””
This time of year is the busiest for mail deliveries; it’s not uncommon to receive the wrong package. On your doorstep is a box that looks like it’s from a completely different era; it is wrapped in brown paper and tied with dark twine. It has scuffs and scrapes and a yellowed name tag--with your name and address on it. There is no return address and no indication where it came from. If you open it up you will find some sort of timeless item that feels as though it is easily decades old. It may not be particularly valuable, but this item seems to have been lost to time--and somehow ended up in your possession. Any time you look at it you are filled with the same sensation of timelessness.
It wasn’t uncommon for packages to arrive at their door, especially this time of year, it was easier to order things and it meant less hassle of going out and dealing with people. Key also knew Derrick wasn’t a fan of going out to shop, not if he could help it anyway, so things often got delivered to their apartment. It wasn’t something she minded, considering how much she ordered online herself, but this package seemed odd to her.
It wasn’t the size, it was a normal size, it was the packaging material. It looked cheap and not like anything she’d ever seen, outside of a time period movie anyway, the tag on it said it was for her though. The writing was rather old fashioned, likely done with some sort of pen Derrick would use for work or had in his personal collection, it was something worth showing him as soon as he was home from work.
The whole thing was very odd and for a moment she did wonder if he hadn’t sent her something rather elaborate gift himself, it would be fitting. But no, she didn’t think he’d done this, he’d likely want to be home for this to turn up at their door. Shaking her head Key picked it up and toeing the door shut she headed into the kitchen, locking the door before heading into the kitchen, she went to find some scissors so she could cut the twine from the package and see what was inside.
She would, for now, keep the twine and packaging material in order to show Derrick when he got home. She doubted he was behind this all but he would, without a doubt, be interested in this. “This city certainly is strange, it needs to stop doing odd things like this.” Such things were annoying. But as she unwrapped the box, and opened the box slowly, it became obvious that the gift was something very old. It wasn’t something she’d ever even think of owning and she knew Derrick would never purchase. But it wasn’t a bad thing either.
Inside the box, nestled among balled up brown paper, was a silver hair brush and hand mirror. Neither were things she was the sort to use, not that she didn’t brush her hair or keep herself looking well kept, but such items weren’t her sort of thing. They would, for now, wind up decorations but that was once Derrick got home and she could show him this, Key didn’t trust such a random gift turning up at their door. What was perhaps just as odd was the brush and mirror were both tarnished...they weren’t new and they had a good weight to them, as she found out when picking them up, they were old and solid. Who would send them though...these were items that should be in some proper ladies home way back in Vicorian times, at least that’s how it felt to her. These items were out of place and out of time...but they were lovely.
“Maybe he’ll know what to make of it all.” Not likely though.
Word count: 522
