Chapter 7 Secrets Revealed
After finding the match in handwriting, Sebastian piled the trunks into the corner of the attic, giving explicit instructions that nobody was to touch them. He made sure all the weird artifacts, if that’s what you call something from the future, were tucked tightly inside Makayla's trunk. Then he made certain it was on the bottom of the pile so the others wouldn’t be tempted to sneak up to rummage through it when he wasn’t paying attention.
That evening, the children began getting ready for Christmas and the arrival of their grandparents. The night was spent getting their enormous front room, what their parents called the parlor, decorated for Christmas using the decorations that were stored in the other attic above the garage. The parlor was an enormous formal room on the west side of the house. The ceilings were tall, taller than ceilings in most homes that age, and windows surrounded the main wall, making it very bright in the afternoon hours. Some of the windows were decorated with stained-glass panes at the top, but all of them had huge red velvet drapes that hung on either side. There was a large fireplace on the North wall, above which hung a portrait of Jerold and Beth Hanks. Pictures of the children were showcased on the mantel, ranging from Sebastian as a baby to Scotty taking his first steps. Bookcases abounded in this room, showcasing the treasure of literary works Beth Hanks had spent years collecting. Most were found during her travels. She had come across some really lucky finds. Mrs. Hanks' favorite find was a first-edition signed copy of Charles Dickens, Great Expectations. But most of the books were common ones their parents read at home or young adult novels Makayla picked up at Book Rack Alley. Makayla often retreated to this room when she wanted to be alone. This was the one place in the large home where her brothers didn’t go. They weren’t into books and had no desire to sit in a boring room that didn’t have a computer, television or stereo.
Sebastian was finishing up with the other children in the kitchen, making Christmas cookies and candy, when he went searching for Makayla. While he had long since outgrown the thrill of making cookies, he put on a good show for his brothers. This was one of many areas where he filled his father’s absence. He often found himself doing things that most teenagers would abhor.
When he didn’t find Makayla in her room, the next place he looked was in the parlor. She was sitting on the big chaise lounge, curled up under a blanket with a book. Sebastian leaned up against the wall and studied her for a minute. She was lost in another world, and he couldn’t quite understand why she was always reading, writing or creating. He let out a big sigh to make his presence known.
“You know, you aren’t as sneaky as you think. I knew you were standing there the whole time,” Makayla said without so much as looking up from her book.
“Why aren’t you with us in the kitchen? Lost your affection for sugar cookies and icing?” Sebastian said, smirking at his sister.
“I’m not in the mood.”
Sebastian walked over to his sister and sat down. He leaned back and pulled the book from her hands.
“Hey, what did you do that for?” She shot him an annoyed look and started wrestling him for the book. Sebastian raised it just high enough for it to be out of her reach. She attempted to tackle him and when she was unsuccessful, she punched him in the gut, just hard enough for his hands to come down and grab his stomach. She snatched the book and retreated back to her corner on the chaise lounge.
“Humph. Jerk,” she muttered under breath.
“What are you reading anyway?” Sebastian asked with a quizzical look.
“Oh, you wouldn’t know or care.”
“Try me,” Sebastian said, making a bowing gesture, which further aggravated her.
“It’s just a book all the girls at school are reading. OK?”
“What’s the plot?”
Makayla slammed the book down on her lap and stared at her brother.
“Why don’t you just get it over with? What do you want, Sebastian?”
Sebastian let out a defeated laugh, turning toward his sister. His face suddenly serious, he sat thinking about to best approach the subject based on her current mood.
“Makayla, you know that I don’t want you up in that attic, right?”
“Yeah, so? I still don’t know why you get to decide what I can and cannot do. I never got a note saying you were in charge.”
Sebastian sighed. Sometimes girls could be so moody and difficult.
“Well, I could’ve sworn I heard someone up there last night.”
“Twasn't me, o big brother!” She looked at him with big eyes, batting her lids rapidly. Then she stuck her tongue out and went back to her book.
“Are you sure?” Sebastian wasn’t ready to relent.
“Yes, I’m sure! Leave me alone.”
Sebastian got up from the couch, letting Makayla brood in her bad temper. He knew she’d be back to her normal self by tonight and just shrugged her off. It was really eating at him that he had no clue who was messing around in the attic. Which one of them was up there going through the trunks? Which one was playing with all the stuff and sneaking around? He made a mental note to check it out later.
The Hanks children spent the next day shopping for each other and their family, exploring mysteriously wrapped presents as huge shipments of parcels arrived from their parents, and helping Alice get the guest house ready for their grandparents. With all the hustle, Sebastian had pushed the thought of checking on the attic to the back of his mind.
Christmas Eve came, and Ithaca seemed more magical than ever. Shoppers were roaming downtown with its classic window displays, lights, and a huge Christmas tree in the center of the commons. Carolers were hired to stand at random street corners downtown, luring potential shoppers and families to spend their evenings visiting coffee shops, small specialty stores, and the hub of retail in Ithaca. Sebastian was watching a group of singers, staring out the window of the Lincoln, waiting for the stoplight to turn green. They were all heading to the traditional Christmas Eve service at the small Lutheran church in town. This was something their parents insisted they do every year, even in spite of their absence, and Alice upheld their wishes with the strictest regularity. They pulled into the tiny parking lot, littered with small sedans. Alice turned into one of the last spots available, right in front of the small arched front entrance. The members of the congregation who were loitering outside stared at them, whispering amongst themselves as they parked. Sebastian had begged to take a more modest vehicle, but Alice seemed to have become partial to the new Lincoln. She rolled her eyes at him when he protested and, as always, she won the argument. He was afraid the new clothes from their parents would attract more unwanted attention. Of course, they weren’t just outfits from the mall, but rather outlandish ensembles from top fashion stores from who knows where. Alice had made them wear their ridiculous outfits to church. All the attention was making Sebastian sick to his stomach, and he was hoping to find a pew in the back corner, hidden in the dark shadows of the dimly lit service.
The church was very small, not one of the new mega churches on the outskirts of town. It was very traditional in appearance, with old wooden pews on each side of the main aisle. Red carpet ran up the center of the sanctuary, stopping in front of the altar, which was a platform about two feet off the ground. Huge ornate stained-glass windows stood behind the large wooden podium, where the preacher sat, looking solemn and grave. If you looked closely at the windows, an entire story could be told from the pictures glazed onto the panes. Sebastian found himself staring at the stained-glass most of the service, imagining what their meaning was and the story they told. The Hanks children suffered through the service, following the cues of when to stand and sit, which was done more than Sebastian had hoped. During the sermon, he turned his head slightly and caught a sideways glance of his brothers. Ethan was fidgeting with his hands, turning them over and over on his lap; Scotty was asleep in Alice's lap, and Julian was doo
dling on the evening's program. Marshall seemed very intrigued by what the preacher was saying and was probably memorizing the entire sermon, working up questions for him later. Great, Sebastian thought. Now I'll have to be a theologian for him too. This reminded him of the Christmas when Marshall asked him about Santa Claus. Marshall wanted to know how Saint Nicholas could have been a real person but not have grown old and died. At the age of four, he had reasoned it out for himself that the idea of Santa was impossible. Sebastian was forced to tell him the truth, something that his parents should have been there to do themselves.
The service finally came to an end and the Hanks family filed out of the sanctuary and into their Lincoln, tired and ready to go home.
Alice, Makayla, and Sebastian carried the littler ones from the car to their beds, being careful not to wake them. They spent the next hour setting out presents from Santa, and filing the stockings full of candy and expensive trinkets. Finally, heading to their rooms, the three called it a night.
Sebastian, not able to fall asleep, logged onto his computer, checking his Facebook. There were a few messages from his mom, making sure everyone was OK and not too upset. His mom went on and on about all the presents that should be arriving. Sebastian figured she was trying to make up for breaking her promise. He sighed, sending back some generic replies that didn’t go into too much detail, but told them the presents arrived just fine and everyone was doing well. He didn’t want them to worry, even though he was still mad at them for not coming back. So, he tried to type about the others.
As he pushed the send button on his message, he heard something like big claws scraping the floor of the attic. Glancing at the ceiling, he tried to figure out the location of the sound. He clicked on the start button, telling his computer to go into hibernation mode. He wanted to make sure he heard the noise coming from above him and not from his computer. A few moments later the noise came again, but this time it was closer and faster. Sebastian stood up from his desk, hesitating, not sure what to do. He knew if he went back up to the attic, the others would follow and he would never get them to stay out of there until his parents returned. However, someone, or worse something, was up there and he couldn't just ignore it. They could all be in real danger. Sebastian took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair. He had been feeling very anxious since they discovered those trunks, like his life was on the verge of drastic change. Sebastian shook his head and told himself he was crazy, reading way into things. But then again, who of his friends could say they had trunks full of contents from their future? He stuck his head outside his door, glancing to make sure that the younger ones, especially Julian and Scotty, weren't up. Everyone had gone to sleep about an hour ago, but with those two, being “asleep” didn’t mean they wouldn't come bounding out of their rooms to see what was going on. He quietly made his way to the attic door, when he heard someone clearing her throat in the hallway. Sebastian whirled around to see Makayla leaning against her doorframe with her arms crossed over her chest. She was scowling, and her eyes flashed a dark piercing look. He braced himself for the wrath that was about to come. However, Makayla held her stance and kept herself from coming unglued.
“So, you can ban us from going up there, but you aren't under the same rules?”
“I heard a noise. I think someone's up there, and I just want to make sure everything and everyone is safe.”
Makayla came over to him, curiosity seeping out of every part of her body. Eyes round, she looked up at Sebastian. “What do you think you heard?”
“I was checking Facebook and I heard a scraping noise, like someone was moving the trunks.”
“Oh.” Makayla bit her lip, trying to keep in check her eagerness to run up there herself.
“Oh, come on. You can come with me. Nothing gets past you, does it?” Sebastian smirked.
“Nope. And I plan on keeping it that way. How else would I be in everybody's business?” Makayla now had a twinkle in her eye and beamed at her brother.
“Well, it's probably just my imagination or one of the staff getting something out for Christmas.”
“Probably, even though most of the Christmas stuff is kept in the other attic.” Sebastian could see a look in Makayla's eyes that told him that it was going to be more than some house staff looking for yet another wreath. He opened the door and grabbed one of the flashlights hanging next to the bottom of the stairs, not wanting to turn on the lights and alert Alice in the guesthouse. She had a habit of staying up late, watching the house. Sebastian first noticed a couple of months ago, when he went down to the kitchen to get something to drink in the middle of the night. He saw her looking out her window. She looked like she was in some kind of trance, an image Sebastian hadn't been able to forget. He flicked on the flashlight, shining it in front of him while climbing the stairs. He turned and motioned for his sister to follow. Makayla grabbed onto his arm and was close behind, curious but also suddenly afraid. They climbed up and peered around. Makayla gasped. They didn’t see anyone, but there had definitely been someone up there. The trunks had all been put back into their original spots and the dust, that was all over them just a couple days ago, had been wiped off. Tiny sliver like rays were pouring in the windows from the moonlight, giving a spooky feel to the already creepy attic. The light shimmered, bouncing off the trunks, creating a spotlight effect on each of them. Sebastian took a deep breath, caught off guard at the unusual and impossible sight.
“Sebastian, what happened?” Makayla slowly made her way over to Marshall's trunk and brushed her fingers lightly across the lid. “These are spotless and they are right back where we found them.” Her eyes were darting all over the attic.
Sebastian was frozen in his place. Obviously someone had been up here and was messing with him. But who? He was going to get to the bottom of this first thing tomorrow. Whichever one of those boys did this was going to be in big trouble. But as he thought about it, he couldn't imagine any of them having the strength to move the trunks all by themselves. Didn’t Marshall just ask Alice for help moving only one of them, let alone all six? And Ethan, Julian and Scotty were not likely to have been able to do so. He also thought about the dust. He knew that none of his brothers would take the time to clean them off so meticulously. The more he thought about it, the more it wasn't adding up. He could feel his hands shaking and his stomach starting to churn. He knew it hadn't been any of them that had been up here doing this. But who? He shot a glance toward Makayla, suddenly panicked and ready to leave.
“I don't know, Makayla, but I don't like it. Let's leave it until tomorrow.”
“Don't you think we should look around just to make sure everything is safe up here?”
Sebastian hesitated, but knew she was right. How could he not check the attic and make sure no one was still up here? “Yeah, that's probably a good idea.”
Suddenly, they heard a muffled crying sound coming from the nook where Makayla's trunk was. Makayla shot Sebastian a confused looked, motioning for him to come over to where she was standing. He complied, slowly creeping over to Makayla, careful not to make a sound. He could feel himself breathing deeply and tried to steady his breaths. He knew he was overreacting, but who on earth was up here? He grabbed Makayla's arm, and they walked toward the nook, shining the flashlight into the dark corners where their eyes could only make out shadows and outlines of shapes that probably weren't even there. Sebastian blinked several times, trying not to let his eyes play tricks on him. The light caught a head of red hair. There cowering in the corner was Ethan, with wide shining eyes.
“Oh, Ethan, what do you think you are doing? Do you want us to have a heart attack before we even finish puberty?”
Ethan shot Makayla a dirty look and tried to fight the tears that were threatening to overflow from his eyes. He brushed away the one that did escape with the back of his hand. Sebastian noticed that he was holding the weird jewelry box they had found the
other day. Suddenly, Sebastian was no longer anxious but furious. He scowled at his little brother in hopes of getting his message across without pouncing him.
“Ethan, didn't I tell you to stay out of here?”
“I know. But I heard some noises and came to check it out.”
“What noises did you hear exactly? And why on earth did you move the trunks and clean everything?”
Ethan looked at his sister, clearly confused, and then shrugged his shoulders. “I didn't!”
Makayla smirked, “Yeah, right!”
“Really, I didn't do it! When I got up here, it was all changed around and the trunks had been cleaned. I was thinking about this box and wanted to check something out again. When I heard the noise, I thought maybe you guys were up here. So, I decided to come up. When you weren't here I went ahead and got the jewelry box.”
“So then why are you crying?” Makayla clearly didn't buy his story. She stood there, arms folded, impatiently waiting for his reply.
Sebastian decided he would give his brother the benefit of the doubt. “Makayla back off. Give him a chance to tell us what he wants to say.”
Ethan nodded at his brother and held up the jewelry box. “Well, when I was looking at this the other day, I was just checking out the cool knights on the outside. I had noticed this small hole on the bottom, but figured it was for a weird key that opens it. But then, the other night when I was lying in bed, I remembered seeing small grooves in the shields, like it was a giant puzzle or something. When I came up here, I was looking it over to see if I was right. See, the grooves are where the two halves fit together. I don't think this is a jewelry box. It's almost like some kind of device that unlocks and splits in two.”
Makayla relaxed slightly and came over and grabbed the box. She held it up to the moonlight and wrinkled her nose. Ethan sank back into the dark, panic on his face.
“What is it?” Sebastian, asked, seeing the change in her expression.
“Well, I came across some of Dad's books in the parlor a couple of months ago. One was about ancient civilizations and their writings. It talked about how people communicated before there were alphabets. They used to draw pictures of their story to tell the history of their people. I just flipped through it and only read the parts that were interesting.”
Sebastian smirked and thought she would be the only one, besides his father, who would find that a good read. “Hieroglyphics, right?”
Makayla looked at him, still lost in thought. “Yeah, I wonder if it’s like that, but from the future? I wonder if there is a story behind the knights and their shields?” Makayla continued to hold the box in the moonlight, twisting it from side to side to try and catch a better glimpse of the drawings. She saw a black spot on one of the shields, probably from being in the trunk, and rubbed her fingers over it to try to clean it off. Suddenly the attic exploded with a bright light, pushing the box out of her hands into midair. Rays of light seeped out from the grooves, spreading all around them and covering them like a thick down blanket. Six rays spread forth from the blanket of light that covered the three of them and continued forward like arms growing from an insect. They seemed to be searching for something, hunting for a particular destination. Sebastian couldn't move, let alone speak. He watched the jewelry box and saw that it was spinning out of control in midair. As it spun, he noticed that the shields were blazing one at a time with a bright blue light. Sebastian squinted his eyes to make sure he was seeing things clearly. The pictures of the shields seemed to be lighting up in a kind of pattern, like Morse code or something.
Sebastian grabbed Makayla, pulling her back. Ethan stood up and grabbed onto his brother. Then as suddenly as it started, the arms of the light snapped back inside the box, like retracting rubber bands, and the box fell to the floor.
Ethan looked up at them with wide eyes and whispered. “That's why I was crying.”
Standing in the shadows, a slow smile spread across Alice's lips. She quietly laughed to herself and walked down the hallway heading to the guest house.