I wasn’t quite finished with the story I was telling by the time 2025 ended and so decided to continue it until it reached an ending point. Then I will start a new one. Besides, I kind of want to see where Penelope ends up. And so we have…
Day 178: Penelope turned the box, bracing it against her stomach and then tugged at the bottom of the box again.
Penelope turned the box, bracing it against her stomach and then tugged at the bottom of the box again. This time the bottom of the box shifted more. It opened to reveal a hidden space. The hidden section wasn’t large, only a quarter of the length of the box as a whole.
Inside was something small, wrapped in paper. Penelope set the box down and lifted it out. She set the box to the side and slowly, carefully began to unfold the paper. Inside the small packet of paper was a plastic envelope. It looked to Penelope like the kind of thing that coin collectors would store a valuable coin in. This held four small charms, each the size of her thumbnail.
They had small loops making them look like they were designed to attach to a charm bracelet. Penelope lifted the plastic packet up to study them closer. Each of the coins was etched with a multitude of symbols. Each one was interconnected. If she had only glanced at them, they would have looked more like decorative designs. Having so recently looked at various sigils she could pick them out and see how they interlocked with each other.
“That is far more complex than my beginner book covers.” Penelope set the plastic pack down and saw that the paper wrapping they were covered in had writing on it. She wondered if it would explain the symbols and explain what the coins were designed to do.
The paper was deeply crinkled from being so long folded and it didn’t want to lay flat. Annoyed with it, Penelope pushed it as flat as she could with one hand and then put her beginning book of sigils on top of it to press it flat. Once it was in place, she added the lesson book on top of it for good measure. Not wanting to do anything accidental with the specially hidden charms, Penelope slipped the plastic case back into it’s hidden compartment and closed it.
She then set the box to the side and turned her attention to the jumble of charms that were in the main portion of the box. They were in a heap on top of the kitchen towel. Penelope began to spread them out. It was like a jumbled up jewelry box. Some of the symbols dangled on long thing chains designed to be worn as necklaces, others were on bracelets. Some of the bracelets were single chams while others had multiple charms like the charm bracelet she wore.
‘Without the melted bits.’
All of the chains were tangled and knotted. Whoever created or used them seemed fond of delicate chains. “They look more like a ladies jewelry box,” Penelope thought. Mrs. Merriweather sent them and when she looked back at the quickly scrawled note that came with the books, she realized there was no mention of where the box came from.
“It could have been hers instead of Jerome’s.” The chains looked more delicate than many men would wear. “Unless Jerome liked delicate chains. Or was trying to hide the fact that he was wearing the charms.” Penelope lifted a knotted clump of chain.
Ten til Midnight 