Lorna & Mom [Backdate to last week]

[x-polarisstar.livejournal.com]

Lorna finds something very interesting in her parents attic.



Lorna opened the attic door and turned on the lights, boxes and old furniture were scattered. "Should had gotten rid of most of this stuff when you moved." Lifting a flap of a box to peek inside and sneezed. "So dusty up here. When was the last time you and dad were up here?"

"Bless you." Lorna's mother replied, patting her daughter on the back. "Gosh, you know I'm not really sure? It's definitely been awhile, hasn't it?" She traced a finger on a nearby piece of furniture, the dark wood underneath contrasting sharply against its thick layer of dust.

The younger woman rubbed her nose as she felt another sneeze coming on, "Awhile?" Lorna walked in further against her better judgement and her noses protest, "Okay what exactly are you donating for this charity? Furniture? Clothing? Books? All of the above?"

"All of the above and then some, I suppose." Janice replied, blowing an errant lock of hair out of her face. She put her hands on her hips and surveyed the room before returning her gaze to her daughter. "Anything you want to take, basically, because, well." She gestured at the room's contents. "It's pretty apparent that we don't have a use for anything in here, so the more you take, the more of a favor it is for us."

Lorna pulled down a box and opened it to reveal old clothes, "And how am I suppose to bring it back with me to New York? And space is pretty limited at the school." She closed up the box after shifting through them and put it near the door to take down later. "Oh this one is heavy...books?" Lorna pulled another box close to her and opened it. "You might want to rent a small truck to take the furniture down the to event...just an idea."

Opening her mouth to answer Lorna's question, her mother stopped when she saw the box of books. "Oh my, now I haven't seen these in a long time..." She looked in the box which Lorna had opened, rifling through the books inside. "That's not a bad idea, dear, now that you mention it." Janice continued looking through the books while she spoke, taking some out and putting them aside as she dug deeper. "Just look at all of this, tsk tsk, such a mess."

"Years maybe?" Lorna picked out a book and a few pictures fell out, "Hey are these dad as a kid?" Picking them up and looking at them. "Awww he is so little."

Walking over, she squinted at the pictures and bent down to take a closer look at them. "Oh, so they are, yes. Where did they come from?"

"In here." Lorna pointed into the box before flipping a picture, "Here...you might want to frame these." Holding up the pictures for her mom to take before putting a hand into the box and picking up a book labeled Shakespeare Sonnets. Opening the cover to reveal a key taped to the inside cover, "A key...Within the knowledge of mine own desert, and this my hand, against my self uprear, To Guard the lawful reasons of thy part..." Lorna read the scribble on the cover where the key was held. "Whatever that means. Mom do you know where this key goes too?"

Janice blinked at the key and shook her head. "I have absolutely no idea. I don't recall ever seeing that before, either, huh. I wonder who could have put it there... is there a name or anything on the key saying where it's from or who owns it?" She put the pictures aside for now and focused on this mystery key.

"Ummm..." Lorna said out-loud as she was flipping through the pages and came to the back cover. "S. Dane."

"It's probably nothing important." She waved her hand at the name, though she visibly blanched at its mention. "Whatever it used to fit is likely lost or missing anyway. Here, I'll throw it away for you." Janice reached out for the book.

"Probably nothing?" Lorna asked looking at the written words again before moving the book away from her mom's reach. "Throw it away? You said I could take anything and I want this book. Do you know this S. Dane? A relative of dads that I don't know of?"

"Oh for heaven's sake, why would you want to conta-" Catching herself, Janice took a deep breath, regained her composure somewhat, and smiled at her daughter. "You're right, and if that's what you want then of course, feel free. I wouldn't waste too much time with it, though, if I were you. I'm not sure who S. Dane is, some distant relative maybe." She shrugged her shoulders and, after one more quick glance at the mystery book, turned her attention to the rest of the box. "Now, let's get through the rest of this stuff, shall we?"

Lifting an eyebrow at her mother, knowing that information was being held from her. However, she had friends that could help her solve this little mystery. "Sure thing mom." Standing up and putting the book under her arm, "I think I see some clothing bags...in the far corner. Might as well start at one end and go around in a circle."