Attic, part 4

After the closing bell, they waited until the last stragglers had left school. When they were sure there wasn’t a soul around Jenny and Josh made their way to the school library.

“Well, this is it.” Josh said.

“Yes,” said Jenny, “but how are we going to get into the library?” The two of them looked at the forbidding oak door. Even if they’d wanted to, they couldn’t have forced their way through a door that big.

“Wait, I have an idea,” Josh said.

“OK,” said Jenny, “What’s your brilliant plan?”

“Watch,” Josh said. And with a look of studied concentration, he turned the door handle. The library door swung inward.

“How did you…” Jenny started.

“It was easy,” Josh shrugged. “The librarian never locks these doors after hours.”

“And you would know this how?”

Josh looked sheepish. “I like to come here to read after everyone’s gone, but I have a reputation to uphold. If kids found out how much of a bookworm I really am, they’d lose all respect.”

“You’re a dork,” Jenny said. “Fortunately, you’re a lovable dork.”

The two of them pressed on. Soon they were standing in front of the glass case, staring at the old wooden chest.

Josh tried the glass door. “No luck this time — this one’s really locked. Are we going to be doing any glass smashing today?”

“Not necessarily,” Jenny said, walking over to the librarian’s desk. “I’ve spent some time around here too, you know. This is not a very high security establishment. And you pick up some things if you know how to watch.” She opened the top drawer of the desk and rummaged around. “Aha!” she said, holding up a small metal key. “No glass smashing today.”

The little metal key indeed unlocked the door to the glass case. Soon they had removed the wooden chest from the case.

“You want to do the honors?” Josh asked. “After all, it’s your key.”

“Technically I’m not sure about that,” Jenny said, “But it’s probably true to a first approximation.” Gingerly she inserted the skeleton key into the little skull-shaped keyhole in the wooden chest. Nothing happened.

“Um,” Josh said, “I think you have to turn it.”

“Oh, right, I knew that. At least I think I knew that.” Jenny turned the key to the left, and they both heard a definite click. Slowly Jenny reached out with both hands, and lifted the lid of the chest.

There, lying in the middle of the chest, was a scroll, tied neatly with a faded yellow ribbon.

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