・・・・★・・・・★ ・・・・

A cup of cappuccino was never complete without a Rosetta. It was the rule at Anne's Coffeehouse.

Catelyn held the pitcher steady pouring the milk into the cup in her other hand. Maggie, her friend of all seasons, joined her at the counter to take over the evening shift.

Catelyn and Maggie started the coffeehouse as part of the entrepreneurship module. Upon graduation, they developed the idea into a full-fledged business in the past two years.

"Last one," said Catelyn as she placed the beverage one tray for the customer. "Good luck for tonight!" She wished for the festival happening on campus bringing in additional business and overtime for Anne's.

・・・・★・・・・★ ・・・・

Catelyn reached their rented semi-detached house, juggling with grocery bags, her purse and the mail. She dropped the bags at the entrance to search for the key.

A week ago, Catelyn and Maggie shifted to Park Place, a small neighbourhood with a community park at its centre. The peaceful atmosphere of the area and its proximity to the university were significant reasons for the move.

She continued searching for the key, a small metal piece attached to her teddy charm; she could feel neither teddy the metal. She scolded herself, 'Catelyn, who asked you to stuff so many things in this small purse?'

Her neighbour inquired from his front porch. "Who are you asking? Aren't you the new girl staying at Jason's while he is holidaying around the world?"

Catelyn wondered if he could help. Nonetheless, she answered, "I can't find my key."

"You don't..." The man stopped, stared at her, and went inside, muttering under his breath.

Catelyn had enough to worry about, so she ignored the neighbour. Half the contents of her purse lied on the grocery bags yet no sign of her key. She emptied the other half as well. 'Confirm I lost the key. Where could it be?' Catelyn thought of all the places she had opened her bag. She was at only two locations: their café and the grocery shop.

Maggie asked about the key, and she had shown her. So it must be at the grocery store.

She tugged both the bags back to the grocery store in the campus. The closed sign greeted her. She called the shop owner who answered, "I didn't see any before closing."

・・・・★・・・・★ ・・・・

Catelyn returned to Park Place. Tired of the back and forth, she sat on a bench in the park and called Maggie.

"Jason gave me only one. I will be stuck here overnight for the fest." Maggie whimpered.

"Stay there. I will call a locksmith."

"No! No one should know Jason rented us his place. I will tell you the whole story later. Wait for me. Once the crowd eases, I will ask our student assistants to handle and will come over. I will also call Jason for an alternative solution."

Catelyn leaned back, dejected. Fifteen minutes of wait felt like an hour with every additional minute feeling like an hour more. Suddenly, a pram rolled along the sloped path. Catelyn sprinted after it and steered it into the grass patch. An empty milk bottle fell off the pram. She looked around for the owner.

A child sauntered towards the pram; unlike kids of his age, who could not even stand on their feet. "Thank you for holding my pram."

"You speak well for your age."

"I'm not as young as I look."

In a flash, the kid disappeared. She glanced at the pram, now occupied by the kid. "Hey! How did you do that?"

"Because I can?" He said as if she was a fool to ask. "Are you new here?"

"Yeah, I moved last week."

He sucked from the bottle, now full of milk and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I lost my key. My friend asked me not to call anyone until she is here."

He smirked, "She didn't tell you not to reveal this information to anyone."

"Why? People lose keys all the time."

"Maybe, in the outer world. But here, only commoners use them."

"Commoners?"

"People like you who don't know the powers of this world. Our doors don't open to you without the keys."

"You are kidding!"

"I might look like a kid, but I am as serious as you are."

"Why am I talking to you? It's not like you will help."

"What if I can?" The kid passed the now empty bottle to her and crossed his arms.

"And, in return, I get you more milk?"

"Commoners and their ignorance." The kid clicked his tongue. "Look inside."

The bottle held a key with a blunt edge, unlike usual keys which had teeth. She held the key to the light and felt the weight of it. It was real.

The kid instructed, "Plug it into your door. My bottle is my wand. But I hardly get the opportunity to use it, so its power is still low. The spell will work only once in the next hour. If you need some magical help, you can always find me here. I will gladly help since more magic gives my wand more power."

The magic felt incredible and suspicious. But Catelyn quietly thanked him and picked up her bags. "Should I drop you home?"

"No need. My dad is the garden gnome. He will find me." He waved her goodbye.

・・・・★・・・・★ ・・・・

Catelyn returned home, and the key worked as the kid said; once inside, it disappeared from her palm. She must tell Maggie about her adventure with the boy and his bottle like in the Vandals 'Idea for a Movie'.

"Catelyn! You found your key?" Maggie asked from the doorway.

"No, it's a long story. Suffice to say, a friendly neighbour helped."

"A neighbour? You found out this is a magical neighbourhood?"

Catelyn stood shocked.

・・・・★・・・・★ ・・・・

(Word Count: 971)