The Music Box

The stillness of the cold attic made her shiver. There was dust covering every knook and cranny, highlighting the remnants of what was left. This was where Rowan Evergreen had spent her last few days. This house was now Ivy’s, and very little was left inside.

Glancing around the attic, the familiar items reminded her of her childhood. Growing up, when she would visit her grandma Rowan, they would play dress up together. There were old scarves, dresses her grandma had hand-sewn for Ivy’s playtime, along with various dress-up items and storybooks to help fuel Ivy’s imagination. Grandma Rowan would read the stories as Ivy acted them out. There were even times Lucas would come by with his grandpa. The attic was once a magical place filled with love and laughter, and now it felt empty.

Lucas popped his head through the doorway. “Do you need help with anything?”

Ivy lowered her head, trying not to cry. There was one box left, and then there would be nothing, but she knew it had to be done.

“Just that one. I will help you; it’s actually a bit heavy. There is no lid, so please be careful”

Lucas stepped closer to Ivy. It hurt to see how much pain she was in. He remembered how hard it was when his grandpa passed nearly half a year ago. Lucas was just as close to Grandpa Archer as Ivy was to Rowan. He could remember seeing Ivy with her Grandma out in the garden below and even running into Ivy and Rowan at the local farmers' market. They were always together over the summers.

His favorite childhood memories included Ivy and her grandma. The two families would gather out in Rowan’s backyard, having bonfires, telling stories, and looking at the stars.

Lucas grabbed one end of the long cardboard box, and Ivy grabbed the other, carrying it down the narrow staircase.

As they reached the bottom of the staircase, Lucas lost his footing, loosening the grip on the box, dropping it and all the contents inside into the foyer below.

Suddenly, a soft melody filled the air.

Ivy’s mind was quickly transported to a place and time from the past. Why did she remember that melody? There was a memory tucked deeply away that slowly became clear. Rowan, sitting by the attic window, with a pen in her hand. Tears gently falling onto the paper.

She could remember a box, up on the attic shelf that she was never allowed to touch. This was the one rule for

“Are you okay?” Ivy asked Lucas, with concern in her eyes, “And what is that music?”

Lucas was sort of toppled over a stool they had sitting near the base of the staircase.

Laughing, he replied, “ Yeah, just that last step there. It’s always been a problem for me for some reason. The music seems to be coming from that way”

Ivy and Lucas stepped into the living room beyond the foyer to find a small wooden music box. The music box was lying on its side, slightly open, and the melody was coming from within.

Carefully, Ivy stepped closer, listening to the haunting sound.

“It shouldn’t be playing still, should it? It looks like it’s broken,” the bittersweet tune was urging Lucas closer to the box as well.

“Something is sticking out,” Lucas observed as he slowly reached for the music box. “It looks like a letter”

He picked the folded letter out of the box and looked it over carefully. A puzzled expression crossed his face.

“Well, what is it?” Ivy asked.

Lucas turned the envelope around.

In Rowan Evergreens' handwriting,

Archer Tobias.