The Message

The vase had always stood on the little black dresser in the hallway but when the new family moved in put it in the attic. The father of the family was quite angry that the former residents hadn't removed all of their furniture but the mother shook her head at his anger and it washed away. Together they carried the dresser up the stairs to the dusty attic. Their youngest daughter followed them with the vase. They put the black dresser in the corner, promising each other not to forget it. The little girl put the vase on top of the dresser exactly in the spot where it had always stood. The father shook his head at his daughter and told her to put it in one of the drawers, so it didn't get knocked over as they filled the attic with their boxes full of things they never used. As the little girl tilted the vase to lay it down in the drawer a little note fell out of it. Her parents were already on the way down the stairs again. She was just about to call out for them to help her read the note, but something told her not to. She had recently started school and was confident that she could make out the words herself if she just had her books to guide her. She shoved the note in her pocket and ran down the stairs. Her mother told her not to run down the stairs but the little girl just stormed right past her and into her room. Her father shook his head again and asked his wife what possibly could've got into their daughter all of sudden. The little girl sat down on her red rug surrounded by her books and pulled the note out. She sat there concentrated for more than an hour and spelled out the words until dinner was ready and she had to leave her room and the note. After dinner she had to shower. Her mother noticed her daughter was very quiet. She had no idea that her little girl had the riddle of the note's words flying around in her head. After her parents had kissed her goodnight, she found her flashlight and continued her detective work under her duvet. Just as the moon was shining its brightest the girl had finally made out the message of the note. And her life was forever changed.