Box of Dreams

The Tower

The Third Tower was the oldest part of the castle. It was built hundred of years prior by the greatest architect of the time Fontilligo. Abandoned for newer parts of the castle, the area referred to as the Third Tower actually consisted of most of the north wing. The tower's spires reached high into the sky, higher than anything for miles. The north wing was full of ancient rooms and treasures. It was here, through the cobwebbed hallways that the children explored.

Melody threw open a heavy oak door and sneezed as dust billowed up to meet her. Peering through the gloomy shadows, candle high above her head, she turned and beckoned to her siblings. "Another bedroom!" She exclaimed excitedly shuffling forward into the room, the others on her heels.

The room must have been great once, but that was long ago. There was a wide bed curtained with faded red and gold fabric, an old oak dresser, a matching dressing table, and a worn rug in front of the fireplace.

Sophie stepped around her sister and headed towards the dresser with Jaq in tow, Will shuffled across the room to examine the fireplace, and Melody, finding nothing else to do, walked over to the dressing table.

The circular mirror was intact, it's polished surface gleaming. How it survived the toll of time Melody would never know, but she marveled it anyway, brushing her fingers down the smooth glass. She glanced down at the table in front of her. On it was a carefully carved jewelry box, a power box, and a third smaller box.

She reached down and carefully jiggled the small drawer on the jewelry box, which piped open to reveal several necklaces an a couple of rings. She turned toward the small box, leaving the jewelry and makeup for Sophie; for she didn't care for such things.

The last and smallest box was delicately painted image of an angel in flight, soaring above the clouds, its face an expression of pure joy. On each side of the box there were different landscapes painted. One with a town made completely out of shades of grey, another scene was of a crossroads, the third, an image of a dark forest, and the last image of a dark cave. Each of the scenes gave Melody shivers, but she could not bring herself to put the box down. Her fingers brushed something on the bottom and she flipped it over to find an inscription. The Box of Dreams.

"Hey!" Melody was shaken out of her reprieve by Will's voice. Her older brother was kneeling next to a curtian that covered most of the wall. She watched as he lifted the fabric to reveal a small doorway. Her heart jumped with excitement, the box clasped in her hand forgotten. She hurried over to where he was standing, and heard Jaq and Sophie come up behind them. Without stopping to think, Melody crawled through the doorway. Behind her she could hear her siblings rushing to keep up, but she crawled on through the darkness.

Suddenly the crawl space opened up, revealing a stairwell. She happily dragged herself out of the tunnel and sat down on the steps, waiting for her siblings arrival. First came Jaq, then Soph, and lastly Will. As soon as they were all through, she wasted no time waiting, quickly standing up and sprinting up the stairs.

After what seemed like hours, or what maybe was just minutes, she reached the top. Resisting her curiosity, Melody caught her breath while waiting for her siblings to catch up. After the longest wait, Sophie and Jaq finally arrived. She stood up with a sigh and her siblings, wordlessly helped her open the trap door.

When their eyes beheld the contents of the room, they gasped.