The Lucky Paw

Chapter 4

Katy reached up and moved the tile completely aside, looking up into the attic. There was a floor up there instead of just beams! She was excited. Perhaps it was a secret room!

She grabbed her flashlight off of her nightstand, planning to investigate the space. Then she decided that it would probably be wiser to wait until Mrs. Patterson and Anita went to sleep. She replaced the ceiling tile just in case Mrs. Patterson came in her room before going to bed.

After the only sound in the house was snoring, Katy lunged for her flashlight, and stood on her bed to raise the tile. She pulled herself up and looked around. The floor of the space was covered in dust so thick that Katy sneezed. It was the size of Katy's room with enough space for one or two adults.

The space smelled of cobwebs and old paint. Though it held this disgusting, musty odor, Katy felt oddly at ease in the room. Touching one wall, she felt the rough bumps of uneven wood beneath her fingertips. She withdrew her hand to look around. Painted on one wall, it said Chandler's Space. Katy gasped. Chandler was her mother's first name!

For a full two minutes, Katy sat transfixed, staring at the painted words. Had this really been her mother's hideaway? Or was it just a coincidence? Katy looked around. She did not see anything, no personal items, paintings, or anything that could have been her mother's.

However, Katy was determined not to give up the search yet. She had read books where there were hidden places in hidden rooms where the user kept things. She carefully tapped all of the walls, hoping to come across a hidden spring or sliding panel. But she found none.

Next she examined the floorboards to see if any of them could be pulled up. She found one that seemed to be a bit looser than the others. She clamped her fingers on it, and tried to pull it up. It didn't budge.

Next Katy walked her fingers very slowly over the board. Perhaps if she pressed a certain section of it, it would open. Her theory worked. She pressed on a spot near the edge of the board and, quick as a wink, the floorboard flew up.

She found a flashlight and a couple of old books. There was a window at the far side of the attic. She also remembered her mother disappearing into the attic for several hours every once in a while. A small, white box with glitter all over it and the name Chandler painted on it was lying inside, too. Katy's hands trembled as she opened the worn, delicate old lid.

Inside was the most beautiful book Katy had ever seen. Written in swirly pen on the cover was the word: Journal.

Katy gasped. Could this really be her long-lost mother's diary? Or was it just another coincidence? She fingered the necklace, looking down at it as if it could offer some advice. Finally Katy decided, whether it was her mother's journal or not, she had a right to open it.

She quickly did so, scanning the entries. The book was over half full with handwritten entries, all done with the same swirly script.

The pages felt brittle, the ink was faded, and the pages were yellow with age. However, the book itself was smooth and glossy, as though no time at all had passed since it had last been held. Katy brought the book to her nose, in case it held a trace of her mother's scent. It didn't. The book smelled of old. The entire room smelled of old! Without further hesitation, Katy held it carefully and began to read the first entry.

April 7, 1995

My name is Chandler Strook Hawkins. I just turned twenty. My parents gave me a diary and this pen. I am married to Mike Hawkins, and I just had a little baby girl whom we named Katy. Mother and Father live here with Mike and I. My folks gave me this journal to record

everything that happens, good or bad. They said it is important to record things so that I can look back on these memories when I am older. I agree. I plan to write in here as much as possible. Since this is my first entry, I suppose I should introduce my family. My mom is Polly Miller Strook. My dad is John Strook. They both sell insurance. I am an only child. My sister died when I was eight years old. My hobbies include swimming, fishing, boating, sewing, and painting. I like sewing and painting the most. When I am sewing, I forget about everything else in the world. Same with painting. Someday I may get good enough to sell my sewn clothes and my paintings. I hope to. But I also like working around water. I hope to start conservation groups for marine animals. My birthday today was wonderful. Mother and Mike made lasagna, a favorite of mine. There were peaches and strawberries topped with whipped cream for dessert. Well, I'll write some more later.

Katy finished reading, and thought about what she had just read. Her mother's birthday was April 7th. Her maiden name was Strook. Katy was very excited. It looked as if this could have really been her mother's space!