The Chest of the Lost

Chapter 1: The Chest of the Lost

I stood waiting in a line that wound around the corner and down the street. I had been waiting for this moment for as long as I could remember and now I had to wait in a perhaps 50-person line.

The line moved slowly, inching toward the small, hunched shop, and I could see the yellow wooden door held open by the people towards the front. Teens my age slowly filtered out of the building, cradling a small, velvet sack in both hands. They carried it like their life depended on it, which I guess in this case, it did.

I made it to the big, glass window that was to the right of the door, where there were now about fifteen people in front of me. I overheard the people behind me talking about how they knew the mysterious old lady inside, and how they were sure she'd give them a good Crystal Fate. I didn't think it mattered whether they knew the old lady or not because I knew she didn't decide what they got. It was up to their Crystals to decide.

I just hoped Fate would be kind to me.

Finally, the last person standing between me and Fate walked out of the building. The boy was tall and thin, with light brown skin, and he was wearing a nervous look on his face as he held the small bag to his chest. He glanced at me as I prepared to step through the doorway, giving me a small smile, which I returned. 

I peeked around the corner of the door and saw a little white-haired lady staring at me, waiting for me. Taking a deep breath in, I stepped inside. The building, though small and drafty-looking, was warm and it reminded me of the small cabin my family used to own in the mountains. Two small armchairs gathered around the blazing fireplace, with a tiny, circular table in between them, where an antique-looking lamp rested. In the opposite corner, there was an old rocking chair with a woven basket full of books on the floor next to it. On the wall across from where I was standing, was a small, white door.

"Come in, my dear," the lady said in a calm, quiet voice. I realized with embarrassment that I was still standing in the doorway. I blushed and walked forward, and she gestured for me to take a seat in the armchair opposite where she was sitting.

"How are you today?" she asked politely as I sat down. I noticed a small white name tag pinned to her floral blouse that read 'Bonnie Carson.'

I cleared my throat, hoping a nervous squeak wouldn't embarrass me more when I spoke. "I'm doing fine." I was surprised to find my voice somewhat steady.

"Good. This is an important day, you know." She winked at me and I smiled back

I nodded and she got up from her chair and waved her hand, gesturing for me to follow her. Walking toward the white door, she pulled a key from out of nowhere, and forced it into the keyhole, turned the lock, then led me inside. I had expected a boiling cauldron, or maybe even a big crystal ball in the center of the room, but it was completely empty. Mrs. Carson fumbled through the doorway and dragged her hand along the wall next to the door, feeling around for the light switch.

"Ah, there it is." She flipped it on and the room lit up, temporarily blinding me. I closed my eyes for a couple of seconds while I waited for them to adjust, and when I finally opened them, I almost fell back in surprise. The before-empty room was now lined with shelves, going on for what looked like an eternity. I gasped and she glanced over at me, amused.

"Sorry." I blushed. "This is just so amazing. The room didn't look nearly this big before and the shelves..." I looked around in awe. Covering the shelves were thousands of small wooden boxes, just big enough to fit in the palms of my two hands.

"Oh, don't worry about it. The day you get your Crystal Fate is a big day," she said, then paused. "You, know it's funny," she continued, staring toward the opposite end of the room. "No one has exactly the same reaction when they first walk in. Most are surprised, like you, but they all express it in different ways. Some are even disappointed when they come in." She chuckled. I didn't how you could be disappointed; I would never have imagined the room to look like this, let alone more amazing.