The Key In The Stingray Tank

Hazel Lockwood's new apartment offered so many amazing amenities. There was a coffee shop close by, a library down the street, and the best attraction anyone could imagine, an aquarium in the basement of the building.

The aquarium brought in all types of people. It was a $25 admission fee for anyone who didn’t live in the complex, but for residents, it was completely free. A morning stroll in the aquarium before work every morning was how Hazel had spent her first month living there, and she planned to continue to do so. Hazel's main study in school was Oceanography, and she had just started a position at the city’s marine research center.

One Thursday morning, the aquarium seemed much quieter than normal. Hazel went over to the large tank that held the stingrays. Something shiny was hanging off the left pectoral fin of one of the babies. The stingray glided past the glass, and Hazel could make out a tiny silver key. How did a small key manage to get into the tank, and what did it open?

Looking around to see if anyone was watching, she quickly reached her hand in the tank and retrieved the key. There was something engraved on one side. Hazel grabbed her utility knife which had a magnifying glass on it.

“The Society of the Lost and Found” - return to Arthur Thistle.

Well, that’s an odd engraving. Hazel had never heard of The Society of the Lost and Found. It sounded like something out of a fairytale. This sparked her curiosity even more. How would she find this Arthur Thistle? The matter would have to wait. She was already running late for work. Today, she was in charge of documenting the migration of Dolphin packs. That was something she couldn’t be late for.

A few Floors up

Juniper and Arden Evergreen were returning home from their normal morning stroll at the aquarium. It was a peaceful place to visit, and Juniper needed the exercise. They were expecting their newborn baby within the next few weeks. It had taken years for them to get on their feet, and the tiny apartment would hold them over a few more months as the renovations on their new house would finally be complete.

Earth was majorly different from the realm they came from. Arabel and Arthur Thistle had to hide their identities and leave everything from their past behind. If anyone knew where they were from and what they had done, there would be questions and Arthur…. Arden, now, didn’t like questions. He had broken the rules, and even though he did it with pure intentions, the Society he was a part of thought of it as the ultimate crime. They had to toss all traces of that life away. All but one. The key. One that opened a secret entrance to the Society of the Lost and Found, so that Arden could secretly update the servers when needed.

He patted the pocket where he kept the key at all times. An expression of worry crossed his face instantly. No key.

The Next Day

Hazel was still curious about the tiny key she had found the day before. She wondered how she would find the owner. Arthur Thistle was a silly name. And what the heck was the “Society of the Lost and Found”? It all sounded completely made up.

Then she had an idea. Maybe it belonged to someone in the building. She could search for “Arthur Thistle”, but this Society thing sounded either secret or made up. If it were a secret, she couldn’t do that to someone. No, instead she would post a “Found” flier. The irony of the engraving on the key didn’t completely go over her head. All Hazel had to do was post a flier saying she found a key. She would ask whoever tried to claim it what the engraving said. Maybe they would even let her in on the secret.

Hazel's flier was up for less than an hour before there was a knock on her door. Outside, there was a man. He didn’t look out of the ordinary, just like any man you would see on the street.

“I believe you have something of mine. My name is Arthur Thistle. Well, it used to be. And I am guessing we are going to have to make some type of deal for you to keep my secret.”