"Oh my gosh! I cannot miss this for the world!" I squealed. I couldn't sit still on the soft cushions that covered the green surface of the bed sheets. Adara's attention soon averted to me, her cat-like eyes blazing with irritation.

"Would you please sit still?" she groaned, holding on to the bed for dear life, while at the same time clutching unto the magazine she was so absorbed in. I laughed, brushing off the death glares she sent my way. She got irritated so quickly that I found a way to use it for entertainment. I stopped bouncing.

"There's a really cheap yard sale a few houses down the street," I continued, slipping off the bed and coming to a stop in front of her. I was currently reading from a newspaper that my mother had brought home this morning after she'd finished running her errands in town. She preferred reading the news from the paper than sitting in front of a television set like my dad did.

"And let me guess, you want to go," Adara replied with an eye roll. Oddly, we had completely different interests yet we were the best of friends. We sort of balanced each other. I'd sometimes get too hyperactive and Adara would be the one to tone it down.

"Of course I want to go." I pulled my brown side bag from the corner of my room where I'd left it last week, still packed with its contents. I simply pulled them out, dropping them into a pile of rubbish mixed with books and papers. Adara sat with her arms crossed over her chest with no signs of moving. 

There was no one downstairs so I rushed to the entrance. If Adara wanted to join, she'd meet me there.

I rushed out the front door, all at once enjoying the cold air that caressed my face as I pulled my bike off the sidewalk. The weather showed signs of a few showers arriving later tonight, and I was more than excited. I loved sleeping whilst the rain poured.

Soon, I reached the very house I saw in the papers. Everything was as it said: large tables with numerous items: all weird-looking, but that's what I liked. I owned a collection at home; where I collected rare materials of all sorts, only to sell once their value grew higher over the years. I liked to refer to it as investing. But I doubted it would come to that because they grew on me eventually.

I parked my bike near the curb and walked into the swarming nest of people who all were inspecting the antiques on sale. I wasn't expecting anyone to show up in large numbers, but I came here for one thing, so I began my search. I wasn't sure what I was looking for but I wanted something new yet bizarre to add to my collection. My eyes scanned every single item it fell upon, as my fingertips lightly brushed them, enduring the different textures.

"How can I help you?" a burly man asked from the other side of the table. "Little girl," he stressed. He had beady, brown eyes and a rather thick beard. The neutral colours he wore matched his dull eyes. I came to the conclusion that he was the owner of all the stuff on display. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, so I just stared at him, puzzled with my own reasoning. "Hmm... Nothing in particular?" he asked as if he read my mind. I quickly nodded in response, gripping the edges of the table whilst something bubbled in the pit of my stomach, eager to view what he had to offer. He stroked his chin, anticipating what would muse me. "Well, I have a few old maps." He pulled out some long brown scripts with ancient markings and drawings of the continents and islands around the world. They didn't quite resemble the ones in my geography class. "This was drawn before the geographers knew exactly what the land masses were shaped like," he explained. I frowned at the almost faded piece, unimpressed.

"What else do you have?" I asked. I wasn't interested in the maps. I had many scrolls like these, even if it was somewhat different and held evidence of how long ago people considered the earth. They weren't what I felt I needed at the moment.

"Well, I also have various art pieces painted by artists who were never truly discovered for their work." He pulled out a vivid painting of a river flowing off a steep cliff, crashing to the bottom, emitting white foam and a few birds flying high overhead. It was breathtakingly beautiful but I promised myself that I'd find something ultimately unique. The man, surely seeing my lack of interest seemed disappointed. But I was determined on not leaving here empty handed. 

"Anything else?" I tried. He seemed thoughtful for a bit before he held up his index finger indicating he'd found something. He pulled out a small box, carved with agile designs all over. It was made of some metallic material with some places already turning bronze from its original silver color. "What is it?" I inquired. He beamed, showing off his aging teeth.

"It's an antique jewelry box, derived from many generations before us. In fact, I'm actually surprised it's still in tact." He frowned, inspecting the small box a bit further. "Did you know, that it survived World War II?" I quirked up my eyebrows at the comment, eager to hear more. Perhaps what I thought were carvings, were actually dents. "Yes, the worst possible times created by Adolf Hitler when he tried to cease the Jew's existence and whatnot."

"This must be a very old box..."

"Very old indeed. It was made during the Victorian era when Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901. Then it was taken into some possession by a Jew until after 1921 when Hitler was in his full reign."

"Are you saying that a Jew once lived in England and then moved to Germany?" I asked baffled. But then again, it wasn't like the Jew would be able to predict the future and know what was to come. If he did, he would have never left England.

"I don't know to be honest. This box holds a great story behind it, and I've been trying to figure it out for almost five years. And I've come up with nothing, which is why I'm getting rid of it today. I figured I wasted too much time on it. Maybe someone young like you could try." My eyes twinkled with passion by then. Revealing hidden clues was my hobby.

"I'll be glad to." I pulled out my purse and got some cash out, handing it over to him and taking the box in return. It was a bit heavy for its size. I weighed it in my hands, looking at it from every angle. This should be able to keep me occupied for the next few weeks. 

Thoroughly impressed with my newly purchased item, I turned to resume a journey back to my house, until I was barred by a rather medium built individual. He stared down with cold, dark eyes, focused on the small box I held in my hands. He stared for a few more minutes until I started to get a bit uneasy.

"Can I help you?" I asked after a few more minutes. He stopped his stolid gaze, his eyes finally landing on my face, confused.

"Hmmm... The glare usually works," he mumbled to himself, a brooding look present on his facial features. "How much are you selling that box?" he asked, attempting to snatch the box from my hands, but I moved it from his grasp.

"It's not for sale," I replied, attempting to sidestep him so I could get on my bike and head home. But he blocked me with an extended broad arm, forcing me to take a step back.

"How much do you want for it?" he asked, pulling out his wallet, gripping unto some wads of cash with his thumb and index finger.

"I said, it's not for sale," I replied once more, with a firmer tone. "I just bought it." His gaze lingered for a moment too long. He merely smirked, finally giving me some space to pass. I quickly took that opportunity to get away from the man. He was like a shadow, looming over in mystery.

I took one last glance at him before scurrying off to my bike, succumbing to the urge to rush into the safety of my house.

***

Hey guys! So this is a book I originally published this sometime in January 2014 and I removed it with plans to delete it. But I loved the concept of this book so much that I settled with editing it and republishing it.

Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed it.

Taja D'amore.