The Treasure Box, Part III

Not every box she found was a treasure box. And some of the boxes she found became treasure boxes.

One of her favorite boxes was one she'd been carrying around for a few years. She'd originally stored some treasures in it, but a chink in the box had allowed spiders and creepy-crawlies to infest it. She hated spiders. When she first discovered the infestation, she snapped the lid shut and shoved the box into a deep, dark corner, vowing to never touch it again. And for a long time, she didn't.

But she did really like that box. It was the kind that fit in her arms without being too bulky or unwieldy, and it didn't take too much effort to haul it around. So eventually, she decided to be brave enough to crack the lid and look inside.

Most of the nasties had died. It was kind of gross, but much more manageable than living, crawling things. She started cleaning it out carefully, clearing out the debris and wiping away the cobwebs. Before long, the box was glistening and clean again, the original keepsakes revealed once more. Finally, she poked around the outside of the box until she found the chink. It was small, and she meticulously filled it in, ensuring that the box couldn't be re-infested.

It was nice to be able to use that box again.

It became its own treasure box, of sorts. While she didn't place her most valuable treasures in the box, it became home to many keepsakes and small things that she was very fond of.

One day, she came home from work and considered the box where it sat in unobtrusive but fairly prominent place in her living room. It really was becoming a valuable and well-loved treasure box. It might be worth it to put some things of greater value in it.

She put a hand on her pocket. The now-familiar and surprisingly comforting weight of the key in her pocket kept her company everywhere she went. A constant reminder of the promise her father had made.

Maybe...

But the box had no lock on it. It was one of her most prized possessions, true. But the key needed a lock. Her best, most private treasures were stored in the box her father had mentioned. She knew all the contents of the box in front of her, and most of them were smaller and simpler than the wonderful things she'd placed in the treasure box that her father had cleaned out.

Kneeling beside the patched-up, well-polished box, she opened it and sifted through the contents, trailing her fingers lovingly over the various pieces of her life that she'd placed in it. There was room in the box for treasures of greater value. Maybe it was time to add something bigger to the collection in the box.

Or, perhaps, she could clean it out and give it to someone else...

The Treasure Box, Part II

The lid fell back, and the dim light from the attic window filtered in, illuminating a box that was emptier than she expected.

Her first, grateful thought: there were no spiders. No nasty webs, or dead, repulsive things. In fact, much of the box was pristine, unmarred by the passage of time. But it was also surprisingly empty. Many of the things she thought she'd locked up inside it seemed to have faded or dissolved. Or maybe she'd never actually put them there in the first place.

But there, in the corner, was something.

She was inclined to feel disappointed. Let down. The box did not hold the treasures and bounty she had dared to hope for. It seemed almost a waste to have opened the box at all. But as she lifted out the tiny object tucked in the corner, she realized that it might have value after all, swathed as it was in several layers of protective wrapping.

Almost timidly, she peeled back the layers.

There, folded around a heavy brass object, was a note with her name on it. She broke the seal and unfolded the crinkled but carefully-made note. As she did so, another key, similar to the one she'd used to open the box, fell into her hand, but it didn't look like anything she'd ever seen before. And she had no idea what it unlocked. She turned her eyes back to the note.

My dear daughter, It was I who made sure the box stayed with you throughout the years. I didn't want you to leave it behind. You were brave to open it, though you did not know what it contained. In doing so, you have gained a valuable gift. The treasures that you originally placed in this box have been moved to a new home, where they will be much safer. I have also added some treasures of my own, as an additional gift to you. The key you hold in your hand will open that lock, which I've left somewhere you will find it. All my love, Your Father

Smiling, she folded the note around the key again and placed it in her pocket. How like her dad to give her such a gift. It was something he'd always done, but the rewards had always been worth it. Well, she'd opened her box, found her key, and now she'd just have to find the box that fit the key.

Tenderly, she closed the old box in the attic and trailed her fingers fondly across it, a silent goodbye. Then she picked up the cardboard box of things to throw away and returned to the task at hand, feeling the comfortable weight of the key in her pocket as she walked down the stairs. She still had packing and moving to do. And now, apparently, a treasure box to find.

The Treasure Box

Packing. A time of transition. A time of change. A time to throw out the old stuff and make room for new stuff. She was good at packing. She was also really good at weeding stuff out. All except for that old treasure box with the rusty old padlock. She'd held onto that box for so many years that she was no longer entirely sure what it contained. All she knew was that she hadn't been able to throw it away.

As she hefted a box of things to discard this time around, her eyes fell on that old, locked box once more. Setting the discarded items to one side to take care of later, she put her hands on her hips and considered the box more intently. Was it finally time to throw the old thing out? She'd never done anything with it, after all.

But a look inside wouldn't hurt. She was surprised to find that she knew exactly where she'd put the key. Like the box, it had floated around through her many moves, always somewhere near.

As she put the key into the padlock, she hesitated. The thing was so old. Maybe horrible, huge spiders had made their home in it, just waiting to jump out at her when she opened it. That would certainly be unpleasant. Or maybe whatever had been placed inside had dissolved completely, leaving just an empty box. Maybe that was all she'd been carrying around with her for so long. Nothing.

Or maybe, the treasure she'd once deemed valuable enough to lock up and safeguard was still in there, waiting for her to take it out and give it air. Now that she was there, holding the lock and key in her hands, she remembered what she'd locked inside. The thought of it warmed her heart and brought a smile to her lips. She turned the key.

But then the thought of spiders came rushing back, and suddenly, she was certain that the box was full of sticky webs and creeping, biting things that made her cringe in fear.

Did she dare? Was it worth it? Maybe she should just throw the box out and go back to weeding out the rest of her things. She'd been fine without the treasure all this time, after all. But she had to admit it, that treasure was something that meant a lot to her, even now. She had to see if it was still there.

Taking a deep breath, she twitched the key and felt the lock fall open in her hand. Setting key and lock aside, she placed both hands on the lid and heaved it open.