They really hadn’t seen much of Polly since her dad died. Once they got back to the motel Polly went and got her P.J’s a toothbrush and clothes for tomorrow from Avery’s room. Polly feel asleep with in the hour and woke up bright and early the next morning. Her grandma was out in the kitchen making coffee and reading the newspaper.

“Hi cookie, how did you sleep?”

“Good.” Polly groaned.

“Do you want some berries or do you want to wait a little bit?”

“I am going to wait, thank you though”

Polly went over to the couch and turned the T.V on. She laid there for about an hour and by then every one was awake. Polly’s grandma had eggs cooking and was cutting up some berries. Polly loved her grandma’s eggs. After breakfast it was time to hit the road. Polly and her family were supposed to cover the north east side of town, which wasn’t really a big part of it. It had about four blocks worth of city, which was good for, their little recruit. They began to search. Polly had a deal that her Grandma would drive Polly over to Avery at about noon to search with Avery Sammy and Gabby. Polly was having a lot of fun with her family but Polly thought it was right to go help the people that have been taking care of her all this time. But in the time she did have with her family she was going to use it wisely. They searched everywhere in this little minuscule of town. They just couldn’t find it Polly borrowed her Uncles phone to call Avery to make sure no body else had found it.

Ring Ring Ring Hello, what side of town are you covering?”

“North east, Avery its Polly.

“Hey Polly are you heading over here?”

“Yes, and I was just calling to make sure the key hasn’t been found?”

“No, no body has called me about it. See you in a little.”

“Bye.”

Polly and her Grandma got into her aunts car. They began to drive toward the central part of the town which was where Avery and the girls were located. Polly looked at her grandma. She was getting older even thought she did do everything she could to keep herself looking young.

“Grandma?”

“Yes Polly.”

“I miss seeing you guys, I want to spend more time with you and Grandpa.”

“I agree Polly when all of this gets sorted out and we get back home we are going to reserve special time for us. Maybe you could come and spend some time in the valley with us.”

“That sounds great!”

The rest of the car ride was silent. They pulled up out of this little diner Avery had told Polly to meet her here.

“Thanks for the ride Grandma I will call you later.”

“Okay good luck!”

Polly slammed the door shut. She walked into Barneys Diner and found Avery Gabby and Sammy perched at a table hidden behind menu’s. She approached the table and Avery looked up from her menu.

“Hi Polly , how are you?”

“I’m good, how are you guys?”

“Fine.” They all said in unison.

“Polly so after we get something to eat we are going to go search this one last place in central town and if it isn’t their were done looking.”

“Okay, sounds good.”

Polly sat down and began to look at a menu. All the food looked really good because Polly hadn’t eaten since eight.

“Are you guys ready or do you need more time?”

“No I think we are ready.”

They al ordered their food and drinks. They sat and waited patiently then. After their food came and they all gobbled it all up they sat out to search one more place. They drove about two blocks to this old church looking building. It was very old and looked like it has been deserted for a while. Polly, Avery, Sammy, and Gabby got out of the car and looked at the towering building that stood in front of them. They walked in this building wasn’t too big but wasn’t small and they were going to have to search the entire thing! The gang split up. Polly went upstairs. She climbed the stairs wondering if this was the end of their journey. She creaked open the door that lead into this small room with a baby bed and a bunch of toys in it. Hung up on the wall were pictures of this little baby and her family. Polly thought this family looked really familiar.

“That’s us! Those are my mom and dad!”

Polly was in shock these pictures were of her and her mom and dad. But why were they here? That was for later discovery for now she had to search. The looked around the room and there was nothing there. She leaned up against the wall to sad to think. She failed. Just then the boards behind her fell back and opened into a secret room. Polly went inside and of course there plain as daylight, just like all the movies Polly had ever seen, the key was there!

“AVERY, GABBY, SAMMY hurry fast come here.”

They ran so fast upstairs thinking something was wrong and as they were walking through the room they saw the pictures also. They stepped through the little boards in the wall and stood there in shock.
“Wow, there it is.” Avery said.
“Its beautiful!” Said Gabby.
“Like a miracle.” Sammy said in a romantic tone.
Polly just stood there in shock. She couldn’t move. She found it she was the one. The whole world was on a mission to find this key and Polly was the one that found it.
“Alright lets grab it, get it in the car and then tell every one the search is off.” Avery demanded.

The girls all grabbed one side of it and got it into the car. Afterwards while Avery, Gabby, and Sammy were calling all of the people they sent in to search, Polly went back upstairs. Polly was looking at all of the pictures on the wall. This made her miss her family even more no not only was her dad gone but her mom too. The question popped back into Polly’s head, “Why are all of these pictures in here?”

Polly went back down stairs got in the car. Avery, Sammy, and Gabby were already in it. They drove back to the motel.

“Hello, Kings Key case this is Bob speaking how may I help you?”

“Sir, I think we just found your key, we are in the Big City and will be happy to drive it over to the palace.”

“Thank you mam, what id you say your name was again?”

“Polly my name is Polly.”

“Avery there is a change in our route we are going to the kings Palace.”

They drove up this long twisty turning road and finally reached the palace. They pulled up to the gate and the guards let them in. The king was waiting outside for them.

“Hello sir, I believe this is yours.” Avery opened the trunk and there it was.

“Will you look at that, there it is. Thank you so much Polly.” The king looked toward Avery.

“No, no, no I’m not Polly, this is Polly.” And Avery pointed to Polly.

“Oh I see, well thank you Polly, would you like your reward.

“Yes Please.”

“What do you wish for Polly? You get three wishes.”

Polly thought for a second she knew exactly what she wanted. “I wish my dad was still alive, I wish my mom was back at my house, and I wish me and my family could live as one big happy family just like before!” Polly had a tear running down her check. A tear of joy!