The silver key

by H. P. (Howard Phillips) Lovecraft

"The Silver Key" by H. P. Lovecraft is a fantasy short story written in 1926. At thirty, Randolph Carter realizes he has lost his ability to dream as he once did, finding that scientific thinking has eroded his access to the fantastic dream-cities of his youth. When his dead grandfather reveals the location of a mysterious silver key, Carter embarks on a journey to his childhood home, hoping to unlock the gates of dreams once more.