The key that she had worn on a chain around her neck since childhood was gone.
It wasn’t until she returned from a three day trek along the Gokyo Lakes and Renjo La in Nepal that she found it missing. As mind-blowing as the thought of it was, she would have to return and search for it. She simply had no choice. It was a small, ornate key that was given to her by her widowed mother before she died. It was extremely precious to her, not only because her mother had passed it on to her, but because it unlocked a great treasure. Her father, long before he passed away had bought a collection of gold coins at auction to be passed on to his daughter in the form of an inheritance. These precious coins were placed in a similarly ornate, metal strongbox. This small fortune was held in a bank vault and could only be opened by the lost key.
Needless to say, there had been no trekking, no coins and no strongbox. Her parents were still alive and living in a retirement home.
In truth, there never had been a key, but she would keep looking for it!